KBF, DL, and DCA

**Phil** · #1 06-09-2007, 12:18 AM

I just returned from a week-long trip to Souther California last evening that included visits to Knott's Berry Farm, Disneyland, and Disney's California Adventure. Overall it was a very enjoyable trips as far as the parks were concerned, the LA area wasn't great though. I didn't expect it to be so run-down, ugly, and industrial. I don't think you guys really care about any of that stuff though, so I'll just start with Knott's. I don't like to bring my camera on big trips, so I unfortunately don't have any pics to go along with my report.

I went to KBF on Friday June 1st and was greeted by hordes of field trip groups at the gate, which would be bothersome all day. They were loud, obnoxious, and brought loading to a crawl on most rides. That was really my only complaint for the day. I don't really like to walk event by event walk-throughs so I'll just give my reviews for each attraction.

Sierra Sidewinder
This was the first stop of the day due to its poor capacity and recent opening. Its the first ride of its kind in the US, and after riding it I'd expect several more to open in the next few seasons. Simply put, other than capacity, this is the perfect ride for an amusement park. Its exciting enough to please an enthusiast, yet tame enough for the whole family to ride. The layout itself is pretty fun even without the spinning of the cars. There aren't any flat spots on the track, you're constantly twisting and moving up and down. The spinning, on my ride at least, wasn't as intense as I had expected. It may have had to do with the way the car was weighted or the fact that I was on one of the first trains out, but I only made 3 or 4 revolutions and those were pretty much all at the very beginning of the ride. I still enjoyed it, and would rate it as a must ride for any park guest. It appeared that everyone else who rode it felt the same way, as guests were all smiles when exiting.

Xcelerator
Maybe my memory of TTD is bad, but this ride actually seemed more intense. The launch is a very quick, intense jolt as opposed to the sustained pressure of TTD. The tophat also seemed more thrilling, as there was great airtime going over the top and I was out of my seat for the entire descent. Everything after that was forgettable though; the overbank just didn't do it for me.

Silver Bullet
This ride was a bit of a disappointment. When I first looked at the pics of the construction of the ride I thought it had a chance to be the best B&M invert around. Once I started to read reviews though I tried to scale back my expectations; unfortunately they were still too high. The drop, if you can even call it that, offers no excitement and the first few inversions are completely devoid of the forces found on most inverts. The best parts of the ride were the weird little airtime pop in the middle and then the Raptor-esque helix at the end. That was the only part of the ride where I really felt something. Don't get me wrong, it is still a fun ride, but I wanted more out of it. I didn't think it was really much better than B:TR.

Another big complaint for this attraction were the ride-ops. They were absolutely horrendous. I've never seen a train sit in a station longer than here, and it happened every time. The line for the ride shouldn't have been more than 20 minutes, but thanks to stacking it was 45. They moved extremely slowly, didn't even try to fill the empty seats, and were just lifeless overall.

Jaguar
This was a very surprising ride. I had no idea that it would be so long when I got on it, which was unfortunate as the restraints were very uncomfortable for someone of my size. My legs just didn't fit into the train properly. It offered a very nice ride though. It has some decent theming, gives a good overlook of the area of the park, and carries some speed throughout the circuit. Pretty good attraction for the family but the 48in height requirement ruins it in that department. KBF is absolutely insane for having that be the requirement.

Montezooma's Revenge
This was actually my first Schwarzkopf Shuttle Loop, and like most enthusiasts I really enjoyed it. The launch isn't great, but the loop packs a nice little punch and the spikes offer some great airtime when seated in the front or back seats. The ride-ops weren't the fastest on this attraction though, so that caused a bit of a backup and is probably the reason, along with difficult upkeep, that these aren't too common anymore.

