Posted by Mike and Chris Pettey Updated on July 6, 2020
Category: Disney vs. Disney
Tags: Disney vs. Disney Hunny Hunt Winnie the Pooh

The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh is a dark ride that travels through a loose re-telling of the Disney 1977 Animated Feature of the same name. The ride can be found at four of the six Disney Resorts across the globe. A very different take on the attraction, yet still similar in spirit, called Pooh’s Hunny Hunt, is found at Tokyo Disneyland at the Tokyo Disney Resort outside Tokyo, Japan. And yes, even though it is drastically different, we’re going to include this ride in our comparison. We’ve ridden every version in person.

Major Similarities & Differences

You can watch fantastic videos of all versions of the attraction online, so we won’t spend time re-hashing the details of each experience. Instead, we will just point out the major similarities and differences we feel are worth calling out:

With the exception of the California version, each attraction loads in an indoor station.
The ride experience is nearly identical at the Florida, Hong Kong, and Shanghai versions, though the queues are different.
The California, Florida, and Tokyo versions all replaced previous attractions:
- In California, the ride replaced the Country Bear Jamboree. When leaving the Heffalumps & Woozles dream sequence, if you turn around, you will see the the heads of Max the deer, Melvin the moose and Buff the buffalo are mounted in the wall inside the ride
- In Florida, the ride replaced Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride. When traveling through Owl’s home, there is a photo of Toad handing a deed over to Owl, as well as a photo of Mole greeting Pooh at his home.
- In Tokyo, the ride replaced the Fantasyland Skyway station. No known tribute to the Skyway exists within Pooh’s Hunny Hunt.
The rides in California, Florida, and Hong Kong, are all presented in English. The ride in Tokyo is presented in Japanese, while the ride in Shanghai is presented in Mandarin.
The Tokyo version is considered a true headliner attraction (“E-Ticket”) and uses trackless dark ride technology. It was the first trackless ride in any Disney park.

The Rankings (from least favorite to favorite)

5. The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh – Disneyland (California)

California’s version of the ride is certainly our least favorite. The ride is noticeably shorter than its counterparts, combining the Blustery Day and Rain scenes together, completely omitting the trip through Owl’s House, and drastically reducing the number of three dimensional figures. The ride does feature a charming outdoor loading area built perfectly into the theme of Critter Country, and it does have that great tribute to the Country Bear Jamboree that it replaced, but this version overall feels like it had as many pennies pinched as possible to just barely get the job done. We feel for those who only know this version of the ride – it’s mostly an afterthought in an otherwise incredible park.

4. The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh – Hong Kong Disneyland (Hong Kong)

Hong Kong’s version was the first “all new” Pooh attraction built from the ground up. Given that fact, you’d expect something to stand out here…but nothing really does. And that’s too bad, given that this is the only dark ride in Hong Kong Disneyland’s Fantasyland, and the only “traditional” dark ride in the entire park. Disney had every opportunity to build something bigger and better, yet as it stands, the ride is more or less cookie-cutter when compared to the versions found in Florida and Shanghai. Even the old-school Fantasyland tournament-style tent queue does not impress. When all is said and done, it’s just hard to find anything unique or interesting about this version of the attraction – not an uncommon problem with opening-day Hong Kong Disneyland as a whole.

Photo Credit: Albert Lam Disney Photoblography

3. The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh – Magic Kingdom (Florida)

The original version of the attraction falls smack into the middle of our rankings. The ride experience itself is nearly identical to those found in Hong Kong and Shanghai, though a bit less detailed and a bit more dated – understandable, given it’s age. This is particularly noticeable in the Heffalumps & Woozles dream sequence. What sets this version apart is the fantastic queue, which for some children may be even better than the ride itself. A playground of props to explore and interact with will keep young and old entertained through what is normally a very long queue. We were happy with the removal of the old tournament-style tents, and going with a unique façade complimented by the large Hundred Acre Wood tree that was relocated from Pooh’s Playful Spot. And a few bonus points for the nods to Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride, an attraction that should never have been replaced.

2. The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh – Shanghai Disneyland (Shanghai)

The newest version of the attraction takes our #2 spot. It may seem a bit unfair, as the ride is nearly identical to that found in Florida and Hong Kong, but the queue experience really sets the stage here, with a winding journey through a gorgeous landscaped garden. It’s a perk of having been built from the ground up, and without trying to restrict the ride to being an extension of the castle. Like much of Shanghai Disneyland, space is plentiful, and is used as an advantage for not only the queue, but the attraction’s location in the back of Fantasyland, next to a Pooh-themed teacup spinner. Everything both outside and in feels fresh and new, and even though the ride is presented in Mandarin (a language we do not speak), the spirit of the attraction does not suffer one bit. If we had to recommend one of the classic versions of The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh, Shanghai would get our vote.

1. Pooh’s Hunny Hunt – Tokyo Disneyland (Tokyo)

Where do we begin here? This version is miles ahead of the others and probably shouldn’t even be mentioned in the same breath. But it is a dark ride centered around Winnie the Pooh, so we are covering it here. Pooh’s Hunny Hunt is truly a do-not-miss ride, and commands some of the longest waits in a park that already has a very stellar attraction lineup. The ride begins as the vehicles gather around an oversized book for “story time”, and then journey into the book itself, and the Hundred Acre Wood. From there, the trackless system really takes off, and each vehicle travels a unique route, which makes re-rideability high. In particular, the Tigger Bouncing scenes as well as the Dream Sequence are true “how did they do that?” Disney moments. The Heffalumps & Woozles scene further shows off the trackless technology as the ride vehicles dance and interact with additional vehicles – some filled with attraction characters – around a large room with amazing effects. As the journey comes to a close, it’s almost impossible to not be smiling, and completely impossible to not be impressed. Regardless of your passion for its characters, the experience will leave you with a desire to get right back in line and ride it again. Pooh’s Hunny Hunt is not just the best Winnie the Pooh dark ride in the world, it’s one of the best Disney attractions of all time.

Written by Mike and Chris Pettey

YOUR THOUGHTS?

Agree or disagree with our rankings? Have you experienced any of these attractions – either in person, or virtually via the internet? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!