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Scott
Posts: 2766
Registered: 11/7/2004
Rank: Platinum Critic
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 1/10/2008 11:54:40 PM
Indy! Big Thunder Mountain! Pirates ("Dohhn't be cheatin!"). More rides! More cinnamon! More everything!!!
Sarah and I spent 3 days at Disneyland last weekend. I can only say that this was one of the most perfect trips I have ever had. Not only was the sun shining, but the park looked and smelled absolutely beautiful. It looked fairly crowded, but there weren't any major lines! We rode nearly everything in the park - twice! We also took the time to enjoy the little nooks and crannies of the park - Snow White's wishing well, Sleeping Beauty's castle, a wonderful little walkway behind Big Thunder Mountain. And we enjoyed the food at Disneyland. For breakfast I had pecan sticky bun. I also had my first churro. Yum!!!
I realized on this trip for the first time that Disneyland is much prettier than Disney World. Disney World has a much more artificial feel whereas Disneyland has a more intimate, traditional feel. The trees and vegetation are much more mature and dominate the view here, and the pedestrian areas and walkways are smaller and have a more varied gradation. I know alot of people who prefer the Florida parks, but I personally think that Disneyland California is without a doubt, the *best* park in the chain.
Disneyland's entrance is a hassle, but it had the same effect on me as it did when I was kid - aren't we there yet? It took at least twenty minutes from entering the lot to entering the park. I parked in the Pumbaa parking lot. Since this is such a small lot, parking was free.
Upon entering the park we were given free "Dream Fastpasses" from the disney dreams squad. Only a few hundred of these are printed daily, and they are handed out at random. I was thrilled! This fastpass enabled us to ride every attraction at Disneyland without waiting.
Splash Mountain. We used our first FastPass of the day for Splash Mountain, and we thought we were soooo cool to get the front seat. Big mistake. Walls of water came rushing over the top not once, but twice on this ride, completely soaking us both and giving us squishy shoes that would last the rest of they day. Moral of the story: don't ride the front of Splash Mountain.
Next we went to Space Mountain. I had heard most people like this version better than the one at Disney World. To tell the truth I don't even remember my ride on the one at DW because I had a splitting headache and it was 4 years ago. The queue for this was probably our second longest wait, but it was nice getting a chance to see Tomorrowland from the different viewing areas. Space Mountain is AWESOME. The sound system is piped directly into the headrests of each seat, giving every rider an incredibly personal experience. I had my sunglasses on so the ride was completely dark and what fun it was! The sound system just *makes* this ride a first rate experience.
Indiana Jones and jungle cruise were next. The queues in both of these rides are attractions in themselves. This is one example of the positive side of long waits. The incredibly detailed queue areas immerse you in the story line so that you don't feel the least bit restless waiting to ride.
We stopped for a bite to eat at the Bengal Barbeque. This place smells fantastic and the food is fabulous! I had smoked asparagus skewers wrapped in bacon and they were incredible. Disneyland has some great places to eat and the prices were not out of line considering the quality of the food.
Next we went to the Matterhorn. I felt very deprived when I did not get to ride this last year, so I was looking forward to it! The Matterhorn is great! It rides like a mine train - no steep drops, but lots of fast turns and good speed right up to the end. I loved weaving in and out of the mountain and even the little splash down at the end of the ride.
Next we went to New Orleans Square for a trip through the Haunted Mansion. This mansion looks much cooler than the one I remember at Disney World. It's an old color of green and blends in well wi
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Scott
Posts: 2766
Registered: 11/7/2004
Rank: Platinum Critic
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 1/18/2008 12:21:06 AM
oh come on, you guys are lame. A week and not a single comment? 
Message updated 1/18/2008 12:21:33 AM by Scott
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larrygator
Posts: 4654
Registered: 11/7/2002
Rank: Platinum Critic
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1/20/2008 3:29:09 PM
Well the site hasn't exactly been kicking the past week, as there has only been about 50 total posts.
As far as one Disney park looking more artificial than the other. I find them both to be extremely artificial.
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ginzo
Posts: 564
Registered: 7/16/2006
Rank: Gold Critic
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1/20/2008 4:07:35 PM
Quote:
Scott said:
I know alot of people who prefer the Florida parks, but I personally think that Disneyland California is without a doubt, the *best* park in the chain. |
Have you actually been to every park in the chain, including the 5 international parks? I've only been to US parks, but I've heard many claim that Tokyo DisneySea is the nicest park in the chain.
I also prefer Anaheim to Florida, BTW. I like how you don't have to walk 23402349234092342030432 miles to get across the park. I also appreciate that you can easily move between the two parks there without having to take some crappy crowded bus.
Quote:
Scott said:
We decided to ride Pirates next. I absolutely *love* this version of pirates. It must be double the length of the one in Florida! The theming on this version is much better, and I liked the additional drop. Florida really got screwed. |
There really is no comparing the two rides. Florida's is just too damn weak in comparison. Pirates did not open with the Magic Kingdom in '71 because the Imagineers mistakenly thought it wouldn't work in Orlando. Their rationale was that Pirates wouldn't be exotic enough given the close proximity to New Orleans. Guests loudly complained about the lack of Pirates in Orlando. So, they put an abbreviated version of the ride in using whatever space they could scrounge up. There just wasn't enough space to do it right, or so the story goes.
Quote:
Scott said:
We ended the night on the new Finding Nemo Submarine Voyage. I loved this ride. It is very well themed, and is perfect for the entire family. It's a very "magical" feeling ride. Some of the effects were fantastic! There were only 3 other people in the submarine with us. |
Haven't done this one yet, but this attraction alone will probably get me back out to California sometime soon.
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