Evolution Of Disneyland's Flying Tinkerbell - DIStory Ep. 73 

The idea of some dude yeeting a grandma off the Matterhorn is such a funny way to imagine the original Tinker Bell. Tiny Kline was a legend.

Ok, but Tiny Kline saying that she finally crossed Time’s Square safely is actually pretty funny.

When I was ten years old, The Make a Wish Foundation sent me and my family to Disney World because I was going to have a boatload of orthopedic surgeries. One day during this trip while waiting to get on It's a Small World ride, Tinkerbell flew across the sky (without any wires that we could see.) Then, Peter Pan came out of nowhere and asked the crowd (and me,) if we had seen her. When he asked me if I had seen Tinkerbell, he knew my name, took a photo with and gave me his autograph. After that, Tinkerbell came out of hiding and did the same, of course without talking. To this day I don't know how they the cast member fly like that. This is one of the best Disney memories that I have. 🧚🏼‍♀✨

I worked with Hungarians at a circus. Tiny Kline fits so well into the people I met: tough, facing fear head-on, and simply incredible. Huge hearts. Thanks for talking so lovingly about her.

I remember my mom making a big deal about seeing Tinkerbell's flight when she took me to Disneyland in the late 70s. I had no idea at how phenomenal this was at the time. My 8-year-old brain was thinking something like "Of course Tinkerbell flew across Disneyland. Why wouldn't she?" but now my 53-year-old brain says "Wow. What a terrifying spectacle it must have been to look down in the blackness of a Southern California night with no good way to gauge exactly how fragile this act was." That was Disney magic.

I love this video, Dan! Tinker Bell is sassy, fabulous, beautiful, magical and absolutely enchanting! BTW my mom is obsessed with Tinker Bell!

As someone who had a bad fear of missing my bus in college and being stranded in SF, that ending story of Tiny Kline infuriated me also. Like how hard is it just to pay for her taxi?!?

My first time seeing a flying Tinkerbell was when my family went to Disneyland when I was 6 during the firework show. I had a green and white Tinkerbell lollipop that was the size of my face and was just so enchanted by her flying over my head. It was a magical experience.

A few years back we took my inlaws to Disney World for their first time, while Happily Ever After was showing. When first checking out the castle, they were very curious about what the cable was for. The shock and joy when Tink flew was worth the quick scrambling to change the subject.

It always boggles my mind that Tiny was 70

Thank you so much for sparking one of my favorite memories!!! Holy cow, I have goosebumps on my goosebumps!!! 52 years ago, I watched Tinkerbell fly at Disneyland. At the jeweler on Main Street, I saw in the window, a necklace of Tink standing delicately on a round cage full of crystals. I "BEGGED" my Mother for that one and only souvenir, promising on my 8 year old life I would keep her forever and never take her off. 2 years later, a classmate and I had a fight where she grabbed my necklace then threw it out into the grass of the playground. I spent hours searching and crying until I finally had to go home. I told my Mom the truth about what happened. Although I was only punished for fighting at school, my head and heart tormented me for what seemed like forever. Now, as a 60 year old woman, not only do I still adore and believe in Disney magic, I hit every jewelry shop at WDW looking for that necklace or something as close as possible. Sorry so windy... but, thanks again. Wishing you and your's an awesome holiday season!!!!!

Loved this video, Dan. The whole story of Tiny Kline is just astonishing, especially that last part.

She really knew how to fly, didn’t she? In Disneyland no pixie dust was needed! All she needed was a cable system and some wires! #BabyNewYearFlies

I was literally about to ask for more flying character content and then you hit us with the hashtag hahaha YES! PLEASE! 😂

Dan, thank you for highlighting the cast members who were Tink throughout the years. I applaud them for wearing heavy fairy looks, ziplining over the Magic Kingdom or Disneyland night after night.

I ADORE Tinkerbell. Seeing her fly is so magical! Every single time I see her I tear up. It never gets old 💚

The thought of a guy in a tinker bell outfit flying across the sky scares me!

I'm disappointed you didn't mention the Pixar-Disney drama from when Buzz Lightyear took over for Tink. Would love to hear you make up rumors for that.

I can only imagine how The Tinkerbell Brake System Guys explain what they do to their family. "I, unmmmm..... Help Tink land safely?"

Love this! You should do an entire pixie hollow faries history (like tink and friends)

That’s another great DIStory episode, Dan! Well done!

