Disneyland Review: Paint the Night Parade

Stars: 5 out of 5

Pros: Visual feast with creative use of lights

Cons: None

The Bottom Line:

Lights dance down Main Street

In one of a kind parade

That’s not to be missed

Vivid Colors, Music, and Fun Paint the Night

As much as I love Disneyland, I do my best to avoid the parades and shows.  In my mind, they are nothing but a pain if you are trying to navigate from one side of the park to the other, and if you want good seats, you have to line up hours in advance.  However, I’d heard such good things about the Paint the Night parade that I was curious enough to make an exception on my most recent visit.  I’m glad I did because I loved it.

This is the new nighttime parade, and the floats are designed to light up with so many lights you won’t miss a thing.  The parade starts with Tinkerbell and a Neverland inspired float before moving on to floats inspired by other Disney and Pixar movies.  That’s right, we see characters from both side by side.  There’s are floats for Monsters Inc., Cars, and the Toy Story gang along with ones for The Little Mermaid, Frozen, and other Disney Princesses before the parade closes out with Sorcerer Mickey and the rest of Mickey’s friends.  In between the floats come some pretty impressive solo walkers.  Some are giant characters, others are just cool things to look at.

Although, really, everything here is cool to look at.  This parade really is a feast for the eyes.  All of the floats are absolutely covered in lights, but these lights are often blinking or twisting in some cool fashion.  I just had to stare in awe at some of the floats as they passed by.

Accompanying the floats down the parade route is the soundtrack.  The music is always appropriate to the float passing by, usually a song from the movie or at least something from the soundtrack for the Pixar movies light on songs.  The songs have been given a slightly modern pop/rock update that allows them to all blend together seamlessly.

It’s easy to view this as an update of the Main Street Electrical Parade from the 70’s.  However, the technology evolution since then allows this to be a completely different parade unlike anything you’ve seen before.

For once, I was actually sorry to see the parade end.  I will definitely make a point to watch the Paint the Night Parade next time I am in Disneyland, and I highly recommend you do, too.  It is worth missing out on some lines and rides to enjoy.  Save me a spot at the curb.

Disneyland Review: Big Thunder Mountain Railroad

Stars: 5 out of 5 (Nostalgia and fun over true thrills)

Pros: Great theming and plenty of fun.

Cons: New effects in third lift; little real thrills for thrill seekers

The Bottom Line:

This mild thrill ride does

Provide twists, turns, old west fun

Smile for everyone

This Here’s Still the Wildest Ride in the Wilderness

Disneyland’s Big Thunder Mountain Railroad will always have a special place in my heart.  That’s because it was the very first roller coaster I went on.  Being the brave pre-teen I was (you can stop laughing now), I held on tight the entire length of the ride only to have a big smile on my face when I was done.  While I waited until college to go upside down (see, I’m still brave), I was hooked.

With Disney theming is everything, and that definitely applies to this coaster.  At any other park, it would be considered an okay attraction because it would just be steel beams holding up the track.  Here, they have given us a runaway train car in the middle of wilderness spires.  You can’t see much of the track while waiting in line because much of it is hidden behind the mountain that has been recreated here.

When you board the ride, you are seated in rows of two with just a simple lap bar to hold you into place.  That should tell you the real level of thrills you are about to have.  There are three lifts with coaster sections in between.  While you are careening around corners or going up the lifts, be sure to check for the little things Disney has added to the attraction.  There’s a waterfall you go through on the first lift (it parts for you so you don’t get wet) and audio animatronic creatures on the second lift for example.  You finish the ride by going by a western town.  Listen for the dialogue and laugh at the signs in the windows.

After over a year closed for a major overhaul, Big Thunder has opened again in March of 2014.  I got a chance to ride it last week, and it’s still just as much fun as I remembered?  Why was it closed for so long?  For one thing, they laid in all new steel rails.  I wouldn’t have said the ride was rough before, but it is very smooth now.  Heck, they should have done this to the Matterhorn during its recent rehab.  The also added bats during the dark part right before the first lift, which is a great illusion.

Then there’s the third lift.  I have a feeling this change will be the most controversial change to the attraction.  Before, while you were climbing, you saw the rock walls around you start to shake like from an earthquake or cave in.  Now?  A lantern accidentally sets off charges and the walls start to explode while you climb.  This is all done with animation projected on the walls.  There is supposed to be smoke that fills the chamber as you climb, but it wasn’t working when I rode.  I don’t know if that would have helped or not, but overall I’m not impressed.  While the projections are fun at the bottom, I grow tired of them by the time we reach the top.  Furthermore, the entire point of this ride is the real stuff you are going by.  This third lift obviously looks fake to me.  I wish they’d kept the rocks that looked like they were about to fall on you, but I always loved that part of the ride.  Heck, they still could have had the fuses on the bottom leading to those rocks at the top.  Yep, in this case they should have left the ride alone.

All told, this ride lasts about 3 minutes and reaches maximum speeds of 35 miles per hour.  It is disabled accessible (and they’ve added a nice new platform for that separate line), but you have to transfer to the ride’s cars.  Additionally, you have to be 40 inches tall to ride.

Of the roller coasters in the park, this is usually the least popular.  I have a feeling that will change, at least for a while, with this rehab.  Waits are often around 30 minutes or so, but again I expect these to climb, at least for a while.  The ride does offer Disney FastPass if you want to come back for a shorter wait later.

As you might have figured out, this ride isn’t high on thrills.  However, it is still very fun and is perfect for introducing kids to roller coasters outside of kiddie coasters.  It worked for me, obviously.

However, it can still move you around in the seats quite a bit.  I’ve wound up scrunched on one side of the car with my riding partner as one or the other of us slid across the seat.  It rarely happens, but it has.

My opinion on the enhanced features for the third lift might change as I ride it more and experience with it the smoke.  However, it is a minor complaint over all.  The heart of the ride – a fun roller coaster with great theming, remains.  Now that it has reopened, I will be back to riding Big Thunder Mountain Railroad on every trip to Disneyland.

Disneyland Review: Alice in Wonderland

Stars: 5 out of 5

Pros: Fun trip through the movie

Cons: The outside doesn’t look that great; long lines

The Bottom Line:

Trip through Wonderland

California exclusive

Fun for the long wait

Fall Down the Rabbit Hole and Take a Journey with Alice in Wonderland

The kid in me still finds it hard to resist the pleasures of Fantasyland in Disneyland.  I love all the old characters and movies, and it is fun to go visit them in the dark rides that are a staple of this area.  One of the more popular ones is Alice in Wonderland, and it’s good.

This ride is a California only ride - the rest of the Disney parks don’t have it.  That might help explain the popularity.  It’s also unique among dark rides because it is multi-level.  Now, it still goes at one slow and steady speed, but it does climb as you enjoy the ride inside.

The ride is located around the corner from the main section of Fantasyland dark rides.  It’s next to the Mad Tea Party (appropriately enough) and across the walkway from the Matterhorn.  Unfortunately, the outside doesn’t look at nice as it used to.  The part of the track that takes you from the upper level to the lower level is outside and sits on some big leaves.  It also goes over the part of the track where you board the ride.  Unfortunately, OSHA has gotten involved and they have had to put on railings and build out the platform so it has lost much of its appeal.  I certainly get the need for employee safety.  I don’t want them to change it back.  It’s just disappointing.  I heard rumors once that they are thinking of redesigning it to fit with regulations but so it looks better.  I’d certainly be all for that.

The lines for this once seem to hover around 30 minutes and go up as the park gets more crowded.  It easily rivals Peter Pan’s Flight for longest lines in Fantasyland.  There is no height requirement, although little kids will be asked to sit on the inside of the seat.  If you can transfer to the ride vehicle, it is handicap accessible as well.  The ride vehicles are built to look like caterpillars and come in a variety of fun colors.

