I just got back from a fun quick trip as a chaperone on my daughter's Music America Anaheim band trip. It was a short trip, but fun.
The first morning after we got in we went to Universal Studios (maybe another post)/City Walk for the day. I was proud and impressed at all the students who were the most prompt group I have ever seen. For every time they were supposed to be at the bus, virtually everyone there was seated and ready to go 5 minutes early. Anyway....
The second day was a Disney day which included the Disney package of demonstrating how studio work and scoring is done.
The group got there about 30 minutes after park opening. I headed straight to DCA since I had not been there before (numerous times to DL). I rode Soaring with very little wait (about 5 minutes). It is an incredible ride! You feel (and smell) like you are there. Wonderful!
Then it was a quick jog over to Screamin' for a FP (already a 55 minute wait). In the interim I went on Mulholland Madness (cute but ordinary), Maliboomer (interesting drop ride since the fast part is going up...), both with only about 5-10 minute waits, and the Ferris Wheel (30 min wait). It was hard to tell if it was a nice ride or not, since they were spending so much time loading and unloading that you never got to go around much at all in any type of continuous motion. The "rocking" cars are interesting, but again, I would like to see what they felt like when the wheel was in regular motion. I did however, get a sky view of some really good tumblers who were doing a perfomance at one of the little amphitheatres, and I mused how Disney still has a flair for keeping the parks filled with quality entertainment.
I then took Screamin' (5-10 min wait with the FP, satand by was already 70-80 min). It's a nice roller coaster (quite a long ride for a coaster) and was the first modern coaster that had the feel of some of the older coasters that I used to go on. Smooth ride, but it didn't seem nearly as smooth to me as the Rock N Roller Coaster at DW.
Overall I have to say that Paradise Pier did not impress me that much, it seems like a slightly spruced up version of the carnival rides you might see at a Six Flags park somewhere. Even the theme and atmosphere seemed pretty ordinary (although drawing Mickey in the middle of the Screamin loop is a nice touch, and the Sun Wheel looks beautiful (but as I say, as a ride not impressive to me). If they really want this place to look more authentic they have to give it a bit more of the "gritty" carnival barker atmosphere - it just seemed too much like a colorful version of an ordinary amusement park
The rest of DCA seemed more like Disney, however. The Soarin ride (see above) was filled with vintage photos of pilots and early airplanes. At several points during the day there was a comedy group dressed in flight suits. Very nice atmosphere.
Anyway... after Screamin' I took the Grizzly river rapids ride (about 10-15 min wait). The ride is a little more fun than the Kali ride at AK (more feel of rapids), but you don't get nearly as drenched in the process (just very wet). In Kali you get beautiful scenery and one hugh drench (at least for those on the down side of the raft), and in Grizzly you get more of a rapids feel with several mild wettings and a big splash with a "twist".
After the rapids I dried off while walking to see if I could get tickets to the Aladdin show. Tickets were out but there was plenty of stand-by seats for the show (45 minutes later). So I waited in line, just watching all of the people in line (it's a BIG theatre). After 35 minutes they let us in (I was amazed at how well they handled seating a hugh theatre (I'd say about 1300 seats) with three levels so quickly - 5 to10 minutes, and the show was off. I had great seats at the third row of the Mezannine. This is a show NOT to be missed. I'm sure it's going to be destined for Broadway like Beauty and the Beast and Lion King. It's 45-50 minutes of what is sure to be a longer show (they left out several plot lines and scenes that will surely be filled in for a Broadway show). But, the music is wonderful, the singers were fantastic, and the staging superb. Even the elephant is there and the carpet is live! (Alas, while Iago is there, Abu is not). The effects, the atmosphere, the quality of singing and dancing here are magnificient. You are truly seeing a Broadway-level production. It was one of those moments where I said - "for this alone it would be worth the price of the ticket".
