Disneyland: Tomorrowland

I have at times highlighted changes with the various lands and attractions. Often that has been to make it more Disney, or more aligned with more recent movies. Tomorrowland has probably had the most changes, and it has been less for that reason.

As the name implies, Tomorrowland is supposed to be a gateway and showcase for the future. That is hard to pull off. It's a moving target, and it still needs to be entertaining. Some of the rides are still there and have changed, but many attractions are completely different.

When we went in the '80s much of the technology seemed to be about future transportation possibilities. So there was the Monorail, which has still survived; the People Mover, whose track became the Rocket Rods, which were really cool but plagued with technical difficulties, and so now there is nothing there; and the Skyway, a gondola lift that that went back and forth between Fantasyland and Tomorrowland and no longer exists.

There were also innovations in how you watched entertainment, with a carousel theater where the stage moved around while the audience stayed in place (home of America Sings) and a 360 degree circle theater where you could face any direction and see the movie from that angle (home of America The Beautiful).

The most science-related was probably Adventure Through Inner Space, where you could see the vehicles ahead of you (atom-mobiles) getting shrunk down you could get a microscopic view of things like a snowflake without the microscope.

Even back then, so many years ago, there had been many changes to Tomorrowland, and perhaps there will be many more. This is what we have now.


Astro Orbiter: This was there from my childhood too, but the did a major overhaul on the design, making it look a little more steampunk, I think. Before it was a pretty simple, 1960s style rocket design, and now it brings to mind an astrolabe combined with a sextant combined with an old-fashioned model of the solar system. The way the ride works is quite similar to Dumbo's Flying Elephants in Fantasyland, but there are two key differences. One is that you seem to go higher. Also, in addition to the vehicles not being adorable elephants, they are much more awkward to get into and less comfortable to sit in. It is almost like getting in and out of an awkward bathtub.

Autopia: This is probably the least changed ride. They have incorporated the Aardman Chevron cars into the queue, but it is still a small car where you have to  hold the gas pedal down to move and steering does affect the direction, but you are on a track. Steering properly basically just makes the ride smoother, as opposed to the car continually going side to side as it hits the rail and corrects. The scenery is cute (especially the car park), but it is not an exciting ride, and the line is always long. Still, I try and always take it, because it's the closest I come to driving most of the time.

Buzz Astro Lightyear Blasters: This is where America The Beautiful used to play. Now you ride slowly past targets, with a blaster that will keep score, with targets and the main villain Zurg being inspired by the Toy Story spin-offs. It is not quite as fast-paced, or as fun, as Toy Story Mania in Paradise Pier, but it is still pretty fun.

Captain EO: This opened up after my last childhood trip to Disneyland, then was replaced by Honey I Shrunk The Audience, then Captain EO was revived. I don't think it holds up. The plot would be a pretty perfunctory three-minute music video from 1985, but this is decades later, it lasts longer than three minutes, and it just gets old, moving floor and 3-D effects aside. I suppose part of the attraction is some nostalgia for Michael Jackson, but it does not work for me. I am kind of glad I got the chance to see it once, because I remember it being a big deal at the time, but it is lame.

Disneyland Monorail: I think the reason that this has survived when the other transportation showcase type rides did not is that it actually does some transport. You can travel between Downtown Disney and Tomorrowland, which helps tie the shopping district to the Parks. Also, you do get a scenic view of the park. It was a novelty when we first rode it; now it is something that we may or may not do.

Finding Nemo Submarine Voyage: This ride has the most interesting balance of change and not change. It started out based on 20000 Leagues Under The Sea, so Captain Nemo, not Nemo the adorable clownfish with the bad fin. There were no animatronics, just models, so it was probably starting to look dated, and the boarding is a somewhat awkward process (though less so than with a real submarine). It was closed for a long time, and that seemed like a shame. If Atlantis: The Lost Empire had taken off, they would probably have revived the ride then, but no, it took cartoon fish. Now you have many of the same models, but they have also worked in some animation that appears on a screen, and familiar voices from the movie. It is cuter, but the boarding and seating is still a bit awkward.

Innoventions: They replaced America Sings with a place to showcase new technology. While that seems like it is most in the spirit of Tomorrowland, we only went once, and it was really boring. I think they have gotten better about jazzing things up, like adding Iron Man into the mix, but I want go on rides, and I liked America Sings a lot. The incorporation of some of those characters into Splash Mountain helps some, but this will probably never be my favorite ride.