Ghostrider
Simply put, this ride blows. I don't know how it ever ranked so highly on enthusiasts lists, because even in its prime it couldn't have offered much more excitement than it did when I rode. Absolutely no airtime at all. It just offered a lot of shaking and shuffling. I couldn't think of a single spot on the ride were it seemed like there could've been any sense of a drop or airtime, it seemed like the focus was on lats which I find pretty boring. Even if this ride hadn't tried to shake me to pieces I wouldn't have enjoyed it. This was probably the worst surprise of the trip.

Butterfield Stage Coach
This was really an odd attraction. It was uncomfortable to sit in and had a ridiculously low capacity. Plus you don't really even get to see anything during the trip. I guess you're just supposed to be thrilled by the fact that you're being pulled around by horses in the middle of a theme park. Its a unique attraction, but not one that I'd say is a must do. The driver didn't even say a single word to us the entire time. I could see the appeal if there was some sort of story or guest interaction, but you take the trip in total silence.

Calico Mine Ride
This is supposedly the world's first true "dark ride", and based on the technology found inside I have to believe it. If you thought the AAs at Disney parks were cheesy than you're in for a real treat. Its basically a really long trip on what is basically a kiddie train through a mine. There are scenes along the way where the guys are digging, blowing things up, or some other "mine activity." Our conductor wasn't too spirited so I didn't even bother to follow along with the storyline. It was more fun just to marvel at the two movement mannequins that populated the ride. Overall its a pretty interesting attraction as its so long and its interesting to see just how much is jammed into the mountain. Just don't go in thinking its going to be some type of Big Thunder Mountain experience.

That was pretty much all I did at the park. The lines for the interesting flat rides were too long, none of the water rides were open, and I refuse to be a credit whore and ride a boomerang and an uncomfortable little kiddie coaster. The park was well themed, offered a good variety of flats and coasters, and was a real bargain. I had a coupon that got me in for $28, much better than the $63 down the street at Disneyland. The employees were very good though, so that was a minus. The huge number of school groups also detracted from the experience, but the park can't be blamed for that. I'd definitely visit again on a future trip to California, even though its unlikely that they'll add much more to the park in the future due to the space issues.

I'll have my reviews for Disneyland and DCA in the next few days. Please post some comments if you read this as encouragement for me to continue. I tend to forget to finish my TRs if no one posts.

**Leo C** · #2 06-09-2007, 12:35 AM

I definitely agree with Xcelerator. It was just a blur after the really cool tophat. The launch was intense but I could tell that it finally reached its top speed and still had a few feet of runway left.

I mostly agree with Silver Bullet about how it doesn't really deliver anything. I don't even think it could be used in the same sentence as Batman The Ride except to say Silver Bullet is far from it. The employees were nice at that ride in 2005. The corkscrews and the skirting track in between I enjoyed.

Ghostrider I thought delivered on the first drop. I was not impressed with the turnaround over the station.

I'm glad you did the Stagecoach which I was not able to do. Calico Mine Train surprised me with its long ride cycle. I'm also surprised that the Boomerang was my first credit of 2005 and of the park when I was there. What was I thinking?

**Phil** · #3 06-12-2007, 11:23 PM

I'm sorry that I haven't updated this. I've been sick and just didn't feel like sitting down and writing for so long. I promise to continue with Disneyland tomorrow.

**Kyle L** · #4 06-12-2007, 11:45 PM

No Perilous Plunge?

Back when I went to KBF I would have to do a review for Windjammer....

**Phil** · #5 06-13-2007, 11:52 PM

None of the water rides were open Kyle, as I stated in my original post.

Alright, on to the promised Disneyland portion of my TR.

I went to DL the following Monday, which was early entry. I walked up to the gate about 20 minutes before scheduled opening time, and once we were let in ran straight to Space Mountain. I'm going to try and do my reviews in the basic order that I did them during the day, but I did so much running around that I'm pretty sure I'll get them mixed up.

