Photo TR: To West Coast Bash--and Beyond!

robbalvey · September 16, 2016

Wh...why is it white.

Does it have to be white? Can it not be white?

STOP BEING WHITE!!! IT LOOKS WEIRD!!!

Keep in mind that is NOT painted. That is sun bleached or whatever you want to call it. I don't think I've ever seen any other wood coaster turn white due to natural weathering. It's honestly quite weird.

Edited September 16, 2016 by robbalvey

grsupercity · September 16, 2016

Even the wood coasters at SFMM fade lol

prozach626 · September 16, 2016

I like the look of the faded wood. Looks really cool and it fits in with the themeing.

DILinator · September 16, 2016

I really, really want to like Goliath but it just doesn't do anything. Like... anything.

^THIS So very much THIS!

That's wild how Apocalypse looks now! It definitely didn't look like that last time I was there!

DoinItForTheFame · September 16, 2016

Wh...why is it white.

Does it have to be white? Can it not be white?

STOP BEING WHITE!!! IT LOOKS WEIRD!!!

#WhiteCoastersMatter

Jew · September 16, 2016

In-N-Out is only highly rated because of the price. I hate the fries and there are MUCH better burgers that cost only a little bit more.

coasterlvr · September 16, 2016

While I have never eaten at In-N-Out, my first thought in looking at the photo was that the burger looked pretty decent, but the fries looked like well...crap. No brownish tint or anything...just looked like frozen fries that may have been a tad under-cooked. To each his own though!

i'm indifferent about In & Out fries, but, they are fresh cut from potatoes in the restaurant.

basically, it's also the way i feel about Goliath. would be much more fun if it didn't almost stop at the top of the lift, and often come to a dead stop on the mid course brake.

Ed Farmer · September 16, 2016

This In ‘N’ Out Burger talk is really making me want a Portillo's cheeseburger.

singemfrc · September 16, 2016

I like the look of the faded wood. Looks really cool and it fits in with the themeing.

If I thought they did it on purpose I'd say it's genius, but come on, this is SFMM, there's no way. It's just bizarre, it gets steadily whiter every time I go there, it almost looks like Colossus now, which is painted.

In-N-Out is only highly rated because of the price. I hate the fries and there are MUCH better burgers that cost only a little bit more.

That's definitely part of it. As someone who lives about a block from an In-N-Out, it's not the best burger ever, but it's one of the most affordable burgers and it is still really good especially for the price. They got better once I learned you can request chopped grilled onions instead of the normal way which is putting an entire raw onion on the burger...gross.

SoCalJasonland · September 16, 2016

This In ‘N’ Out Burger talk is really making me want a Portillo's cheeseburger.

At Portillo's it is all about the combo sausage, Italian beef and hot peppers sandwich.

The Habbit has the best burgers out here now but The Hat is close. Both have awesome fries and onion rings.

Did we just jack the thread with food talk? Sorry!

SFMMGeek27 · September 16, 2016

Am I the only one who loves In N Out'a fries? They're just so natural. So much better than the frozen crap that is sold everywhere else.

robbalvey · September 16, 2016

They got better once I learned you can request chopped grilled onions instead of the normal way which is putting an entire raw onion on the burger...gross.

This is another issue I have with In-N-Out. I don't really know anyone that doesn't customize it. The normal Double Double is actually kind of gross. You pretty much HAVE to customize it for it to be "decent." Animal Style. Chopped Onions. Extra Toast. Flying Dutchman. Etc, etc... It annoys me that the "vanilla" items on their menu are not their signature items. I mean, I still feel like if I walk into a McDonalds and I order a Double Quarter Pounder right off the normal menu I get a decent burger every time. I don't have to *DO ANYTHING* to make it good. It's just good when they hand it to you.

And the stupid pretentious "Secret Menu" of In-N-Out (which really isn't a secret) is just so damn annoying. Here's an idea,...

PUT THE ITEMS YOU CAN ORDER ON YOUR ACTUAL MENU!!!!!

