The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh vs Under the Sea - Journey of the Little Mermaid

Better ride?

  • The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh

    Votes: 62 66.0%

  • Under the Sea - Journey of the Little Mermaid

    Votes: 32 34.0%
  • Total voters
    94
The Empress Lilly

The Empress Lilly

Well-Known Member
I like both rides about equally. Without truly being super charmed by them. Mermaid is better than everybody says but everybody is also correct that it's worse than it should have been. Poo is a good dark ride, but the characters and story don't really pull my heart strings. Perhaps for once it really is just for the kids.


Amazing how much better 20k, (classic scary) Snow White, and our two Toads were than 7DMT + Poo + Mermaid.
 
yensidtlaw1969

yensidtlaw1969

Well-Known Member
The Empress Lilly said:
I like both rides about equally. Without truly being super charmed by them. Mermaid is better than everybody says but everybody is also correct that it's worse than it should have been. Poo is a good dark ride, but the characters and story don't really pull my heart strings. Perhaps for once it really is just for the kids.


Amazing how much better 20k, (classic scary) Snow White, and our two Toads were than 7DMT + Poo + Mermaid.
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I think people really do forget how great 20,000 Leagues was - it had a few cheap effects (seeing algae collect on the strings on the floating sharks definitely took you out of the moment), but as an installation the ride was frequently impressive both above and below the surface. The lagoon was massive and picturesque, the Nautilus subs were stunning to witness gliding through the water, and the sheer depth and detail of the underwater dioramas was almost shocking - and there were so many of them.

Add to that the tone set by the organ music and Captain Nemo's narration and it really created a unique and mysterious atmosphere. It's such a shame they closed it when they did because a good, healthy refurb with some newer tech could really have taken things to the next level. Could also have ruined the charm of what was already there, but they did even worse by ripping it out entirely.
 
The Rocketeer

The Rocketeer

Well-Known Member
I love the Mermaid queue, it feels like you're in another place and it is one the best parts of New Fantasyland for me, but the attraction itself is lacking, aside from the Ursula animatronic. It's not horrible, but not great either. It ends too abruptly and would be better as a boat ride like Pirates or like the original concept of a Peter Pan style hanging ship ride system, in my opinion.

Pooh is very simple, but has a great mixture of songs and I love the Rain Rain Rain Came Down Down Down and Heffalump & Woozles scenes in particular. I like it, but that being said I do not ride it every trip, it is a hit it every once in a while kind of attraction. I think I've only done it 5 or 6 times in the 20 years I've been visiting.
 
Brer Panther

Brer Panther

Well-Known Member
Okay, I gotta ask... was Mr. Toad really THAT much better than Pooh?

I never went on it, but you can't tell me it was more technologically advanced (it was mostly cardboard cutouts... at least Pooh has some physical figures, even if they're not the best animatronics Disney's ever built) and it doesn't look that much more "thrilling" than Pooh (the ride vehicles moved pretty slowly in the videos I watched).

And for what it's worth, I really don't like the idea of them replacing Pooh. I don't want Pooh to have no representation in Walt Disney World. Plus, they already have Princess Fairytale Hall and the Tomorrowland Speedway taking up space if they want to add a new dark ride to Fantasyland. Hopefully they still consider Pooh a popular enough character to justify keeping the ride around.

Little Mermaid can be replaced and I wouldn't care, though.
 
Walt Disney1955

Walt Disney1955

Well-Known Member
I think that both are great rides. I had to pick one, I'd have chosen both if I could have.

There is a charm of Pooh that you can't beat. Mermaid is a bit longer I think, which helps. Both are great. Mermaid is a nice ride to be in when it is hot. Even in the line you stay out of the sun. Love the bouncing effect Pooh has though. And if you look quick you can see homage to Mr. Toad as well.
 
Walt Disney1955

Walt Disney1955

Well-Known Member
Brer Panther said:
Okay, I gotta ask... was Mr. Toad really THAT much better than Pooh?

I never went on it, but you can't tell me it was more technologically advanced (it was mostly cardboard cutouts... at least Pooh has some physical figures, even if they're not the best animatronics Disney's ever built) and it doesn't look that much more "thrilling" than Pooh (the ride vehicles moved pretty slowly in the videos I watched).

And for what it's worth, I really don't like the idea of them replacing Pooh. I don't want Pooh to have no representation in Walt Disney World. Plus, they already have Princess Fairytale Hall and the Tomorrowland Speedway taking up space if they want to add a new dark ride to Fantasyland. Hopefully they still consider Pooh a popular enough character to justify keeping the ride around.

Little Mermaid can be replaced and I wouldn't care, though.
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Pooh ought to not be replaced, I agree. Fun ride. What people don't like is how it replaced Mr. Toad. At Disneyland Pooh replaced Country Bear Jamboree. So it sort of is an enemy to some. I like it though.

As for Toad, it was unique. The train effect, the ending.........................I don't know, nothing special, and yet so fast and so much to see at the same time. A throwback if you will. What bothers me about WDW that Disneyland doesn't do is that they fail to keep both rides. Disneyland still has plenty from opening day - or shortly after. WDW does too, but they have the blessing of space and have no reason to have ever gotten rid of Toad. Toad would have fit in just fine WITH Pooh. Nothing needs to be replaced at WDW. There is lots of room.
 

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