A.J. Posted January 30, 2011 Share Posted January 30, 2011 (edited) A.J.'s Latest Trip Report A Fantastical Off-Season Tour of the Magic Kingdom As some of you may already know, I'm a Walt Disney World cast member as part of their college program. As such, I am currently living in Orlando, Florida, which means I am able to get to the parks with relative ease on my days off. The Five Parts of the Trip PART I - Main Street USA and Fantasyland - this post Toontown Fair's Last Hurrah! OVER THE FENCE construction! A Philhar-orgasm! AND...artsy failures! PART II - Adventureland, Liberty Square, and Frontierland - CLICK HERE Kids being taken on a magic carpet ride! The Hall of Shame! The WORST puns in history! AND...Splash Mountain TESTING with its new LAP BARS! PART III - The Monorail and Frontierland - CLICK HERE A redhead's attempt at being the first Splash Mountain rider of 2011! Big Chunder Mountain! Stranded on a deserted island! AND...someone I hope gets shot and/or beaten! PART IV - Tomorrowland - next update A road test of the WORST car in history! The BIGGEST fail of an aerial shot ever taken! Flying through SPAAAAAAAAACE! AND...a talking trash can's cousins! PART IV - Main Street USA, Fantasyland, Toontown Fair, and the Castle - the following update The Mad Hatter that ISN'T Johnny Depp! Toontown Fair's last hurrah, for real this time! The BEST projection show on the side of a castle larger than Disneyland's...IN THE WORLD. AND...fireworks fallout! Also, I'd like to introduce you to my buddy Wobbuffet. He's not very big. He's my memento from home on this trip, and whenever I go play in the parks, he comes with me. He likes standing on my keyboard for some reason. He also likes to be in front of the camera. I told him "no" to cameos in the Fantasyland update because we here at TPR appreciate the hard effort it takes to get construction pictures when there is a large colorful wall that we can't reach over blocking our path. Maybe in the Adventureland update... PART I - The Monorail, Main Street USA, and Fantasyland What was originally supposed to be a day off to do laundry and be semi-productive turned into a wonderful day at the Magic Kingdom. One of my old friends has a birthday coming up, and I had planned to get her a "Happy Birthday" button Friday night after work. Well...I forgot. So, to set things right, I had to take a trip into the Magic Kingdom to get it for her, because I care that much. So, I hopped on a bus and made a stop at the Transportation/Ticket Center. My 20th-century chariot awaits! I got on Monorail Teal (my personal second-favorite - the Tron-o-rail was not in operation today) and set off toward the park. I was determined to get that birthday button no matter what. Unfortunately, my hopes were delayed when the monorail stopped to hold for traffic. I was able to get this shot though: Artsy or poor camera work? You decide! Those monorails are very jerky. The train I was on started and stopped more abruptly than a bus. We stopped again just outside of the Contemporary Resort, and I snagged a shot of the architecture: Reflection got in the shot again... [censored] We eventually stopped at the Magic Kingdom's entrance. The gates were very busy, so I wanted to bolt to get through bag check and the ticket turnstiles quickly. Unfortunately, my hopes of getting that button were once again shattered when I got stuck in the middle of a Puerto Rican tour group. Kids everywhere! The tour group was this massive exodus of people all trying to stuff themselves through a narrow exit pathway instead of walking in a single- or double-file line! Is it really that hard? Are these the kinds of people who have cursed Splash Mountain with those dreadful lap bars? They could have just as easily broken up into two smaller, more organized groups, but no! They choose to travel in a herd like twenty white mice all trying to drink from the same water dispenser! New campaign for the park. Get yer 40th anniversary pins now, they'll be gone soon! Gawrsh! And so, my quest for the birthday button began! I was determined to find a place with both a birthday button and a sharpie to write her name on it. Unfortunately, I got distracted. Honestly, if you look at this facade straight on, it looks real! They are renovating the interior and exterior of Exposition Hall as part of the Toontown removal. All the little kiddies need a place to meet Mickey and Minnie now that Toontown is going to be rap...I mean...removed, and I've heard that they're going here. I could be wrong. Don't go posting it to Screamscape, because I don't want to be held accountable for my own mistake. Exposition hall...way. Get it? It looks like a...never mind. One question you might ask me is: "A.J., where on Main Street do you work at?" Lately I've been *performing my role* at the Main Street Confectionary, known to "civilians" as