After the show, I headed out to the "backlot", picked up a mickey pretzel, and saw the Muppets 3D movie (always good), followed by a Millionaire show. Then I went over to the animation exhibit and saw three of the four parts (the animation section was not working unfortunately). The sorcerer's playroom area is cute, nothing too new but the part where you get to put your own voice over short Disney clips is quite cute.
Well it was getting to be dinner time almost, so I went over to the "Bay area", stopping to see "It's tough to be a bug" on the way, then to take the tours of the bread and tortilla factories (free samples in both - but the bread was a bit more interesting with the Whoopy Goldberg explanations), followed by the film on winemaking. I had a nice dinner at the mexican take-out, listening to wonderful entertainment by a 50's group and an Elvis impersonator.
I came out of the area only to be thrust into another great musical group doing jazz/percussion. Bought a couple pins, and finished my DCA trip with a visit to Golden Dreams. This is a wonderful and inspirational movie. Finally a Disney movie that not only inspires, but hints at the real hardships that different Ethnic groups have had to deal with (just a start, but hey it's Disney). Whoopy Goldberg once more leads and narrates the film that truly gives one a sense to work for your passions, and never give up your dreams. Very nice (with a few cute theatre effects thrown in).
I then left to meet the band for the Disney Music Workshop (in the hidden land behind Toontown). If any of you know band directors - encourage them to look into this program for their band - it's great. It encourages band students to look at the music (and the process of being a studio musicican) in a whole new way. I really like the way they did the whole program, and the director we had (I'm sure one of several) was fabulous. It uses a bit of Disney as well, as the band learns to sight read small segments from Disney animations (and puts their score over the segments - the band gets copies). This was a very worthwhile and educational session.
Anyway, by the time the session was over, Toontown was closed (to prepare for fireworks) and a few of us went over to ride "Pooh" on opening day. We watched the fireworks through the trees, as we waited about 45 minutes to go on Pooh. Cute, just like DW one, except no bouncing...Very nice hephalump sequence.
So we walked out of the park, back to the busses, stopping for some evening strawberries with chocolate sauce. All in all a very fun day.
More on day two.....
The first morning after we got in we went to Universal Studios (maybe another post)/City Walk for the day. I was proud and impressed at all the students who were the most prompt group I have ever seen. For every time they were supposed to be at the bus, virtually everyone there was seated and ready to go 5 minutes early. Anyway....
The second day was a Disney day which included the Disney package of demonstrating how studio work and scoring is done.
The group got there about 30 minutes after park opening. I headed straight to DCA since I had not been there before (numerous times to DL). I rode Soaring with very little wait (about 5 minutes). It is an incredible ride! You feel (and smell) like you are there. Wonderful!
Then it was a quick jog over to Screamin' for a FP (already a 55 minute wait). In the interim I went on Mulholland Madness (cute but ordinary), Maliboomer (interesting drop ride since the fast part is going up...), both with only about 5-10 minute waits, and the Ferris Wheel (30 min wait). It was hard to tell if it was a nice ride or not, since they were spending so much time loading and unloading that you never got to go around much at all in any type of continuous motion. The "rocking" cars are interesting, but again, I would like to see what they felt like when the wheel was in regular motion. I did however, get a sky view of some really good tumblers who were doing a perfomance at one of the little amphitheatres, and I mused how Disney still has a flair for keeping the parks filled with quality entertainment.
I then took Screamin' (5-10 min wait with the FP, satand by was already 70-80 min). It's a nice roller coaster (quite a long ride for a coaster) and was the first modern coaster that had the feel of some of the older coasters that I used to go on. Smooth ride, but it didn't seem nearly as smooth to me as the Rock N Roller Coaster at DW.
