As you may know, I visited Kennywood this summer and it was one heck of a time! I will be focusing on the rollercoasters in Kennywood right now, so enjoy!
There are six roller coasters at Kennywood and they are The Exterminator, Jack Rabbit, Racer, Thunderbolt, Sky Rocket, and Phantom's Revenge. I will give a brief explanation of each and put them in order from which I like best.
6. The Exterminator
This is the farthest ride away from the park entrance and is located near the Whip and Pittsburg Plunge. The height restriction is 3' 10". The line for this ride was about 40 minutes when I went on it with my sister. Let me just say this. It was kind of boring. It was basically one of those "mice" rides, if you know what I mean. Most amusement parks will have a ride thats some sort of mouse themed and has tight turns and such. Anyway, it is indoors and semi-dark. All you do is make tight turns and there are mannequins dressed up as exterminators and they say, "Exterminator!" when you come near them. The highest speed is about 29 mph. The ride itself is about one minute 40 seconds long, but you're in the vehicle for about two minutes 30 seconds. You can leave your bags at the loading dock and they can fit five per vehicle. Go on this ride if you have time, but not otherwise.
5. Racer
The Racer is a typical racing coaster with twin tracks. It is located just a little bit out of the entrance of the park near the Log Jammer and Skycoaster. It is a wooden coaster that has been rebuilt. the height restriction is 3'10". The line is about 20-30 minutes usually. The ride is about a minute and a half and you can leave your items at the loading dock. There are two riders per seat and there are twelve rows in each train, but two trains go at a time, so 48 people can go at a time. Definitely go on this ride if you have the chance.
4. Jack Rabbit
The Jack Rabbit is the technically the oldest ride in Kennywood and was built in 1920. The height restriction is three feet, and the line is normally about 20 minutes long. The ride is about a minute and 35 seconds long and you can leave your bags at the loading dock. The trains are the same size as the Racer and a picture is taken at the rides most popular part, the double dip, leaving riders suspended in the air for a split second. This is definitely the most exciting aspect of the ride, and I enjoy this every time! Especially riding in the back!
3. Sky Rocket
Sky Rocket one of the newest attractions at Kennywood and is quite unsettling to watch. But the second you start going, there is no turning back. I should have taken a video while I was there of the ride in test runs, but I didn't have a good camera. At the very start of the ride, you go straight up and straight down. When you go down though, it brakes considerably. The coaster is in a very tight space and makes a lot of tight turns and inversions, but they are so smooth, I wouldn't in a million years get sick on this one. Anyway, the height restriction is 4'4" and the line can get very long very quickly, up to about 50 minutes. The ride is about a minute long and it accelerates to 50 mph in three seconds at the very beginning.
2. Phantom's Revenge
Phantom's Revenge is one of the best steel roller coasters I have ever been on, if not the best. Up until recently, this roller coaster was the 8th fastest in the world, accelerating at one point to 85 mph. My whole family rode this, so it isn't crazy in the "you're a stupid teenager" sense. At the very beginning of the coaster you ascend an 160 foot lift hill, and you make a very, very steep drop. The second drop passes through the posts of another coaster which I will mention next. The thing about Kennywood is that it is built right on the Monongahela River. Parts of the park are on a hill, and with these last two coasters, they dip into huge ravines. You must be 4 feet to ride, and the line will look long but will take about 30 minutes. This is a enormously fun ride and I encourage 8 and up to ride! P.S. Don't ride in the front at night! There are bugs!
1. Thunderbolt
The Thunderbolt is my dad's favorite roller coaster and one of mine too. At the very beginning of the ride, right out of the station, there's a drop. I don't know about you, but I think using the terrain around you it a pretty cool way to shape a roller coaster. Like I said earlier, it is built basically in a ravine. This coaster has a ton of drops and is incredibly fun. Toward the middle of the ride, you go around a bend with so much force that you literally crush the person on the left side. (At the beginning, they ask the bigger person to go on the left.) The height restriction is 4' 4" and the line moves pretty fast. This ride is a pretty different experience from most other coasters and you will walk out with a smile on your face.
Thanks for reading! Stay tuned for Hersheypark!
Tuesday, April 8, 2014
Monday, December 23, 2013
Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk
First I'd like to say that this entry is extremely late considering I was going to try and post it during the summer, so pardon my tardiness. Lets get started!
The Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk is an amusement park located in Santa Cruz right on the beach. This park is open from April to Labor Day, and Labor Day throught March the park is open occasionally on weekends. The park operates under a ticket and wristband system, so you can purchase tickets for rides or a wristband to access all rides. The newest ride is Undertow, a spinning roller coaster. The parks oldest ride is the Looff Carousel. The park has nine thrill rides, 16 family rides, and nine kiddie rides. The Boardwalk has plenty of food, with a sweets stand with caramel apples and chocolate dipped bananas, to chinese food and chicken nuggets. On Monday and Tuesday nights after 5 pm, every ride is just one ticket, as opposed to the most possible, 6. Also, if you ourchase a Pepsi can locally, they have coupons for Wednesday and Thursday nights for after 5 pm, on about $13 for a wristband. My favorite rides at the park are Double Shot (the drop zone), the Giant Dipper (the main roller coaster), Wipeout (a spinning ride in the dark), Crazy Surf (a spinning/droppping sort of ride), and Logger's Revenge (the log ride). All of these except Logger's Revenge are thrill rides, which figures. If visiting with the family, I definitely suggest Speed Bumps (sort of bumper cars), the Giant Dipper, the Haunted Castle, Ghost Blasters, Tsunami, Logger's Revenge, and Crazy Surf. If with teenagers and wild kids, go for the Giant Dipper, Haunted Castle, Double Shot, Fireball, Tsunami, Wipeout, Undertow, Rock-o-Plane, Crazy Surf, and either Speed Bumps or Space Race. Honestly, if your kids are under four, don't take them here. It's a little dirty and is always pretty crowded. I find it a total waste of money to go here in the day time, for it's $6 to go on one roller coaster ride. You can swim first, then go on rides too! I hope you enjoyed this little article about where I spend my summer!
The Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk is an amusement park located in Santa Cruz right on the beach. This park is open from April to Labor Day, and Labor Day throught March the park is open occasionally on weekends. The park operates under a ticket and wristband system, so you can purchase tickets for rides or a wristband to access all rides. The newest ride is Undertow, a spinning roller coaster. The parks oldest ride is the Looff Carousel. The park has nine thrill rides, 16 family rides, and nine kiddie rides. The Boardwalk has plenty of food, with a sweets stand with caramel apples and chocolate dipped bananas, to chinese food and chicken nuggets. On Monday and Tuesday nights after 5 pm, every ride is just one ticket, as opposed to the most possible, 6. Also, if you ourchase a Pepsi can locally, they have coupons for Wednesday and Thursday nights for after 5 pm, on about $13 for a wristband. My favorite rides at the park are Double Shot (the drop zone), the Giant Dipper (the main roller coaster), Wipeout (a spinning ride in the dark), Crazy Surf (a spinning/droppping sort of ride), and Logger's Revenge (the log ride). All of these except Logger's Revenge are thrill rides, which figures. If visiting with the family, I definitely suggest Speed Bumps (sort of bumper cars), the Giant Dipper, the Haunted Castle, Ghost Blasters, Tsunami, Logger's Revenge, and Crazy Surf. If with teenagers and wild kids, go for the Giant Dipper, Haunted Castle, Double Shot, Fireball, Tsunami, Wipeout, Undertow, Rock-o-Plane, Crazy Surf, and either Speed Bumps or Space Race. Honestly, if your kids are under four, don't take them here. It's a little dirty and is always pretty crowded. I find it a total waste of money to go here in the day time, for it's $6 to go on one roller coaster ride. You can swim first, then go on rides too! I hope you enjoyed this little article about where I spend my summer!
