My first Disneyland trip - thoughts and fair comparissons to Orlando

[marni1971]

It does make a SoCal'er chuckle when people talk about the "traffic" on I-4 going to and from WDW.

We have a thing called the M6. Wipes the floor with I-4. Our friends in Orlando told us we were in rush hour once on I-4. It was nice.

Okay.... OC drivers are crazy. LA drivers are insane. Unless you`re reading this in which case you drive very well.

 

[Mukta]

Okay.... OC drivers are crazy. LA drivers are insane. Unless you`re reading this in which case you drive very well.

Thank you, I do drive well.
Actually, I know that I am a crazy driver. I learned to drive in LA, so I had to be a crazy driver for survival. :lol:

 

[WishIwasThere]

What a wonderful trip report Martin. It is wonderful to hear the details of everything. Made it so visiual and captivating. Not just Indy is great Dinosaur stinks. DL POTC is so much better.... Love your attention to the little things.

This trip report makes me look forward to my next trip to Cali in a couple years...hopefully after Cars-land is done, so DL won't be so crowded.

 

[WDWFigment]

Enjoyed the entire right up. Thanks, Martin. We visited in August for the first time and shared similar sentiments with the majority of what you said. Especially DCA. Although I think it still needs some help, I also think the causes for concern as expressed online are far greater than in reality. I found it interesting that you call Monsters, Inc dark ride a "C/D" yet the Fantasyland attractions "D" tickets. I found Monsters much more impressive than almost all of the Fantasyland dark rides. At this point it is so uniquely its own that I think calling it an overlay attraction is a real disservice. Perhaps Superstar Limo vets (did anyone go on that more than twice? does anyone really remember the exact details of it?) can point out repurposed AAs, but I certainly could not. I really don't think it should be "penalized" for that. It's a great dark ride.

We were also impressed by Magical and have heard numerous reports of how Remember...Dreams Come True is much better.

Great write-up, overall. Inspires me to start working on mine in earnest!

 

[Krack]

We were also impressed by Magical and have heard numerous reports of how Remember...Dreams Come True is much better.

Remember is the best show (not just fireworks show) that Disney has ever produced, imho. It's that good.

 

[TP2000]

Perhaps Superstar Limo vets (did anyone go on that more than twice? does anyone really remember the exact details of it?) can point out repurposed AAs, but I certainly could not. I really don't think it should be "penalized" for that. It's a great dark ride.

I rode Superstar Limo many times in '01, it was so bad it was good and we'd laugh hysterically at it. The only Monsters Inc. animated figure I can pinpoint as a Superstar Limo figure is the Drew Carey figure who became a CDA agent in a biohazard suit. And only then it's because Drew's gag was offering maps to stars homes in an odd position, and the CDA guy has the same posture and is offering Wanted brochures. I have a strong hunch it's done on purpose, as a nod to Superstar Limo

Drew Carey in Superstar Limo 2001

Becomes this headless CDA Agent in Monsters Inc. in 2005

 

[ttalovebug]

One of the things you metioned, Martin, that makes such a huge difference is the use of the space at DLR. That every door in a courtyard, for exampe, lead somewhere. There's a reason for the doors and facades and so on. Something that bothers me the most in FL is the waste of space. There are so many things you walk by that aren't for guest use most of the time, or for any use at all. Just in MK: the Adventureland veranda, the Fland Skyway station, the barren open spaces in the back of Tomorrowland, etc. (Of course this is a bigger problem at EPCOT, but still.) I just hate seeing empty spaces sitting around here, as opposed to the way every little corner seems to be used at DLR.

 

[TP2000]

I just hate seeing empty spaces sitting around here, as opposed to the way every little corner seems to be used at DLR.

I assure you that's something us West Coasters notice every time we visit WDW. There seems to be such potential in WDW, so much available land and promising square footage, and yet much of it sits there fallow and quiet. It's understandable at younger parks like DAK, but at Magic Kingdom nearing 40 years old it's just baffling and almost troubling. I can assure you that Disneyland at age 40 in 1995 was just as chock full of visual treats and attraction delights as it is at age 55 in 2010. You could even argue Disneyland at age 40 back in '95 had less wasted space than today, since in 2010 we've got a couple areas like this that are being unused....

Fantasyland Motor Boat Cruise Canals 20th Century

Fantasyland Motor Boat Cruise Canals 21st Century

Or the second level of the Tomorrowland Starcade in the 20th century

That now sits totally empty and walled off. So there are a handful of spaces at Disneyland where space is unused and former park amenities have been closed off and abandoned. They are rare, but they are there.

On the flip side, there are attractions and vistas and kinetic movement at Disneyland that has changed and yet stayed basically the same since Walt planned it all himself in the 1950's. Disneyland's respect for past heritage and brilliant design is something WDW management could learn to adopt. This common vista in Tomorrowland is one of my favorites..

