Saturday, August 1, 2009

My Disneyland Top Ten

I recently went to Disneyland with my friends, Morgan and Kaytlin. We had a blast! Look for a trip report, coming soon. (I don't have pictures to post yet) :)

Today's post is dedicated to my Disneyland (not including DCA) must-dos: my favorite top ten. Here they are:

10. Haunted Mansion: I have been converted. I must confess that I was not the biggest Haunted fan, although I have always enjoyed the seasonal version of the attraction based on The Nightmare Before Christmas. I now enjoy both versions quite a bit. The technology used to create the ride is extremely impressive and c'mon: who doesn't enjoy a good chorus of Grim Grinning Ghosts? :)


9. Enchantment: This is a new one for me. Running every fifteen minutes, and only taking a couple minutes of your time, I highly recommend stopping for this. Enchantment is a music and light show that runs all night at Pixie Hollows. It's AWESOME.



8. Peter Pan's Flight: If you visit one attraction in Fantasyland, please make it this one. I love the whimsy of this ride. Although, I do attach a warning for you. Peter Pan is almost never under 45 minutes. It is not worth waiting 45 minutes. In fact, I would argue that NO ride is worth 45 minutes. If you want to ride this, and I assure you that you do, get to the park before it opens and head here first.


7. This one is a tie. I know. I'm totally cheating. Tied for 7th are the two B's: Big Thunder and Buzz. Big Thunder Mountain Railroad: Hang on to them hats and glasses 'cause this here's the wildest ride in the wilderness! Love this ride. It's even better at night!


Buzz Lightyear Astro Blasters: This ride, simply put, is just plain fun. Can you become a Galactic Hero? I've gotten (close) with the rank of Cosmic Commando, but I'm usually a Ranger, 1st Class and sometimes even a Space Scout.

6. Pirates of the Caribbean: A trip just isn't complete without a drop down to the Caribbean. Pirates is a classic. It's a short wait for a long ride and you always notice something different.



5. Billy Hill and the Hill Billies: Bar none, the best live entertainment in the park. Check it out.


4. Magical: I know the arguments against watching fireworks. It's crowded, it takes quite a chunk of time, fireworks are the best time to ride attractions because the lines are shorter, etc. But I love Disneyland fireworks. If you've seen Magical once already, I highly suggest watching them from in front of "it's a small world." You won't be able to see Dumbo, but the show is INCREDIBLE.

3. Splash Mountain: Even though I don't always enjoy getting wet, this ride is fantastic. It has many elements of a dark ride and the added thrills of fun roller-coasterish drops. Plus, the music is so fun and catchy! 2. Indiana Jones Adventure: Tourists? You had to look didn't you? Next time, you're on your own! Amazing ride, {nearly} worthless fastpass (Don't get me wrong. It still beats standing in the standby line. It's just not the best fastpass line.), and an awesome single-rider line. It's a must-do.


AND FINALLY...

1. Space Mountain: Space Mountain is my number one must-do attraction right now. I absolutely love this ride! It's my at-the-moment favorite. :)


What are your top ten?

My Honorable Mentions include Star Tours, Finding Nemo Submarine Voyage (again, if you plan on riding Nemo, make it your first ride of the day. Other wise the wait is ridiculous), Matterhorn Bobsleds, Alice in Wonderland, "it's a small world" (Usually less than a ten minute wait) Casey Jr. Circus Train, Storybook Land Canal Boats, Disneyland Railroad, Pirate's Lair on Tom Sawyer Island (Not very fun when its hot and sunny), Sleeping Beauty Castle Walkthrough, The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh (Usually a wait time of less than 3 minutes), The Dapper Dans, and Jungle Cruise.

Oh no! I just realized that I left Walt Disney's Enchanted Tiki Room off the list! How ever did that happen? It definitely needs to fit into my top 10... er... 12. The Tiki Room is an incredible display of history and a fun-filled show!



Leave a comment about your favorite thing(s) to do at Disneyland! :)

4 comments:

{jennifer} said...

Ok I am embarassed to say this but one of my favorite things at Disneyland is the over priced FOOD. I am thinking it is because it definitely has some old school memories attached to it:) Bengal's BBQ and the Dole floats are a must!

When it is hot and crowded and I am tired I like to ride the Disneyland railroad around the park.

And everyone should eat at the Blue Bayou at least once to experience the coolness factor of being inside Pirates:)

Jacob & Clarissa said...

I'm a very inexperienced Disneyland goer, so I must admit that I've never done or heard of some of the things on your top 10. Thunder Mountain Railroad would be at the top of my list. I could probably tell you the 10 things I liked least easier, but because almost everything there is so much fun! It's hard to narrow the favorites down.

Janet said...

1. Going with dad.
2. Going with our family.
3. Going with you.
4. Going with the girls.
5. Going with the grandkids. (Should be higher)
6. Going with the Coleman Girls and looking for Spencer.
7. Going with you and Elise
8. Going with the Flynn's (fellow addicts!!!)
9. Going in Winter, Spring, Summer and Fall.
10. Going anytime!!!
Carmel Apples
Divinity
Fudge
Chocolate/Carmel/Marshmallows
Rice Krispie Treats for Breakfast
Big Band Saturday Night Shows (How could you not list this?)
People watching.


Everything Else!!!!!!!

Marie said...

My number 1 is thunder mountain. Don't know why just love it. And for some reason the McDonalds Frys in Frontier land are INCREDIBLE! I don't normally like McD's frys, but at Disneyland - AWESOME.