California Screamin's Single Rider Shortcut

DCA's California Screamin' is one of the park's most efficient crowd-movers. With the ability to run five trains on the track at once, the massive coaster's wait times remain reasonable even on the busiest days. If you're touring the park solo, however (or don't mind temporarily splitting your group), the Single Rider Entry can cut your wait to just a few minutes!

The Single Rider Entrance is to the left of the Standby Line. A cast member will direct you through to this area, which is actually the ride's unloading side. A moment later, you'll be directed to the right, where you'll take an elevator up to the queue's over-the-tracks bridge.

Alice in Wonderland's Curious Signage

There's nothing quite as Fantasyland-ish as an eyeful of Wonderland leaves. That's a nicely-designed sign, too. Although, sometimes these ride descriptions get a bit too literal...

Is it really necessary to point out that the ride vehicles are oversized caterpillars? I honestly don't think anyone in line is expecting to board a normal-sized three-inch-long caterpillar...at least, I certainly hope not. Ah, well, it's a fun bit of signage nevertheless.

Photo by Lana Whitham

A Trip Through the Radiator Springs Racers Queue

A couple of weeks ago, we gave you some tips on the Cars Land Rope Drop, where the early morning crowd is escorted in by none other than Lightning McQueen and Mater. Today, we're showing the rest of that little journey, with a near-the-front view of the early morning walk through the Radiator Springs Racers queue. The friendly Cast Member in the lead prevents stampeding.

If you've ever entered a Disney park at rope drop, I'm sure you know the incredibly fun feeling that hits at this exact moment: You're about to take the first ride of your vacation!

All three queues (Standby, FastPass and Single Rider) pass underneath the race course's Rusty Ridge Bridge (build by the Auto Corps of Engineers).

Inside The Red Car Trolley

DCA's Red Car Trolley plays a dual role: Equal parts attraction and street character. Today we're stepping inside one of these charmers for a look at the interior.

The trolleys have identical control panels in the front and back, as they do not loop around at each end of the trip: they simply reverse direction. According to the conductor on board, the trolleys draw a "small portion" of their power from the overhead wires.

What's a bit unexpected about the experience is how well the "act" works. You don't feel like you're on a theme park ride. You feel like you're on public transportation--if public transportation was incredibly clean, friendly, relaxed and full of Disney fans.

Some of the in-car advertising. Boy, that Hollywood Tower Hotel sure looks like a swell place!

These are all actual DCA destinations--and fun classic Disney tributes as well. The interior color scheme seems very relaxing, which pretty much sums up the whole Red Car experience. We'll have more trolley pics soon, with a look at the trip down DCA's Hollywood Blvd. In the meantime, have a great weekend!

Lighting the Path for Alice

Fantastic flower lampposts tower above the queue for the Alice in Wonderland dark ride. Originally, the entire exterior was given over to the giant leaves and flowers inspired by the film. The real trees and hedges were worked into the scene as part of the 1984 remodeling.

Ordinarily, the clash of scale between the living trees and the giant make-believe flowers could be jarring, but it works well here. The ride's exterior becomes a transition between the outside park and the loud, colorful scenes waiting inside the show building. Wonderland is a dream world, so it makes sense for the exterior to represent a state of mind halfway between awake and asleep...or am I reading too much into it?

After all, the Alice ride's design--like so much of Disneyland-- is the result of Imagineers making the best possible use of limited and awkward spaces. It's a two-story indoor-outdoor adventure because part of it has to squeeze above Mr. Toad's Wild Ride. When talented people are tasked with that kind of design puzzle, we wind up with wonderful landscapes that might never have been dreamed up otherwise.

Hooray for awkward spaces!

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.

Indiana Jones and the Long...Long...Long Entry

Today's post is rated PG-13, because we're heading into the wondrous, occasionally gruesome, amazing--and amazingly long--entry to Disneyland's Indiana Jones Adventure: Temple of the Forbidden Eye.

The ride is a huge, sprawling, multi-level Adventureland attraction -- which Disneyland's Adventureland has absolutely no space for. The clever solution involved building the ride's entrance and exit (set in a ramshackle base camp) on a modest strip of Adventureland real estate, while locating the ride itself far, far away on the other side of the park's railroad tracks.

