Disneyland/DCA Trip Report 6/9/12 (Cars Land/Buena Vista Street Preview)

So, Cars Land and Buena Vista Street have opened to the public, and yet I am only now writing about my experience with the Annual Passholder Preview night for these two new lands. My apologies, but I just didn't have the time. Or maybe I just didn't want to spoil anything for the rest of you who couldn't get a sneak peak! Yeah, that's the ticket. In any event, there's plenty of reports from the opened lands now, so I won't give an exhaustive retelling of my day, I'll just offer up my general opinions.

Cars Land, the land itself, is incredible. For the preview, we were brought in by the side entrance, over by the Pacific Wharf area, and the sight of Ornament Valley as you walk under the arch and onto Route 66 left me awestruck, to the point where I lost my place in line. I've watched these mountains be constructed; they seem to have been pretty much finished for close to six months, and I'd seen them from afar. I was excited to see them up close, but was shocked by just how impressive they were from inside the land. I highly recommend, if you have a choice, you enter Cars Land by that side entrance, it's really a shockingly impressive image, and an ideal first impression.

I think most elements of Cars Land and Buena Vista Street are very well done, but it is the mountains that truly are some of the best work ever done by Disney. There's pretty much no fault I can possibly find with Ornament Valley. The town of Radiator Springs is also impressive, though not quite as jaw-droppingly so. A bit smaller than I expected, but big enough, it seems, it really does capture the town from the movies, and if it's overshadowed by the wilderness around it, I suppose the town in the movie was, too.

I suppose it's at night where Radiator Springs gives Monument Valley a run for its money. The neon of Radiator Springs is very nice. The mountains also look good lit up at night, but while I had heard before seeing it myself that the mountains really shined at night, I actually preferred them during the day. It's a close call, the mountains look good at night, too, but I liked being able to see all the details as much as possible during the day. But again, I must emphasize, day or night, it's an incredible view.

The town, on the other hand, does certainly look better at night. I will say I was slightly less impressed with the town than I expected, but I think that's just because of high expectations. I think my feeling about the look of the signs was basically, they look like they look, and either they will look that way, or Disney will screw it up. Well, Disney didn't screw it up. The neon is first-rate, and all the reason you need to stick around DCA well after dark.

Now to the rides, in order of hype. Luigi's Flying Tires has not had the best word-of-mouth prior to Cars Land opening. In fact, if you read MiceAge, you probably know this ride is an unmitigated disaster. So I was surprised to find that I enjoyed it. I didn't have too much trouble maneuvering my tire, which I rode solo. I actually got some good speed. And while bumping the other tires isn't as satisfying as most bumper-car experiences, the beach balls add a bit of camaraderie between you and the other tires. I enjoyed the ride, and would like to ride it again. Unfortunately, the rumor about the ride's painfully long loading time and embarrassingly low capacity are quite true. Early on in the preview night, I got on this ride with almost no waiting in line. But wait I did; once I got on my tire, it was easily four to five minutes before the ride started. No wonder it soon had a two hour wait. I liked the ride, but I don't see how it's slow capacity won't doom it. It's funner than you think, and riding it solo it's easy to get a hang of controlling it. But I hope the early negative responses scare off 90% of park visitors, or this is going to have hellacious waits.

LUIGI'S FLYING TIRES VERDICT: GOOD, BUT NOT WORTH MORE THAN A 10-15 MINUTE WAIT.

While Luigi's Flying Tires had bad reviews leading up to the park opening, Mater's Junkyard Jamboree had very good buzz going for it. Personally, I enjoyed it, though I wouldn't let the good reviews get your expectations too high. It's a fun little ride, reminiscent of the Tea Cups, or more reminiscent of Francis' Ladybug Boogie (aka the only fun ride in A Bug's Land), except that instead of riding in the main vehicle, you are being towed behind it, and are whipped around whenever you change direction. It's fun, and Mater's songs make it only more so, but it's still just a spinning ride. A very good one, but don't expect a mind-blowing experience. I will admit, the first time I road it, I was in hysterics listening to Larry the Cable Guy's safety spiel (I'll give Larry credit, I'm not a fan, but he's a good fit for Mater).

