Consumer
Well-Known Member
Need a video of this.Big Al looks great! He talks too. Not sure if I saw that mentioned anywhere.
Need a video of this.Big Al looks great! He talks too. Not sure if I saw that mentioned anywhere.
Need a video of this.
It's MagicBand+ activated, apparently.I have a Super short clip. By the time I pulled out my phone to record the spiel was nearly over. Not sure how often it happens.
Did it sound like Tex Ritter? Did the mouth move? What did he say? Did he advertise DVC?I have a Super short clip. By the time I pulled out my phone to record the spiel was nearly over. Not sure how often it happens.
It's MagicBand+ activated, apparently.
Did it sound like Tex Ritter? Did the mouth move? What did he say? Did he advertise DVC?
Tropical Hideway is a gem. I said it was a little too slick looking when it first opened but it’s very Disneyland. I’ve also been getting lucky with a table right on the water the last 3 or so times we’ve gotten a snack there. They stopped selling the egg rolls unfortunately but the pork bao’s are good. Also, not sure who needs to hear this but if you are just getting food you do not need to wait in the long dole whip line that spills out in the walkway. Just pass it and go straight to the food. Lastly, I don’t think I realized just how great Tropical Hideaway is integrated with the Tiki Room. You can take that ramp from Hideaway and go all the way around Tiki Room to the VIP bathrooms without having to go out into that main Adventureland path at all.
Oh yeah, Galaxies Edge. I had a laundry list of things that disappointed me about it when it first opened. The trees have grown in quite nicely. The beigeness of it all doesn’t even bother me anymore. Having Boba Fett, Mando, those new little Droids in addition to the usual walk around characters definitely helps. I’d still like to see a lot more random droids and aliens walking around but all the talking characters do add a special life to the area as well as bit of randomness and unpredictability to your day. It’s fun seeing our kids and nephews engaging with them. Especially Kylo and the stormtroopers. I still would love to see a water feature somewhere. A waterfall on the berm where the bantha mover was supposed to be would be a nice touch. In short, the land has grown on me. It’s not perfect by any means and sometimes I go 2-3 trips without even stepping foot in there for various reasons but it’s not too far off from being a solid land. It needs the Dinner theatre and more presence of the FORCE that isn’t behind a paywall. And a lightsaber duel happening somewhere in the land randomly everyday.
The Indiana Jones queue is undefeated and will probably never be defeated. What a work of art. Yesterday I was really appreciating that high ceiling at load with all the vines and perfect lighting.
Even though the fog in the main chamber hasn’t been working again.
Don't worry about IJA. Soon WDW will have it's own inferior version with even more broken effects, so the DL version will look great in comparison no matter what condition it's actually in.One of the most charming additions of the last several years. It’s tasteful and subtle and feels like it’s always been there. Sure, to some extent it falls victim to being themed to “everyone’s meta idea of Disneyland” as opposed to its own unique thing (kind of like the Adventureland Treehouse, which I also adore), but this is a gentle criticism and really it’s the best we can hope for in the current climate.
Tropical Hideaway and Adventureland Treehouse give me hope that modern WDI could actually pull off a Tomorrowland upgrade.
I’ve lightened up on GE too. It has a cool vibe at night. Food is good. Rise is excellent IMO. Falcon could be fun with a new/better film.
But I agree, it still desperately needs water features. And kinetic energy/robots.
One of the all-time great queues, I similarly am impressed by it year after year. Not sure if this is heresy but it’s possible I enjoy the queue even more than the ride. Just wish they’d play Eye on the Globe in full.
Ugh.
Don't worry about IJA. Soon WDW will have it's own inferior version with even more broken effects, so the DL version will look great in comparison no matter what condition it's actually in.
But I’ll say this… I go to DL a lot, and I haven’t experienced a working boulder scene since 2019. I feel like they can do better.
I actually did need to hear the bit about the Tropical Hideaway food, thank you! I'd held off because of that giant line in the past. Now I'll actually try it! I love the look of it, especially at night.Some misc thoughts from my trip yesterday…
Big Al looks great! He talks too. Not sure if I saw that mentioned anywhere.
I was a little too critical on Galaxies Edge and to a much lesser extent Tropical Hideway. Tropical Hideway is a gem. I said it was a little too slick looking when it first opened but it’s very Disneyland. I’ve also been getting lucky with a table right on the water the last 3 or so times we’ve gotten a snack there. They stopped selling the egg rolls unfortunately but the pork bao’s are good. Also, not sure who needs to hear this but if you are just getting food you do not need to wait in the long dole whip line that spills out in the walkway. Just pass it and go straight to the food. Lastly, I don’t think I realized just how great Tropical Hideaway is integrated with the Tiki Room. You can take that ramp from Hideaway and go all the way around Tiki Room to the VIP bathrooms without having to go out into that main Adventureland path at all.
Had a Top 2 skipper if not the best Jungle Cruise skipper I’ve ever experienced on Jungle Cruise yesterday. His name is Jackson. Very funny and a lot of energy. He seemed to have a few new jokes and went “off script” a bit. A good skipper makes a huge difference on Jungle Cruise.