Disneyland Submarine Lagoon 1959 with "Atomic" submarines and Mark I Monorail

Disneyland Submarine Lagoon 1988 with "Scientific" submarines and Mark V Monorail

Disneyland Submarine Lagoon 2010 with "Nemo" submarines and Mark VII Monorail

For the most part at Disneyland, the more things change, the more they stay the same. :lol:

.

 

[WDWFigment]

One of the things you metioned, Martin, that makes such a huge difference is the use of the space at DLR. That every door in a courtyard, for exampe, lead somewhere. There's a reason for the doors and facades and so on. Something that bothers me the most in FL is the waste of space. There are so many things you walk by that aren't for guest use most of the time, or for any use at all. Just in MK: the Adventureland veranda, the Fland Skyway station, the barren open spaces in the back of Tomorrowland, etc. (Of course this is a bigger problem at EPCOT, but still.) I just hate seeing empty spaces sitting around here, as opposed to the way every little corner seems to be used at DLR.

I agree with you, but at the same time, I don't. Florida does use space poorly, sometimes. Yet the layout of "attraction alley," as Martin calls it, at Disneyland can be somewhat aesthetically jarring. Seeing Splash Mountain from the queue of Haunted Mansion is really odd, and there are essentially NO transitions between lands.

I would prefer a happy medium between Florida's wide open-ness and California's slightly cramped-ness, if I had my choice.

 

[ryno1982]

I agree with you, but at the same time, I don't. Florida does use space poorly, sometimes. Yet the layout of "attraction alley," as Martin calls it, at Disneyland can be somewhat aesthetically jarring. Seeing Splash Mountain from the queue of Haunted Mansion is really odd, and there are essentially NO transitions between lands.

I would prefer a happy medium between Florida's wide open-ness and California's slightly cramped-ness, if I had my choice.

I come to this same conclusion every time I visit Disneyland. Luckily there is a happy medium- Disneyland Paris.

 

[TP2000]

Thanks everyone. I`m glad you enjoyed reading my thoughts. I do still love WDW. I love DLP. And now I've fallen in love with DLR too. WDW is still an awesome place. I dare say it always will be. But I`ve now experienced its roots, its origins. And seen how a similar operation is run by the same people (kind of) but in a lot of ways better.

I thought of this thread this week when visiting Disneyland. A Disneyland manager was leading around three other manager-types but clearly giving them a tour and pointing things out near Indiana Jones; as they stood nearby I noticed the three folks on tour were wearing WDW nametags.

They walked away a few moments later and I really didn't catch what they were talking about in depth, but they were quite interested in their hosts tour. Interesting that WDW managers would be on a tour of Disneyland, especially considering this thread.

 

[Krack]

I thought of this thread this week when visiting Disneyland. A Disneyland manager was leading around three other manager-types but clearly giving them a tour and pointing things out near Indiana Jones; as they stood nearby I noticed the three folks on tour were wearing WDW nametags.

They walked away a few moments later and I really didn't catch what they were talking about in depth, but they were quite interested in their hosts tour. Interesting that WDW managers would be on a tour of Disneyland, especially considering this thread.

The manager was probably pointing out how they decided against sticking a carnival ride, themed completely differently than the rest of the land, in the dead center of their Adventureland. He may also have mentioned that their Tiki Room's old management runs a more entertaining, interesting and timeless show.

 

[TP2000]

The manager was probably pointing out how they decided against sticking a carnival ride, themed completely differently than the rest of the land, in the dead center of their Adventureland. He may also have mentioned that their Tiki Room's old management runs a more entertaining, interesting and timeless show.

:lol: Maybe.

But they were heading out of Adventureland towards New Orleans Square with pointing and basic info on Tarzan's Treehouse being talked about as they walked past. You could tell it was sort of a tour of the entire park, with lots of tech terms and figures being thrown around with numbers.

It was just sort of interesting to see WDW managers getting a tour of Disneyland, and it made me think of this thread.

 

[Crush Dude!]

I come to this same conclusion every time I visit Disneyland. Luckily there is a happy medium- Disneyland Paris.

Agreed :sohappy:

 

[TP2000]

I agree with you, but at the same time, I don't. Florida does use space poorly, sometimes. Yet the layout of "attraction alley," as Martin calls it, at Disneyland can be somewhat aesthetically jarring. Seeing Splash Mountain from the queue of Haunted Mansion is really odd, and there are essentially NO transitions between lands..

What is more interesting is some of the aesthetically jarring use of space and structures at Tokyo Disneyland; Dumbo sitting in front of Haunted Mansion, Main Street USA leading directly to New Orleans Square and Pirates of the Caribbean, etc. Even recently they've plopped Toontown next to Autopia, etc.

For all they do well there, things get very jumbled and jarring at Tokyo Disneyland. And yet in Tokyo they've got wider walkways and bigger open space than much of the Magic Kingdom at WDW, with fewer rides overall than Disneyland. Some crazy design decisions have been made in Tokyo over the past 25 years. :veryconfu