Chrisrad

DISNEYLAND RESORT - July 6, 2011 My pass was up for renewal, so I figured I'd enjoy the park during the 'cheap pass blackout days' I got there at 4:30 PM and: parked on the second floor of the parking garage, still got a World of Color fastpass, rode Screamin' three times, and still had an extra fastpass, got a Space Mountain fastpass at 6:45, and rode The Little Mermaid three times. The trams were less than half full, there were only four or five turnstiles to get into each park and they didn't have lines, and Star Tours seemed to max out at 60 minutes while I checked my Disney apps. So, needless to say, I thoroughly enjoy the days where the cheap passes are blocked - it's been my plan of attack for about five years now. I hate to offend anyone with a So Cal/So Cal Select pass (I've had them, and always ended up upgrading), but the parks are simply too crowded on those days. The new Paradise Park (I think that's the name) eating area is simply gorgeous - it garnered my attention and I will definitely plan on eating there in the future. They brought in countless adult trees, shade covers, a bandstand, etc. - it reminds me of New Orleans Square for some reason. Goofy's Sky School (the 'off-the-shelf' mouse) looks great, and blends very well with the adjacent eating areas. I did not ride because the line hovered at 40-50 minutes. Yes, the Maliboomer park is still a park - no meet-and-greet just yet, and it's still closed. Screamin' is running great! It's pretty high on my list of 'enjoyable' coasters. One of the green trains was 'having a six flags day' - it's audio was not working. Little Mermaid.. I kept telling myself, "Don't expect an E-Ticket.." And, well, sure enough, it's NOT an E-Ticket; I don't think it was supposed to be an E-Ticket. Unfortunately, people are probably expecting nothing less than 'Toy Story Midway Mania quality' for all future attractions. I grew up on Little Mermaid - I think there's enough of the story to follow along, but without too much of the 'dark' parts - there was only one portion devoted to Ursula. Honestly though, it still reminds me of a stucco strip mall from the outside - I just doesn't seem themed like other Disney dark rides (Haunted Mansion, Fantasyland rides, etc.); it's simply a building with fancy iron work, light fixtures, and some concrete accents. At the same time, perhaps it fits perfectly with the boardwalk theme - I'm probably way off base with my expectations. Without a doubt, kids will love it, and they will demand that their parents buy them LM merchandise. Enough of my rambling - here are the photos: Yes, it still sticks out during the day (today at least - I have seen it hidden on previous visits). We'll come back to you, Goofy. Oh hi extended queue.. I bet you were full when So Cal passes were valid Fancy iron work abounds.. But it just seems so 'sterile' to me.. The queue - stucco, tiled murals, concrete clams, and marble similar to TSMM's queue. It has a 'clean' feel to it.. Sorry, I used an 'actual' camera today and was used to how my cell phone takes pictures - this is a 'nerd shot'.. and a layout of the ride/eel/etc. Going in to the back of a ship - this is pretty cool! This little fella will be our narrator.. The clamshells are going 'under the sea' -there is a decline/slope on the omnimover track that has bubble projections/audio - it reminded me of the 'descent' on Finding Nemo. I've got gadgets and gizmos a-plenty I've got whozits and whatzits galore You want thingamabobs? I've got twenty! But who cares? No big deal I want more You know how hard it is to get a picture of this guy?I tried three times and this is the best I could do. Hi TPR! Ariel Number 2 SERIOUSLY freaks me out.. I don't know what it is.. Overweight, ruthless, jealous... Is that Ursula, or an ACEr? By the time this park opens, these trees will be as tall as the Maliboomer. Don't worry, I'm coming back to The Little Mermaid - I need to keep your attention. For now, let's look at Paradise Park - this is the entrance closest to Maliboomer. Inside to the left Inside to the right.. I was very impressed! Back outside, a juxtaposition between Goofy's and Paradise Park - they fit nicely together. There's an array of eating areas - covered by trees, shade covers, etc.. It looks like a nice place to relax. Back to TLM, there is some interesting landscaping, that suggests 'being underwater' - just stuff you don't see every day. Plus, there are hidden Mickeys throughout - here's just one example. There you see her Sitting there across the way She don’t got a lot to say But there’s something about her And you don’t know why But you’re dying to try You wanna kiss the girl Sing with me now Sha-la-la-la-la-la My, oh, my Look at the boy too shy He ain’t gonna kiss the girl Sha-la-la-la-la-la Ain’t that sad Ain’t it shame, too bad You gonna miss the girl About an hour later it closed down, then reopened as I neared the queue entrance = a walk-on third ride. In other news, the pathway from the main entrance to Blue Sky Cellars (the one that is next to Carthay Theater (or Carthaway?) is closed for the time being - there is a detour through Bugs Land. No big deal - I haven't been through Bugs Land for awhile. Also, TOT had a 15 minute wait. Time for Disneyland! I entered right when the Soundsational parade was starting. Hi Elissa!! The new DCA entrance is coming along nicely. I figured I'd snag a few maps to celebrate TLM and Star Tours being 'new' again (I think Robb mentioned that he worked there when they were both new) - kind of neat how some things remain popular. And last but not least, here are the new passes - they don't have your photo anymore (the cast members will just look at the screen when they scan it), and they have the QR code for Disneyland photographers. Now, they simply scan your pass when they take your photo from anywhere in the park and it keeps track of them. Sorry for the black lines - I don't know what you can access by scanning the barcode/reading numbers. Plus, TPR likes watermarks, right?

