For speed and thrills we rode the Radiator Springs Racers at Cars Land. It starts out slow with a Sunday afternoon type ride through scenic mountain passes, continues with a journey through auto shops getting prepped for a race, and ends in a heart pounding speed contest against another car. I get car sick but I do this for Alex. At one point the car speeds over three rolling hills in quick succession. My stomach drops out on the third one but I say I can take it. Except it is followed by a hard bank to the right which jolts my clinging stomach over the left side door of the race car and deposits it somewhere splayed back there on the side of the race track... every @#$%#@ time... even though I know it is coming and I prepare for it. Alex loves every minute. We did this attraction three times, twice during the day and once with the evening lighting. I guess I am a glutton for punishment.
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| This is our second of three rides on the racers. I was determined to smile for the photo but I guess those hills and steeply banked curves got to me. Alex loved it all! |
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| The evening illumination at the Radiators Springs Racers is just gorgeous. Here are Frank and Alex on our way to our third race of the day. We had dinner at Flo's V-8 Cafe in Cars Land... after the race of course! |
While in Cars Land we also rode Luigi's Flying Tires, huge tires that floated on a field of air and were steered by which way we leaned. Frank and Alex took a turn at Mater's Junkyard Jamboree, jaunty square dancing tractors that swing your partner round and round.
For bumps, twists, and wetness, all three of us rode Grizzly River Run. It started out serene enough with a gentle float along a waterway, followed by a steady chugga-chugga climb up a wood slatted inclined belt power by a waterwheel where a few sprinkles of wayward water drops is the most thrill you can expect. Then our big circular raft was unceremoniously dumped into a raging turbulent downhill flash flood where we spun and dipped and lurched while huge sloshes of water drenched just about every bit of us. Alex squealed with glee and kept proclaiming "Wet! Wet!" Somehow the cool water negated my nausea sufficiently that I could survive this ride also. We rode this one twice, but not in a row. There was recovery time in between.
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| Well, what do you think Alex. Are you ready to get wet? |
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| This photo was take from a helicopter 500 feet up. I snatched it from a Disney website to illustrate how "calm" a ride it was. |
Not far from Grizzly Peak is Condor Flats where we rode Soarin' Over California. We experienced the wind blowing in our face, the smell of orange groves, the splash of water from nearly dunking our feet as we flew over various areas of California just as if we were in our very own our hang-gliding craft. We made a stop at Hollywood Land for a hot dog lunch and to experience a ride through Monstropolis aboard the attraction Monsters, Inc. Mike & Scully to the Rescue.
We also had a brief foray into a bug's land where Frank and Alex shared a bumper car in Tuck and Roll's Drive 'Em Buggies. Part of the fun of that ride for me was watching them fit their two butts side by side in that bug-sized seat. We saw a 3-D It's Tough to Be a Bug theatre show and Frank and Alex rode Heimlich's Chew Chew Train; it "maneuvered" among and about large scaled partially eaten watermelons slices, cupcakes, and other food tidbits that bugs would find gourmet pleasure in discovering abandoned on the ground. Alex also hung out amidst the shooting jets of water that arced their way randomly at Princess Dot's Puddle Park. I marveled at what a beautiful day it was as I looked up at the sky from under the large foliage scaled to give me an insect's perspective.
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| Bumper cars are always fun, especially these rubber baby buggy bumpers. |
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| Beautiful blue sky peeks in between the huge leaf coverage. |
For romantic Disney magic we rode the Ariel's Undersea Adventure at Paradise Pier. This attraction has clamshell shaped carts that take you smoothly and slowly "under the sea" and retells the story of The Little Mermaid Disney movie classic. The music is lovely and lively, the colors are soothingly serene at times, calypso cheery at others. I think Alex has a bit of a crush on Ariel so he likes this ride. It is more my speed. We rode it three times. Frank and Alex also rode the nearby mini-rollercoaster called Goofy's Sky School.
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| The Little Mermaid is a favorite movie of mine and Alex's and this tame attraction really captures the mood, spirit and colors of the story. We could just relax and enjoy being under the sea for a few minutes. |
We watched a parade in the late afternoon after which torrents of bubbles were pumped out over the path of the parade. Who doesn't love bubbles? Alex is a huge fan even at his age. But just remember, Lawrence Welk liked bubbles too and his TV variety show with its bubble theme was popular for over three decades.
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| So many bubbles to pop and so little time... |
We finished the evening with the 28 minute long show World of Color. In order to get a spot where Alex had good view while seated we had to be there at 7:40pm for a 9:00pm show to stake out a place in the front row of a slightly elevated area. We just hung out for that time. Alex chilled while Frank and I played the 7 Little Words game on our cell phones. Images of clips from movies were projected on a screen formed by sprays of water. It was pretty neat seeing Alex recognize and point out the gargantuan sized images of his favorites, Belle, Beast, Ariel, Woody and Buzz Lightyear. There were also fire, fog, fountain, and laser special effects. We were so close we really, really, felt the heat from the flames, even being outside the wet zone from the sky high fountains that spouted upward and swayed to and fro in time to the music. When the show finished we exited the park, shuffling among the throngs of guests and catching glimpses of the fireworks from Disneyland across the way. It was close to 10:30 pm before we arrived back at our hotel room and collapsed. Our fun-filled day at California Adventure had begun at 8:20am!
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| We had great seats. We were right up against the knobbed railing that's barely visible in the foreground. At some points those fountains would shoot up six or more times that height and lean sideways 45° or so. |
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