Friday, October 11, 2013
Top 10 Hidden Mickeys
In almost all my Disney posts, I mention Hidden Mickeys. You can read more about them in my Hidden Mickeys article. I love to search for these, so I will list my top 10 Hidden Mickeys below!
10. "it's a small world" Disney characters.
These hidden mickeys are fun to find and are in almost every room. There are nine or them and are easy to spot.
10. "it's a small world" Disney characters.
These hidden mickeys are fun to find and are in almost every room. There are nine or them and are easy to spot.
This picture shows Aladdin and Jasmine on the magic carpet.
9. Tiny Splash Mountain Sign Mickey.
This mickey is embedded into a tree knot on the sign that designates the entrance to Splash Mountain. After finding this mickey, you just want to say, "It's so cute!"
This is an enlarged photo of the mickey.
8. Star Tours X-ray Baggage.
The robot checking baggage x-rays all bags and some have Disney objects. Listening to the robot is fun, and you can point out the objects.
On the top of this suitcase, Madame Leota's crystal ball rests.
7. Whinnie the Pooh Wood Mickey.
Right after your vehicle starts moving, you can see tree trunks serving as supports on either side. On the right, at about eye level, a mickey appears in the wood. Your heart leaps when you see this because it's been so hard to find.
Sorry for the "watermark".
6. Pirates of the Caribbean Cannon Fire Mickey.
This mickey is very hard to see, for you can only witness it if a specific light is on on the ride. I wrote about this in the Cannot Miss Disneyland Rides article. Even if you just get a glance of this, you're so excited.
Though this picture is hard to see, you might be able to make out the mickey to the top of the wall.
5. Peter Pan Big Ben Mickey.
In Peter Pan's Flight, when you fly over London, you see Big Ben. In one of the top windows, a shilhouette of mickey peeks out. You will definitely point this out to everyone in your ship.
I don't know about you, but to me, it almost looks like a movie camera.
4. Pinocchio Ship Case Mickey.
This mickey appears very quickly in one of the last rooms of the ride. The top of a case holding a model ship forms a mickey.
Sorry about the photo quality! It was the only one I found that didn't have marking on it.
3. Matterhorn Rope Mickey.
When passing through an ice cave on a tight turn, there's a box labeled "Wells Expedition" and a rope. The rope will be twisted into a mickey. You'll be proud of spotting this at such a fast pace.
Again, sorry about the "watermark".
2. Pirates of the Caribbean Rock/Cave Goofy.
After floating past the skeleton in bed, turn around and look up and you will see a rock jutting out . This shape looks like Goofy. This is so fun to find. I'm sorry, I couldn't find a picture for this one!
1. Mr. Toad's Stained Glass Mickey.
At the beginning of the ride, the first door you go through has a hard-to-spot mickey in the bottomm left corner. If you see this mickey, you'll want to jump up and down!
This mickey is so tiny and tinted, it will trick your eyes!
Thank you for reading! I'm sorry this post was mostly pictures, but it was also written in a day! A new post will be (hopefully) out next weekend!
Thanks to parkeology.com, hiddenmickeyguy.com, ultimateorlando.blogspot.com, imperfectmouse.blogspot.com, frontierlandstation.com. waymarking.com, and reddit.com for pictures!
Sunday, October 6, 2013
Cannot Miss Rides in California Adventure
As you can see, my entries tend to be a bit repetitive, for example Disneyland Reaturants and California Adventure Restaurants, and now Cannot Miss Rides in Disneyland and Cannot Miss Rides in California Adventure, but that's just because I don't want the entries to be super long, and there are so many good rides, I don't want it to seem like it's the whole park! So, once again, this will be like my Disneyland Rides entry, except with seven rides. I hope you enjoy!
7. Grizzly River Run-in Grizzly Peak
This ride is full of fun and is great for really any day, considering California weather. This ride is just like a water rapids ride in normally every amusement park. This ride offers fastpasses and single rider, and the height requirement is 42 inches. There are lockers available for your backpacks or bags, and guess what? They're free! On a warm day, the line for this ride can be up to about 70 minutes, but on a cool day, or just not a warm day, you can practically walk on. Each raft holds eight people, and the ride is about six minutes long. The gift shop corresponding with this ride is the Rushin' River Outfitters Shop. On some of the teddy bears in the shop, hidden mickeys are found on the soles of their feet. This is the link for the official attraction website.
6. The Little Mermaid-Ariel's Undersea Adventure-in Paradise Pier
The reason I choose this ride as one of my favorites is because this is a dark ride, like many on the Fantasyland rides in Disneyland, but you are so much closer to all the "action". This is one of the newer rides at the park, but the animatronics look so real. For example, Ariel blinks, which is something that the other animatronics in other rides don't do. This line tends to be anywhere from 10 to 40 minutes, for it's a "kiddie ride". The ride does not stop for loading, which keeps for a shorter wait time. In line, if you look up into the ironwork on the top of the overhangs, hidden mickeys are there. There are two to three people per "shell", and the ride is about six minutes long. As soon as you get into your shell, there will be a mural on the right side. At the very end of the mural, a rock is depicted. On the very bottom left of the rock, a hidden mickey is shown. Towards the end of the ride, during the "Kiss the Girl" song, frogs on lily pads are making kissy faces. They have hidden mickeys on their backs. This is the site for the attraction.
5. Toy Story Midway Mania-in Paradise Pier
This "mania" of 4D games creates for a worthwhile experience. This is the farthest ride from the park entrance, so by the time you get there, the line at its shortest will be about 40 minutes. The line starts outside winding through plenty of chain ropes, goes inside with "posters" on the walls of the games you will be playing, you will retrieve your 3D glasses, and finally Mr. Potato Head will actually talk to you. He will comment on your mickey ears, shirt color, etc., giving the feel that he's real. On the back wall of the loading dock, three circles that feature Rex, Bullseye, and Jessie create a hidden mickey. On some parts in the ride, you will get little mists of water if you hit a target, but nothing too intense. It won't leave you drenched for the day. You bags can fit on the bottom of the vehicle, and they're still not wet. Each ride vehicle contains two "rounds" of people. Each "round" has two people on either side, for eight people per vehicle. The ride is about seven and a half minutes long. At the exit, you will be dumped out into the Midway Mercantile shop, where last time, my brother got his heart set on buying a Woody doll. So maybe, if your not the souvenir type, steer your kids away from here. Across the way from this attraction, a drink cart stands. A stack of "newspapers" feature Steamboat Willie, and is considered a hidden mickey. The website will be linked here.
4. California Screamin'-in Paradise Pier
A rollercoaster a little longer than a mile long continues to wow ages 8 and up. The thrill level is probably the second biggest in the park. The ride goes up to about 55 miles per hour. The line is normally about 30 minutes long, realistically, but fastpasses and single rider are available. The height restriction is 48". Each train has 12 rows with two in each row. There ride is about three minutes long, and within about the last 15 seconds, your photo is taken. There's a pouch for you bags which is about 10 by 10 inches. While you're upside-down, the bottom of a support post to the left is a hidden mickey. There isn't much of a gift shop, but you are able to buy your pictures taken on the ride. Upon exiting the ride, a sign advertising the shop can be found on your left on the fence, and has a hidden mickey on a border for a picture. Here is the official site.
3. Radiator Springs Racers-in Cars Land
This ride is considered a dark and thrill ride. All ages can enjoy this ride. The ride offers faspass and single rider. The fastpass line is closer to the entrance of the land, not at the ride. The height requirement is 40". The line is definitely the longest in the park, for from about 30 minutes after opening to closing, the average line time is about two hours. Also, the only hidden mickey "on" the ride is in line. It is to the right before the bridge. The ride is about 4.5 minutes long, and bags can be stored at your feet. In each vehicle, there are two rows of three, totaling six per car. A picture is taken during the car race during a dip. The official website is here.
