Monthly Archives: May 2012

Indiana Jones Adventure (and the Temple of the Forbidden Eye) (Queue)

8 Comments Posted by on May 11, 2012

Heh, that makes it sound like Indiana Jones and the Temple of the Forbidden IQ.

It’s not–this is a post about the line for Indiana Jones. Why just the line? Because the ride broke down. Sad.

Indiana Jones Adventure is a very innovative attraction. It was really the first to involve a truly interactive queue. Which was good because when this ride opened, the lines were looooooong.

And it’s still pretty popular.

Enter at your own peril

 

Indiana Jones not only has a stand-by (regular) line, it has a Fastpass AND a single rider line. There are many ways to enjoy Indiana Jones!

The outdoor part of the queue is a series of shaded switchbacks. Indiana Jones is right next to the Jungle Cruise, so you really have that Adventureland feel.

It was a slow day

 

Next you go into the Temple of the Forbidden Eye, where your adventure really begins. Notice anything interesting?

Hint: It’s the coded writing

 

If you guessed coded writing, you’re correct! Good job!

When Indiana Jones first opened, the cast member at the front used to hand you a decoder card so you could actually read the code during your very long wait inside the temple.

That was pretty much all kinds of cool.

It’s all over the place, really

 

The queue takes you around many bends and curves, keeping things interesting if you have a friend who likes to hide. Which I do.

Peek-a-boo!

 

There are a number of things to do, like swing this pole around and see what happens.

Go Ingrid and Rachel!

 

It was also a warning for troublesome guests

Don’t goof off at Disneyland, okay?

 

Seriously, that’s gotta hurt.

Unfortunately, some of the effects no longer work. For example, there are signs telling you to avoid stepping on the diamond-shaped bricks

Like these

 

But now when you do, nothing happens. Humph.

You can also disobey the sign and pull the rope

Like Rachel did

 

And see what happens!

After that you move into a kind of movie room and get to watch a short film that is both urgent and informative, and kind of a little silly because the dude, Sallah, is TOTALLY freaking out and seems to be completely oblivious to the fact that his entire purpose of life is to be the safety video showing you how to use your seatbelts.

It’s a movie of a movie–very meta

 

It is interesting on the loop though.

Then you go some more until you think you’re going to load, but YOU’RE NOT because you still have to go up and down some stairs.

However, eventually you do make it to the loading gate.

The bamboo poles give it such a rustic look

 

You catch a glimpse of your ride vehicle–an oversized Jeep.

With seatbelts, of course

 

And then Ingrid, Rachel, and I were literally next in line to board a Jeep. And I mean this literally, we were right up against the gate, when…the ride broke.

Dude, bummer.

After they tried rebooting the whole system and then the cast members talked amongst themselves in lowered voices, the ride of officially declared defunct and we were asked to leave.

We were offered a Fastpass to return, however.

Oops

 

And unfortunately I had to go home soon after, so I didn’t get to enjoy it that day.

Rachel and Ingrid were very, very sad.

Boo!

Adventureland ,

Zephyr

2 Comments Posted by on May 9, 2012

Let’s talk about the Zephyr. I mean first of all, the word is totally awesome. Zephyrrrrrrrrrrrr. Pronounced Zeffer, but spelled much more awesomely. And it makes you want to drag out the rrrrrrrr. And also, the ride is actually pretty fun.

Zephyrrrrrrrrrrrr

 

Zephyr is located in the Mouse-Next-Door (California Adventure) on Paradise Pier right by The Little Mermaid ride. It’s a spinner ride, in that you sit in a vehicle and spin around and around.

Zephyrrrrrrrrrrrrr

 

Now I’ll admit, I didn’t go on this attraction for a long time. I was thinking, how many more spinner rides do we need? There’s Dumbo, Dumbo In Space (Astro Orbitor), and another one in A Bug’s Land I haven’t covered yet.

But the Zephyr is different! Yes it is!

Its cars are suspended by cables. This also makes it prone to being shut down due to high winds. Cause that could totally ruin your day.

The Zephyr queue is all pipes and industrial. Like they put up the framework and then didn’t build anything else over it but then you realize it’s supposed to be all hip and industrial and then it’s cool again.

Lots of pipes

 

I know I posted this picture over in my Mickey’s Fun Wheel post, but if you look to the left of the Fun Wheel, you can see the zephyrs you’re sitting in.

They’re all space agey and stuff

 

Theo totally loves this ride.

Wheee!!! Zephyrrrrrrrrr!!!!!

 

And away you spin! You actually get some height, and unlike the stationary spinners, you get some swaying and natural movement as well. It’s like you’re in a giant vehicle suspended from cables spinning around at an amusement park or something!

I also took this picture of the World of Color crowd while we were moving. To be honest, it kind of makes me a little loopy to look at it.

But it’s a cool picture. You’re welcome.

Mouse-Next-Door , , ,

A Nice, Shady Space

5 Comments Posted by on May 7, 2012

Kevin’s favorite restaurant in the park is the Rancho del Zocalo Restaurante.

Because it’s more than just a restaurant. It’s a Restaurante! Ole!

Anyway, good Mexican food. Good atmosphere. And conveniently located in Frontierland right by Big Thunder Mountain Railroad. But also back here is a nice little shady spot to rest.

Well look at that!

I love finding these little nooks and crannies through the power of MYWTM.

How does that sound? The power of MYWTM? My blog is a SUPERHERO, Y’ALL!

