Best Disneyland Things

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...

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...

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...