Space Mountain: This is basically a roller coaster. It is not particularly futuristic perhaps, but it is fun. This is why we always go on Space Mountain, and do not go back to Innoventions. The space part is that you are in the dark, and there are places where it is like you are going past stars or things - it is somewhat space-like in that way. What really sets it apart, though, since it is all interior and dark, is that you can't really anticipate anything. The twists and turns reveal themselves as you feel them, because you don't see them coming. For this reason, it may be worse for some who are prone to nausea. Also, it shakes a lot more than the Matterhorn or Thunder Mountain Railroad. That's not to say that it rattles like it is old and is going to fall apart; it just shakes you up more. The New York New York Roller Coaster in Las Vegas was like that. Those are just things to know before you go.

Speaking of things you should know, they have done a variation around Halloween where they add some ghostly figures and eyes. I think I like the traditional ride better, but they are not really that different. Also, there is usually a huge line, but Wednesday morning it was only ten minutes. Tomorrowland is where lines get backed up the most, so choosing your timing is important. (See http://sporktogo.blogspot.com/2013/03/when-to-go-to-disneyland.html for more on that.)

Star Tours: This opened in 1987 in the old Adventures Through Inner Space spot. It's a motion simulator ride, so while you are watching the action on a screen, you are still being lifted up and down and moving around. The story is always that you are trying to take a simple tour, and end up getting far off course, but now (since 2011) it is Star Tours: The Adventures Continue, because now you can get a combination of different scenes, allowing 54 possible ride experiences. This may be a reason to go on it more than once. (We went once, and got Darth Vader, Kashyyyk, and Coruscant.)

Starcade: This is another one of those areas where maybe your kids are tired of rides, but this one costs quarters, so it seems like a worse deal. However, they were renovating it last time, so maybe it will be different. Some of the games are retro, which is cool, but there are other places you can do that. We did pop in to try the claw machines, because we have to.

Redd Rocket's Pizza Port: This is a cafeteria style restaurant where there is pizza, but also pasta and salad available. The food is okay in general, but the breadsticks were awful. Avoid those. Really, the best eating is not in Tomorrowland, but it is a bit far to get to the next land sometimes.

Tomorrowland Terrace: I think we have only had breakfast here, a long time ago, but it was fine.
They seem to have a normal breakfast menu and then switch to burgers.

This is also where the Jedi Training Academy takes place. This is obviously not for us, but kids who do it seem to like it a lot.

Disneyland: Mickey's Toon Town

I have drawn attention at various times to various play areas in the different lands where children who might like rides but get tired of waiting in line can run and climb and just be kids. Mickey's Toon Town takes that to the next level.

It's actually my least favorite land, but that's okay; it's not for me. It's great that there is a place for kids.

In a way, it's like the Enchanted Forest was when I was growing up. You could walk by and peek in to the homes of beloved characters. In this case, there was a much bigger budget, so you can go in and explore, and there is climbing and sliding and water spouts.

Different types of homes that are appropriate for different types of characters give a nice variety. You have Chip 'n Dale's Treehouse, Donald's Boat, and Goofy's Playhouse.

Minnie's House and Mickey's House are perhaps a little more traditional in their structure, but Mickey's is much larger, and with better air-conditioning. This works well, because it is actually the line for meeting Mickey.

Restaurants add to the theme, referring to classic characters, blending in with the architectural style, and serving kid-friendly offerings. Thus you have Clarabelle's Frozen Yogurt, Pluto's Dog House, and Daisy's Diner, which serves slices of cheese or pepperoni pizza.

There are two regular rides as well.

Roger Rabbit's Car Toon Spin: You ride Benny the Cab through scenes from the movie. My sister appreciates that you can turn the wheel and the car will turn in that direction, which is true, but you are still going on the track, and I don't think it adds that much. This is not my favorite, possibly because the line always feels hot and stuffy.

Gadget's Go Coaster: This is a small roller coaster. It is a fast and smooth ride, but mild and really built with kids in mind. I think there used to be one like it at Camp Snoopy. One thing that sets this one apart is that, with the idea that it was built by Gadget of the Rescue Rangers, you see things that a rodent might use, like a rubber band, or blocks. It is cute. Larger adults might be uncomfortable.