Why all the guessing and hidden crap? Ugh, I really just don't like that place. I'll go when someone else wants to go and I don't dislike the food, but I personally think it's one of the most over-rated anythings in the history of over-rated things. I really don't like the overall vibe of In-N-Out.

I have to remind myself to take a Sharpee with me so I can cross out the hidden bible verses on their cups and wrappers, too. That annoys me more than anything.

Am I the only one who loves In N Out'a fries? They're just so natural. So much better than the frozen crap that is sold everywhere else.

Yes. They are seriously some of the worst most disgusting fries I've ever eaten. I don't care if they are fresh or came out of an elephant's butt. They're just gross.

Edited September 16, 2016 by robbalvey

Philrad71 · September 16, 2016

^

Yeah, I'd be tempted to bring a Sharpie to cross out the bible versus too...that just seems strange to put them on the food containers, cups, etc?

robbalvey · September 16, 2016

Yeah, I'd be tempted to bring a Sharpie to cross out the bible versus too...that just seems strange to put them on the food containers, cups, etc?

It's creepy af. Don't push your wacky religious beliefs on me. And if you're going to do it, don't do it subliminally. Maybe that's another reason why I just don't really like the place. Food is over-rated and they're a bunch of pretentious bible-thumpers. Not for me, sorry...

ytterbiumanalyst · September 16, 2016

I had wondered what you and the others were talking about. I didn't notice the Bible verses at all while I was there. I'm not a fan of trying to convert people. I go by the Gospel According to George Carlin: Be excellent to each other. A lot of religious people are the furthest thing from that. Around here, there are a lot of businesses that advertise themselves as "Christian-owned," and in general, they're the absolute rudest and shadiest businesses in town. That fish lets them get away with a lot.

I'm rather surprised that my praise of In 'N' Out has caused such a commotion. I didn't think it would be so controversial!

ytterbiumanalyst · September 17, 2016

Day 3: Knott’s Berry Farm

This was the best single day of the trip. I had a lot of fun at Disney and Universal too, but Knott’s went way beyond to make this a great day.

The story of Knott’s is so similar to that of my home park, Silver Dollar City. It began as an actual berry farm in the 1920s. Boysenberries were a newly developed hybrid and they took off in popularity. The Knotts decided to open a restaurant and serve chicken and boysenberry pie. The restaurant was so popular that the Knotts wanted a way to entertain guests while they waited, so Ghost Town was the answer.

We started the day with a walkback tour of Ghostrider. This was my most anticipated coaster of the trip, and it ended up being my favourite coaster as well. I really enjoyed getting to go through the backstage areas around it and hearing all about the refurbishment. Ghostrider is clearly the pride of the park, and it definitely deserves to be.

After the tour, I went to Voyage to the Iron Reef and rode twice in a row since there was no one waiting. It definitely has a video game feel to it. Don’t think too hard about the story, and it’s very enjoyable. Then on to Xcelerator, Supreme Scream, and back to Xcelerator. I actually liked it better than Top Thrill Dragster. Yes, it’s not as tall or as fast, but it feels more complete. The launch is amazing.

At this point I returned to Ghostrider for the first ride of the day on it. Wow, it’s great. I only got to ride once in the morning because the line stretched over an hour almost as soon as the park opened. No worries; I’d just wait for evening ERT.

I proceeded to Pony Express and Bigfoot Rapids. I had heard that Pony Express is popular and low capacity, and it was highly anticipated. That may sound weird to a lot of you, but I highly value unique or unusual rides when they’re high quality. I’ve never ridden a coaster in that position before, and that added a lot to it. Basically that is the point of the whole ride, as that layout in a regular train wouldn’t be anything at all.

At this point I had about an hour until lunch, so I wanted to do two other highly anticipated rides: Calico Mine Ride and Timber Mountain Log Ride. I loved that these had both been recently refurbished, and they look so good! Calico was a lot of fun, such a classic, and one of the best dark rides anywhere. When I got off that ride, I proceeded directly to Timber Mountain. I happened to get in line right at the same time as Robb, so we talked for a while, and I got to ride with him! He’s a really cool guy in person, and this was a highlight of the trip for me.

