Inside Mr. Toad's Wild Ride

It's time for Mouse Troop's first Toad-related post of 2013, and today we're actually climbing aboard one of those awesome motorcars; get ready for a trip through Mr. Toad's Wild Ride!

The entry hall tapestry pays tribute to the mural on the 1955 version's exterior. It details your upcoming trip from beginning to end.

The short interior queue gives us a glimpse of Toad's lifestyle. He certainly loves chandeliers...and carvings of himself.

 He looks so innocent...

We watch a few cars begin their journey by entering the library, knocking poor MacBadger off a ladder...

...and crashing out through the fireplace, sending sizzling embers across the floor.

As we climb aboard our motorcar, I must apologize for the upcoming murky, grainy on-ride photos. Between my slow reflexes, my iPhone's limitations and the ride's many abrupt turns, the results of this photo safari leave a lot to be desired. On the plus side, I think the shots manage to convey the look and black-light atmosphere of the ride...in a murky sort of way...

And...we're off! We encounter MacBadger, crash through the fireplace, escape a falling suit of armor and (as the black-light effects take over), rush down down a weasel-infested hall, disrupt Mole's dinner, and crash out of the mansion through a glass wall...

The local bobbies are not pleased to see us crashing through the countryside. We avoid a near head-on collision with another car (our own reflection) and pass Ratty's riverside home.

Time Machine Day: Magic Mountain 1975

El Bumpo!

Way back before Six Flags took ownership...back when the Goldrusher mine train was the park's biggest coaster...when not one, but two of the world's tallest skyrides soared above its landscape..back when pay-one-price admission was about eight bucks...Southern California's Magic Mountain had a completely different character from what customers find there today; it offered a much more mellow, easygoing type of park experience.

Today, I've got seven photos from my 1975 visit. Sadly, most of the rides seen in these shots are long gone. All but the first and last pictures were taken from the long-departed Metro Monorail.

Goldrusher, thankfully, still exists, and here you can see most of its layout. The first drop/turn and a second lift hill are hidden on the other side of the...er..."mountain." Goldrusher is mostly notable for its neat terrain-hugging route and a dynamite high-speed helix finale. In the background, one of the park's two Eagle's Flight skyrides gave amazing views; look how high up that thing went!