A Face Lift for Soarin'

View from Soarin' Around the World - A Disney Parks Blog Photo

Who doesn't love the Soarin' Over California attraction at DCA? Well, Mrs. DisneylandTraveler doesn't because she says the all to common "it messes with my head". Anyway, most people love Soarin' Over California but after all these years, you have to admit the ride has become a little long in the tooth and well......a bit boring. Finally, after all these years, Disney is giving us a new movie and a new ride experience with Soarin' Around the World which is set to launch on June 17 in both DCA and Epcot in the all new pristine 4K digital projection. I've skipped the Soarin' Over California ride my last few trips to Disneyland simply because it had become been there, done that. But put a big mark for the new and improved Soarin' on my next trip. Maybe I can even talk Mrs. DLT into going with me........ :-)

Read to Ride on Luigi's Rollickin' Roadsters in Cars Land

Luigi's Rollickin' Roadsters is officially set to open in Disney California Adventure Cars Land on March 7 replacing the much maligned, slow, ponderous, confusing, and sometimes dangerous Luigi's Flying Tires which were shut down about a year ago.

While the new ride hardly looks like must do entertainment on your checklist, it does look a little bit fun if the annoying soundtrack doesn't get to you.  All in all, you would have to consider the new ride attraction a bit of an improvement over the previous occupant of that space.

DCA Turns 15 Years Old

It's hard to believe Disney California Adventure turned 15 years old this month. A lot has changed because a lot had to change for the much maligned park that opened back then. I guess you could say most of the changes of have been for the better and it is a far better park now than when it first opened. These are few of the Disneyland Traveler's pictures of DCA in 2002 - views that have been radically altered if not completely eliminated.

5 Best Themed Rides At The Disneyland Resort

These are my selections as the best themed rides at the Disneyland Resort. The order may change from person to person but this list will probably be fairly consistent as it is made up of the usual suspects.

1) Pirates of the Caribbean:  From the time I was about 8 years old, Pirates has been the ride for me. A gift from Walt Disney himself. The Johnny Depp/Jack Sparrow add ons were not necessary.

2) The Haunted Mansion:  I'm not a huge HM fan personally but no one can say the place doesn't drip with as much detail as any ride in the park.

3) Hollywood Tower of Terror:  The anxiety builds the moment you step through the front door.

4) Indiana Jones Adventure:  A rollicking fun ride that has theming up the wazoo. 

5) Peter Pan's Flight:  The quintessential Disneyland dark ride for all ages. There's a reason the lines are always long. You can fly....

Honorable Mentions:  Splash Mountain and Thunder Mountain Railroad - mountains of fun and Disney magic.

Whoa!!!! Stuck On Mickey

Reported on various internet and main stream press sources last week was the story about a breakdown of Mickey's Fun Wheel. For up to 90 minutes, guests were left dangling in the gondolas while Disney maintenance crews manually cranked down the massive ferris wheel one gondola at a time. And this occurred in 90 degree heat. At its peak, Mickey's Fun Wheel is 150 ft in the air. Imagine the anxiety. Needless to say that as each car unloaded, Disney guest relations people were passing out bottled water, food vouchers, and free park tickets for a future visit.

I say all this with a sense of the inevitable. I've been trying to get Mrs. DisneylandTraveler up on the Mickey's Fun Wheel for years now. I keep telling her that the non-swinging gondolas make for a secure gentle ride with spectacular views. Alas, her fear of heights has kept her off the Fun Wheel to this point. After she hears about this, the inevitability is that there is no chance at all to ever get her to go up on that thing. 

5 Most Overrated Attractions At The Disneyland Resort

This list is subjective for sure but not every attraction at the Disneyland Resort is a hit. There are some misses. Here is my list of overrated Disneyland Resort attractions.

1) Luigi's Flying Tires: Slow and ponderous this ride missed the mark so much it is rumored to be on it's way out.

2) Finding Nemo's Submarine Voyage:  The submarine ride is still cool but turning it into a  cartoon - not so much.

3) Goofy's Sky School:  Pull off the theming and this is still nothing but a run of the mill carnival wild mouse ride.

4) Mr. Toad's Wild Ride;  People's affection for this maniacal dark ride to the gates of hell still surprises me.

5) The Matterhorn:  This once great coaster slid back considerably with some of the most uncomfortable ride vehicles imaginable when the bobsleds were replaced a few years ago.

