The family and I just returned from a long weekend trip to Disneyland for the Half-Marathon. Having completed the "Coast to Coast Challenge," we've now seen both resorts in rapid succession, visiting all of the U.S. Disney parks within eight months. This gave me the occasion to reflect upon the strengths and weaknesses of the properties and I thought I might offer a few thoughts here.
First of all, let me say that the Disneyland Half-Marathon isn't half the race that the WDW distance events are. Though I enjoyed running through the parks and posted a very good time (P.R.), and can claim the dubious distinction of having nearly been tripped by Drew Carey near the two-mile mark, I thought the entire affair lacked the organization and polish that I've come to enjoy in Orlando. Maybe that's because it's a "younger" race or maybe it has a lot to do with the fact that most of the race runs through Anaheim instead of a manicured vacation resort wonderland--either way, or whatever the reason, the distinction cannot be denied.
Second, I should note that my feelings about their races parallel my sentiments about the respective properties--I just like Walt Disney World much more. Again, certain reasons could be considered obvious, and perhaps the conclusion is therefore transparent. After all, in Florida the isolation, immersion and breadth and depth of experiences (reflected by but not limited to the sheer number of parks) simply overwhelms what Disney can offer in California. But more subtle matters factored into my conclusion, as well. Among these I will list only the general necessity of traversing the always crowded and noisy Downtown Disney to get to the parks when staying at Disney hotels in Anaheim. After a busy, hectic day at Epcot, I can relax during the quiet walk back to my resort on Crescent Lake. Not so--in fact, far from it--at Disneyland Resort.
With that, I'll list some general observations about Disneyland from my perspective, in no particular order:
--Disneyland is not immune to maintenance issues. Kevin Yee's worries notwithstanding, I saw some absurd chipped paint (including on the very new, opening volley of the DCA expansion project, Toy Story Midway Mania) in Anaheim.
--Blackbeard needs to be eliminated from Pirates of the Caribbean. I've already tired of the shoehorning of Jack Sparrow into that classic attraction, but replacing Davy Jones with the uninspired, unthreatening "villain" of the fourth film suggests nothing other than pure commercial promotion. Yuck.
--Unless something has changed drastically in eight months, food in Disneyland is even more expensive than at Walt Disney World, and that's saying something, to be sure.
--Little compares to the nostalgia and quaint charm of eating at The Blue Bayou, but I'm really not sure it's worth the expense.
--On that note, though I remain convinced that the Dining Plan costs our family more than it should by feeding us more than we need, I sure missed it at Disneyland. The prices are much more difficult to swallow when I'm paying them directly out of pocket.
--Having the side streets open at the center of Main Street, U.S.A. adds so much charm to the setting that it really saddens me that WDW obliterated one such extension to expand the Emporium. These sorts of niches can be discovered throughout Disneyland and heighten its quaint distinction from the Magic Kingdom.
--The entire Disneyland Resort is guilty like WDW of confusing the shopping experience with misplaced merchandise. My son swore he saw Pirates T-shirts at the "Fly 'N' Buy" store in the Condor Flats section of DCA. Certain stores, however, remained extremely well-themed, including those for the new Little Mermaid attraction and for Pirates of the Caribbean.
--World of Color represents an impressive technical feat, but did not capture our family's imagination the way Reflections of Earth or Wishes have in the past.
--Surely seeing the projection on the It's a Small World facade instead of on Cinderella Castle stole much of its majesty, but I was disappointed to discover that, yes, "Magic, Memories and You!" is sadly more impressive on You-Tube than in person.
--Even during busy hours and on moderately crowded days, one could walk onto The Little Mermaid with no wait whatsoever. It's hard to say whether this had more to do with lukewarm public reception of a solid and attractive but relatively low-key dark ride or simply its incredible rider capacity, but clearly both play a role and the attraction cannot be considered anything like an E-ticket.
--Star Tours 3D has claimed the mantle of our family's favorite attraction at Disneyland, and was consistently mobbed throughout our visit. Having read reviews of varying enthusiasm on this site, I was prepared for disappointment, but wow were we surprised! On four runs through, we had different experiences each time and saw many of the destinations with little repetition. Granted, some of the CGI are not top-notch, but the 3D effects were awesome. (I banged my head on the back of the simulator trying to dodge the ship smashing through the cockpit window on Naboo.) Its excellent, redone queue only reinforced our positive impressions.
--I'm not sure I understand entirely the undying, sloppy love for Indiana Jones and the Temple of the Forbidden Eye on this site. Its queue and pre-show represent standards after which other Disney attractions should be modeled, and the ride itself underscores the failure and embarrassment I consider Dinosaur to be, but I still find it too rambunctious and too short to be immersive. In brief, it's a ride and not an experience. For the build-up of that queue, I'd like to walk away remembering more of the actual attraction.
--Disneyland's Tomorrowland really could use a refurbishment. Really, the empty tracks previously occupied by Rocket Rods and the unused escalators near the arcade and the Star Tours exit look so shabby and remind me always of poor planning and sweeping problems under the rug.
--I saw a lot more offensive T-shirts, hats and other logos emblazoned on tattoos and elsewhere, including some featuring a specific four-letter word beginning with "F," at Disneyland than I ever saw in Orlando. How disappointing that cast members did not drop hammers on these guests. I wonder--Is this a function of local clientele who do not value the park or their visits as do once-in-a-lifetime vacationers in Florida?