Once you are on board, you start your journey by following the White Rabbit down the rabbit hole.  It’s actually a dark tunnel and then you come to the door that opens into this wild and crazy world.  While we never see Alice, we do hear her as she chases the Rabbit around.  We have brief encounters with Tweedledee and Tweedledum, listen to the flowers sing and meet up with the Cheshire Cat.  From there, we head to the Queen of Hearts garden, play croquet, and wind up on trial for our lives.

At this point, we break free from the cards and head outside to the part of the track I talked about earlier.  When we hit ground level, we take a brief spin by the Mad Tea Party before we exit our caterpillar.

Like most of the Fantasyland rides, this one doesn’t do a good job of filling you in on the whole story.  They've only got 3 minutes and 38 seconds to work with after all, about part of those are outside.  Then again, the movie (and the books) are pretty random events, so that doesn’t matter.  In fact, that aspect of the story actually works pretty well for this ride.  You don’t have to follow much since each scene is separate.  Only the part with the Queen of Hearts tells much of a real story.

But that doesn’t make it any less fun.  The friend I usually go to Disneyland with loves Alice, so we always hit this ride.  Not that I’m complaining since I love just about everything there.  The animatronics inside look good and the colors are fun.  In fact, they are very true to their animated selves unlike a couple of characters in other rides.  Despite our run in with the Queen of Hearts, there is nothing too scary for young kids here, either.  They still might freak out, but there is nothing that is going to jump out at them or be too truly dark and evil.

Be prepared to wait, but definitely plan to take a ride on Alice in Wonderland next time you are at Disneyland.  It’s an experience you won’t find anywhere else, and it’s a fun trip through the movie.

Disneyland Review: King Arthur's Carousel

Stars: 4 out of 5

Pros: Classic carousel...

Cons: ...Like you can ride everywhere else; themeing issues

The Bottom Line: 

Up and down, around

One a bunch of white horses

Classic amusement

Kids Still Love King Arthur's Carousel

Disneyland is filled with wonderful one of the kind rides you won’t find anywhere else.  Then there’s King Arthur’s Carousel.  Yet, it can still be fun, especially if you are there with little kids.

The ride is located in the heart of the Fantasyland courtyard.  As you walk through the castle, you can’t miss it.

And the ride is exactly what you’d expect from a Carousel.  It’s got a bunch of horses, mostly white, and a few benches.  When the ride starts, you go round and round and your horse goes up and down.

Looking for the Disney twist?  The best I can come up with is that the organ music that comes from the ride plays arrangements of classic songs from the various animated movies.  And they use stuff from the old classics as well as the newer movies.  Other than that, this is the same merry-go-round you can do countless places in America.

On the plus side, the wait is rarely very long.  I don’t think I’ve ever had to wait more than one cycle to ride it.  At most, it would be a two cycle wait.  On busy days, 10 minutes can seem good for anything, right?

I do have to rant about the name.  Why do they call it King Arthur’s Carousel?  There aren’t that many horses in the Sword and the Stone?  I will grant you they have a sword in front of the Carousel, and they have their “Sword in the Stone” ceremony there several times a day.  On the other hand, the pictures you go by on the inside of the Carousel are taken from Sleeping Beauty.  So again, where does the name come from.

Okay, rant over.

I would have given this ride 3 stars until my recent trip with my niece.  It was the end of the day, and we were killing time before they closed Fantasyland for the fireworks and we headed out to find a spot to watch them.  With nothing really on the agenda, my niece really wanted to ride the Carousel over and over again.  And she did, with Grandma and Grandpa tagging along since she’s only 3.  Every time she passed by, she had a huge grin on her face.  And they were getting off and getting right back on for the next cycle because the crowds were so small by this point.

And that’s when I realized how special this is.  Everywhere else, you have to pay by the person and by the ride to ride a merry-go-round.  Here, it’s part of the entrance fee you’ve already paid.  And for someone like my niece who loves these things, getting to go on them over and over again is a real treat.

Now, for my money, King Tritan’s Carousel over at California Adventure is slightly better because you get to ride on sea animals, but that’s a minor issues.

No, I don’t recommend paying Disneyland’s admission prices just to do this ride, but if you have a young one who enjoys them, King Arthur’s Carousel is a real treat.  Let them ride it a couple of times and make their day.

Disneyland Review: Dumbo the Flying Elephant

Stars: 4 out of 5

Pros: You can fly!  On an elephant!  And control him!

Cons: A long wait for a relatively short, basic ride

The Bottom Line: 

Long wait rewarded

With a chance to control your

Flying elephant

Your Child's Imagination Will Soar on Dumbo

While I say there is no ride in Disneyland I won’t go on, there are some I don’t make a point of going on.  One of those is Dumbo the Flying Elephant.  Yet I’ve wound up on it several times this year, and I’m reminded why it is so popular with little kids.

Naturally, this attraction is located in Fantasyland.  It’s at the back of the main area behind Kind Arthur’s Carousel and to the left of the big whale entrance to Storybook Land Canals.

Really, this ride is a glorified merry-go-round.  About a dozen large plastic vehicles are attached to a pole in the center.  These ride vehicles are molded to look just like the baby Dumbo.  One to two people are allowed to sit in each Dumbo.  There is a seat belt to help hold you in place, although they do require the adults to sit on the outside.

Once the ride begins, you find yourself going around in a circle.  But here’s the catch.  There is a lever in your Dumbo that allows you to control how high you fly.  Push up on the lever and your Dumbo will soar.  Press down, and you’ll head back to the ground.  If you leave it alone, you’ll find yourself staying at your current lever.  Before the ride ends, all the Dumbos rise to their peak before coming in for a landing.

The reason I pretty much gave up on this ride is that the line can be very long.  It does seem to be coming down, however.  It’s been in the 30 minute range when I’ve been there recently, including when I rode it with my niece on Labor Day itself.  The ride lasts roughly two minutes, so it’s not worth a very long wait.

But I’m glad I’ve been going back on it recently because it really is fun.  Even as an adult, I’ve been enjoying that feeling of flying.  You get a nice view of Fantasyland from the top.

And my niece absolutely loved it.  She was grinning from ear to ear the entire time we were on the ride.  She was a little short to really control Dumbo, so I got to help with that.  There is something purely magical about controlling your own flight – something we don’t get to do on a regular basis.  And sometimes it takes a little kid to really recapture that.  It sure happened for me.

Will I be making a point of riding Dumbo the Flying Elephant every time I’m in the park?  Probably not.  The lines are too long for that.  But I will certainly consider riding it more often.

Disneyland Review: Mickey's House and Meet Mickey

Stars: 4 out of 5

Pros: Fun items in the house, friendly time with Mickey Mouse at the end

Cons: Long line to meet him

The Bottom Line: 

Many great details

And friendly time with Mickey

Highlight with young kids

Visiting Mickey at His House Can Still be Pure Magic

As much as I love all things Disney, I must admit that I don’t tend to hit everything at Disneyland.  Among the areas I tend to skip is Mickey’s Toontown.  Oh, I’ll head back there to go on Roger Rabbit, but I usually skip the rest.  This last year, I’ve taken a couple of trips through Mickey’s House, and I’ve found it does still have some magic to it.

Mickey’s House is located in the back left corner of Toontown right next to Minnie’s house.  Like the rest of the area, it looks like a cartoon inside and out.  And the fun starts outside with the Mickey Mouse head mailbox.  As you wander inside, you’ll see a doggie door with a Pluto shaped hole in it before you turn and go into the house.

The house itself is a self-guided tour and includes items that are props from his cartoons, like the old fashioned phone from “Through the Looking Glass.”  There are oversized chairs you can sit in and a bookshelf with punny mouse titles of famous works of literature.  Over the fireplace is a ship in a bottle, with the ship being Steamboat Willie.  (I so want one.)  He’s got a glassed in display case with pictures of Walt with an old Mickey Mouse doll and the original Mousketeers.  You can take these rooms at your own pace.  There isn’t too much to play around with, but there are things that kids and adults will both enjoy.

