The Miscellaneous Thought Thread

[mickEblu]

I’m in the mood to go to a Theme park that I don’t know where every bathroom is. Can any other So Californian (or anyone else) tell me If Legoland is worth the drive out to Carlsbad? I feel like it’s probably a good bet for my two young kids but Knotts also sounds good. Haven’t been to Knotts in 15 years and have only been there 3-4 times. Never been to Legoland. The weather in Legoland is much better as it’s near the coast and I feel like it’s probably much less busy. Is that accurate?

Sea World also sounds good but I’m saving that for a different trip out to SD.

 

[CaptinEO]

I’m in the mood to go to a Theme park that I don’t know where every bathroom is. Can any other So Californian (or anyone else) tell me If Legoland is worth the drive out to Carlsbad? I feel like it’s probably a good bet for my two young kids but Knotts also sounds good. Haven’t been to Knotts in 15 years and have only been there 3-4 times. Never been to Legoland. The weather in Legoland is much better as it’s near the coast and I feel like it’s probably much less busy. Is that accurate?

Sea World also sounds good but I’m saving that for a different trip out to SD.

Knotts is like Six Flags but with 2 good dark rides from the 60s and some entertainment. It's 90% generic roller coasters. It's always run down, not shaded, and packed. I don't think its good for kids.

No amount of "Billy Bob Joe" performers can make me want to go to Knotts. Just go for the chicken restaurant and dont bother entering the park.

If I could pay to only go on the Log Ride and Mine ride I'd much rather do that.

 

[mickEblu]

Knotts is like Six Flags but with 2 good dark rides from the 60s and some entertainment. It's 90% generic roller coasters. It's always run down, not shaded, and packed. I don't think its good for kids.

No amount of "Billy Bob Joe" performers can make me want to go to Knotts. Just go for the chicken restaurant and dont bother entering the park.

If I could pay to only go on the Log Ride and Mine ride I'd much rather do that.

Thanks. Sounds like we re on the same page. When I thought about what excites me about the thought of going Knotts it was the two rides you mentioned and the fried chicken.

 

[DrAlice]

We ALWAYS have a good time at Legoland. There's something about the feel of the park.. It just doesn't take itself so seriously and focuses on the fun. Having said that, some of the rides are a little disappointing and not worth a long wait, so if you can swing it, get their front of the line pass. It's not very expensive for the lowest tier, but worth it. It will make your whole day more enjoyable. Also, Granny's apple fries are a MUST.

With small kids, Lego land is worth at least one visit. Its even more fun if you stay on property.

 

[mickEblu]

That TOT episode of Behind the Attraction was triggering. My favorite line was “lucky for us GOTG 2 was opening in May.” Like it was just a pure coincidence. Or how they start off by saying “we were looking to put a new ride in DCA.” As if the mandate from the beginning wasn’t that it was Marvel. At least they were honest about the fact they were given a ridiculous timeline and only had time to retheme an attraction.

Also they kind of frame it as Joe Rohde had his pick of the litter to retheme any ride in the park he wanted. That upset me for a second as Rohde could have stopped TOTs demise but I’m not sure I believe it. What other ride at DCA could have been rethemed into a Marvel ride? TOTs plot was also prime real estate next to the backlot where they were originally planning to put Avengers Campus if I’m not mistaken. I don’t think they knew it was going in Bugs Land at the time which TOT also conveniently sits next to.

 

[mickEblu]

We ALWAYS have a good time at Legoland. There's something about the feel of the park.. It just doesn't take itself so seriously and focuses on the fun. Having said that, some of the rides are a little disappointing and not worth a long wait, so if you can swing it, get their front of the line pass. It's not very expensive for the lowest tier, but worth it. It will make your whole day more enjoyable. Also, Granny's apple fries are a MUST.

With small kids, Lego land is worth at least one visit. Its even more fun if you stay on property.

Legoland it is! Kind of bummed that it’s not some park in the middle of nowhere that nobody goes to. For some reason I thought since I never had any desire to go there nobody else did either and there would be no lines. That front of the line pass sounds like a good idea and so do Granny’s Apple fries.

It’s kind of cool going to a park (or anywhere really) where you have no idea about anything- the layout, the rides, the food etc.

 

[BuzzedPotatoHead89]

Legoland it is! Kind of bummed that it’s not some park in the middle of nowhere that nobody goes to. For some reason I thought since I never had any desire to go there nobody else did either and there would be no lines. That front of the line pass sounds like a good idea and so do Granny’s Apple fries.

It’s kind of cool going to a park (or anywhere really) where you have no idea about anything- the layout, the rides, the food etc.

The key with LEGOLAND is to keep an open mind. Remember it’s a kids theme park… more so than even DL. But if you put yourself in that headspace then it can be and enjoyable time.

And be sure to really take some time to check out “Miniland USA”. The detail is awesome.

