harrycalder
Roller Coaster Guy
- Joined
- Jun 11, 2006
- Messages
- 44
This is my first trip report for this board. I have written trip reports for non-Disney parks on the Usenet newsgroup rec.roller-coaster from time to time. Alas the Newsgroup landscape becomes more caustic with each passing day and ya'll seem pretty friendly here. Plus, since this will focus on my WDW experience, it only seems appropriate to share here rather than there.
Caveats and biases that shape my views (so that you'll know how much stock you can put into my opinions): 1) I am first and foremost a roller coaster and amusement park enthusiast. I prefer old-fashioned "traditional" parks to theme parks and wood coasters to steel coasters. 2) This was my second time to WDW. My only visit prior was on a one-day hopper pass in 2000 where I constructed an "Around the World in a Day" touring plan (based upon advice from the Unofficial Guide) designed to get me on all the coasters, "thrill" attractions, and "endangered" attractions (i.e. I caught Timekeeper before the plug was pulled). It worked too...only missed 6 out of my 22 objectives for the day! 3) My visit to the WDW parks were part of a two-week trip that included stops at many other amusement parks, which I may list at the end of these reports for anyone who might be interested. It was also part of my attendance of Coaster Con XXIX, an event sponsored by the American Coaster Enthusiasts. 4) This was a solo trip. 5) I have mixed feelings on Disney (both the man and the corporation) as a whole. I love that he had such a lush vision and such passion and drive to bring it to life, but I dislike that he took offense to the kind of amusement parks that already existed. I'm also deeply troubled by his being on the wrong side during the Communist witch-hunts, as I consider McCarthyism one of the great evils in American history. As for the company, I don't object to their pervasiveness and desire to bring magic to the world, but it does kind of break my heart to see them spend millions on just one new attraction when the same amount of money could keep half a dozen struggling traditional parks afloat for the next decade. I'm not trying to flame or invite unpleasantness...just the opposite. I'm letting you know where I'm coming from so that if my views are irritating to you, you can opt out and move on now before I (potentially) ruffle your feathers any further.
Still with me? Cool!
As I begin to to get to the point, let me offer up this observation to start with: I will never visit WDW (or anywhere else in Florida) during the warmer months of the year again! I was warned, I was made aware that the Florida heat and humidity in the summer is "unlike anything you've ever faced before." I took it seriously, but still didn't believe it was all that bad. I've been in Texas summer heat, I was just in the Arizona and Utah deserts during July of last year. How bad can it really be? Well, it was bad. If you never knew the meaning of the words "sub-tropical climate" you immediately got it as soon as you crossed the Florida state line in the summer. It's not just hot, it's not just humid, it's not just frought with danger of random allegator attack, no.... The humidity doesn't let up. Not one bit. In Texas, if you go outside at 3am on a hot summer night, there's at least a chance that the humidity has waned even if the heat is downright unholy. In Florida, though, there is no relief. The only consolation at night is the lack of sun beating down on you, but you'll still feel sapped of strength and energy after a very short time out and about. Yup, think I'll stick to November through March if/when I return to the Sunshine State.
My first Disney day of the trip was Sunday, June 18. It took me a while to get to my destination for the day, Animal Kingdom, as I had to pick up my Convention registration materials (and browse the event sales tables and say "hi" to friends) at Coronado Springs then check into my room at All Star Music (which I found more than adequate, despite less than stellar reviews...of course, I'm used to staying at bargain chains like Super 8, so as long as the A/C works, the TV works, the restroom facilities are adequate, and the beds are comfy, I'm good).
On this trip, as on my last visit to WDW, I was a strong believer in the Unofficial Guide. I made up my own detailed touring plans (i.e. actually typed them up, printed them out, and took them with me to the parks...I forgot to bring the actual guide with me but I rarely felt like I needed it because my prior planning was so thorough!) based upon their advice, but accounting for certain variables that exist only in my world.