The journey to the ride thus becomes an adventure in itself and an important part of the story. Darn good exercise, too.

The base camp setting and "recently discovered" temple entry immediately cast us as the main characters in this story. It's our decision to enter this temple.

DCA Early Birds

Passholders and resort hotel guests wait patiently (sort of) about fifteen minutes before the DCA gates open for Extra Magic Hour -- an hour before the general public is allowed in.

You can bet about 95% of these folks are heading straight for Radiator Springs Racers or the RSR Fastpass machines.

I'm a park early bird, and always arrive at the gates well before opening to secure a spot in line for the rest of my group. I often wonder, while hiking through Downtown Disney at dawn, if I might be a bit too early--doomed to appear awkward standing alone at the gate. In all my years of visiting Disneyland Resort, however, I've never been the first to arrive. There's always somebody--usually many somebodies--ahead of me. We all stand waiting, chatting and watching the sun creep above the horizon as the crowd quickly grows bigger and louder.

That anticipation of waiting for the gates to open has actually become one of my favorite vacation traditions. I wouldn't dream of missing it!

Toy Story Midway Mania

The lively atmosphere of this loading station sets the mood for a terrific ride; Toy Story Midway Mania provides one of the most intensely entertaining sensory-overload experiences in all of Disneyland Resort.

It's also one of the trickiest rides to board without a hefty wait in line. Unlike its sister attraction in Florida, the DCA Toy Story ride has no Fastpass option. The good news: without Fastpass, the line moves fairly quickly, and an average afternoon wait hovers around the 45 minute mark.

The bad news: that  line remains consistent throughout most of the day. The only way to board quickly is to hurry over to Toy Story first thing in the morning (while everyone else is in Cars Land).

Or, there's Plan B...

Waiting For Peter Pan

According to the classic film, flying to Neverland is easy; it just requires happy thoughts and pixie dust. Flying to Neverland at Disneyland, however, simply requires patience. Lots of Patience.

Peter Pan's Flight has been a favorite of Disneyland guests since 1955, and its popularity shows no sign of waning. Early morning arrival is the only reliable way to catch this classic ride without a hefty wait; guests flock to the flying pirate ships right up until park closing, no matter how late.

For many, including myself, no trip to Disneyland is complete without a flight through this masterpiece.

A Misty Morning at Radiator Springs Racers

It's early morning in Stanley's Oasis at Radiator Springs Racers. The Cadillac mountain range looks mighty mysterious with a light mist drifting across the fantasy desert-scape.

We're about ten minutes from boarding, looking back along the Single Rider line (an RS Racers fan's best friend!) That's the Fast Pass queue to the left, with the Standby multitude offscreen on the other side of the water tower. All three queues are wheelchair accessible, and all three serenade guests with a soundtrack of the quirkiest, most wonderful old-time songs (all relating to cars) we've ever heard.

I've scanned that rock wall on the right time and time again for Hidden Mickeys. No luck.

Mr. Potato Head Works the Crowd

Entering Toy Story Midway Mania requires a stroll past the watchful and witty Mr. Potato Head, Paradise Pier's number one (and only) sideshow barker.

While the Florida version of the ride uses its queue to make guests feel they've shrunk to toy size, California's Midway Mania queue enlarges the Toy Story world to blend in with an early-twentieth-century boardwalk.

On both coasts, riders are treated to one of the most amazing interactive adventures in theme park history.

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.

Cacti 'Round the Racers

We always recommend the Single Rider Line as the easiest, quickest way to board Radiator Springs Racers. We must admit, however, there's one good reason everyone should go through the full standby queue at least once: that's the only way you'll see all of Stanley's Oasis and the amazing cactus grove seen above.

As a plus, you get a glimpse of the ride's first act, as the cars head up the winding road toward the waterfall. The standby line for RS Racers might be long, but it certainly treats your eyes to some terrific sights.