You honestly post the best offride videos I've ever seen. The one of Riddler's was amazing too! Wow, that ride just looks painful. But coastercrutchfield, great videos! Thanks for sharing.

^ woah...there seemed to be a heck of a lot more trees back then. Trees and charm do not draw guests from afar.

^ I'm glad that ElecTRONica will be around for a while. Honestly, if they were to remove it right away, what would replace it? While the street parties/dancing might be over the top for my tastes, the arcade is awesome! I stocked up on the Flynn's tokens when it first opened.

^ Damn, that thing really is massive in comparison to its surroundings. I would also like to see the photo you're looking for. There are countless forums/blogs about Disneyland with pictorial before/after contrasting.

Yeah, I saw it as well - Voyage looks like an incredible ride. How is the 'triple down' tunnel in reality? I was also surprised at how they only featured one Holiday World coaster and a water ride (which also seemed like a good ride). I completely skipped the final part of the show featuring the snow tubing.

That's the Holiday World campground, right? If so, I've stayed there - beautiful place. I look forward to seeing more pictures!

^^ Thanks for sharing! I was wondering if they were going to do a special Fourth of July WOC, and now I know for next year. After seeing WOC and so many Disneyland firework shows, I didn't even bother going to see fireworks in my town last night. Sure, it'd be the patriotic thing to do, but I've become so accustomed to audio-enhanced firework/light shows at Disneyland that anything else would be boring. Also, how on earth did I miss Robb's media coverage? I was checking the FB updates, but I missed a lot! Awesome pictures, Robb!

^ Thanks for clarifying! I knew there was a mist discussion, and it had to do with it not staying where it's supposed to, I just forgot about the ride.

^ Yep, that definitely helps, thanks! So yeah, it's definitely a 'pond' now.. not even a lake anymore. I'm assuming the church is across the street where the WCB lunch was held. I have car shows there every April and my brother is always trying to figure out why they moved the church - now I know; it wasn't because of irrelevance, but because of necessity. I'll keep looking through those pictures - quite the illustrative history of Knott's!

I think the mist/fog was brought up at WCB - it's really temperamental with ambient temperatures. Depending on the weather, it will either stay where it's supposed to and look really cool, or, for instance, be carried away by winds. At my old job there were misters for guest comfort - the machines (yeah, it's not just a hose with a mist nozzle) were incredibly expensive to buy, plus, they required a lot of maintenance. Because of the crappy water in CA, the nozzles were always being removed for cleaning, the filters got clogged, and, if the system wasn't operating correctly, they would just drip water everywhere.

Alrighty, folks, here is the third and final part of this drawn-out trip report.. I thought I would be going back to the fair again, but it hasn't fit into my schedule, so I guess I'll go to the OC fair instead. Enjoy! Kiddie Coaster 1 My damn camera was lagging, so I thought I got the picture of the sign while I was walking. Wrong. But it's Disney knock-off #1 - the 'Incredibles' coaster. Cheesy goodness.. I heard the milk comes from the on-site cows.. no sense letting it go to waste. I don't know what the point was, but they have a car that you can draw on - they even supply the markers. If you'll notice, there are a lot of sharpie marks - the employees have to go around the car to cross off gang symbols and drug references. Sad. If you want to get your memo noticed, bring a big sharpie. And try your darndest to find a blank spot. They are supposed to be repainting the car every so often.. Disney knockoff #2 Disney knockoff #3 #4 And so on.. I didn't bother to find all of them.. Man in blue, and woman in blue.. a match made in carnie heaven. They go on dates when the public leaves and indulge in the fried goodness. boob.. (actually, it was part of a big ass texas travel booth.. getting people to visit texas). Yes.. you're seeing that clearly. And there was a line. And it was late in the day.. So I'm assuming the line was a lot longer earlier in the day. You keep eating that fried crap, and this is what you'll look like.. Then you'll be served on as a Christmas feast. Mmmm bacon. What did the gay rooster say? Hmm.. maybe I shouldn't say it here.. might be too much for young ears/eyes. And there are some insensitive people that get butthurt over the silliest things. So, for now, I'll just say that there were cocks at the fair - some big, some small, some young, old, black, white, etc.. Bungee jumping.. Hello? Yes, hi, it's the 1980s calling.. I'd like my bedroom set back, as well as the fake plants. But most importantly, I want my kick ass bed spread back. Yes, this was for sale. Maybe it was made by the amish? No.. they're too busy making those damn heaters.. This sign describes perfectly what women do when they get together in large quantities. The garden theme this year had to do with transportation - there were quite a few real cars (some of them quite valuable) integrated with the displays - I should know all of the years and models because I'm into cars, but I was too tired at this point. I suppose you will! OMG.. security checkpoints? That's so Six Flags. Seriously.. I'll never forget a comment from a Disneyland forum - someone said there was an outdoor vending cart on the outdoor area of Space Mountain's queue - someone replied, "that's so Six Flags." Yes, really.. Disney trying to make a buck/quench your thirst = 'trashy/cheesy/something six flags would do'. End of rant. They had one of these, too. I think it was $25 or so per ride - $15 probably goes for insurance, $5 in the carnie's pocket, and $5 for the actual ride. First item, under the fork. Have you ever seen it so cheap? Such a deal. And finally, I leave you with this. Much like the previous photo, it can be interpreted many different ways.

