Flik's Flyers in A Bug's Land

DCA features several great ways to fly, carrying guests skyward on everything from virtual hang-gliders to the nerve-jangling swinging gondolas of Mickey's Fun Wheel. For pure strangeness and wonderment, though, I can't pick a more delightful DCA aircraft than the airborne juice boxes and take-out containers of Flik's Flyers.

As with Dumbo and The Mad Tea Party, here's another case of incredible theming transforming a basic carnival ride into something amazing. Although A Bug's Land is aimed toward families with small children, this ride manages to catch the attention of many an adult party heading through en route to Cars Land. Seriously, who wouldn't want to cruise the heavens in an egg roll box?

Photo by Lana Whitham

When I See An Elephant Photosynthesize

"Kind of jumpy, aren't ya, Valiant? It's just Dumbo!"

With that line from Roger Rabbit, we're taking a look at the cutest little shrub in Fantasyland. This great topiary sits all by himself a few yards from a whole herd of airborne pachyderms. He dreams of freeing his mother from the greenhouse, where she was locked up as a "mad plant."

And he was the very last thing Jack Nicholson's character saw in The Shining. Okay, that's a lie--but you have to admit, it would have been a better ending.

Why does Peter Pan's Flight Remain So Popular?

Year in, year out, the waiting line builds up immediately after the park gates open and remains packed until closing. If you've ever attended an early morning rope-drop at Disneyland, you know the choice everyone makes as they hurry down Main Street. Half the crowd peels off to the right for Star Tours and Space Mountain while everyone else heads straight to Peter Pan's Flight.

It's one of the park's unique joys -- walking quickly up through the ride's queue and seeing the line of flying pirate ships waiting for you. You get one ride, and by the time you disembark two minutes later, the line is already too long to make a second flight worth considering.

Flying Saucers, Tires, Fish Heads & Crumbs

 

Yes, I am the proud owner of a Luigi's Flying Tire hat, one of the most delightfully goofball souvenirs in Cars Land. I don't wear it to work (very often), but it's definitely a cheery item to keep around.

As many readers know, the Luigi's Flying Tires ride (which I love) owes its existence to a legendary ride from Disneyland's early years, the Flying Saucers. As someone who rode the Saucers twice as a small child, I can honestly say that I remember very little of the experience.

Aston Walrus, on the other hand, remembers quite a bit...or so he claims...

Merry Christmas From Mouse Troop!

 

Have a wonderful Holiday, everyone!

Classic Ride Review: Dumbo the Flying Elephant

Just look at those awesome elephants. Their wonderfully sculpted expressions of joy and exhilaration carry the whole experience. When you lift off, you instantly plug into the moment at the film's finale when Dumbo spreads his ears and  a miracle happens. That why the Dumbo ride is magical and rip-off clones are not.

Some folks don't "get" Dumbo. They dismiss it as a mere children's ride or a mundane carnival-style attraction not worth a second look. My theory about those folks: either they never rode Dumbo as a child, or else they commute to work every day on a flying elephant and find nothing unusual about the experience.

All I know is, I climb aboard, the ride starts, I push up on the controls, I hear that familiar hydraulic hiss...there's that little bounce as we get airborne...and suddenly I'm seven years old again, with the wind in my face and all of Fantasyland whirling about below me.

Sometimes you don't need the latest technology to create pure and powerful magic.

Luigi's Flying Tires: Better Without the Beach Balls?

We're standing on the Cross Street side of Luigi's Flying Tires, watching one of the ride's last nights operating with the beach balls. The cheerful Italian Flag-colored bonking spheres were recently removed, reportedly to help accelerate the load times.

Although I loved the added color, I won't miss the beach toys; they distracted nearly every rider into treating the ride like a goofy dodgeball game. Battle-crazed guests tend to ignore the most wondrous part of the whole experience: you're flying!

Okay -- technically, you're hovering...or floating...but it's still amazing. Some online critics feel this mellow non-thrill ride's not worth waiting in line for, but I disagree. Luigi's Flying Tires gives you a chance to pilot your own private hovercraft. When you get your tire scooting across the floor, it feels like surfing on air -- and I can't get that sensation from any other ride on Earth. It's a true one-of-a-kind, magical experience.

Luigi's Office

Luigi's Flying Tires isn't just a fun, one-of-a-kind ride; this attraction boasts one of the most enjoyable queues in Disneyland Resort. After touring the showroom and memorabilia-crammed fitting room of Casa della Tires, guests encounter one final room before heading out to the gardens: Luigi's office.

It looks completely believable as a functioning workspace. In fact, you could mistake it for the office of a car-parts dealer in the human world...until you notice details like the push-panels that open the file drawers and the shape of the bottle on the desk.

I'd love to get a closer look at the items on display in there. If Disney ever offers a Cars Land behind-the-scenes and on-the-set tour, I'll be one of the first in line.

Forget Bad Reviews: Flying Tires Rock!

Luigi's Flying Tires (pictured above in pre-launch mode) turned out to be a pleasant surprise on our first Cars Land visit. Some early reviews had labeled the ride boring, difficult to control and unbearably slow loading.

Hogwash!

The ride is incredibly fun. You really do float on a cushion of air -- which is a great experience in itself -- and you can really get those things scootin' across the field at a nice clip!

The tires are incredibly easy to control: Lean. Don't lean too much. That's it. Not too difficult, right?

The ride isn't the fastest loader on property, but it swallows up large groups with each cycle, and the queue winds through Luigi's shop and gardens, presenting you with tons of fun details and backstory to enjoy. If the line is not reaching outside Luigi's front entry, your wait should be very reasonable.

My advice: don't concentrate too much on bumping into other riders, and simply have fun piloting your tire around the arena! A family member suggested the ride could be improved with two fewer tires on the field to give all pilots more maneuvering room, and I completely agree.

By all means, take Luigi's tires for a spin on your Cars Land visit. It's a unique, playful joyride.