D.W. Goes to Washington

Summary
D.W. gets lost during a family tour of the White House and is rescued by a kind employee with a great office ... who looks somehow familiar.

Plot
The episode starts with Arthur on a swing ranting about D.W. Arthur then has a flashback of his family having a picnic. Arthur is flying a kite and D.W. insists of not playing. What Arthur insists on saying is that D.W. always whines even if the activity is very exciting. Arthur goes back to reality and him and D.W. are in a box, imaging the box as a submarine. D.W. gets out, knocking the box over. Arthur rolls out, into a tree and D.W. whines as she goes in the house.

D.W. Goes to Washington

David and Jane are reading books. David says that he does not have to cater any parties this weekend, revealing that they have the time to travel somewhere for the weekend, and David suggests that they do so.

Arthur is about to suggest Bionic Bunny Playland, but when Jane turns that down, Arthur then suggests Washington, D.C. and David makes a pun saying "That's a capital idea!" and chuckles. The family takes a vote on where to go. D.W. thinks that they should go to Ponyland since she saw the commercial on TV. Arthur reminded David and Jane what happened the last time they went to a place D.W. saw on TV. The flashback shows D.W. wanted to go to Santa's Igloo where you get to share a sundae with Santa, but it turned out to be a rip-off because the place doesn't look anything like the commercial, and the Santa actor wanted a sundae that visitors had to bring to him. D.W. says that maybe it won't be as much fun as Santa's Igloo, but says that she must go to Ponyland. David asks her how she would feel if they went on a trip to Washington, D.C. instead, but D.W. still insists on going to Ponyland.

Everybody tries to convince D.W. that Washington, D.C. is a good place to visit, but she doesn't care. The next day they start to drive and driving past the countryside D.W. comments "Pony," whenever she sees a pony.

When Arthur spots the White House he has a dream sequence where he meets the president of the United States of America. He enters reality again and D.W. comments "Yeah, maybe if we walk long enough we'll be so tired we won't notice how BORED we are." They park the car and visit the Washington Monument. D.W. whines that they were "down there" and looked "up here", now they're "up here" and they are looking "down there", and asks what the point is.

Arthur then enters another dream sequence where he meets the president, is the head of a construction project, and is walking with President Bill Clinton. They visit the Library of Congress, where the tour guide says that it contains many books. D.W. asks how many there are about ponies, the tour guide says he doesn't know, and D.W. responds by saying "You're fired." They go to the Lincoln Memorial and D.W. states "Boy, look at the size of those feet. Where did he ever buy his shoes?" and "Was he the only giant president?", Mrs. Read tells D.W. that Lincoln wasn't a giant, and that the statue is much larger than he was. D.W. whines that it's finally something interesting that's a fake, David tells D.W. that she should relax and enjoy what's here.

They leave the memorial and spot the White House, visiting it. Arthur says "What if we meet him [the president] and become friends?" For the third time, he has a dream sequence where he plays mini golf with the president, and drinks soda at The Sugar Bowl. He wakes up from his father saying "Arthur!"

They enter the White House and D.W. starts wandering off saying "I'm just trying to find the government." Arthur gets her thinking if he doesn't the president will become mad at him and getting kicked out of the white house.

Not obeying by her brother, D.W. wanders off once again and attempts to open a door, but it is locked. Secret servicemen then attempts to find her, in a stealth way, hiding behind plants, using binoculars, looking out windows, etc., but they weren't searching well enough.

D.W. looks at a painting and is awed by it. The President shows up behind her and says "Beautiful painting, isn't it?" The president tries to help her find her way back to her family, and with his assist, finds them.

The president asks D.W. and her family to eat dinner with him, pizza, in his office. Arthur tries to be a show-off to the president saying how he won a spelling bee and played piano in a recital. When D.W said she won't vote for him, Arthur gets mad and covers his eyes with his hands.

While the family is going home, D.W. says that she wants to become president to give ponies to every family; and "National Little Sisters Rule Day."

Characters

 * President
 * D.W. Read
 * Arthur Read
 * Kate Read (cameo)
 * Jane Read
 * David Read
 * Maryann
 * Amanda Hulser
 * Sarah
 * Fern Walters (cameo in dream sequence)
 * Sue Ellen Armstrong (cameo in dream sequence)
 * Buster Baxter (cameo in dream sequence)
 * Francine Frensky (cameo in dream sequence)
 * Prunella Deegan (cameo in dream sequence)
 * Muffy Crosswire (cameo in dream sequence)

Trivia

 * D.W. mentions that she wants to see the Statue of Liberty, but David tells her that is in New York. The Read family and Buster travel to New York in a later episode, "Postcards from Buster", in Season 8, six years after this episode was made, although they are not seen or mentioned to go to the Statue of Liberty.
 * After the title card, all of the Reads wear different clothes in this episode, except for Kate.
 * This episode marks the first appearance of the second version of the ripple effect used for fantasy and flashback sequences. However, it is only used once when Arthur and D.W.'s Atlantis fantasy ends. The other sequences in this episode use the first version of the effect. The second version (which lasts through Season 8) does not become permanent until D.W.'s Deer Friend.
 * The title refers to the 1939 film.
 * Kate appears in the episode, but her name is not spoken nor does she babble anything in this episode.
 * This episode was aired on Halloween in 1997.
 * The president resembles, and has a voice similar to Jimmy Carter. Also, Clinton was president when this episode aired.
 * Maryann and Amanda appear in the Ponyland commercial.
 * When D.W. names the ponies she passes, she names two ponies "Dasher" and "Dancer," which are also the names of Santa Claus's reindeer.
 * Timeline: D.W. complains about the vacation to Washington she's going to, until she affirmatively confirms going after David tells her she can pick the next vacation she wants to go on, but Arthur thinks Ponyland is where she wants to travel, revealed in D.W.'s Deer Friend.
 * Karma: D.W. is a brat during the whole trip, something that Jane and David note. They tell her it's rude to be a bad sport, especially when it's rare to get family time together. Sure enough, when D.W. does wander off on her own, she locks herself in an area off-limits on the tour and wanders around the corridors trying to find an exit.

Errors

 * When David says "no" in D.W.'s bedroom, D.W. was mouthing David's word.
 * In one scene, Arthur's right arm was the same color as his shirt.

Home Video
DVD:
 * Arthur's Travel Adventures
 * Arthur: The Complete Series 2