I love Tinker Bell! Tiny Kline is so iconic but everytime I see Tinkerbell fly across the castle, I get a tiny bit emotional because it makes me remember my childhood

I worked on Big Thunder Mountain from 1980-1984. My favorite moment of the night was when Tinkerbell crashed into that mattress!

Yes, I'm sometimes into Tinker Bell, Dan, as she's one of the spoke characters for Disney! 😀👍🏽

I somehow missed her when we went in ‘90 but I remember going again for the first time on 2005 and seeing Wishes for the first time. We didn’t know what to expect from the show but figured Tinker Bell would be at the beginning like I understood she did in Fantasy in the Sky but when she didn’t and the show went on for a bit my mom turned to my sister to say: “I guess she’s not in the shoe anymore” and just as she did, there she was and there she went! It was a cool moment.

Thank you for putting this video together ,it means a lot to me .I was a kid in the 60s. I always looked forward to seeing Tinkerbell fly. Also my maiden last name is kline. My grandpa born in Hungary ! Please bring Tink back to Disneyland! 🧚‍♂️🪄✨🏔️

My sister took my two nieces to Disney World in 2019 and during the fireworks when Tinker Bell fly’s out she told the girls “look it’s Tinker Bell”. My oldest niece who was 10 at the time was amazed and said to her younger sister “look she’s flying right at us”. Her sister who was about 5 at the time looked up kinda shrugged her shoulders and said in the most deadpan tone I’ve ever heard a five year old use “I can see the wire from here. She’s just a lady in a dress”. 😂😂😂

For me, I was obsessed with the Disney Princesses (still am) and I visited Disney World with my dad around 2007. Even though I got to meet I think Belle and Cinderella at this dinner meet and greet thing.. seeing Tinkerbell fly was the most magical and memorable part for me. I can still picture it in my mind, not the dinner with the princesses lol! I couldn’t believe I saw she was actually there and flying above us. I was amazed and I love that I still have this memory 😊✨💕

I remember unknowingly standing with the family right under Tinkerbell's path. It was such a shock to see her I forgot that I hadn't finished putting the lid of my coffee cup on .....we all started waving and I walked around the rest of the night drenched in coffee! Still one of my favourite memories🤣🥰😃

I believe Julie Andrews who played Mary Poppins “flew” down from the Emporium on Main Street and sang for a televised performance. Thanks for this informative and fun video!

It's crazy. Just the other day I was wondering how Tinkerbell flew at all those Magic Kingdom shows and then I find your video!

Man, I’ve seen aerialist acts where they were suspended by their neck that I always figured was the “real” way they were doing the “hanging by their teeth” routines including in the 90’s when Knott’s had a bunch of circus acts regularly performing throughout the Roaring 20’s area. But man, Tiny Kline is legit!

When I first saw happily ever after in person, seeing her fly for the first time was an amazing thing and I loved it! I was always curious on how it works and I know now thanks for the video :D I hope whoever is up there is paid well because that is a scary height to be at

Sora really would fit as a Happily Ever After character, the whole show is about "unlocking the magic" with a keyhole and everything and he's a known flyer too. Put Sora up there!!

I remember when I first Tinkerbell flew across the fireworks it was so magical and a really special moment for me as kid 💖

I love seeing the evolution of the characters that you do maybe we could see animatronic Simba on Pride Rock because he's in Festival of The Lion King and parades around the parks

I was aware of the news of Tinkerbell becoming a thing at Disney World. I know I've been there at night and seen fireworks from the Magic Kingdom a couple of times, but I don't remember Tinkerbell. I remember how weird they look when you see the fireworks actually in the park because I was use to being in my front yard about 9 miles away watching them.

Hi there Dan! Omg my first comment 😭 anyway I love everything you do here with the channel and this has been a highlight video for me. As a quiet soul I can say there are many quiet folk who don’t comment who hear you. There are many shy folks who love your commentary. There are many people out here around the world who are glad to see your videos and watch what characters you are going to cover next! Thank you and this video made me want to fly high! (Btw the foot ball people catching poor tink made me 😂😂😂)

Dan What a WONDRFUL story. Love the history. Thank You for sharing.

Would be such a shame if Tinkerbell was just an animatronic or something. Something so cool about it being a real person waving the wand and doing the poses. Makes me so emotional to see.

