Random Thoughts on Disneyland

ID:101131
 
Aug 29 2010, 1:09 pm
Keywords: music, videos
I recently went to Disneyland for the first time in about 10 years. As far as I can tell, not much has changed about the park (well, other than a little thing called California Adventure, which was new to me). But I did notice some things that I didn't remember from back then, so odds are that it is I that has changed. Maybe it's just the realization that I'm now the same age that my parents were the first time I went there.
  • All of the rides have very HARD, uncomfortable seats. Doubly so if you don't have a lot of natural cushion down there.

    Tip: bring your own padding if you have a bony butt like I do.
  • Rides generally fall into two categories: slow parades past various animatronics (Pirates), or jerky slamfests featuring your butt colliding with those horribly uncomfortable seats (Matterhorn). For the latter, expect to spend all your energy bracing yourself to avoid major impacts. And if you have long legs, watch out for the knees hitting the front of the ride car, too.
  • Disneyland, for all its family-friendly reputation, doesn't seem to have any qualms about permanently damaging the sensitive ears of young children. When a ride's sound effects are painful for someone like me, who listened to way too much loud music on headphones as a teen and young adult, it's too loud.

    Note to imagineers: we can still hear it just fine if the volume is turned down below 11. And really, piping in extra train sounds over the speakers in Thunder Mountain is a bit excessive, don't you think? We already get those sounds from the coaster itself!

    Tip: bring earplugs.
  • Along similar lines, whose bright idea was it (ha, ha) to put a camera with a blinding flash at the end of Space Mountain? If I ever go on that ride again, I'm keeping my sunglasses on.
  • Note to Disney executives: Pixar saved you, and while there are signs throughout the park that you recognize this, there is one glaring omission in Tomorrowland. Somebody needs to be fired for vetoing renaming Redd Rocket's Pizza Port as Pizza Planet. It's the biggest no-brainer in the history of mankind!

    Oh, and the food at Pizza Planet Port was pretty bad, on the same level as the cafeteria at my work. Stick to New Orleans Square for good food inside the park, or try the Jazz Kitchen in Downtown Disney, just outside the park.
  • Both Toy Story rides/games are rigged. I was within 1% of my wife in hits, but my score was many times lower. Also, not worth a 40-minute wait in the heat.
  • The Fastpass system works pretty well, but it depends on most people not bothering to use it. What happens when they catch on?
  • Soaring Over California is nothing but a very short IMAX film where you can see the dangling feet of the people in the row in front of you. Is that what they meant when they said this ride has smells?
  • California Screamin' was the best ride that we I went on - relatively smooth without a lot of unexpected jerks, and nice and fast. The line was short (I went 4 times) and there was even a token amount of padding on the overhead restraint, too. And any ride with music by Gary Hoey has to be pretty good.

    (for a better front-car view, see this video)

  • Don't go on the hottest day of the summer. Just don't. But if you do anyway, spending it with your wife makes it all worthwhile.
Aug 29 2010, 1:12 pm
Today I learned Mike H has a bony butt.
Aug 29 2010, 1:40 pm
That sounds perpetually sex- awesome!
Aug 29 2010, 1:41 pm
I'll keep this in mind.
Aug 29 2010, 2:12 pm
Did you meet Mickey Mouse?
Aug 29 2010, 4:40 pm
Dinomaster45 wrote:
Did you meet Mickey Mouse?

I have but in the paris one i also met goofy. He touched me up in the big castle :(.

Aug 29 2010, 8:18 pm
I went there a couple times while I lived in LA, most recently a few months ago. The seats didn't bother me all that much, although some of the rides can be a bit painful. I completely agree about the Soaring Over California ride - I don't understand why people hype it up so much. My favorite ride is the Hollywood Tower of Terror.

My major complaint about Disneyland is that because they allow people in wheelchairs to go to the front of the lines, about 9 out of 10 wheelchair visitors are faking it. They do a crappy job of hiding it too.