▁The ▁special ▁was ▁spons ored ▁by ▁S ears , ▁who ▁was ▁then ▁the ▁exclusive ▁provider ▁of ▁Po oh ▁mer ch and ise . ▁ ▁Theater ▁release ▁The ▁world ▁premi ere ▁of ▁W inn ie ▁the ▁Po oh ▁and ▁the ▁H oney ▁Tree ▁( al ong ▁with ▁The ▁U gly ▁D ach sh und ) ▁were ▁first ▁shown ▁in ▁ 2 ▁the aters ▁in ▁Florida ▁on ▁its ▁release ▁day , ▁the ▁Florida ▁Theatre ▁in ▁G aines ville , ▁and ▁the ▁Day ton a ▁Theatre ▁in ▁Day ton a ▁Beach . ▁ ▁Re ception ▁The ▁short ▁initially ▁received ▁mixed ▁reception . ▁Howard ▁Thompson ▁of ▁The ▁New ▁York ▁Times ▁said ▁that ▁"[ t ] he ▁Disney ▁techn icians ▁responsible ▁for ▁this ▁beg u iling ▁mini ature ▁have ▁had ▁the ▁wisdom ▁to ▁dip ▁right ▁into ▁the ▁Mil ne ▁pages , ▁just ▁the ▁way ▁Po oh ▁p aws ▁after ▁h oney ... The ▁flav oring , ▁with ▁some ▁nice ▁t unes ▁stir red ▁in , ▁is ▁exactly ▁right — w ist ful , ▁spr ight ly ▁and ▁often ▁h il ari ous . ▁English ▁critic ▁Felix ▁B ark er ▁strongly ▁dis lik ed ▁it . ▁E . ▁H . ▁She p ard ▁called ▁the ▁short ▁a ▁trav esty . ▁A . ▁A . ▁Mil ne ' s ▁wid ow , ▁D aph ne , ▁is ▁said ▁to ▁have ▁liked ▁it . ▁however , ▁the ▁rest ▁of ▁the ▁Mil ne ▁est ates ▁dis lik ed ▁the ▁film , ▁due ▁to ▁the ▁changes ▁in ▁the ▁story , ▁especially ▁the ▁ending