 

[SuddenStorm]

That TOT episode of Behind the Attraction was triggering. My favorite line was “lucky for us GOTG 2 was opening in May.” Like it was just a pure coincidence. Or how they start off by saying “we were looking to put a new ride in DCA.” As if the mandate from the beginning wasn’t that it was Marvel. At least they were honest about the fact they were given a ridiculous timeline and only had time to retheme an attraction.

Also they kind of frame it as Joe Rohde had his pick of the litter to retheme any ride in the park he wanted. That upset me for a second as Rohde could have stopped TOTs demise but I’m not sure I believe it. What other ride at DCA could have been rethemed into a Marvel ride? TOTs plot was also prime real estate next to the backlot where they were originally planning to put Avengers Campus if I’m not mistaken. I don’t think they knew it was going in Bugs Land at the time which TOT also conveniently sits next to.

I've been having a tough time getting into the attraction series. The narration, editing, and choppy storytelling makes it kind of irritating to watch.

 

[PiratesMansion]

Legoland it is! Kind of bummed that it’s not some park in the middle of nowhere that nobody goes to. For some reason I thought since I never had any desire to go there nobody else did either and there would be no lines. That front of the line pass sounds like a good idea and so do Granny’s Apple fries.

It’s kind of cool going to a park (or anywhere really) where you have no idea about anything- the layout, the rides, the food etc.

Legoland will be a big hit with the kids, and I was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed it as an adult.

I feel like I need to stand up for Knott's a bit here. Yeah, there are a lot of rides you could just as easily have put at Magic Mountain there. But there's a ton of things to do-rides and entertainment-in the tiny amount of space they have. They've put in a ton of work over the last decade into making it a really nice place.

That said, there are some caveats. Ops aren't great (in fairness, I can't think of anywhere in SoCal other than Disney/Universal that has great ops). The other thing that will affect you as a parent of small children is that Cedar Fair, the operators of Knott's, tend to have higher height requirements for rides than other theme park companies. Basically, if they're not 48 inches, they're typically stuck on the kiddie rides. I would imagine they'd get to ride everything important at Knott's (as long as it's not an adult coaster), but still worth noting.

But yeah, go to Legoland. Your kids are the right age.

 

[mickEblu]

I've been having a tough time getting into the attraction series. The narration, editing, and choppy storytelling makes it kind of irritating to watch.

I’m ok with the narration although her jokes are kind of getting old. JC was my favorite episode so far for all the old footage. HM was okay even if we’ve heard all those stories a million times. I liked the Star Tours episode until they started talking about GE

 

[SplashGhost]

One thing about Knott's is that Calico River Rapids is vastly underrated. Knott's took an average rapids ride and turned it into a fantastic themed experience. I know it might not be saying much, but the theming on Calico River Rapids far outdoes anything at DCA except Radiator Springs Racers. Not to mention, the Calico Railroad's cars are much more like an authentic passenger train instead of a theme park train. I have never been to LegoLand, but Knott's offers a lot of different attractions outside just coasters. Plus, it is really fun to explore Ghost Town as there are a ton of things to look at, and a lot of details to discover. Ghost Town does what Galaxy's Edge was going for and does it drastically better. Plus, the food at Knott's is fantastic, it is the only SoCal theme park where I feel the food is almost an attraction in itself, plus they give you actual portions for adults unlike Disney. For kids, the Camp Snoopy area is really nice and the theming is far better than what one would expect from a regional park's kids area. About the only thing that holds Knott's back is poor ride ops.

 

[Brer Panther]

That TOT episode of Behind the Attraction was triggering. My favorite line was “lucky for us GOTG 2 was opening in May.” Like it was just a pure coincidence. Or how they start off by saying “we were looking to put a new ride in DCA.” As if the mandate from the beginning wasn’t that it was Marvel. At least they were honest about the fact they were given a ridiculous timeline and only had time to retheme an attraction.

Also they kind of frame it as Joe Rohde had his pick of the litter to retheme any ride in the park he wanted. That upset me for a second as Rohde could have stopped TOTs demise but I’m not sure I believe it. What other ride at DCA could have been rethemed into a Marvel ride? TOTs plot was also prime real estate next to the backlot where they were originally planning to put Avengers Campus if I’m not mistaken. I don’t think they knew it was going in Bugs Land at the time which TOT also conveniently sits next to.

I swear there was a rumor that they were gonna turn Monsters Inc. into a MARVEL ride at some point...

 

[mickEblu]

I swear there was a rumor that they were gonna turn Monsters Inc. into a MARVEL ride at some point...

This would have been much preferred by me if true but a retheme of Monster inc would be kind of lame for a Marvel ride so it’s hard to believe that was in the running.

 

[Brer Panther]

This would have been much preferred by me if true but a retheme of Monster inc would be kind of lame for a Marvel ride so it’s hard to believe that was in the running.

I'm amused by the mental image of that CDA agent who's actually just a reskinned Drew Carey being reskinned into the Hulk.

