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

[robbalvey]

I headed back to DCA for World of Color. It was the most amazing theme park show I've ever seen

You need to see more theme park shows!

[ytterbiumanalyst]

I headed back to DCA for World of Color. It was the most amazing theme park show I've ever seen

You need to see more theme park shows!

Yes I do! This trip was the first time I had been to a theme park outside the Midwest. Silver Dollar City has really good shows, especially during the Christmas season. Cirque Imagine at Kings Island was good, and Holiday World has a couple of good ones too.... Yeah, other than that, it's all pretty terrible. So I will admit to being that hillbilly that went to the big city for the first time and was amazed by all the things I've never seen before.

[805Andrew]

Sounds like you did pretty good squeezing both Disney parks into one day, but did you miss Indiana Jones Adventure?

[Nrthwnd]

Nice to have met you, Andrew. And sorry we didn't chum around much, as I knew you and I had our separate priorities

in what we wanted to see and ride, etc. And as Robb suggested, you do need to see some other theme park shows, lol.

 

 

(I saw World of Color too, after WCB, and will comment on it later, in my upcoming TR.)

[coasterbill]

Great report! I'd really like to get back to Knotts. It's a really nice little park and aside from the boardwalk it doesn't feel like a corporate park at all.

[ytterbiumanalyst]

Sounds like you did pretty good squeezing both Disney parks into one day, but did you miss Indiana Jones Adventure?

I did. It was down for a planned refurb that day. From the videos I saw, it looked great.

 

Bill, I enjoyed meeting you as well. I'm sure there are lots of theme park shows that are great, but in the Midwest the arts in general are lacking (except Chicago--they've got some great theatre there). I'll just have to travel more and see more!

 

Coasterbill, yeah, I loved Knott's, and since I spent the first part of the day in Ghost Town, it just felt so different from all the Midwestern Cedar Fair parks. Then, once I got to the boardwalk, I was reminded who owns it. No big deal; other than Xcelerator and Voyage to the Iron Reef, not much over there is worth riding anyway.

[805Andrew]

Sounds like you did pretty good squeezing both Disney parks into one day, but did you miss Indiana Jones Adventure?

I did. It was down for a planned refurb that day. From the videos I saw, it looked great.

 

Ah, it must have just gone down for its annual refurb. You'll definitely have to come back at some point to ride it, it's my favorite dark ride in the US.

[ytterbiumanalyst]

Sounds like you did pretty good squeezing both Disney parks into one day, but did you miss Indiana Jones Adventure?

I did. It was down for a planned refurb that day. From the videos I saw, it looked great.

 

Ah, it must have just gone down for its annual refurb. You'll definitely have to come back at some point to ride it, it's my favorite dark ride in the US.

Cool. Yeah, I'm going to want to come back when the Star Wars and Marvel lands are done. At least Disney announced on its website that it would be down, so I was able to plan accordingly. Like I say, it's disappointing but this stuff happens.

[TheCoasterKid211]

I headed back to DCA for World of Color. It was the most amazing theme park show I've ever seen

You need to see more theme park shows!

I respectfully disagree... whereas Illuminations is the BEST NIGHTTIME SHOW IN THIS WORLD AND THE NEXT, World of Color is severely underrated. Just my opinion.

[ytterbiumanalyst]

^ I Googled this, and it seems Illuminations is the finale fireworks show at Epcot? I don't know anything about it, but any show that's in the same conversation as World of Color is something I want to see.

 

I'm not going to pretend that I have the most informed opinions. So many of you have been to way more places than I have, and multiple times. Really, before joining TPR I had barely been to any parks outside of Missouri. A lot of the fun here is getting to see so many great places (and finding out which ones to avoid). Four years into this, I've now been to every park I consider worthwhile in the Midwest. So I'm now less of a theme park idiot than I was before.

 

Disney just absolutely blew me away. I had no idea how much better they do things than just about everyone else, so to hear so many of you say that what I experienced pales compared to other things, that's pretty exciting to me.

[DoinItForTheFame]

^ I Googled this, and it seems Illuminations is the finale fireworks show at Epcot?

 

Illuminations is the firework/fountain show at EPCOT, and it is AMAZING!!! I'd rank it as the best theme park show in the world. It is simply amazing. I like it so much, and the music is so good that I'm using the music for it as one of the songs in my sychnorized light show for Christmas.

 

I vote you do a Florida trip next!!

[ytterbiumanalyst]

^ Nice! I want to go to Dollywood next, but I have the beginnings of plans for Florida and Pennsylvania, and I want to go back to Texas also. So many good places to visit, so few PTO days.

[robbalvey]

I headed back to DCA for World of Color. It was the most amazing theme park show I've ever seen

You need to see more theme park shows!

