Tuesday October 16th
I made my way to Tower of Terror to use my fastpass. Walked through A Bug’s Land once again.
Through the FP lane, I reached the library without any wait. And after a short few minutes, I was standing in front of one of the elevators.
Hmmm, somehow I don't think this elevator will make any stops on these floors.
There were a couple of howlers in our group. You know, those teenagers or young adults who feel it’s necessary to exaggerate their howls, screams, and hoots during the ride. Their “fake” screams reached their peaks during the scenes when the ghosts appear – but as soon as the drops began, I can tell you that their screams weren’t fake anymore.
I had heard that the drops at this ToT were not programmed to be random like the one at WDW. Since I only went on it once, this wasn’t an issue and I once again enjoyed the ride. It’s not just the thrill ride portion that I like, but everything leading up to it including the Twilight Zone intro video, to the ghosts beckoning us to join them on the ill-fated elevator. I think this exemplifies why I love the rides at Disney so much. This type of drop rides are easily available at any other amusement parks and some are taller and faster (the one at Cedar Point, OH is really good). But what separates ToT is how Disney frames the ride into a detailed storyline that has the guest suspending belief for those few minutes and it all starts from the moment he enters the queue and becomes immersed in this haunted hotel universe. I’ve been on this ride three times now, and used FP for all of them which means I didn't get much of a chance to admire the details that went in to the theming of the hotel lobby. One of these days, I would like to take my time and try to appreciate how the lobby looks.
The sun was beginning to set and the skies were getting darker as I exited ToT. I started making my way towards California Screamin’.
View of Grizzly River Run as I cut through A Bug's Land for the umpteenth time.
On the way, I paused in front of the Little Mermaid ride, contemplating whether I had the courage to ride this one alone. I decided to pass on it and justified it in my head that I was saving my first ride to be with DD when we head to New Fantasyland in January. But we all know it was because my self-consciousness gene kicked into gear! The building looked nice enough but I’m betting the one at New FL looks even better.
Before I headed to the queue entrance for Screamin’, I stopped by the railings looking over the pier and the start point for the coaster where it eventually it shoots out at top speed.
The view across the pier with the ferris wheel looked really nice against the yellow and orange lighting from the setting sun.
The CM in front of the standby entrance for Screamin’ gave me a single rider card and pointed me towards an entrance tucked away in the side.
Then, we were directed towards an elevator which we took up only to find another elevator on the other side of the platform to go back down. I was following a 10 year old who clearly knew how the single rider line worked. If it weren’t for him, I would have been very very confused about the whole route and pretty sure would have gotten lost. I boarded the coaster and a couple of minutes later, we were shot out on to the tracks! This turned out to be one of my favorite rides at DLR! It reminded me a lot of RnRC at Hollywood Studios except this was all outdoors. Thinking back, I should have gone on this ride again considering how short the wait time was for the single riders. Instead, I decided to circle around Paradise Pier. As I passed in front of Mr. Potato Head, I felt an impulse to get in line for Toy Story Mania.
The wait time is nowhere as long as the one in Hollywood Studios, but I still couldn’t get excited about staying in line for 40 minutes. So I continued my trek around the Pier. I was very much ahead of schedule! Enjoyed the atmosphere of the pier which felt like a piece of amusement park at a boardwalk.
Panoramic view from my iphone.
As I completed my circle, I realized I only had 10 more minutes before Aladdin was set to start. Dusk was starting to settle in and the ToT was beginning to emit a mixture of orange and bluish glow.
I picked up my pace and briskly walked towards the theater.
This was the one area of DCA that I was not too fond of. The billboard background scenery just didn't mesh very well with the foreground.
I made it in with just a couple of minutes to spare. Found an aisle seat near the front left section.
This show was a LOT better than I had expected. I think I was expecting something in the same lines of Beauty and the Beast at DHS but the production value was definitely a step up. The actors and actresses were actually singing! And the Genie was entertaining although certain parts of his costume freaked me out from time to time. The only question I had during the show was, Where Is Apu?? Just not the same without him lol. In all seriousness, this was a good Disney show.
Clearly, this thief is not a diamond in the rough.
Genie finally makes his appearance!
Prince Ali's parade made its entrance through the aisles!
Next Up: The Nightscene at Carsland.