Space Mountain
I ended up on the third train of the morning thanks to my footspeed. Let me just say right off the bat that WDW should be ashamed of themselves for letting their SM run the way it is when the one out in Anaheim is so wonderful. The difference between the two is so much bigger than I would have expected. The tunnel effects, the total darkness of the ride, the soundtrack, and the smooth ride but this so far ahead of the MK Space Mountain. I understand that it was recently rehabbed and took quite a while, but MK needs to follow suit immediately. The ride felt fast thanks to the total darkness, other than the stars, you can't see the track at all, and the soundtrack is pretty sweet. To me the best part was just the overall smoothness of the ride compared to the MK version. Its not jerky at all.

As coasters go this certainly isn't thrilling, but its a whole lot of fun. Its really just a giant helix with a few gentle drops along the way, but the "Disney Magic" really makes a difference.

Buzz Lightyear Astro Blasters
This is basically the same as the attraction at MK, with guns that you can actually hold and more interactive targets that light up according to an online game that kids apparently play across the country. Its great fun, especially if you have a worthy opponent to compete against. The rest of my family sucks at this attraction so it was always the six of them against me. One tip for any of you looking for the highest score possible, shoot the first Zerg in the chestplate. There isn't actually a target on it, but there is a small hole with a sensor inside that gives 50,000 a hit. Just hit it as many times as you possibly can.

Matterhorn Bobsleds
This was one of the rides I was looking forward to most as its something you can't get at WDW. On this day I took a ride on the track that loads from the right side of the station and found it to be pretty enjoyable. It seems like it carries some really good speed through the course, which is probably just an allusion, and has some pretty thrilling switchback sequences. The atmosphere is nice as are the views of fanstasyland and tomorrowland. The water splashdown is something unique as well. Overall, this ride doesn't offer any drops to speak of but is still fun because its so original. Plus its a piece of history, you're riding the first tubular steel track ever created.

By this point it was about time for the 9AM official opening so I made my way over to the rope in front of Adventureland to get ready for the dash to Indy. The early entry came in handy here because I was stuck at a rope right in front of Adventureland while the normal guests were still being held back at the end of Main Street. That resulted in me being one of the first ones on the ride.

Indiana Jones and the Temple of the Forbidden Eye
Yet another example of Disneyland getting the cool stuff and WDW getting hosed. This is the same type of attraction as Dinosaur at AK with the difference being that this one is actually awesome. Apparently Indy is how Dinosaur would have been if the budget for AK hadn't been slashed, which is too bad because Indy is truly an amazing attraction. The basic story is that your on a tour group of treasure hungry tourists, which is fine as long as no one looks into the Forbidden Eye. If that happens everyone is screwed. Well surprise, surprise thats exactly what happens. What ensues is a crazy ride through the single best themed attraction I've ever seen. Nothing I've been on anywhere else can touch what they've done with this attraction. My only problem was that things seemed to move a little too fast; you can't keep up with all the action and scenes. Its a bit like Spiderman at IOA in that sense, you don't really get everything until you've ridden it a few times and can actually concentrate on whats going on instead of getting lost in the visuals and the bucking ride vehicle. I'd say its the best attraction at DL for sure and up with Tower of Terror as my favorite attraction ever. Its not crazy thrilling, but the theming is just unbelievable.

Splash Mountain
This one was basically the same as the version at MK, other than the ride vehicles. Thats fine with me, as I think that Splash Mountain is probably my favorite attraction at MK. I can't even ride a normal log flume anymore because this ride has spoiled me. Its got multiple drops,some of which can really catch you off guard with their length, and awesome AA show scenes. I really am a sucker for Disney so you guys might prefer the taller more thrilling water attractions, but I'll always take this one first. Its got plenty of excitement and awesome theming and story to go with it.

The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh
Just a nice little dark ride. It gets pretty trippy inside with the Pooh dream sequence though, one of those imagineers must have some experience with LSD. I didn't like this one as much as the version at MK, because it does not include the Tigger hopping sequence which I think is a fun little part of the ride.

