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[FAQ/DL] D-I-G: The Disneyland Information Guide 3/7
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From: alweho@aol.com (Al Lutz) Newsgroups: rec.arts.disney.parks, alt.disney.disneyland Subject: [FAQ/DL] D-I-G: The Disneyland Information Guide 3/7 Date: 2 Apr 1997 07:56:34 GMT Message-ID: <5ht3fi$bb8@mtinsc05.worldnet.att.net> Reply-To: AlWeHo@aol.com Summary: This posting provides up-to-date tips and information about the Disneyland theme park in Anaheim, California Archive-name: disney-faq/disneyland/part3 Last-modified: April 1, 1997 Posting-frequency: Monthly Keywords: Disneyland, amusement-park, Disney, FAQ, California -------------------------------------------------------------------------- This document is copyright (c) 1997 by Al Lutz, alweho@aol.com Please refer to the copyright paragraph at the beginning of this document for detailed information. ------------------------------------ 11) ENTERTAINMENT & EVENTS ------------------------------------ All events weekends / holiday / Summer periods ONLY unless indicated otherwise. PLEASE NOTE THAT DL MAY BE CHANGING THE FOLLOWING SCHEDULES AT THEIR SLIGHTEST WHIM. Be sure to check with the show schedule available at the front gate to confirm any of your particular favorites. FANTASMIC! (Show): Performed whenever the park is open until 10 PM or later: Fri., Sat. & Sun. - 9 & 10:30 PM (Usually performed whenever the park is open till 10 PM or later on the RIVERS OF AMERICA from Frontierland to New Orleans Square.) DISNEY GALLERY RESERVED "FANTASMIC!" SEATING: $30 includes "all-you-can-eat" dessert buffet (Reservations [first come, first served*] must be made to the left walkway of the BLUE BAYOU entrance podium from time of official park opening, be aware lineups start DURING Magic Morning. To attend this event, you will enter above the PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN via the stairway) THE LION KING CELEBRATION (Parade): Runs thru May: Sat. & Sun. - 2 & 4:30 PM (Starts at IT'S A SMALL WORLD, and ends on Main St., and returns again.) FANTASY-IN-THE-SKY FIREWORKS with TINKERBELL and the DISNEY LIGHTS: The regular run ended Sept. 1st. Will resume in May: Approx. 9:35 PM (The DISNEY LIGHTS are synched spotlights to music over DL.) BIG THUNDER RANCH: (Show): FESTIVAL OF FOOLS Fri., Sat. & Sun. - 1:15, 2:30, 4:45 & 6 PM Show times may change by as much as 15 to 30 minutes from the above, so please confirm with your show schedule. (The show is perfomed at the BIG THUNDER RANCH, is located behind BIG THUNDER RAILROAD in Frontierland, and is also accessible from Fantasyland if you continue past the CASEY JR. train.) FANTASYLAND THEATER (Show): SPIRIT OF POCAHONTAS Last year for this event: Mon. thru Thur. - 1:15, 2:30, 3:45, 5:45, & 7 PM Show times may change, by as much as 15 to 30 minutes from the above, so please confirm with your show schedule, on busy days the performances start later and run into the evening. (The FANTASYLAND THEATER, formerly Videopolis, is located behind Fantasyland, next to Small World - just before ToonTown.) THE GOLDEN HORSESHOE (Shows): Please note these times reflect when the audience is let in, the actual show begins 30 minutes later. BILLY HILL & THE HILLBILLIES: Thur. thru Sat. & Mon. - 11:15 AM, 12:45*, 2:30*, 4* & 5:20* PM Sun. - 10:45* AM, 12:15*, 2*, 3:30* PM (Hillbilly band plays rock & roll hits) GOLDEN HORSESHOE VARIETY SHOW: Tue & Wed. - 10:45* AM, 12:15*, 2*, 3:30*, 4:45* PM (Don't let the title fool you, this is just a piano player and magician) *Make reservations at show entrance for these times. Light refreshments available. (In Frontierland across from the MARK TWAIN DOCK.) TOMORROWLAND TERRACE (Top 40 / Dancing): VOYAGER (TOP 40 / DANCE): Sat. - Concert: 11 AM / Dancing: 12:25, 1:45, 3:30 & 5 PM (Located at the TOMORROWLAND TERRACE STAGE, across from the ROCKETJETS) CARNATION PLAZA GARDENS MAIN STAGE (Big Band Dancing): SWINGTOWN or RED & THE RED HOTS, or STANFORD FREESE AND THE DL BIG BAND or THE BILL TOLE ORCHESTRA or THE EDDIE REED BIG BAND (Your guess is as good as mine... life is too short.): Sat. - 7, 8, 9 & 10 PM DISNEYLAND BAND (Tea Dance): Sun - 12:55, 2 & 3 PM (Plaza Gardens, left of the Castle as you face it from Main St.) MICKEY'S MATTERHORN CLIMB: On hiatus. (Mickey actually climbs up the mountain to have lunch with Goofy. In full costume. Amazing. Performed