So, yes, it's a fun ride, and it can handle a pretty good number of riders for a ride of its kind, but I still have to assume this will have pretty long lines for the next six months or year or so, and I don't see myself waiting in long lines for it. I'd suggest, if the line's long, maybe save it for another visit, if that's an option for you. It's a pretty good ride, but there are better ways to spend your time.

MATER'S JUNKYARD JAMBOREE VERDICT: VERY GOOD, WORTH 20-30 MINUTE WAIT IF YOU'VE NEVER RODE IT BEFORE, 10-15 MINUTE WAIT FOR RETURNING SQUARE-DANCERS

So I guess between Luigi and Mater, I'd give the edge to Mater. Both rides are about equally compelling, but seeing as Mater is the only ride of the two likely to have only a 10-15 minute wait anytime this year, it wins out due to logistics.

And then, of course, there's the E-ticket. Radiator Springs Racers. It's a great ride. How great depends on just what you include as part of the ride. Is Ornament Valley part of the ride, or is Ornament Valley an attraction unto itself, that Radiator Springs Racers just travels through? It's hard to say. On the one hand, to look at an analogous example, I would never think of taking the buttes and mountains out of the equation before evaluating Big Thunder Mountain Railroad. That would just seem silly. But as nice as the rock work in Frontierland is, I don't go there just to look at it (though look at it I do). Big Thunder Mountain needs the ride to sustain itself; Ornament Valley does not. Which isn't to say Disney could have gotten away with opening Cars Land without a ride. People need things to do in Cars Land. But still, just seeing the Cars universe is the star attraction here, and that's why I have a hard time saying definitively whether Ornament Valley is part of Radiator Springs Racers, or if Radiator Springs Racers is just passing through. (It's almost as if, to use a Disney term, the Radiator Springs Racers ride is Cars Land's "weenie," and the ride serves as encouragement to get people out to see the mountain, instead of the other way around)

Why does it matter? Well, the easy answer is it doesn't, really. But it's hard not to rank rides and attractions, and how well Radiator Springs Racers stacks up has a lot to do with Ornament Valley. Simply put, include Ornament Valley as part of the attraction, and Radiator Springs Racers is quite possibly the best thing Disney's ever done. Judge Radiator Spring Racers on it's own merits, without Ornament Valley, and it's another solid Disney E-Ticket, a great ride, but not quite the best. Better than Indiana Jones, probably better than Splash Mountain, probably about on par with Space Mountain but trailing Haunted Mansion and Pirates of the Caribbean (though of course such rankings are very subjective, and the attractions so different it's hard to compare).

So, it sounds like my final verdict comes down to some rather arbitrary distinctions about where to draw the border around Radiator Springs Racers. My personal opinion is that the ride cannot completely take credit for the brilliance of Ornament Valley, but that excluding it from consideration in evaluating the ride just seems silly. My favorite part of the ride is actually the beginning, before you enter the show building, where you just cruise around Ornament Valley, up to the bridge and waterfall, and just take in the sights. Maybe Ornament Valley is not strictly part of the ride, but the ride is an excellent way to view it (like, say, how Storybook Land isn't part of Casey Jr., strictly speaking, but it still adds to the attraction). The final portion, where you actually race, also gives a good view of the mountains, but here the ride actually might detract a bit, as you have the speed and the banked turns and the "race" with the other car to distract you. I liked the racing part, but not as much as the first, leisurely part of the ride. I think I wish it was a bit faster, a bit more thrilling. But I get why it's the speed it is; it's a good compromise between the little kids that want to ride through the movie Cars, and the adults who want a bit of an adrenaline jolt. I wouldn't call this a thrill ride, but it's an exciting ride, and I did get into the racing element, though I imagine the novelty of that will wear off soon enough.

