The Things I Will Avoid On My Next Trip To Disneyland

Sorry to miss Thunder Mountain Railroad on my next trip
Closed for refurbishment till Halloween

I can't say officially that the Disneyland light is on and our next trip is on the calendar but we're getting close to that point. A few text messages went back and forth last week with my sister and maybe, just maybe, a trip to Disneyland at the end of April or the beginning of May is a pretty good possibility all things considered.

It's easy to make plans or get excited about all the things you plan to do. Just as easily for me is tell you all the things I plan to avoid with a pretty good degree of moral certainty. Nothing is for sure but below are places, rides, attractions I have a pretty good idea I will be staying away from.

No horse drawn street car rides for the Disneyland Traveler

Let's start right out on Main Street where many people avoid Lincoln or the Main St. Cinema like the plague. Not me. I go to those places out of respect and tradition more than anything else. What I won't do is allow one of those beautiful horses drag my sorry butt up Main St. in a street car. Sure that is what the horse is bred to do and Disneyland horses are probably some of the best cared for animals on the planet but nope, I'm not letting one of those beautiful creatures haul me around. Can't do it.

I have seen the last of Captain EO.

The Disneyland Traveler is just a bit on the old side for the Astro-Orbitor

Finding Nemo Submarine Voyage? Just don't care for the claustrophobic cartoon ride.

Love ASIMO - Can't stand the rest of Innoventions

A wave from Mrs. DisnelandTraveler and the Boy from years ago
Sorry, I know how to drive a car. So does the Boy now.

Tomorrowland seems to have my most sure fire losers. You can start with Innoventions. I have no use for what is nothing more than a commercial sales pitch and a total waste of time outside of ASIMO, the Honda robot. They can't tear this place down fast enough for me. Autopia is a nice ride for its kind and extremely popular but since I spend many hours a week driving around in a car, driving one in Disneyland doesn't thrill me much. I love the subs but don't care for the Finding Nemo cartoon overlay minimizing the once proud Disneyland vessels. The Astro-Orbitor is fine for what it is but just not for me. Just a bit too old for it. And without any hesitation whatsoever - it would be fine with me if Captain EO shut down permanently at the close of business today. It was a silly 80's remnant when it closed in the 90's. It's even more silly now - even for many Michael Jackson fans. I forgot to show a picture of Red Rockets Pizza Port. I've never eaten there. Have not intention to - ever. Also I never have or will ever stick a coin or token in a Starcade game. Why?

Storybookland Canal Boats - Sweet, historic, boring as all get out

Pinocchio's Daring Journey isn't really daring.

King Arhur's Carousel - A merry-go-round by most accounts

Over in Fantasyland I've said in the past that Mrs. DisneylandTraveler usually go through all the dark rides every few years. Will this be the year? Probably won't know till we get there. We go through rides when we know we can do them all quickly in a short amount of time although waits usually are always present for Peter Pan's Flight and Alice in Wonderland. At the bottom of the dark ride list is Pinocchio. Other than the music, it just doesn't offer much to most people. I can easily, easily pass on it even if I went on other Fantasyland dark rides. Speaking of boring, here comes the Storybookland Canal boats. It's has its charm, is an original Disneyland ride created by Walt himself, but defines what a boring ride is. Someone said to go on it at night. I did. Same ride, just dark outside. (I prefer the Casey Jr. Circus Train which covers the same territory - a little more fun, a little less boring). King Arthur's Carousel? My merry-go-round days are over.

Thunder Mountain Railroad - Love the ride - closed most of 2013 for refurbishment.

I've never been to the Davy Crockett Shooting Exposition as an adult

Riverbelle Terrace for lunch - the most overpriced food in the park

Out in Frontierland, Thunder Mountain Railroad is closed for a complete refurbishment. That's too bad. I'm not avoiding the great ride on this next trip. It's sadly avoiding me. I keep wanting to walk over to the Shooting Gallery and give it a try but I never do. Probably because I am a terrible shot. I'm mentioning the Riverbelle Terrace as a place to eat lunch or dinner. At close to $15 a pop for a carved meat sandwich, this is probably the most overpriced food in Disneyland for what you get. Breakfast is a little easier on the wallet and has possibilities but for some unknown reason, it has just kind of dropped off our list. The Riverbelle Terrace is where we camp out for Fantamic. Food is brought over from other nearby choices.