before the first Lion King parade. This event is not listed in the Disneyland Today schedule. Confirm with City Hall as to scheduled time. Best view and sound is from the walkway between Fantasyland & Tomorrowland leading up to the Matterhorn.) SWORD IN THE STONE CEREMONY: Daily - 11:45 AM, 12:45, 2:30, 3:30, 4:30 & 5:30 PM (Show times may vary by 15 to 30 minutes. In front of the Fantasyland's KING ARTHUR CAROUSEL at the Sword in the Stone. Please note that this event is no longer listed in the Disneyland Today schedule. Confirm with City Hall as to scheduled time.) FLAG RETREAT CEREMONY: Daily (This event is no longer listed in the Disneyland Today schedule. Confirm with City Hall as to scheduled time. Main St. Plaza in front of the Train Station) There is also live music performed all over the park with (among others) the DL BAND, the COKE CORNER PIANIST (if it's Rod, you're in for a treat), the BRASS BROTHERS, and the Tomorrowland Top 40 band(s). The TRASH CAN TRIO, dons sweeper attire and does a percussion act with trash cans and such. Performance schedules vary by season and park attendance. STORYTELLING: TINKERBELL TOY SHOP: Up to four times a day either the Alice, Cinderella or Belle walk around characters sit on an antique chair in the Toy Shop and host a story telling session for the little ones. Look for a small sign near the Tinkerbell Toy Shop in Fantasyland for scheduled times. AT ALADDIN'S OASIS: Up to five times a day (usually on the hour beginning at 1 PM) the Aladdin and Jasmine walk around characters host a storytelling session for the little ones in this former restaurant. Look for a small sign near the entrance of this location in Adventureland for scheduled times. Both of these events, which right now seem to alternate, are a wonderful idea! I always feel the Disney magic is best when it gets more personal like this - and many of the kids leave with a delightful experience. RESERVATIONS for THE GOLDEN HORSESHOE, THE BLUE BAYOU and the DISNEY GALLERY'S FANTASMIC! balcony seating / dessert buffet may be made at starting at time of park opening. (The BLUE BAYOU may sometimes open for reservations in off-peak periods as late as 30 to 45 minutes after park opening.) The advance reservations for the Disney Gallery's FANTASMIC! seating, now taken in the Pirates exit walkway door adjacent to the BLUE BAYOU are critical since they sell out regularly. Please check the section detailing this event for new reservations location. THE TIPS & TRICKS TO GET THE MOST OUT OF YOUR DAY... ---------------------------- 12) PLANNING AHEAD ---------------------------- For many people a day at DL only means long lines and never enough time to see everything. If you are willing to invest a little time in planning your day, you can see and do a good deal of the park, with time to relax and enjoy this wonderful place. Listed below are some tips and tricks that can make your visit one to treasure. (Keep in mind these tips are written for a busy day, if you are visiting during the week or on off periods - it will be much easier.) Please note that only selected key attractions have been covered in detail in order to keep this document to a workable length. PICK A GOOD DAY TO GO: Summer, ANY Saturday & holiday periods are usually the busiest. Sundays (my vote!) are usually half the crowd, with a very quiet morning but with all the entertainment and events that are available on Saturdays / holidays. During the week attendance is much less than the weekend, but usually (unless it's a holiday or Summer period) you don't get any of the added shows or parades. DL has had quite an extra boost in attendance lately due to many admission deals and constant promotions, so keep that in mind also. TIP: It's raining? Or you can only go alone? Go anyway! If it rains, the crowds will be smaller, and even if they close the park early, there will be few lines - if any - at all. (Just make sure to bring rain gear, it's expensive there!) The only major loss during a rainy day is that any outdoor shows and parades that may be normally scheduled will be canceled, and a few outdoor rides, such as ALICE, DUMBO, the TEACUPS, and CASEY JR., will shut until the rain stops. Besides, if it really pours, you get to see Main St. flood. Going alone is something everyone should try at least once in their lives at DL. You will usually ride by yourself in most of the