I arrived at AK in the early afternoon and, based upon my plan and posted wait times at the info board, decided to proceed directly to Dinosaur. Once I found it, it was only a 20-minute or so wait until my trip back through time to see the end of the beginning. Overall, I was pretty impressed by this ride. It reminded me most of Indiana Jones on the west coast, which I think I liked slightly better. Even so, Dinosaur was definitely one of the highlights of AK and one of the attractions I would go out of my way to experience again if I return.
Our club's event included three hours of exclusive ride time (just for event attendees) on Expedition Everest and Primeval Whirl from 9pm to 12am after the park closed. Still, I couldn't wait to experience EE, so off to the single riders line I went. There were some short delays so it took a good 20 minutes or so to be assigned a seat. My thought on the ride is that it may be the best mine train coaster ever constructed. The themeing is excellent, if not incredible, but the action as a coaster is just so-so. Don't get me wrong, this ride has speed and even some positive G forces in spots, but it completely lacks my favorite aspect of coaster-riding, negative G forces (i.e. airtime...that sensation that the ride is trying to toss you up in your seat). I LOVE airtime, I practically live for it...I wanted to be an astronaut as a kid so I could experience it for an extended period. Alas, EE is devoid of it. I'll probably still rank EE in the top 1/4 of steel coasters I've ridden because it is VERY smooth and re-ridable, as well as visually engaging. It's just not the homerun I was hoping for in terms of ride action.
After my EE ride, I proceeded to Flights of Wonder for what turned out to be the last show of the day and caught most of it. I arrived a little late and left a little early. I was more entertained than I was expecting to be. Rather than a rehash of the dry, educational bird show I had seen at a Sea World park a few years back, this one was infused with comedy and energy. 'Twas a pleasant surprise.
From there, I made my way to Kilimanjaro Safaris and ended up shooting the breeze with the CM at the entrance (who was very interested in our coaster group) for a while. Eventually, some friends came my way who were headed in the same direction, so I bid the CM farewell and we all joined up for KS. Unfortunately, there seemed to be some technical difficulties, as those in the know advised me that the ride was loading nowhere near as fast as it should be. In light of this problem, we decided to collectively abandon the queue and head toward the Pangani Forest Exploration Trail instead.
I didn't admit it to my friends, but they insisted on walking the trail at a far slower pace than I would have liked. I just wanted to look at each exhibit for a minute or two and move on, but they tended to want to observe the animals at length. All the time I'm thinking, "We can do this far less expensively at a zoo...let's move on to other things that you can only do and see here." I took to sitting on the bench near the exit of each exhibit area when I had my fill to both save my energy and (unsuccessfully) drop a hint to my friends that I'd like to move on. Once we finally completed the trail, we rode the Wildlife Express Train, but didn't end up going into Conservation Station, as my friends wanted to make sure they could eat dinner and get back to the meeting spot before our exclusive ride time (henceforth referred to as ERT) on the coasters began. We did check out the petting zoo animals, who were now in their pens for the night. I was rather disappointed about skipping Conservation Station, if only because I wanted to see what the big deal was about the writing on the bathroom walls that the Unofficial Guide spoke of. Alas, I'm (perhaps overly) loyal to my friends, so I stuck with them until they actually went off to eat. I had too much other stuff to accomplish to worry about food, so that's where we ultimately parted company for the evening.
Back on my own again, I made my way to It's Tough to be a Bug. It was OK, but the emersion seemed a little over the top at times. I much preferred the better humor and the relative simplicity of Muppets 3D (I would not get to my first experiences with Honey, I Shrunk the Audience or Philharmagic until later in the trip).
From here, I walked back to Dinoland, considering another spin on Dinosaur, but instead decided to get Primeval Whirl out of the way as it was almost closing time and a near walk-on wait. For those in the know about coasters, Primeval Whirl is generically known as a Crazy Mouse. The exact same ride (without the themeing, or in the case of Kennywood's version, with very different themeing) can be found at many amusement parks and even some large carnivals throughout the country. The ride concept became so popular that at least two or three other ride manufacturers have designed similar rides (i.e. a compact layout with cars that spin during part or all of the ride), which are also popping up across the land. I find this style of coaster very entertaining. In fact, I was so impressed the first time I ever rode one that I put it in my top 10 steel coasters. For better or for worse, better things have since come along and I've since moved these rides further down my rankings, but they're still darn fun. On this particular occasion, I rode the left hand track and was paired with another single rider, a young kid. We had that car spinning like a dervish before all was said and done. I was rather pleasantly surprised as I thought Disney would tame down the ride to prevent it from being "too thrilling," but nope...they let it run like it's supposed to. Nice job!