Gadget Go Coaster - It's a kids ride.

I could say that I would avoid ToonTown completely because that possibility certainly does exist. But I have to make allowances for the great Roger Rabbit's Cartoon Spin and the fact I need some new pictures of the place. I'll make a special note about Gadget Go Coaster. Even if it is a ride primarily aimed at giving kids their first coaster ride, I will never understand that 30 minute wait for a 30 second ride. Just....wow!

Tarzan's Treehouse. Kind of gets in the way

The Adventureland, New Orleans Square, Critter Country corridor is my favorite area of the park. It's a favorite for many which is why the foot traffic sometimes approaches near gridlock. And right there getting in everyone's way is Tarzan's Treehouse. Once again, I keep saying that I am going up in there, if nothing else, to take pictures but I just never do. Too many better things available in that neighborhood.

That's it for Disneyland. Let's take a walk over to Disney California Adventure park and see what I can avoid there.

The loathsome Mad T Party

Aladdin - just maybe past it's prime

I've never seen it but I already no I want no part of Mad T Party. I'm not sure why Disney keeps pursuing the nighttime street party gatherings (well money is at the bottom of everything) but I have absolutely zero interest. If there is any reason to go there at all, it would be to confirm just how much I had this abomination. If I wanted to spend money on an overpriced "cocktail" I'd go to the Cove Bar and at least be an adult. The flip side of the nighttime Mad T Party is the neighboring Aladdin show at the Hyperion Theater. Aladdin was a great show. Seen it many times and enjoyed it every single time. I said 'was' a great show. The Whole New World flying carpet sequence was my favorite moment of the show. It has been removed as a safety issue for the performers. Without the flying carpet, it just doesn't seem like Aladdin anymore and it might be time to move on to something else.

What's next - nothing really

I don't have a problem with Blue Sky Cellars where Disney gets to show off it's new upcoming creations for the 2 parks. Stopped in there several times and learn a lot. It's just that if nothing changes over the next month or two, they really don't have anything to show in there at this time, at least nothing I'm interested in. That's too bad.

A grown man, not small, suspending on a swing from a couple of chains?
I don't think so.

Guess what the maintenance guy that is in the picture is cleaning up from the bottom of
Mickey's Fun Wheel?

Jumping Jelly Fish - not exactly an adult replacement for the Maliboomer

Now That Ariel's Grotto is just a meet and greet dining experience, I'll skip it

Paradise Pier gives us the child rides of King Triton's Carousel and Jumping Jelly Fish. Too old so I'll pass. I'll also give a big pass on Silly Symphony Swings. Just the thought me swinging around the air on a swing suspended by a couple of chains gives me the heebie-jeebies. No way. Also, the same goes for the swinging gondolas on Mickey's Fun Wheel. Even though I'm not a person who handles heights very well, I've got used to the non-swinging gondolas. Not going near the ones that swing though. Ariel's Grotto used to offer a World of Color dinner dining package. They stopped doing that and meed the dining facility strictly a princess meet and greet eatery and an expensive one at that. The last time Mrs. DisneylandTraveler and I ate there, we had a very nice dinner and we walked over with WOC passes and had a great viewing spot. Nice. But up until that last meal, I would have to say that Ariels's Grotto gave us some of the worst dining experience Mrs. DLT and I have had in either park. Walking away from this dining establishment is not hard at all. It could be so much better on many levels.

I don't even know what's in here.

A Bug's Land - A nice place to visit but I wouldn't want ride there

I'll close with A Bug's Land and the 4 little rides that live there. They are for small kids and their parents. Unlike many people, I'm perfectly fine with that. I find A Bug's Land charming.

Well that's about it. I'm sure there are many places I will miss on my next trip. Time is precious when making a trip to Disneyland and even with the best plans, there just isn't time enough for everything it seems. But the best plans begin with eliminating the non-essential.