First of all, let me say that the Disneyland Half-Marathon isn't half the race that the WDW distance events are. Though I enjoyed running through the parks and posted a very good time (P.R.), and can claim the dubious distinction of having nearly been tripped by Drew Carey near the two-mile mark, I thought the entire affair lacked the organization and polish that I've come to enjoy in Orlando. Maybe that's because it's a "younger" race or maybe it has a lot to do with the fact that most of the race runs through Anaheim instead of a manicured vacation resort wonderland--either way, or whatever the reason, the distinction cannot be denied.
Second, I should note that my feelings about their races parallel my sentiments about the respective properties--I just like Walt Disney World much more. Again, certain reasons could be considered obvious, and perhaps the conclusion is therefore transparent. After all, in Florida the isolation, immersion and breadth and depth of experiences (reflected by but not limited to the sheer number of parks) simply overwhelms what Disney can offer in California. But more subtle matters factored into my conclusion, as well. Among these I will list only the general necessity of traversing the always crowded and noisy Downtown Disney to get to the parks when staying at Disney hotels in Anaheim. After a busy, hectic day at Epcot, I can relax during the quiet walk back to my resort on Crescent Lake. Not so--in fact, far from it--at Disneyland Resort.
With that, I'll list some general observations about Disneyland from my perspective, in no particular order:
--Disneyland is not immune to maintenance issues. Kevin Yee's worries notwithstanding, I saw some absurd chipped paint (including on the very new, opening volley of the DCA expansion project, Toy Story Midway Mania) in Anaheim.
--Blackbeard needs to be eliminated from Pirates of the Caribbean. I've already tired of the shoehorning of Jack Sparrow into that classic attraction, but replacing Davy Jones with the uninspired, unthreatening "villain" of the fourth film suggests nothing other than pure commercial promotion. Yuck.
--Unless something has changed drastically in eight months, food in Disneyland is even more expensive than at Walt Disney World, and that's saying something, to be sure.
--Little compares to the nostalgia and quaint charm of eating at The Blue Bayou, but I'm really not sure it's worth the expense.
--On that note, though I remain convinced that the Dining Plan costs our family more than it should by feeding us more than we need, I sure missed it at Disneyland. The prices are much more difficult to swallow when I'm paying them directly out of pocket.
--Having the side streets open at the center of Main Street, U.S.A. adds so much charm to the setting that it really saddens me that WDW obliterated one such extension to expand the Emporium. These sorts of niches can be discovered throughout Disneyland and heighten its quaint distinction from the Magic Kingdom.
--The entire Disneyland Resort is guilty like WDW of confusing the shopping experience with misplaced merchandise. My son swore he saw Pirates T-shirts at the "Fly 'N' Buy" store in the Condor Flats section of DCA. Certain stores, however, remained extremely well-themed, including those for the new Little Mermaid attraction and for Pirates of the Caribbean.
--World of Color represents an impressive technical feat, but did not capture our family's imagination the way Reflections of Earth or Wishes have in the past.
--Surely seeing the projection on the It's a Small World facade instead of on Cinderella Castle stole much of its majesty, but I was disappointed to discover that, yes, "Magic, Memories and You!" is sadly more impressive on You-Tube than in person.
--Even during busy hours and on moderately crowded days, one could walk onto The Little Mermaid with no wait whatsoever. It's hard to say whether this had more to do with lukewarm public reception of a solid and attractive but relatively low-key dark ride or simply its incredible rider capacity, but clearly both play a role and the attraction cannot be considered anything like an E-ticket.
--Star Tours 3D has claimed the mantle of our family's favorite attraction at Disneyland, and was consistently mobbed throughout our visit. Having read reviews of varying enthusiasm on this site, I was prepared for disappointment, but wow were we surprised! On four runs through, we had different experiences each time and saw many of the destinations with little repetition. Granted, some of the CGI are not top-notch, but the 3D effects were awesome. (I banged my head on the back of the simulator trying to dodge the ship smashing through the cockpit window on Naboo.) Its excellent, redone queue only reinforced our positive impressions.
--I'm not sure I understand entirely the undying, sloppy love for Indiana Jones and the Temple of the Forbidden Eye on this site. Its queue and pre-show represent standards after which other Disney attractions should be modeled, and the ride itself underscores the failure and embarrassment I consider Dinosaur to be, but I still find it too rambunctious and too short to be immersive. In brief, it's a ride and not an experience. For the build-up of that queue, I'd like to walk away remembering more of the actual attraction.
--Disneyland's Tomorrowland really could use a refurbishment. Really, the empty tracks previously occupied by Rocket Rods and the unused escalators near the arcade and the Star Tours exit look so shabby and remind me always of poor planning and sweeping problems under the rug.
--I saw a lot more offensive T-shirts, hats and other logos emblazoned on tattoos and elsewhere, including some featuring a specific four-letter word beginning with "F," at Disneyland than I ever saw in Orlando. How disappointing that cast members did not drop hammers on these guests. I wonder--Is this a function of local clientele who do not value the park or their visits as do once-in-a-lifetime vacationers in Florida?
.. It was exactly the same. At least Sci Fi Dine In has a Much better Burger IMO.