Disneyland: Fantasyland

 

No matter how many cool things we have already covered, Fantasyland feels like the essence of Disney. Perhaps it is because so many of the rides are tied so closely to the movies, and you can just kind of step into them.

You enter through a castle, and suddenly a carousel is in front of you, and you are flanked by four movie rides, which even though they all reflect and appropriate architectural style for their movie, still seem to belong together, and then more rides just keep popping up. It is a magical place.

Sleeping Beauty Castle: As well as creating the perfect entrance to Fantasyland, you can also walk through the castle and view scenes from the "Sleeping Beauty" movie. While the walk does involve going up and down stairs, there does appear to be a wheelchair accessible version.

King Arthur Carrousel: The spelling bugs me, but apparently carrousel is an accepted variant of carousel. Anyway, it is a merry-go-round filled with white horses. Although the name, and the anvil with the sword stuck in it at the front indicate it relates to "The Sword in the Stone", there are painted scenes from "Sleeping Beauty" inside, and the tune is "Once Upon A Dream". It works.

The next four rides are the movie ones that I mentioned. Honestly, the ones on the right are better, but they all have some sentimental value, and we ride each of them every time. I will go through them from left to right.

Pinocchio's Daring Journey: Ride around the puppet show, Pleasure Island, an ocean with Monstro the Whale, and end up in Geppetto's toy shop.

Snow White's Scary Adventures: Mine cars named after the dwarfs take you through the mine, their cottage, and the scary woods.

Peter Pan's Flight: This is one of my favorites, as the scenes, especially as you fly above London at night, then come in over Neverland, are so beautiful. You ride in flying pirate ships. This one tends to have longer lines, but it's worth it.

Mr. Toad's Wild Ride: Here you ride little cars named after characters from "The Wind in the Willows" through Toad Hall, the town and countryside, and even a brief trip through Hell!

Dumbo the Flying Elephant: One of the cutest Disney characters gives you one of the cutest rides, as you circle around in a flying elephant. You control the height with a lever. The lines stack up for this one too.

Casey Jr. Circus Train: This is a very small train, designed more for kids. Adults can ride, but usually only do if they are taking their children. It can be fun to ride in a monkey cage, but we prefer the full-size train. This one does allow you to get a different view of some of the Storybook Land scenes.

Storybook Land Canal Boats: In mentioning all of the boats of Frontierland, I forgot that you also have two boat rides here (not counting the flying pirate ships). For this one, you get in boats named after Disney heroines (we rode the Alice, decorated with a picture of the Cheshire Cat). Through Monstro's mouth you enter a a waterway with miniature cottages and castles on both sides, depicting scenes from various movies and cartoons. The guide is narrating, but instead of the corny jokes of the jungle cruise, there tends to be more interaction with the guests.

It's a Small World: I know there are people who find this ride annoying, and I'm not saying that the song won't get stuck in your head. When people have other songs stuck in their head, I know singing this one will push the other one out (not that they necessarily appreciate that). Still, I think the scenes are all really cute, the exterior decorations and topiary are interesting, and I am not so jaded that the message of unity and international understanding bothers me.

Mad Tea Party: And here's where you ride in the tea cups, to the strains of the Un-birthday song. You have three levels of spinning, with the main platform going round, three smaller wheels within that platform also revolving (and the cup transferring between them), and the turning of the cup itself, which you can exert some control over by turning the wheel inside. I mention this because if you have any tendency towards motion sickness, this might not be the ride for you. If that is not an issue, and you are wondering about using the wheel, I would say the amount of exertion required does not really pay off in increased velocity, so it makes more sense to lean back and enjoy the ride.

Alice in Wonderland: This is similar to the four anchoring rides at the entrance, in that you ride an appropriate craft (in this case, the caterpillar) through scenes from the movie. It is built on a larger scale though, and is perhaps a little more interesting, and the different time period of the movie is reflected in a different color scheme, where it's just a little more psychedelic. (The movie's art director, Mary Blair, was also the designer for It's a Small World.)

Matterhorn Bobsleds: This bobsled ride roller coaster may not fit in as obviously to the themes running through the rest of Fantasyland, but I am glad they have it. I guess it is kind of a fantastic thing to have the Abominable Snowman show up in the Alps instead of the Himalayas. Anyway, it does kind of go with a Disney movie; does anyone remember Third Man On The Mountain?