Big Thunder Mountain Railroad
My ride on it this day was a little disappointing. The train didn't seem to carry a whole lot of speed and the visuals weren't as good as those on the MK version. Its still at the top of the mine train list though as it's smooth, fun, and got better theming than any of the others. It is just about the perfect length and you can never really tell when its going to end. You think it might be it and suddenly you're on a lift.

I'll have to continue with this day tomorrow, I'm getting too tired to keep writing. I'll be able to finish up day 1 at DL tomorrow though and then plan on doing DCA the following day. Keep any comments or questions coming.

BGWfanatic · #6 06-14-2007, 12:01 AM

::eagerly awaits next installment::

**Leo C** · #7 06-14-2007, 12:03 AM

I missed the soft opening of rehabbed Space Mountain by about 10 days when I went. Therefore I have never been on any Space Mountain. From the way you describe it is it basically the High Roller that sat on Stratosphere but with all the lights and darkness? High Roller was a boring helix like coaster with small drops.

Now that you describe Indy I agree that it's an awesome ride. I did not know that WDW did not have this. It is definitely better than Countdown to Extinction(Dinosaur) at Animal Kingdom.

I was disappointed with the DL Big Thunder Mountain Railroad. I was wondering how and why I was so into it @ WDW? I think it was because it was before I became an enthusiast and much more cynical of rides. Layout wise I was not impressed. The theming of course can't be beat.

Matterhorn is awesome. So nice to get on this early first tubular rail coaster.

No Gadget coaster?

**Phil** · #8 06-15-2007, 12:29 AM

Alright let the first day at DL continue. . .

After BTMR it was time to hit two of the Disney classics before eating lunch and catching the 11:15 show at the Golden Horseshoe.

Pirates of the Caribbean
This ride definitely seemed to be enjoying a boost in popularity thanks to the recent release of POTC: At World's End. The line was actually 20 minutes long, which is pretty big for a ride with such a huge capacity. As for the ride, it is yet another example of a much better version of a ride WDW has. Its much longer and thanks to the more extensive rehab it received compared to the WDW version, looks brand new. The first half of the ride is basically just a simple boat ride through a bayou and then into a supposed treasure cove inside some caves. After a few minutes of that you get into the AA scenes that everyone knows and loves. They've thrown in some ties to the movies with Davy Jones threatening the boat in a video projected onto a huge smoke screen, Barbossa is on the ship during the cannon fight, and Jack makes a couple small appearances throughout the other scenes. The audio is crystal clear compared to the WDW version, and the added length makes it a much nicer ride. It's a great thing to hope on in the middle of day, so it's nice to get that extra reprieve from the heat with the long length.

Haunted Mansion
I'm going to start sounding like a broken record, but yet another attraction in much better shape than its WDW counterpart. Luckily thats currently changing as HM is going through an extensive rehab at WDW as I write this. The graves out front are great, as is the stretching room. The ride has some updated effects, like Madame Leota's floating head and everything in the graveyard scene actually works properly. This is just another example of a classic attraction that manages to be a ton of fun for the entire family. Plus, it handles crowds well so it's a good bet for the peak times of the day.

The lunch and show were next. The food was simply average, and I personally wasn't a huge fan of the show. Everyone else in the place was going nuts though, so I was definitely in the minority with that opinion. After lunch it was back to Tomorrowland.

Star Tours
Exactly the same experience as it is at WDW. Its got a nicely themed queue and offers some thrills without making anyone sick, but it is really starting to show its age. Supposedly the attraction is going to get a major overhaul at WDW in the next 2 years, which will then likely be brought to DL shortly after. I'd definitely welcome that update as I'd hate to see it get in the poor shape Back to The Future at Universal was in before it finally closed. That ride didn't sync up with the film properly, the screen was torn, and it was just a horrible experience.