5 Best Thrill Rides At The Disneyland Resort

Here is a rundown of The Disneyland Traveler's five best thrill rides at the Disneyland Resort:

1) Hollywood Tower of Terror:  High anxiety.

2) Space Mountain:  It's dark in there.

3) California Screamin':  Cadillac of coasters even if there is no theming whatsoever.

4) Thunder Mountain Railroad:  Rollicking fun and beautifully themed.

5) Splash Mountain:  Only one thrill but its a doosie the rest is pure Disney fun.

Honorable Mention:  Grizzly River Run:  You will get wet.

Losing Ground:  The Matterhorn.

Is California Screamin' A True Disney Attraction?

Let's face it - size matters. When talking about Disney Parks classic ride attractions, does California Screamin' make the grade? The coaster has zero Disney theming. The ride queue and loading platform are about as vanilla as it gets. The ride was purchased from a European manufacturer rather than being Disney "imagineered"? Just what's so Disney about California Screamin'.

Well, nothing at all. It has nothing Disney related going for it. California Screamin's can and probably does exist in any major theme park in countless cities around the world. But yet all but hardened Disney traditionalists kind of look fondly on California Screamin'. Why? Because the ride is huge and certainly isn't going anywhere. It's better to adapt and learn to love it. Besides, the huge structure does provide a backdrop for the well themed Paradise Pier section of Disney California Adventure. And the ride is fun, fast, thrilling, and to my knowledge, the only Disney ride that has a loop.

Now, if only Disney could do something about that ugly queue line and loading platform some day, the ride may finally get the Disney boost it deserves.

Message to Disney California Adventure: Just Say No to More Monsters

For the longest time, there was a rumor that Disney was going to take the under utilized buildings that surround the Monsters Inc. attraction (Stage 17 and the old Who Wants To Be A Millionaire buildings) and build a themed roller coaster based on Pixar's Monsters Inc. and Monsters University films - the so called "Door" Coaster. And while I'm all for Disney shelling out the dollars to build new and compelling attractions, my question has to do more with the Monsters Inc franchise.

I finally got around to watching Monsters University last weekend. You can read my brief thoughts of the movie under the Pixar tab at the top of this page. Hint: I didn't like it. So the question is why Disney would want to build an attraction based on a movie franchise, while quite profitable, isn't one of its best. That statement kind of answers its own question. The Monsters franchise is popular and profitable for Disney. A mini - Monsters Land in that tucked away corner of the Disney California Adventure would be a people eater - something that it isn't now with Monsters Inc. basically being a walk on ride and the nearby Muppets Theater hardly pulling anyone in anymore.

My thought would be forget the Monsters - a coaster is a coaster - why not build a Muppets themed coaster and put a new film in the Muppets Theater. In my book, Muppets trump Monsters any day of the week. Kermit and the gang have withstood the test of time while the Monsters franchise seems weak and lacking in energy.

Ultimately, I would care what Disney put in that one corner of the park as long as they put something. Any kind of attraction would mean less space for silliness like Mad T Party and ElecTRONica.

The Disneyland Traveler And His Cars Land June Pledge

Here what is?

That's it! I've had enough. My co-worker just returned from a trip to Disneyland with her daughter and grandsons. You would have thought Disneyland was renamed to Cars Land as that one small stretch of land with the big mountains at one end dominates the Disneyland discussion. Of course her grandsons are 2 and 4 and live in a world of Cars, their favorite movie so they now have Cars suitcases, Cars t-shirts, Cars mouse ears, and probably a gazillion other Cars related souvenirs. But I have had enough. I want my Disneyland back.

To their credit, Disney created something amazing with Cars Land. They recreated a town from an animated movie and gave us one of the great ride attractions in recent years with Radiator Springs Racers. While Cars Land itself is relatively small (and crowded and hot in the midday sun), Radiator Springs Racers is huge, dripping with detail, and most of all a lot of fun for guests of all ages. Cars Land probably would have been "cute" without the Racers attraction but with it, Cars Land is an over the top destination for anyone visiting the Disneyland Resort.

So after hearing about Cars Land for a year, making my first trip to Cars Land to see what all the fuss is about myself, and now hearing others talk about their first trip to Cars Land, I'm just about Cars Land out. There's a saturation point. If I hear Larry the Cable Guy do his Mater schpiel one more time, I'm going to beat my head against a wall. Who says there isn't money to be made in being a dufus?

