Dumbo by Night

Not going to Walt Disney World or Disneyland as a kid, I was not properly indoctrinated into the Dumbo the Flying Elephant attraction in Magic Kingdom. I, of course, know all about the iconic ride, but I had never found myself on the iconic ride. That is, until last month when visiting for Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party. Dumbo was walk-on during the event, so I figured there would not be a better time.

I snapped this picture as the ride was ending and the Dumbos were about to return to the ground. I actually took a few shots and this was the only one where I got the feeling I wanted — movement, color and that fairground vibe. I made the background darker to help make the ride itself pop, and messed with the lighting and exposure a bit to make the blurry background less in the background. I wish the Dumbo car would have been at various heights, as I think it would read “Dumbo” a little better, but a true fan can see it right away.

I have to say, even as a first-time rider at the age of 43, I felt the nostalgia that people that have been visiting Walt Disney World and riding Dumbo their whole lives must feel revisiting it as adult, or even better taking their kids on the ride — and while it may be one of the shortest rides in the history of theme parks, it has a lot of heart.

Looks like I’ll be back.