Honey, I Shrunk the Audience
When I made my first trip to WDW this was one of the first things I did, and it really wowed me. The whole idea of the immersive 3D show was new and I had no idea just how common it would become. The story is a good one, although its showing its age with the outfits the actors are wearing. The effects are still top notch though, especially the mice running through the aisles. It's guaranteed to scare all the women in the audience everytime, even if they know its coming. The 3-D effects weren't too great though, but that was likely due to my seat in the very last row. If you sit too close or too far from the screen they aren't as good.

Jedi Training Academy
My little brother was dead set on getting in this show, so I sat with him for 45 minutes until the next one started. Thankfully he did end up getting picked, donned the Jedi garb and lightsaber, and learned a routine that could be used on the bad guys. Darth Vader and Darth Maul show up to take on the 20 kids that were picked, and after splitting into 2 groups they each fight one of the villains one on one using the routine. If you don't know someone in the show its ridiculously boring, but its a must do for any young Star Wars fans.

Autopia
This is an example of those guided car rides done right. The queue has a big billboard that continuously shows bad auto jokes and puns that keep you entertained while you endure the likely long wait. The other good thing about the ride is that there are 4 tracks so there is a lot going on, you end up passing by plenty of other vehicles which gives you something to look at. The ride is also very long, the course has a lot of variation as far as height and the turns, and even has a little off-road portion to it. This was definitely the best car ride I'd ever ridden, and I wish the crappy Tomorrowland Speedway at MK was more like it as well as the even worse versions at most other amusement parks.

After those few rides I decided to head back to Toontown to try and get a ride on Gadget's Go Coaster and Roger Rabbit's Car Toon Spin. Unfortunately Roger Rabbit was closed-which unfortunately became the theme of the rest of my DL trip-and Gadget had a 40 minute wait. I decided to head back to the hotel to recharge and would come back later that night to try and ride Roger Rabbit with the fastpasses I had gotten earlier and hopefully jump on some of the other more kiddie rides without a long wait because they should have all gone home by later. I grabbed some fastpasses for Space Mountain on the way out so I'd have another attraction to do as well.

After a few hours of rest and some pizza I was back at the park around 6:30, just as the parade was underway. That left me with an opportunity to hit some of the Fantasyland attractions with no wait.

Snow White's Scary Adventures
Simply put, this dark ride sucks. The story doesn't really include Snow White at all its just scene after scene of the Witch cackling like a maniac and offering the riders an apple. The funniest part is the very end, which has her on top of a hill laughing in celebration with lightning in the background, then the doors swing open and a book says "And they lived happily ever after." It makes absolutely no sense based on what has just happened and I assume that Disney felt obligated to add that part after the fact due to complaints that it was too scary for the kids and that they should know Snow White was OK. This isn't worth your time if there is any wait, which is why I only rode it because the queue was empty.

Pinocchio's Daring Journey
Now this was a dark ride that I thought was done right but apparently a lot of people lump it together with Snow White in the crappy category. The ride story basically starts after Pinocchio has had some time as a real boy and the beginning of his involvement with Stromboli. The ride takes you through Pleasure Island and then shows the end result of the boys as donkeys and there struggle to change back. The effects are all well presented and the storyline is pretty easy to follow. In the end Gipetto and Pinocchio are reunited and everyone is happy. I'd say that this is the best attraction in Fantasyland other than Peter Pan's Flight, which I didn't get a chance to ride in DL due to the long lines but is one of my favorite's at MK.

After those it was back to Toontown were hopefully Roger Rabbit was operating. Luckily they had gotten everything together and I was on in no time.

Roger Rabbit's Car Toon Spin
Unfortunately though, the ride blows. Its supposed to be a cool new twist on the dark ride because it combines the classic elements of the dark ride with a teacup-like spinning vehicle. The story made no sense to me, so I just ended up spinning the steering wheel as fast as possible and just enjoy the nausea. This was probably one of the biggest letdowns of the trip. I didn't have huge expectations for it going in, but it was so bad that it didn't matter.