I respectfully disagree... whereas Illuminations is the BEST NIGHTTIME SHOW IN THIS WORLD AND THE NEXT, World of Color is severely underrated. Just my opinion.

My original description of World of Color from when I saw it on media day was:

 

"It's like watching movie trailers in the shower"

 

And I still stick with that!

 

Personally, I feel like World of Color took the most boring parts of other shows like Illuminations and Fantasmic! and compiled them into one long uninteresting show. Fountains and movie screens just do nothing for me. It was nice that they added a little bit of fire to it, but that still doesn't do it for me!

 

BUT...if that was the first big "night time show" you've seen, I can see why you would enjoy it. Personally, it only gets better...MUCH BETTER from World of Color onward!

Edited September 18, 2016 by robbalvey

[ytterbiumanalyst]

"It's like watching movie trailers in the shower"

I was in the wet zone, and the cast members were telling everyone "you will get wet," and it was funny to see how many guests scrambled to other places when the show began. Yeah, when they say something like that, they mean it!

 

BUT...if that was the first big "night time show" you've seen, I can see why you would enjoy it. Personally, it only gets better...MUCH BETTER from World of Color onward!

That's exactly what it was. That day was my Disney initiation. If World of Color is the worst Disney does, I can't wait to see the rest!

[prozach626]

I really enjoyed your thorough TR's. It was a good way for me to relax and enjoy my coffee before my night shifts this weekend! Great pictures as well.

[ytterbiumanalyst]

^ Thanks!

 

Day 5: The Wizarding WaterWorld of Universal Studios

 

My final day in L.A. was spent at Universal Studios. Unlike the previous day, this one was a lot more manageable. My hectic day at Disney didn’t allow for browsing shops or even time to eat, and so I determined to take this day a bit more slowly. The park was open 9-6, at which time they closed for an employee preview event for Halloween Horror Nights.

 

Much like Disney, the parking garages are a ways from the park itself, so you go through Universal CityWalk to get to the park. It’s an outdoor mall much like Downtown Disney. I got breakfast there and proceeded up to the gates. The park is built on the backlot of the actual Universal Studios, so it’s all about the movies. Between the security checkpoint and the gate is an actual red carpet! Of course I walked on that. Great way to start the day.

 

I figured that Harry Potter would be the most crowded section, and it’s also where I wanted to spend most of my time, so I went there first and immediately queued for the Ollivander’s show. They only let in a few people at a time, so it’s a really intimate performance. Next I went to Fight of the Hippogriff, which was an okay family coaster. Much like Disney, you take all your stuff with you on most rides.

 

After that ride with no wait, I went to my most anticipated ride, Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey. This was my first experience with Universal’s mandatory free fluffy bunnies, and the system worked really well! Single rider line got me right on, and the ride itself was fantastic. I loved the combination of 3D and physical sets, and the water and heat effects were well executed.

 

With the major Harry Potter activities out of the way, I went to the Simpsons ride. One of the ride ops noticed my Back to the Future T-shirt and commented on it. This ride was my first experience with a Universal simulator, and I loved it so much. I’m not the world’s biggest Simpsons fan, and honestly haven’t seen the show in years, but I grew up with it, and it was a great experience.

 

It was a bit after 10:00 by this point, so I headed over for the first showing of Waterworld at 10:30. I was one of the first people in line, and I got a seat near the front and reasonably centered. I didn’t realize until they introduced the cast at the end that all of them were TV and movie actors. So cool! This is absolutely one of the best theme park shows I’ve ever seen.

 

After that, I proceeded directly to the Special Effects show. Again I was early, and again I got a great seat. The family right in front of me were picked out of the line to participate in the show, so that was cool to see. The show itself starred real Hollywood stunt guys demonstrating how the special effects worked, including a flying suit and a fire suit.

 

There was a bit of a break before the third big show, so I used the time to go through the Walking Dead. As previously mentioned, I’m not a huge fan of haunts, but I have heard that Universal is just the best at it, so I wanted to experience this one. It was really creepy and so well executed. They had several people in blue jackets that I eventually figured out were there to keep people moving and monitor behaviour, but the first one I saw I thought was a zombie. I had a lot of fun, more than I thought I would.

 

After that, I moved on to the Animal Actors show. What can I say? I have varied interests. It was very cool to see how they train an animal to perform in a movie. At one point one of the dogs was to perform a series of behaviours with an audience member as though filming were taking place, so the trainer was standing behind him. He obviously knew what to do, but kept skipping to the final behavior, as though to speed up getting the treat. That was unplanned, but probably my personal favourite part of the show, as it illustrates just how difficult that job is.