Next up was lunch and the Knott’s Q&A. I am really glad they served the chicken and boysenberry pie here, as that was a goal for the day. The Knott’s staff were so great, and I loved the contest they put on. They had us write down questions, and they would read every one of them. Any questions that were especially good and/or funny would win a prize. There was a collection of random coaster and ride parts to choose from. My question won, and I picked the log flume argudo, mainly because it’s small and light, so I could take it easily on the plane. On a related note, does anyone know what an argudo is and what it does on a log flume? See picture below for reference if you need to.

After lunch were more rides. There was a Haunt tour, but I decided to skip it in favour of more ride time. I’m not a big fan of haunts, and they’re not really a thing in the Ozarks. There are a couple that pop up in Springfield every year, but they’re pretty low budget. Silver Dollar City doesn’t do a haunt event and probably never will. Around here pumpkin patches and corn mazes are just a bigger deal.

Jaguar! was fun, but the air conditioning wasn’t working in the pyramid, so it was really, really hot. Coast Rider was okay, decent for a mouse. Montezooma’s Revenge was amazing. This was my first Schwarzkopf shuttle loop, and I rode it three times in all.

That was all the coasters except Boomerang, which I wasn’t going to ride, and Silver Bullet and Sierra Sidewinder, which were open during ERT. Time to turn my attention to the last two non-coaster rides I wanted to do: the train and the stagecoach. The train was fun, and I totally wasn’t expecting it to be robbed. It was built in the 1880s, and Knott’s acquired it in 1955 when the last of the steam locomotives were being phased out. Very cool history. The stagecoach was even better, since it’s totally unique. The coaches are pretty low capacity, so the line was long and slow moving, but it was worth the wait. The staff were washing down the horses after every few laps and giving them more water. I could tell the horses were very well cared for.

At this point there was about half an hour left until closing, so I went to Sierra Sidewinder. It was pretty good. I don’t particularly care for spinning coasters, but this one’s definitely good quality. I had fun. Next I went to Silver Bullet and waited for the front seat (only a couple of trains; the line was very short at the end of the day). Around 7 when the park was closing, one of the TPR members came over and informed us that Ghostrider’s line was around an hour, so I decided to just keep riding Silver Bullet for the next half hour. I rode 7 times in total, and it’s great! I loved the helix over the lake especially.

At 7:30 I went over to the waiting spot for Voyage to the Iron Reef walkback. It was very cool to see how the 3D effects are done. I would never have guessed this method, but it actually uses UPC bar codes, yes, the very same ones from your cereal box, to determine the position of the vehicle. Also, there are apparently no sensors in the middle of any screens, so shoot toward the edges to score. Now you know, and knowing is half the battle! The other half is violence.

Around 8 it was time for Ghostrider. Night rides on it were absolutely amazing. I rode an additional 6 times for 7 total that day. I was on the very last train to end the night.

A few TPR people had posted on the board that they were going to Rock ‘n’ Brews, so I headed down there after closing time. It’s a nice place, and I had a good time chatting with them over a couple of beers.

Overall, this weekend was incredible, and I will totally do another TPR event like this, if there are any more. Both days, but especially the day at Knott’s, were just the most fun I’ve had riding roller coasters in quite a while.

Theming: Top tier theming. Each area felt like its own world, and stepping from one into another felt like you had really gone somewhere else. This is how you build a theme park.

Food: Boysenberries!!!!! I had so much boysenberry stuff throughout the day:

Boysenberry beer

Boysenberry coffee

Boysenberry ICEE

Boysenberry muffin

Boysenberry pie

Boysenberry punch

And I took home a boysenberry jam too! The boysenberry ice cream machine was down, but other than that minor setback, it was a perfect boysenberry day.

The chicken was excellent for lunch, and I was very happy that was what they served. The chicken was as much a goal today as any of the rides. It would feel wrong to have missed out on it.

Service: Incredible. Everyone was very friendly, operations were good, and the management who gave tours and did the Q&A were awesome. Everyone wanted us to have the best day, and they certainly succeeded.