Gadget's Go Coaster
This is just a basic Vekoma roller skater with a touch of theming thrown in. Unless you are a credit whore or have kids in your group you probably won't end up riding on it, especially since it has a long wait most of the time.

After that I decided that it was pretty much time to head over to Space Mountain to use the fastpasses and make that the final ride of the night. I couldn't help by stop at an attraction along the way though.

it's a small world
You know what you're getting yourself into when you board those boats, so I hate when people piss and moan throughout the whole thing. It's a very long boat ride through scenes featuring colorful dolls from around the world singing that never ending song. When you actually look at the scenes they are pretty interesting. There is a ton of stuff to look at if you can get over the song they're all singing. The facade on this ride is pretty cool to look at too. It's a classic attraction that you simply have to go on when you visit DL or MK, I just want to know how the CMs that operate this thing can stand the song playing nonstop. You must block it out after listening to it long enough that you can't even notice it anymore.

After that I used my FPs for Space Mountain and was very closed to being on the ride with the lights on. The ride broke down just as my train left the station and was about the enter the first tunnel, so we were just escorted off while they fixed the problem. I've always wanted a ride with the lights on though and one train earlier and I would have gotten it.

Overall it was a great day at DL. The crowds were pretty bad during the middle of the day, but luckily my touring plan worked and I never had to deal with any of them. My only real disappointment during the day was the CMs. I know that DL probably doesn't get the same caliber of employees as WDW because it doesn't have the same draw, but they weren't that much better than your average park employee. I didn't sense "the magic" in more than a handful of them.

**Phil** · #9 06-15-2007, 12:30 AM

Sorry for the double post, but I was cut off by the character limit.

I should continue with my TR tomorrow with the report on DCA. Then this weekend I'll wrap everything up with the report on my final day, which was split between the two parks catching some of the things I had missed before. Once again, all comments and questions are appreciated.

BGWfanatic · #10 06-15-2007, 12:56 AM

I have to admit. Im a sucker for the classics. A trip to Disney just isnt a trip to Disney if you didnt hit pirates, mansion, and its a Small World, haha.

**Kyle L** · #11 06-15-2007, 03:10 PM

Dude, you're lucky, you got the new Space Mountain. I got to ride the Old Space Mountain, which was straight out of the 80's. I think your opinion would be totally different if you rode the old version, which shows good things about Disney's ride management; it really needed a revamping.

Am I the only one that doesn't find Indiana Jones that great? Its a fun ride, but its almost like waiting in line and looking at the themeing is the same thing as...riding around in a truck and looking at the themeing, save for the boulder though, that was a nice touch.

Toon Town:

Gadgets Go-Coaster: Just for Credit Whores? Pleeeaaassee...go to Toon Town like 30 minutes before closing and ride Gadgets Go-Coaster over and over and over again, it effin' rules.

Rodger Rabbit: I actually really liked the ride, but indeed, pretty lame. Its not really like...scary or anything.

Thats a good review though, I really want to ride the new Space Mountain. The last time I was at Disneyland was when Tomorrowland got a remodel. And the time before that....they still had Michael Jackson's Captian EIO concert.......

sfmmfreak101 · #12 06-15-2007, 04:46 PM

Can't wait to hear your opinion of DCA!

**Phil** · #13 06-15-2007, 11:38 PM

I ended up in Downtown Disney for breakfast on the Tuesday I visited DCA, which was good because they opened the park 30 minutes before schedule and unlike most times where you get stopped right away, Soarin' was open early too. Obviously I headed there first.

Soarin' Over California
I'm kinda torn as to how I feel about this ride. One one hand it really is cool to see all the amazing sights and smells of California while hanging in front of a giant screen. On the other hand, it's basically a baby ride. To call it a true simulator doesn't make sense, the thing hardly moves. I was expecting the sense of flight would actually be due to some real movement instead of slight shifts and wind being blown into my face. My other problem was the fact that there are no transitions between the difference landscapes, they just cut right from the ocean to people skiing on a mountain. I was the only one in my family that wasn't enthralled by it though, much like the general public is. I guess I was just expecting something else from it.