So here is the Disneyland Traveler pledge for the month of June. I'm not going to write one word or post one picture about Cars Land for the next 30 days. I'm not going sing Cars Lands praises for how amazing it is or bother you with how sick and tired I am hearing about the place. There is still a Disneyland out there worthy of blog posting and discussion without reference to Cars Land. The Enchanted Tiki Room turns 50 years in a few weeks and in my book, talking birds trump an idiot talking tow truck any day of the week. Now that's something to write about.

Of course, if Cars Land disappears into a sink whole, all bets are off.

A Disneyland Dude Goes On The Little Mermaid (Twice!)

I forget the exact name. It's long.  I think it goes Ariel's Adventure: Voyage of the Little Mermaid or something like that. Anyway, the ride has been open in DCA for almost 2 years and I finally had my first chance to be swept away by The Little Mermaid. Well, swept away? Not so much.

I haven't seen the movie in probably 20 years but I am familiar with the characters, the story, and mostly, the music.  The Little Mermaid does a nice little job of bringing all of those memories back. And that's the word I have for the ride - Nice.

It's not your typical Disney dark ride with assorted vividly painted backdrops and animatronics. The Little Mermaid has a different look to it - a look of "plastic". The plastic glistens in the lighting but it also gives the ride kind of a "cheap" effect (which it isn't). That's just an impression on my part. The ride is enjoyable but I have yet to meet anyone "swept away" by the under the sea journey.

What the ride is - is a people eater. I don't know what the capacity is but the omni-mover conveyor belt ride system has the clam shell ride vehicles literally a couple of feet from each other in a loop throughout the entire ride. What this means to the rider is almost no line - ever - to get on. So the ride is nice if you like plastic. What's really nice is you can jump on the Little Mermaid at the drop of a hat any time you pass by it. Nothing wrong with that.

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.

Disneyland Resort A to Z - Grizzly River Run

I guess this area of Disney California Adventure Park is still called Grizzly Peak. With almost every other area of DCA getting constructed, refurbished, and otherwise tweaked, this area of the park has been quietly left alone. The area it occupies is quite large but plays home to only one major attraction and a minor one - The Redwood Creek Challenge Trail.

The major attraction is Grizzly River Run, a sudo white water rapids ride that is 100% guaranteed to get you wet. And we're not talking Splash Mountain kind of wet here, this is usually a full on head to toe drenching. So depending on your ability to enjoy getting buckets of cold water dumped on you from just about any possible angle is all you need to know as to whether GRR is a great ride or one that you can pass on.

Now when its 90 degrees in the summer, a good soaking can feel rather welcoming. On the other hand if you get on the ride at 5:00 pm on a November evening because someone in your party says "look, no line" as I did a few years back, then beware. You will get wet, then cold, then miserable, pretty much in that order. When someone says "look, no line" for what usually is a very popular ride the correct question to ask yourself is "Why isn't there a line?". Wise people don't go looking to get wet when the sun is rapidly setting and the temperature dropping like a stone. Luckily the Boy was with us on the night in question so I probably told him I would buy him a churro or something if he would go back to the hotel and get me a change of clothes.

Of course, Disney is always at the ready to help you out - for a price. There is a gift shop right next to the ride filled with sweatshirts and hoods to warm you up should that bone chilling cold go right through you. And they are also more than willing to sell you a cheap plastic drop cloth that they call a poncho to put on before you get on the ride. That little gift shop must make a bundle.

White Water Souvenirs off the right of the ride entrance

Disney also doesn't want to be responsible for expensive cameras and cell phones getting a ruined so they also provide lockers near the ride that are free to use for the duration of your excursion. 

But what about the ride itself? Well, I believe at one time it was the longest water ride every constructed and it still may be. Though there is a rather nice launching area from a thematic stand point and several vistas to shoot pictures of the raft vehicles, assorted waterfalls, and impressive rock work the ride itself is what it is, a water ride. There are a couple of small drops during the ride and one big drop toward the end that provide the thrills. What usually gets people are the pop-up geysers that launch huge plums of water near the very end of the ride. This is what usually causes the most water damage to the passengers.

I enjoy Grizzly River Run a great deal. It is fun and just one of those rides that will just have you talking about your experience the rest of the day (and maybe years later). The caveat is - you have to pick your spots for GRR. Get an afternoon fastpass on a warm day that will allow ample drying opportunity before nightfall and all will be good. When the days are short and the weather is cool or cloudy, just walk on by unless you are one of those who choose to ignore wisdom.

Watch our for these!!!!