attractions since CMs won't make you share a ride unit. Plus you can see what you want to see when you want to see it. Fair warning, you may get spoiled by this and never bring anyone else along again. THINK BEFORE YOU DRESS: Three words - WEAR COMFORTABLE SHOES. The number one medical complaint at DL is foot blisters from people who don't take into account just how much walking and standing they will be doing all day. Some folks even keep a pair of fresh shoes and socks in a locker or their car to refresh their feet in the late afternoon before a long evening. Yes the weatherman may have said it will be a nice day - but be prepared for how cold it gets in Anaheim at night, even during the Summer! If you wear shorts, bring along a pair of sweatpants you can keep in your car or locker until evening. Also bring a warm jacket, FANTASMIC! for example can get bitterly cold with the water mists that get blown over the crowds during the show, and if you get wet during an evening ride on SPLASH MTN. you may freeze the rest of the night. We don't need to remind you how expensive theme park apparel items can be, and face it, that Goofy sweatshirt is tough to justify as a fashion statement anywhere outside of Anaheim or Orlando. Sunblock is also a good idea since so much of DL is outdoors. Make sure you cover those spots that burn easily, like the top of a bald head, tops of ears and arms, along with your nose. Bring your own since it's expensive to buy there. TIPS: Save money and buy your film / extra videotapes and batteries beforehand. Gum is not sold anywhere in the resort due to the fact it gets stuck everywhere, if you need some - bring it with you, and dispose of it properly won't you? Overheating - and need a moist towlette? Head over to the FESTIVAL OF FOODS eating location (formerly BIG THUNDER BBQ) and go over to the end of the chow line - you'll find a huge basket of them - so pocket a few for the day as you need them. [Open seasonally] CHILDREN UNDER 3: Awhile back on the RAD groups someone posted about what a problem a smaller child might be during a DL visit. Lisa posted this response, which she was kind enough to allow me to quote here: "Our daughter, coming up on 3, is already a Disney veteran. She experienced D-Land at 23 months and WDW at 30 months (thank frequent flyer miles...) She *loved* Mickey and all the costumed cast members, Dumbo the Flying Elephant & the Carousel (both parks), all of Mickey's Toontown and Mickey's Starland that she was big enough for (the crawl/bounce/slide houses say kids 3 and up but she was more than up to the challenge), she was just crazy for the parades, and Fantasmic... Of course, there was some planning involved. We made sure we wouldn't be touring the parks during the busier seasons, and so we avoided interminable waits in line. We made sure to go back to the room for a nap at lunch (Disneyland) and arranged for a sitter several times at WDW. (I know, nice if you can afford it. Next time we are going to try to travel with another family and switch off babysitting.) The point is, you as an adult can keep going long after the little one should stop, and you have to accommodate that or everyone will be miserable. (OTOH, at 12 months, our daughter would just fall asleep in place and be just fine in our arms or a well sun-screened stroller, This changes somewhat as they get older. :^0 ) Looks like my husband may have a business trip to Anaheim this year, and I hope we can make it another family event. Our daughter definitely remembers and talks about the previous visits. Disclaimers: I'll mention that we just happen to be the lucky parents of a happy, fearless toddler. It could certainly be different with a more shy or temperamental child. This is definitely a YMMV situation, and I really don't have the experience to say how a 12 month old would do in this situation. I can only say that I don't agree with any generalizations and as for the business about waiting until they are old enough to remember every "first", well, by the time our daughter is 6, for all we know we could be living in Idaho with no frequent flyer miles. Seize the day, rent a camcorder..." Thank you for your wise posting Lisa! Janna Nichols claude@vcd.hp.com also answered on RAD.parks a posting about taking your children in the off-season to avoid the heat and crowds of summer. Basically the original question was "What do you do