Overall Impression of Disneyland as a 60 + Year-Old
Revised
4/2021
Because
my dear sis wanted to celebrate her 60th b’day
at Disneyland, my husband and I drove the 400+ miles from our Davis CA hamlet
to Anaheim. I must love my sis immensely to drive in the LA area.
Traffic jams are legendary, proved once again as we spent our last two hours on
I-5 creeping a mere 20 miles. Yep, two long wasted hours sitting on a
smoggy—cough, cough—stretch of highway. Nevertheless, I love my sis, so
we drove and ventured into the park the next day.
Note: Follow
CDC guidelines when visiting. Always
wear your face mask when in public.
It
had been well over twenty years since my last visit,
so I was anxious to revisit my favorite Disney classics. Having visited
the ultra-modern and ever-changing Universal Orlando recently, I expected
Disneyland (the happiest place in the world) to have updated those classics.
If not, I hoped that the park was, at least, as exciting as it was
twenty+ years ago. Boy was I in for a surprise.
Since
we had little time, only one short day, we wanted to make the most of it. Therefore, of course, we used Disney's Fast Pass. Additionally, I
have MS, which means I get tired quickly if I become too hot or stand for
lengthy periods. Fortunately, Disney also has a pass (DAS) that works
similarly to the Fast Pass. Thus, I used both. Please read my post describing
how to use both passes.
Overview of Disneyland
Disneyland
is comprised of seven themed “lands”.
- Adventureland
- Critter Country
- Frontierland
- Fantasyland
- Main Street, USA
- New Orleans Square
- Tomorrowland
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In
these “lands”, we find some of our most nostalgic rides and attractions, like
the “Haunted Mansion”, “Peter Pan’s Flight”, “Matterhorn Bobsleds”, “Pirates of
the Caribbean” and the “Jungle Cruise”. Of course, there is much, much
more, but you get the idea. Most of what you’ll find is very familiar to
us oldsters and enjoyable for the very young, but may not be as much fun for
those in the middle. I imagine the Disney California Adventure Park would
be more appealing to all ages. Unfortunately with our limited timeline,
visiting two parks wasn’t an option—pity.
Old, tired, obsolete...and I’m not talking about me.
As I mentioned earlier, it is a pity we couldn’t visit both parks, as we found Disneyland to be quaintly old-fashioned. As members of the graying crowd, it was difficult for us to feel the Disney ‘cool’ vibe. For example, in the past, I was always a huge fan of the “Pirates of the Caribbean” (found in New Orleans Square). I mean really, who isn’t? However, most of the ride is exactly the same as it was in the eighties. Sure, it’s still cute, but really. Couldn’t it be modernized more than the insertion of movie characters? Watch this video by ThemeParkHD
The
only new additions to the ride I found are direct connections to the Pirates
of the Caribbean movies, such as Captain Jack Sparrow, who shows up in
many vignettes, Captain Barbossa, Davy Jones, and Blackbeard. These
characters are cleverly integrated into the classic scenes.
Even though I found this ride and most others, old and tired, I must admit, I still enjoyed it—not that I need a revisit. Been there; done that. However, at approximately 15 minutes long, this boat trip is one of the longest rides I’ve experienced in any park. That is a plus.
Old
and tired, but sweetly quaint is the “Enchanted
Tiki Room” (found in Adventureland). This musical--also approximately 15
minutes-entertains guests with singing tropical birds, flowers, and Tiki
Gods. Guests sit on benches listening to familiar Disney songs.
Even though I enjoyed this nostalgic respite, I noticed several 20-30
somethings head for the exit as the singing began. Families with small
children and oldsters are probably the only guests who could possibly enjoy
this attraction.
Hint:
try the pineapple ice cream from the Tiki Bar after the show.
Still
interesting, but another “Been there; done that” ride is the “Haunted Mansion” (found in New Orleans
Square). Much like the “Pirates of the Caribbean” ride, this one is a
slow ride that takes guests through a series of vignettes. Each scene is
rich with detail. However, not much has changed over the years leading me
to wonder if the dust is real or for effect.
Come
on! Another attraction is closed?!
Even
with the cheesy monologue and clearly fake hippopotamus rising from the water
to attack passing riverboats, I yearned for a revisit to the “Jungle Cruise”
(found in Adventureland). Nevertheless, that was not my fate, as it was
closed.
Also
closed was the “Disney Railroad”
(train) and monorail. As a fan of trains and train travel, both my
husband and I were looking forward to jumping aboard to feel the gentle sway of
the railcars and hear the rails clanging under our feet. Unfortunately,
the train will be unavailable for months due to renovations in the park.
Alternately, the “Monorail” was just glitchy during our visit, making it unavailable temporarily. Darn. A ride above the hot, sweaty masses to view the entire park would have been a wonderful way to end our visit.
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Worth the Visit
Unfortunately,
we didn’t have the time or energy to explore much of Disneyland’s expansive nod
to Starwars. I understand “Star Tours: The Adventures Continues” is amazing,
but the lines were prohibitive, even with my passes. At least we
can all have part of the experience by watching this great video by ThomasTheImagineer.
It appears as if this ride just may be Disney’s one exception to the “Old,
Tired and Obsolete” label.
However, I did have the opportunity to ride the thrilling “Hyperspace Mountain” (formerly Space Mountain found in Tomorrowland). This I enjoyed greatly.
Also
a thrill, especially for Indiana Jones fans, is the “Indiana Jones
Adventure” (found in Adventureland). As my favorite, it is a tame
roller-coaster ride rich in detail and true to the films. I can
still hear the music in my head—a true pleasure ride.
Although
these rides didn’t disappoint, Universal Orlando’s still outclass all the
Disney rides I experienced. Granted, I didn’t ride the newest rides
available. Perhaps, my opinion would be entirely different if that was
the case. But, it is what it is.
How
about you? What are your recent experiences?
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