Dark rides: Calico Mine Ride is the clear standout in this category. It tells a story, it’s full of animatronics, it’s visually impressive. Voyage to the Iron Reef is fun, but it’s all about shooting stuff. Don’t think too hard about its story. Just shoot the robotic squid thing.

Water rides: Timber Mountain Log Ride is the very best log flume I’ve ever ridden, and yes, I rode Splash Mountain the next day. I was in awe of this ride all the way through. It’s just beautiful throughout, and the splash at the end is very good too.

Flats: Supreme Scream was okay, not the best drop tower I’ve ever been on (that would be Tower of Terror, but patience, grasshopper). I enjoyed Sky Cabin as well; old-school observation towers are always fun to me.

Coasters:

Coast Rider: A fun but merely okay mouse coaster. Not much more to say about it.

Ghostrider: The best coaster of the entire trip! I loved it in the dark especially. No better way to end the night at Knott’s than six laps on this beauty.

Jaguar!: A fun but merely okay family coaster that winds around a lot of its section of the park. The pyramid queue/station building is really cool, except when there’s no air conditioning. Then it’s the furthest thing from cool.

Montezooma’s Revenge: I loved it! My first Schwarzkopf shuttle loop, and it was way too much fun.

Pony Express: A fun Zamperla motocoaster with horse-shaped seats. The ride position is everything.

Sierra Sidewinder: A surprisingly intense spinning coaster.

Silver Bullet: One of the better B&M inverts I’ve ridden. Not super intense, but it does have some great interaction with the ground in a couple of places, and the helix over the lake at the end is the highlight.

Xcelerator: It takes off and zips to about 83 mph. I liked it better than its bigger cousin, Top Thrill Dragster. The launch is intense but not overly so, and the coaster feels more complete. I liked the near misses in a couple of places also.

Today I'm headed out to the farm. It's early morning, and there are roosters crowing!

I don't know which I'm more excited for, Mrs. Knott's Chicken Restaurant or Ghostrider!

Jeff, the park's director of maintenance and construction, leading us on the Ghostrider walkback.

I'm amazed at the level of detail. This is a backstage area!

It's twisty!

If you have wood for Ghostrider, put it here.

I'm not sure who Gary Reynolds was, but I thought this was interesting. I hope I'm not hitting a sore spot.

I love this attitude.

Millennium Flyers!

Cleaning windows in preparation for the day.

Ghost Town

This is a house made entirely out of glass bottles. So cool!

Human remains apparently fall under "general merchandise."

Train and Calico Mine Ride

This coffee shop was open in the morning for us.

But the iron reef is beckoning.

Moving down the boardwalk now, Boomerang is very prominent.

For those for whom riding coasts is better than riding ghosts.

First coaster of the day!

They are pretty, and I'll watch them and take pictures of them, but I think I'm done riding Boomerangs. Every time someone tells me "But this one is better," they're wrong. Just absolutely wrong.

After the morning ride on Ghostrider, it was time for the rest of the park to open. They have a blacksmith!

Little known fact: Zamperla got its start in the 19th century breeding horses for the Pony Express.

Another little known fact: This is the world's only rapids ride that is powered by Bigfoot tears.

Now it's time for lunch. These look pretty good.

They had some great picnic areas.

After lunch, it was time to finish riding. Knott's still has the Camp Snoopy theme rather than the Planet Snoopy the others have.

I'll come back for the sidewindin'.

This was a cool walk-through area with floating bridges.

Camp Snoopy

Such great theming here.

The Ferris wheel was down all day.

If only all revenge were this good...

¡Viva la revolución!

Jaguar!'s pyramid looked amazing.

This is the station platform.

Caring for the stagecoach horses.

Next I moved on to this beautiful steel mess.

A history lesson.

Voyage to the Iron Reef tour

These are the UPC bar codes the ride uses to determine where the vehicles are.

The ride vehicle in front of a 3D screen

And the projectors--they're in pairs, one for each eye.

And the hour of Ghostrider ERT.