Oh yeah, Galaxies Edge. I had a laundry list of things that disappointed me about it when it first opened. The trees have grown in quite nicely. The beigeness of it all doesn’t even bother me anymore. Having Boba Fett, Mando, those new little Droids in addition to the usual walk around characters definitely helps. I’d still like to see a lot more random droids and aliens walking around but all the talking characters do add a special life to the area as well as bit of randomness and unpredictability to your day. It’s fun seeing our kids and nephews engaging with them. Especially Kylo and the stormtroopers. I still would love to see a water feature somewhere. A waterfall on the berm where the bantha mover was supposed to be would be a nice touch. In short, the land has grown on me. It’s not perfect by any means and sometimes I go 2-3 trips without even stepping foot in there for various reasons but it’s not too far off from being a solid land. It needs the Dinner theatre and more presence of the FORCE that isn’t behind a paywall. And a lightsaber duel happening somewhere in the land randomly everyday.
The Indiana Jones queue is undefeated and will probably never be defeated. What a work of art. Yesterday I was really appreciating that high ceiling at load with all the vines and perfect lighting. Indy in general has just really been hitting for me lately. Even though the fog in the main chamber hasn’t been working again.
Forgot how good the Hoth scene on Star Tours is. 0/3 for Mando/ Grogu transmission now.
That huge Pixar thing in the middle of the esplanade is a dud… at least a night. So weird to have this huge thing sitting there in the dark. It should be lit up.
Wow really? It’s worked for me every time since the last nig refurb last year. 5/5 or something like that.
I actually did need to hear the bit about the Tropical Hideaway food, thank you! I'd held off because of that giant line in the past. Now I'll actually try it! I love the look of it, especially at night.
I think part of things seeming better is simply getting used to them and also them beginning to age. Everything in the park more or less feels a bit older, and now that these places aren't brand new anymore, they fit better. I feel like WDI jas forgotten how to age things, and so things that are brand new often look it and clash as a result. Not a problem anymore with TH or SWGE anymore.
I really enjoyed Docking Bay 7 on my last trip. Great food there! Now I just need to go back and try the chicken.
I want to give the DL folks a chance to chime in on this:
WDW's Space Mountain is better than DL. Change my mind.
I don't know if I personally would say that's the case, I just think modern WDI emphasizes different things than they would have in the past, whether that be because of executive mandates and desires, the changing tastes of people who work there, etc. Sometimes that comes across well, sometimes not. It doesn't help that DLR has gotten a lot of lackluster additions/changes in the recent past, particularly compared to some other parks.It seems like we are at low point in Imagineering at least when it comes to storytelling/ place making.
MK's is more of a proper coaster in the sense that there are more drops that are from a significant height. It's not just the drop, turn, brake run, rinse/repeat that DL's is for much of the time; it's a more-aggressive, yet somewhat smoother, better-padded version of Matterhorn in the dark. It's a distinctive take on the ride with a personality and approach that the other versions don't have at all. Unlike the other versions, it has a post-show. It also has the iconic star tunnel music playing in the queue:I haven’t been on MKs version but if there are more drops and more of those ethereal space sounds I’ll probably like it more.
I don't know if I personally would say that's the case, I just think modern WDI emphasizes different things than they would have in the past, whether that be because of executive mandates and desires, the changing tastes of people who work there, etc. Sometimes that comes across well, sometimes not. It doesn't help that DLR has gotten a lot of lackluster additions/changes in the recent past, particularly compared to some other parks.
It can be forgotten because some of these things are gone and/or the internet didn't used to be as loud, but older Imagineers put out things that weren't necessarily always winners either. Maelstrom, the Mexico boat ride in Epcot, Meet the World, Body Wars,
MK's is more of a proper coaster in the sense that there are more drops that are from a significant height. It's not just the drop, turn, brake run, rinse/repeat that DL's is for much of the time; it's a more-aggressive, yet somewhat smoother, better-padded version of Matterhorn in the dark. It's a distinctive take on the ride with a personality and approach that the other versions don't have at all. Unlike the other versions, it has a post-show. It also has the iconic star tunnel music playing in the queue:
Also, it's huge and makes an impression out of its sheer size in a way that Disneyland's and the others simply do not, as seen in this pic from the WDW Monorail:
View attachment 783972
Ultimately I prefer the DL version (largely because of the station and on-board audio), but there are definitely merits to the WDW version and I can see why many would prefer it. It's certainly my second favorite MK ride, after their Haunted Mansion.
I don't know if I personally would say that's the case, I just think modern WDI emphasizes different things than they would have in the past, whether that be because of executive mandates and desires, the changing tastes of people who work there, etc. Sometimes that comes across well, sometimes not. It doesn't help that DLR has gotten a lot of lackluster additions/changes in the recent past, particularly compared to some other parks.
It can be forgotten because some of these things are gone and/or the internet didn't used to be as loud, but older Imagineers put out things that weren't necessarily always winners either. Maelstrom, the Mexico boat ride in Epcot, Meet the World, Body Wars,
MK's is more of a proper coaster in the sense that there are more drops that are from a significant height. It's not just the drop, turn, brake run, rinse/repeat that DL's is for much of the time; it's a more-aggressive, yet somewhat smoother, better-padded version of Matterhorn in the dark. It's a distinctive take on the ride with a personality and approach that the other versions don't have at all. Unlike the other versions, it has a post-show. It also has the iconic star tunnel music playing in the queue:
Also, it's huge and makes an impression out of its sheer size in a way that Disneyland's and the others simply do not, as seen in this pic from the WDW Monorail:
View attachment 783972
Ultimately I prefer the DL version (largely because of the station and on-board audio), but there are definitely merits to the WDW version and I can see why many would prefer it. It's certainly my second favorite MK ride, after their Haunted Mansion.
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