Indy is in horrific shape. Both the snake and rolling boulder aren't operating, the preshow film has been significantly shortened, and various other lights/smoke machines aren't working properly. It makes you wonder how bad an attraction actually has to look for Disney to say "You know, we probably shouldn't operate it looking like this."
Splash Mountain looks the best it has in years, but it also seems like when one thing gets fixed something else breaks. At least it has most of its figures in place, even if a few aren't moving. There were some speakers working I don't remember working before the closure, though there's a few that it seems stopped working as well. I only got in four rides, so I hope to revisit over the next few months, especially as it gets colder to really get in some time on that ride.
Haunted Mansion looked amazing- I rode it first thing in the morning and wasn't bothered by the changes to the load area. It helps that we basically walked through it quickly and our eyes hadn't adjusted so the lighting seemed perfect. The graveyard scene looks the best it has in years- I certainly can't remember a time when it looked better then it does now. If they got rid of Constance the ride would be near perfect.
I thought Pirates looked great- and the changes in the second half of the ride don't outweigh the '60s charm of the first half that's mostly untouched with a few improvements here and there.
Operations is struggling- Indy, Space, and Matterhorn had multiple multi hour closures yesterday- often at the same time which adds significant stress to the other E's in the park. I honestly think Space Mountain was closed longer then it was open yesterday. Mansion went down a few times as well, and Rise didn't start boarding until about noon. We got in line for Rise at 12:10, and after making it through the hanger the ride broke down again before getting grouped. We were walked out and it was down for another few hours- though it did operate reliably after it reopened the second time. Line management was inconsistent and inadequate, with long lines spilling into walkways. Which is weird since Disney knew exactly how many people would be there that day.
I didn't realize Lincoln was only open 12-8, so when we wandered down at 9 to watch it and it was closed it was a huge disappointment. Reduced operating hours for attractions is a relic of the Pressler era- I understand right now it's a necessity because of the staffing shortages but I hope this doesn't become the norm. Painters were still painting on Main Street in the morning- which makes you wonder how much Disney really cares about Disneyland's show. It's interesting to me that the same company that advertised Galaxy's Edge as the peak of themed design is demolishing Toontown in view of guests and painting Main Street during operating hours. The details are important- and it seems like Disney is missing the forest for the trees here.
The Canoes ended up being my group's favorite ride of the day. I was the only one who had actually done them before, and everyone else was like 'dang that was actually tons of fun'. It helped that our Canoe guide was phenomenal. Somehow the kid behind me found a way to splash water forward, so I ended up getting wetter then I did on Splash Mountain, but such is life. It's a miracle the Canoes are operating right now.