The real draw is around back.  After you’ve wandered through the house, you can go briefly “outside” through Mickey’s garden (where his plants are being eaten by some very hungry invisible gophers) to Mickey’s movie barn.  Mickey is back there filming, and he’s taking a break to visit with you on the set!

And this is where the line starts.  If you want to tour the house and not visit Mickey, you can take the alternative exit.  However, this is possibly the least chaotic way to visit with the famous mouse.  Of course there’s a line.  They have a waiting area that snakes around a couple of times, and in this room, you see previews for “upcoming” Mickey Mouse shorts like “The Band Concert,” “Sorcerer’s Apprentice,” or “Steamboat Willie.”  The projector is run by Donald and Goofy, which adds to the fun.  Unfortunately, the reel is too short, so you see it all two or three times while you are in there.

They take groups of a dozen or so at a time into the next room where Mickey and several handlers are waiting for you.  And from there, you get you turn talking to Mickey, getting his autograph, and getting your picture taken with him.  Yes, they have one of their photographers in the room, but they will use your camera to take your picture as well.

Okay, now I said at the start that I don’t visit Mickey’s House that often, and when I do, I usually bail before visiting Mickey himself.  I mean, wait in line for that?  I’m not a kid any more.  But twice in 2012, I’ve done just that.  The first time was with a group of friends who wanted to have our picture taken with him, and the other was with my 3-year-old niece.  Both times, we were given plenty of time with Mickey.  Granted, we didn’t try to take too long, but we weren’t rushed in our chance to say “hi” and pose for pictures.  I’m sure if we had been dawdling, we would have been politely hurried along, but I never witnessed the staff members there doing that.

Both times were more fun that I was expecting.  Even though Mickey doesn’t talk, his gestures and mannerisms are charming.  The other cast members in the room are also friendly and helpful, offering to take pictures with cameras before we even asked, for example.

The time with my niece was especially precious.  She ran to greet him, and he bent down and gave her a big hug and kiss.  It’s those kind of memories that make these things well worth doing.

So no, I won’t make Mickey’s House a must do on every trip to Disneyland.  However, if you haven’t had the pleasure of meeting Mickey Mouse before, I highly recommend you do.  It is fun no matter your age, but if you’ve got young kids, it will be a highlight of your trip.

Book Review: Disneyland Through the Decades by Jeff Kurtti

Stars: 3 out of 5

Pros: Interesting behind the scenes and historic essays

Cons: Pictures almost all from the last few years

The Bottom Line: 

Pictures too modern

But interesting essays

Are still worth reading

Disneyland Through the Decades in Words if Not Pictures

While browsing the stores at Disneyland, I started drooling over the photo book Disneyland Through the Decades.  I wish I had spent a little more time looking at it before I bought it.  I enjoyed it, but it wasn't what I expected.

The book is advertised as a photo journey through Disney's history.  And each chapter focuses on a different decade of the park's history.  There are plenty of essays, and they are posted in the appropriate decade when they were written as well.  We get the history of Walt creating Disneyland and thoughts from various cast members about such things as the plants, creating the cars of Autopia so they don't wear out, and the appeal of the costumed characters in the park.

However, what it doesn't have are pictures through the decades.  Most of the pictures are taken from the last few years.  For example, in the section on the 70's, the decade that saw the introduction of Space Mountain, there's a picture of the outside of the famous roller coaster.  However, in the foreground is an attraction that didn't appear in the park until 1998.  If you are really going to be a photo book of Disneyland Through the Decades, then show me pictures of the park from those different decades.

Despite my disappointment, I did find myself enjoying the book.  The essays were interesting, and the pictures definitely made me long to visit the park.  Pretty neat trick considering I have a pass this year and have been there at least once a month.  There are some interesting insights and perspectives.

I just wish the pictures really covered the decades.

Each chapter also starts with a bit of history putting the happenings in the park in perspective of the time in history and the culture of the Disney Company.  Finally, the book ends with a list of attractions and the date it opened.

The book contains about 160 pages.  It was published in 2010, so it ends with sketches of the recently opened CarsLand in California Adventures.

It's not that Disneyland Through the Decades is bad, but it's not what I was expecting.  Die hard Disney fans like me will still enjoy it even if it isn't a pictorial history of the park.

Disneyland Review: Honey, I Shrunk the Audience

Stars: 4 out of 5

Pros: Fun 3D show with good in theater effects

Cons: It isn't there any more

The Bottom Line: 

Become much smaller

In the shrinking audience

Fun experience

"You Think She'd be Used to this by Now."

True confessions time: I love the Disney movie Honey, I Shrunk the Kids.  There’s just something about it that really captivated me as an early teen, and I still enjoy watching it.  So you can imagine my delight when Disneyland finally got Honey, I Shrunk the Audience.  It replaced Captain EO in the late 90’s rehab of Tomorrowland, and it has been replaced now by…Captain EO.  Man, do I miss it.

The attraction featured the Szalinski family, or at least most of them.  Amy wasn’t around.  It must have been filmed not too long after the sequel movie, Honey, I Blew Up the Kid, since it features all the actors from that movie, including the same twins as toddler Adam.

The attraction itself was located just to the right of Space Mountain.  There was never a large crowd for this one – the longest I ever had to wait was the amount of time it took for the next show to start.

The premise is that the Imagination Institute has opened their doors for their annual Inventor of the Year Award, and this year the winner is Wayne Szalinski (Rick Moranis).  Naturally, his wife Diane (Marcia Strassman) and sons Nick (Robert Oliveri) and Adam (Daniel & Jonathan Shalikar) are there as well.  And, naturally, things don’t go as planned.  First, Adam puts his pet mouse in the multi-dimensional duplicator.  Then we, along with Nick, are accidentally shrunk.  Will we survive a snake and Adam moving us while Wayne fixes his machine?

Yes, this was one of Disney’s 3D plus shows.  Air jets in your seat let you feel the mice roaming through the audience.  I always got a kick out of hearing the screams start in one section and move throughout the theater.  And we get various things, like the snake, Diane’s arm, and Wayne on a personal hover craft, coming out at us.  When we are shrunk, the theater shakes at appropriate times.  Oh yeah, and at the end we get sprayed with a giant dog sneezing on us, I mean water.

No, this was never a must do for me, fan that I am of the characters.  But I always enjoyed it when I did, which was about half of my visits to the park.  The show lasted roughly 15 minutes, and it was great to take a break and enjoy sitting inside no matter what the weather was like outside.

Considering Captain EO doesn’t seem to be much more popular than this show was, maybe I can start a campaign to get them to bring it back.  Hey, don’t crush my tiny dreams.

Sadly, this will probably never come back.  Maybe on a Blu-Ray release for the movies?  But I will always have fond memories of Honey, I Shrunk the Audience.

Disneyland Review: Main Street Cinema

Stars: 3 out of 5

Pros: Cool and uncrowded showing of six Mickey shorts

Cons: Not worth more than 10 minutes

The Bottom Line: 

Enjoy Mickey shorts

In this little theater

Fun for a short break

Take a Break from the Crowds and See Some of Mickey's Early Work

There are corners all over Disneyland that the average tourist never visits.  Truth be told, many of them aren’t necessarily the biggest or best locations in the park, but they are still fun.  One of those is the Main Street Cinema.  It’s a great place to stop for a few minutes when you need a bit of a break.

The cinema is located part way between the entrance plaza and the castle at the end of Main Street.  As you are walking to the heart of the park, it’s on your right hand side.  You can spot it because it has a mannequin sitting in a ticket booth in front of red curtains.  On the walls outside are posters for six of Mickey Mouse’s early black and white shorts.  No tickets are needed at this cinema.  Just push through the turn style and through the curtain to enter.