Radiator Springs Racers' First Summer: Joy, Beauty and Crowds

This has been a fantastic summer at DCA (and it's not over yet); the combination of Radiator Springs Racers and sunny days easing to beautiful evenings over Cars Land has added up to one of the best, happiest theme park environments we've ever experienced -- right up there with Disneyland's Mark Twain Riverboat at night.

As we said in our review, this ride really pushes the right emotional buttons like no theme park adventure we've ever taken before with its amazing combination of great story, characters, thrills, sound, unpredictability and environment -- lots and lots of environment -- like a whole town, ghost town, valley and mountain range's worth.

There's also something awe-inspiring about the summer crowds it's attracted.

As much as it amazes me how many people still don't realize they can avoid this situation simply by setting their morning alarms, it  bolsters my faith in humanity to know people can still wait patiently -- and stay in good humor -- in a queue like this.

I know some of these people are gonna kick themselves when they find out about the Single Rider Line.

Inside the Cavernous Radiator Springs Racers Loading Station

Cars head out into sunlight as the adventure begins

All journeys start with a single step -- or, in the case of Disney attractions, with a "remain seated" warning and a launch from a colorful boarding platform. Disneyland Resort's full of terrific loading stations; my favorites include the library of Mr. Toad's Wild Ride and the incredible Lafitte's Landing at Pirates of the Caribbean.

At 7:00 A.M., all's quiet and calm as the queue awaits the day's first riders

My new top favorite is the fantastic loading zone at Radiator Springs Racers. Once you've made your way through the scenic queue, you arrive at the sprawling stone entry to Comfy Caverns Motor Court, serving as your start and end point for the adventure.

All the railings and lights have been intentionally "rusted" to appear decades old!

The place is a whirlwind of colorful sights and sounds. The smiling vehicles, each one unique, roll up to the eager guests. As Cast Members efficiently direct folks to the next available row, the cavern air echoes with the ride's sounds -- a mixture of the actual vehicle noises, enhanced "revving motor" sound effects, and Sheriff's seat belt advisories.

To your left, cars return from the adventure. The ride begins and ends on a single track, splitting into two lanes for the outdoor race.

A side track leads to a customized load area for guests in wheelchairs.

As you step into your row, the excitement builds; these vehicles look amazing! Before you know it, the gate swings open and it's time to step into the car and strap on the seat belt. You have mere seconds to consider how comfortable the seats are before the engine revs, the car moves forward and Sheriff advises you to remain seated. The real fun's about to begin!

Not even the blurriness of this pic can hide the vehicles' charm!

Why You Need to Arrive at Cars Land Early

Some folks hate to get out of bed early on vacation, and when we advise them to get to the park gate by 6:30 A.M., they'll stare at us like we've lost our mouse-ear-wearing minds. As a public service, we present this photo comparison to show the difference between early arrival at the parks and late arrival -- and by "late," we mean 8:30 in the morning.

Above, you see a lovely, welcome sight; this is Radiator Springs Racers in the early morning -- about 7:15 a.m.. We've just taken two trips on the ride (the second go-round using the single rider line, which is a walk-on at this hour). Other early-birds are in the ride's sheltered queue area, which now holds about a thirty minute wait. Needless to say, this serene situation won't last.

The photos below (four shots clumsily stitched into a two-part panorama, but we think they get the point across), show the line for Radiator Springs Racers at 8:30 A.M. The now three-hour line snakes all the way through the ride's main queue and down Cross Street...

...toward the Pacific Wharf entry point and back again.

Fortunately for these late-arrivals who don't heed good travel advice, Radiator Springs Racers is the most entertaining ride to watch on Earth, and this extended stretch of queue provides a great view. Note that we're also enjoying the view, but we're sitting at Flo's having breakfast, because we arrived early and rode the Racers with minimal wait.

The moral? Have your clothes picked out, set the alarm, determine the earliest entry time your ticket/hotel package grants and get to the gate a half-hour earlier than that. Seriously, the object is to be one of the first few hundred people through the park turnstyle. Getting your family onto Radiator Springs Racers early and then relaxing together over breakfast at Flo's, with a whole day of fun ahead -- well, there's no better way to start a day at the resort.