It was now very close to closing time, but Triceratop Spin had room for just one more on it's last cycle of the day and I figured a ride on something lame is better than no ride at all, so lo and behold, I rode it. I felt a little silly, but I rode it.
It may be just a glorified kiddie ride, but it did offer a little breeze and a nice view, so it was worth the bother. I wouldn't wait in ANY kind of line for it, though.
AK was now closed so I went back to my car for some A/C, beverages, snacks, and to switch from my sunglasses to my regular glasses. I then returned to the spot in front of the entrance to the park where Convention attendees were supposed to meet to be escorted back to Expedition Everest and Primeval Whirl for our ERT. After a slight delay, we were finally let loose on AK's two coasters. I went first to EE to discover perhaps a two-train wait (which became even shorter as the night wore on). I rode it a few times before making time to take a call from a friend in NJ. I then headed to back to Primeval Whirl with the intent of riding the other track to "make it official." I ended up riding each track once during ERT. It was a walk-on, but I can ride a Crazy Mouse anytime...I wanted to focus primarily upon EE. My grand total circuits on Primeval Whirl for the trip ended up at three. I took some time to check out the food and beverages available to us during our ride time. This was my biggest gripe about our arrangements. Apparently, the Disney folks treated us like anyone else who might rent rides at their park for a private event. The problem is we're NOT like them--they're usually rich, I am (and most of our group members are) comparatively poor. The food available was not my kind of thing, and the beverages were on a cash bar system, and far more expensive than you'd pay when the park is open. A 12 oz. can of soda or bottled water ran at least four bucks. No freaking way I was paying that much. If I had passed out from dehydration, they'd only have themselves to blame!
Luckily, such tragedy did not befall me and I rode EE repeatedly until the end of our ride time at midnight. The more I rode, the more I realized that the back seat is the place to be on this ride. The ride action is pretty much the same everywhere, however in the back, certain elements of the theming can be better appreciated. I won't go into greater detail for the benefit of those who haven't ridden yet and don't want spoilers, but if you can only ride it one time, request the back (or near the back).
When all was said and done, I had 17 rides on EE this trip. Toward the end, it was getting to the point that I nearly had the layout memorized. There were a number of things I considered doing at AK but ultimately didn't have time for. They include Maharaja Jungle Trek, the aforementioned Kilimanjaro Safaris, Conservation Station, Festival of the Lion King, Pocahontas, and briefly scanning the Tree of Life exhibits. On the whole, though, the most important things I wanted to accomplish at AK got done, so I have no complaints.
The day was not over, though. Evening EMH at the Magic Kingdom ran until 2am on this night, and I decided to see if I could get there in time to get anything done. I drove from AK to the TTC, walked from my parking spot to the monorail, took the monorail to the MK, and made it inside a bit before 1am.
I headed straight for the only super-headliner I've yet to hit at the MK, Splash Mountain. I had ridden the west coast version, but did not have time on my last visit for this version. It was a near walk-on for EMH. I was only moderately impressed with the theming and ride, but I was incredibly impressed with the sheer length of the ride. I kept thinking, "This must be the big drop at the end," only to have it go through more and more scenes. The storyline started a little shaky but really picked up toward the end. It definitely lives up to it's "must-see" rep, but I do think the west coast version was slightly better (though certainly not as long, IIRC). Tough call, really. I really never was a big water ride fan, so I think I'll devote no further time to mulling over my evaluation of the experience.
Next up was Big Thunder Mountain Railroad. Our group would have morning ERT on this ride in a few days, but I wanted to get my first (and only) night ride on it now. It is much as I remember it--very nicely themed, smooth, and long. Perhaps something of dashing through the mountain is lost at night, but those bats seem so much more spooky, so I guess it's an even trade.