Once you get inside, you’ll find yourself in a circular room with six screens on the walls.  Each screen is showing a different black and white Mickey Mouse short.  By some weird coincidence, they are the same ones posted on the walls outside.  They are also showing in chronological order going from your right as you first walk in to the left side by the exit.  At least when I was there in October, the six shorts showing were: “Plane Crazy,” “Steamboat Willie,” “The Moose Hunt,” "Traffic Troubles,” "The Dognapper,” and “Mickey’s Polo Team.”  And in case you are wondering, yes, I did list these in correct order.  “Plane Crazy” was released second but finished first.

The room is not big.  I would guess it would feel crowded at 50 people, but I’ve never seen more than a couple dozen in there, which feels quite comfortable.  There is a round platform in the middle for kids to stand on while adults are welcome to use the outer circle for their viewing pleasure.

There is no show, there are no starting times.  Each of these shorts plays continuously all day.  They are staggered, so you can try to watch all six of them at once, which would take you roughly 7 minutes, or you can watch them one at a time which would be about 45 minutes.

Unfortunately, the cinema has some fundamental flaws.  The first is no where to sit.  If you do want to watch anything, you have to stand up to do so.  That might be on purpose because it certainly cuts down on the number of people who spend very long in there.

As I mentioned earlier, the shorts have staggered start and end times.  This means you can not watch one and move on to the next and start at the beginning.  No matter how you time things, the next one you try to watch will be in the middle when you try to move forward.

They have the sound turned down on five of the shorts and a general silent movie theater soundtrack going in the background.  The exception is “Steamboat Willie.”  Unfortunately, these two soundtracks compete with each other.  They really should have one or the other going.

On the plus side, the cinema is always air conditioned.

If you miss the Main Street Cinema, it’s not a big deal.  I usually only stop in once every two or three years.  But if you have the time, it’s fun to stop in for a few minutes and enjoy some classic Mickey Mouse.

Disneyland Review: Captain EO Tribute

Stars: 1 out of 5

Pros: You can sit indoors for 17 minutes.

Cons: The show isn't really worth the comfort.

The Bottom Line: 

Only nostalgia

Is reason to revisit

Pure eighties flashback

Flashdance Back to the 80's with Michael Jackson

Captain EO was the first of Disney’s 3D attractions back when the technology was popular in the 80’s.  Since I was never a Michael Jackson fan, I never bothered visiting until they brought it back as Captain EO Tribute after Michael’s death a couple years ago.  I was curious enough to go see it, but I’m not really a fan.

This show is located in a theater in Tomorrowland.  If you are facing the entrance to Space Mountain, it’s on your right.  There’s usually never a wait, the only thing keeping you from getting in is the show ahead of you.

Basically, this is a 17 minute movie/music video that is in 3D and features some effects in the theater.  The story revolves around Captain EO (Michael Jackson) and his group of cohorts (a variety of puppets) who are on a mission of peace.  They land on a planet, where they are immediately taken prisoner and taken to the Supreme Leader (Anjelica Huston), a nasty looking woman who is more machine than human.  She sentences them all to harsh penalties, but Captain EO says first they come with a gift.  As he begins to sing “We are here to change the world,” the various soldiers and goons of the Supreme Leader get transformed into back up dancers, meaning they are now on Captain EO’s side.  But will this gift be enough to transform even the Supreme Leader?

Every single second of this show screams 80’s at the top of its lungs.  There are the effects, which was okay for the 80’s but pale by today’s standards.  There are the puppet characters.  There are the hairstyles and costumes.  And let’s not leave out the very 80’s music and dancing.  If you are feeling some 80’s nostalgia, you’ll love this show.  Otherwise, you’ll hate it.

The 3D effects look pretty good.  It’s not like the shows they do today where there is something coming out at you.  Still, they add some dimension to the show.

At one point, we get a blast with air and a few lights flash in the theater.  Other than that, the only real effect is the seats in the theater bouncing.  They shake when the ship crash lands, and they bounce again when the music starts in time to the beat.  It’s kind of fun, but quickly grows tiring.

I have some friends who are thrilled they brought this back.  They loved it originally and love it again now.  I, on the other hand, loved the replacement show they took out to bring this one back, so I was already biased against it.

The funny thing about nostalgia is, it really only works for stuff you already loved.  Since I am not a Michael Jackson fan nor saw this show as a kid, all I can see are the bad effects and cheesy costumes and dated elements.  If I were a fan, I’m sure it would make me smile and be all gooey inside.

I recently gave this another chance with a theater that was three quarters full.  There was some cheering the first time we saw Michael, which quickly turned to laughs or giggles when he spoke in his high pitched voice.  From there, the only noise I heard were laughs at some of the more dated elements.  The cheering was gone by the time the movie was over.

As an unrelated note, I can't help but think of the Borg from Star Trek as I watch this movie.  Yes, it predated the reboot of that franchise, but the Supreme Leader and her goons share much with those famous villains.

On the plus side, this is in a theater inside.  That means you are sitting down in air conditioning if the day is hot.

But really, that’s about the only reason I would recommend Captain EO Tribute.  The few moments of entertainment aren’t worth the time you’ll spend in the 80’s.

Book Review: Poster Art of the Disney Parks by Daniel Handke and Vanessa Hunt

Stars: 5 out of 5

Pros: Full color collection of classic Disney attraction posters

Cons: None for this Disney fan

The Bottom Line: 

Love Disney posters?

Then you'll spend hours looking through

Those collected here

The Book of Disney Poster Art I've Been Waiting Years to Own

With each trip to Disneyland, I drool over the various reproductions of the attraction posters I see.  If they weren’t so expensive, I would have bought many of the lithographs years ago.  And I have long said that if I could, I would buy a book of them.  Someone must have finally heard me because this year, Disney released Poster Art of the Disney Parks.

This is a large coffee table type book and the kind of thing you can pick up and browse through, set down, and come back to enjoy later.  It is mostly art work, reproduced in full color on every page, so you can “read” it cover to cover in a very short period of time.

The book starts out with an introduction to the posters, why they were originally created, how they were made, and how that process changed over the years.  They even explain why the Magic Kingdom parks get posters and many of the other theme parks don’t.

Once that is out of the way, the book is broken down into various chapters by lands.  After a brief one page introduction to that "land" and the styles used in creating the posters, the rest of the pages are filled with the posters for the attractions and restaurants in that area of the park.  That can create some cross over for things like the Haunted Mansion or Pirates of the Caribbean that appear in multiple places in the various parks.  But that’s what the index in the back is for.  They include posters for old attractions that aren’t in the park any more.  While posters are really only something for the Magic Kingdom, they do have chapters devoted to Tokyo Disney Sea and California Adventure as well.

And the reproductions of the posters are glorious.  Sometimes, you get a full poster on a page, but many times you get two or sometimes three posters.  There is a notation beside them telling you the artist and the year the poster was created.  As I mentioned earlier, these are in full color, so you are missing nothing from the experience of seeing them in the park as advertisements for other attractions.

There are several things that make this book fun.  The first is the fact that posters for old attractions are included.  There are a few I have only read about and several I remember from when I was a kid.  This time capsule is fun.

But they don’t just include one poster per attraction.  If several have been created over the years, they include them, so you can see how styles have changed.  They also include all the posters from all the Magic Kingdom parks around the world, so you can compare how the posters are changed to appeal to a different audience.  Sometimes it’s just the name of the park (Disneyland vs. Disneyland Paris) or land.  But sometimes it’s a completely different poster, like the one of Small World in the states versus Hong Kong.  And they also include art for posters in development, so you can compare to the final product.

I have never seen a complete list of posters created, so I seriously doubt that every poster is included here, but the most famous ones are here and its hard to think of many attractions that should be included but aren't.  And considering they have included the attractions for CarsLand in the chapter on California Adventure, I think it's fairly complete.  After all, those attractions just opened this year.

There are roughly 150 pages in this book, the vast majority of it the poster art.  And with all the examples, it is everything I dreamed of and more.