about taking your kids out of school for a week (or whatever)?" Here's the nuggets of wisdom she offered: "Ah, I feel qualified to answer this one! I have four children, one in High School, one in Junior High, and two in Elementary School. Taking your kids out of school takes planning, but it can be done. We have taken our children out of school almost every year for either a WDW or a DL trip. There have never been any problems with the kids' teachers or school administrators (although I thought there would be!) until this year...in High School. Some classes just get too intense to be able to miss them at this level. We also noticed our Junior High son had some trouble catching up after we came back this year. So, I think our days of taking the older ones out, are gone, sad to say. However, I do not hesitate to still take the ones in Elementary school out. We have NEVER had problems with that. Tips: - Notify teachers about 2 weeks ahead of time. Arrange for your child(ren) to start their makeup work BEFORE the trip. Coming home to piles of work isn't too fun. - Try not to tell your child(ren) about the trip until about a week ahead of time. If you do, the time they spend in school, before the trip is shot since they are so excited! :( - Insist that your child do work (if they have it) on the plane/in the car going *TO* WDW or DL. Once you are there, not much will get accomplished! (at least we found that to be true of our kids) They just cant seem to concentrate when on a Disney vacation! - If your trip is planned to WDW, go heavy on the emphasis (when teachers ask where you are going) that you are going to EPCOT! (oh, and I guess we will visit the rest of WDW while we are there, too.) *smirk!* - Our kids teachers have had them all keep journals, and got credit for that also. Sometimes the kids have had to give a brief presentation to the class of things they learned there, so 'educational chatter' between parent and child is a good idea... so they can be prepared to tell what they have seen and done, above and beyond what rides they went on. :) Hope some of this is useful! Thank you Janna, who by the way is proud owner of three FDC titles: FDC Rolly, FDCMuck Rolly, and infamous FDC Churro Cart Vendor. ARRIVE EARLY: Try to get there an hour before the park's announced opening time. On busy days (weekends / holidays / Summer) DL may open anywhere from 60 to 30 minutes early. (Sometimes Main St. is opened to absorb crowds until the official opening time too - a great time to get a cup of coffee or a muffin if you need one.) If you are staying at the the DL Hotel or on a Walt Disney Travel Co. package at a another local hotel, inquire about the early entry "Magic Morning" that may be available to you. The park gets its greatest influx of crowds in the hour just before and just after 12 noon. Getting there early also benefits you since you will be parked closer to the entrance gates. They've added a new "parking lot finder" to the kiosks that normally feature the movie posters at each side of the gate - each section of the parking lot that was utilized that day is shown on a plexiglass map, and the arrival times for the cars in that area are written in with grease pencil. By remembering what time you came into the lot - you should be able to locate the parking section you were placed in. USE DISNEYLAND TODAY: This full color combined attractions map / show schedule will help keep you on track all day. It's available to you as you enter thru the turnstile. Don't lose it! If you do, copies are available at City Hall on Main St., and from some of the shops and Cast Members (CM's for short) roaming the park. Also keep your ears open for the P.A. around Main St. if they make any added show / event announcements as sometimes this happens when crowds exceed estimates. TIP: Just like in Florida, on busy days DL now maintains a board in the hub area (across from the Plaza Pavilion restaurant between Main St. and Adventureland) detailing wait times for all the most popular attractions. Updated every 30 minutes by a host with a walkie-talkie this is a great way to keep track of shorter lines as they pop-up during the day in the park. The person manning this board also has extra show guides (also in other languages) available for the asking. Keep checking the postings here so you can plan for minimal wait times. RIDE EARLY: Ride the DL mountain range (SPLASH, THUNDER, MATTERHORN, SPACE) EARLY and then popular rides like PIRATES only if the lines are short. Lines only grow longer for the mountain range as the day goes on. If you are nimble, you can do most of them before 11 AM. The longest lines now are for the new INDY ride, and after that SPLASH MTN.. Working it this way allows you to see those smaller, quieter, and less crowded rides & attractions (like CIRCLEVISION) where you can relax, from noon on, when the heat, lines and crowds are at their peak. RIDE LATE: It's a well known fact that your eyes tend to close up with bright sunlight. Waiting until nightfall to ride INDY, PIRATES, HAUNTED MANSION, SPLASH MTN. and IT'S A SMALL WORLD reveals more detail in these dimly lit attractions. BIG THUNDER MTN. and the MATTERHORN at night make it hard to see where you are going on these coasters, increasing the thrill. THE SPIRIT OF POCAHONTAS show at the Fantasyland Theater, showcases terrific theatrical lighting effects best after dark. TIP: Save STAR TOURS for the end of your day. For some reason, (Efficient loading? The thrill has worn off?) this line ALWAYS diminishes as the evening goes on. If the line ends right at, or inside the entrance door, you have about a 20 minute wait, perfect for taking in all the detail in the pre-show area. This evening line "wind-down" also applies to INDY, along with IT'S A SMALL WORLD, SNOW WHITE'S SCARY ADVENTURES, PINOCCHIO'S DARING JOURNEY and most of ToonTown's attractions, probably because the younger set goes home early. AVOID the first performances of any shows or parades, as they are the most heavily attended. AVOID the Frontierland / New Orleans Square train station as it is always the most crowded, with the Tomorrowland station coming in second. (The ToonTown station is the least crowded.) TIP: Want to ride the Monorail and avoid a long line? Exit the park (after getting your hand stamped of course), and take the shuttle tram over to the DL Hotel. After visiting the hotel, you can board the monorail there to return to Tomorrowland. You'll miss the trip over the parking lot (big deal), but you'll still get to sight-see from the winding track inside the park. (If the line to board DOES gets long at the hotel, you'll still get to wait in the shade, which you can't do in the park.) LITTLE KNOWN FACT: Anyone can ride the monorail round-trip at the hotel for $3 - without having to buy a Park admission. It's a nice way to peek into DL without having to pay for the whole day. Tickets are sold only at the hotel ticket booths. TIP: If you need a cocktail, (and few don't after a day full of kamikaze strollers and screaming kids) the Hotels are the only place that offer them. (Not cheap.) A GOOD PLAN OF ATTACK: When the park opens- AVOID Indy first, because almost everyone makes a bee-line for it, and since it usually is open for the Magic Morning crowd it already has a line when the park opens to the general public. If you wait to ride during a parade or just before closing, that's when they usually post a 90 minute or less wait time, which usually means an actual 50 minute wait. The only day this may not work is on a Fri. when the park opens late into the evening - since most arrivals on that day hit the park after 2 PM, and the line only begins to grow until closing. The plan: If you want to reserve the FANTASMIC! Dessert Buffet go to the Disney Gallery first then - 1) Head over and ride SPLASH MTN., (You should make your BLUE BAYOU reservation on the way over or back), 2) Ride "Pirates," 3) Ride "Big Thunder Mtn.," 4) Do the HAUNTED MANSION, 5) Head over to TOONTOWN and ride ROGER RABBIT'S CAR-TOON SPIN, and possibly do the MATTERHORN either on the way there or back. That should complete your morning. Save INDY and STAR TOURS for dinner time or during a show or parade. (Keep parade and show times in mind while making reservations so you won't miss anything.) Don't be afraid to keep checking lines all day either as most times parades or shows draw off enough guests to allow lines to shorten. The ONLY rides guaranteed to have a long line ANYTIME you try to go are: PETER PAN (It's my favorite too...), MR. TOAD, DUMBO, INDY, ROGER RABBIT, GADGET'S GO COASTER, AUTOPIA (both of them), the MATTERHORN and both SPACE & SPLASH MTNS. LONGEST LINE / SHORTEST RIDE?: GADGET'S GO-COASTER in TOONTOWN wins hands down at up to a 45 minute busy day wait for a 50 