It turns out Winnie the Pooh is passionate about more than just “hunny!” Our favorite cuddly bear actually tried his hand (or, should we say, his paw!) at politics!
Winnie the Pooh
When you think of Disney characters that are perfect for leadership positions, Mickey Mouse might be the first to come to mind. But since he’s already so busy running…you know…Disney, it was Winnie the Pooh who ran for president back in 1972 and 1976! And even though he didn’t make it to The White House (spoiler alert!) it was still a campaign worth remembering!
In 1972, the nation had their eyes on presidential candidates Richard Nixon and George McGovern. But in Disneyland, a new frontrunner had burst onto the scene! On October 21st, 1972, Disneyland began their Winnie the Pooh for President event with the willy, nilly, silly, old bear running for office!
Winnie the Pooh for President Event in Disneyland in 1972 ©Disney
The event ran for three days and featured entertainment including a stage show with Winnie the Pooh and friends, and a ticker tape parade down Main Street, U.S.A.!
Winnie the Pooh for President Parade ©Disney
Of course Winnie the Pooh’s pals got in on the excitement of campaigning as well — Tigger was tapped as his Press Secretary and Eeyore served as his Campaign Manager. Given Tigger’s enthusiasm and Eeyore’s realism, these two sound like they were well-suited for their positions! 😉
Pooh’s Friends Helped Him Out on the Campaign Trail! ©Disney
So what were some of Pooh’s campaign promises? Well, according to the official press release, he planned to “lick the high price of ice-cream cones,” and, “put honey in every pot.”
Winnie the Pooh Announced his Candidacy! ©Disney
The Winnie the Pooh for President event was held again in 1976, but after that, Pooh retired from his career in politics. Even though Pooh didn’t make it into office, he may have helped lay the groundwork for the other unique events we see at Disney parks to this day!
In an interview with D23, Imagineer Marilyn Magness said, “The first time Winnie the Pooh ran for president was a fun concept to put together. At that time, what a risk! […] Those were fun early shows because we were stretching the brand. Anytime we could stretch the brand and try to find out when the guests would go with us and when they wouldn’t go with us…learning that was a great opportunity.”
Winnie the Pooh for President! ©Disney
So, even though he didn’t end up becoming president, Winnie the Pooh still managed to change the (Disney) World! Without his groundbreaking campaign, we might not have other events that stray directly from the Disney brand — like the Lunar New Year celebrations in Disneyland and the Epcot International Festival of the Arts in Disney World. He’s quite accomplished for a self-described “bear of very little brain!”
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I don’t remember this, but I do remember when Pooh ran for mayor of Main Street back in 94 (I think it was).
You gotta help me out. I thought this was going to be when he ran against Captain Hook back in the 90s of President of Magic Kingdom. No one mentions this or the parade that went with it and I’m starting to think I’m crazy. I remember asking the CMs why Mickey wasn’t running and they said he was King of the World.
I hate to break this to you but Winnie can not be president A A Milne, an English author, based the “Pooh Bear” stories on a Canadian Brown Bear named “Winnie”. Winnie was born in White River Ontario although his adopted home was Winnipeg, Manitoba. His owner, Canadian Lieutenant Harry Colebourn, left Winnie at the London Zoo while he went off to serve in WW1. Winnie gained recognition when he was named the Fort Garry Horse regimental mascot. After Colbourn returned to London from France, he donated Winnie to the London Zoo. AND THAT IS WHY WINNIE CAN NOT BE PRESIDENT.
Hopefully, you found this information as much fun as I had fact checking it. 🙂
Respectfully submitted,
A proud Canadian
Oh, you proud Canadian! We love Pooh so much in the U.S.A., we’ll change the Constitution so he can run. Pooh could bring the world together.