So if you enjoy your time at Disney parks and find the posters fun, you need a copy of Poster Art of the Disney Parks.  This is a well done book that Disney fans will treasure.

Disneyland Review: Mater's Junkyard Jamboree

Stars: 4 out of 5

Pros: Surprisingly fun whipping action, great themeing

Cons: Seems short when your are riding it

The Bottom Line: 

It spins and whips you

Which proves to be very fun

So visit Mater

Join Mater for a Whip Roaring Good Time

In the new CarsLand at Disney’s California Adventure, there is already a hierarchy of rides.  The one ride that everyone seems to walk right past is Mater’s Junkyard Jamboree.  Okay, I’ll grant you it doesn’t look like much, but it is surprisingly fun.

The ride is located at the main entrance to the land.  If you are walking from the main park entrance past Bug’s Land and CarsLand toward Paradise Pier, you really can’t miss it.

The ride itself is a spinner/tilt-a-whirl type ride.  But, of course, it’s done with fantastic Disney touches.

To enter the line, you walk under a sign that is reminiscent of the sign over Mater’s junkyard in the movie Cars.  And while you wait in line, you can see the opening cards from many of the Mater’s Tall Tales along one wall.  The line itself seems to fluctuate between 10 and 20 minutes.  Not bad at all for what you get.

When it is time to board the ride, you select a trailer to sit in behind a small, baby tractor.  Two adults can sit quite comfortably in the trailer, and if you’ve got a kid with you, there is room for them as well.  You buckle up using a seat belt and away you go.

The tractors are on four spinning discs, and as the music starts, the tractors start going, switching circles every time you come to one.  And every time you switch circles or you go around the curve of the circle, the trailer whips around from one side to the other.  Even watching this ride doesn’t prepare you for just how much whip you get.  I wasn’t expecting much the first time I got on it, and I was very pleasantly surprised by how much fun it was.  Every time I’ve gone on it since, I’ve enjoyed it just as much.

In keeping with the theme, Disney hired Larry the Cableguy to voice Mater for this ride.  He sings one of seven different songs while you enjoy the ride.  And listen to the instructions he gives before and after the ride as well since they are often a hoot.

My one complaint about the ride is how short it is.  I haven't timed it, but it feels like you're just getting going when it is over already.  Another 30 seconds would be just about right.  Of course, that would make the line that much longer, so I’m only complaining about the length of time when I’m actually riding.  When I'm in line, the length of the ride seems about right.

There are a total of 22 tractors on two separate sides of the ride.  Both sides go at the same time and enjoy the same song while whipping around their circles.

There is a height requirement of 32 inches to enjoy this ride.  It is handicap accessible, but you have to transfer to the trailer.  They have no other restrictions on it.

Yes, Mater’s Junkyard Jamboree could be longer, but I still get a kick out of it.  It’s a great thing to do in CarsLand since the line never seems to get too long.  Really, you should swing on by and visit Mater.

Disneyland Review: Radiator Springs Racers

Stars: 5 out of 5

Pros: A fun visit with favorite characters before fun race.

Cons: Screens on windshield could be more see through.

The Bottom Line: 

Blast from start to end

Characters plus thrilling race

On your mark, get set....

Race with Lightning McQueen, Mater, and All Your Radiator Springs Friends

For the last couple of years, "Pardon Our Pixie Dust" signs have been everywhere around California Adventure.  Finally, a year ago, the signs came down, and the public got to see the results.  One of the biggest changes is the new Cars Land, and the crown jewel of this area is Radiator Springs Racers.

When you step into Cars Land, you are taken to the town of Radiator Springs from the Disney-Pixar movie Cars.  It's a wonderful recreation.  At the end of the street are the rock formations from outside of town, and back in there is where you will find this new ride.

The lines are long, and I expect them to stay that way for quite a while.  To help with that, they offer both FastPass (come back during a pre-set window for a much shorter line) and Single Rider.  With how the cars are set up, the Single Rider lines moves pretty quickly, but don't expect to ride with your friends.  While you are winding through line, you can get a feel for the history of this small town as you wander through some of the original buildings and read a historical marker.  Yes, the detail starts that early.

Once you get to the front of the line, you are put in cars that seat six, three in each row.  (Told you there's a reason the single ride line moves quickly.  That odd number means at least one single rider usually goes per car.)  You buckle in with shoulder restraints if you are on the outside and just a lap restraint if you are in the middle.  And then you are off.

You actually start off with a leisurely drive through some of the landscape you have been admiring.  And let me tell you, it looks like you are driving through rock formations.  The detail on this ride is absolutely stunning.  You are taking the journey that Lightning McQueen and Sally took part way through Cars, and they even play the soundtrack from the movie to start you off.

Then you go inside a tunnel and find yourself running into characters from the film - almost literally.  Everyone from Radiator Springs has at least a cameo and a line.  Turns out you've come to Radiator Springs for a race.  Before you do, you go tractor tipping with Mater.  Then, as the single track splits into two, you either get a fancy new paint job or new tires.  At this point, you've lined up with another guest car, and Luigi sends you off on a race.

This part of the ride takes you through a couple of steeply banked turns and some hills.  It's neck and neck until the end, when one car wins and the other loses.  It's random who wins and loses, I'm at 50% myself.

All told, the ride takes just under four and a half minutes, and it's left me with a smile on my face every time I've done it.  The fastest you really get is around 40 miles per hour, but if you get caught up in the spirit of the ride, it feels like more.

Honestly, this is a variation of Test Track in Florida.  The difference is, this one has much better, more exciting, more interesting, and more magical themeing.  There, the theme is of a test track, and its okay.  Here, the rich detail around you and the use of the characters from Cars makes it so much more fun.  Unfortunately, this also means the ride will probably be plagued with the same down time that the ride in Florida does, but only time will tell for sure on that one.

The biggest flaw in this ride is the ride vehicles themselves.  They are designed to look like they fit into the world of Cars, right down to the eyes on the windshields.  That screen can block your view of some of the things you pass on the ride, especially if you are in the middle seat.  On the sides, it is fairly easy to see around.  I'm not sure how they fix that, although I consider it a minor issue since you can still see much of what is happening around you.

You need to be 40 inches tall to ride the ride.  It is accessible for the disabled, although you do have to transfer into the ride car to ride.

The first time I rode this, I turned to my friend and stated that California Adventure has a huge hit on their hands.  Every time since, my opinion hasn't changed in the slightest.  And yes, I went on it four times in the first week it was open.  Radiator Springs Racers is that much fun.

Disneyland Review: it's tough to be a bug

Stars: 3 out of 5

Pros: Some fun 3D and good message...

Cons: ...ruined by a scary middle section

The Bottom Line: 

Potential goodness

Made scary for young, phobic

So not a must do

Potentially Good Environmental Message Ruined by Scary Presentation

I’m a sucker for most of the 3D movies Disney has in their parks.  But I have never warmed to it’s tough to be a bug.  I just tried it again this weekend, and it still isn’t my idea of fun.

This show was imported from Disney World and is located in California Adventure on the main path from the entrance to Paradise Pier on the border of a bug’s land.  The line takes you down to a theater that has walls and a ceiling molded to look like you’re in an underground dirt cave.  It’s pretty cool.  There’s never a line for this one when I’m there.

The show features Flik and Hopper from a bug’s life, but aside from a few cameos those are the only characters from the movie to appear.

Flik starts out the nine minute show by welcoming us and making us honorary bugs so we can learn how amazing they really are.  We put on our “bug eyes” (the 3D glasses) and things get underway.  We’re treated to a great effect as the curtain turns into butterflies that fly away and we meet a tarantula that shoots at acorns (over the audience) and a soldier termite who mistakes us for intruders and spits “acid” (water) at us.  We are even “treated” to the spray of a stink bug.  Last time, this wasn’t that strong a smell, but I remember thinking it was pretty bad in the past.