We are on a log flume!

This is the log flume argudo I now own. Anyone know what it is?

robbalvey · September 17, 2016

Ha! The Log Flume pic turned out great!

805Andrew · September 17, 2016

Great TR! It was nice meeting you at Rock & Brews after the Knott's day. Hopefully I'll see you at a future TPR event.

Philrad71 · September 17, 2016

I'm rather surprised that my praise of In 'N' Out has caused such a commotion. I didn't think it would be so controversial!

Not a problem...I just had no idea they were quite that bizarre with regards to pushing out their religious beliefs. While it wouldn't surprise me at all in the South, it just seems interesting being in California where most folks seem pretty liberal.

Loved the Knotts pictures! I also enjoyed the overall quirkiness of the park....theme park one minute, feeling like you're in a Western town the next.

From what I have read, it sounds like most people think that the Ghostrider remake is a hit? Glad they did something good to it because it was atrocious when we rode it before the re-tracking. I ranked it right up there with KD's Hurler, Son Of Beast and Gwazi as one of the worst wooden coasters that I have ever ridden.

ytterbiumanalyst · September 17, 2016

Ha! The Log Flume pic turned out great!

I think so. I look entirely too serious in it, though, being the only one who didn't know where the camera is!

Great TR! It was nice meeting you at Rock & Brews after the Knott's day. Hopefully I'll see you at a future TPR event.

I hope so; I had a good time! Just don't stand right behind me next time, or else.

I'm rather surprised that my praise of In 'N' Out has caused such a commotion. I didn't think it would be so controversial!

Not a problem...I just had no idea they were quite that bizarre with regards to pushing out their religious beliefs.

Neither did I!

From what I have read, it sounds like most people think that the Ghostrider remake is a hit?

That was my opinion, and it was the prevailing opinion among our group. They used a Brazilian hardwood for the top rails that has a similar strength to steel, in order to prevent the deterioration that had previously happened. The Knott's staff are very proud of this ride, and it's really great.

PKI Jizzman · September 17, 2016

Ha! The Log Flume pic turned out great!

I think so. I look entirely too serious in it, though, being the only one who didn't know where the camera is!

Great TR! It was nice meeting you at Rock & Brews after the Knott's day. Hopefully I'll see you at a future TPR event.

I hope so; I had a good time! Just don't stand right behind me next time, or else.

I'm rather surprised that my praise of In 'N' Out has caused such a commotion. I didn't think it would be so controversial!

Not a problem...I just had no idea they were quite that bizarre with regards to pushing out their religious beliefs.

Neither did I!

From what I have read, it sounds like most people think that the Ghostrider remake is a hit?

That was my opinion, and it was the prevailing opinion among our group. They used a Brazilian hardwood for the top rails that has a similar strength to steel, in order to prevent the deterioration that had previously happened. The Knott's staff are very proud of this ride, and it's really great.

The "why so serious?" Look is hilarious! Great report from the event and I look forward to seeing the rest of the report!

ytterbiumanalyst · September 17, 2016

Day 4: I’VE GOT BLISTERS ON MY TOES!!!

The day after West Coast Bash, I went to Anaheim to attempt the impossible: To ride all the major rides at Disneyland and Disney California Adventure in one day. Spoilers: I actually succeeded.

Do I recommend doing what I did? If you can possibly spare more than one day for Disney, you absolutely should. But if, like me, it was either one day or not at all, then one day at Disney definitely is better than none.

I arrived super early, and I didn’t know that they wouldn’t open the parking lots until 8:30. So I just sat there and read for a bit until it opened. At 8:30 I was allowed to park and I opted to walk, because I wanted to see Downtown Disney. I stopped at Tortilla Joe’s for the best breakfast burrito I’ve ever had (as previously mentioned, morning protein is a must). The chorizo was amazing, and the agua fresca was the best I’ve ever had. We do not have good Mexican food in Missouri. At all. So it was a priority to me while in California to get some of the good stuff. Plus, it was pretty cheap too!