Village Haus Restaurant: This is our favorite place for hamburgers on both sides of the park. The interior is decorated with a Pinocchio theme and the food is really good.

This is really the main restaurant for Fantasyland. Otherwise, in addition to snack carts, there is Edelweiss Snacks across from the Matterhorn, where you can get turkey legs and cobs of corn, and
Troubador Tavern, which is in an area where we never really go.

As you head towards Toon Town, you pass It's a Small World on the right, and on the left there is a path to the Fantasyland Theatre. At one point there was a Snow White musical. At another, this was where you got all of your princess merchandise, but now it is the location for Mickey and the Magical Map. It sounds interesting, but we have never seen it.

Princess makeovers have now been moved over to the Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique. Yes, they do sell other things there, but it seems to be mainly about the packages. Our love for Disney extends more towards the anthropomorphic animals than the princesses, so we aren't really into this, and we also did not try too hard to check out the Fantasy Faire. To be fair, it seemed like it was still under construction, and probably next time we will look around, but it has a definite target market that we are not a part of. If you want to meet the princesses, though, they do facilitate it.

Disneyland: Frontierland

I'll try not to beat a dead horse, but I wanted to get back to the two things currently in Critter Country that I still consider to be in Frontierland. With the starting point of the old Country Bear Jamboree, I seem to remember that one of the Frontierland attractions was Teddi Barra's; it might have been the shooting gallery.

Also, the canoes existed before Critter Country. The restaurant might have, but the canoes definitely did, and it was significant because Frontierland was all about the boats. Yes, you sort of rode boat-like things in It's a Small World and Pirates of the Caribbean, but Frontierland had water with a riverboat, sailing ship, keelboat, and raft, plus the canoes, all holding their place on the Rivers of America.

There was a strong influence from The Wonderful World of Disney and Disney Movies, some of which is still there. Tom Sawyer Island has been redone so there is more of a pirate influence since Pirates of the Caribbean the movie, but it's not like Tom would never have played pirates.

The raft that carries you there I think is still somewhat similar to the raft that Huck and Jim used, and although you don't ride it, that is a replica of Mike Fink's Gullywhumper outside the cabin. So Frontierland was very much about the boats, even though my favorite ride there involves the train.

Davy Crockett's Explorer Canoes: Actually, I have never ridden these. I had a bad experience with a rowboat at a Flintstone's park in Canada once, and so when I see the passengers wielding oars I get nervous. The ride description says the guide does most of the work, and the guests paddle just for fun, but I am skeptical. I still think it's cool that they exist. Maybe someday.

Mark Twain Riverboat: This gives you a narrated tour of the surroundings on the Rivers of America, in the voice of Mark Twain. Around the waterway, visible from the various boats and the train, are scenes of frontier life, with cabins, wild animals, and natives.

Sailing Ship Columbia: Instead of a riverboat this is a three-masted windjammer, and instead of recorded narration, the crew talks to you. Below deck there are displays to give you an idea of crew life, with bunks and a galley.


Big Thunder Mountain Railroad: If you ask about my favorite ride in the park, I will have a hard time choosing between this and the Matterhorn. It is a really fun roller coaster ride set up as a runaway train through the Old West, going through mines and past desert animals and even dinosaur bones. Lots of fun.

Pirate's Lair On Tom Sawyer Island: This has been updated, and some of that has been to increase the pirate feeling, but also they have made this a great place to have your kids burn off their energy. Seriously, it is exhausting just going around the paths and bridges, and kids can also climb and dig.

Frontierland Shooting Exposition: I have only done this one once. I don't like that there is a fee. I can see that it would be necessary to keep any one guest from just staying there and keeping other guests waiting, but I already spend enough money there, and they don't sweeten the pot by giving prizes. With prizes, I would probably do it more.

Big Thunder Mountain Ranch: This is basically a petting zoo, and we haven't really tried it. It's fairly new, after the Hunchback Village with its Feast of Fools didn't catch on (Clopin will be involved in the Fantasy Faire), and it was closed the first time we went there since it opened. Last time we could have gone, but I think we felt out of place as childless adults going to a petting zoo. I like petting zoos though, so next time I should probably just go for it.