a "candy shop". Normally, the Confectionary is the building that most people see first as they walk under the railroad tracks and onto Main Street. That's not the case right now. The first thing you see when you walk onto Main Street is this: A facade with big beige walls in front of it. Because the Confectionary looks like it's under construction, a lot of the general public thinks that the Confectionary is closed. It is most certainly not closed. Unfortunately, because of that and that we're in an off-season, the Confectionary has not been raking in very many guests. Do you really think the general public thinks there is an entrance to the Confectionary in this hallway? Do you really think coaster geeks would know this either? Important questions! Now that I was distracted by construction, I completely forgot about the birthday button and got on the Walt Disney World railroad to check on the Fantasyland construction. Guess what? I got distracted again! Hooray! No sign of Roger Rabbit ANYWHERE?!? Lame-sauce! If you have been sitting in a cave for the past month (or all your life), you probably haven't realized that Mickey's Toontown Fair is on its way out. So, as a lovely parting gift, I have done you all a kindness and given Toontown Fair a nice and hearty last photo trip report hurrah. So, I'll shut up for now, and let the pictures and captions speak for themselves. Kids' play area themed to Chip and Dale. Apparently grown adults act like little kids? Maybe someone should put up a huge disclaimer in white text so that people will know that members of a certain message board have a sense of humor. Too...much...sun...no wonder Donald is moving. If he would stay there any longer, we'd be able to eat him! Apparently this is where Mickey Mouse lives. Apparently his meet-and-greet is in the Toontown Judges' tent. No use for the house then. Minnie has her own house too? I thought I saw a figurine in Uptown Jewelers that inferred that she and Mickey were married. WHO LIED TO ME?!? The Barnstormer - the only piece of Toontown Fair that ISN'T being rap...I mean scrapped. The scenery around it will be removed and replaced, but the credit is staying. Good news if you haven't gotten your Barnstormer credit yet. Goofy can't ride a horse. Goofy can't use a credit card. Goofy can't fly a plane. But he does make good candy! I tried very hard, but I couldn't find this station on my FM radio. Anyone know what it is? Another artsy shot attempt. Pass? Fail? Leave the country? Don't trust Pete with your car. He'll eat chocolate in it, leave the wrappers, and drag race it against a Ferrari 458 Italia. See ya real s...*CRUSH* My opinion on Toontown Fair is this - it's well-themed and the atmosphere is great, but it doesn't look like Walt Disney World put a lot of effort into making it. I'm liking the Fantasyland expansion more and more. Speaking of which: OVER THE FENCE construction shot! Don't say I don't love Theme Park Review. I waited in line for 45 minutes to get on Dumbo to get over-the-fence construction shots. Thank you, thank you, and thank you. Another angle. Stupid trees! Last shot. Now, onto actual Fantasyland stuff. Apparently Snow White's Scary Adventures is out the door as well due to her cottage and the Mine Train being constructed, opening up her old ride's space for a princess meet-and-greet. So, I thought I'd share some parting shots of the ride. Hello. Goodbye. Scary Adventures not getting any love, even on its farewell tour...I think it's one of those "you'll miss me when I'm gone" things. And here we have a nice little well, which...zzzzzz...huh? What? Oh yeah, a well... Zzzzzz... As for the ride itself, I thought that it was a nice little dark ride, but that it is outclassed by the Haunted Mansion. I'm sure the mine train will be better. Now for something different: THIS. THIS. THIS. THIS. Mickey's Philharmagic could possibly be one of the best 3-D movies/shows I have ever seen, even though it lasted less than ten minutes. It was funny, it was fun, and it's also a water ride! My favorite part is [censored for potential plot spoiling]. I laughed so hard. I absolutely consider Philharmagic a must-see attraction for anyone who goes to the Magic Kingdom. Some of you probably don't agree with me, but I don't agree with some of you either. Win-win. WHY does this show only have a 5-minute stand-by? IT'S SO GOOD! Now that my Philhar-gasm is over, let's do a typical attraction showcase: Peter Pan...45 minute wait...no... Small World...25 minute wait...NO NO NO NO NO. I refuse to do Small World on anything more than a 5 minute wait. Showcase over. That was quick. As I walked out of Fantasyland toward Main Street, I heard some music. The music was for the Move It, Shake It, Celebrate It Street Party Parade. This parade is my personal favorite because whenever I'm performing my role I