Security lines at Disney were really easy. The employees were efficient and kind. I was able to line up for Disney California Adventure around 9:10. The lines were clearly labeled, so I knew which ones were for Magic Morning guests (not me), and which ones were for the 10:00 AM entry.

Around 9:30, they began to let us all in, and I made my way over to the Hollywood Studios section of DCA. I guessed that Tower of Terror would have a huge line almost immediately, and it was also one of my most anticipated rides. I am a big fan of both drop towers and the Twilight Zone, so it was a must for me.

At rope drop, we walked quickly and orderly to Tower of Terror. The Disney cast members walked with us and helped to organize the group going to Tower of Terror. I went directly to the fast pass line and got a return ticket, then hopped in the standby line for a 13-minute wait (ominous).

I now understand why Disney calls their ride ops “cast members.” They really are playing a character. After I stepped into the library, the cast member said in a lackadaisical tone, “Please step away from the walls, the books…and especially me.” I love it! I haven’t even been on a ride yet, and already I’m having a blast!

Tower of Terror was just so cool, with Rod Serling’s pre-show as well as the videos during the ride. It was so much more than drop towers usually are. This is a favourite flat ride type for me, but Tower of Terror just demolished every drop tower I’ve ever been on. It was the only ride I re-rode that day, and it was absolutely worth riding twice. If this is the inferior version of this ride, I absolutely must get to Florida.

Next up was Radiator Springs Racers. The line by now (only about 10:30) was 75 minutes, but single rider line was around 10! I really enjoyed this ride; it was very different from anything else I’ve ever ridden. The theming is impeccable, and the sense of speed is really good. The turns were more forceful than I expected, too. It’s like a roller coaster for people who don’t like roller coasters.

Next I grabbed the Fastpass for World of Color and Soarin’, then went over to Tower of Terror for my re-ride. Next I hit up Monsters, Inc., which was probably the ride I enjoyed the least all day. Still, it kicks the ass of just about every dark ride out there. Disney is just in a league of its own.

By the time I got there, my Fastpass time for Soarin’ was ready, and I proceeded to that ride. I really liked it. The technology is very impressive, and the ride itself is really relaxing. My only experience with simulators up to this point has been the one in my local mall, so this blew me away.

After that, I headed over to Grizzly Rapids, and on the way I ran into Robb again! Robb, you looked like you really needed a break, so I’m glad you got a day to relax after the hectic WCB. I got to ride with a group of 7, and we went completely through the course, only to be stopped right before the rotating station platform when the ride broke down. This is the first time I’ve ever been evacuated from a rapids ride, and it was a pretty cool experience! The cast member gave us an exit pass, which was a very much appreciated gesture. The group I was with, though, was very positive about the whole experience. Were this any other theme park, people would be upset by being stuck, but the overall day had such a tone of positivity that we were having a good time even just sitting there.

Afterward, it was time to finish up my must-rides in DCA. I went first to Toy Story Mania, which was one of only two rides that had any real wait at all. It was about 40 minutes total, but totally worth it. If I had to pick one Disney movie to be my favourite, it would be Toy Story. I was 10 when that was in theatres, and I was a big fan of computer animation. Disney had flirted with it before in Tron, but Toy Story was the first time it was really used on a grand scale, and in 1995, it was super impressive. Plus, the kid’s name is Andy too, so it’s got that going for it.

After Toy Story, I rode California Screamin’ with virtually no wait in the single rider line and on to Mickey’s Fun Wheel. I love Ferris wheels—they’re one of my favourite flats—and this one is so special. The only other one like it is at Coney Island, and it may be a while before I can get there. So this was a must-ride for me.

From there, it was on to Goofy’s Sky School, which really doesn’t seem to fit in at all. For all the other rides that have superb theming and amazing experiences, this ride just seemed like it could have been in any other park. It wasn’t a bad ride—far from it—just compared with all the other jaw-dropping experiences I had that day, it doesn’t measure up.

That was it for me at DCA until the evening, so I headed out with my Park Hopper Pass to Disneyland. I went straight to Haunted Mansion to get my Fastpass, then on to Splash Mountain for the single rider line. It was the second best log flume I’ve ever been on, right behind Knott’s Timber Mountain. I mean that.

