Walt Disney World and Disneyland(s) Discussion

[Coheteboy]

I never found the mummy to be all that great of a ride. I liked it the first couple of times, but that last few times I felt it was average. I like the storyline to it, and the fake out is great.

Then you'd REALLY dislike the version in Hollywood.

 

[cokebabies]

On average, I'd say that the lines for Haunted Mansion during the holidays are 45 minutes. But you can do fast pass that will cut that in half (there's still a bit of indoor queue after you go through the elevator).

Ok cool. I haven't done the DLR HM since like, 91, so I would like to see any of the queue worth seeing. If you do FP, do you miss a lot?

It stinks to "waste" a FP on an attraction I've never needed it for, so I'll try to hit the ride at any mildly quiet points. I'd rather use the FPs to go on Indy all day long.

I never found the mummy to be all that great of a ride. I liked it the first couple of times, but that last few times I felt it was average. I like the storyline to it, and the fake out is great.

I just think, like Spider Man, you get a good blend of fun thrill ride with great dark ride. Some rides do thrill better, some do dark right effects better, but both of those do both well without sacrificing much of either. I also have a very strong love for it from how much it exceeded my expectations. I was unhappy about Kong closing, especially when I found it it was being replaced with a ride based on a movie I really don't like.

I went on it, expecting not much, and loved it. I'm probably still coasting (no pun intended) on that initial amazement.

 

[Coheteboy]

Ok cool. I haven't done the DLR HM since like, 91, so I would like to see any of the queue worth seeing. If you do FP, do you miss a lot?

It stinks to "waste" a FP on an attraction I've never needed it for, so I'll try to hit the ride at any mildly quiet points. I'd rather use the FPs to go on Indy all day long.

If you use fastpass you will stroll past the pet cemetary quickly and probably won't have time to read all the puns on the tombs like "Rustin Peace" or "U. R. Gone" etc. But not missing much else. You still walk through the main queue.. just more quickly.

 

[Agent0028]

Then you'd REALLY dislike the version in Hollywood.

What's the Hollywood version like?

 

[Coheteboy]

What's the Hollywood version like?

It's in a much smaller footprint of a building (the old ET Adventure building) so the coaster actually goes forward part of the track, and then goes backwards onto another section. It's really short and there isn't the same kind of fake-out that Orlando has.

It's thrillng, yes... but just not the same.

 

[datoyattic]

I work for Disneyland in Anaheim, Ca and I've been to Walt Disney World and not including Animal Park and Epcot I like Disneyland way better. WDW just takes longer to get to everything and the rides are more indoors so it doesnt have as much of a welcome feeling. But the buildings, food is better then ours.

 

[Coheteboy]

I work for Disneyland in Anaheim, Ca and I've been to Walt Disney World and not including Animal Park and Epcot I like Disneyland way better. WDW just takes longer to get to everything and the rides are more indoors so it doesnt have as much of a welcome feeling. But the buildings, food is better then ours.

Food at WDW is FAR superior than at Disneyland, that's for sure. There's more variety, better quality, and lower prices.

 

[Agent0028]

I like the indoor rides. Especially during the summer when its hot as hell and I'm getting a sunburn.

 

[YoNoSe]

I like the indoor rides. Especially during the summer when its hot as hell and I'm getting a sunburn.

True dat. I might even do Ellen's Energy Adventure again if it gets hot enough.

 

[Agent0028]

Ahh, Ellen's energy adventure. The last bastion of pure education outside the world showcase at Epcot...

 

[Coheteboy]

Yes, one has to consider Florida's blistering humid heat and can't fault them for that. I do think that they have way too many shows, however... translate them into rides and I think the heat will take a back seat.

 

[Agent0028]

The only park I feel like has too many shows is DHS and I feel like it makes sense to have alot of shows there. I'm all for an Indiana Jones ride though.

 

[Coheteboy]

The only park I feel like has too many shows is DHS and I feel like it makes sense to have alot of shows there. I'm all for an Indiana Jones ride though.

DHS is definitely what I was thinking of...way too many shows and movie attractions where you do nothing but sit and watch.

That Beauty and the Beast show needs to be put to sleep. Same with Voyage of the Little Mermaid. They already have two stunt shows: Indy and Lights, Motors, Action. Then American Idol Experience. What else? Disney Playhouse Live, Sounds Dangerous with Drew Carey, Disney Channel Rocks, Jedi Training Academy, Fantasmic, Magic of Disney Animation, Walt Disney: One Man's Dream, Muppet Vision 3D.


I'm cool with half of those but a day of sitting on your butt and just WATCHING something isn't my idea of fun. They need a better balance because the only rides they have:

1. Rock n Rollercoaster
2. Tower of Terror
3. Star Tours
4. Great Movie Ride
5. Toy Story Midway Mania

I don't recall anything else is there?

 

[fronkenstein]

That Beauty and the Beast show needs to be put to sleep. Same with Voyage of the Little Mermaid.

Errr... Voyage of the Little Mermaid was a huge hit for my daughter. It was the only thing she enjoyed in DHS.

 

[Coheteboy]

Errr... Voyage of the Little Mermaid was a huge hit for my daughter. It was the only thing she enjoyed in DHS.

That's a bummer if that's the only thing. Okay, keep Voyage of the Little Mermaid.... add something else in addition to.

 

[Agent0028]

DHS is definitely what I was thinking of...way too many shows and movie attractions where you do nothing but sit and watch.

That Beauty and the Beast show needs to be put to sleep. Same with Voyage of the Little Mermaid. They already have two stunt shows: Indy and Lights, Motors, Action. Then American Idol Experience. What else? Disney Playhouse Live, Sounds Dangerous with Drew Carey, Disney Channel Rocks, Jedi Training Academy, Fantasmic, Magic of Disney Animation, Walt Disney: One Man's Dream, Muppet Vision 3D.