2. The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror TM-in Hollywood Land
This ride is definitely the most thrilling ride in the park. Your seated in an elevator, which drops rapidly, and at random times. In my and my mom's opinion, the dropping is completely random, so you get a different ride every time. Speaking of family members, not everyone related will be in love with this ride, just so you know. When my friend and I pulled my sister on, she wasn't to amazed at the end, and she didn't look too happy anyway, but now she says she'll try it once more. My mom claims, "This ride scares the living daylights out of" her, but I always drag her on, and I think she has fun. My dad occasionally ventures to brave this one, but our past visit, I think he skipped it. This ride offers fastpass, which isn't needed too badly, but if others don't want to wait, are recommended. The height restriction is also 40". The first line is outside, then groups are put in to one of two libraries, and a video is shown. In this video, the little girl holds a mickey doll, and this girl can be found in the ride carrying the same one. These are two hidden mickeys. Once you exit the library, you enter a boiler room/basement. On the ceiling, three beams of light create a hidden mickey. The ride itself is about two minutes long, but the overall experience is longer. You can also leave your bags on the floor. In each elevator, about 20 people fit. A picture is taken right before a big drop, after you get a great view of the parks. You're emptied into a fairly large gift shop. The official site is linked here.
1. Soarin' Over California-in Condor Flats
The reason I give this ride the best in my list is because of experience. Once you travel indoors, history is on the walls and ceiling, and music is playing. Once you hear the track, every time after that you hear it, you feel happy, remembering the ride. The ride offers fastpass and single rider, and fastpass is definitely recommended. The height restriction is also 40". Once you get inside the building, your fooled by actually how long the line is. You turn right or left, depending on which gate your "departing" out of, then turn another corner to be placed in line for your seats. Don't expect to walk on this ride. The ride is about five minutes long, and bags can be put in the seat pocket below you. On the ride, you will be seated on a hang glider and lifted up to a screen, so you feel like your flying. If you're afraid of heights, this ride might not be the best for you. Each gate (there are two) is constructed of nine hang gliders with about 10 people sitting in a row each. The hang gliders are in rows of three. If your on the gliders closest to the door for the safety video, you pretty much have the best seats, but the ride is amazing anyhow. In the safety video, the boy is wearing a Grumpy sweatshirt and Mickey shorts. (Here are two hidden mickeys). Also there's a man wearing mickey mouse ears. Once you get to the golf course scene, a mickey balloon is to the lower left. And when the ball is shot at you, there is a mickey on it. At the very end, fireworks appear, and a mickey is shown. This is a totally exhilirating experience, and you have to ride this. Here is the website.
Thanks for readin'!
7. Grizzly River Run-in Grizzly Peak
This ride is full of fun and is great for really any day, considering California weather. This ride is just like a water rapids ride in normally every amusement park. This ride offers fastpasses and single rider, and the height requirement is 42 inches. There are lockers available for your backpacks or bags, and guess what? They're free! On a warm day, the line for this ride can be up to about 70 minutes, but on a cool day, or just not a warm day, you can practically walk on. Each raft holds eight people, and the ride is about six minutes long. The gift shop corresponding with this ride is the Rushin' River Outfitters Shop. On some of the teddy bears in the shop, hidden mickeys are found on the soles of their feet. This is the link for the official attraction website.
6. The Little Mermaid-Ariel's Undersea Adventure-in Paradise Pier
The reason I choose this ride as one of my favorites is because this is a dark ride, like many on the Fantasyland rides in Disneyland, but you are so much closer to all the "action". This is one of the newer rides at the park, but the animatronics look so real. For example, Ariel blinks, which is something that the other animatronics in other rides don't do. This line tends to be anywhere from 10 to 40 minutes, for it's a "kiddie ride". The ride does not stop for loading, which keeps for a shorter wait time. In line, if you look up into the ironwork on the top of the overhangs, hidden mickeys are there. There are two to three people per "shell", and the ride is about six minutes long. As soon as you get into your shell, there will be a mural on the right side. At the very end of the mural, a rock is depicted. On the very bottom left of the rock, a hidden mickey is shown. Towards the end of the ride, during the "Kiss the Girl" song, frogs on lily pads are making kissy faces. They have hidden mickeys on their backs. This is the site for the attraction.
5. Toy Story Midway Mania-in Paradise Pier
This "mania" of 4D games creates for a worthwhile experience. This is the farthest ride from the park entrance, so by the time you get there, the line at its shortest will be about 40 minutes. The line starts outside winding through plenty of chain ropes, goes inside with "posters" on the walls of the games you will be playing, you will retrieve your 3D glasses, and finally Mr. Potato Head will actually talk to you. He will comment on your mickey ears, shirt color, etc., giving the feel that he's real. On the back wall of the loading dock, three circles that feature Rex, Bullseye, and Jessie create a hidden mickey. On some parts in the ride, you will get little mists of water if you hit a target, but nothing too intense. It won't leave you drenched for the day. You bags can fit on the bottom of the vehicle, and they're still not wet. Each ride vehicle contains two "rounds" of people. Each "round" has two people on either side, for eight people per vehicle. The ride is about seven and a half minutes long. At the exit, you will be dumped out into the Midway Mercantile shop, where last time, my brother got his heart set on buying a Woody doll. So maybe, if your not the souvenir type, steer your kids away from here. Across the way from this attraction, a drink cart stands. A stack of "newspapers" feature Steamboat Willie, and is considered a hidden mickey. The website will be linked here.
4. California Screamin'-in Paradise Pier
A rollercoaster a little longer than a mile long continues to wow ages 8 and up. The thrill level is probably the second biggest in the park. The ride goes up to about 55 miles per hour. The line is normally about 30 minutes long, realistically, but fastpasses and single rider are available. The height restriction is 48". Each train has 12 rows with two in each row. There ride is about three minutes long, and within about the last 15 seconds, your photo is taken. There's a pouch for you bags which is about 10 by 10 inches. While you're upside-down, the bottom of a support post to the left is a hidden mickey. There isn't much of a gift shop, but you are able to buy your pictures taken on the ride. Upon exiting the ride, a sign advertising the shop can be found on your left on the fence, and has a hidden mickey on a border for a picture. Here is the official site.
3. Radiator Springs Racers-in Cars Land
This ride is considered a dark and thrill ride. All ages can enjoy this ride. The ride offers faspass and single rider. The fastpass line is closer to the entrance of the land, not at the ride. The height requirement is 40". The line is definitely the longest in the park, for from about 30 minutes after opening to closing, the average line time is about two hours. Also, the only hidden mickey "on" the ride is in line. It is to the right before the bridge. The ride is about 4.5 minutes long, and bags can be stored at your feet. In each vehicle, there are two rows of three, totaling six per car. A picture is taken during the car race during a dip. The official website is here.
2. The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror TM-in Hollywood Land
This ride is definitely the most thrilling ride in the park. Your seated in an elevator, which drops rapidly, and at random times. In my and my mom's opinion, the dropping is completely random, so you get a different ride every time. Speaking of family members, not everyone related will be in love with this ride, just so you know. When my friend and I pulled my sister on, she wasn't to amazed at the end, and she didn't look too happy anyway, but now she says she'll try it once more. My mom claims, "This ride scares the living daylights out of" her, but I always drag her on, and I think she has fun. My dad occasionally ventures to brave this one, but our past visit, I think he skipped it. This ride offers fastpass, which isn't needed too badly, but if others don't want to wait, are recommended. The height restriction is also 40". The first line is outside, then groups are put in to one of two libraries, and a video is shown. In this video, the little girl holds a mickey doll, and this girl can be found in the ride carrying the same one. These are two hidden mickeys. Once you exit the library, you enter a boiler room/basement. On the ceiling, three beams of light create a hidden mickey. The ride itself is about two minutes long, but the overall experience is longer. You can also leave your bags on the floor. In each elevator, about 20 people fit. A picture is taken right before a big drop, after you get a great view of the parks. You're emptied into a fairly large gift shop. The official site is linked here.