Next I went to Pirates of the Caribbean, one of the best dark rides I went on all day. The pirate battle room was especially amazing. Again, I hear this is the inferior version of this ride, so holy crap, how good are the rest of them?

Big Thunder Mountain Railroad was to be the next ride, but it was down temporarily, so I went over to Tomorrowland for Star Tours. I am a big Star Wars fan (I stood in line all day in full costume for Episode III, and I’ve even been to a convention!), so this was a highlight of the day for me.

Next I grabbed the Fastpass for Space Mountain, then proceeded to Buzz Lightyear. I’ve never encountered a dark ride that was literally all vehicles before, but yeah, that certainly helps capacity! The ride puts you totally in Buzz’s world, fighting the Zerg as though they’re real. It was so much fun.

After that, since my Haunted Mansion Fastpass was ready, I went over to that side, but was stopped for a parade! I only got to see the tail end of it (with Mary Poppins!). I wish I had more time for stuff like that, but I’m on a huge time crunch today. Once the parade ended, I proceeded to Haunted Mansion. This was one of the best dark rides ever! I’m a big fan of the Nightmare Before Christmas, so this was very special to me. Just like Buzz Lightyear (or more realistically, the other way around), it was all vehicles.

By that time, Big Thunder Mountain Railroad was open again, so I rode it. This is the first mine train that I liked better than Thunderation, and in the first park I’ve ever liked more than Silver Dollar City. Absolutely incredible ride; I loved the details, including the animatronic turtles and rattlesnakes on one of the lifts.

Now it was time for Fantasyland. Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride was a goal for the day, and I got on to it quickly. It was so much fun, and such a classic. The hell sequence was ridiculous. Then I went on to Peter Pan for the single longest line of the entire day. It was very much worth it, as I don’t know of any other suspended dark rides. The scenes were great, and it was a lot of fun.

By this point, I was running out of time. I had wanted to ride Roger Rabbit (that movie was big when I was a kid), but since it was a ways back in the park, I opted to skip it. I went to Matterhorn Bobsleds, and hit the single rider line for both sides. It was not smooth in any way, and was just so much fun.

Next was Finding Nemo. Silver Dollar City used to have a submarine ride like this (actually assisted by the Disney Imagineers), but I never got to ride it since they replaced it with Lost River of the Ozarks in 1984. I was born that fall, so I just missed it. I enjoyed this ride immensely.

I wanted to go to the monorail after that, but it was down, and would be the rest of the night. That was a disappointment, as the monorail is central to Disney in my mind. But stuff happens, and you roll with it. I went to Space Mountain Ghost Galaxy for my last ride of the night, and it was so good. I’ve been on some indoor roller coasters before, but never one like this. It was absolutely amazing.

It was getting close to time for World of Color, so I went across the plaza back to DCA. I had reservations in the Yellow section, and I was able to get a spot right next to the fence. This is the single greatest theme park show I’ve ever seen, and it was totally worth the $155 admission all by itself. It was a tremendous way to end a day at Disney and fully exceeded all expectations I had for it.

After the show, I went over to Catal for dinner and a drink. There was no time for food this whole day, so I had been running on that breakfast burrito up to this point. I had the fish tacos and a cucumber martini, and both were very good. It’s not cheap, but I highly recommend it.

Theming: Disney’s theming f*cks all other theming so hard. It’s not remotely even close to a contest. I grew up with Silver Dollar City, which has amazing theming, and Disney just puts that to shame. Wow. Wow. F*cking wow.

Food: I only got to experience the food in Downtown Disney, but everything I had was wonderful. I hear good things about the food in the parks as well, and I wish I could have had more time to experience it.

Service: Oh my god. This is service done right. Every single person, and I mean absolutely everyone, was incredible. I have never felt so much like royalty as I have at the Disney parks. And I didn’t even deserve it. I paid for one day regular admission, not even any perks. It didn’t matter. Everyone’s major goal was to make my day awesome.

