We generally take a very complete approach to rides. At the start of the trip we pick up park maps and check off the attractions we visit, making sure to get them all. Even where there are some that we like less, we have at least tried them, and will sometimes try them again just to make sure we were right.
Despite that, there is one ride that my sisters have never been on, and I had only been on once before this trip. That ride is the Grizzly River Run.
I liked it just fine when I tried it, but you get really wet. That's why my sisters haven't ridden it. They always give in and ride Splash Mountain, despite their misgivings, but there are two differences: Splash Mountain has cute animatronic animals, and you usually don't get soaked.
Splash Mountain will usually get you a little wet, and depending on the water level and how you hit some of the curves, you can get really wet, but there is at least room for hope that you won't get soaked. With Grizzly River Run, there is no hope.
I'm not exactly shy about getting wet, but then your shoes are squelching for the rest of the day, and your socks are riding up, and if your wearing jeans, wet denim is a hassle. Plus, as the only one who is willing to ride it, that is somewhat discouraging, but I really wanted to ride it again.
In a different theme park, many years ago, I rode the Jurassic Park ride at Universal Studios. My sisters had ridden it on a different trip, without me, and did not want to ride it again, because they got soaked. They were going to wait for me, but they were not getting on. In line, I noticed vending machines with ponchos, and got one of those. When I caught up with my sisters, they did not believe I had been on it yet, because I was so dry. Talking to other people in the Backdraft attraction, who had just been on Jurassic Park also, one of them pointed to their party and said "Drowned rat", then at me and said "Not drowned rat."
So when I started thinking about getting soaked, I remembered how well the poncho worked. I had an emergency poncho that had been hanging out in my purse for five years without an emergency; perhaps this would be a good non-emergency use.
That would only protect the shirt and part of the pants, but now I was being strategic. Not wearing jeans was pretty easy to manage, but what about shoes? Well, I also had an old pair of flip flops from 2008 (Maria had bought them in Australia, and then I inherited them) and they had seen better days. I would have them in my purse, change into them for the ride, and let my prissy sisters watch my shoes.
It worked pretty well. Since my pants are black, you can't see how wet they are. The answer is pretty wet. However, that dried easily, I changed back into my sneakers, and was basically no worse for wear. The other obvious question is whether there was a point.
That's harder to answer. For me, just getting back on the ride after so long was something I wanted to do, and it gave good use to the emergency poncho and slippers, but the ride itself is not terribly exciting. The whole point of the ride is to get wet. Little kids love it. I was riding with a man and his two young sons, and the boys were thrilled. They rushed right back into line to ride it again. Okay, they are decades younger, maybe it's more of a thrill. It can be fun, but it's not fun the way the Matterhorn is.
(To be fair, the Jurassic Park ride was pretty disappointing too. I felt like there should be a lot more dinosaurs.)
One thing worth noting, if you are staying at the Grand Californian, the entrance is right nearby, and that probably makes things easier.
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