1. Soarin' Over California-in Condor Flats
The reason I give this ride the best in my list is because of experience. Once you travel indoors, history is on the walls and ceiling, and music is playing. Once you hear the track, every time after that you hear it, you feel happy, remembering the ride. The ride offers fastpass and single rider, and fastpass is definitely recommended. The height restriction is also 40". Once you get inside the building, your fooled by actually how long the line is. You turn right or left, depending on which gate your "departing" out of, then turn another corner to be placed in line for your seats. Don't expect to walk on this ride. The ride is about five minutes long, and bags can be put in the seat pocket below you. On the ride, you will be seated on a hang glider and lifted up to a screen, so you feel like your flying. If you're afraid of heights, this ride might not be the best for you. Each gate (there are two) is constructed of nine hang gliders with about 10 people sitting in a row each. The hang gliders are in rows of three. If your on the gliders closest to the door for the safety video, you pretty much have the best seats, but the ride is amazing anyhow. In the safety video, the boy is wearing a Grumpy sweatshirt and Mickey shorts. (Here are two hidden mickeys). Also there's a man wearing mickey mouse ears. Once you get to the golf course scene, a mickey balloon is to the lower left. And when the ball is shot at you, there is a mickey on it. At the very end, fireworks appear, and a mickey is shown. This is a totally exhilirating experience, and you have to ride this. Here is the website.
Thanks for readin'!
Saturday, September 21, 2013
Update!
This summer I vacationed in Pennsylvania to visit family, but we turned it into a long road trip for three weeks going to all the major landmarks. While on this trip we went to three theme/water parks. We went to the Pittsburgh area to visit my grandma, and there we went to Kennywood, which is a seriously amazing amusement park, watched baseball, went on the Monongahela Incline (which is basically a trolley that goes up a hill), and went to a wave pool. After staying in the area for about five days, we went off to Hershey, the land of chocolate. The area is very small and the only reason to go was to go to the world-renowned theme park, Hersheypark. Once we left Hershey, went to Gettysburg, which was actually very entertaining. I'm a lover of history myself, but knowing that a huge battle was fought for our county there was quite exhilirating. From Gettysburg, we went to the Pennsylvania Dutch Country. We originally stayed in Lancaster, but we visited the town of Bird-in-Hand, where there is about a mile long farmers market filled with the tastiest things you can imagine. Vendors also sell dolls, antiques, and such. After this, we were off to Philadelphia to see my cousin, aunt, and uncle whom I hadn't seen in about seven years. We walked everywhere in Philly. And we went everywhere. The National Constitution Center was probably my favorite landmark, but we also visited the Liberty Bell, Independence Hall, Congress Hall, Betsy Ross's House, the United States Mint, a Benjamin Franklin's Grave. Other places visited were the Reading Terminal Market (best food ever), the famous "LOVE" statue, and Citizens Bank Park, home to the Philadelphia Phillies. In Reading, we saw a baseball game for the AA afiliate of the Phillies, the Reading Fightin' Phils. On the way out of Philadelphia, we visited Valley Forge. Our second to last stop on this trip was the Pocono Mountains, which really aren't mountains at all. We ate at the same restaurant every night except for one, and was very pleasant. Our activities included going to the pool, going kayaking, and going to the community center, which we had unlimited access to the whole time we were there. One day we also went to Camelbeach Mountain Waterpark, which was very enjoyable, but a bit cold. Our trip concluded with driving back to the Pittsburgh area one last time. Despite my brother's begging to go back to Kennywood again, we went to Laurel Hill State Park to enjoy my grandmother's company. The man-made lake was closed for swimming due to cloudy water, but we rented a paddleboat and took it out for about 35 minutes, even though our rental was for an hour (my mom was complaing it was too hard to maneuver). Our last day consisted of going to my dad's childhood church's picnic. We played bingo, jumped in a bounce house, ate food, and played baseball (which I realized I will probably never play again). Expect to see entries on Kennywood, Hersheypark, and Camelbeach Waterpark in the future!
Over the summer, before the big trip, I go to some places that I go all the time during the summer. Those places are the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk and Raging Waters Waterpark. Also expect to see entries on these.
Thank you for reading this update on my vacationing staus!
Over the summer, before the big trip, I go to some places that I go all the time during the summer. Those places are the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk and Raging Waters Waterpark. Also expect to see entries on these.
Thank you for reading this update on my vacationing staus!
Friday, September 20, 2013
California Adventure Restaurants
This will be just like my "Disneyland Restaurants" entry, but with the California Adventure Park. I haven't been to that many eateries in California Adventure, but I feel like reviews for the ones I have been to would be great!
Buena Vista Street:
Carthay Circle Restaurant:
This dark, fancy resturant will be perfect for couples and adults. This is part of California Adventure's renovations along with Cars Land opening, so it is either the first or second newest restaurant in the park. The atmosphere is a little too upscale for 12 and under, for at least one of my siblings fell asleep while we were there, and I was 12 at the time, so I was about to. The restaurant is expensive, with adults ranging from $30-$60. The food also takes a while to come. If you want to see World of Color that night, dining packages are available which come with a three course meal and center stage tickets for the show. Adults are $60 and kids are $25. Again the restaurant is great for anybody but families with small kids. Reservations are highly recommended, and I remember waiting after we made a reservation because they over-booked.
Buena Vista Street:
Carthay Circle Restaurant:
This dark, fancy resturant will be perfect for couples and adults. This is part of California Adventure's renovations along with Cars Land opening, so it is either the first or second newest restaurant in the park. The atmosphere is a little too upscale for 12 and under, for at least one of my siblings fell asleep while we were there, and I was 12 at the time, so I was about to. The restaurant is expensive, with adults ranging from $30-$60. The food also takes a while to come. If you want to see World of Color that night, dining packages are available which come with a three course meal and center stage tickets for the show. Adults are $60 and kids are $25. Again the restaurant is great for anybody but families with small kids. Reservations are highly recommended, and I remember waiting after we made a reservation because they over-booked.
The lighting is pretty bright in this picture, but this is before it opened.
Carthay Circle Lounge:
This is the place where you will wait to be seated for the Carthay Circle Restaurant. It basically serves appetizers and drinks (alchohol included). As I said above, we waited even when we had a reservation, and we waited for about 40 minutes. We were starving when we got there, so I believe we ordered some nachos for the five of us to split. Of course, the nachos were covered in peppers, olives, and of course, cheese, to make the dish more sophisticated, but we just dug in. You can eat dinner here, but seating is very limited. There is a bar to sit at for adults.
Sorry for the bad quality picture, but like I said, the lighting isn't great.
Pacific Wharf:
Cocina Cucamonga Mexican Grill:
If you don't pack snacks for lunch, this is probably the most affordable restaurant in the park. It is located in a food court, so you order, wait to get your food, then sit down. The food isn't so amazing that you want to go there every single time, but it fills your stomach. The price is $15 and under per person, so like I said, affordable. There really isn't too much to say about this restaurant, for it's mediocre. The view is of the (beautiful?) man-made lake for Paradise Pier, but overall, the experience is enjoyable.
This is probably taken at about 6 pm.
Thanks for reading my post!
Thank you to go.com, disneylandnewstoday.com, sodisney.com, and disneymouselinks.com for pictures and info!
Monday, July 22, 2013
Cannot Miss Rides in Disneyland
When you go to Disneyland, it may be busy, it may be empty, it may be hot, it may cold, it may even be raining, but you will always have some rides that you cannot miss. In this entry, I will be pointing out 12 rides in Disneyland Anaheim that you cannot miss. Don't worry, I've put them in order, so just in case you can't make all these rides and it's really busy, you can prioritize.
