The Umbrella Vultures are characters featured in Disney's 1951 animated feature film Alice in Wonderland. They are one of the creatures encountered in Tulgey Wood.
Background[]
The Umbrella Vultures are vulture-like creatures with black umbrellas in the shape of their bodies which live in Tulgey Wood as their names imply. They are usually seen peacefully bathing in a pond with no one interrupting them. However, whenever Alice asks them to help her find a way back home, they become furious with her for disturbing their bath. This can imply that they dislike anyone who interrupts their moment when they are washing and cleaning themselves. In spite of that, they felt remorseful to Alice during the "Very Good Advice" along with the other creatures of Tulgey Wood.
Appearances[]
Alice in Wonderland[]
When Alice wanders around Tulgey Wood, she encounters a group of Umbrella Vultures happily playing in a pond with a waterfall above them just as she curiously hears them squawking in their pond. When Alice asks them for directions, they get startled as they scatter and fly toward a branch where they glare angrily at Alice for interrupting their bathing routine. Later during the "Very Good Advice" sequence, three Umbrella Vultures land on a branch and watch Alice who is singing about her fear of not being able to return home. As Alice cries, the three of them feel sorry for her and shed tears. Another Umbrella Vulture weeps buckets all over its coat alongside an equally tearful Glasses Bird and two Hammer Birds just before they slowly fade away along with the other Tulgey Wood creatures. They make no further appearances after that.
Alice's Wonderland Bakery[]
In "Picture Furfect", Alice gives Fergie an Umbrella Vulture to prevent him get dirty from the Jelly Jam Geyser. When it erupts, the Umbrella Vulture manages to successfully keep him clean, even licking some of the jam itself. More Umbrella Vultures appear in "The Sweetest Friend Indeed" to shield Alice and her friends from the Cheshire Cat's tears.
Disney Parks[]
Alice in Wonderland[]
An Umbrella Vulture appears in the Tulgey Wood sequence originally as a flat in the 1958 Disneyland attraction. In the 1984 revamp for 1983's New Fantasyland, a fully-sculpted Umbrella Vulture is one of the last creatures encountered in Tulgey Wood. It is encountered after the guests pass through two Hammer Birds placing two signs spelling "Watch out" respectively. The umbrella itself was originally green, but later became blue for later updates.
Trivia[]
- During the scene where Alice asks the Umbrella Vultures for directions, there were originally five of them bathing in a pond. However, during the part where they land on a branch to glare angrily to Alice, there were only four Umbrella Vultures. This is likely an animation error oversight.
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