"Disneyland" Anaheim Travelogue by Jetgirly

Upon entering the Disneyland area, we had a very difficult time figuring out which ticket queues were open and which were closed. We finally found two that were open (the FARTHEST from the park entrance) and converted our vouchers to tickets. Then we went through the gates into Disneyland Park.

We walked down Main Street USA but our tight budget meant we weren't interested in many of the shops along the way. At night as the parade lets out, it is good to note that you can escape crowds and get from one end of the street to another by cutting through the connected shops.

Main Street USA is also home to Disneyland Railroad, one of our favorite attractions just because it let our feet take a much needed break. We took it as often as possible, especially from Tomorrowland to Main Street: in this section you pass a giant diorama of the dinosaur era that is too cool to miss.

The Enchanted Tiki Room

There was much to enjoy in Adventureland. The Indiana Jones Adventure is a great ride for everyone- like a gentle roller coaster but you are in a Jeep. There are three different routes your Jeep can travel, and although they are all similar it is fun to ride and ride until you've been down all three paths. This is a Fast Pass ride, so consider getting your ticket right before getting in line for the Jungle Cruise, then riding it afterwards.

The Jungle Cruise is a Disney classic. The guides tell corny jokes that can border on offensive, but you almost feel like you're in Conrad's Heart of Darkness as you drift down the river and look at elephants, tigers, snakes and even cannibals.

The Enchanted Tiki Room features singing, animatronic birds putting on a fun feathered show. Honestly, it was more fun than I expected and I wish I had taken the time to watch the show on my previous visits.

We did not visit Tarzan's Treehouse for lack of time, and we were not interested in meeting Aladdin and Jasmine.

Splash Mountain

The only ride we bothered going on in Critter Country was Splash Mountain. It is truly a wonderful ride that is fun for the whole family. I was pleased to see that they had upgraded the log boats since my last visit and now everyone has their own backrest. When you're on the ride it's fun to wonder why they always show the bear's butt!

There is a new Winnie the Pooh ride in this section of the park, we were not interested in riding it. We also skipped out on the Davy Crocket Explorer canoes.

Dumbo the Flying Elephant!

Oh, Fantasyland! So many people crammed into a tiny area, lining up for rides like there is no tomorrow.

The FIRST ride we went on in the entire park was Dumbo, because it was my fourth trip to a Disney park and I had always been too scared to ride Dumbo. I was petrified that the elephant would become detached from the ride and go flying off into Never-Never Land or something. Anyways, I made it off the ride safely but quite tense... I just didn't enjoy it.

It's a Small World is a great reminder of days past (I believe there are at most three different skin tones used), and how far we've come as a multi-cultural society. Both Peter Pan's Flight and Snow White's Scary Adventure were fun but not particularily memorable. Mr. Toad's Wild Ride, on the other hand, was immensely enjoyable and we repeated it at least five times.

Matterhorn Bobsleds had the longest line of anything in the park, so we only rode them once. It is unfortunate that they are not Fast Pass rides, because the line is excessive. Unforunately the seats are rather old, and two people sit together in one section of the cart, one person rests their back against the person behind them, who gets the backrest. It is a fun roller coaster though, and it has nice views of the park.

We skipped many of the child-oriented rides in Fantasyland including The Mad Tea Party, Casey Jr. Circus Train, Storybookland Canal Boats, Alice in Wonderland the King Arthur Carousal.

Thunder Mountain

In Fronteirland we both enjoyed Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, a Fast Pass ride that we went on at least ten times. It was actually quite scary for us when we returned home, because we learned that less than a week after leaving Disneyland the train derailed and someone died on the ride! However, every ride at Disneyland is safer than a ride in your family car, so it's not worth worrying about!

The Shooting Gallery is fun as well, I fancy myself quite the markswoman. You will develop favorite targets and every time you hit them it's oh so satisfying. Note that this costs extra money (to load the rifle).

We skipped many attractions in Frontierland including Tom Sawyer Island, the Riverboat and the Steamship. We only watched the Fantasmic fireworks from the comfort of our hotel.

Mickey's Toon Town

Toon Town is designed for people much younger than myself and my brother, so we didn't really enjoy our time spent there. We got our Fast Passes for Roger Rabbit's Cartoon Spin, but the lines at the other attractions were too long for us to handle. There is also a serious lack of shade in Toontown, and even the sprinklers located around the perimeter can't cool you down enough. Roger Rabbit's Cartoon Spin was fun, but not worth the wait considering it is a near replica of Mr. Toad's Wild Ride (albeit with spinning cars).

Huanted Mansion

New Orlean's Square is one of my favorite areas in Disneyland. I love the ambiance and the (imitation) architecture. It is also home to two of the best rides in Disneyland.

Pirates of the Carribbean is a Fast Pass ride, however it is not connected to the main Fast Pass system (or at least it wasn't when we visited). This meant that we could get a Fast Pass for Pirates at the same time as we held one for say, Splash Mountain. This really helped minimize our waiting times, and in the heat of the day Pirates was a nice, shady, damp, cool-down. It is truly a Disney classic and the singing animatronic pirates are second to none. We rode it at least ten times!

The Haunted Mansion is another one of my favorites. The effects are spectacular! In the dining hall, keep your eyes peeled for a hidden Mickey Mouse symbol!

Autopia

When we visited Disneyland, Space Mountain was closed. That was unfortunate for a couple of roller-coaster loves like ourselves. However, we still went on Autopia and Star Tours. In the fourth grade I went on Autopia and an old man yelled at me because I wasn't going fast enough, so even now that I'm in university I still harbour bad feelings about the ride. Anyone who has driven a real car will find Autopia boring, although the "drivers license" you get in the line is kind of cute.

Star Tours is a fun motion-simulator ride that everyone will enjoy. The line seems to get a lot shorter in the evening (as the line for Autopia gets longer). It is another one of the nice, cool rides that provide a welcome break from the heat if the line isn't too long.