But here’s where things turn dark, literally and figuratively.  Hopper appears and is furious with Flik for having the humans there.  We are enemies.  As evidence, he presents a montage of the creature features made with insects.  Then he has video of humans killing insects.  He turns the tables on us and sprays us with insecticide (another foul smelling gas), then has hornets sting us (the seats poke us in the back) before black widow spiders drop from the ceiling to try to grab us.  All of this happens in a theater that has gone dark with occasional flashing lights.  It’s downright scary.

Finally, a chameleon comes out that chases Hopper away, leaving Flik to role the final number which sings the praises of bugs.  There’s good info here, but it comes so fast it’s hard to catch it all.

I’m not at all opposed to the message of the show.  Insects do a great many things we need in our world, and we shouldn’t needlessly torture or kill them.  Much of the beginning and ending is a fun use of 3D and the special effects theater.  However, the part with Hopper is way too intense.  You know nothing will happen to you, but it’s still scary, especially for young kids or those with insect phobias.

So I recommend you only see it’s tough to be a bug if you are looking to kill a little time and aren’t easily frightened.  It’s certainly not worth a long wait to see.

Disneyland Review: Peter Pan's Flight

Stars: 5 out of 5

Pros: Feels like flying with amazing lights and details

Cons: Long line for a short ride

The Bottom Line: 

Fly to Neverland

After a very long wait

Short but so worth it

"Come on , Everybody, Here We Goooooo!"

I have always loved the story of Peter Pan, so it's no real surprise that my favorite of the rides in Fantasyland is Peter Pan's Flight.  However, it seems to be a popular ride with many people, and with good reason.

Peter Pan's Flight is located next to the castle in the heart of Fantasyland.  It's on the right hand side if you come in through the castle from Main Street.  Just look for the long line; you can't miss it.

And that's the biggest downside to this ride - it always has a long line.  I very rarely see this attraction with less than a half an hour wait.  The line snakes around outside, and is one of the least interesting lines in the park, too.  As you get closer, you will hear instrumental music from the movie and get to enjoy a giant mural on the wall.  Those with disabilities can use the exit to get on the attraction, although they will need to get in the pirate galleon.

Once you reach the front of the line, you'll board your very own pirate galleon.  These ships are big enough to accommodate two or three people per ship, although three can get very crowded if they are three adults.

And as you leave the loading area, you take off in flight.  That's the magic of this ride.  You are suspended from a track in the ceiling and fly through or over the scenes.

You start out in the Darling nursery as Peter encourages the kids to take flight.  Then it's out the window and over the rooftops until you reach London.  You fly over the city at night, and you see lights of the city below you.  If you look carefully, you can even see the cars on the streets.  From there, you fly over Neverland at night with stars around you in the sky.

From there, you're almost done, unfortunately.  You fly over a pirate ship as Peter Pan and Captain Hook fight, then swoop in as Tinkerbell lights up the ship to help send you home.  Finally, you fly over the mermaids and see Smee try to rescue Hook from the crocodile.  And just like that it's time to exit.

While this isn't the shortest of the dark rides in Fantasyland, it feels like it.  That's because most of the time is spent flying over the city and Neverland without really seeing any characters or scenes from the movie.  Once you do see some, you are pretty much done.

However, I really don't mind.  The effect of flying is so cool, and the detail of the scenes you fly over is amazing.  While I usually try to time this so I don't have a super long wait, it's still absolutely worth it for me.

As an aside, this ride was one of the original attractions when the park opened in 1955.  I can remember standing in line and hearing Peter Pan saying, "Come on, everybody, here we goooooo!" over and over again as a kid.  When they remodeled Fantasyland in the 1980's, they updated this ride and gave him a few phrases to say, so it's not as annoying when you are in line.

Disneyland Review: The Little Mermaid - Ariel's Undersea Adventure

Stars: 5 out of 5

Pros: Musical journey through one of their newer classic animated films

Cons: Only minor ones

The Bottom Line: 

Go under the sea

To experience magic

Of Ariel's tale

Ariel Becomes Part of Your World in the Musical Heavy Ariel's Undersea Adventure

It's rare that Disney creates dark rides these days.  Like many amusement parks, they seem to focus on more thrilling attractions.  So when they announced that they were going to add The Little Mermaid - Ariel's Undersea Adventure to California Adventure, I was thrilled.  The result is wonderful.

 In case you aren't familiar with the term dark ride, these are the rides where Disney takes you through a story from one of their movies.  You're in a vehicle that travels through bigger than life audio animatronics that are the only things lit in an otherwise dark building, hence the name.  The most popular of these can be found in Fantasyland, although they have a few scattered around other places.

The newest ride is located near the lagoon in California Adventure.  It's replacing the Golden Dreams Theater (which is no loss at all).

The vehicles for this ride are giant, pastel colored clamshells.  They're really beautiful.  They are on a continually running track and twist and turn to allow you the best view of the scenes inside.  In many ways, these are more colorful and decorated twins of the "Doom Buggies" from the Haunted Mansion.

The thing that struck me the most about this ride was the amount of music they used.  While you'll often get a few seconds of music here and there in these rides, it's rare that you get this much music.  In fact, they use the songs from the movie to tell most of the story.  We start with Ariel in her collection of human relic singing "Part of Your World."  Then we get Sebastian leading his hot crustacean band in "Under the Sea."   Next, as Ariel decides to make a bargain with Ursala, we get "Poor Unfortunate Souls."  Finally, there's a scene for "Kiss the Girl" as Sebastian tries to get Eric to kiss a voiceless Ariel.  Obviously, we don't get the entirety of a song in this ride since it tells the entire story in about six minutes, and the looping in the tracks as they return to the beginning can be awkward at times, but it works very well.

Meanwhile, the figures are amazing.  The mouths move in perfect unity with the words, even of the spoken dialogue we get for some of the transitions.  All the colors are bright and vibrant.  As the ride begins, we tip back in our seashell and slowly go "under water."  This effect is done with light shimmers, air bubbles, and sound effects and is very impressive.  Most of the ride takes place under water, and those effects are used throughout, although they obvious stop when we return to the surface near the end.

And I've got to give a shout out to my favorite scene.  "Under the Sea" is an impressive display of color and sea creatures.  We spend the longest in this room, winding through it.  Even then, it's hard to see everything on your first visit.  Many of the creatures from that scene in the movie are here.  It's just so much fun.

The entire time, I felt like I was part of the action.  Everything seemed to be right there, more so than in other dark rides, although I'm sure I'm really no closer to the figures.  Even so, I really was immersed in the story more than normal.

Yes, the ride does have a few drawbacks.  Like the Haunted Mansion, this ride must stop to accommodate guests with disabilities getting on and off, so I'm sure the vehicles will pause at least once every time I'm on it.  Since the figures keep moving and singing, that's not too big a problem for me.

A few of the figures look out of proportion to me.  Ariel seems to have this problem the most - her eyes are often too big for her head.  It worked okay for the movie, but here it looks odd.  This is especially noticeable in the final scene.

Speaking of the end, the climax of the story is rushed and doesn't really show the complexity of things.  Then again, they don't have time to show it to us.  What they do have actually does make sense, unlike some dark rides I could mention (*cough* Snow White *cough*).

The ending as presented here is still much better than the ending of the ride that they were considering back in 1992.  A computer animated version of this ride was included in the two disc platinum DVD.  After going on this ride, I pulled my set out and rewatched the simulation.  There are certainly similarities, but this version is so much better.

These problems are minor in my eyes.  Disney has a huge success with The Little Mermaid - Ariel's Undersea Adventure.  I expect long lines for the next couple of years, and it will be popular for years to come.

