Walt Disney World and Disneyland(s) Discussion

[Darth Waller]

Some of those shots are empty! Where is everybody?

 

[Coheteboy]

Moving on to Mission: Space. When I went in 2006, I rode it three times. Once after a few rounds of beer too and I loved it. Now... once was enough.

Universe of ZZZZZZZZZZZ

Hey look, Mommy! Fossil Fuel!

Test Track 2.0... an improvement now that it's mostly like a TRON ride. But they should just take it all the way. TRON IT UP, I SAY!

Sponsored by Chevrolet

You design your own car in the queue. My ugly beast got 2nd... it was close.

 

[Hazmat31]

Didn't care for the Ellen ride ?
That Missions to Mars though is awesome!

 

[Grenouille]

Universe of Energy is a great place to catch a 45 minute power nap.

 

[Coheteboy]

Universe of Energy... there's something about it that isn't working anymore. It was fun the first time, when everything was new. But repeating it, it's just... insanely dull. At Disneyland, you can see those dinosaurs with a 5 minute wait and a 5 minute trip... this ride is way too long and not enough going on visually.

 

[cokebabies]

Universe of Energy is not good.

I can see, the first time you go on, being excited when the theater seats start moving. But it's thirty minutes too long, and that Ellen animatronic is awful.

 

[Coheteboy]

Universe of Energy is not good.

I can see, the first time you go on, being excited when the theater seats start moving. But it's thirty minutes too long, and that Ellen animatronic is awful.

That Ellen Animatronic.... not even there anymore. I heard the dialogue of where it once was... but no Ellen to be seen.


Spaceship Earth time. I still like this one for some odd reason. I didn't take good pics like I hoped and the line was surprisingly too long for me to make a return trip.

CLUB COOL. It's always fun to try the various sodas.... EXCEPT FOR THE BEVERLY. UGH THE BEVERLY. YUCK.

World Showcase. Disney's glorified shopping mall experience. I think Disney has a fluke here... people are paying to shop and dine for pretty much half the day. This is not a winning formula. They did this with California Adventure when it opened and it failed. The various countries somehow makes it okay.

Canada

United Kingdom

Morocco

Japan

American Adventure

While there, did the Candlelight Processional with narration by LeVar Burton.

(it basically got dark and i was too lazy to take pictures so there's only a smattering few from here on out)
Italy

China

Norway

Mexico

I didn't ride it this night... more pics from another day

Leaving Epcot. I didn't stay for Illuminations... got in a spat with a friend who drank too much and had to calm her down. lol oy. These were taken AFTER the calming down.

 

[cokebabies]

I think it is physically impossible to take a bad picture of SSE. It just makes every picture it's in the background of automatically good.

I love the ride, too. Every trip, my wife and I go on it at least twice a day, probably 10 rides per trip at least.

 

[YT74]

I"ll be near Disneyland next week for a work trip. I will have from 5pm til close one night and maybe open til noon the next day to go to the park. Is there a smart (cheap) way to see some stuff without paying for 2 days? I would love to get some pictures of the Cars area for my son in particular. Any suggestions are appreciated. Thanks!

 

[Hazmat31]

Universe of Energy is a great place to catch a 45 minute power nap.

I get my nap on the Spaceship Earth ride.

 

[Hazmat31]

World Showcase. Disney's glorified shopping mall experience. I think Disney has a fluke here... people are paying to shop and dine for pretty much half the day. This is not a winning formula. They did this with California Adventure when it opened and it failed. The various countries somehow makes it okay.

 

[Hazmat31]

World Showcase. Disney's glorified shopping mall experience. I think Disney has a fluke here... people are paying to shop and dine for pretty much half the day. This is not a winning formula. They did this with California Adventure when it opened and it failed. The various countries somehow makes it okay.

The World Showcase is not as exciting for sure but the architecture is really nice .
It makes a ton of money during September-October when it hosts the Food & Wine Festival.
Again Coheteboy,your photography skills are incredible.
Thanks for sharing.

 

[Coheteboy]

I"ll be near Disneyland next week for a work trip. I will have from 5pm til close one night and maybe open til noon the next day to go to the park. Is there a smart (cheap) way to see some stuff without paying for 2 days? I would love to get some pictures of the Cars area for my son in particular. Any suggestions are appreciated. Thanks!

That all depends... you're not FROM southern california are you? If you are, there's a special two day ticket rate for $139 (normally $178 and a one day is $96).
https://disneyland.disney.go.com/offers-discounts/southern-california-tickets/

There's two parks, Disneyland and California Adventure. Disneyland is where most of the stuff is, but Cars Land is in California Adventure. Keep in mind that a lot of things are closed down while they prep for the 60th anniversary (Splash Mountain and all of Critter Country, Soarin over California and all of Condor Flats, It's a Small World (removing christmas decorations), and a few other things. But the majority of it all is still operating.


