The Matterhorn: A Disney Attraction Review : Looking for Yetis 9+ out of 10

I had one goal on the way home from work on Friday.

That goal was to see the new Yeti from the Matterhorn at Disneyland.   I had heard whispered rumors that a new Yeti had taken residence in the old Mountain and I had to see it for myself.

I remember back in the 1970's when I was a little kid and the first Yeti took up residence in this mountain.  That commercial made me afraid to go on the attraction. In the commercial it looked like you went past a Yeti that was the size of Gozilla.   When I went on the ride I broke out in laughter --because Harold the Yeti wasn't nearly as scary as the advertisement made him out to be.   I have always loved the attraction despite the Yeti not being so scary.

I arrived at the park via Monorail and starting walking around

 the outside of this mountain I saw evidence of his presence.

The Matterhorn was closed for awhile earlier this year --but reopened on May 22nd 2015 with a couple of new surprises.    

New enhanced special effects that bring a renewed sense of excitement to a ride that has been around since 1959 and was the first tubular steel  continuous track roller coaster.  

The new effects include a projected image of the Yeti at the top of the hill that starts your ride.  This effect and its use of sound are a really cool addition to this classic coaster ride.  The ride also has enhanced sound effects for a section of the ride that goes through darkness that makes you feel like the new Yeti is breathing down your neck.

The new Yeti himself is a great addition to the ride.  I will miss Harold  (the old Yeti) --but his replacement is much more dynamic and full of energy and make this old coaster seem new again.  

I foolishly attempted to get photographic evidence of this beast, but anyone who has seen the show  "Finding Bigfoot" will know how difficult --capturing a Yeti on camera is.

I will keep scaling this Matterhorn in search of Adventure for years to come in search of this beast as it is still very much an E Ticket attraction.

For a look at the new Yeti and effects --Check out this Disney Parks Blog video.

Follow my Disney facebook page is below

 https://www.facebook.com/braddisneylandblog 

Kilimanjaro Safaris: Family Attraction Review 10 out of 10 Part 1 Elephants

Absolutely one of my Favorite Attractions of all time is the Kilimanjaro Safaris.  This ride is a 10 out of 10 to me . You will see something difference every time.  I've never been on an actually Safari in Africa --but I can't imagine it being cooler than this ride. If I had more time on my vacation I could do this attraction about 6 times in one day.  This is the realization of what Walt Disney originally really wanted for the Jungle Cruise.  It brings those animatronic animals to life.

On our trip we had one day in each park and there was a lot to see--so on this trip we only got to do this ride one time...But I can't wait to go back for again to ride this over and over again.

Here is Part 1 of  our trip The Elephants of Kilimanjaro Safaris.

 

The shot is a glimpse at the youngest member of the herd behind the grasses.

Follow my Disney facebook page is below

 https://www.facebook.com/braddisneylandblog 

A Disney Attraction Review: Expedition Everest

Expedition Everest a ride review:

Everest was at the top of my bucket list for our recent trip to Disneyworld.  It was still being built the last time I was in Orlando-- so I had been waiting over 10 years to go on this ride.  As I had described in an earlier blog we had fastpasses for the ride and it broke down --right when our fastpass time came up which lead us to hit this ride at the end of the day.  (I wasn't leaving Animal Kingdom without tackling this mountain).

When you build something up in your mind for that long you are bound to be disappointed like many people were with the Phantom Menace.   Well this mountain definitely looked menacing from a distance....but would it just be a glorified Matternhorn?

Would I be disappointed???

We made our way past all the warning of a dangerous  Yeti.

 Here is a cool shot of the Mountain as we got closer to our goal.

 The ride actually lived up to the hype.  I absolutely loved it and as I described in my blog about "sometimes a ride breaking down can be a good thing"  --we ended up doing it 3 times in a row at the end of the day with a minimal wait time.   

The design and look of this ride is incredible.  The details in the line that give you clues of what to expect are amazing.  The imagineering trips to Nepal was worth it.  Like the rest of Animal Kingdom the attention to detail is stunning and really takes you on an adventure.

The ride itself is designed so well (despite its barely functioning Yeti).  It starts out kind of slow and then picks up and gets better and better as the ride goes along.   The point when you hit the top of the mountain and see the broken track in front of you is epic.  Then you are sent hurtling backwards and then back forwards again after an encounter with the fabled Yeti.   The thrills on this ride are top notch and it definitely is the E Ticket attraction of the Animal Kingdom.  Well worth the wait and a 10 out of 10 in my book.   

I would say that it is too intense for younger kids.  My stepdaughter that is afraid of coasters in general (despite taking on and loving both Test Track and Seven Dwarves Mine Train) would have found this ride too intense

Here is some cool Merchandise from the ride.

My Disney facebook page is below

 https://www.facebook.com/braddisneylandblog 

A Disney Attraction Review: Test Track

I remember the last time I had visited Epcot over 10 years ago and the thing I was most excited to see was Mission Space.   It was the newest ride and therefore at the top of my to do list.  Well Test Track ended up being my surprise favorite ride from that trip. (Mission Space just made me have to sit down for a while to pick my stomach off the ground) .  So this trip Test Track was on my radar and we were equipped with a Fastpass to avoid the long lines.   Test Track has been through a refurbishment since my last trip so had a new fresh look to replace the old Test Dummy theme from before.

The inside portion of the ride feels and looks like it was meant to be a Tron Themed ride.  I think that is what they may have wanted to do Tron –but instead stayed with a theme that was in line with their sponsor.  The ride has pretty much the same theme as before with you taking a car on a test drive to see how it handles all the elements and situations a car will have to deal with. The new look and interactive elements make it even better than was before.

The dark ride portion is fun and the high speed racing through banked turns finish is a blast.   I can imagine how much better it would have been with a total Tron makeover and the sounds of Daft Punk playing during your ride  The mega-hit Radiator Springs Racers in DCA’s Carsland is based on Test Track which is such a good ride system.  Test Track is definitely the highlight ride currently at Epcot and the additions they added during its refurbishment have made it even better.   Test Track is one of the attractions that Disney has made better with the addition of an interactive line that adds to the ride and even after the ride.  You get to virtually design your own car before you ride and then the ride gives your design scores throughout the attraction.  The kids could have spent a half an hour just designing their cars. Here were their designs in progress:

 The kids loved the competitive aspect of the attraction and then after the ride there was a whole section with interactive experiences. The kids could make a commercial featuring the car they had designed and race it in a game.  The fun was endless—we literally had to drag the kids out of there in order to do more stuff. Below is a picture of the game where you could race your design.

I’d say that this ride got the approval of the entire family from start to finish line.  It is an E Ticket in the traditional sense and definitely the  best ride currently at Epcot.   A 10 out of 10  --With a Tron theme it would be an 11 out of 10.

My Disney facebook page is below

 https://www.facebook.com/braddisneylandblog