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. 

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.

Me and Karl Strauss Check Out The World of Color

Prepare to Assemble

They were dropping like flies. It only took 3 little words to send others in my traveling party to go scurrying out of the parks and into "we've got other things to do tonight". The 3 words are World of Color. Mrs. DisneylandTraveler - "I think I'm going back to the hotel to do some laundry." My sister and her husband - "I think we're going over to Tony Roma's for dinner, are you sure you don't want to join us?"

No...it was World of Color night and I'm going to see it. Let's explore.

Mrs. DLT and I watched the Pixar Play Parade, went over to Flo's for dinner, then parted company for the next several hours - she to her laundry and me to the World of Color. Showtime was probably still 2 hours away.

WOC - an insidethemagic.com photo. My pictures of WOC stink.

You've heard and read (and probably seen) what a great show World of Color is. It is. But I'm here to tell you about the other side of WOC, the side that sends some Disney fans fleeing into the night in the opposite direction.

The wait for WOC is an ordeal, an effort in patience and the eventual onset of mighty sore feet. Knowing what my like was going to be like for the next several hours, I paid a visit to an old DCA friend, the Karl Strauss beer truck found in the Pacific Wharf area. Most DCA regulars over 21 know exactly where it is.

So I sat down and thought about my day (fun) and pondered my night (my poor feet) over a couple of the San Diego based micro brewery fine beers - The Red Trolley Ale. Not as potent as the Tower 10 IPA but rich, smooth, and balanced for those that like their hops. And even after finishing, I still had time to kill before the ordeal was to begin.

The Karl Strauss Red Trolley Ale - I'll take two please.

I wandered around Paradise Pier and had a good time watching people have a good time. In general, Paradise Pier may be my favorite area of DCA. Disney wanted to capture that seaside amusement park look and feel, and while not perfect, they have improved that area of DCA. Paradise Pier has a feel of completeness about it. Probably easy to do when it basically goes around in a circle.

Bayside Brews - Paradise Pier

It's a long walk from the Pacific Wharf area to the far side of Paradise Pier (well, not really) but a man can work up a thirst on the walk around Paradise Pier. Disney thought of that and put up a beer hut next to the Boardwalk Pizza & Pasta and Paradise Garden Grill restaurants. Over here they serve different kinds of beer from the horrid Bud Light to the excellent Sierra Nevada Torpedo IPA. But this was a night for me and Karl Strauss and the Bayside Brews served up the Karl Strauss Pintail Ale a far more herbaceous brew than the Red Trolley Ale. After the Red Trolley Ale, the Pintail Ale tasted like brewed up freshly mowed grass clippings which is kind of funny because I had a Pintail Ale two days earlier with the 5 cheese ravioli from the Boardwalk Pizza and Pasta and enjoyed it thoroughly. There's a lesson here somewhere.

Before I made it to the World of Color Mosh pit, there was one more stop to make on the way. Yep, the Corn Dog Castle. The corn dogs from the Corn Dog Castle are so large (and greasy) that me and Mrs. DLT usually split one. Since Mrs. DLT deserted me on this night, I got the whole greasy corn dog to myself. Word of advice that I have passed on before - Disney offers either potato chips or sliced apples with their corn dogs. Pick the slice apples, it cuts through the grease that will begin to do a tap dance in your belly.

And so I arrive at my World of Color viewing area 3 beers (4 if you counts the Racer 5 I had at Flo's with dinner) and 1 corn dog down at about 8:15. Gee, I only have an hour to wait before the scheduled 9:15 show performance. And now you know why everyone else I was with disappeared when it came time for World of Color. As Tom Petty once sang, "the waiting is the hardest part". And for me, not just waiting - standing and waiting. Of course in my younger years, I could have done what many did around me and take a nice comfortable seat on the concrete ground. But I'm now many years on the other side of 40 (or 50) and the sitting on ground part of my trips to Disneyland is something I left behind years ago. No more. So I stood and waited for the World of Color. I actually go a spot by a post and chain link barrier which allowed a slight bit of leaning for some degree of relief. But its no fun, no fun at all waiting for the World of Color.