I'm not sure if someone from SoCal can purchase the ticket and just let you use it... if that's doable maybe that would be the best course of action to take.

 

[Coheteboy]

OKAY... we're done with Epcot. Magic Kingdom time (day 3 of Walt Disney World)

those hands remind me of something else....

City Hall

Cinderella Castle

First order of business was to rush over to the newest thing, Seven Dwarfs Mine Train.

The queue had all sorts of interactive things to keep kids occupied, but the line for this ride moves a little too quick to really enjoy it. But maybe that's the point of it all... just enough distraction so that they aren't too bored. It made the line move slower actually because people weren't moving!

The ride itself is pretty fun. I'd rate it as just a hair less thrilling than Big Thunder... and definitely not as lengthy. This ride is only 2 minutes long.

And then it was time for the Little Mermaid ride, which is a clone of the one in California Adventure.
WDW = Under the Sea: Journey of the Little Mermaid
DL = The Little Mermaid: Ariel's Undersea Adventure

I gotta say, they did a smashing job on the exterior theming for this attraction, although this Ariel on the mast is really creepy. Why would Prince Eric do that? And then crash it in front of his palace?

The ultimate problem with a queue that looks as amazing is this is the expectations of what the ride will be. This is basically a Fantasyland attraction on a larger foot print. People are lining up expecting something REALLY amazing... but while it has some good animatronics, the ride itself is a let down.

since i've photographed this so much before, i didn't take as many pics inside... mostly because CA's has gotten two lighting and animatronic upgrades since opening. This one is still on version 1.

Not sure what's up with that beam of light!

 

[cokebabies]

I've always disliked the ending of both Little Mermaid dark rides. The ending battle being relegated to the background is disappointing.

 

[FriendlySamurai]

Took a surprise visit to LA this last week and stopped off at both parks. Lots of fun but sucks they had so many rides/attractions closed. No Splash Mountain, Matterhorn, Soarin, or Sleeping Beauty's Castle... was looking forward to the Matterhorn, haven't been on it since I was a little kid. Sooo I had to take it out on Thunder Mountain lol, love how they added the explosive special effects- did they add them to BTM DW too? BTM was closed in DW last time I was there.

 

[Hazmat31]

Took a surprise visit to LA this last week and stopped off at both parks. Lots of fun but sucks they had so many rides/attractions closed. No Splash Mountain, Matterhorn, Soarin, or Sleeping Beauty's Castle... was looking forward to the Matterhorn, haven't been on it since I was a little kid. Sooo I had to take it out on Thunder Mountain lol, love how they added the explosive special effects- did they add them to BTM DW too? BTM was closed in DW last time I was there.

I was in WDW before Christmas and no,they did not have any explosive special effects that I saw.......or heard!

 

[FriendlySamurai]

I was in WDW before Christmas and no,they did not have any explosive special effects that I saw.......or heard!

that sux, they were pretty neat- I thought that might have been why they had it closed down last time I was there... oh well here's what they looked like:

 

[Coheteboy]

Took a surprise visit to LA this last week and stopped off at both parks. Lots of fun but sucks they had so many rides/attractions closed. No Splash Mountain, Matterhorn, Soarin, or Sleeping Beauty's Castle... was looking forward to the Matterhorn, haven't been on it since I was a little kid. Sooo I had to take it out on Thunder Mountain lol, love how they added the explosive special effects- did they add them to BTM DW too? BTM was closed in DW last time I was there.

Come back May 22nd and all of those attractions and more will be pristine with updated effects. Same goes to all the Fantasyland dark rides.


And WDW generally doesn't upgrade their attractions as often as Disneyland does. They turned down the Star Tours upgrade but it was finally forced upon them by the very top. Even though both parks get the Jingle Cruise holiday overly, the decorations at WDW are minimal whereas Disneyland, they go all out. Same for Small World and Haunted Mansion at Disneyland. Each year they change things out, they have time to keep things in proper working order too and often make it better year after year.

It took a small fire in WDW's tiki room to finally bring it back to the original charm it once had.

 

[Hazmat31]

WDW keeps the parks in immaculate condition.
I'm not sure why they do not upgrade some of the rides like they do in DL but the parks are awesome and they also have to keep up and maintain Epcot,Animal Kingdom and Hollywood Studios,formerly MGM.
Each park has so much to offer and you have so many options of things to do and see.
I'm sure some of those upgrades are coming in the near future.
They did recently redo a portion of Fantasyland which is really nice.
The great thing about both places are the weather.