Disneyland ... Old Favorites and New Thrills

We're back from a week spent in Southern California with our son's family. We spent three days at the Disneyland parks (Disneyland and California Adventure). It was our first trip back since taking our family there when our children were about the grandkids' ages (9 and 11). Disneyland is everything I could ever imagine it to be and so much more. I love it when something so far exceeds my expectations, it blows my mind. Note: I didn't take any of these pictures, but borrowed them from Disney promo websites, so as not to bore you with my own, decidedly non-professional shots.

In the original Disneyland Park, an old favorite of mine, Pirates of the Caribbean, has been delightfully updated with Jack Sparrow. I discovered him peeking out of about three scenes during the ride.

Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom isn't new, but was new to us and, again, simply delightful. The imagination that goes into everything at Disney is mind boggling.

Space Mountain was my favorite ride, however California Screamin' now ties with it.

On Space Mountain, it's as if you're traveling through space at Mach speed, and it's all in the dark, so there are twinkling lights all around you as you hurl through dips and turns. It's basically a roller coaster in a pitch black room.

Which brings me to the other roller coaster, over in the new park, California Adventure, called California Screamin'. What a WONDERFUL roller coaster it is!

Talk about excitement. It takes you from 0-55 mph in FOUR seconds at the start (see picture at right). Sooooooo fun!

There are a couple of  steep climbs, dips and 180 degree turns that had me screaming for joy, plus the highest drop of 120 feet. The ride lasts only 2.5 minutes, and I was so sorry when it ended.

As we were making the loop, it felt as if we had slowed down considerably (maybe we had), which enables riders to thoroughly enjoy the time it takes the train to climb the loop, become completely inverted, and then make its way down the other side.

This was the only part of the ride that felt slightly rough; the rest was smooth as air.

The Cars race car ride was also fun, however it was the ride with the longest wait ... 35 minutes.

The Soaring over California ride takes IMAX to a new level. You sit in a row of seats (left), and then are brought forward and a few feet above the ground to simulate being in a Hang Glider while sailing over California, seeing it all around you. You even smell the scent of evergreens and orange trees.



Of course, there are a hundred more things to do and see at Disneyland, but these were my faves!