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Visit Date: 7/14/12
Steps: 13,105
Parks Miles: 4.3
Time in Parks: 6.5

 
Trip Log:

Arrived at the Disneyland Resort later than usual (just after 3pm) with the objective to celebrate a five years birthday. Started off the afternoon heading to DCA with several first time guests (well first time since Buena Vista Street and Cars Land opened) who had the goal of experiencing the Radiator Springs Racers. We strolled down Buena Vista Street and walked through Condor Flats, around GRR, and through the Wharf to enter Cars Land from there. Walked out to Route 66 and let them soak in the area a bit. Then decided to bite the bullet and wait the 120 minutes for Radiator Springs Racers. Within 5 minutes of being in line they went down. We decided to wait a bit and as we waited inched our way forward. After a good 30-40 minutes they started running again and we were able to go for a ride. In the end we waited a little over two and a half hours. After the Racers walked down Route 66 and back to Buena Vista Street. The group decided on dinner at Taste Pilots. After dinner it was back toward Cars Land. Made a stop at Ghirardelli for some chocolate and then wandered around Cars Land a bit waiting for the neon to come on. Made a circle by the Flying Tires and the Cozy Cones before heading back to Maters for a spin (only a 15 minute wait). Then headed to Bugs Land. Some went for a ride on Tuck and Roll and Fliks and the rest of us walked over to the Mad T Party to see what was going on. We regrouped in Bugs Land and then all wandered over to Monsters for a ride. Some went for a second and the rest of us carried on to Hollywood Blvd. We then all proceeded to Buena Vista Street and decided it was time to head out. We walked back to the Mickey and Friends garage since the trams were bottled up with the exiting masses from Disneyland and DCA.

Other Interesting Stats:
* Moderate Walking Stats (meaning over 2.5mph): 7,812 steps, 69 minutes.


For Comparisons to other trips or more park miles click here to visit our park Miles Section.

Note: These totals may be skewed because the pedometer is zero'd when we start and then left alone and read when we leave. So attractions, and other things may cause extra "steps" to be counted. The pedometer that we use basically measures up/down motion as a step, so if your standing in line and moving up and down it may be counting steps, etc.. so the total distances traveled and steps may be off.. so use these as rough distance comparisons between trips and they may not be accurate in terms of actual distance traveled.
Pictures & Video From this Trip:


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My Thoughts & Observations:

Hello all,

Saturday was a leisurely day at the parks for me from a picture taking and walking perspective. I decided to hang out with some friends and celebrate a birthday (for a five year old who loves Cars and this marked his first visit to Cars Land). So as you saw with the pictures it was not my normal routine and I only visited Disney California Adventure and I spent most of the time in Cars Land.. We arrived at the parks later than usual and found the crowds to be about average. There were a lot of people but most waits were under an hour when I glanced at the line board. Only the Racers were consistently higher and the Flying Tires.

Jason

Trip logs and mileage reports are in the Park Miles section.

Thoughts and Observations:

  • I walked the group the long way to Cars Land, around GRR and through the Wharf entrance since four of the group had never been to Cars Land. After some grumbling about the longer walk I think their expressions upon walking under the archway and into Cars Land made it all worth while. I want to say again for a first time visitor I think it is the best way to enter. The wow factor is huge this way.

  • We headed for the Radiator Springs Racers and decided to give the posted two hour wait a try since the birthday boy really wanted to ride. About five minutes or so into the wait the attraction went down. Several minutes later I noticed cast members walking the track and knew we were in for a sizable delay. Guests kept exiting the line so we were moving at an ok pace for a while. Then we really slowed down as the delay went on. A couple of interesting notes.
    • They let everyone stay in line if you wanted and they even let more guests get in line behind us.
    • While in the queue you could hear the cast member announcements, they had it on the primary speakers it sounded like in the queue not just on the attraction. It was nice to know what progress or lack of progress was happening and fun to listen to the crowd cheer every time a promising announcement came on.
    • After a good 30-40 minute delay things started up again. We moved at a decent pace for the next hour or so then things really slowed down as we neared the FastPass merge point. Not sure if they changed the ratio of stand by to fastpass or just a mental thing about being close but we inched along the last straight away to the merge.
    • I was surprised at the waiting area that was created in one of the planters with guests hanging out there and the vending cast members selling products from there. They were also selling out of some of the windows in the queue. Wonder how long before these walk around vendors will take credit cards.. I over heard several folks asking. Seems they just do not carry that much cash anymore.
    • Speaking of guest behavior... what would make you think it was appropriate to lift up the rocks that cover the lights and take pictures with them?
    • While waiting in line that long had plenty of time to ponder the queue. Wonder why there are no drinking fountains available in Cars Land except by the restrooms near Flos? I overheard quite a few guests asking each other if they had seen any water in the queue.
    • Speaking of the queue.. the water on the spring was not flowing. And guests had managed to make quite a mess of some of the rocks.

  • Once onboard noticed several issues throughout the attraction. I would image they are scrambling to keep it running and it is undergoing a lot of stress right now. For example the tractors in the tractor tipping scene did not tip. Also the timing was off for Franks appearance. We went to get tires and the white wall alignment was way off. We cruised right by Doc with the timing off and then had to wait a while for our other race car to show up. The race itself seemed a little slower to me and the mist before the finish line was not running.

  • After exiting though talked with the group (as well as those that had waited around us, most of which had never experienced the attraction before) and every one of them said the wait was worth it. So I think that is a great sign that even after a long delay and almost 3 hour wait they still thought it was worth the time. For me I really hope to avoid that long of a wait for a long time!

  • We headed to Buena Vista Street for dinner. Somehow everyone ended up at Taste Pilot though. They had a new queue system set up. There was a queue taped off on the group that snacked back and fourth in front of the registers. There were two cast members working the line trying to keep guests in it and organized. They would then send you to a register where it appeared the objective was to maintain two parties on either side. I understand this may be good in the sense you do not have to worry about the slow register or how everyone always grouped up on the middle registers, but it really seemed confusing to guests since they were arriving from three directions and the two cast members were challenged to keep everyone in line. It seems it would have worked better to have a single line that stretched out the door and the cast member at the front could send you to a register. Should be interesting to see how this works out. I was not impressed with it for a first visit and given the number of guests around did not think it saved me any time.

  • After dinner we made a quick stop at Ghirardelli and was surprised the sample was Hazelnut Crisp (think that was the proper name). I was disappointed it was not carmel or milk chocolate since those are the two I like but the others seemed to enjoy it.

  • Spent some time roaming around Cars Land and watched the neon come on. Then went for a spin on Maters. The posted wait seemed to hover between 15-20 minutes most of the afternoon. We waited about 15 minutes. Still not sure how every time I seem to exit on the far side of the attraction and have to walk all the way around.

  • I spent some time roaming around the Mad T Party. I saw a couple sets of Glow with the Show Ears but not many. I thought it was a fun effect to see them blinking along to the beat of the music. I would think if more guests had them it would work a lot better.

  • I noticed the Red Car Trolley was running well into the evening with guests still traveling onboard past 9:30 as I was leaving. I almost went for a ride, but had to go meet the rest of the group and missed my chance! So still have not experienced the trolley.

Interesting Web Finds/Notes:
Below are some interesting links, notes, and rumors I found/stumble across/or have been informed of since the last Geekspeaks column.

Be sure to check out the picture update that goes with this Geekspeak column, it can be found in our Disneyland Resort Pictorial Update section

Stop by the Geek's Forum to discuss this and other Disney topics.. click here

Send comments, questions, any other email to: disneygeek@disneygeek.com
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