On my next attraction, I had one of those special experiences that I always treasure. One thing I always enjoy in my coaster travels is getting to ride a coaster solo. I don't mean that the seat next to me is vacant, but rather that things are so quiet that I'm the only person on the entire train, perhaps the entire ride. Just me, the ride op(s) (or CMs in Disney parlance), and the ride. Well, the Haunted Mansion may not be a coaster, but it definitely ramps the spook factor up a notch or two to experience it this way, which is exactly what I did. I was the only one in the queue and when I reached the CM before the stretch room, she asked, "how many?" I said, "I'm alone." She said, "Then you'll be alone with me." Cute redhead, too (and I have a thing for redheads
). Alas, I behaved myself and just took it all in, even if the temptation to, um, distract her (if for no other reason than to see if she would break character, yeah, that's it 
) was rather intense. Upon reaching the boarding area, I was still the only one there. I rode through the Mansion with no one visibly behind me or in front of me on the ride. As for whether I got off the ride alone...well, I guess I'll never know if that hitchhiking ghost came with me or not.
Approaching 2am now, I hightailed it on over for a ride on Space Mountain to end the night. We would also be getting ERT on this in a few days, but we were getting an extra special treat--Space Mountain with the lights on. I wanted to get in a regular ride with the lights off before that for comparison purposes. Space Mountain was fun as always. By the time I exited the attraction, EMH was over and so was my day, as I was exhausted.
I had planned to do this report all at once, but as is my habit, I'm rambling on in more detail than is necessary. As such, I'll have to break this up into days. I should also note that I'm rather notorious for not finishing a series when I start it. If I do, it may take me some time to get to the next installment. So, if you enjoy what I've been writing, hound me if I take too long to get the next part done. If you hate what I'm writing, do nothing and I'll probably quietly slink back away to the Land of Diminished Ambition (new themed area coming to a park near you soon...it'll have tons of rides but they won't quite be able to get any of them open and they'll ultimately just give up...hey wait, we already have that, it's called Six Flags! ). Either way, thanks for reading so far and hopefully I'll have part two for you soon. If so, it'll feature Epcot and MGM.
-Jason
Caveats and biases that shape my views (so that you'll know how much stock you can put into my opinions): 1) I am first and foremost a roller coaster and amusement park enthusiast. I prefer old-fashioned "traditional" parks to theme parks and wood coasters to steel coasters. 2) This was my second time to WDW. My only visit prior was on a one-day hopper pass in 2000 where I constructed an "Around the World in a Day" touring plan (based upon advice from the Unofficial Guide) designed to get me on all the coasters, "thrill" attractions, and "endangered" attractions (i.e. I caught Timekeeper before the plug was pulled). It worked too...only missed 6 out of my 22 objectives for the day! 3) My visit to the WDW parks were part of a two-week trip that included stops at many other amusement parks, which I may list at the end of these reports for anyone who might be interested. It was also part of my attendance of Coaster Con XXIX, an event sponsored by the American Coaster Enthusiasts. 4) This was a solo trip. 5) I have mixed feelings on Disney (both the man and the corporation) as a whole. I love that he had such a lush vision and such passion and drive to bring it to life, but I dislike that he took offense to the kind of amusement parks that already existed. I'm also deeply troubled by his being on the wrong side during the Communist witch-hunts, as I consider McCarthyism one of the great evils in American history. As for the company, I don't object to their pervasiveness and desire to bring magic to the world, but it does kind of break my heart to see them spend millions on just one new attraction when the same amount of money could keep half a dozen struggling traditional parks afloat for the next decade. I'm not trying to flame or invite unpleasantness...just the opposite. I'm letting you know where I'm coming from so that if my views are irritating to you, you can opt out and move on now before I (potentially) ruffle your feathers any further.
Still with me? Cool!