12. Autopia-in Tomorrowland
This is the classic "kids can drive" kind of ride. Your car is on a track, and I have to admit, pressing the gas pedal is pretty challenging, and I'm 13. I've gotten to be pretty good at driving, but what I suggest for kids that are smaller, and want to drive the car, they can steer and a parent can push the pedal. This is what I used to do before I could actually reach the pedal. One year (and this was in Disney World), because my family consists of five, and I'm the oldest, I had to ride alone, and I didn't meet the height requirement for going alone (54"), so a cast member rode with me. This is an example of the amazing staff in Disney. The regular height requirement is 32", and you have to ride with a person over 54", until your 54". :) This ride really isn't very interesting, but the kids love it, and you get a drivers license at the end and even an opportunity to get your picture taken for it. Fastpasses are available for this ride. A hidden mickey is found on the upper right corner of the license plates. Here is the link for the official attraction site.
11. Big Thunder Mountain Railroad-in Frontierland
This is no ordinary train, it's "the wildest ride in the wilderness!" This roller coaster is perfect for families for it has no inversions or loops, so even the smallest kids can have a blast. The back of the train is without a doubt the most intense, for it whips you up and around bends and hills. I actually lost my phone out of my sweatshirt pocket sitting in the back. It was stupid to put it in my sweatshirt pocket, but you see the point. This ride is one of my favorites (as you can see), but it's probably ranks down on the list just because of my experiences on the ride. This ride is approximately three minutes long, and has an about 10 by 10 inch pouch to put your belongings in. Fastpasses are available for this ride. Just at the base of a lift hill, a big hidden mickey is formed by three gears, and at the exit, where I find many people are taking pictures, lobes of cactus form mickeys. This is the link for the official website.
10. "it's a small world"-in Fantasyland
You will take a nice boat ride through many different countries all singing the same song, but in their native language. Here is a website that has audio clips of the song. This website also has clips of different countries and the song played every quarter hour around the attraction. As far as I can tell, many people around my age and older until about 20 do not like this ride considering the same song is playing for about eight minutes, but in my opinion every song is different because you can't understand what everyone's saying. Inside the ride, there are about 290 dolls dancing and singing. They are all dressed in elaborate costumes and it is really amazing. Many Disney characters also appear in the ride. Here's a little secret: In line, it eventually splits in two. Get in the line that is closer to the building, because it goes faster. This ride is very easy for handicaps, because you do not have to transfer from a wheelchair. All the handicaps load on the other side, so it goes much slower. Three control towers at the loading dock form a hidden mickey, all the disney characters are "hidden mickeys", and towards the very end of the last room (the room with everyone dressed in white), three balloon shadows on the ceiling form one. Here is the link for the website.
9. Peter Pan's Flight-in Fantasyland
A pirate ship sprinkled with pixie dust will take you over London and Neverland. This ride is truly exhilarating, for you're looking down, and your in the air. Kids will find this ride very cool, but the line gets very long, very quick. Every time I go to Disneyland, this is my second or third stop. After I ride, the line is normally already about 40 minutes long. Although the ride does stop to load, the line seems to move fairly quick. Captain Hook balances on the crocodile's "lips", which may startle some kids. Little girls will love the mermaid scene at the end. At the very beginning of the ride, in the Darling children's bedroom, letter blocks spell out Peter Pan and Disney (spelled d13ney), which is considered a hidden mickey, in a top window in big ben a side profile of mickey is there, and outside of the ride, a bear is in a window and on the paw it has a mickey. The link for the site is here.
8. Haunted Mansion-in New Orleans Square
I will start this off with saying this ride is not scary if you stay against your seat. There are four parts (I would say) to this ride so I'll start off with the first line. It tends to move pretty slowly. Actually, I take that back, it will go fast, then stop, then fast, then stop, over and over until the next part. The reason this is is because large groups of people are let into the mansion at a time, not all at once. Right before the second part, two hidden mickeys are found. If you look underneath the candle holders, a hidden mickey is formed, and there are mickeys in the wallpaper. The Second part is The Stretching Room. In this part you will be herded into a dimly lit room with four photographs of people, one north, one south, and so on. A narrator will start to talk and say,"is this haunted room actually stretching? or is it just your imagination?" The room is "stretching" and revealing terrible things underneath the pictures. The voice keeps talking, and soon says, "This room has no windows, and no doors, which gives you this chilling challenge, to find a way out! Of course, there's always my way! *evil laugh* *scream*" Many people will scream at this part, and a hung skeleton is shown at the top of the chamber. You will be let out of the room into the next line, which is part three. This line moves very quickly, for the ride isn't stopped for loading. The room is very, very dimly lit. Windows give the simuation that there is a thunderstorm, and full-length portraits of people are shifted into skeletons. Two busts at the end of the hallway will "turn" to always look at you, then onto part four. Part four is the actual ride, and three hidden mickeys are here. On a maroon chair, the back will resemble Donald Duck, in the ballroom scene, there will be a plate and two saucers creating a mickey, and in the attic, a clock's pendulum forms a mickey. Fastpasses are available for this ride. The ride might scare little kids, but the overall ride is amazing. The ride is about ten minutes long, so enjoy it! Here is the link for the official site.
7. Buzz Lightyear Astro Blasters-in Tomorrowland
A ride like this, everyone can enjoy. Throughout the ride, you will shoot at targets to earn points. You can spin your car around to shoot at different ones. A little hint is to go for the triangle and diamond targets, they're worth more points! If you know where the hidden targets are, you can rack up tons of points in one shot! Now, a little bit about the line. The wait time will normally be about 30 minutes, but it will really take about 20. The ride doesn't stop moving when you load, except for handicaps, but when it does stop and your on the ride, don't worry about it, there's a pretty good chance it hasn't broken down. But also take this as an advantage to shoot more! Fastpasses are available on this ride. Once you get inside, There will be a solar system of Buzz's world, and two hidden mickeys are made up of the planets. The planets are labeled, so it's easier to find these. One mickey is one the "Ska-densii" planets, and is a side-profile mickey. On a planet named "K'lifooel'ch", an upside-down mickey will be on the upper left of the planet. A group of planets forms a mickey and is called the "K'tleendon Kan Cluster", and is also upside-down. During the ride, a hidden mickey is found on a block on the wall in the first room, to the left of the vehicle and by batteries. Then, after the ride, across from where it looks like people are buying pictures, the same mural found in line has the same three mickeys. By the way, the reason I said "looks like" buying pictures, is because they're not. You can email yourself the picture taken on the ride, for free! Here is the link to the site.
6. Matterhorn Bobsleds-in Fantasyland
This ride is a natural Disney roller coaster with no loops or inversions. The biggest drop is probably 25 feet as well. It goes about 25 miles per hour, and is pretty jerky, but not enough to make a good neck sore. There are two queues to this ride, a Fantasyland queue and a Tomorrowland queue. On a busy day, which is about every day, the line will start on the Tomorrowland side of the mountain, and later on you will be sorted into the different queues. These queues lead to two different tracks, but are almost identical. At the beginning, you will fall a tiny bit down, then ascend into a lift hill. Nearing the top of the hill, screens on eaith side of you give the sensation that your in a blizzard, and in one section, you see a shadow of a yeti. The yeti shows up twice in the ride, and is quite sudden, so might scare the living daylights out of your five year old. The height restriction is 42", and you sit in your own seat, not next to someone. You will soon descend quickly and the ride starts going faster. Inside the mountain, a Wells Expedition crate and a rope are a nice little addition. In this section the rope is twisted into a hidden mickey. In the Fantasyland queue, a tiny hidden mickey is on a red and white coat of arms. On the mountain itself, looking from Tomorrowland, a hole in the mountain forms a mickey. You may get sprinkled on this ride, for the wheels go into the water after a drop. Keep in mind that this ride is closed during many of the days where it's not a holiday, or the weekend. A two minute trip through a popular Swiss mountain will exceed your expectations, and will give you views you've never seen before. Here is the link to the website.