As for the middle of the ride? The dark ride portion was impressive. The animatronic cars are quite impressive. This portion of the ride is definitely not Disney's best, compared to such classics as Pirates and Haunted Mansion, but it's good, and there are nice little touches here and there. For the most part, though, once I was in the show building, I was just eager to get back outside and see the mountains some more (have you noticed yet that I liked the mountains?).

Overall, Radiator Springs Racers is a great ride. Anyway you look at it, it's the best ride in DCA, and looks to be an instant classic. I can't wait to go on it again (via the single-rider line, most likely, as that seems to be the most efficient way of riding it). The ride benefits greatly from its location, smack dab in the most amazing environment I've ever seen in a theme park. Just as a way of seeing the mountains up close, it's well worth the wait. An E-ticket, without question, and a home run for Disney (though it does seem to break down a lot, but I'll give them the benefit of the doubt on that for now).

RADIATOR SPRINGS RACERS VERDICT: FANTASTIC. THE BEST RIDE IN DCA, AND AMONGST THE BEST RIDES IN THE RESORTS. IF YOU'VE NEVER RODE IT BEFORE, I'D SAY IT'S WORTH VIRTUALLY ANY WAIT, AND HAVING RODE IT THREE TIMES ALREADY, I'D BE WILLING TO WAIT 60-90 MINUTES TO RIDE IT AGAIN, EASILY (THOUGH SINGLE RIDER LINE MEANS I'D MOST LIKELY HAVE UNDER AN HOUR WAIT)

So that sums up my feelings on Cars Land. As to Buena Vista Street, I'm actually going to be brief (I know I've said that before, but I mean it this time). I was impressed. It's not as awe-inspiring as Cars Land, not the sort of thing you want to spend hours exploring, but it's exactly what DCA needed. I haven't seen it without the construction walls yet, but it does seem to serve it's purpose, letting you know you are in a very special place.

The trolley was not in service when I was there, it was just parked at its stop. It's nice looking, but frankly didn't wow me. The shops are nice looking, inside and out. I was impressed by Elias and Co., and even more impressed by the interior of the Fiddler, Fife and Practical Cafe (i.e. Starbucks).

Disney did what they needed to do, and fixed the entrance of DCA. For the record, I actually liked the original entrance, or at least the murals. But the Sun Sculpture and the shops, once you got inside the gates, were completely forgettable, and the whole place just lacked a soul. I'm glad they seem to have done it right this time, and I look forward to going back and seeing it all without construction walls.

Disneyland Trip Report: May 31, 2012

My last trip to Disneyland was supposed to be my last hurrah, for awhile, a last chance to see classic Disneyland before Carsland/Buena Vista Street opens and the place gets too, too crazy to just drop in, for awhile. But plans changed, largely because of the price increases. A friend's pass was expired, and I figured we'd renew it over the summer, because if you buy a pass in person, you can use it that day, even if it's a blackout day. But a 30% price increase made that plan make less sense. So I snatched up a voucher for her pass at the AAA office, at the old price, and since we could activate it anytime, we figured we'd go now, right before the blackout days hit.

Now, if you read my last Disneyland trip report, you know that I was concerned about the impact of Grad Night crowds on the parks, and actually pushed my last trip back a day to avoid going on a Grad Night. But this time, getting in under the gun before blackout days kicked in required a trip on a Grad Night. So, were my fears justified? Not really; any impact Grad Night attendees had was dwarfed by the congestion and insane lines caused by a deluge of AP-holders getting one last trip in before blackout days. The park wasn't so crowded you couldn't move or anything, but it was definitely more crowded than I am used to. Before noon or so, lines weren't incredibly bad, but they kept building, and when I went to get a FastPass for Tower of Terror around 5, they were out of FastPasses, and the line was two hours long.  For Tower of Terror! Even the Little Mermaid had a line, not a bad one, but I've become spoiled by constantly walking on that ride, so that a ten minute wait now seems like madness. Of course, it's possible that Grad Night students are responsible for some of the crowd, but I didn't notice many potential Grad Night attendees, or at least enough to make an impact, until at least 6 PM. Late in the evening, I did observe a good number of rowdy groups of high school grads, an obnoxious crowd laughing hysterically at every moment of Captain Eo, but overall the groups I saw were in high spirits but as respectful of other visitors as could reasonably be expected. I did see two students loudly shouting obscenities, but within two minutes I heard a middle-aged woman shouting the same obscenities into her cell phone, so Grad Night cannot be given the entire blame for the coarsening of our society.