Nice little TR! Eureka... You ever go to the Samoa Cookhouse? I've been there pretty much every year of my life - we always stop there on our way up to Oregon. Northern CA is really beautiful from San Fran north - the redwoods, etc. Thanks for sharing!

Harry Connick Jr. out of the station, and Metallica on the lift hill = icing on the cake for one of my favorite rides. I'm actually quite upset that a lot of park goers are reporting no audio on X2 - I do hope it gets fixed (at least on one train), or I'm assuming there will be a barrage of questions at WCB 2012. I understand the audio breaking on a wooden coaster - it was evidenced by only a year or so (actually less - from opening day in May, to WCB in March) of functionality; but x2, on the other hand, it's had audio, sporadically, for almost four years now. Come on SFMM.. don't let it go to the special effects graveyard.. it's already full with Termi's audio, fog machines, a lot of light fixtures from Riddler's queue (and the on-board photography from Riddler), plus countless other items.

^ Does anyone have any before/after pictures of pre-SB, versus post-SB? I guess I'm confused as to how it has affected Ghost Town (isn't Ghost Town over near Ghost Rider?). I've heard a lot about Knott's from my parents and older siblings, and remember going there in the 90s, but, other than that, images of "Knott's when it had charm" are not burned into my memory.

^ Yeah, I'm enjoying the reviews. So far, most people seem pleasantly surprised after passing it off as a glorified flat ride. While it seems that SFMM's version doesn't spin as much as its European counterpart, it sounds like there are other effects that make up for any shortcomings. I'm looking forward to taking a spin on it.. but much like the new Star Tours and Little Mermaid at Disneyland, I can easily wait until the initial hype wears off.

^ Yeah, I couldn't help but laugh at the irony with its name I watched Robb's POV of Windjammer - yeah, ouch! As he states, it really does sound like a metal trash can banging against the track. I also noticed in the POV that the sky tower used to have a different color combo. Back to my argument earlier about Knott's color schemes.. yeah, wow - who chooses ride colors there? Xclerator looks good - I asked during WCB if it had to do with the pastel color of the 50s, and was answered with a yes, but I'm still shaking my head at 'Silver' (silver) 'Bullet' (silver/metal/metallic/lead/etc.). Any guesses on what the color of the giga will be? (It doesn't hurt to wish positively, does it?)

^ Got it, thanks! I just read a bit about TOGO (which further explains with the coaster at New York, New York gets bad reviews. I'm sure this has been discussed a million times, but it looks as if Knott's was unsuccessful with their suit against TOGO?

^ Thanks. I'm pretty sure I've been on a summer weekday, but I cannot remember how it went. I'll probably hold it out until September/October - I like the Fright Fest stuff, plus the weather is a lot better.

I'll go ahead and change the subject.. Is it worth going to SFMM at all on a summer weekday? I'd like to go this week sometime (Wednesday/Thursday) and didn't know if I'd be 'ahead of the game' by avoiding a weekend visit. Any advice?

^ So I guess that ride was a major POS? What caused that? I never had a chance to ride it, but it seems to have a negative following.

I wholeheartedly agree with Ouimet about the park's future - it's important to preserve as much as possible, while moving ahead to attract future generations. As some have said, Silver Bullet is kind of overkill in its current location, but it is neat to walk in and see the Cobra Roll. I think the biggest thing in the whole area is the color scheme - nothing flows/blends with the surroundings - there are just a million different colors. Even when Disney has an outdoor coaster (CA Screamin'), they make it blend with its surroundings (painted white to look like a wooden/boardwalk coaster).

Great report/pictures so far! I've never been to Florida so it's nice to see what each park has to offer.

My sisters were there in the 80s and can't believe how things have changed over the years. My mother/father remember the park from the 60s! As long as the chicken dinner restaurant stays, at least some remnants of Ghost Town, the Mine Ride, and Log Ride, I'd be happy. At the same time, audiences/generations evolve with times and expect different forms of entertainment. Your argument reminds me of kids born in the 90s who pretend to like the 80s (the music/clothing/etc.).

I've had good luck with it at Disneyland where there are a lot of users - most of the times are pretty accurate. I'm assuming you realize that it's user-based? So, someone can 'amuse' others by posting phony times.. You can only change wait times if your GPS is at the particular park location, so that sort of helps control the false times. Also, as someone else said, do not pay any attention to 'estimated' times.