5. Star Tours-The Adventures Continue-in Tomorrowland
A motion simulated ride and somewhat interactional characters in line are combined to make one stellar experience. The outside line is long and tends to get hot, so I suggest getting a fastpass for this ride. I've never been on this ride without a fastpass! The inside line is cool and air-conditioned, so is much more enjoyable. You will pass a huge arrivals and departures board that sometimes has "ads" for amazing places to go. You will then pass a starspeeder, and you will be riding in one on the flight. R2-D2 is in the starspeeder and is talking to C-3PO, who is near a control panel. Here, are first hidden mickey arises. On the control panel, you will see a half-circle toward the bottom. Two smaller circles are connected above to create a mickey. The line will then curve and you will see a droid checking baggage, he will be talking and you will laugh at the things he says. ;) If you look straight ahead, shadows will be walking by, as if there was a curtain. There will be R2-D2, and two antennas come out where his ears would be. They circle around to make circles, and the top of him and the antennas create a mickey. As you walk around the next bend, you can see the droid checking baggage from above. In the "x-rays" you can see a mickey mouse doll in one of the bags. You can also see Goofy dolls, Buzz Lightyear, Aladdin's lamp, a Sorcerer Mickey hat, a Mr. Incredible shirt, Madame Leota's crystal ball, and others. Then, you will look to the right and see a robot scanning you. A camera above gives a thermal image of you on a screen. Then, you will retrieve your 3D glasses. You will then be assigned a gate and row number, and you will then see a safety video. It the same old stay in your seat, stow carry-ons kinda thing. You will move into the starspeeder and sit down, a cast member will close the doors and start the ride. After the ride, you will exit the same way you did enter, except the other direction. Put your 3D glasses in a bucket, and shop in The Star Trader. The height restriction is 40", and the ride itself is about five minutes. The link for the official site is here.
4. Splash Mountain-in Critter Country
This very popular water ride is great for all ages. The 10 minuntes of ride will take you through Disney's movie, "Song of the South." The queue line is one heck of a wait, so I suggest a fastpass. Right when you walk into the regular queue line, a hidden mickey is on the sign. It's a tiny mickey on a knot of wood. Once you get inside and up some stairs, a mickey is formed by three gears in a shop setup. You can see this mickey from the fastpass line as well. You will make to the inside inside, which is what the inside of the ride looks like, and you will start to smell the water, no joke. You finally get to the front of the line, after waiting for an hour (if not with a fastpass), and they tell you to get in your log, and your off. The first part of the ride consists of many animals singing and playing pranks on each other. You will have a drop out in the open before you go inside. Once your inside, there will be a drop that's in the dark, but don't worry, it's not really a drop at all. You go into a room with lots of jumping water, and you soon see families crying and singing, and it's because they can't find there dads/husbands. You will soon start ascending, then drop 53 feet into the briar patch. You will get very wet if two or more parents are in the tube. I once went with my friend, my brother, and my sister, and we barely got a splash. You then go inside to a finale, where animals sing "Zip-a-dee-doo-dah." A framed picture of mickey mouse in a log is found to you upper left on a wall near the end of the ride, after the big drop. You'll be able to see your picture via TV screen right before you get out of the log. You can buy your picture after you exit. The height restriction is 40", so many kids can go. The link to the website is here.
3. Pirates of the Caribbean-in New Orleans Square
A boat ride with wet elements will serve for a perfect indoor rest. Believe it or not, this ride came before the movies. That is one gem about it, that it's original. They added Captain Jack Sparrow in some scenes, but fifteen minutes of pirate life is very enjoyable. You will first float into a bayou with lily pads and a restaurant (that is real). A hidden mickey is formed on the right of your boat by the last three lily pads before you enter the cavern. You will enter and a talking skull and crossbones tells you that you will drop. This first drop will take you 19 feet underground. You will go about 25 yards into a cavern and go down another drop 13 feet. A beach scene will then appear, then a skeleton in a shipwreck during a thunderstorm. To the right of your boat, there will be skeletons at a bar, then to the left, a skeleton will be in bed. A chair next to the bed has a hidden mickey, at the top of the chair, under a lion crest. After you pass the skeleton in bed, turn around and you will see a rock jutting out above you that resembles Goofy. You will then come up to a skelton sitting on treasure. Once drifting into a cavern, a mist screen shows Davy Jones or Blackbeard. If it's Davy Jones, a tiny mickey is formed on the front corner of his hat. Then your boat will go head on into a pirate battle. Then scene may startle little children, for blasts of air come from cannons and water flies up in the air, giving the idea that a cannon fell there. On your right, a hidden mickey is found on the wall. You will only be able to see this mickey if a greenish light is on. You will be able to tell if this light is on by looking at the ceiling behind you. The mickey is made of three cannon fires making a mickey. Your boat will go into a town where pirates are trying to find Captain Jack Sparrow, and then they wind up burning the city. You will float into a prison, where criminals are trying to get the dog with the key to come to them. You will then approach drunken pirates shooting at each other. On the left of your boat on the wall, two armor plates for the front will be hanging. On the gold one, in the center, a mickey is formed. You will then acsend with a lift hill, and see Captain Jack Sparrow with his treasure. As you go up the lift hill, Davy Jones or Blackbeard will congratulate you on making you journey, and the ride will soon be over. One thing about this ride is that there is very frequently traffic jams with the boats. Don't worry about this, you just get to enjoy the ride longer! On the way out, a lock is on the door of the gift shop, and is shaped like a mickey. Here is the link to the website.
2. Indiana Jones Adventure-in Adventureland
This ride is incredibly fun for anyone about 7 & up. The height restriction is 46". The ride offers fastpass, which is highly recommended, considering the line is normally about 45 minutes long. At around 11 pm, the ride closes for a maintenance run, but I believe opens again at about half past. At least this is how I found the ride when I tried, the two times I did. The whole experience of this ride is magical, including the line. As soon as you enter the building you will go through a long winding tunnel. Keep an eye out for two symbols next to each other at about waist length that look like two parentheses caving in on a period. If you look at the Mara alphabet on the wall, you will see that that stands for "M", saying "MM", standing for Mickey Mouse. This is the first hidden mickey, out of the six in line. You will go into a room with a big stone disk with a rope you can pull on that says, "Don't pull." This disk, on one of the outermost layers of illustrations, has a hidden mickey. If you look up after finding this, Mara's nose creates a mickey. You will wind through ropes in the video room with the safety video, and an overlook of the ride, and a hidden mickey on the left wall made out of an outline of dirt will be there. In the doorframe when exiting this room, look behind you way, way up in the very back of the room where the projector and an attic is. A picture of Eeyore from Whinnie the Pooh is there. If you want to see this better, ask a cast member to show you where the Hidden Eeyore is, and I'm sure they'd be glad to help you! Right after this room, look to your right into an office space and you'll see Minnie and Mickey on a magazine. There will be 12 people per vehicle, and right after the ride starts, Mara's nostrils and indentation under nose create a mickey. In the mummy room, a skeleton wears a Mickey Mouse ears hat. Many kids might be scared of the 10 foot snake that comes at the car, and the boulder that comes at you. This overall ride is three minutes of non-stop fun. This link is to offical website.
1. Space Mountain-in Tomorrowland
This roller coaster is in the dark with little lights everywhere to give the feeling of flying through space. The line isn't all that special, but once you get inside it's more exciting. This line also gets pretty long and fastpasses are recommended. The inside of the queue is dark, and in the safety video there's a pair of mickey ears that are in the symbols of things to put in the puch in front of you. This video exaggerates the elements in this ride, so if it deters your kids to ride, it's not true. The next hidden mickey is created but the speakers on the ride vehicles. This ride is entirely in a dark location, but not pitch black. This ride is very very fun and there isn't much to say. A picture is taken at the very end of the ride. Here is the link to the website.
Thanks for reading! Leave a comment and tell me your opinions on what rides are the best!