Dark rides: So many of them! Pirates of the Caribbean, Haunted Mansion, Toy Story Midway Mania, and Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride were my favourites.

Water rides: Both of them were spectacular! Grizzly Rapids has a spinning drop that I didn’t expect, and Splash Mountain is just so much fun. One of the best log flumes anywhere!

Flats: Just Tower of Terror and Mickey’s Fun Wheel. Tower of Terror is absolutely the best drop tower anywhere, by a mile and a half. All the cast members were great, and they really seemed to be enjoying themselves, even knowing the impending fate of this ride.

Coasters:

California Screamin’: Not the most intense launch ever, but it was really fun! The ride is decently long and has some decent if not too intense forces in the helices.

Goofy’s Sky School: This ride simply isn’t up to Disney’s standards. It’s fun, but it just doesn’t measure up to everything else.

Big Thunder Mountain Railroad: The absolute best mine train anywhere. Period.

Matterhorn Bobsleds: Such a classic! It’s amazing that at the time when all roller coasters were wooden and focused on drops and airtime, that Disney was looking to the future with this ride. It tells a story, and it’s so cool. The splash at the end was very fun too.

Space Mountain: I loved the Ghost Galaxy version, though I haven’t experienced the original, so I have nothing to compare it to. This is how you do an indoor coaster!

Arriving at Downtown Disney!

The Lego statues were impressive as always.

Especially the dragon on top of the store.

It's breakfast time!

In the middle is Catal's Uva Bar, where I would have dinner later.

Beautiful landscaping here.

Arriving at the security lines

Monorail!

My first goal is Disney California Adventure.

My spot in line.

Not sure what these paving stones are all about. I'm sure some of you Disney fans know exactly were I was based on this photo.

Carthay Circle restaurant just towered over the plaza.

I loved the false backdrop at the end of this street. So cool!

First ride of the day!

Five and Dime!

My introduction to the Disney cast members. I will never see ride ops the same way again.

Eh, I think my hotel was better than this....

The boiler room had some really cool scenery.

About to get in the service elevator!

A Bug's Land had some really cool theming.

Rides for later.

Route 66!

I've been there! It's at Knott's Berry Farm!

Back at Tower of Terror now, this guy was reporting right in front of it.

On to Grizzly Peak!

If I could get stuck on a ride, this one would be the one.

I'm in California, and I'm prepared to scream!

This animatronic was cool. If you stand right in front of him, he'll call out your shirt colour and talk to you for a bit.

It's time to scream!

Great theming throughout this park.

Until tonight, DCA!

My first encounter with Disneyland. I'm really disappointed. They just copied Adventureland's entrance and added Mickey-shaped flowers.

I got all the classic shots.

Walt and Mickey and the castle!

I'm ready for adventures!

The Tarzan play area looks really cool for the kids.

Tom Sawyer's Island

This should give you an idea of the crowds that day. I'm amazed that with this many people there, the lines were so short.

Yo ho! Yo ho! A pirate's life for me!

The boats were not running due to the Star Wars construction.

Frontierland looked fun, but I had no time to linger there.

I'm at the best mine train!

Seriously, look at that theming. Awesome!

I'm so excited!

I'm in the world of tomorrow.

C-3PO and R2-D2!

Buzz gives instructions while Etch-a-Sketch illustrates.

On the way over to Haunted Mansion, I stumbled upon this parade.

Chim-chiminey!

And Mary Poppins herself!

It's time to experience the nightmare!

Fantasyland had some really cool architecture.

The exterior of the Peter Pan ride was undergoing some work.

I'm ready for a wild ride!

Matterhorn was very impressive.

And back to Tomorrowland!

Incredible theming in the station room.

Edited September 18, 2016 by ytterbiumanalyst

ytterbiumanalyst · September 17, 2016

Day 4 (Continued): I Wish I Could Be Part of Your World

At the end of the day, I headed back to DCA for World of Color. It was the most amazing theme park show I've ever seen, and I hope these photos show even a fraction of its magnificence. Enjoy!