Another insidethemagic.com WOC photo. I've given up trying to take pictures of it.

So after standing and waiting for the show to begin an hour or more, the show starts. Its 25 minutes long of still more standing. I've written about the World of Color before, its a wonderful spectacle to see but could be better as the show tends more to meander rather than build. Some of the animated sequences work, some don't (Mufasa death scene from The Lion King). If you have never seen the World of Color - you just have to. If you have seen WOC a bunch of times like have, the biggest enjoyment from World of Color comes from the people around you seeing it for the first time. It's more Vegas than Disney. Fantasmic over in Disneyland is still the better nighttime show.

And so my exhausting World of Color night comes to an end. Thanks Karl, I couldn't have done it without you.

PS. For ten bucks ahead cover charge you can see World of Color from a seat at the Cove Bar. Yeah, it's a view from the side and maybe the back but that seat is a valuable commodity at my ages. I smell a new addition to my Disneyland Bucket List coming on.

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.

Disneyland Resort - A to Z - California Screamin'

"Get ready screamers.....launch in 5, 4, 3, 2, 1 ......" and you are off on DCA's California Screamin' roller coaster located in the Paradise Pier section of the park. It's hard to miss - the thing is huge. As a coaster ride, it's one of the best for someone like me who doesn't mind a good coaster ride but doesn't want to stare death in face that you are now getting on some theme park coasters. California Screamin' is just right - long, fast, smooth as glass, and just enough thrills that when all is said and done, it's hard not to walk off the ride with a smile on your face.

Yes. I'm a big fan of the California Screamin' roller coaster. But there is a big BUT.... California Screamin' could just as easily be sitting a few blocks away in Knott's Berry Farm or several miles away in Six Flags Magic Mountain. There is absolutely nothing DISNEY about the ride. It's a generic off the shelf roller coaster that's manufactured in Europe. Disney imagineers could have bought it from a catalog. What's worse is not only did they put an unthemed generic coaster in a Disney park, they didn't even put in the effort to construct a queue line that shows the the slightest bit of Disney imagination. Just line 'em up and herd them in.

So while California remains a great coaster ride, serious Disney points have to be deducted for the total lack of imagination that has been applied in making it a Disney kind of experience. And in the end that is kind of disappointing. Maybe they'll get around to adding some Disney touches some day but I wouldn't expect it to be anytime soon. The massive coaster would just need too much work at this point. It is what it is.... Maybe if we could just get a decent queue line - that would be a start.

There are a number of videos available on YouTube for Screamin'. Here's a nice one from Theme Park Review. PS.....  You couldn't get Mrs. DisneylandTraveler on California Screamin' for all the tea in China as the saying goes. I've tried to sell her on giving it a try because it really is as smooth as glass but so far no luck.

Disneyland Resort - A to Z - Ariel's Grotto

I'm always looking for a new series of things to write about. Sometimes I think I have a good idea of a series of things to write about with my Disneyland adventures but it often dies out of boredom. I guess my most recent series are the posts on my Disneyland Bucket List. Since I pretty have much done everything there is to do in and around Disneyland, the Bucket List stopped at #5. I'm sure there will be more but it might be awhile before I think of something else to put in there.

I chanced upon a food blog yesterday where someone took recipes and restaurant reviews and blogged about them A - Z. Nice idea (Jaymee Sire). I could easily apply that to the rides, attractions, and dining places around the Disneyland Resort.

But it needs to be interesting and something of a challenge. Take the letter A for instance (which seems like an appropriate place to start). I could write about Autopia but I think the last time I rode around in one of those cars was 2004 and if I went to Disneyland tomorrow, Autopia would be the furthest thing from my mind. I know how to drive. I could take the Alice in Wonderland ride, and a fine ride it is, but that nice little attraction has its own thread life running through this blog with its seemingly endless quest to get rid of what were supposed to be temporary plastic tarps and hideous guard rails.