12. Autopia-in Tomorrowland
This is the classic "kids can drive" kind of ride. Your car is on a track, and I have to admit, pressing the gas pedal is pretty challenging, and I'm 13. I've gotten to be pretty good at driving, but what I suggest for kids that are smaller, and want to drive the car, they can steer and a parent can push the pedal. This is what I used to do before I could actually reach the pedal. One year (and this was in Disney World), because my family consists of five, and I'm the oldest, I had to ride alone, and I didn't meet the height requirement for going alone (54"), so a cast member rode with me. This is an example of the amazing staff in Disney. The regular height requirement is 32", and you have to ride with a person over 54", until your 54". :) This ride really isn't very interesting, but the kids love it, and you get a drivers license at the end and even an opportunity to get your picture taken for it. Fastpasses are available for this ride. A hidden mickey is found on the upper right corner of the license plates. Here is the link for the official attraction site.
11. Big Thunder Mountain Railroad-in Frontierland
This is no ordinary train, it's "the wildest ride in the wilderness!" This roller coaster is perfect for families for it has no inversions or loops, so even the smallest kids can have a blast. The back of the train is without a doubt the most intense, for it whips you up and around bends and hills. I actually lost my phone out of my sweatshirt pocket sitting in the back. It was stupid to put it in my sweatshirt pocket, but you see the point. This ride is one of my favorites (as you can see), but it's probably ranks down on the list just because of my experiences on the ride. This ride is approximately three minutes long, and has an about 10 by 10 inch pouch to put your belongings in. Fastpasses are available for this ride. Just at the base of a lift hill, a big hidden mickey is formed by three gears, and at the exit, where I find many people are taking pictures, lobes of cactus form mickeys. This is the link for the official website.
10. "it's a small world"-in Fantasyland
You will take a nice boat ride through many different countries all singing the same song, but in their native language. Here is a website that has audio clips of the song. This website also has clips of different countries and the song played every quarter hour around the attraction. As far as I can tell, many people around my age and older until about 20 do not like this ride considering the same song is playing for about eight minutes, but in my opinion every song is different because you can't understand what everyone's saying. Inside the ride, there are about 290 dolls dancing and singing. They are all dressed in elaborate costumes and it is really amazing. Many Disney characters also appear in the ride. Here's a little secret: In line, it eventually splits in two. Get in the line that is closer to the building, because it goes faster. This ride is very easy for handicaps, because you do not have to transfer from a wheelchair. All the handicaps load on the other side, so it goes much slower. Three control towers at the loading dock form a hidden mickey, all the disney characters are "hidden mickeys", and towards the very end of the last room (the room with everyone dressed in white), three balloon shadows on the ceiling form one. Here is the link for the website.
9. Peter Pan's Flight-in Fantasyland
A pirate ship sprinkled with pixie dust will take you over London and Neverland. This ride is truly exhilarating, for you're looking down, and your in the air. Kids will find this ride very cool, but the line gets very long, very quick. Every time I go to Disneyland, this is my second or third stop. After I ride, the line is normally already about 40 minutes long. Although the ride does stop to load, the line seems to move fairly quick. Captain Hook balances on the crocodile's "lips", which may startle some kids. Little girls will love the mermaid scene at the end. At the very beginning of the ride, in the Darling children's bedroom, letter blocks spell out Peter Pan and Disney (spelled d13ney), which is considered a hidden mickey, in a top window in big ben a side profile of mickey is there, and outside of the ride, a bear is in a window and on the paw it has a mickey. The link for the site is here.
8. Haunted Mansion-in New Orleans Square
I will start this off with saying this ride is not scary if you stay against your seat. There are four parts (I would say) to this ride so I'll start off with the first line. It tends to move pretty slowly. Actually, I take that back, it will go fast, then stop, then fast, then stop, over and over until the next part. The reason this is is because large groups of people are let into the mansion at a time, not all at once. Right before the second part, two hidden mickeys are found. If you look underneath the candle holders, a hidden mickey is formed, and there are mickeys in the wallpaper. The Second part is The Stretching Room. In this part you will be herded into a dimly lit room with four photographs of people, one north, one south, and so on. A narrator will start to talk and say,"is this haunted room actually stretching? or is it just your imagination?" The room is "stretching" and revealing terrible things underneath the pictures. The voice keeps talking, and soon says, "This room has no windows, and no doors, which gives you this chilling challenge, to find a way out! Of course, there's always my way! *evil laugh* *scream*" Many people will scream at this part, and a hung skeleton is shown at the top of the chamber. You will be let out of the room into the next line, which is part three. This line moves very quickly, for the ride isn't stopped for loading. The room is very, very dimly lit. Windows give the simuation that there is a thunderstorm, and full-length portraits of people are shifted into skeletons. Two busts at the end of the hallway will "turn" to always look at you, then onto part four. Part four is the actual ride, and three hidden mickeys are here. On a maroon chair, the back will resemble Donald Duck, in the ballroom scene, there will be a plate and two saucers creating a mickey, and in the attic, a clock's pendulum forms a mickey. Fastpasses are available for this ride. The ride might scare little kids, but the overall ride is amazing. The ride is about ten minutes long, so enjoy it! Here is the link for the official site.
7. Buzz Lightyear Astro Blasters-in Tomorrowland
A ride like this, everyone can enjoy. Throughout the ride, you will shoot at targets to earn points. You can spin your car around to shoot at different ones. A little hint is to go for the triangle and diamond targets, they're worth more points! If you know where the hidden targets are, you can rack up tons of points in one shot! Now, a little bit about the line. The wait time will normally be about 30 minutes, but it will really take about 20. The ride doesn't stop moving when you load, except for handicaps, but when it does stop and your on the ride, don't worry about it, there's a pretty good chance it hasn't broken down. But also take this as an advantage to shoot more! Fastpasses are available on this ride. Once you get inside, There will be a solar system of Buzz's world, and two hidden mickeys are made up of the planets. The planets are labeled, so it's easier to find these. One mickey is one the "Ska-densii" planets, and is a side-profile mickey. On a planet named "K'lifooel'ch", an upside-down mickey will be on the upper left of the planet. A group of planets forms a mickey and is called the "K'tleendon Kan Cluster", and is also upside-down. During the ride, a hidden mickey is found on a block on the wall in the first room, to the left of the vehicle and by batteries. Then, after the ride, across from where it looks like people are buying pictures, the same mural found in line has the same three mickeys. By the way, the reason I said "looks like" buying pictures, is because they're not. You can email yourself the picture taken on the ride, for free! Here is the link to the site.
6. Matterhorn Bobsleds-in Fantasyland
This ride is a natural Disney roller coaster with no loops or inversions. The biggest drop is probably 25 feet as well. It goes about 25 miles per hour, and is pretty jerky, but not enough to make a good neck sore. There are two queues to this ride, a Fantasyland queue and a Tomorrowland queue. On a busy day, which is about every day, the line will start on the Tomorrowland side of the mountain, and later on you will be sorted into the different queues. These queues lead to two different tracks, but are almost identical. At the beginning, you will fall a tiny bit down, then ascend into a lift hill. Nearing the top of the hill, screens on eaith side of you give the sensation that your in a blizzard, and in one section, you see a shadow of a yeti. The yeti shows up twice in the ride, and is quite sudden, so might scare the living daylights out of your five year old. The height restriction is 42", and you sit in your own seat, not next to someone. You will soon descend quickly and the ride starts going faster. Inside the mountain, a Wells Expedition crate and a rope are a nice little addition. In this section the rope is twisted into a hidden mickey. In the Fantasyland queue, a tiny hidden mickey is on a red and white coat of arms. On the mountain itself, looking from Tomorrowland, a hole in the mountain forms a mickey. You may get sprinkled on this ride, for the wheels go into the water after a drop. Keep in mind that this ride is closed during many of the days where it's not a holiday, or the weekend. A two minute trip through a popular Swiss mountain will exceed your expectations, and will give you views you've never seen before. Here is the link to the website.
