Disneyland - Disney's California Adventure
By
Jeffrey Lange
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Indiana Jones offers the most
fun
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The costumed characters
bring out the child in everyone
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I am not a Disney fan.
Now please don't misinterpret that statement. I am not anti-Disney.
I don't hate cartoons and animated films. I don't loathe the mouse. On
the contrary, I think he is pretty swell.
What I mean to say is when I was young, my parents weren't ushering me
to the theatre every time a new Disney movie came out.
In fact, the last Disney animated film I saw upon its release was The Lion King in
1994.
So as you can tell, it has been quite some time since I've gotten
excited over something Disney related. However, I believe this lack of
familiarity with the intricacies and nuances of the Disney franchise
which gives me quite the unique perspective when it comes to taking a
look at Disneyland and its "Magic Kingdom".
I'm 27 years old. I have no children. I wasn't raised on Disney. I'm
just a guy looking to go have some fun.
Can you have fun at Disneyland as an adult without being Disney crazy?
How does it compare to other amusement parks?
And what's the deal with all these magical times I've been hearing
about?
Okay, Walt, I'm game. Let's see what you have got. Bring on the magic!
The first thing that struck me as I entered the park and the gates
opened was the attitudes and outfits of the people around me.
We are talking hundreds of kids dressed in Mickey Mouse ears. Heck,
even their grandmothers were wearing Mickey ears.
I guess all that business about the Mickey Mouse Club isn't just lip
service.
People seem genuinely united in their love of these characters. After a
quick moving security line, I hadn't taken more than ten steps into the
park when I heard a gentleman yell out, "It's Mary Poppins! Oh my god!"
And there she was, just as you would picture a living Mary Poppins in
the flesh. Seeing that man's reaction put me in the right frame of mind
for this day. Time to be a kid again. Throughout the day, I saw all
sorts of character actors frequently taking time to interact with the
patrons and I was impressed with their level of enthusiasm and kindness.
I especially enjoyed seeing a girl in her early twenties practically
dragging Aladdin away from Jasmine while gushing professing her undying
love for him and his movie. All the while Jasmine stood by patiently
with a big smile on her face.
Looks like there is definitely some competition for his attention!
Overall, the character actors added to the experience without being
overly in your face if you just wanted to sit back and observe. They
struck a nice balance. Want to snap a photo with Jack Sparrow? No
problem. Want Tigger to leave you alone? He won’t bother you.
Let's talk about rides. That is why I go to
a themepark - Show me the rides!
You can have the best environment in the universe, but if the rides are
no good then you aren't worth much in my book. I will say this about
Disney - they sure do have variety. Slow rides, fast rides, nostalgic
rides, gaming rides, trains, submarines, you name it.
Disneyland really does have something for everyone.
I went on nearly every ride possible and enjoyed just about every one
regardless of what age group the ride was targeting. I really got into
the idea of letting go, being a kid, and having fun.
The crowd favorite was without a doubt the Indiana Jones Adventure.
This is a ride that has the total package. It is a crazy jeep ride from
hell with an absolutely killer environment enhanced with music,
visuals, and even an animatronic Indy.
My blood really got pumping hearing the Raiders March theme while
narrowly avoiding being crushed by a huge boulder. I went on the Indy
ride a few times and I enjoyed it more and more each time. In fact,
it's probably the best theme park ride I have ever been on without a
doubt.
Also of special note was the new Toy
Story Midway Mania ride set up in California Adventure.
The rider dons 3D glasses and uses a sort of target shooting gun to
play a series of "Shoot Em Up" carnival style games. This ride is more
than just shooting at targets, as spins, blasts of air, and water
sprays accent the player's shots and really jazz up the experience.
I found it fun comparing my score at the end with others who were on
the ride, thinking about how I could improve my tactics for the next go
around. Waiting in line for this ride was a pleasant experience due to
the large animatronic Mr. Potato Head dressed up like a carnival barker.
It seems this friendly character is equipped with visual recognition
allowing him to tell jokes tailored to those waiting in line. To a
woman wearing a visor in front of me, he called out, "Hey Lady! Yes,
you there in the yellow shirt. I think you are missing the top of your
hat. Has anyone found the top of this lady’s hat?".
I'll admit it. I was impressed.
One point of note about this new Toy Story ride is that later when I
went on Buzz Lightyear Astro Blasters (also a shooting style ride), it
felt very outdated and clunky by comparison. It hasn’t aged well over
its ten-year lifespan.
Toy Story Midway Mania is the ride that Astro Blasters wishes it could
be. I wish I would have gone on the Buzz Lightyear ride first, and then
the Toy Story ride. After Toy Story, Buzz Lightyear was kind of a
downer. Toy Story
was just that good.
The best darn straight up roller coaster award goes to California
Screamin’, also located in California Adventure. I wish all roller
coasters were like this one. It has a fast takeoff (which I love), nice
drops, and the ride lasts quite a while.
No one likes a 30 minute wait only to ride for a 20 seconds. This
wasn’t a problem here as I had plenty of opportunities to scream my
head off at high speeds. California
Screamin is a ride that is definitely worth the wait. All
in all, the rides at Disney compare favorably with any other theme park
you can name. They’ve got everything you could want, and the level of
quality is a notch above your average park.
I couldn't call the trip to Disney a complete success without an
episode of this "Disney Magic" I've heard so much about. Well fortune
smiled upon me, because I experienced not one but two special moments
that I think qualified. So it’s late in the evening, the sun has set,
and I’m on the Alice in Wonderland ride.
It's a nostalgic ride that plays out the tale like a storybook. So I’m
relaxing enjoying the scenery, and as my ride car exits an enclosure on
the top of a slope I am immediately surrounded by lights, music, and…a
parade?
That's right, I’m on a classic ride watching possibly the most famous
of Disneyland events, a parade, or to be more specific, "Walt Disney’s
Parade of Dreams". And just whom do I lock eyes with but none other
than the big kahuna himself, Mr. Mickey Mouse, standing atop on a float
with Minnie.
Holy cow, it's the mouse, and he was staring right at me! Suddenly I
was six years old again. I waved. He waved back, a special Mickey Mouse
wave just for me. I must have smiled for about 5 minutes straight.
Magic.
Finally as the night is coming to a close, I set my sights on the last
ride of the evening. The King Arthur Carrousel. Nothing says amusement
park like a well-made carousel. I’m near the front of the line and in
front of me are two gentlemen in their mid-30s speaking in excited,
hushed tones to the ride operator. The gate to the carousel swung open
and these two stocky men start sprinting towards a horse. The first one
there quickly mounted his new steed. “Gold tooth!” he bellowed. “Gold
tooth!” Gold what? Tooth? Say what now?
I get up on a horse behind these two enthusiasts and try to figure out
exactly what was going on.
Soon I get the full story out of them, one they were quite eager to
share. Apparently out of the seventy or so horses on the King Arthur
Carrousel there is one horse that has a single golden tooth in his
horsy smile.
That very horse, the story goes, was the favorite carrousel horse of
Walt Disney’s wife, Lillian. Now I get it.
I stare on in envy as the ride goes on, with the gentleman on the
special horse calling out to his friends watching from the sidelines
every time the carousel spun by them, displaying his prize horse. As
the ride came to its inevitable conclusion, everyone hopped off his or
her mount and headed for the exit. I didn’t want to leave.
I quickly asked the ride operator if I could stay on for just one more
ride, to which he agreed without question. Without delay I climbed
aboard proudly. “Gold tooth!” I yelled out with arms extended over my
head. “Gooooooold tooth!”
Well I didn’t know it until now. I’m a Disney fan!
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