 

[Sharon&Susan]

I swear there was a rumor that they were gonna turn Monsters Inc. into a MARVEL ride at some point...

I believe the plan was for Monster's Inc to be demolished so that they could fully use the space gained from removing the transportation center located behind it. That was until the Eastern Gateway project was cancelled.

Rumors were heavily leaning towards the replacement for that Backlot area to be Marvel themed.

 

[SplashGhost]

I didn't realize the Beauty and the Beast ride had already opened in Tokyo. After watching a ride through, as impressive as the craftsmanship is, it's so clear that WDI has no idea how to design a ride. I could not point to a better example of a "ride the movie" than this attraction as it just takes guests through their favorite musical numbers from the film. The animatronics and effects are stellar, but it's all science with no soul. I suppose that's a problem that plagues more than just WDI and the West as a whole at this moment in time, but I must say I hope this attraction doesn't come to California.

This is how most modern WDI attraction feel, they are technically impressive but are completely devoid of soul. Rise of the Resistance is the only recent attraction that I would consider great. Lots of people loved Flight of Passage, but to me that was another perfect example of "science over soul."

 

[waltography]

I didn't realize the Beauty and the Beast ride had already opened in Tokyo. After watching a ride through, as impressive as the craftsmanship is, it's so clear that WDI has no idea how to design a ride. I could not point to a better example of a "ride the movie" than this attraction as it just takes guests through their favorite musical numbers from the film. The animatronics and effects are stellar, but it's all science with no soul. I suppose that's a problem that plagues more than just WDI and the West as a whole at this moment in time, but I must say I hope this attraction doesn't come to California.

I wouldn't say it should never come stateside because it has the bones of a fantastic ride, but it needs to be significantly retooled to emphasize both the closeness and darkness of the film. Of the book report rides (Mermaid, Monsters, FEA, etc.), I think BatB is successful in that I personally am moved by the music in a way that I'm not moved elsewhere in other rides. But there's gotta be a way to rein in the scale to allow for smaller encounters (Something There being that cavern of a room is really the worst part of the ride, especially given how easy it is to lose the flocking birds gag from afar). Perhaps it's in part because the ride vehicles are massive.

It has an incredible finale in that curse lifting/light returning/ballroom sequence, it just needs to earn it.

 

[mickEblu]

I wouldn't say it should never come stateside because it has the bones of a fantastic ride, but it needs to be significantly retooled to emphasize both the closeness and darkness of the film. Of the book report rides (Mermaid, Monsters, FEA, etc.), I think BatB is successful in that I personally am moved by the music in a way that I'm not moved elsewhere in other rides. But there's gotta be a way to rein in the scale to allow for smaller encounters (Something There being that cavern of a room is really the worst part of the ride, especially given how easy it is to lose the flocking birds gag from afar). Perhaps it's in part because the ride vehicles are massive.

It has an incredible finale in that curse lifting/light returning/ballroom sequence, it just needs to earn it.

I would say it should never come because we don’t have a lot of real estate at DLR. Perhaps if the Disneyland Forward thing works out but even then I would bank on an exact clone before them making any significant changes to the ride.

 

[mickEblu]

Are we really better off without Fastpasses? Especially if you knew how to use them? The wait times look like they re just as bad as they were when fast passes were around. Some wait times are a little shorter but not enough to make up for the loss of being able to fast pass a few E tickets and skip hour + long lines. So what gives? The Rat Chat update shows that all the walkways are pretty packed and at this point almost all the attractions are running again.

On another note, as I browse this forum read RatChat updates I realize my AP allowed me to put aside my issues with park/ company as it was such a cheap price for a quality product (even with the downward spiral the resort is going is in). When you re paying full price to go, those same issues you had as an AP are much more magnified. I wonder how many people feel like me. Will Disney be able to keep the parks packed with So Cal discounts and holiday offerings? I guess the new membership program will be telling.

 

[waltography]

I would say it should never come because we don’t have a lot of real estate at DLR. Perhaps if the Disneyland Forward thing works out but even then I would bank on an exact clone before them making any significant changes to the ride.

For sure. The ride and Belle's village simply couldn't fit in our park - maybe MK though.

Are we really better off without Fastpasses? Especially if you knew how to use them? The wait times look like they re just as bad as they were when fast passes were around. Some wait times are a little shorter but not enough to make up for the loss of being able to fast pass a few E tickets and skip hour + long lines. So what gives? The Rat Chat update shows that all the walkways are pretty packed and at this point almost all the attractions are running again.

I do think post-pandemic wait times have been vastly higher than actual wait, though, so that's something to keep in mind when comparing wait times from before; from my experience, pre-pandemic wait times were pretty accurate, and in some cases underestimated the actual wait time.

Still, I miss MaxPass. I'm sure we all knew the hell out of the old system and I think we're getting to the point that the resort is simply understaffed to meet the current crowds.