So to sum up, it was crowded. As crowded as a Thursday has any right being. Which meant I did not ride on Tower of Terror, a ride that is not as compulsory a part of my Disney trips as, say, Walt Disney's Enchanted Tiki Room, but a ride I rarely miss. To be fair, I managed to ride both Space Mountain and Star Tours (I usually just pick one, since it's difficult to get FastPasses for both, and still get any other FastPasses, for Big Thunder Mountain, for instance), and while the Haunted Mansion line was quite long at times, by that attraction's standards, I did eventually ride it, as well. I missed Pirates of the Caribbean, which frankly is fine by me, it's a good ride, but not one I feel compelled to ride every visit. And we got a late FastPass for Splash Mountain, but as I was developing a rash after getting a good soaking on Grizzly River Run, I decided I'd rather pass on that. I went on Indiana Jones via the single-rider line, having a longer wait than usual using that shortcut, but still not a bad wait, ten minutes at most. I refuse to ride Indy any other way, both because single-rider saves so much time and because I think the ride is extremely overrated. It always seems like so many effects are broken (if you want to have some idea what a well-executed ride in the Indiana Jones style might look like, try the Transformers ride at Universal Studios, it is incredible). Leaving Indy, a kid jumped out at me, trying to scare his brother, and scared the crap out of me, I just sort of screamed, shoved the kid over, and made a mad dash for the exit; I certainly did not carry myself well in that situation. I did ride Soarin', which I don't ride often, so that gave some variety to the trip. But overall, it was not my most productive visit, rides-wise.

But that's okay. My friend hadn't been since January, and she mostly got all the rides she wanted to revisit (though missing Tower of Terror was a hard pill for her to swallow). And the park had changed since her last visit, especially DCA. In fact, it had even changed since my last visit, as the walls around the Carthay Circle Theatre and its adjacent fountain were down:

I'll reserve full judgement until I can experience Buena Vista Street as a whole, but I was satisfied with the results of this area's transformation, at least so far. It seemed like Disney was doing a thorough job, and the results seem just as high-quality up-close as they did from afar. No one will plan a Disney vacation just to see the Carthay Circle recreation, but it does seem like it will be effective, a la Main Street, U.S.A., in reminding you that you are in a special place.

Standing on the fountain, I could also get a good preview of Buena Vista Street itself, and its shops. I liked what I could see:

Around closing time that evening, I headed over to the Blue Sky Cellar to get a view down into Carsland. It looked good, though not a whole lot had changed. I think the exteriors have pretty much been done for some time now. I did get a better look at Mater's Junkyard Jamboree than I had before, and was surprised by just how large it appears to be. I am very excited to be going into Carsland soon (going to a preview Saturday night), and while Cars as a franchise only modestly appeals to me (I really liked the first movie, and rather strongly disliked the second, though it wasn't as bad as some people make it out to be), I really hope the immersiveness and attention to detail is as well-executed as it appears to be.

I enjoyed seeing the new features of Buena Vista Street, though my friend seemed less interested. But she did seem more taken by the Ellis Island Boys, whom I saw for the first time my last trip, and was able to introduce her to today (Disney, to their credit, had a lot of entertainment scheduled throughout the park; the crowd was not a surprise to them). I enjoyed them just as much as last time I saw them, and this time, they sang, as well.  When Ralf Reynolds took to the mic, I was bit surprised by the softness of his voice. It was a nice singing voice, just not what I expected. I guess I expected something like this.

Katie Cavera sang more like I would have expected her to, having a voice that wouldn't sound out of place coming from a 20's Hollywood Flapper.