I'm cool with half of those but a day of sitting on your butt and just WATCHING something isn't my idea of fun. They need a better balance because the only rides they have:

1. Rock n Rollercoaster
2. Tower of Terror
3. Star Tours
4. Great Movie Ride
5. Toy Story Midway Mania

I don't recall anything else is there?

Well...there is the backlot tour, which consists of two shows and the "ride" part sucks so... Well the catastrophe canyon part is cool. The other thing that sucks about the rides is that 3/5 are not fun for the whole family. Although the pic of my Grandma on ToT is great fun.

In the shows you forgot the Prince Caspian show. Alot of those are cool, but I agree that they need to get some better ride balance in there. Dammit, I want and Indiana Jones ride!

Errr... Voyage of the Little Mermaid was a huge hit for my daughter. It was the only thing she enjoyed in DHS.

She'll have the Little Mermaid dark ride at MK now...

 

[cokebabies]

Five straight days of rain... ____ southern California.

Which definitely leads to a big advantage for WDW... I'm assuming that between the more oppressive heat and once a day rain, most attractions were designed with indoor / covered queues.

But with DLR, so much of the queue area was exposed that it made the rain an even more miserable experience. Not to mention having to close numerous rides due to the rain.

So between a lot of rides closed due to the rain, and Space Mountain and Indy closing about once a day for at least an hour (Indy seems to break... a LOT), the rides that were open were absolutely slammed with crowds having nowhere else to go.

I will do my full DLR write up soon (I decided to postpone it after my last trip to include things from this one). I'd been very busy with my most recent article for Zug (shameless self promotion), so this got pushed back a few days already.

A few highlights:
Haunted Mansion Holiday is fantastic. I assumed the NBX (used the X for you, cohete) would be there in addition to the existing HM props. I didn't realize just what a complete overhaul was actually done. Now I can definitely see why they had to close HM for so long to switch it over. And I really am not a fan of NBX... no problems with it per se, I just find it pretty boring and don't get the ridiculous amount of love.

Spoiler

The first time I saw Jack's giant head in the elevator was just awesome.

I'm not sure if they've all been updated, but our room at the Disneyland Hotel was amazing. Very nice room, and we overslept almost every day due to one of the most comfortable beds I've ever slept in.

Once everything is done in 2012, DCA is going to be one hell of a park.

NPH now doing the ride spiel for Screamin'.

Lowlights:
DLR is flat out not well-designed for extended rain.

 

[Coheteboy]

Lowlights:
DLR is flat out not well-designed for extended rain.

Glad you enjoyed Haunted Mansion Holiday but bummer you went during the only time we had a week of rain. Normally, I love Disneyland when it rains but I think that mixed in with the holidays, people like you are going no matter what, which leads to some major crowding problems.

Even without the rain, you'll be faced with huge over-crowding but at least you can see where you're going.

Southern California isn't raining 95% of the time, which means that the park isn't designed best for the time period you went. Hope you're able to do it again without the weather and crowds!

 

[cokebabies]

Well that was the only good thing about the rain... when the bigger rides like Space and Indy were operating, Land-wide lines were reasonable. Since I would assume DLR is much more local-heavy compared to WDW, most of the locals stayed home during the rain.

On our last day, Thursday, it was sunny. We had an evening flight so we went to the parks beforehand. And they were SLAMMED. So between the rain and decent crowds or sun and insane crowds, it was lose-lose. But, I guess that's Christmas in Disney for you. I did NYE in WDW two years ago and it was ridiculous.

One other downside to DLR vs WDW: DLR's relationships with their Downtown stores/restaurants aren't as good. We had been saving up for the trip by buying gift cards, since it's easier to buy a $100 GC once in a while than it is to drop a thousand or so at once. Only we found out that, unlike WDW, most restaurants in Downtown didn't take Disney GCs. Which screwed up our plans a bit.

As for food,most of our dinners were very good to great - Steakhouse 55 and Blue Bayou (we'd done that last time as well) are must-dos. Naples was solid, as was Jazz Kitchen. Storyteller's for dinner was mediocre, as was Minnie's breakfast. Goofy's Kitchen was better last time I was there... probably because we didn't eat in a conference room. Wine Country Trattoria might have been the biggest dining disappointment ever in a Disney park. Mediocre atmosphere, and mediocre-at-best food.

 

[Coheteboy]

One other downside to DLR vs WDW: DLR's relationships with their Downtown stores/restaurants aren't as good. We had been saving up for the trip by buying gift cards, since it's easier to buy a $100 GC once in a while than it is to drop a thousand or so at once. Only we found out that, unlike WDW, most restaurants in Downtown didn't take Disney GCs. Which screwed up our plans a bit.

As for food,most of our dinners were very good to great - Steakhouse 55 and Blue Bayou (we'd done that last time as well) are must-dos. Naples was solid, as was Jazz Kitchen. Storyteller's for dinner was mediocre, as was Minnie's breakfast. Goofy's Kitchen was better last time I was there... probably because we didn't eat in a conference room. Wine Country Trattoria might have been the biggest dining disappointment ever in a Disney park. Mediocre atmosphere, and mediocre-at-best food.

Yah, the restaurants in Downtown Disney aren't Disney owned and in CA, there might be different laws regarding what can be spent where. Or yah, they just aren't as simpatico with one another. I guess it's easier to keep things separate from the business side.

I'm also surprised at your disappointment at Wine Country Trattoria. I've been several times and have been better than decent. May I ask what you ordered?

Storyteller's Cafe has gone down a bit since it opened. It used to be one of my favorites. I can still rely on it in a pinch and still enjoy it, but agree that it could be better.