Disneyland Review: Star Tours - The Adventure Continues

Stars: 5 out of 5

Pros: Good 3D brings this fun, upgraded simulator ride to life

Cons: RIP original Star Tours

The Bottom Line: 

Fun new trips await

As you travel through Star Wars

In simulator

Tour a Galaxy Far, Far Away on Star Tours as The Adventure Continues

After being a huge hit for over 20 years, Disneyland's classic ride Star Tours is getting a major upgrade and a trip back in time.  (Don't worry, it will all make sense.)  Now dubbed Star Tours: The Adventures Continue, it's just opened in Florida and a couple of weeks away from opening in California.  I was fortunate enough to ride it once in California thanks to a friend who is a cast member.  The magic of a galaxy far, far away is still there and possibly even better.

For those who have never been on the classic ride, it is a motion simulator ride.  Originally opening in the late 80's, it found us boarding a Starspeeder 3000 for a flight to the moon of Endor.  Our pilot, Rex, was on his first trip, and he was still getting used to his programming.  That meant we had some wild bumps along the way as we overshot the moon, dodged through comets, and then finally helped defeat the Death Star.  Lots of people had complained that the ride was very outdated.  Personally, I still loved it and made a point of going every time I was at the park.  Okay, so I rarely saw the line over 30 minutes anymore, and you could hit it at 5 minutes if you waited until 9PM on weekends.  Instead of closing down the attraction, the decision was made to upgrade it.  It's been closed for over a year as the work has been done.  The result is impressive.

The new ride is set in the days between the prequel trilogy and the original trilogy.  Now we are boarding a Starspeeder 1000.  These Starspeeders are piloted by robots programed to fly safely, nick named Ace, and always get us to our destination on time.

The queue area is still laid out the same.  It's located just to the right as you pass through the main entrance to Tomorrowland from the Main Street Plaza.  There's a long line outside (yes, even during previews), but once you get inside, you'll pass through a room that feels like a waiting room in an airport.  You get weather forecasts and ads for destinations while C-3PO and R2-D2 work on fixing one of the Starspeeder 1000's.  The second room still has a maintenance droid spending more time talking to us than working, but along the way you pass a droid pick up area where you'll spot Rex, our pilot from the original in a cameo.  He's in a box labeled defective, and every so often, he starts to spit out one of his lines from the original script only to start sputtering and repeating the line at various speeds and pitches.  It's almost like Rex remixed.  Now why he would be there and saying those lines if this ride takes place before the original is a question that is never addressed.  Best to ignore that.  After all, it's a nice nod to the original, and as a fan of the classic version, I liked it.

When you reach the top of the ramp, you are spent to your individual Starspeeder for your adventure.  While you wait, a film still plays on monitors above the door.  This one shows some maintenance bots working on our ship.  As we wait, Ace finds C-3PO and gets him to work on something in the cockpit.  Then the safety video comes on.  It's the same spiel as before, but this time given by Aly San San, the spokesbot for Star Tours.

Finally, it's time to board the Starspeeder.  Each simulator seats about 40 people in 5 rows.  You get a seatbelt you'll definitely want to use.  And our tour is off - there's just one problem, Ace hasn't come back and C-3PO is behind the wheel.  He does his best to get us through whatever comes next.

And just what comes next?  Well, that's a very good question.  Instead of just one movie, the new ride has multiple stories, characters, and locations.  They can be mixed and matched to create 54 different rides.  I'm going to have to go back on this one a bunch of times.  I have a feeling I won't be alone, so I expect the line on this one to be long for quite a while again.

What are some of the possibilities?  Well, when I rode, we were just about to leave when Darth Vader showed up and tried to board us to capture a spy.  We escaped and went to light speed only to find ourselves on Kashyyk where some Wookiees are battling against Storm Troopers in planes.  Finally, Yoda showed up and gave us coordinates for a place to safely deliver the rebel.  But this is just one possible story.  We might have wound up on Tatooine, Coruscant, Hoth, Naboo, or outside the Death Star and seen Princess Leia, Chewbacca, or Admiral Ackbar.

The biggest change to the ride is the new 3D projection.  We're given flight glasses before being assigned to our Starspeeder, which are the glasses we'll need to see the effects.  This is not a ride with 3D jumping off the screen, which makes sense since we are supposed to be in a space ship watching stuff happening outside.  The picture looks amazing, however, and the 3D really brings the world outside the spaceship to vivid life.

They also upgraded the simulator system that rocks our ship all over the place.  Personally, I felt it was smoother than the original, although we still twist and turn all over the place since C-3PO doesn't know the controls and all kinds of stuff is happening around us.  It's fun, and I wouldn't have it any other way.

Because of the simulator, this ride is a little on the rough side.  Kids must be 40 inches or taller to ride.  There is wheelchair access to the ride as well.  And they are gearing up for FastPass on this ride with booths across the way near the Buzz Lightyear Astro Blasters ride.

A part of me is still sad, however.  I loved Rex and our old adventure, and I will always miss it.  It's too bad one of the options couldn't be the original run, but it doesn't make sense given the new setting for the ride.  But that's just the nostalgic part of me speaking.

So, is Star Tours: The Adventures Continue fun?  Absolutely!  It will thrill Star Wars fans all over again and bring people back again and again to see all the different combinations.  I know I can't wait to see where else I can now go.

Disneyland Review: Matterhorn Bobsleds

Stars: 5 out of 5

Pros: Fun run down a mountain

Cons: Long lines

The Bottom Line: 

Race down snowy peak

And away from the yeti

This ride's always fun

Disney's First Thrill Ride Still Thrills

As I have said many times, Disney parks are not known for their thrill rides.  Sure, they have them, but that is not now nor has it ever been their main draw.  And I suspect it never will be.  But that doesn't mean they don't have some fun roller coaster rides.  And the first one of those to open was the Matterhorn Bobsleds.

The Matterhorn is located between Fantasyland and Tomorrowland.  In fact, when it first opened, it was considered a Tomorrowland attraction.  It's down the parade route from it's a small world and directly across the walkway from Alice in Wonderland and the Mad Tea Party.  On the Tomorrowland side, it's across the walkway from the submarine lagoon.  Of course, it's fairly easy to spot.  It's the only year round snow in Southern California, and its peak sticks up in the skyline.

There are two sides to this attraction, the Fantasyland Side and the Tomorrowland side, named so based solely on which land you load closer to.  I have found that the Tomorrowland side is always open, but when the park slows down it will be the only side open.  When both sides are open, they usually have you line up on both sides of the mountain, although sometimes they just have you line up on the Tomorrowland side and the two lines split up when you reach the front of the mountain.  Confused yet?  It's actually simpler than it sounds if you are paying attention when you are in the park.  This attraction is the only one in the "Disneyland Mountain Range" that doesn't offer FastPass.  Lines are usually around half an hour but can easily climb to 45 minutes or longer on busy days.

The rollercoaster cars are designed to look like bobsleds.  There are two cars attached to each other by a cable, and each car seats up to four people.  You are sitting one in front of the other with the front person in the back person's lap, so you do want to know your seat mate before you buddy up.  The restraint is an old fashioned airplane seatbelt.

The ride is accessible to those in wheelchairs as long as they can transfer to the bobsled.  Additionally, you have to be 35 inches tall to ride.

When the ride starts, you are pulled up the inside of the mountain in the dark.  Once you reach the top, it is all downhill as you race around the mountain.  You'll race through snowy caverns, some of which have giant crystals in them.  You race in and out and around the mountain, sometimes completely inside the manmade structure, and sometimes outside.  And you get a couple of encounters with an automatronic abominable snowman, but you race by him so quickly I seriously doubt that he'll scare kids.  They'll be by him before they have time to really realize what he is.

When the ride first opened in 1959, it was the first tubular steel continuous track roller coaster built.  Who says Disney hasn't made rollercoaster history?  While I never rode the "original," my understanding is that they really upgraded the theming of the ride when they redid it in the 1970's.  One thing I love about Disney is their use of theme, and that is certainly on display here.  If you let your imagination take over, you'll believe you are racing through snowy caverns on a mountain.  The only track you can ever see is what is right in front of you or right next to you.  There's no place to see the entire layout, even from the ground.

