Live 4 Coasters

When Minions first opened, they had a single-rider line that entered through the Gate A line. The team members would stand outside the entrance holding a single-rider sign, and they would send you down into the special line if you asked about it. I haven't seen it much since early 2015, but I also haven't been on a crowded day since. I'm glad to hear Hippogriff has a secret single-rider line. The one attraction I wish had one is the Simpsons ride. I'm not a huge Simpsons fan, but I do enjoy the attraction, so a way to ride without having to sit through an hour of Simpsons clips would be amazing.

Based on this Google Earth shot, the space that most believe will become "Marvel Land" is a bit smaller than Carsland. In blue is the backstage space and where Tower of Terror currently is, and in red is Carsland, including the Radiator Springs Racers showbuilding. If the new superhero themed area does indeed take over this backstage space, Disney will either need to become creative in its use of available space, such as Universal and Transformers, or any new attractions would be very small. With the theories of how large the Star Wars Land Battle Escape attraction will be, it seems unlikely any Marvel attraction would be up to this standard. I just hope any new attractions at Disneyland Resort, whether Star Wars or Marvel themed, can combine the amazing effects and storytelling of Ratatouille in Paris and Pirates of the Caribbean in Shanghai.

Sorry for the essay in advance. As a Southern California local, I have ridden ToT in its current, Twilight Zone, theme. I love the idea and the queue is my favorite part of the current experience. As for the GoG retheme, I'm torn. On one hand, the huge Marvel fan in me is excited for a new land themed to my favorite heroes. The prospect of a possible E-Ticket attraction joining Radiator Springs Racers in this new land is what I am most looking forward to. Having not had an innovative attraction at the resort in over 20 years (Indy), I have been waiting for an E-Ticket for a while. Then, there is the fact of doubling-back by Disney. Yes, the California theme of the park was originally a total failure (mainly due to off-the-shelf rides and gaudy decorations), but the recent renovations have turned the park into a beautiful piece of mastery. Having taken a trip there alone back in March, I found myself wandering around Grizzly Peak and Carsland, forgetting I was in a theme park and not in the "real" world. But this announcement tells me I might be alone in these feelings. Obviously the major renovation that finished back in 2012 has not reached the general public the way Disney expected. On that same March visit I noticed DCA felt about half as full as DL did. ToT only had a 10 minute wait, Screamin' boasted a lofty 20 minute wait, and Radiator Springs Racers was the longest at 45 minutes. All these were smack in the middle of spring break, one of the parks' busiest times. In short, the retheme would be a brilliant move by Imagineering if it had not committed to the "California of the 20's" theme less than 5 years ago. Now, I would not be surprised if the name is changed to "Disney Anything Goes Adventure" in the near future. I loved the idea of Star Wars Land, especially since it was replacing a scarcely crowded corner of the park, and now this "Marvel Land" announcement has made me even more excited for the possibilities of attractions both of these expansions hold.

You shouldn't need a Fast Lane if you're going for two days. Hotels become nicer and more expensive the closer you are to Disneyland, so keep that in mind, there is the Knott's hotel adjacent to the park though. In my opinion, GhostRider is the only must-do-at-night ride, but Xcelerator can be fun at night too. Mrs. Knott's is good food, but there are some other options down the road at Downtown Buena Park, but no must-eat-at restaurants.

I just got on GhostRider earlier, I was tenth in line when they dropped the rope. I think it just jumped to the top of my favorites list. It's not glass smooth as people would expect, but come on, it's made of wood. I loved not having the MCBR and it just flies through the second half. I didn't get a lot of airtime because the attendant made the lapbar too tight, but I still enjoyed the experience as always. Having ridden it over 100 times before, I was glad to not get a headache this time around.

It's not my main park, but I do have an annual pass. Universal Studios Hollywood 2017: The Walking Dead Maze; closure of Revenge of the Mummy and WaterWorld; Diagon Alley construction begins 2018: New family dark ride in Mummy soundstage (i.e. Secret Life of Pets) 2019: New Studio Tour Event to replace "Cars on Sticks", possibly Jurassic World themed; construction on new hotel begins 2020: Diagon Alley opens; Animal Actors and Special Effects Stage close 2021: New stunt show to replace WaterWorld in Animal Actors/Special Effects Stage spot; new hotel opens