get to teach guests the fun motions to the parade as it goes by! I've gotten "you're awesome"s from Mickey and the Mad Hatter even waved at me once! Hee hee! This is the lead float. The parade/party's DJ is on the top, Mickey and Donald are in front, and Goofy and Minnie are in the back. The parade makes its way around center circle, and stops. Then, a party ensues for about...uhh...five minutes. MASSIVE hoards of people that I did not wish to try and drill through... To end part one of my fantastical Magic Kingdom Off-Season Tour, one more parting shot of Scary Adventures: So long, farewell...never mind. Coming Soon! PART II - Adventureland, Liberty Square, and Frontierland Kids being taken on a magic carpet ride! The Hall of Shame! The WORST puns in history! AND...Splash Mountain TESTING with its new LAP BARS! Stay tuned! Edited February 4, 2011 by A.J. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mwm1444 Posted January 30, 2011 Share Posted January 30, 2011 Awesome TR A.J., and it's great to hear you've having a good time at work as well. I definitely agree about PhilharMagic, I returned to it just as 'something to do', this last trip in December, and it surprised me how much I loved it - though it doesn't beat out MuppetVision for me, it's a great attraction. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
the ghost Posted January 30, 2011 Share Posted January 30, 2011 ^ I agree, I was VERY impressed with the show, but I am a muppet vision fanboy. Can we have WDW's snow white? Our version A. Scares the hell out of kids. B Has a beginning with the dwarves, a middle where you are being attacked by the witch, and WHERE THE HELL IS THE END?! The only sign of a happy ending is a picture of snow white and charming. Overall its just like our version of the ride, but much better and much more disneyish. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Erik Johnson Posted January 30, 2011 Share Posted January 30, 2011 Just curious, but has it been confirmed that they are going to remove Snow White's Scary Adventures? I just assumed that it will still stay even though they are building another attraction based on Snow White. Nice pictures by the way. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
YoshiFan Posted January 30, 2011 Share Posted January 30, 2011 It was confirmed here: http://disneyparks.disney.go.com/blog/2011/01/update-on-new-fantasyland-at-magic-kingdom-park/ I had hoped they could still keep the ride and add the coaster but that doesn't look like it is going to happen. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Erik Johnson Posted January 30, 2011 Share Posted January 30, 2011 Well, there is always hope that Mr. Toad will be coming back. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jray21 Posted January 30, 2011 Share Posted January 30, 2011 Great report so far! Thanks for riding Dumbo, I totally wouldn't have. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
samisthabomb Posted January 30, 2011 Share Posted January 30, 2011 It's good to hear Barnstormer is staying. It sure is a shame Snow White's Scary Adventures is going, I actually liked that ride. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
A.J. Posted January 30, 2011 Author Share Posted January 30, 2011 It's good to hear Barnstormer is staying. It sure is a shame Snow White's Scary Adventures is going, I actually liked that ride. Here's the thing - I actually sort of liked it as well. The problem is that all sorts of other fantastically-made attractions and renovations have grown up around Scary Adventures, and it's just sort of staying put. I know the ride has a really nice charm about it, but I think the Mine Train will be a lot better (not because it's a coaster), even though it's not based around Snow White's entire story. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RueSailmana Posted January 30, 2011 Share Posted January 30, 2011 Too bad about Snow White, I really like that kind of rides and it's a shame it has to make way for a coaster with the same theme. As someone suggested before, why couldn't they exist side by side? Fortunately we will still have a comparable ride here in Paris, but that's just not the same. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
