QF WP’s do Disneyland (LA), Seattle and beyond

[QF WP]

The next attraction that caught their imagination was Autopia, so we lined up (wait was 25 mins) and that gave us a taster of what was to come:



So I joined my daughter in her car and my wife rode with my son. The cars are powered by Honda, so the obvious sponsors of this ride. Each car has an accelerator but no break, just take your foot off and the engine goes to idle.

 

[QF WP]

We had trouble in our car, the engine kept cutting out and my wife and son ran into us a couple of times (but not dogem car hard, just gentle nudges). We reported it when we got back and they advised the next rider about the issue.

As you can see, the car is running (loosely) on a rail system but it does go from side to side but you are unable to run off the track - a good thing as nobody would give my daughter a drivers license yet.





Kids rating: 7/10
Adult rating: 7/10

 

[QF WP]

Onto one that had taken our fancy (the description) and we used our first FastPass at 1:45pm as the line was already at 55 mins long. The time for our Fastpass was 3:25pm to 4:25pm so we knew we had some time to kill, thus onto a gentler ride to ease our way in.

We also knew that the ride was next to where the first of the parades was going past at 3:30pm, so we would be able to see most of the parade from only 25 metres away from the PastPass entrance to the ride. Sounded good so we booked it.

 

[QF WP]

So up into the Toontown section to have some lunch (eminently forgettable but horribly expensive) - whilst we had pre-made sandwiches in my backpack we thought the kids would enjoy some Disney fare. No, whatever it was I have expunged it from my memory banks and took no photos. So onto the “beginners” roller coaster ride (as it was explained. To us by some locals in the line with kids younger than mine)









So you can see the looks of trepidation on my daughters face (and my son was holding onto his mother); but by the end of the ride both were saying “again, again”. As the wait for this ride was relatively short and we had plenty of time, through the exit and back into the line we went.

Kids rating: 7.5/10
Adult rating: 7.5/10

I’ll also post some more photos of the ride as seen from the line as we waited - it literally crossed over our heads

 

[QF WP]

The beginning of the ride, slowly heading for the top.



Here they come over us:





Yes, the second ride confirmed this was an okay ride but now my family were looking for more thrills. I wasn’t quite so sure, this was enough of a stomach dropper for me

 

[rainbowgirl]

Wonderful photos and stories.

If you were all on the ride with the cars, who was looking after bags and belongings? This is one of my concern about going to theme parks.

 

[cove]

There are lockers to hold bags.

 

[sausagefingers]

Loving it, subscribed

 

[QF WP]

Wonderful photos and stories.

If you were all on the ride with the cars, who was looking after bags and belongings? This is one of my concern about going to theme parks.

On most of the rides there is sufficient room in the footwell to put your bags. We put our legs through the carry straps or put them behind our legs (depending on the expected ferocity of the ride). On most rides, there are small pouches with Velcro closures in front that you put in small items (hats, sunglasses, mobiles etc) but it is up to you to check upon exiting the ride. The closest I came was leaving my backpack or mobile on the ride and the following riders, my wife/kids or operators alerted me to my ineptitude.

Final option on some is you put them at the exit side of the ride (where the ride comes back to the same start point) and the only people with access to that side of the ride are the ride operators who are Disney employees. My wife had similar misgivings at the start but after 4 days realized that we did not see or hear of any stolen articles.

Similarly, I was concerned about pickpockets but had no issues nor heard of any issues. Saw no security running after people, etc. it really was more relaxing than walking in LA outside.

 

[QF WP]

So back towards the Matterhorn ride we went but first the 3:30pm parade which goes down the roadway from near our previous ride down past the Matterhorn. We found a shady spot and took photos of most of the all paraders until we spied the FastPass line on the Matterhorn was back to normal levels.

HINT: just because your FastPass time says a certain start time, you don’t have to line up exactly at that time. In fact, on the first day we saw the FastPass line have people milling around it and creating a traffic jam - they wanted to be first on when their time came around. Be more relaxed and turn up 19-15 minutes after your start time (you have an hour window of opportunity - use it)

Parade photos:

 

[JohnM]

Late aboard, but I have an excuse. Slipping into 1A.

 

[QF WP]

More parade photos

 

[RooFlyer]

Nice eucalyptus … like a lot of California!

 

[QF WP]

The final photos

 

[Denali]

Where do all those employees live? Nearby to the park or they travel every day? So many staff.

 

[QF WP]

Okay it was time to hit the Matterhorn FastPass:



No photos beyond here - not the kind of ride you are able to take photos but whilst very fast, I never felt scared. Comfortably in control.

Are there 2 Yeti’s or 3?? My wife felt there was 3 - I heard one in the darkness at the beginning and saw 2 during the ride...

Adults rating: me 8.5/10, Mrs QF WP 8/10
Children rating: 8/10

 

[QF WP]

Onto a more sedate ride - Snow White for my daughter, because at the time it only had a 20 minute line up, it wasn’t far away and there weren’t any good opportunities for FastPassing for any rides from my recollection









I’ll leave you in suspense for what happened inside...

Adult rating: 7/10
Children rating: 7/10

 

[QF WP]

Where do all those employees live? Nearby to the park or they travel every day? So many staff.

I think I heard 80,000 (or was it 18,000). A lot would be casual. Everybody had a city/town on their name tags (their city of birth/where they grew up - I don’t know, didn’t ask). Most, not unexpectedly, were in the SoCal area, but I saw a couple from over East. None from outside USA that I saw.

No idea how they get to the parks, never saw any on the buses.

 

[drron]

There are definitely employees from outside the USA.Our neice had a friend who worked for Disney fir a while.Auditioned for a Princess and ended up a goofy.
Sanctuary Lodges in Botswana second 2 locals every year for 6 months at Disneyworld.

 

[Straubs]

A friend's mum was approached as a teenager while visiting the park to become their Snow White. Apparently she had the right look. She took the paperwork but never followed up, being from Australia and having no immediate plans to move to the US.