After riding it and grabbing fastpasses for later it was just about time for the rest of the park to open. I got in the giant group lined up at the rope to the Hollywood Backlot portion of the park waiting to make a dash to ToT.

The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror
This was the only ride of the trip that wasn't as good or better as the same attraction at WDW. It was still my favorite ride of the entire trip, but the version at MGM has more of the "wow factor" due to the elevator leaving the shaft for the fifth dimension scenes and because of the random drop sequences. The effects are still good here though, my favorite is just when everything goes black except for the stars; you really lose sight of the fact that you're still in the shaft. The drops themselves are pretty thrilling; I'd actually say they are better than the average Intamin Drop Tower. They were having problems with the ride the whole day though, only one shaft was operating the majority of the time and the line got really long as a result. ToT was still my favorite ride at the Disneyland Resort, even though its not as good as the MGM version, because it blends theming, story, and thrills so well.

The plan was then to ride the Monsters Inc. attraction but it broke down while I was right at the station. I decided to make my way back to Paradise Pier to hit the low capacity cycle rides before they got to busy, but unfortunately there wouldn't be any California Screamin' yet due to Toy Story Mania construction every weekday morning.

Mulholland Madness
It's nothing more than your basic Mack wild mouse with some low budget theming thrown in. The brakes aren't on as hard for this one as some of the others I've ridden so it's probably my favorite, but that isn't saying much. The top portion consists of the "whippy" turns and the rest is all quick drops. The queue for this thing gets to be huge by midday so if you want the credit definitely get there early or plan on using Fastpass.

Golden Zephyr
This ride looks really cool from the ground, but in reality its not very interesting to ride. It spins a little faster than it looks, so you can get a little sick if you don't like these types of rides. I wouldn't ride unless the wait is short, which it was for most of the day. Also, this ride is supposedly almost never open because it can't operate in any sort of wind. Anything more than 5mph and the ride is likely to close.

Maliboomer
Probably the worst S&S tower I've ever been due to the combination of short height and the "scream shields" on the vehicles. You guys all know how these things work: you get raised off the ground, you sit in anxiety for a short time wondering when its going to launch, and then BOOM! you're up and right back down. I think that ToT actually offers the better sensation of free fall, but you do get some nice views of everything if you're on the right side. This ride was my little brother's first tower so it was fun watching his face on the first ride. Luckily for me he his just like his brother and loved the whole thing. The best part of this whole trip was that I know that my brother is going to be an enthusiast. He went on everything he was tall enough for with the exception of Xcelerator. I didn't think a 7 year-old's body was up for that experience.

Sun Wheel
Definitely the coolest looking ferris wheel I've ever seen. Unfortunately the ride doesn't live up to its looks. The line didn't look long when I got in it, but it ended up being 25 minutes. All that waiting for one rotation at full speed just isn't worth it. The swinging cars are pretty cool though. There is one point where it honestly looks and feels like you're going to leave the track and plummet into the water below. You only get that once though, the rest of the time is spent just waiting for people to load and unload.

After that I decided to grab an early lunch from the Corn Dog Castle. The corn dog there is amazing. I've never seen a bigger one in my life and it was delicious. I'd highly recommend it to any DCA visitor. After eating I used up the FPs I had gotten earlier for Soarin' and ToT and then headed over to Monsters Inc. to see if it was open. Luckily it was.

Monsters, Inc. - Mike & Sully to the Rescue!
This was the perfect example of what a dark ride should be. It followed the storyline pretty well and offered some great effects. The ride vehicles are taxis with televisions on the side which offer news updates on the child situation. The ride basically just progresses through the movie, with the highlight being the scenes in the door room. It really does look like there are hundreds of doors flying through the room while Mike and Sulley look for Boo's door. Everyone ends up happy in the end and the riders are decontaminated before returning to the station. This ride was a big surprise for me. I hadn't expected much, but it ended up being on my favorite attractions of the trip.