A.J. Posted January 31, 2011 Author Share Posted January 31, 2011 Part II - Adventureland, Liberty Square, and Frontierland After carefully choosing inexpensive food (is that even possible here?) for lunch along Main Street, I set off to cover another area of the park, still nonchalantly forgetting about getting a birthday button. I headed into a land of adventure, which ironically is called Adventureland. They're currently renovating/reconstructing/I-don't-knowing the bridge that connects the center circle and Adventureland. I couldn't get any pictures of the construction because A) I couldn't get a good aerial shot B) there was no really tall person around to take pictures over the colorful construction walls and C) I don't know any walking bridge enthusiasts on this site. So there. Since I had the time, I decided to take a trip back in time to a simpler time when time wasn't a timely issue. I took a trip into the Swiss Family Treehouse. Gorgeous, ain't it? It's a really elaborate structure, and the little ones seemed to enjoy climbing high up over Adventureland, even though they were walking up stairs rather than climbing (I try not to spoil their fun). I spotted this peculiar device along the way: Rumor has it that a member of this very message board is old enough to remember the time when this device was made. That's right, it was made in 1971. Approaching the tippy-top of the treehouse (alliteration, anyone?), I was able to get a cool aerial shot and a preview of what lies ahead for myself, Wobbuffet, and our trip: I see you, Tomorrowland! It's goin' down. Tuesday. I'm serious. Heading back down, I spotted another curious display of old-man engineering: It all looks so clean. I thought this place was abandoned! IS SOMEONE STALKING ME?!? And some construction, for what I don't know: Anyone know? So...have you ever noticed how Disney movies all have hidden sexual innuendos and meanings? Well, in Adventureland, kids (and adults too, everyone is welcome) can be taken on a "magic carpet ride"! Get it? No? I'll show you what I mean: Magic carpets! What? Did you think I was making a sexual innuendo? You all have dirty, dirty minds! Honestly, if I was your parent, I'd... ...give you a pat on the back. Heh heh. After snapping a shot of the Magic Carpets and quietly snickering to myself, I found an artsy shot opportunity using the architecture of the Enchanted Tiki Room and the surrounding sky. UNFORTUNATELY...someone got in the way... He said that he wanted to blend in with the sky so he could be in my shot but not be obtrusive. He also said he was lying. Not to worry! Photoshop to the rescue! Much better! After Wobbuffet ruined my shot, I decided to play hard-to-get and took a photo of two other fake animals. Zazu and Whatshisname! The Enchanted Tiki Room is still closed. I asked several cast members about the attraction, and they all told me that the resort is working very hard to fix the damages. However, the attraction is still closed indefinitely. Hopefully it will reopen before my program expires, because I personally have never seen the attraction. Maybe for another trip report? Anyway, I left Adventureland to spite poor Wobbuffet because he wouldn't stop complaining. I headed back to the center circle, turned north, and headed into Liberty Square to check it out. I wanted to take a ride on the Liberty Belle. However... ...it was closed for a week. [censored] Therefore, I have re-christened the Liberty Belle...the "Beached Whale"! But, in all seriousness, the Liberty Belle is going through annual refreshers/refurbishments, much like Splash Mountain is (but without the HIDEOUS lap bars, OF COURSE). It will start going again on February 5. I didn't take any pictures of the Liberty Belle (because I don't think there are any Liberty Belle enthusiasts in the audience right now), but for you beached whale enthusiasts... Even though the whale LOOKS like he's swimming, he's really stuck to that sign! So, he's TECHNICALLY a beached whale! After the disappointment that was the Beach..I mean...Liberty Belle, I headed toward the House of 999 Ghosts Who Like Bad Puns (known to you "civilians" as the Haunted Mansion). There's room for 1,000 - any volunteers? Wobbuffet was scared, and I had already gotten the credit, so I passed over it. The last time I rode Haunted Mansion (which ironically was only two weeks ago), I thought it was pretty good, but I was distracted in trying to figure out how all the scenes work. I figured out how the ballroom scene worked (don't judge me - I had never thought about it before). The ride also made an emergency stop while my friend and I were in the portion of the ride where you go down backwards, and it was handled almost flawlessly. Now, for you bad pun enthusiasts out there... Go ahead! Use them! The people who were named those names are now dead! Copyrights are null and void! And some more... After taking photos of bad puns on fake gravestones and scolding Wobbuffet for being a scardie-baby, I decided to depart Liberty Square and head back for Adventureland. Along the way I passed by some overly expensive food... ...I'll go hungry, thanks... ...a wonderful Chri...I mean...holiday store... ...political correctness really sucks... ...and the Hall of... ...Shame. Anyway, since I had conquered most of Liberty Square, I decided to head to Frontierland. I was looking forward to see if Splash Mountain had been testing today. It hadn't. Disappointing