For A I'm going with what has proved to be a challenge over the years - dining at Ariel's Grotto. Mrs DisneylandTraveler and I first went to Ariel's Grotto back in 2004 when it was general Disney character dining. We had out of town visitors with small children in our dining party so the interaction with the characters was great. Unfortunately, the food was bad, not just bad, real bad. I recall having something harmless like meat loaf with mash potatoes. Instead of a nice brown gravy, this concoction was slathered with some kind of tomato based gravy that was just horrible. Probably my single worst dining experience at the Disneyland Resort. I wasn't in any hurry to get back.

But we did go back - 2007 - for my great niece's 4th birthday. By this time, the character dining had morphed into a Disney Princess dining experience which it is today. There was a large group of us, both adults and children. Again, the kids meeting princesses as they came to our table one by one was very sweet even if the official Disney photographer tried to annoyingly get in on the act (and sell you some "professional" photos). 

Rylie meets Mulan - Ariel's Grotto 2007

But the food. Recalling my horrible meal back in 2004, I took the safest route I could think of on the menu - a chicken Caesar salad - and it was fine if nondescript. But the others who dined at our table offered up some other choice words about their entrees. The one remark I will always remember is my niece calling her meal "jack nasty", and expression I had never heard before but really did fit. What Ariel's Grotto tried to pass off as "chicken pot pie" seemed to be particularly offensive to a few.

When World of Color launched, Disney removed the Princesses for the dinner hours to create a World of Color dining package (which is no longer offered). For our very first viewing of WoC, Mrs. DLT and I decided to take this route. The deciding factor was that the old menu had changed and what was now being offered with the price fixed menu seemed to have some interesting choices. Finally, in our third try at Ariel's Grotto, there some measure of success as the food was really pretty good. I had cioppino and Mrs. DLT had the tri-tip. Neither of us had any complaints (nor should we at a price approaching almost $40 a meal). Plus the passes we received for WoC viewing were dead center with only the long standing wait for the show to begin putting damper on the evening.

Like I said, WoC dining is no longer offered at Ariel's Grotto for some reason. It's back to all Princesses, all day. In this current set up as strictly a character dining I would not expect Mrs. DLT and I to go back to Ariel's Grotto which is kind of too bad. We enjoyed our meal the last time we ate there and the views from the outside tables are simply lovely.

A view from our outside dining table at Ariel's Grotto 2010

A Disney California Adventure in Cheese

Cheddar Cheese Stick
Corn Dog Castle - DCA

The Disney California Adventure Twitter account just tweeted out this photo - the Cheddar Cheese Stick from the Corn Dog Castle in Disney California Adventure. The tweet asked if I tried one of these yet? Answer - No. Love the corn dogs, haven't tried the cheese (or the hot link corn dog for that matter). Let's see - a battered and deep fried stick of cheese, cardiologists could probably post this photo on their office walls with a big red X through it and a caption reading "Heart Attack on a Stick". The Corn Dog Castle offers their corn dogs and cheese sticks with a choice of potato chips or apple slices. For the health conscious out there, go for apple slices. You will help with easing your guilty conscious and the apple slices help cut the grease in your stomach before riding the neighboring Goofy's Sky School.

Looks good though.... 

A Closer Look At - Mickey's Fun Wheel

Mickey's Fun Wheel is a Ferris Wheel in Disney California Adventure's Paradise Pier section. As most people know its huge, dominates the landscape, and looks spectacular at night when its all lit up.  I never went on the ride in its previous incarnation as the Sun Wheel but since the makeover to Mickey's Fun Wheel a few years ago I've been on it two or three times.  For the longest time, I avoided the thing.  You see, I'm afraid of heights, I'm afraid of Ferris Wheels, I'm a afraid of things that have you dangling in the air where escape can only be achieved through help by firemen.  Not for me.

Others in my family have braver souls than I as even the 4 year-old family members would venture on the swinging buckets of the Sun Wheel / Fun Wheel.  After years trying, my sister finally got me on the non-swinging side of the ride and you know what? I kind of liked it.  For every two swinging cages, there is a fixed non-swinging cage and as long as I remember to get into the right line and in the non-swinging side, I think I'm good to go - even if its by myself.

Mrs. DisneylandTraveler has not conquered her fear of heights, Ferris Wheels, and rides that move slowly at dizzying heights so when we make our trips to Disneyland just ourselves, I now have to make the quiet, breezy trip around and above DCA alone while she whips out her charge card in the souvenir shops conveniently located across from Mickey's Fun Wheel entrance.  She hates Mickey's Fun Wheel, I dislike shopping in souvenir stores.  We have fun.

Below is a quick little video of Mickey's Fun Wheel, no barf bag required 

"But Doesn't Mickey Look a Little Small?"

You have to admit Disney has done a pretty good job its makeover of its Paradise Pier section of Disney California. Yes, there is still room for improvement. The retail shops near the old Maliboomer site need to be re-themed to more closely fit in with the predominantly Victorian themed architecture. Everyone is still waiting for a real "Disney" worthy queue line for California Screamin'. There's not much that can be done with King Triton's Carousel. It is what it is. 

Perhaps the biggest single improvement to the pier was the peeling and discarding of that ghastly looking giant orange covering that housed the swing ride - once named The Orange Stinger. Man it was ugly. The ride itself - swings spinning on a spindle - is sadly an off-the-shelf carnival ride that is featured at most non-Disney theme parks and even state fairs. These are rides that are bought, not "imagineered" in the true Disney sense. Disney owned it so the ride wasn't going anywhere but it did have to be re-themed to fit in with the new vision of Paradise Pier and now spins wildly to the music of the William Tell Overture as Silly Symphony Swings based on an early Mickey Mouse cartoon - The Band Concert. Up on top of the ride, conducting the mayhem, stands bandleader Mickey. It is the only ride/attraction in either park that features its most prominent resident (not counting Fantasmic here).

But I noticed it right away and everybody I am with pretty much says the same thing when coming near the ride  - "isn't Mickey a little small?" Yes. Yes. Double-yes. Supposedly the figure of Mickey that tops the ride is about 6 feet tall. On a ride that tall, he does really look mouse-like. To do justice to the ride and Mickey, he should have been taller and more prominent. He should have been made to where his silhouette could stand out from hundreds of feet away. It's a bad ride but at least it could been a more pronounced focal point if we had been given a bigger Mickey. Maybe there was a ride engineering / balance problem with a bigger Mickey but with the small Mickey, you've taken the park's biggest star and made him into cake topper.

Worst Queue Line Ever - California Screamin'

Think about getting in a queue line for some of Disneyland / Disney California Adventure big D and E ticket attractions. Some them are excellent in theming (Star Tours, Tower of Terror, Roger Rabbit Cartoon Spin, Indiana Jones). Some of them are pretty good (Buzz Lightyear, Haunted Mansion). Some of them are just OK (Space Mountain, Soarin' Over California). And then there is California Screamin', arguably DCA's biggest and best E ticket attraction and an attraction with a queue line that has no theming whatsoever just a series of switchbacks that are semi covered to keep you out of the sun. Wait times can be long for some of these rides and Disney is to be given a lot of credit for providing in line guests at least a little bit of entertainment and amusement while they wait their turn to get on. But California Screamin' provides absolutely nothing for the guests as they meander their way to the front boarding area. Yeah, you could make a stretch and say that views of Paradise Pier are the guests entertainment but even Toy Story Mania provides Mr. Potato Head and some posters to read. Screamin' has nothing.

People have complained about Screamin's queue line in forums and discussion boards for years and even in a billion dollar renovation, Disney still hasn't addressed the weak California Screamin' queue line. The ride opened yesterday after about a 6 week refurbishment. It got a fresh coat of paint and a rebuilt loop but the queue, its the same dull thing it ever was. Maybe some day Disney will take a look at it. Maybe Tom Staggs (Disney Parks Chairman) should take his sons and go stand in line and experience some serious boredom.

The World of Color or My Aching Feet

Disney California Adventure's World of Color water show has pretty much run non-stop for over a year now (except when my sister went to see it and it shut down after about 2 minutes because of "technical difficulties").  Everything you have seen or read about the show is true - it is spectacular and a must-see for any visitor to the Disneyland Resort.  At 25 minutes long, the large grid of fountains, fire, and digital animation projections bring you the world of Disney as it's never been seen before.  Walt would have been proud of this one because of the creativity and technical achievements of the show.

BUT....

Here is where the Disneyland Traveler may run into some trouble.  There is no real story in World of Color so it doesn't build to anything in particular.  The film clips show classic Disney (and Pixar) scenes but they look assembled rather than flowing cohesively.  World of Color meanders with some segments too long, others too short, and in some cases, a segment which should have been left out entirely (the Mufasa death scene from the Lion King). These are quibbles.  It's a great show, but it really could be better.

AND....

So you've just spent all day at the park and you're dead tired.  Now it comes to time to line up for the World of Color show and then be escorted into your viewing area where you stand and wait and wait.  Some people hit the ground and sit on the concrete but at our age, me and Mrs. DisneylandTraveler know that sitting for any length of time on the concrete ground is a risky proposition.  So you continue to stand and wait and wait while it gets more crowded, and more crowded.  But then, the misery in waiting quickly dissipates once the show begins and the fountains of color show their stuff.

Once I get back to my hotel room, the shoes come off in world record time and I am stretched out on the bed.  I tell my feet "it'll be ok, you'll feel better in the morning."  My feet tell me "shut up and get some Advil and don't do that to us again."  The feet have a strong argument for awhile but they'll be back waiting for the World of Color again some day.  The eyes insist on it.

One of the best YouTube video's ever is Disney Park's World of Color Aerial View.  Enjoy WOC from this spectacular perspective.

The Rides of Paradise Pier

According to Disney, the Paradise Pier area of the Disney California Adventure wants to recreate a seaside amusement park from a bygone era. In the current DCA expansion plans, Paradise Pier is almost complete. There are a few souvenir shops that need to be refurbished to blend in with the pleasant Victorian theme. There is also a rumor of a ride to replace the defunct Maliboomer that was replaced by a temporary "park" area. A "Green Army Men Parachute Drop" was shown in a model in Blue Sky Cellars. The new Paradise Pier looks nice for the most part. The hideous "Giant Orange" overlay to the swings is gone. The Maliboomer never belonged in a Disney Park. The garish Mulholland Madness at least looks better as Goofy's Sky School.

But for me and Mrs. DisneylandTraveler, the rides of Paradise Pier pretty much miss the mark for our demographic. First of all, Toy Story Mania is great and the best addition to PP. It's probably in our top 5 rides for both parks. I'm sure we'll enjoy the Little Mermaid once we get on but its probably going to be lumped in as the equivalent of Monster Inc. or Winnie the Pooh in Disneyland. Nice rides, certainly not great ones (but the Mermaid building looks spectacular). The rest of the PP rides throw off big question marks for me and Mrs. DLT.  After TSM and the Little Mermaid, Mrs DLT is done, through with Paradise Pier rides.

Me? I really like California Screamin' but as me and my wife take more trips by ourselves and not with extended family, riding as a single ride is only an occasional thing. I really like the view from Mickey's Fun Wheel on the non-swing side but the Mrs. DLT won't go near it. She goes to the souvenir shops across the way while I make my rotations.

Neither of will go near Silly Symphony Swings. The thought flying around like that suspended by a "chain" seems the like the definition of insanity. Now I would go on the slower moving Zephyr which is also suspended by a chain but Mrs. DLT claims it messes with her head so we give it a pass. King Triton's Carousel and Jumpin's Jellyfish are for small children and thankfully so. So that leaves Goofy's Sky School. Again, I'll go on it once I'm down there, but as a single rider, once I've been on it and have the experience in my pocket, I probably won't go back unless I am asked. In the years of Mulholland Madness, I think I was only on it twice that I can recall.

So Toy Story Mania and the Little Mermaid are the only "must-do" rides for us in Paradise Pier (excluding the World of Color altogether in this post). Good thing the new restaurants are getting great reviews. It's the only reason to walk over to that side of the pier other than taking pictures.

Please note there is a wonderful video on YouTube spreading around various internet sites the last couple of days show Paradise Pier at night. It's called Bella Notte - Paradise Pier at Night by G74Vlogs. Hauntingly enchanted.  I'm embedding it below.