5. Star Tours-The Adventures Continue-in Tomorrowland
A motion simulated ride and somewhat interactional characters in line are combined to make one stellar experience. The outside line is long and tends to get hot, so I suggest getting a fastpass for this ride. I've never been on this ride without a fastpass! The inside line is cool and air-conditioned, so is much more enjoyable. You will pass a huge arrivals and departures board that sometimes has "ads" for amazing places to go. You will then pass a starspeeder, and you will be riding in one on the flight. R2-D2 is in the starspeeder and is talking to C-3PO, who is near a control panel. Here, are first hidden mickey arises. On the control panel, you will see a half-circle toward the bottom. Two smaller circles are connected above to create a mickey. The line will then curve and you will see a droid checking baggage, he will be talking and you will laugh at the things he says. ;) If you look straight ahead, shadows will be walking by, as if there was a curtain. There will be R2-D2, and two antennas come out where his ears would be. They circle around to make circles, and the top of him and the antennas create a mickey. As you walk around the next bend, you can see the droid checking baggage from above. In the "x-rays" you can see a mickey mouse doll in one of the bags. You can also see Goofy dolls, Buzz Lightyear, Aladdin's lamp, a Sorcerer Mickey hat, a Mr. Incredible shirt, Madame Leota's crystal ball, and others. Then, you will look to the right and see a robot scanning you. A camera above gives a thermal image of you on a screen. Then, you will retrieve your 3D glasses. You will then be assigned a gate and row number, and you will then see a safety video. It the same old stay in your seat, stow carry-ons kinda thing. You will move into the starspeeder and sit down, a cast member will close the doors and start the ride. After the ride, you will exit the same way you did enter, except the other direction. Put your 3D glasses in a bucket, and shop in The Star Trader. The height restriction is 40", and the ride itself is about five minutes. The link for the official site is here.
4. Splash Mountain-in Critter Country
This very popular water ride is great for all ages. The 10 minuntes of ride will take you through Disney's movie, "Song of the South." The queue line is one heck of a wait, so I suggest a fastpass. Right when you walk into the regular queue line, a hidden mickey is on the sign. It's a tiny mickey on a knot of wood. Once you get inside and up some stairs, a mickey is formed by three gears in a shop setup. You can see this mickey from the fastpass line as well. You will make to the inside inside, which is what the inside of the ride looks like, and you will start to smell the water, no joke. You finally get to the front of the line, after waiting for an hour (if not with a fastpass), and they tell you to get in your log, and your off. The first part of the ride consists of many animals singing and playing pranks on each other. You will have a drop out in the open before you go inside. Once your inside, there will be a drop that's in the dark, but don't worry, it's not really a drop at all. You go into a room with lots of jumping water, and you soon see families crying and singing, and it's because they can't find there dads/husbands. You will soon start ascending, then drop 53 feet into the briar patch. You will get very wet if two or more parents are in the tube. I once went with my friend, my brother, and my sister, and we barely got a splash. You then go inside to a finale, where animals sing "Zip-a-dee-doo-dah." A framed picture of mickey mouse in a log is found to you upper left on a wall near the end of the ride, after the big drop. You'll be able to see your picture via TV screen right before you get out of the log. You can buy your picture after you exit. The height restriction is 40", so many kids can go. The link to the website is here.
3. Pirates of the Caribbean-in New Orleans Square
A boat ride with wet elements will serve for a perfect indoor rest. Believe it or not, this ride came before the movies. That is one gem about it, that it's original. They added Captain Jack Sparrow in some scenes, but fifteen minutes of pirate life is very enjoyable. You will first float into a bayou with lily pads and a restaurant (that is real). A hidden mickey is formed on the right of your boat by the last three lily pads before you enter the cavern. You will enter and a talking skull and crossbones tells you that you will drop. This first drop will take you 19 feet underground. You will go about 25 yards into a cavern and go down another drop 13 feet. A beach scene will then appear, then a skeleton in a shipwreck during a thunderstorm. To the right of your boat, there will be skeletons at a bar, then to the left, a skeleton will be in bed. A chair next to the bed has a hidden mickey, at the top of the chair, under a lion crest. After you pass the skeleton in bed, turn around and you will see a rock jutting out above you that resembles Goofy. You will then come up to a skelton sitting on treasure. Once drifting into a cavern, a mist screen shows Davy Jones or Blackbeard. If it's Davy Jones, a tiny mickey is formed on the front corner of his hat. Then your boat will go head on into a pirate battle. Then scene may startle little children, for blasts of air come from cannons and water flies up in the air, giving the idea that a cannon fell there. On your right, a hidden mickey is found on the wall. You will only be able to see this mickey if a greenish light is on. You will be able to tell if this light is on by looking at the ceiling behind you. The mickey is made of three cannon fires making a mickey. Your boat will go into a town where pirates are trying to find Captain Jack Sparrow, and then they wind up burning the city. You will float into a prison, where criminals are trying to get the dog with the key to come to them. You will then approach drunken pirates shooting at each other. On the left of your boat on the wall, two armor plates for the front will be hanging. On the gold one, in the center, a mickey is formed. You will then acsend with a lift hill, and see Captain Jack Sparrow with his treasure. As you go up the lift hill, Davy Jones or Blackbeard will congratulate you on making you journey, and the ride will soon be over. One thing about this ride is that there is very frequently traffic jams with the boats. Don't worry about this, you just get to enjoy the ride longer! On the way out, a lock is on the door of the gift shop, and is shaped like a mickey. Here is the link to the website.
2. Indiana Jones Adventure-in Adventureland
This ride is incredibly fun for anyone about 7 & up. The height restriction is 46". The ride offers fastpass, which is highly recommended, considering the line is normally about 45 minutes long. At around 11 pm, the ride closes for a maintenance run, but I believe opens again at about half past. At least this is how I found the ride when I tried, the two times I did. The whole experience of this ride is magical, including the line. As soon as you enter the building you will go through a long winding tunnel. Keep an eye out for two symbols next to each other at about waist length that look like two parentheses caving in on a period. If you look at the Mara alphabet on the wall, you will see that that stands for "M", saying "MM", standing for Mickey Mouse. This is the first hidden mickey, out of the six in line. You will go into a room with a big stone disk with a rope you can pull on that says, "Don't pull." This disk, on one of the outermost layers of illustrations, has a hidden mickey. If you look up after finding this, Mara's nose creates a mickey. You will wind through ropes in the video room with the safety video, and an overlook of the ride, and a hidden mickey on the left wall made out of an outline of dirt will be there. In the doorframe when exiting this room, look behind you way, way up in the very back of the room where the projector and an attic is. A picture of Eeyore from Whinnie the Pooh is there. If you want to see this better, ask a cast member to show you where the Hidden Eeyore is, and I'm sure they'd be glad to help you! Right after this room, look to your right into an office space and you'll see Minnie and Mickey on a magazine. There will be 12 people per vehicle, and right after the ride starts, Mara's nostrils and indentation under nose create a mickey. In the mummy room, a skeleton wears a Mickey Mouse ears hat. Many kids might be scared of the 10 foot snake that comes at the car, and the boulder that comes at you. This overall ride is three minutes of non-stop fun. This link is to offical website.
1. Space Mountain-in Tomorrowland
This roller coaster is in the dark with little lights everywhere to give the feeling of flying through space. The line isn't all that special, but once you get inside it's more exciting. This line also gets pretty long and fastpasses are recommended. The inside of the queue is dark, and in the safety video there's a pair of mickey ears that are in the symbols of things to put in the puch in front of you. This video exaggerates the elements in this ride, so if it deters your kids to ride, it's not true. The next hidden mickey is created but the speakers on the ride vehicles. This ride is entirely in a dark location, but not pitch black. This ride is very very fun and there isn't much to say. A picture is taken at the very end of the ride. Here is the link to the website.
Thanks for reading! Leave a comment and tell me your opinions on what rides are the best!
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