 

With the major three shows done, I proceeded to the lower lot and rode all three rides. Revenge of the Mummy was okay; I guess I was expecting more. Maybe I was spoiled by Space Mountain Ghost Galaxy the previous day, but I felt like it ended too soon. Transformers was fun. I’m not a fan of that IP—I totally agree with Parker and Stone when they ask “Why does Michael Bay keep on making movies?”—but the ride was very good. Between this and WaterWorld, Universal has a knack for making great attractions out of crappy movies.

 

The star of the lower lot was Jurassic Park. I’m a big fan of the splash boat rides like Tidal Wave at Six Flags. This ride was just absolutely incredible. It told a great story, had some awesome scenery and animatronics, and had a great splash at the end.

 

Next it was back up the escalators—“Get up! Get on up!” to the tram ride. I loved going through the studio backlot and seeing all the sets used in various films and TV shows. The 3D segments were pretty gimmicky, but I did get to see an actual show being filmed! It was a Hallmark channel show called “Home and Family.” I’ve never heard of it, but I’m not really Hallmark’s target audience. Still, getting to see filming was really cool!

 

Afterward, I went to Moe’s Tavern for a Duff beer. It was really good! And then I went over to Wizarding World of Harry Potter again for the last two shows and lunch. The Triwizard Tournament show was choreographed dancing and was very well done. The Frog Choir had five singers, four of which had animatronic frogs on pillows that sang the root notes, while the singers sang in four-part harmony some songs from the films and some original scores. Both were fun!

 

I had lunch at the Three Broomsticks, which served traditional English comfort foods. I had the bangers and mash and a butterbeer. It was really good. The butterbeer tasted like a cream soda float.

 

By that point, it was a little after 5, so I headed over to the last ride of the day, Despicable Me. I skipped Shrek, since I don’t really care about those movies. I’m not the world’s biggest fan of the minions, but I’ve been watching Steve Carrell since he was on the Daily Show, and he’s one of the funniest comedians/comedy actors out there. He provided voice acting for the pre-show video and for the ride itself, and it was so much fun. Just as we got seated, the ride had some technical difficulties, but the ride ops kept us entertained with a Minions trivia quiz. Great job everyone!

 

Once the ride was done, the park had closed, and some of the HHN stuff had been set up. I didn’t feel like I was done with the day, so I headed to the AMC theatre to watch a movie. I felt that was a good way to end my day at Universal Studios, and they were showing Kubo and the Two Strings. I’m an anime fan (Trigun’s my favourite), so the movie hit all the right notes for me. Plus, it was great just to sit down after walking all day. The AMC theatre comped $13 of the $18 parking charge, so that made the movie in effect $3!

 

In all, I had an awesome time in L.A. There are so many things to do there, but I feel like what I did was very worthwhile. I think if there are any more West Coast Bashes, I’d definitely want to come back, especially for Knott’s and to spend some more time at Disney. Sure, there were issues that came up over the weekend, but with any event like this, things aren’t always going to go according to plan. Back when I was in high school, I was taking a trip, and one of my teachers told us a phrase I’ve never forgotten: “When travelling, always remember the F-word: Flexibility.” It was a bit edgy, which is probably the reason I remember it, but it’s very true. When you travel, you have to make plans, more plans than you think you’ll need, but you’ve also got to be flexible enough that when those plans fail, you can just roll with it. Complaining doesn’t solve any problems, and it just ruins everyone’s mood. Have a positive attitude, expect to have fun, roll with the changes, and any trip you take will be a good time.

 

Theming: Excellent. Very high quality throughout, and it gave a real sense of place to each section.

 

Food: Excellent. I enjoyed everything I had, both in CityWalk and in the park itself.

 

Service: Well, it’s not up to Disney standards, but it was great. Everyone I encountered was just phenomenal and committed to my having a great day.

 

Dark rides: The bread and butter of this park. Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey was my favourite.

 

Water ride: Just the one, Jurassic Park, but it’s phenomenal. Absolutely the best ride of its kind.

 

Coasters:

Flight of the Hippogriff: It’s a fun family coaster, but nothing spectacular.

Revenge of the Mummy: Maybe if I hadn’t just experienced Space Mountain Ghost Galaxy, I would have thought more highly of it. As it was, though, I liked all the dark rides better than either of the coasters.

Jurassic Parking! I love it!

Much like Downtown Disney, Universal CityWalk was a great way to transition from parking lot to theme park.

It was barely sprinkling that morning, but many people were acting like it was a monsoon.

Universal's version of World of Color just wasn't just as good as Disney's.

They rolled out the red carpet for us!

Very nice entrance plaza!

Donkey puppet show near the Shrek ride.

Show buildings

And here I am at Hogsmeade!

THe level of detail is incredible.