I recall there once being a wooden tower somewhere in or behind Fantasyland, years ago. Was this the Tinkerbell landing tower before the 50th anniversary upgrade? I just found a photo of my father with the tower behind him, so I know it used to exist... somewhere.

That would actually be cool if they could have drones done up like Tinkerbell to fly and wiz over guests and get super close to them overhead at night. You've seen those drown shows people put on, imagine something like that at Disney with Tinkerbell and her fairy friends. I've only had 3 Disney vacations and my last one was when I was 16 and I'll be damned if every night seeing Tinkerbell and the music didn't make me start bawling like a baby.

I have two Tinkerbell tattoos and my puppy is also named Tinkerbell.

I've never been to Disneyworld or Disneyland, so I've never seen Tink fly... Great video! I'm going to go cry now. 😭 What hasn't flown at Disney? Magical girls.

I always get misty-eyed watching Tinkerbell fly from the castle

They're doing stunt-robots for other shows in the park; would make sense from a safety point of view to just make an animatronic. That Lawless design looks incredible. Totally agree with you on Happily Ever After--I cry like a baby every. Single. Time. Absolutely Magic.

Hi Disney Dan I’m your biggest fan you are the best RU-vidr and you make smile every day

Tinkerbell in the parks is just iconic, and learning the history of the tradition was fascinating. I’ll never forget a family trip where my mom managed to get us a perfect spot in Tomorrowland for the fireworks. Tinkerbell flew right above us and we were all in awe. My last trip to the parks was September 2021, and I cried seeing her fly during Happily Ever After.

I first saw Tink fly in 2017 when I went to WDW for the first time in 20 years. I’m 99% sure I started crying.

The Tink in Paint the Night is not on a robotic arm, there is a guy in all black standing at the back of the float moving that arm up and down.

You’re videos have always put a smile on my face. Whenever I’m feeling down your jokes, your laugh, your warm personality makes me feel so happy and joyful and reminds me that better days are coming 💕 thank you for these videos and all you do

Got to see her fly in July for my first trip to magic kingdom. It was the only part of enchantment I saw because I had better things to do than watch enchantment

If they can have a Spiderman robot whynot a Tinkerbell version

Yes I'm going to send a video to my mom because she loves tinker bell and so do I!!! Thank you so much for the video, Dan! 😁😁😁

Thanks for all the wonderful retro pics. Dan is in the house. ;).

Talk about your unique Disney’s history. Thank you for this video Dan at one of Disney’s iconic characters of the franchise and the parks.

Next up: the legend of the mythical flying dragon. Did it really exist?

Thank you!! Fantastic video!! Really needed those laughs after a really really hard afternoon.

Great video! Thanks for talking all about this!

I have spent SO MANY HOURS going down this rabbit hole. AHHHHHH

17:39 I think you got the date wrong for Happily Ever After. It started in 2017. I met Tinkerbell in the Tunnels in 2005 after Wishes. It was one of the most magical experiences I had as a cast member

Omg I‘m early! I love your videos, they make me so happy 🫶🏻🫶🏻🫶🏻

This was REALLY GOOD!! And I TOTALLY AGREE about poor Tiny and the bus, bless her heart.. Subscribed. :)

I was at the 50th anniversary fireworks show earlier this year in April of 2022 in Magic Kingdom and she still donned the same outfit and flight path, even with the new show. I was sitting at a restaurant just next to the building she lands on and it was so close by! Compared to the normal cerca 2005 show, the 50th show made her moment even more spectacular

Whenever I feel sad, I always watch the opening night of HEA just to hear the joy of everyone as she flies over the hub! It’s contagious

We’re getting more characters flying in the new 100th anniversary fireworks show at Disneyland next year 🎉❤

I heard for Disneylands 10th anniversary Mary Poppins flew down! I wish I could see that!

“I’m light as a feather! I’m the Bake-O-Lite Girl!” - Piella Bakewell, Wallace and Gromit: A Matter of Loaf and Death

Well now with the Spider Man animatronic, and how super realistic it's movements are, I can see them making a Tinker Bell animatronic. Just had to wait for better tech.

YES i have been waiting for this one!! the stunt performing tink role, were i skinner and a bit braver, is genuinely a dream role of mine. its so incredible and really creates the magic and i cannot express ENOUGH how much i appreciate your disney theme park history documentation so we can get this stuff.

A great video as always Dan! You know, if I had to make a bit of an assumption, Its entirely possible the animatronic Tinkerbell was scrapped because, in the event of radio interference, or if the battery died, Tink could end up crashing to the ground and hurting someone.