Another picture, please

Sometimes you’ll see entertainment or even a surprise character here, but most of the time it’s just a nice place to kick back and take a load off.

Okay, not all of it is shaded

And also near this area is the Big Thunder Mountain Fastpass machines.

FASTPASS!

And here’s a hint. Right now the Big Thunder Mountain Fastpass is disconnected from the network, which means that you can hold a Big Thunder Fastpass along with two other Fastpasses. It doesn’t count against you–you can hold it as long as you want. Same goes for Roger Rabbit’s Cartoon Spin, also disconnected. Subject to change, of course.

The Fastpass machine is so cute!

With big arrows showing you where to put in your park ticket or annual pass in order to get your Fastpass.

There’s also a water fountain in this area too, if you’re like me and you take a drink every time you see one.

So a nice little area to kick back, maybe check out if there’s something going on, and pick up your Fastpass!

Frontierland , , ,

Finding Nemo Submarine Voyage

9 Comments Posted by on May 4, 2012

In 1959, Disneyland launched its E-ticket attraction, Submarine Voyage. In the lagoon in Tomorrowland near the Matterhorn, which you can’t miss because it’s a big bunch of water, submarines traveled under the polar ice cap and saw, among other things, fish and mermaids. I remember this being a particularly cool ride.

However, it closed in 1998.

And then we waited. And waited. And waited. And waited.

And after what seemed like forever but was really nine years, Disneyland opened the Finding Nemo Submarine Voyage in 2007!

Finally!

I remember when Nemo first opened (which isn’t much of a feat since it was 5 years ago) and line was loooooooong. It stretched back to Small World and back. Now if you’ve been to Disneyland, you can appreciate how long that is. But if you haven’t–it’s long.

The Nemo queue is a bit uninspiring.

Toward the end it’s just switchbacks, but it’s covered!

Your submarine is a cheerful yellow with blue accents.

How jaunty!

The sub is already at water level, so you cross a removable bridge and climb down one of two sets of spiral stairs to get inside.

This was on the trip with Ingrid and Rachel

I’m always kind of paranoid that I’m going to take a nose dive down those stairs. However, so is everyone else, so we all step carefully and hold onto the rails like our lives, or at least our legs, depend on it.

Ingrid’s sunglasses on her head are really trippy here–it looks like she’s looking up at me when in fact she’s trying not to trip and kill herself.

Inside the sub is a tight squeeze. Two rows of seats line either side of the sub, and each seat flips up, so you walk to the end, flip your seat down, and smile for the camera.

Cheese!

You do have to get cozy with your neighbor.

In true Disney efficiency, each sub entrance feeds directly into its own row.

Oh, maybe I should take this opportunity to point out that the submarine is not idea for people who cannot make it down the stairs or are claustrophobic (or both). Fortunately, you can wait in the regular queue and when you reach the front, tell the cast member you’d like the “alternate experience,” which is a room with a video presentation. All the fun of the submarine without being in the submarine!

Anyway, directly in front of you is your very own porthole.

Barnacles and such lining the wall of the loading dock

The porthole gives the effect of making you think you’re like 3 inches away from the wall and could go screeching across it Titanic-style any second now. However, this is just an illusion. In fact, you are 5 inches away from the wall and probably are not going to scrape it.

After your sub is fully loaded, your narrator comes on and informs you that through the power of Disney magic, you are in Australia. Cool! You avoid scraping the wall and enter the lagoon, soon doing your first of two dives. You know you’re diving because you can see it out of your porthole.

The bubbles all flow up because, you know, you’re diving

You don’t dive very far though. You can still see the surface, and some coral and other things you find under water, and the girl from the  movie with the unfortunate orthodontistry.

Darla, I believe

But then you dive a little deeper and that’s where the Nemo action happens! In reality, you go under a waterfall so guests outside see the submarine disappear, and the sub continues on its journey. But when I was little, I really did think you dove way, way down.

Anyway, soon our Nemo friends start showing up. And this is where it gets really hard to photograph.

It’s Dory! And an in-motion Marlin!

The fish effects are really neat. It’s a projection, so the fish actually swim around in front of you just like the movie. They’re not objects on posts or dangling on strings like the original Submarine Voyage (which was cool in its time, but technology marches on). Also, each submarine is equipped with its own “sonar hydrophone” that allows you to eavesdrop on what the sea life are saying. Even Dory speaking whale!

One thing I should mention–parts of Nemo Submarine Voyage are kind of scary. Toward the beginning, electric eels jump out of holes, for example, and the lights are dimmed inside of the sub. And then if you’ve seen the movie, you probably remember the fish with the lightbulb over its head and then the whole thing lights up and it’s got these huge teeth and everything–that’s there too. As well as Bruce the shark with sharp teeth.

I’m saying this because we took my BFF on this ride and I’m pretty sure her daughter, who was I think 4 at the time, is still severely traumatized. I felt so bad!

Anyway, you get other scenes with characters like Crush

You so totally rock! Duuuuuuuude.

And an expressive Dory

This isn’t good

But there’s good news–Marlin and Dory find Nemo! Hooray!

You then ascend.

There’s those bubbles again!

And pull into the loading dock, having completed your voyage.

I really like Nemo. I don’t think I’d wait a very long time for it, but it’s a fun ride and if you’re okay with being a bit squished and the scary parts don’t bother you or any member of your party, it’s a nice, air-conditioned way to spend a few minutes.

 

 

Tomorrowland , , ,

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