Hogwarts Castle looks incredible!

Here there be hippogriffs!

I have to push the pram a lot.

Hagrid's cabin!

More Hogsmeade.

I'm back in Springfield!

And it's time for a nice relaxing time at Krustyland!

Found the studio tour entrance. I'll come back for it.

Cool theming.

Time for the first show of the day!

Our host, the Sage!

The family in front of me being pulled out of line to appear in the show!

Movie props!

The first rule of fight club...

This is the family that was ahead of me in line.

It was a monster mash!

Here's how they do CGI. When the guy wearing the suit does this...

...it shows up on the screen like this.

And then they animate in the rest!

Preparing for the fire suit stunt.

He's on fire!

Extinguisher crew were on the scene.

Flight suit rigging.

Edited September 19, 2016 by ytterbiumanalyst

[ytterbiumanalyst]

More fun at Universal Studios Hollywood!

The France and London sections were really well done.

I'll be back for this!

Creepy.

This is how you theme a queue.

And after this I turned off my phone, so no pictures from the actual maze.

I'm ready for some animal actors!

To the lower lot!

Apollo 13 prop.

This was a cool photo op.

Jurassic Park is the best ride on the lower lot.

Transformers was pretty cool too.

Revenge of the Mummy was a bit underwhelming.

Great views from the bridge to the tram.

To the backlot!

Movie cars!

Little Europe!

"Home & Family" was filming while I was on the tram.

Edited September 18, 2016 by ytterbiumanalyst

[ytterbiumanalyst]

The fun continues at Universal Studios Hollywood!

This is Elm St., a cul-de-sac of houses that are only finished on the exterior. A lot of these have been used for various sitcoms.

Oh no! It's Norman Bates!

War of the Worlds set.

And the Fast & the Furious finale.

Back in Wizarding World of Harry Potter, it was time for the Triwizard Tournament show!

On to the Three Broomsticks! Bangers and mash with butterbeer!

The eponymous broomsticks.

Back to the stage for the Frog Choir show.

Bye, Hogwarts Express! Thanks for a great day at Universal Studios!

Edited September 18, 2016 by ytterbiumanalyst

[SoCalJasonland]

Awesome report. They sold bricks with people's names on them when they re-did the entrance area. Anyone could purchase one.

 

Glad you liked our parks. Between Disneyland, DCA, Knott's, SFMM and Universal; you can see why the locals are poor from buying all those annual passes

[Nrthwnd]

I think if and when I was ever to do WCB again, I think I would position Universal Studios into the day that would be for

Magic Mountain. Your visit there after WCB certainly makes me want to look into it again, after what? 20 years or so???

 

Nice TR, Andrew.

[ytterbiumanalyst]

Thanks! Universal really is worth going to, especially if it's been a few years. There's a lot of new stuff since the last time you would have been there. It was a really relaxed pace on a weekday, and I didn't really have to plan too much, just went to what I felt like doing. I would imagine even on a Saturday you'd have plenty of time for what you wanted to do, and there's always Front of the Line pass if it's too crowded.

[TBpony414]

Sorry to hear you weren't able to make the trip with your son but with the strides you mentioned he's been making, it's still a goal that will no doubt happen in the next couple years. Great TR and I'm exhausted after just reading it! You really packed a heck of a lot into just a few days. Thanks for taking us along on your California adventure!

[Mrlittle]

We went to Universal the Monday after WCB. So it's cool to hear your thoughts on the park. I haven't been to USH in almost 10 years. The log ride photo from Knotts is instant gold. Great trip report and cool meeting you at Rock & Brews after Knotts.

[ytterbiumanalyst]

Sorry to hear you weren't able to make the trip with your son but with the strides you mentioned he's been making, it's still a goal that will no doubt happen in the next couple years. Great TR and I'm exhausted after just reading it! You really packed a heck of a lot into just a few days. Thanks for taking us along on your California adventure!

Thanks! After the incredible experience at Disneyland, I started looking into what it would take to go to Orlando, and as it turns out, airfare is pretty cheap, and lower-end Disney resorts are less than I thought. So when he's ready, I think we may just have to do that.

 

We went to Universal the Monday after WCB. So it's cool to hear your thoughts on the park. I haven't been to USH in almost 10 years. The log ride photo from Knotts is instant gold. Great trip report and cool meeting you at Rock & Brews after Knotts.

It was good meeting you and Laura and everyone else there. You seemed like cool people from the trip reports I've read, and I'm glad that held up in real life.

[Nrthwnd]

^ By the way, giving my regrets at not getting to R&Bs after the final Ghostrider rides.

After seven times in a row with walking and stairs in between, I was bushed, lol!

 

And I slept like a log, easy that night.