HULK BACK!
HULK WANT TO PLAY!
My play style will be a little limited for the foreseeable future, as I’ve been without WiFi or a computer since November (don’t ask). Even so, I’d still enjoy getting back into the spirit of this community.
World of Motion = Bedroom
Top 4 unique attractions:
4
. Velocicoaster - Islands of Adventure
Even minus the theming, it would still be a Top 5 coaster for me. Add that theming, the setting, rock work, all that, and it’s the perfect fusion of regional park thrills with theme park immersion. Just ignore anyone who dismisses exposed coaster track out of hand. Velocicoaster is what got me to finally visit Orlando, and it was my most-ridden attraction. Endlessly reridable, with a lovely integration of layout & coaster elements & story. Leaping over the paddock wall and running free across the lagoon is a transcendent moment.
3
. Pirates of the Caribbean: Battle for the Sunken Treasure - Shanghai Disneyland
This ride justifies Shanghai Disneyland. It sees modern Imagineering perfecting the high-tech screen dark ride format, and marrying that with inspiration from the very best dark ride from old school WED. Endlessly reridable, always a crucial factor. Between a long ride time and a monstrously high rider throughput and reliable effects, it’s one of Disney most purely functional recent rides. Better than the movies, too.
2
. Journey to the Center of the Earth - Tokyo DisneySea
The experience begins from the moment you pass under Hotel MiraCosta and first glimpse Mount Prometheus, and the experience simply builds and builds as you slowly approach the volcano, enter its fissures, and descend ever further beneath the earth’s crust…and all that’s before the queue! A perfect marriage of the Test Track slot car tech with immaculate place-making throughout, this is at the very core of what makes DisneySea such an excellent destination.
1.
Steel Vengeance - Cedar Point
It’s hard to argue with a pure thrill machine done this well. Sure it’s basically unthemed, but that’s like saying music needs lyrics to be worthwhile. The physical ride sensation alone is a symphony of adrenaline, with all the rising tension, excellent pacing, and distinct movements of a musical masterpiece. Beautiful just to look at as a wood & steel behemoth, intimidating to approach, playful in its pre-lift, suspenseful on the climb up, then terror transforms into bliss in a never ending series of wild, varied, creative, ludicrous elements. (This is a tossup slot which could also easily go to Iron Gwazi.)
I like food, I like theme parks, but theme park food mostly stinks. As a child growing up in Southern California theme parks, the best dining option was always “leave, go to the nearest In ‘n’ Out.” As an adult traveling abroad, the best option is now “leave, go back to Tokyo / Paris / Hong Kong / Shanghai, their food kicks butt.” So here’s the theme park dining I
do like, with convenience being my biggest priority.
4.
Prime Time Diner - Disney Hollywood Studios
My favorite overall meal from my one-and-only Orlando trip must make the cut. (Sci-Fi Dine-In would likely beat it out had I managed reservations.) As a thematic concept, dinner in grandma’s kitchen works much better in person than on paper, with big kudos to the in-character servers. Their all-American comfort food menu, while unambitious, was far more successful e.g. the timid, watered-down international food of World Showcase. (I wish WDW dining were easier to do overall without extensive preplanning, since they seem to excel generally with quality and quality.)
3.
Carthay Circle Lounge - Disney California Adventure
Back in my pre-pandemic passholder days of commando marathoning Disneyland and DCA in a single day, this was always my fallback option for a midday break when I needed to cool down, rest, and grab a drink. Yes, there was a limited menu too, culled from the (very good) Carthay Circle Restaurant upstairs. I could always do this without planning or a long wait, so I did it often…so often in fact that the bartenders knew me by name. In a Disney park! That’s a rare personal connection which makes this a favorite.
2.
Mrs. Knott’s Chicken Dinner Restaurant - Knott’s Berry Farm
The restaurant so good, they had to build a theme park around it simply to entertain people waiting for a table. Nowadays, this sits conveniently just beyond the Knott’s park gates, it too offering a simple midday respite from the crowds and heat with little muss, fuss, or preplanning needed. Good fried chicken, scrumptious biscuits with jam, a wide drink assortment, just a winning comfort food venue. Best of all is the attached bakery. I never leave Knott’s at day’s end without picking up a fresh boysenberry pie to bring home to friends or family.
1. Trader Sam’s Enchanted Tiki Bar - Disneyland Hotel
My favorite end-of-day spot, when you’re through with the parks but you’re not ready to go home or abandon their atmosphere. Pound-for-pound, the interior is the most dense with theming of anyplace I know. The overall vibe is both very classically Disneyland while also paying tribute to L.A.‘s mostly defunct mid-century tiki culture. Crowds are a problem, unless you’re a local and you know how to outflank ‘em - a trick I couldn’t pull off with WDW’s Grog Grotto. The tropical cocktails and Hawaiian grub are a little tacky, but in a nice way which fits Trader Sam’s wacky atmosphere.
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