Big Thunder Ranch Barbecue: Part of the property, as well as an area for coloring, is this restaurant, which as an all you can eat barbecue seems like it would be a good deal.

Harbour Galley: I know, I have been so stubborn about the location on this one, and I will probably never go to it, because it serves seafood. Still, with all that water in Frontierland, and boats, there probably should be a seafood place.

The Golden Horseshoe: We have been here. The main draw is that along with the food there is live entertainment. They are simple shows, but we had never seen one before and decided we wanted to. It was just a comic sketch with audience participation, but it is nice to relax sometimes and get out of the sun. I think we split a sundae and a rice crispy treat among the three of us, so I know they have desserts, but they had regular food too.

Stage Door Cafe: If I recall correctly, this is similar food to the Golden Horseshoe, but with a walkup window instead of being inside. I believe I have gotten chicken strips here. There are outside tables nearby.

Rancho Del Zocalo Restaurante: I thought this was fine, but my sisters did not like it. Still, their idea of Mexican food is Taco Bell, and this is a bit more authentic than that. The atmosphere was good, and the food wasn't even that spicy, but if your tolerance is low, you should probably go somewhere else. Personally, I think it is good that the area dedicated to the Old West acknowledges the Mexican influence. There is a small area nearby called Zocalo Park, and the Day of the Dead decorations appeared there around Halloween.

River Belle Terrace: We have never been here. It sounds like it would be good for breakfast, but we usually take advantage of the free continental breakfast at our hotel, then eat lunch and dinner in the park. Their lunch and dinner offerings are baguette sandwiches, which are fine, but in this area we are right near the Bengal Barbecue and Royal Street Veranda, which we tend to stick to. Perhaps we need to change it up a little.

Disneyland: Critter Country

I'm being a little rebellious here, but I need to give some back-story to explain why.

Critter Country is relatively new. In the Disneyland of my childhood, the only part of it that was really there was the Country Bear Jamboree, consisting of animatronic singing bears. That entrance for it now leads to The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh ride.

I considered that to be part of Frontierland. There was some reasonable overlap between New Orleans Square and Frontierland. New Orleans straddles the same Mississippi River that Huck and Jim traveled on. If the cultural influences were different, they were still neighbors. Generally speaking, in my mind the attractions on the left were New Orleans Square, and on the right was Frontierland. Therefor, even though you pass the River Belle Terrace just as you are heading into New Orleans Square, and the baguette sandwiches sound like there is a French influence, when the park classifies it as part of Frontierland I accept it. After all, it is on the right.

So, this is where I get rebellious. The web site classifies the Harbour Galley and the Davy Crockett Explorer Canoes as being in Critter Country, and I disagree, and I am not going to write about them until we get into Frontierland next week.

For me, Critter Country (whose existence I wholly support) consists of the following:

Splash Mountain: Actually, going back to my youth, the one big thing that Knotts Berry Farm had that Disneyland didn't was a flume ride, so that was a nice addition. It is a wetter one than the log ride, but as I said writing about the Grizzly River Run, you don't always get soaked on this one. Sometimes you hit certain corners and splash more, and other times you and the current don't intersect quite the same way. Also, you do get much wetter in the front.

One thing that I really appreciate about this ride is that in addition to incorporating the Uncle Remus characters, they also brought in several characters from the old America Sings ride, and it's good that they are still somewhere, because I liked that one.

The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh: This is a simple but cute ride. You get into sideways beehives and go through scenes from various Winnie the Pooh tales, including blustery days, rain coming down, and heffalumps and woozles. It is pretty adorable.

Hungry Bear Restaurant: This is a basic hamburger drill, and the setting is great, but we didn't like it. This surprised us because we like the hamburgers at the Village Haus so much. I think the issue is that they are smokier here, and some people may prefer it that way, but not us.

Critter Country also has some of our favorite shopping. We always go in the one store, at the end of the land. All things Pooh and Tigger are here, but there is also a great candy selection here, and of all the places in the park where you can watch them making candy apples and dipping pretzel sticks, this is my favorite, based on atmosphere.

That shop is huge, but there is another small one that is worth mentioning. I usually don't know the names of the shops, but based on the picture I have, it appears to be called the Briar Patch. I was just amazed by the selection of character hats. If you want Dumbo or Tinkerbell or anything you can imagine, this is the place.