As I begin to to get to the point, let me offer up this observation to start with: I will never visit WDW (or anywhere else in Florida) during the warmer months of the year again! I was warned, I was made aware that the Florida heat and humidity in the summer is "unlike anything you've ever faced before." I took it seriously, but still didn't believe it was all that bad. I've been in Texas summer heat, I was just in the Arizona and Utah deserts during July of last year. How bad can it really be? Well, it was bad. If you never knew the meaning of the words "sub-tropical climate" you immediately got it as soon as you crossed the Florida state line in the summer. It's not just hot, it's not just humid, it's not just frought with danger of random allegator attack, no.... The humidity doesn't let up. Not one bit. In Texas, if you go outside at 3am on a hot summer night, there's at least a chance that the humidity has waned even if the heat is downright unholy. In Florida, though, there is no relief. The only consolation at night is the lack of sun beating down on you, but you'll still feel sapped of strength and energy after a very short time out and about. Yup, think I'll stick to November through March if/when I return to the Sunshine State.
My first Disney day of the trip was Sunday, June 18. It took me a while to get to my destination for the day, Animal Kingdom, as I had to pick up my Convention registration materials (and browse the event sales tables and say "hi" to friends) at Coronado Springs then check into my room at All Star Music (which I found more than adequate, despite less than stellar reviews...of course, I'm used to staying at bargain chains like Super 8, so as long as the A/C works, the TV works, the restroom facilities are adequate, and the beds are comfy, I'm good).
On this trip, as on my last visit to WDW, I was a strong believer in the Unofficial Guide. I made up my own detailed touring plans (i.e. actually typed them up, printed them out, and took them with me to the parks...I forgot to bring the actual guide with me but I rarely felt like I needed it because my prior planning was so thorough!) based upon their advice, but accounting for certain variables that exist only in my world.
I arrived at AK in the early afternoon and, based upon my plan and posted wait times at the info board, decided to proceed directly to Dinosaur. Once I found it, it was only a 20-minute or so wait until my trip back through time to see the end of the beginning. Overall, I was pretty impressed by this ride. It reminded me most of Indiana Jones on the west coast, which I think I liked slightly better. Even so, Dinosaur was definitely one of the highlights of AK and one of the attractions I would go out of my way to experience again if I return.
Our club's event included three hours of exclusive ride time (just for event attendees) on Expedition Everest and Primeval Whirl from 9pm to 12am after the park closed. Still, I couldn't wait to experience EE, so off to the single riders line I went. There were some short delays so it took a good 20 minutes or so to be assigned a seat. My thought on the ride is that it may be the best mine train coaster ever constructed. The themeing is excellent, if not incredible, but the action as a coaster is just so-so. Don't get me wrong, this ride has speed and even some positive G forces in spots, but it completely lacks my favorite aspect of coaster-riding, negative G forces (i.e. airtime...that sensation that the ride is trying to toss you up in your seat). I LOVE airtime, I practically live for it...I wanted to be an astronaut as a kid so I could experience it for an extended period. Alas, EE is devoid of it. I'll probably still rank EE in the top 1/4 of steel coasters I've ridden because it is VERY smooth and re-ridable, as well as visually engaging. It's just not the homerun I was hoping for in terms of ride action.
After my EE ride, I proceeded to Flights of Wonder for what turned out to be the last show of the day and caught most of it. I arrived a little late and left a little early. I was more entertained than I was expecting to be. Rather than a rehash of the dry, educational bird show I had seen at a Sea World park a few years back, this one was infused with comedy and energy. 'Twas a pleasant surprise.
From there, I made my way to Kilimanjaro Safaris and ended up shooting the breeze with the CM at the entrance (who was very interested in our coaster group) for a while. Eventually, some friends came my way who were headed in the same direction, so I bid the CM farewell and we all joined up for KS. Unfortunately, there seemed to be some technical difficulties, as those in the know advised me that the ride was loading nowhere near as fast as it should be. In light of this problem, we decided to collectively abandon the queue and head toward the Pangani Forest Exploration Trail instead.
I didn't admit it to my friends, but they insisted on walking the trail at a far slower pace than I would have liked. I just wanted to look at each exhibit for a minute or two and move on, but they tended to want to observe the animals at length. All the time I'm thinking, "We can do this far less expensively at a zoo...let's move on to other things that you can only do and see here." I took to sitting on the bench near the exit of each exhibit area when I had my fill to both save my energy and (unsuccessfully) drop a hint to my friends that I'd like to move on. Once we finally completed the trail, we rode the Wildlife Express Train, but didn't end up going into Conservation Station, as my friends wanted to make sure they could eat dinner and get back to the meeting spot before our exclusive ride time (henceforth referred to as ERT) on the coasters began. We did check out the petting zoo animals, who were now in their pens for the night. I was rather disappointed about skipping Conservation Station, if only because I wanted to see what the big deal was about the writing on the bathroom walls that the Unofficial Guide spoke of. Alas, I'm (perhaps overly) loyal to my friends, so I stuck with them until they actually went off to eat. I had too much other stuff to accomplish to worry about food, so that's where we ultimately parted company for the evening.
Back on my own again, I made my way to It's Tough to be a Bug. It was OK, but the emersion seemed a little over the top at times. I much preferred the better humor and the relative simplicity of Muppets 3D (I would not get to my first experiences with Honey, I Shrunk the Audience or Philharmagic until later in the trip).
From here, I walked back to Dinoland, considering another spin on Dinosaur, but instead decided to get Primeval Whirl out of the way as it was almost closing time and a near walk-on wait. For those in the know about coasters, Primeval Whirl is generically known as a Crazy Mouse. The exact same ride (without the themeing, or in the case of Kennywood's version, with very different themeing) can be found at many amusement parks and even some large carnivals throughout the country. The ride concept became so popular that at least two or three other ride manufacturers have designed similar rides (i.e. a compact layout with cars that spin during part or all of the ride), which are also popping up across the land. I find this style of coaster very entertaining. In fact, I was so impressed the first time I ever rode one that I put it in my top 10 steel coasters. For better or for worse, better things have since come along and I've since moved these rides further down my rankings, but they're still darn fun. On this particular occasion, I rode the left hand track and was paired with another single rider, a young kid. We had that car spinning like a dervish before all was said and done. I was rather pleasantly surprised as I thought Disney would tame down the ride to prevent it from being "too thrilling," but nope...they let it run like it's supposed to. Nice job!
It was now very close to closing time, but Triceratop Spin had room for just one more on it's last cycle of the day and I figured a ride on something lame is better than no ride at all, so lo and behold, I rode it. I felt a little silly, but I rode it.
It may be just a glorified kiddie ride, but it did offer a little breeze and a nice view, so it was worth the bother. I wouldn't wait in ANY kind of line for it, though.AK was now closed so I went back to my car for some A/C, beverages, snacks, and to switch from my sunglasses to my regular glasses. I then returned to the spot in front of the entrance to the park where Convention attendees were supposed to meet to be escorted back to Expedition Everest and Primeval Whirl for our ERT. After a slight delay, we were finally let loose on AK's two coasters. I went first to EE to discover perhaps a two-train wait (which became even shorter as the night wore on). I rode it a few times before making time to take a call from a friend in NJ. I then headed to back to Primeval Whirl with the intent of riding the other track to "make it official." I ended up riding each track once during ERT. It was a walk-on, but I can ride a Crazy Mouse anytime...I wanted to focus primarily upon EE. My grand total circuits on Primeval Whirl for the trip ended up at three. I took some time to check out the food and beverages available to us during our ride time. This was my biggest gripe about our arrangements. Apparently, the Disney folks treated us like anyone else who might rent rides at their park for a private event. The problem is we're NOT like them--they're usually rich, I am (and most of our group members are) comparatively poor. The food available was not my kind of thing, and the beverages were on a cash bar system, and far more expensive than you'd pay when the park is open. A 12 oz. can of soda or bottled water ran at least four bucks. No freaking way I was paying that much. If I had passed out from dehydration, they'd only have themselves to blame!
Luckily, such tragedy did not befall me and I rode EE repeatedly until the end of our ride time at midnight. The more I rode, the more I realized that the back seat is the place to be on this ride. The ride action is pretty much the same everywhere, however in the back, certain elements of the theming can be better appreciated. I won't go into greater detail for the benefit of those who haven't ridden yet and don't want spoilers, but if you can only ride it one time, request the back (or near the back).
When all was said and done, I had 17 rides on EE this trip. Toward the end, it was getting to the point that I nearly had the layout memorized. There were a number of things I considered doing at AK but ultimately didn't have time for. They include Maharaja Jungle Trek, the aforementioned Kilimanjaro Safaris, Conservation Station, Festival of the Lion King, Pocahontas, and briefly scanning the Tree of Life exhibits. On the whole, though, the most important things I wanted to accomplish at AK got done, so I have no complaints.
The day was not over, though. Evening EMH at the Magic Kingdom ran until 2am on this night, and I decided to see if I could get there in time to get anything done. I drove from AK to the TTC, walked from my parking spot to the monorail, took the monorail to the MK, and made it inside a bit before 1am.
I headed straight for the only super-headliner I've yet to hit at the MK, Splash Mountain. I had ridden the west coast version, but did not have time on my last visit for this version. It was a near walk-on for EMH. I was only moderately impressed with the theming and ride, but I was incredibly impressed with the sheer length of the ride. I kept thinking, "This must be the big drop at the end," only to have it go through more and more scenes. The storyline started a little shaky but really picked up toward the end. It definitely lives up to it's "must-see" rep, but I do think the west coast version was slightly better (though certainly not as long, IIRC). Tough call, really. I really never was a big water ride fan, so I think I'll devote no further time to mulling over my evaluation of the experience.
Next up was Big Thunder Mountain Railroad. Our group would have morning ERT on this ride in a few days, but I wanted to get my first (and only) night ride on it now. It is much as I remember it--very nicely themed, smooth, and long. Perhaps something of dashing through the mountain is lost at night, but those bats seem so much more spooky, so I guess it's an even trade.
On my next attraction, I had one of those special experiences that I always treasure. One thing I always enjoy in my coaster travels is getting to ride a coaster solo. I don't mean that the seat next to me is vacant, but rather that things are so quiet that I'm the only person on the entire train, perhaps the entire ride. Just me, the ride op(s) (or CMs in Disney parlance), and the ride. Well, the Haunted Mansion may not be a coaster, but it definitely ramps the spook factor up a notch or two to experience it this way, which is exactly what I did. I was the only one in the queue and when I reached the CM before the stretch room, she asked, "how many?" I said, "I'm alone." She said, "Then you'll be alone with me." Cute redhead, too (and I have a thing for redheads
). Alas, I behaved myself and just took it all in, even if the temptation to, um, distract her (if for no other reason than to see if she would break character, yeah, that's it ) was rather intense. Upon reaching the boarding area, I was still the only one there. I rode through the Mansion with no one visibly behind me or in front of me on the ride. As for whether I got off the ride alone...well, I guess I'll never know if that hitchhiking ghost came with me or not. Approaching 2am now, I hightailed it on over for a ride on Space Mountain to end the night. We would also be getting ERT on this in a few days, but we were getting an extra special treat--Space Mountain with the lights on. I wanted to get in a regular ride with the lights off before that for comparison purposes. Space Mountain was fun as always. By the time I exited the attraction, EMH was over and so was my day, as I was exhausted.
I had planned to do this report all at once, but as is my habit, I'm rambling on in more detail than is necessary. As such, I'll have to break this up into days. I should also note that I'm rather notorious for not finishing a series when I start it. If I do, it may take me some time to get to the next installment. So, if you enjoy what I've been writing, hound me if I take too long to get the next part done. If you hate what I'm writing, do nothing and I'll probably quietly slink back away to the Land of Diminished Ambition (new themed area coming to a park near you soon...it'll have tons of rides but they won't quite be able to get any of them open and they'll ultimately just give up...hey wait, we already have that, it's called Six Flags!
). Either way, thanks for reading so far and hopefully I'll have part two for you soon. If so, it'll feature Epcot and MGM.-Jason
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