nevertheless, but I kept going. I headed back into Adventureland, then moved toward a very Caribbean-looking building... Ironically it was built in the United States of America. Whoda thunk? This building had some theming... Not quite sure why people in the Caribbean would use cannons. Also, it had some boats. Apparently, it has at least 22 boats, as evidenced by the obviously stamped number on the back. In fact, it had so many boats that when the ride had to take some time to load a slightly disabled person in the station, there were at least fifteen boats lined up bumper to bumper. Unfortunately for me, we were stuck in a room with an animatronic Johnny Depp for a very long time. It's not like I don't think Johnny Depp is cool, but all the treasure he had in his room plus the talking parrot made me want to go live in a box and wallow in self-pity for being so poor. To make myself feel better, smarter, and quite wittier, I took a ride on the famous Jungle Cruise. It's advertised in places that it's a trip down the Amazon River. I'm not so sure about that, mainly because I didn't come off the boat with a contagious disease. Then, there was our tour guide, [name censored for legal reasons]. He was the person that made me feel better about myself. He wasn't a bad guy by any means! He took our boat to see some nice places! For example, he took us to see the only animal in the world that likes to eat marbles! The Hungry Hungry Hippo! Then, he took us to the eighth wonder of the world! The Backside of Water! Then, he turned us all into peeping Toms! I'd like to say that the stuff coming out of the elephants' noses is water...but it's snot. I don't want to spoil this fantastic journey along what isn't really the Amazon River any more! All I can say that it's so good, you'll go wild about it! Yeah... So, after feeling good about myself, I was in a good mood. I wandered around the Frontierland-Adventureland-Liberty Square area until I heard a light KER-CHUNK coming from somewhere... ...and then it hit me. SPLASH MOUNTAIN TESTING! Oh happy day (oh happy day...) Yes, I can also confirm that Splash Mountain will open on Tuesday with a new restraint system. The lap bars are like nothing I've seen on a coaster or flume before. They're M-shaped. While the curvature of the bars look like you wouldn't even notice they're there, the curvature of the bars also guarantees that not even a little tyke will be able to sit in between the parents, and a parent certainly wouldn't be able to sit in the middle of two small tykes. ou can see in this shot that the two front rows' bars are open, and the third row's bars are closed. This should give you an idea that the lap bars won't be as obtrusive as on, say, a stupidly-themed log flume that has a great airtime hill but was inevitably caught on fire for some reason that I personally couldn't care less about. Here's another view. These bars are obviously as far down as they can go, and lets us know that these bars will be click-click-click bars and not single-position ones. So, don't worry, big boys, you'll be okay! I think... With that, my first romp through the Magic Kingdom came to a close, even though it was only a little after 3PM. I wanted to get back to my apartment in a reasonable amount of time, because I wanted to post the first update on the same night and that I had to be in work early the next day. To conclude this update, here's an example of attention to detail in the resort that I personally think is fantastic: A manhole cover. Coming Soon! PART III - Frontierland and Tomorrowland A redhead's attempt at being the first Splash Mountain rider of 2011! Big Chunder Mountain! Becoming a planetary pilot! AND...a TALKING trash can! Stay tuned! This update will probably come on Wednesday, as I plan to stay late to get some shots of the night shows! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The SETGO Guys Posted January 31, 2011 Share Posted January 31, 2011 This is a great report....I really love your sense of humor in the captions! Keep up the great (and hilarious trip reports) -Zach Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