second load/ride cycle. Second longest line is the ANNUAL PASSHOLDER renewal line at the Bank of Main St. ;) SHORTEST LINE / LONGEST RIDE?: PIRATES during a FANTASMIC! performance, everybody gets so involved in the show the ride sits empty. -------------------------------------------- 13) PHOTO WITH MICKEY / CHARACTERS -------------------------------------------- CATCHING MICKEY: Want a photo with the head cheese himself and don't want to crawl over acres of strollers and fight camcorder-crazy parents to get to him? Head over to Mickey's ToonTown in the evening hours when the crowds thin out and visit Mickey's house. At the end (after watching a few cartoon trailers) you will be ushered into a room as a small group and get a chance to meet and take photos with Mickey. A CM there will gladly help with your camera so you can all get in the shot. So civilized. There are four Mickeys actually, in four different outfits and "movie set" rooms: a) FANTASIA, b) BAND CONCERT, c) STEAMBOAT WILLIE, and d) THROUGH THE MIRROR. Three of the rooms are hidden behind movable shelves full of film cans before you enter, so you don't get to choose since not all Mickeys may be available at the time of your visit. Collect them all! (Mickey also appears for up close photos on Main St. near the Opera House, and from a distance climbing the MATTERHORN on weekends just before he appears in the parade, and in the FANTASMIC! show.) NEW MICKEY & ME, POOH & PRINCESS PHOTOS: Photos with Mickey may also be taken for you by a DL photographer when you visit Mickey in his house, Pooh over in CRITTER COUNTRY, or any of the Disney Princesses over the in ALPINE GARDENS area between the entrances of Tomorrowland and Fantasyland. They are developed while you enjoy the rest of your day at DL and then may picked up as you exit the park at the souvenir stand next to the Bank of Main St. Ask the CM attending to your visit with Mickey for details, prices run $10 for a 5x7" or $15 for an 8x10" photo. You are not obligated to purchase the photos if you don't like them - and if you wish you may try several visits and then choose between the different shots before you leave DL for good, as they are kept on file for a few days. (Un-sold photos are recycled.) CHARACTER PHOTOS: There several areas during the day where you can almost always count on finding Characters to take photos with: 1) In front of GREAT MOMENTS WITH MR. LINCOLN. 2) The area around the hub from Main St. to the TOMORROWLAND entrance. 3) TOONTOWN. 4) FANTASYLAND (Princesses in the Castle courtyard). 5) FRONTIERLAND (Chip, Dale & Goofy in front of the Riverboat landing). 6) CRITTER COUNTRY (Pooh & Friends). 7) BIG THUNDER RANCH (Hunchback). All locations will usually be totally mobbed, with characters clearing out just before parades to avoid congestion. At night you will usually only find characters available at the first three listed locations. ALSO: Deactivated AUTOPIA cars are placed outside of the Autopia queues for photo opps. If those cars are too modern for you, a MR. TOAD ride unit is now parked outside of his attraction for photos - nice! A DUMBO ride unit is placed behind the ride for photos also. There is a POCAHONTAS photo area near the Fantasyland Stage. CHARACTERS TODAY is a new section that has been added to the DISNEYLAND TODAY brochure given to you when you enter the park. Be sure to take a look at it for details as to where and when specific favorites may be located in the park at that day. A nice new addition! CHARACTER MEALS, (at the park and hotels) where you can meet, greet and take photos are detailed in the MEALS section of this guide. THE BIG RIDES AND SHOWS, AND HOW TO BEST SEE THEM... ------------------------------------------------------------------- 14) INDIANA JONES ADVENTURE - TEMPLE OF THE FORBIDDEN EYE ------------------------------------------------------------------- INDY is DL's newest thrill ride. If you can imagine the STAR TOURS simulator technology built into a jeep and driving you along inside of a detailed Pirates-type of attraction at bumpy MATTERHORN speed, then you'll have a pretty good idea of what all the excitement is about. You'll even be amazed at the work they put in the line, since you will be walking through a queue with extremely detailed movie-type settings and interactive elements throughout. (There are even booby-traps that can set off by touching or grabbing things