Magic Kingdom Part 2
After arriving back at the Magic Kingdom, we made our way towards Splash Mountain to catch our next Fast Pass. Along the way we passed people with Dole Whips and Citrus Swirls that I made a mental note to get at a later time (we didn't). We hopped right on Splash Mountain (I'm digging this fast pass stuff) without any wait. This is my first time on Splash Mountain. I've passed on it before because of who knows what reasons. It was a lot of fun. Sure, some of it is a little hokey, but it's cute. It'll definitely be a ride to hit up in the future.
After Splash Mountain, we had a little time to kill before Big Thunder Mountain, so we scooted next door to the steam train and took a trip around the park. The steam train is a neat and relaxing way to kill a little time and do a big loop of the park. It's also a fairly decent way to hit up different areas of the park by getting off at the various stopping points. For us, though, we were in it for the full loop.
The train arrived back near Splash Mountain at just about the right time for our Thunder Mountain FP+ time. No missing it this time! Once again we hopped right aboard with minimal waiting. I see the appeal of the whole FP+ system. I also understand some of the frustrations now. I'll be using it again next trip. I love Big Thunder Mountain. It's a fun little rollercoaster that has a few nice dips and turns. I didn't do it this trip, by my previous trip had us standing in line late in the evening. It's a much better ride at night. The timing also allowed us to catch some of the fireworks while on the ride. That was awesome too. Now that I've ridden it during the day, I know to plan it for later in the evening.
With Big Thunder Mountain done, that took care of our fast passes. We could have hit a kiosk and added another, but the plan from there on out was to wing it. Next stop? Haunted Mansion! My friend had never been on it, so we made our way towards to ride to find another surprise: no line! Seriously, there may have been ten other people there, and we walked up right as they were loading everyone into the room. I felt bad for the couple who walked in behind us. I could here the girl lamenting having burned a FP+ selection on this ride only to have it be wasted on no lines. Such is life, though. I like Haunted Mansion. The cast members at the doors and manning the lines were spot on for creepy and ghoulish. I kick myself for not taking more pictures. The gentleman manning the entrance was the perfect mix of deadpan, creepy, and unsettling. He was motioning everyone through with a hand gesture that I was transfixed by. It seemed almost unnatural the way he was moving his hands, almost as if his fingers had a spider like quality to them, all while maintaining a dead eyed stare. It was amazing. Bravo, you creepy weirdo! The ride was fun, as always, and seems to look a little better than last time I was there. The 'no line' thing was a big thing too.
We continued to make our way around the park with no real agenda. We were about two hours away from a dinner reservation at The Plaza, so our main goal was killing time. We were walking past IASW when we noticed it had a 10 minute wait time posted. Why not? It'll kill some time and give us a little time to get off our feet. The last time I rode IASW was in 1993 at
Disneyland. I hated it. It was meandering, dull, and slow torture. I was also somewhere in the neighborhood of being a 14 year old miserable teenager. Amazing how two decades+ can change things. It's still a little meandering, but I have a new appreciation for it. Age and life have smooshed that miserable teenager (mostly) out of existence. It was a pleasant surprise, to say the least. The small, cramped, hard seats were not that pleasant.
With some time to go, we decided to jump on Buzz Lightyear's Space Ranger Spin. This is another ride that I just enjoy the hell out of. Maybe it's the interaction, or maybe it's the shooting, or maybe it's my love of videogames. Whatever it is, it just works. The movement of the line is also very nice. Without a fast pass, we were seated in about fifteen minutes. I can handle that. I could lie and say I kicked my friend's butt in points, but they are a much better shot. Next time.
Now, I have pictures for this next thing, but it's because I was intent on getting it. It's not a ride, it's not really an attraction. It's a prop that people (like myself) probably miss. But not this time:
"Corey, it's a dumb ship on top of a drink stand. Who cares?"
I care. This isn't just any ship. If the internet is to be believed, and in this case I do believe it, this is one of the ships used in the filming of The Flight of the Navigator. I loved that movie as a kid. It was great. When I found out there was a ship in DHS in the now defunct Backlot Tour, I was bummed that I couldn't see it. This, though, is the other ship, painted up to be a random prop, but under the red paint and ridiculous add-ons, I can see it clear as day. And now that I can see it, I can't unsee it. It hurts the soul of my 8 year old self to see it tarted up. I've heard that there's talks of a reboot of the film, and maybe that means they'll put a shine back on the ship in DHS and display it prominently, but until then, this is the only model out in the public eye.
I digress.
After Buzz, there was still time to kill, so why not hop on the People Mover? I've never been on it, but after reading all of the glowing reviews, it seemed like a no brainer. The reviews are right, it's a great little ride. It's interesting, moves along at a decent clip, and is easy to hop on to. So easy that we did it two more times! I'm adding that to the must dos for next time.
Finally, it was dinner time, and not a moment too soon. This tummy was rumbling.