A.J. Posted February 2, 2011 Author Share Posted February 2, 2011 (edited) PART III - The Monorail and Frontierland After leaving the park early the first day I was there, I was determined to tough it out and stay from opening until closing. Well, I guess I had a reason to tough it out besides being completely stupid... SPLASH MOUNTAIN WAS RE-OPENING! I got on Monorail Silver this time and headed toward the Magic Kingdom...at 8:00 in the morning... The Tron-o-rail only runs to Epcot...sadface. Along the way, I caught a glimpse of Monorail Teal as it went by. Zoom! While SOME OF US were waiting to be let into the park, others were let into the park early. That was not because they were members of a fantastic coaster club that I unfortunately can't afford to be a part of right now, but because they had early morning restaurant reservations. Although, there have been some "fake-out" cases where a family makes their reservation, but decides to ignore it all together and go explore the park before it opens. Those people get in a lot of T-R-U-B-L. This was my first time outside of the park when it opened, so I got to see the opening show. Unfortunately, to my position being pressed against the entrance rope in anticipation of sprinting to Frontierland when it was dropped, I didn't get the best shot: All the gang was there, with Smokey the Fireman as a bonus! He's a pretty good speaker. You can't really see him though. He backed up so we could see the characters better. Then, the inevitable happened - the rope dropped. I have never ran to a ride at opening before in my life. It was a fun experience. I got to say a quick "hi" to my managers and colleagues along Main Street, and give a few high fives. Upon reaching Frontierland, something unexpected (to me) happened - I was stopped. Since I had never been inside Magic Kingdom at opening before, I didn't know that entrances to areas are blocked by cast members until a certain number of people get there. While this was incredibly annoying to me because I would then have competition, I understood and waited patiently. The cast members eventually walked our now 25-strong group into Frontierland, with about two-thirds of the group following the cast member to Splash Mountain. Unfortunately, I was not the first rider. I was third. However, I was in the very first log with people sent through in 2011, which ironically was sent with only four people - two in the front, myself in the second row, and one person in the third row. WARNING! The following four photos have been watermarked with the date and time for legitimacy's sake! This was a huge deal for me, as I've never been one of the first people on any ride. If you don't believe me and think that I tampered with the time presented on the photo, I respect your opinion. Empty log, almost-empty loading area, 65 degrees fahrenheit - it's a great morning to ride a log flume! Now, the moment you've all been waiting for... The EXCLUSIVE LAP BAR REVIEW! In my humble opinion, the lap bars installed on Splash Mountain have little effect on how much fun the ride is. The operators only check that you can pull the bar up and not have it unlocked. That means that the lap bars don't have to be stapled to your lap, which in turn means that you still get some wicked log flume airtime going over the largest drop. I'm actually skinny enough to fit in the center of the row where the lap bar sinks down a bit. Unfortunately, the use of the lap bars restricts ridership to two adults per row, which means no more twelve-person "party" logs. However, you are still able to fit three children in a row in case you have a family of five. My first ride had no line and my second ride was on Fastpass, so I have no idea what the reduced capacity does to the wait times. I didn't whip my camera out until after the largest drop because I was unsure if there were any extra water effects added to the ride. Other than the lap bars, the ride is relatively unchanged, but I think they may have changed some of the interior lighting. That's unfortunate. Br'er Rabbit learned his lesson for the first time this year - only [insert insanely large number here] more lessons to go. After the ride, I picked up a complimentary 8 x 10 photo from Photopass for being on the first log of the day. I didn't take a picture of the picture, but once again, if you don't believe me that I was on the first log this year, I respect your opinion. Because...I'm LYING! They actually soft-opened the ride to some resort guests the day before! When I heard that from a Frontierland cast member after remarking to the people I was riding with how awesome it was to be on the supposed "first loaded log" of 2011, I was extremely furious. I realize, yeah, that happens all the time, blah blah blah, but the cast member could have been nice and not told me. There's a little thing called "protecting and preserving the magic", y'know. It really put me in a bad mood for the rest of the morning. It didn't ruin my entire day (I got over it), but if the park's main goal is to give guests the "happiest place on earth" (which is what I have been trained to do), someone should be yelled at. I got a FastPass after my ride anyway, and being in the first "general public" ([censored]!) log was props enough for me. Anyhoo, we'll pick up on Splash Mountain later! There was a locomotive with my name on it - and with only a ten-minute wait! That's-a-right! It be them-thar Big Chunder Mountain Choo-Choo! Big Chunder Mountain Choo-Choo was running great today. I had only two "Ker-chunk! Oi!" moments (in English: jerks on the lift hills) throughout the entire ride. All the effects were running, too! In my opinion, riding in the second row of whatever car you're in gives the best ride experience because of how long the cars are. Honestly, I also think Walt Disney World has done a fantastic job of making each land feel like its own world. After riding, I want on the satellite pathway to snap some more photos when I came across a peculiar sign: This sign is prejudiced. It's implying that you need a Kodak camera to take a picture there. My camera was obviously a Nikon. Take THAT, society! After experiencing a moment or two of blind fury, I actually snapped some photos of the ride: Chuggin' into the wild blue yonder...only to turn around and come back in a matter of seconds. Some adventure... Apparently, trains in Frontierland aren't equipped with on-board brakes. Artsy shot WIN! Even after riding the choo-choo and taking all these photos, I still had a good hour until my FastPass expired. So, I decided to take a vacation to a secret, remote island...just off the shore of Frontierland. For some reason, I wasn't feeling very good about this... I'll let the captions speak for themselves for a while. I din't know Injun Joe had a boat... Remember when I said I had a bad feeling about this? After -trying- to read this sign, my feeling got worse. Mill. Can't figure out what else to say. Fresh cut spring flowers spewed across a babbling brook with a hint of lemon. TAKE THE TUNNEL! Step 1 - take a deep breath. Step 2 - calmly make your way onto the bridge. Step 3 - OHSHI- HELP! I'm stranded and can't get off this blasted island! I KNOW you can hear me! Don't act like you can't hear my cries for help, you're only 250 feet away! Mystery Mine...I didn't know there was a Euro-Fighter in the Magic Kingdom. Oh, wait...it's just some stupid rock formation that lights up and growls for some reason. Sadface. I actually was able to signal a helicopter, get off the island, and get to Splash Mountain with enough time that my FastPass was still valid. How do you do? It's going to take some time for the cast to get used to Splash Mountain's lap bars and people. During my second ride through Splash Mountain, the logs were stopped on the block sections a total of seven times. In turn, this caused lots of log pileups along the route, and plenty of "wait for it, wait for it...BUMP"s along the route as well. I had only been on Splash Mountain with lots of people once before in 2007, and while there were stops, there weren't near as many. Maybe that day was a particularly good day - I don't know. Lots of people in line. Several managers watching the cast. Lots of cast with lots of pressure. I think they're cracking. I do think that Splash Mountain is one of the most photogenic rides in the park, however. It's also good if you want to test your reaction time by trying to take a picture of a log going down the drop. It took me...several...tries to get a good one. Down the hatch! On a side note, you can see that three children can fit in a row. Kersplash-ish! It's okay! The laughing place accepts anyone, even if your butt is soaking wet! One more splash for the road. After taking photos of Splash Mountain, I got hungry. So, I toured Frontierland's robbin...I mean...shopping district to find some food. Looking around, I saw a finger painted on a wall. Refreshments...looks good so far. WHOA! Not anymore! Expensive food alert! The overpriced food made me want to shoot the owner of the joint: This guy. He probably doesn't even know what money is! After gawking at the overpriced food, I decided I was done with Frontierland, and headed toward a great, big, beautiful tomorrow...land - but not without a wild animal sighting: Br'er Rabbit is lookin' for trouble... Coming Soon! PART IV - Tomorrowland A road test of the WORST car in history! The BIGGEST fail of an aerial shot ever taken! Flying through SPAAAAAAAAACE! AND...a talking trash can's cousins! Stay tuned! Edited February 3, 2011 by ernierocker Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DJeXeL Posted February 2, 2011 Share Posted February 2, 2011 Thank you for the report. Doesn't look like the lap bars detract from the ride experience at all. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chroniq Posted February 2, 2011 Share Posted February 2, 2011 Cool trip report. The photos of big thunder mountain are watermark worthy. Looking forward to the next update. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thrillrider Posted February 2, 2011 Share Posted February 2, 2011 I find the food prices at Disneyworld very cheap compared to other park chains. Around $9 for a "good" meal is not bad. Almost what you would pay at a restaurant near home. Look what cedarfair is charging for there "crappy" food....... Nice pictures, thank you for sharing. Did you notice if they were letting 2 adults and a child in the same seat on splash mountain? Looks like there is room, but the bar may not let that happen. Thirsty? Btw...the prices have gone up even more since this picture was taken. Cedar point How about a pizza at carowinds? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trumple Posted February 2, 2011 Share Posted February 2, 2011 (edited) Not to worry! Photoshop to the rescue! Hey, the Disneygeek.com method of putting your photos online! Edited February 2, 2011 by Trumple Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Generic Name Posted February 2, 2011 Share Posted February 2, 2011 (edited) Worst car in the world, you say? That can only mean you test-drove a Reliant Robin or Lada 2107! Anyway, thanks for the pics. Edited February 3, 2011 by Generic Name Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jay20016 Posted February 2, 2011 Share Posted February 2, 2011 Unless I gleamed over it, how comfortable or intrusive are the lap bars? Completely off-topic, but... in the Carrowinds food sign.... I know that " # " is the pound sign. I get it... but... it is also the number sign. Is it just me, or is it odd to look at 1/3# burger? Was it worth the extra $0.50 a letter to not have to put l and b? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wumbology Posted February 2, 2011 Share Posted February 2, 2011 Great pictures! I love TS Island and Splash Mountain at WDW. I especially love the loading area of Splash Mountain. That unknown construction you pictured is a refurb for a stroller area in near the Jungle Cruise. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WFChris Posted February 3, 2011 Share Posted February 3, 2011 Nice report. I also think those food prices actually looked pretty reasonable. And yes, I also think the '#' sign is major tackiness. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SharkTums Posted February 3, 2011 Share Posted February 3, 2011 Yeah, I don't quite get the bitching over food prices. Parks are always inflated, but this hardly seems excessive. Have you seen the Cedar Fair food prices lately!?!? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
A.J. Posted February 3, 2011 Author Share Posted February 3, 2011 I find the food prices at Disneyworld very cheap compared to other park chains. Around $9 for a "good" meal is not bad. Almost what you would pay at a restaurant near home. Look what cedarfair is charging for there "crappy" food....... Nice report. I also think those food prices actually looked pretty reasonable. And yes, I also think the '#' sign is major tackiness. Yeah, I don't quite get the bitching over food prices. Parks are always inflated, but this hardly seems excessive. Have you seen the Cedar Fair food prices lately!?!? Honestly, I have not been to a Cedar Fair park since my parents stopped paying for my food in amusement parks (several years ago). I guess I'm so used to having meal plan discounts at school. I've also been trying my very hardest to avoid using my other friend the debit card lately for food inside and outside of the parks. I've actually found the Busch parks to have the most bang for your buck when it comes to food, but things could have changed since they changed ownership. The last time I was at BGW the food was expensive, but actually worth it. Maybe I'm just cheap. Maybe I'm just not getting paid enough. Who knows? Did you notice if they were letting 2 adults and a child in the same seat on splash mountain? Looks like there is room, but the bar may not let that happen. Nope, that will not be happening anytime soon. While the logs are still comfortable, they've lost about two inches of lateral legroom on either side, and a poor little sap in the middle would get crushed by two full-size adults. However, two children and one adult is still possible, if you look in the front row of this photo you can see one adult in the right-hand seat and two children in the left-hand seat. The concave-down lap bar gives them room. Unless I gleamed over it, how comfortable or intrusive are the lap bars? Comfortable and un-intrusive, as long as you don't staple them to yourself. The cast members only check that the lap bar can't be unlocked when pulled upward. That unknown construction you pictured is a refurb for a stroller area in near the Jungle Cruise. Thanks, I had no idea! [/rapidquoting] [goingtobedafteraninterestingdayonstage] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Director_Guy Posted February 3, 2011 Share Posted February 3, 2011 These are great trip reports! I can't wait for another one. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RoCo Posted February 3, 2011 Share Posted February 3, 2011 Great reports; really enjoying these... Again, making me miss WDW very, very much. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts