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Showing posts from 2018

Best Disney Thing: Space Mountain

Space Mountain is the best Disneyland thing. The second of the four mountains (according to this post ) in the park (sort of--more on that later), Space Mountain is a thrilling roller coaster ride through space. Opening in 1977, Space Mountain lies nestled in the corner of Tomorrowland right next to what is currently Star Wars Path of the Jedi, which was formerly Captain EO. Launch Control, This is Space Center You may not be familiar with the storyline of Space Mountain, and that is probably because they don't really make it very clear. However, Jim Hill Media has a transcript from what was purportedly a preview recording from Disneyland before the ride opened. To sum it up: You are an astronaut on a space station orbiting Earth. The hill at the beginning of the ride is a “man-made solar field” that charges up your rocket cars, and then launches you into space. And then you fly around a large satellite and the rest of the galaxy, and land at the re-entry portal

Best Disney Thing: Star Tours

Star Tours is the best Disneyland thing. Star Wars is maybe my favorite movie series. Many people feel this way, despite some being let down by the prequels (and now apparently the sequels, according to some people). Star Wars has been a cultural phenomenon since the first movie released in 1977. I personally didn't see Star Wars until after I had ridden on Star Tours at Disneyland, so to me this was my defining Star Wars experience (I also saw Spaceballs somehow before I ever saw Star Wars, but that's not what this article is about). Nowadays everything is different in the Star Wars universe. The Star Wars of my youth has changed, which was already different from the original Star Wars. I'm rambling. Let's talk about Star Tours. The Saga Begins It's hard for me to imagine Disneyland without Star Tours, as it's always been there since I was a kid. But Star Wars wasn't always the big sci-fi IP that Disney wanted in the parks. According to t

Best Disney Thing: Splash Mountain

Splash Mountain is the best Disneyland thing. Pop quiz: how many mountains are there in Disneyland? I think the answer might be four so far: the Matterhorn (based on a real mountain), Space Mountain (which I guess counts even though you never really see the mountain in it), Big Thunder Mountain (upon which there is a railroad) , and Splash Mountain . Splash Mountain is a log flume ride that opened in 1989, based on Song of the South, a 1946 movie that has never actually been released on home video in America since its release. You are, of course, familiar with the song. It won an Academy Award! Also, I’m sorry, but this will be stuck in your head all day. Splash Mountain combines some of the best elements of Disneyland rides: fun animatronic characters, a great song, and some pretty good thrills. And if you want to be soaked in water, there’s a non-zero chance that you will get soaked in water. Here’s a tip: bring a sandwich-sized bag so you can put your phone in it, an

Best Disney Thing: Heimlich's Chew Chew Train

Heimlich’s Chew Chew Train is the best DCA thing. This is an emergency edition of Best Disney Things, since the entire land where Heimlich’s Chew Chew Train currently resides is going to be torn down and somehow turned into a Marvel-themed land . And as excited as I am about that, I’m less excited that they’re going to have to get rid of the Heimlich ride. Heimlich's Chew Chew Train opened in 2002 with the rest of A Bug's Land, which was built around the already existing theater for It's Tough To Be A Bug --one of the original attractions at DCA's opening in 2001. Mein Stomach is So Empty For those of you who haven’t seen the movie A Bug’s Life, Heimlich is a large caterpillar that likes to eat, and is also somehow German. And he talks with an amazing accent. More on that in a bit. Like everywhere else in A Bug's Land, you are supposed to feel like you have been shrunken down to the size of a bug. In this instance, you're riding with (or on?) Heim

News: At Long Last, Pizza Planet Arrives At Tomorrowland

Source: WDW News Today “Wait, isn’t this already in Tomorrowland?” Not exactly. For some reason, Disneyland has had a space-themed pizza restaurant inside of Tomorrowland since 1998, a full three years after the release of Toy Story , and decided to name it Red Rockett’s Pizza Port (not to be confused with the Pizza Port brewery) instead. However, thanks to Pixar Fest, Disneyland is FINALLY re-theming the restaurant to Pizza Planet. And while I’m not sure exactly what the above concept art is for (since I also found it on an Oh My Disney post from 2015 ) it will probably have a similar aesthetic. No word from the Disney Parks blog as to whether or not you’ll be able to win an alien from The Claw, but you will be able to purchase a cheeseburger pizza with “ketchup, yellow mustard and pizza sauce on a sesame seed crust and topped with cheese, caramelized onions, diced tomatoes, slider patties, a house-made burger sauce, and pickles.” Pixar Fest runs from April 13 to

Best Disney Thing: Big Thunder Mountain Railroad

Big Thunder Mountain Railroad is the best Disneyland thing. Pop quiz, how many places in Disneyland feature dinosaurs? I can think of two. The Disneyland Railroad and the Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, kind of. What is it with Disneyland, trains, and dinosaurs? We’ll come back to that. Big Thunder Mountain Railroad (which I’m going to be calling Big Thunder for the rest of this article because “Big Thunder Mountain Railroad” is too long) opened in 1979. So what makes it the best? It's A Great Roller Coaster Quiz question number two: how many roller coasters are at Disneyland proper? There's four, if you're counting the Matterhorn Bobsleds (and you should). Big Thunder is up there in terms of thrills. Big Thunder is very fast and whips around turns like crazy. While there's no loops or huge drops like some other rides, it still lives up to its identity as the wildest ride in the wilderness . You may or may not know about the Goat Trick. It's wher

News: Avengers Assembling in Disney’s California Adventure in 2020

Everything’s coming up Marvel. The Disney Parks Blog announced that new Marvel-themed lands are coming to Disneyland Resort (by way of California Adventure), Disneyland Paris, and Hong Kong Disneyland. At DCA, it is reported that the new “Super Hero”-themed land will be taking over the area currently occupied by A Bug’s Land, which means no more Heimlich train. This was hinted at with the Avengers hatch that was installed next to Mission Breakout, pictured above. According to Disney Parks Blog, the Avengers and Spider-Man will be joining the Guardians of the Galaxy in this area. Does this mean we will be getting that rumored Spider-Man attraction in that area? It would be pretty cool if we did. Disneyland Paris is getting an Iron Man themed ride, which is a “reimagined attraction” at their Walt Disney Studios Park. (I’m not familiar with that park, but a quick glance at the list of attractions could lead to some hints). Hong Kong Disneyland is getting an Ant-Man and the Was

News: Disneyland After Dark Goes Galactic

The Disney Parks Blog announced that they’re doing a second Disneyland After Dark event, entitled Star Wars Nite. Source: Disney Parks Blog Now I didn’t make it out to the previous event, Throwback Nite, but from what I’ve seen it was basically a Disney-sanctioned Dapper Day, set in the 50s, after hours, with select attractions open for guests to enjoy. There was also music and fun photo opportunities around the park. For Star Wars Nite, the event starts at 9:00PM on May 3rd, and features character encounters (now including Rey!), Star Wars photo ops, a collectible lanyard, free PhotoPass photos, and first access to May the 4th merch (literally the day before). Costumes seem to be encouraged. Per the Disneyland site, these attractions "and more" will be open: Star Tours, "it's a small world," Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, and the Matterhorn Bobsleds. You can also watch the new “March of the First Order” mini-parade in Tomorrowland, and of course H

News: Pixar Fest Roundup

The Food and Wine festival may still be going on, but Disney has just announced more details of the upcoming Pixar Fest, which starts April 13 and runs through to September 3, First, there’s going to be a new fireworks show, entitled “Together Forever—A Pixar Nighttime Spectacular”. While this will probably not include the Rick Astley song of the same name, this show will feature projections on the castle, Rivers of America, the outside of It’s a Small World, and the buildings on Main Street, and it will also feature some new things buzzing up around the castle. (Spoiler alert: it’s Buzz Lightyear and the house from Up. See what I did there?) Pixar Fest also brings the return of the “Paint the Night” parade, the high-tech cousin of the Main Street Electrical Parade. There’s a monstrous new float this time around. (It’s Monsters, Inc.) Pixar Fest also brings some new food and merchandise (naturally) along with it. Included in the items is a Coco-themed chocolate and vanilla churro

Best Disney Thing: The Disneyland Railroad

The Disneyland Railroad is the best Disneyland thing. What’s the first thing you see when you step up to Disneyland? The main gate, of course. And what about after that? The ticket scanner, naturally. And what else? A bunch of people taking photos in front of…The Disneyland Railroad Station. You might be tempted to blow right past the train station and get into the park. I mean, Space Mountain isn’t going to wait for itself for an hour. But you might think differently about skipping the Disneyland Railroad, if we’ve got anything to say about it. For starters, It’s A Fun Way to Get Around the Park Let's get the obvious out of the way: trains are a form of transportation, and the Disneyland Railroad is a train. Disneyland is a big place. Not big like Texas, but big like, bigger than your house. And while it might not take you that long to walk to the other side of your house, it can certainly be a daunting task if you want to get to the complete opposite side of the par

To all who come to this happy place, welcome.

Welcome to Best Disneyland Things. What is this site, exactly? Well, we're going to be posting about news and updates about the parks, as well as some articles about why each thing we like at Disneyland is actually the best thing there is at Disneyland. Some of those are going to be easier to explain than others. But sit back, relax, and have fun. And maybe click on a few of the blog posts...so that you can read them. And remember, that, like Disneyland, Best Disneyland Things will also never be finished, as we keep updating the website to make it better and better.