After leaving DCA, I walked over to the
Disneyland Hotel to explore it for the first time. There doesn't seem to be much interest in the non-food updates, so I'll (try to) cut down on unrelated pics.
But let me just say this: the pool area here looks awesome.
Yep, the slides are monorail-themed!
The next day, we both headed to Disneyland. The park hasn't changed much since our last trip 5 years ago - it's still the same happy place I remembered.
We basically toured the park clockwise, so the first land we checked out was Adventureland.
DL's Adventureland land has a slightly different vibe than Magic Kingdom's Adventureland. MK's is a mixture of locales and architectural styles, including prominent sections based on the Middle East and the Spanish Caribbean. Disneyland's feels more cohesive to me, with a consistent jungle setting and a more defined time frame (the 1930's, according to several websites I've read).
There are some attractions that can be experienced in both versions of Adventureland, such as Jungle Cruise and the Enchanted Tiki Room.
The Disneyland version of Enchanted Tiki Room turns 50 on June 23rd!
Another thing - the snack stand selling Dole Whips and Dole Whip Floats is adjacent to the Enchanted Tiki Room, and you can bring your Dole Whips into the show!
I'll discuss Adventureland's headliner attraction soon. But first, it's time to take a look at Adventureland's most satisfying quick service location (on either coast).
No, not the fruit stand.
It's a location that MK doesn't (but
should) have:
Bengal Barbecue.
If you're craving something savory and portable, look no further.
This place has everything - tiger tails, veggies wrapped in bacon, wild animal heads...
...and the list doesn't end there (this place even has the popular jalapeño cheese-stuffed pretzel). It's a haven for savory snacks! For us, though, the jungle skewers are the clear stars here. Chicken, beef, and veggies are grilled and coated with flavorful sauces - the menu reminds me of 'Ohana, except the skewers here are à la carte and the quality is more consistent.
I actually didn't get anything here - this was a stop for my mom (since I had something else in mind for my lunch). Her first choice was the Chieftain Chicken Skewer in a Polynesian Sauce. She really enjoyed it, and I happily munched on the raw scallion garnish.
She also ordered the Safari Skewer, which is asparagus wrapped in bacon. That's right -
bacon. wrapped. asparagus. I enjoyed this so much on my first DL trip - the wood-grilled flavor of the asparagus is perfect with the charred, meaty bacon. But since I stopped eating red meat and pork in January, that meant no safari skewer for me.
If you're interested, here's the
AllEars menu for Bengal Barbecue.
Now that we've had something to eat, let's get back to Adventureland's headliner attraction. It's not Pirates here (but don't fret - Pirates is nearby in another great land
). Instead, the headliner attraction is Indiana Jones Adventure: Temple of the Forbidden Eye. Soon after entering the queue, you'll see a mysterious temple, surrounded by dense foliage.
A closer look at the Temple:
Soon enough, you're inside and walking down an impeccably designed (but
long) queue. Here's the only picture I took while waiting inside. Between the South Asian setting and Indy theme, I think this attraction could fit nicely in either AK or Hollywood Studios!
As for the ride itself, it's awesome - one of my favorites in Disneyland Resort. Interestingly enough, the track layout is exactly the same as Dinosaur's layout in AK. However, I think Indy is a far better experience, from the queue to the details and storyline throughout.
Overall, DL's Adventureland feels small (like most of the park), but it's full of impressive content. I actually prefer it over MK's Adventureland (largely because of the cohesive theme, satisfying snack options, and amazing headliner attraction).