The thrills are very tame, so those looking for them will be disappointed.  It's a great ride for families, however, because it will still entertain mom and dad while really thrilling their kids.  I can easily see this being a first rollercoaster for many young kids.

Each of the loading areas leads to a separate but similar track.  In fact, there are times where your track is running parallel to another car.  If you are lucky, you can be racing next to someone.  According to Disneyland's official website, the Fantasyland track is slightly longer and features some sharper turns.  Personally, all I know is that either side is lots of fun.

My parents love this ride and actually prefer it to Space Mountain, which they think is too jerky.  A friend I always go with thinks that Matterhorn is too jerky and Space Mountain is smoother.  Me?  I think they're pretty much the same and love both of them.

As you reach the bottom of the ride, you splash down in some water.  Almost all the water splashes away from you.  If you get wet on this ride, it's only a few drops that will dry quickly.

I enjoy Disneyland for the variety of rides they have.  I never go looking for serious thrills, but I do enjoy the ones they have.  That's why I make the Matterhorn Bobsleds a high priority every time I'm in the park.

Disneyland Review: California Screamin'

Stars: 5 out of 5

Pros: Fun roller coaster with a loop

Cons: Closes early

The Bottom Line: 

Disney rarity

A thrilling roller coaster

Even with a loop

Have a Screamin' Good Time on Paradise Pier

Disney parks, especially the two in California, aren't known for their thrill rides.  But that is changing a little in the second theme park there, California Adventure.  In fact, one of the opening day attractions is California Screamin', a steel roller coaster that is a blast from start to finish.

This thrill ride is the heart of Paradise Pier, so is located in the back of California Adventure behind the lagoon.  You can't miss it since it weaves back and forth over the pier.  The entrance is located on the left hand side of the pier by the carousel.

Because this attraction is popular, you can expect to wait to ride it.  Half an hour is a good wait time.  Don't feel like waiting?  Grab a fast pass and use the ticket to return during a pre-determined window later to wait in a shorter line.  If you don't care about riding with your friends, you can also use the single rider line.

When your turn comes to board, you'll be put in rows of two.  There's an overhead harness that holds you in, and a pouch to hold any loose articles.  Of course, if you have anything like a backpack that's at all big, you have to hold that at your feet.  Because of the restraints and the fast nature of the ride, you must be at least 48 inches tall to ride it.

Your car actually starts out shooting from the start and up the first hill.  No long, slow climb of anticipation.  From there, it's a race from one end of Paradise Pier to the other and back again.  You go up and down hills and around corner.  Top speeds for the ride are 55 mph.

Oh yeah, and there's the matter of the loop.  About half way through the ride, your car goes upside down as you go around a loop.  Okay, so most thrill ride lovers will find only one loop to be rather tame.  And I'll freely admit that I'd find more loops or corkscrews fun.  However, I still find the one loop to be lots of fun.

Sadly, they have taken out the extra bit of decoration that made the loop the bigger circle of a Mickey head.  I still don't know why they took that out, and it makes me sad.

Since there is just over a mile of track, the ride lasts two and a half minutes, which is not nearly as long as I would like.  The track is incredibly smooth, and I could ride the hills and turns for twice as long and not be the least bit bored.

Just before you arrive back as the station, smile.  They take your picture for purchase just after you get off your car.

One final note - due to the popular World of Color show in the lagoon, Paradise Pier closes early.  That's all the attractions, including this one.  So if you want to do it, be sure you put it early in your agenda for the day.

California Screamin' won't be showing up on any extreme thrills list any time soon, but that doesn't make it a bad ride.  In fact, it's a fun roller coast that will leave you smiling and ready for more.

TV Episode Review: Disneyland - Secrets, Stories, and Magic - Walt Disney Treasures Collection

Stars: 4 out of 5

Pros: Fun shows from the 50's and 60's

Cons: New stuff doesn't tell us anything new

The Bottom Line:

Old shows are still fun

New stuff isn't quite as good

Disnerds will still love

Secrets?  Not so Much.  But There Are Definitely Magical Stories of Disneyland in This Set

Sadly, it appears that Disney has decided not to continue with the Disney Treasures DVD sets.  Over the years, these two disc collections have included some fun and rare stuff that Disnerds like me have lapped up.  (Okay, so I've probably only watched about half of what I have, but I still want more.)  Disneyland - Secrets, Stories & Magic was released a couple of years ago, and I just now got around to watching it.  I felt like it didn't quite live up to the Secrets part of the title, but there are Stories and Magic aplenty.

The heart of the first disc is a new 80 minute long documentary about the creation of the park.  It starts with the idea Walt originally had and covers the construction and opening of the park.  Most of the time is spent on Walt's years, and the time after he died is covered only briefly.  Over the course of the documentary, you get vintage and new interviews from Walt Disney, George Lucas, and various people who were instrumental in the park over the years.  While I enjoyed it and lapped up all the information again, I didn't really feel like there was anything new here.  Disnerd that I am, I knew just about every story retold already.  Not that I don't enjoy hearing them again, but I wanted something new.

And that's where the rest of the disc comes through in shining colors.  The first disc also includes "People and Places: Disneyland USA."  This 42 minute documentary filmed in the daring, new technology of cinemascope, was made in 1956 and takes us to all four of the lands of Disneyland.  It really is a time capsule, and I found looking at the park I know and love as it was when it first opened fascinating.  There's also an audio commentary on this special with Disney and film historian Leonard Maltin and Imagineer Tony Baxter.

Before we leave disc one, I should mention the trivia challenge.  I picked hard figuring I knew it all.  This wasn't as easy as it looked.  When you finally answer enough questions, you get a video ride through of some of the popular rides in the park.

The second disc in the set contains some truly fun gems.  Up first is a 14 minute presentation never meant to air outside of ABC stations.  "Operation Disneyland" was filled to show them the work that went on to bring the live opening day broadcast to the stations.  Live TV sure was complicated back then.  Okay, so it's not worth watching more than once, but I enjoyed seeing it.

The heart of this disc are three episodes of The Wonderful World of Color TV show from the 1960's.  Up first is "The Golden Horseshoe Revue," a celebration of the 10,000th performance in the theater in Frontierland.  In addition to the regular cast of Betty Taylor and Wally Boag, we get appearances by guest stars Ed Wynn and Mouseketeer Annette Funicello.  This show is funny.  If the Golden Horseshoe still had something of this caliber, I'd make a point of going when I visit the park.

Next comes "Disneyland Goes to the World's Fair."  For the 1964-1965 World's Fair, Disney contributed several attractions, all of which moved to the park when the fair ended.  We get a behind the scenes look at the growing field of audio animatronics as we see how they created such classics as it's a small world, Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln, and The Carousel of Progress.  There's not much new here, but I had a blast watching it anyway, especially since the last 15 minutes is a video trip through it's a small world.  (Yes, I can hear you screaming from here.)

Finally, we get "Disneyland Around the Seasons," a celebration of the 11th year of the park.  And what a busy year it was as the previous mentioned attractions opened.  That means we get some of the same behinds the scenes info on them, and a similar tour of small world.  We also get to see Mr. Lincoln's speech, and it's just as moving on video and it is in person.  This was also the year that New Orleans Square opened.  Finally, the special concludes with the Christmas parade from 1966.  Sadly, the joy of this special is tainted just Disney died just three days before it originally aired.

But we aren't quite done yet.  Somewhere in the archives, they discovered time lapse photography of the construction of the park, and they've included it here with commentary by Tony Baxter and two other Disney employees.  No, this isn't riveting TV, but it is fascination to watch the almost 40 minutes and hear their thoughts on how quickly the entire park came together.

If this had managed to unearth some new, surprising stories, I would have given Disneyland - Secrets, Stories & Magic a full five stars.  As it is, you've probably heard most of this no matter how big a Disney fan you are.  But the productions from the 50's and 60's are loads of fun and worth tracking this set down.