that signs tell you not to.) Ride sponsor AT&T no longer provides everyone with a souvenir wallet card at the entrance to keep you busy decoding all the wall writings and carvings - so see the section BRING DL HOME for details on getting the Mara font for your own computer so you can create your own decoder. When you reach the massive high-ceiling boarding area, you'll load onto a Jeep-like military Hummer-type 12 passenger "troop transport" which takes you inside an ancient jungle temple, where you are warned NOT to look into the eyes of the goddess Mara. Since of course it is impossible for anyone to avoid this due to those clever Imagineers' design, all hell breaks loose as the goddess wreaks all sorts of havoc making for a very wild, almost brutal, chase inside the temple. (Although it only supposedly travels at 12 MPH, the stunning hydraulic effects help to simulate speeds of up to 60 MPH.) BEWARE - this is the most turbulent ride Disney has ever created, it can make STAR TOURS and the MATTERHORN seem very tame. If you have back or neck problems, stay away, it's merciless. Notably this is also the first time an amusement park ride has been programmed like a video game, with many event variations. You'll drive each time through one of three different doors, and each vehicle has then also been programmed to move and react differently in where and how it delays, stalls, bucks or turns over the same track in the three-and-a-half minute ride. Even Indy himself will have one of several different things to say to you each of the times you see him. There really are some great illusions here, (if you're not just holding on for dear life) and for the first time this ride also lets you actually FEEL some of those special effects that up until now have only been seen on the big screen. This is simply an amazing new ride experience. Whatever you do at DL, don't miss it. Even with a top loading speed of about 2400 people an hour (more than "Pirates"), this ride gets quickly swamped with huge lines in the mornings. It is best to AVOID this attraction first thing in the day - and use the time to ride all the other empty attractions in that area of the park. Save riding Indy for the lull that comes during parade or show times, or even better yet, just before the park closes. Thankfully the line moves quickly, so you won't have time to get bored. (Currently during peak times the line starts thru the middle of Frontierland, snakes and then wraps back and forth on the hub between Adventureland and Frontierland, wraps a couple of times again in the entrance to Adventureland across from the Tiki Room, snakes through and wraps in Adventureland -- with moderated breaks to allow "Fantasmic!" and other crowds through -- and finally, but not always, into its own proper waiting area in front of the temple.) TIP: Keep in mind that because this ride is new, you can expect breakdowns (of about 20 to 30 minutes - this has been improving lately). Best advice here is to keep waiting, since they are up and running very quickly for the most part. Also they are posting much longer waiting times in order to keep crowds short, sometimes estimating waits 30 minutes longer than they actually take. If you see a 90 minute wait time scheduled, go for it, it will be about an hour. ------------------- 16) SHOWS ------------------- FANTASMIC! This is simply one of the most dazzling shows DL has ever produced. It's huge, (with a cast of over 50, and a support staff of over 150) and bone-rattling loud in its use of special effects. In a word, it's 22 minutes of WOW! I won't spoil it for you by telling you any more. Keep in mind that the first show is ALWAYS over-crowded, with some silly souls staking out seats at 5 PM for a 9 PM show. (Most people will end their DL day after this performance, which is why you should do all of the attractions in the Adventureland / Frontierland / New Orleans Square / Critter Country part of the park early in the day to avoid this mess.) The first show is also the one most prone to glitches, i.e. effects not working, fireworks not lighting, boats missing cues, etc. (complex is the operative word here). Usually problems are fixed by the following show. It will be canceled if winds are high or if it rains, listen for announcements at river's edge during these kind of conditions. ----- END [FAQ/DL] D-I-G: The Disneyland Information Guide 3/7 -----