Overall I have to say that Paradise Pier did not impress me that much, it seems like a slightly spruced up version of the carnival rides you might see at a Six Flags park somewhere. Even the theme and atmosphere seemed pretty ordinary (although drawing Mickey in the middle of the Screamin loop is a nice touch, and the Sun Wheel looks beautiful (but as I say, as a ride not impressive to me). If they really want this place to look more authentic they have to give it a bit more of the "gritty" carnival barker atmosphere - it just seemed too much like a colorful version of an ordinary amusement park
The rest of DCA seemed more like Disney, however. The Soarin ride (see above) was filled with vintage photos of pilots and early airplanes. At several points during the day there was a comedy group dressed in flight suits. Very nice atmosphere.
Anyway... after Screamin' I took the Grizzly river rapids ride (about 10-15 min wait). The ride is a little more fun than the Kali ride at AK (more feel of rapids), but you don't get nearly as drenched in the process (just very wet). In Kali you get beautiful scenery and one hugh drench (at least for those on the down side of the raft), and in Grizzly you get more of a rapids feel with several mild wettings and a big splash with a "twist".
After the rapids I dried off while walking to see if I could get tickets to the Aladdin show. Tickets were out but there was plenty of stand-by seats for the show (45 minutes later). So I waited in line, just watching all of the people in line (it's a BIG theatre). After 35 minutes they let us in (I was amazed at how well they handled seating a hugh theatre (I'd say about 1300 seats) with three levels so quickly - 5 to10 minutes, and the show was off. I had great seats at the third row of the Mezannine. This is a show NOT to be missed. I'm sure it's going to be destined for Broadway like Beauty and the Beast and Lion King. It's 45-50 minutes of what is sure to be a longer show (they left out several plot lines and scenes that will surely be filled in for a Broadway show). But, the music is wonderful, the singers were fantastic, and the staging superb. Even the elephant is there and the carpet is live! (Alas, while Iago is there, Abu is not). The effects, the atmosphere, the quality of singing and dancing here are magnificient. You are truly seeing a Broadway-level production. It was one of those moments where I said - "for this alone it would be worth the price of the ticket".
After the show, I headed out to the "backlot", picked up a mickey pretzel, and saw the Muppets 3D movie (always good), followed by a Millionaire show. Then I went over to the animation exhibit and saw three of the four parts (the animation section was not working unfortunately). The sorcerer's playroom area is cute, nothing too new but the part where you get to put your own voice over short Disney clips is quite cute.
Well it was getting to be dinner time almost, so I went over to the "Bay area", stopping to see "It's tough to be a bug" on the way, then to take the tours of the bread and tortilla factories (free samples in both - but the bread was a bit more interesting with the Whoopy Goldberg explanations), followed by the film on winemaking. I had a nice dinner at the mexican take-out, listening to wonderful entertainment by a 50's group and an Elvis impersonator.
I came out of the area only to be thrust into another great musical group doing jazz/percussion. Bought a couple pins, and finished my DCA trip with a visit to Golden Dreams. This is a wonderful and inspirational movie. Finally a Disney movie that not only inspires, but hints at the real hardships that different Ethnic groups have had to deal with (just a start, but hey it's Disney). Whoopy Goldberg once more leads and narrates the film that truly gives one a sense to work for your passions, and never give up your dreams. Very nice (with a few cute theatre effects thrown in).
I then left to meet the band for the Disney Music Workshop (in the hidden land behind Toontown). If any of you know band directors - encourage them to look into this program for their band - it's great. It encourages band students to look at the music (and the process of being a studio musicican) in a whole new way. I really like the way they did the whole program, and the director we had (I'm sure one of several) was fabulous. It uses a bit of Disney as well, as the band learns to sight read small segments from Disney animations (and puts their score over the segments - the band gets copies). This was a very worthwhile and educational session.
Anyway, by the time the session was over, Toontown was closed (to prepare for fireworks) and a few of us went over to ride "Pooh" on opening day. We watched the fireworks through the trees, as we waited about 45 minutes to go on Pooh. Cute, just like DW one, except no bouncing...Very nice hephalump sequence.
So we walked out of the park, back to the busses, stopping for some evening strawberries with chocolate sauce. All in all a very fun day.
More on day two.....