 

Overall, it was a very enjoyable set, and I hope they have a good long stay at DCA.

So that was my trip. Considering it was sort of a last-minute trip, suddenly tossed in as a result of Disney's recent price increase, I enjoyed myself. The busy crowds meant I didn't accomplish as much as I normally do on a visit, but I truthfully didn't miss out on much (missing the Tower of Terror was the only truly disappointing loss). I would recommend avoiding the park right before Summer blackouts kick in, but if it's unavoidable, you can still have a pretty good time at Disneyland the last Thursday before blackouts, as long as you're willing to accept that you won't see everything.

So that leaves just one more visit for me, before Carsland/Buena Vista Street opens. I'm going to the preview Saturday night. I didn't get in to the free AP preview, but decided $75 wasn't a bad deal to pay for admission to a preview night, especially as Disney is giving the proceeds to charity. I've read online that if every spot is filled, they will take in exactly $500,000 in revenue, so their $500,000 donation to a children's hospital means they are taking a loss on this, unless they sell a whole lot of churros at preview night.  But figuring that some people are paying $500 a pop for the deluxe experience with dinner at Carthay Circle Theatre, you can see there are not a whole lot of people attending this preview night. The last thing Disney wants to do, after all, is sell people a premium preview experience for real money, then have them wait in line three hours. For a free preview experience, that's acceptable, but people could be pissed off if they feel they didn't have time to experience the whole park they paid to preview. The take-away is, I have a feeling the paid preview days might be a very uncrowded way, relatively-speaking, to preview Carlsland. Expect a full report here soon, and see if I'm right.

Disney Pin: Request for Information

I'll have a trip report from Disneyland up pretty soon, I hope, but I wanted to just post something here now, in case someone online can help me. Anyone recognize this Disney Pin?

The pin depicts Jack Skellington hiding behind a tombstone, with Zero greeting him, and the Haunted Mansion in the background. Above, two bats fly in front of the moon. The back of the pin has a 2012 date, and no marks regarding limited edition or anything, so I'm pretty sure it's an open edition, but I don't see it on PinPics or eBay or anything, and just wanted to know more about it. I traded for it from a little girl for a fairly unremarkable pin (I forget which one, exactly), and just wonder if it was a good trade. I like the pin, so in that sense, I know I did, I'm just wondering how good a trade it was.

So, I throw this out to you, the internet: Anyone have anything to tell me about the pin? If so, comment away!

Hands on a Hardbody @ the La Jolla Playhouse, or "They Shoot Nissans, Don't They?"

Last night I had the pleasure of seeing Hands on a Hardbody, a new musical premiering at the La Jolla Playhouse before heading off to Broadway. I'd been anxious to see the show ever since I heard it was in development, because of the immense reputation of the source material, and the "just crazy enough to work" feeling I had when I heard it was going to be made a stage musical. Now, I have never seen the documentary, so again, my opinions were just based on the reputation of the film. But I had heard a lot of good things, and I had also heard that Robert Altman's next planned project, when he died, was a fictional adaptation, which certainly lead credence to the idea that there was room for growth from this seed.

But once the show started last night, I began to get nervous. I had trouble getting into it for the first ten minutes or so. It just seemed a bit silly, and a bit trapped by it's concept. For those not familiar with just what this show is about, the Hands on a Hardbody competition the title refers to is one of those contests where ten people have to keep their hand on a pickup truck, and the last person not to let go wins the truck. This competition is held in Texas, in Summer, on an asphalt parking lot, in intense heat, so after a few days, it becomes a grueling endurance contest, and ultimately a race to see who can maintain their sanity the longest. High drama, for sure, but the fact remains that all these people are tethered to a truck. When the competition begins in the show, there is some awkward laughter, as we see that all the buildup in the first act has exploded into a scene of ten people standing motionless with their hands on a truck. I had to wonder, where do they go from here? And furthermore, the ten contestants seemed to be more representatives of some downtrodden group (the young unemployed/underemployed, the religious zealot, the troubled soldier, the lower-class shlub looking to recapture past glory, etc.) than real people, which lead me to fear that a strained morality play would be put forth, as each character laid out their lamentations.