I’m so glad you mentioned the Tinkerbell in Paint the Night! The funniest part about that float is that the arm isn’t even robotic. There’s a team member dressed in all black manually moving her around, because the rod sits essentially on a fulcrum, so if he moves up, she moves down. Definitely don’t need to go to the gym anymore when you had that job 😂

This was an excellent video Dan! And speaking of rabbit holes, could you do a Distory on The White Rabbit? He doesn't get nearly enough love.

happily ever after is the best version truly. I grew up seeing that one and I got to see the new one recently and it was good, but underwhelming in comparison. It's still amazing, as expected, but it doesn't have the same magic that it used to.

I have always wanted to be a flying Tinkerbell! I am 4'10" & weigh 100#! I watch as many live streams of the fireworks as I can to see her fly. Makes me cry every time! I have worked for the Circus & done a lot of Vaulting on Horseback. But alas, I am 65 now so they probably wouldn't hire me. It's my Dream to go to WDW when I retire though (we live in Oregon) I am working an extra year to pay for the trip ;) Thanks sooooo much for this video.

Watching this video all i remember is the bloody redrum of children and young teens behind the scenes and how NO ONE knew how much forgotten people were suffering a the hands of walt and the other fr8ks who roam free today!

I'm on Team RoboTink. Thirty miles an hour down a zipline away from the castle Magic Kingdom meant that I almost always missed seeing her. A drone puppet that could fly toward the castle and maybe do a few loops would be fun to watch and less likely to be missed.

A lady I know has a niece who was tinker bell at Disneyland in the early 2000's. She is 5 ft and did it for I believe 2 summers. I need to ask to meet her cause that is impressive.

DAN. Please do a “Minnie” episode about the Baby New Year Story. I HAVE TO KNOW

My poor mother had to take me into a gift shop at WDW when I was a kid because I was so terrified of Tinkerbell just flying like that. Like why I would scream bloody murder!! 😭

the random thoughts that Dan has are just ridiculous😂😂

The August 1963 National Geographic from where you pulled two color photos of of Tiny Kline gives the answer to why no one would give her a ride home. She said, "I'm afraid to ride in a car on the freeway. They're not safe." So she wouldn't accept a ride if one was given, unless it was in a larger vehicle. No word on what she thought of parking trams.

It's so cool to see the history of all this but yeah, major agree that they couldn't get her a ride home at the end of the night instead of letting her run to get the bus?

Happily Ever After debuted in 2017. I was fortunate enough to be there for the last night of Wishes and the first performance of HEA.

I am so glad you talked about baby new year. I was hoping you were going to bring it up.

You failed to mention, or maybe did not know that for the first Halloween party at the Florida Park, a witched flew down before the fireworks......and prior to that, in 1990, Baby New Year flew down after the 12 bongs of the castle ....played by cast member Kevin Mcgowan who was a little person, performer, and former Ringling Clown. Th3 auction for this role was to be harnessed and hoisted up swirled through the air on a crane backstage of th3 park....

Happily Ever After in 2005? I think your off by about 12 years there Dan lol.

I’m Tinkerbell sized, hire me disney!

I need more of this Tinkerbell robot kite thing

Tinkerbell a very attractive brave woman with no fear at all.

Wow, they should use that aerial camera technology for a Broadway musical, possibly one with a popular Marvel superhero.

I went to Disney for the first time back in 2020 and I had no clue that tink flew across the sky. When I tell you my jaw hit the floor 😮😮😮lol no one could pay me enough money to fly on a wire

It's always a treat to see Tinkerbell fly.

Last time I was at the magic Kingdom watching from the lower point of the zip line and I got a good view of Uncle Tink

The best flying thing was that dragon the flew for the opening of MK Fantasyland expansion! That thing was awesome! And the DL flipping Spider-Man animatronic is awesome too!

It's seriously one of my worst fears that Tinkerbell just gets straight up murdered by a firework. Also, did they seriously go from "Tinkerbell won't be smashing into a crash pad anymore" to "just kidding, we need the crash pad?"

Looks like I just found my new job!

#GiveUsMoreFlyingCharacters Can we talk about the flying dragon over beasts' castle for the new fantasyland expansion in WDW??

Why hasn't Tiny Kline been made a Disney legend?!

Can you do a story on babynewyearflies ? I can’t find anything on RU-vid