By this point is was finally warm enough and sunny enough to use the FPs I had gotten for Grizzly River Run earlier in the day. The machines there aren't hooked up to the main system so you can grab a FP even before the one you have expires.

Grizzly River Run
Let me start by saying the ride vehicles are way too small. There is no leg room when all eight people are in the raft and I've never had a problem like that on other similar attractions. As for the ride itself, its pretty fun. There are two drops, one of the spinning. There isn't any story to the ride, which is kinda weird for Disney, you just look at the scenery. I actually didn't get too wet on it, which was unexpected. I had heard that this thing soaks all riders. Maybe they didn't have all the water effects on because of the weather? That is my only guess as to what could be the reasoning for it. Overall I thought it was better than Kali River Rapids at AK, but not as good as my favorite, Popeye and Bluto's Bilge Rat Barges at IOA. That ride ensures that everyone comes off soaked and has some pretty fun theming.

After GRR it was finally time for California Screamin's opening. The line was already pretty long by the time I got over there, 25 minutes, especially considering that it hadn't actually begun running yet.

California Screamin'
This may have been my most anticipated attraction at DCA and I was unfortunately underwhelmed by it. I'm not quite sure what I was expecting, it is still a Disney ride after all, but I wanted more out of it. The initial launch doesn't have the oomph of RnRc at MGM, and the drops on the attraction aren't tall enough to really give you a thrill. Its really just a pleasantly long, smooth ride with a soundtrack and loop thrown in for a little variety. It's really perfect for what Disney likely had in mind when they built it. Almost anyone can handle the experience it provides and even thrill junkies usually get enough fun with the launch and the loop to enjoy it. Overall though I really can't complain about anything but it being a little more tame than I hoped. It was super smooth and longer than pretty much every other coaster I've ridden.

After that I headed back to the Hollywood Backlot to see the Muppets while I waited for my FP window at California Screamin' so I could get a second ride before leaving the park for the hotel.

Muppet Vision 3D
This is probably the weakest of Disney's 4D shows are far as the effects are concerned, but since the characters are so great it's still a lot of fun to watch. My biggest problem with the story is the introduction of the stupid 3D character whose name escapes me at the moment. I just want to see my favorite muppets, not some lame computer animated guy. A lot goes on the in the theater for this show: Statler and Waldorf are in the balcony cracking jokes throughout, Sweetums comes out into the crowd looking for Bean, and the Swedish Chef almost blows the entire place up. I'd suggest that everyone see this while at DCA.

After going back to California Screamin' is was time for a funnel cake and then back to the hotel. Overall the day went well, I saw everything I had hoped to other than It's Tough to Be a Bug which I kinda forgot about but saw the next day. My impression of the park was that it was fun, but lacked the special quality that made me feel the "Disney Magic." I can't really put my finger on it, but it basically just felt like a nicely themed amusement park. I'm not sure whats its missing that would make it feel more like the other Disney parks, other than Animal Kingdom which I think has the same problem.

I'll report on my final day at DL and DCA during this weekend. I didn't really do many new attractions so the report be pretty short compared to the other days. As always, I'd love your comments and/or questions.

sfmmfreak101 · #14 06-16-2007, 12:38 AM

How could you not like Soarin' or Cali. Screamin! Everyone loves them! I think that you were looking for thrill rides, which Disney doesn't quite do well.

**Phil** · #15 06-16-2007, 10:46 PM

I was definitely looking for a more thrilling ride out of California Screamin', at least something on par with RnRc, so I know thats why I didn't like it as much. As for Soarin', it really is just an IMAX movie with the guests in a special seat. You hardly move at all during the film. I'm not asking for a crazy simulator ride, but you should at least be able to detect the movement of the ride vehicle.