Even now that I am back in Perth it is taking me longer to get my notes together then I expected, so now I think it's going to take a while before I get all my blog posts done. But I guess it's a good way of extending the enjoyment that I get out of my holiday :)
So here is the first instalment of my thoughts on the attractions at Disneyland, this one focusing on Main Street, Adventureland, New Orleans Square, Critter Country and Frontierland.
Disneyland Park
Main Street, U.S.A.
Disneyland Railroad - The railroad can be ridden all the way around as an attraction or used as transportation (it's probably slower than walking but at least you are sitting down). The most interesting parts of the trip are the section between New Orleans and Toontown (views of the Rivers of America) and between Tomorrowland and Main Street (dioramas and animatronics of Grand Canyon and dinosaurs - the dinosaurs are pretty cool).
Main Street Vehicles - The only one of these I tried was the Horse-Drawn Streetcar. Kind of fun but not especially exciting (and slower than just walking down Main Street). I wouldn't go out of my way to ride any of these.
Disneyland Story - The animatronic of Lincoln was really good but overall the presentation was very patriotic which I always find a little awkward as a non-American. It also seemed to borrow whole segments from the American Adventure attraction in Epcot. The air-conditioning was freezing (which may be a pro or a con depending on how hot you are).
Main Street Cinema - I popped in here but didn't stay long once I realised there isn't any seating. The cinema shows old Mickey Mouse cartoons - it's probably not that difficult to find them on YouTube and watch from the comfort of your own home.
Adventureland
Enchanted Tiki Room - This classic attraction is nothing impressive but I enjoy the songs. The main show is now pretty much the same at Disneyland and Disney World, but the pre-shows are completely different.
Jungle Cruise - The animatronics on this ride are quite out-dated now, so the entertainment value really relies on the skippers. Fun if you enjoy Dad jokes.
Indiana Jones - I remembered this as one of the best rides ever and it fell a little short of my expectations. I guess a lot of amazing rides have been built since I was last in Disneyland in 2001. I still enjoyed it, it just wasn't super-impressive. The first time I rode I used Single Rider - the route I had to take was quite confusing and I ended up merging into the regular queue and not being used to fill a single seat anyway. In total I waited about 15 minutes (posted standby 25) even though there was only 1 single rider in front of me. The second time I rode I got a fastpass, but the rode then broke down. I lucked out and returned to the ride just as it re-opened, so I was able to walk on without even using the fastpass.
Tarzan's Treehouse - This is basically a retheming of the original Swiss Family Treehouse that is still around at Disney World. It's mildly interesting. There is a play area at the end that looked like it would be fun for kids but didn't really have anything for adults.
New Orleans Square
Pirates of the Caribbean - Always one of my favourite rides but even better at Disneyland. I really like the way it transitions from present to past, and the drops add a bit of a thrill component to it. The wait was very manageable in the early to mid morning.
Haunted Mansion - This had been recently updated to add some new effects which were quite impressive, including the Hat Box Ghost. The Disneyland version doesn't have an interactive queue like at Disney World, but the wait was quite short last thing at night (which is always my favourite time to ride Haunted Mansion anyway).
Critter Country
Splash Mountain - This was definitely the disappointment of Disneyland. I love the Disney World version, but the Disneyland version was much shorter and was missing some of my favourite parts. Plus the animatronic geese weren't working. Splash does have a single rider line, but since I rode early in the morning it was easier to just jump in the regular line than try to figure out where the single rider line was.
Davy Crockett's Explorer Canoes - This was fun. The focus was more on the paddling than seeing the sights (the Mark Twain or the Columbia would be better for that). It was a bit of a workout, especially for someone like me with no arm strength. The operating hours for this are quite limited (I believe 11-5 and only on weekends).
The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh - The newest and one of the best of the dark rides. Fun even for adults. The wait for this is much less than for the Disney World version, I guess because it is quite out of the way.
Frontierland
Pirate's Lair on Tom Sawyer Island - The target audience of this is obviously kids but I found it a nice change of pace after a couple of hours of rushing from attraction to attraction. The caves were fun to explore and I liked the added pirate touches.
Sailing Ship Columbia - I chose this over the Mark Twain because I figured the Mark Twain would be more similar to the Liberty Belle in Disney World. I assume the view from the two boats is similar so I probably wouldn't do both. The highlight was a real cannon being fired. Like the canoes, the Columbia only runs on weekends and starts running at 11 (the Mark Twain has longer hours and continues running while the Columbia runs - they leave from the same dock).
Big Thunder Mountain Railroad - I really like this ride because it's a fun rollercoaster but also has great theming. It's a little bit jerkier than I remembered (I guess I'm getting older), but it's still one of my favourite rides.
Big Thunder Ranch - This is basically a small petting zoo. I mainly popped in because it is scheduled to close early next year to make way for Star Wars Land so this was going to be only chance ever to check it out. I patted some goats. I don't think anyone is really going to miss this when it goes.
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