I needn't have worried, on either point. The show is phenomenal. While I first feared that the characters were stock characters inserted to make political points, I gradually realized that in reality, the creators of the musical had found in their source material a near-perfect crystallization of the issues of economic vulnerability and despair that are brought to the forefront. The musical does not create or impose this narrative, but only amplifies what is naturally there. My first impression, as the various characters were introduced, was that this was much like a Sam Fuller movie, such as Shock Corridor, where the one-dimensional characters are merely place-holders for political touchstones. But I son realized the more apt comparison is to They Shoot Horses, Don't They?, where an endurance competition that might seem fun or zany on the surface is actually a last chance for escape for people who are running out of hope. With the possible exception of the soldier, whose presence felt a bit contrived, it did not seem at all odd that these people felt not only that a pick-up truck was the answer to their prayers, but that it was the only chance they had left. The fact that it is difficult to separate the character from their economic morass is just more evidence of how oppressive their plight is to them.

As for the matter of being tethered to the car, that was solved by animating the truck. Described in the program as "the 16th character," the truck was hollowed out to be light enough for the actors to move around stage, reinforced so actors could climb on it, and rigged with microphones so it could be used for percussive purposes. So even with one hand on the truck at all times, the choreography didn't suffer much (and the "hand on the truck at all times" rule was jettisoned before intermission, with the actors given some freedom from the truck during musical numbers). It works well, not exactly a jaw-dropping spectacle, but a well-thought out and well-executed way of giving the actors some mobility while remaining true to the concept of the contest.

Overall, the music was great, though no one number quite grabbed me as a standout, the song you hum leaving the theater. I enjoyed "Burn that Bridge," "Joy of the Lord," and the closing number, "Keep Your Hands on It." As a Lyle Lovett fan, I enjoyed "If I Had a Truck," and could definitely feel his influence on that song. Some of the more blues- and gospel-infused songs are rather rousing, but overall I felt the songs were a bit understated; it seemed to have the exact opposite problem as the last musical I saw at the La Jolla Playhouse, Sleeping Beauty Wakes, which was quite good but could have benefited from toning it down a bit.

The cast was uniformly excellent. Keith Carradine was the biggest star in the cast, though Hunter Foster, as previous Hands On a  Hardbody champion Benny Perkins is probably the closest thing this ensemble musical has to a star. Connie Ray and Jacob Ming Trent are also stand-outs.

Some concerns: the troubled marine seemed the most flat of the characters. He gets a good, moving song, but I don't know if it's worth the song to have him in the show. It's a part that should be either fleshed out or eliminated (similar issues are ultimately covered in another character's story arc). I also felt the ending, while acceptable, was a bit too upbeat and perky. It just didn't seem to fit with what the rest of the show was setting up. But it's not a dealbreaker, the ending still acknowledges things are tough, just lets the characters show they still have hope. But the implication seems to be that the contest really did improve all their lives, which seems a bit questionable.

If you have the opportunity, I highly recommend you see Hands on a Hardbody. If you haven't seen the documentary, as I haven't, you should enjoy it. And judging from the clips I've just watched on Youtube, fans of the documentary should enjoy it even more, as many of the things that I assumed were the whimsy of the musical's creators actually are lifted straight from the musical. Like this fellow and his 20-ton air conditioner:

Just watching the trailer, it's remarkable how much of the musical that I attributed to "artistic license" is actually taken from the documentary. Here, watch the trailer for yourself, and decide if seeing a musical version of this slice of Texas doesn't sound like a load of fun:

RIP Kathryn Joosten, television's go-to old lady for the past 15 years or so. I'll remember her most for her appearance on Scrubs, though I think she is best known (by those of us who didn't watch Desperate Housewives, at least) for her ubiquity in sitcoms and such, rather than for any one role.