Ride Reviews
BIG THUNDER MOUNTAIN: 09/10
Still remains one of the best rides in the park. The queue times hit 45-60 minutes pretty easily in summer, so make sure you make use of the FastPass ticket, or get there at the start of the day. The queue area makes the tedium a little lesser, but it can still be uncomfortable on a hot day. Ride this a few times, it never gets old!
Phantom Manor: 09/10
Still a classic. The queue got up to 45 minutes when I went, but most of the time it's around the 10-15 minute mark. If you go at the right time of day, you'll be fine. The spookiest bit of the ride is probably the moving room sequence at the start when the lights go out. Small children may be spooked by this. The actual ride is very well engineered and has some comic and tragic elements to it. I'd recommend riding this twice a day if possible.
Pirates of the Carribean: 09/10
If a ride ever deserved 10/10, it's this - but I never give perfect marks! The music still gives me excited chills when I hear it. I can still smell the dampness of the place now. I love this ride more than I love chocolate cake, and that's quite alot. Ride this 3-4 times a day if you can. The queues rarely get above 15 minutes.
Casey Junior: 07/10
A 'kiddy coaster'. Cute and compact, with nice scenery over the Storybook ride. Well worth riding if the queue is short or you're with the kids. Probably not worth queuing twice in one day for.
Storybook Canal Boats: 06/10
Not a right lot to say about these. The scenes could be a lot more detailed and a lot bigger. Some of them are hard to see. Unless my eyes deceive me, the Little Mermaid scene doesn't actually contain Ariel! Ride it once if the queue isn't too big.
It's a Small World: 09/10
Very cute, very sweet - perhaps too much so for some. The queue is never over 5 minutes except in exceptional circumstances. The ride capacity is huge so you're normally straight on. Definitely do this if you're there with kids or as a couple. One word of warning, the song will be in your head for weeks afterwards. Get on this a couple of times in a day.
Peter Pan's Flight: 07/10
To this day I still don't understand the fuss about this ride. The queue can be anything up to 75 minutes in summer. The ride itself lasts about 2 minutes, and isn't very different to the other dark rides in Fantasyland. Worth going on once perhaps - but are you willing to use a FastPass to ride it?
Mad Hatter's Tea Cups: 06/10
A fun enough ride which could last longer, but with queues lasting up to 30 minutes, they need to get people on and off in double quick time! Don't ride just after lunch!
Snow White and the Seven Dwarves: 07/10
A pleasant enough dark ride with some scary moments which may spook young children. Worth going on once or twice.
Pinocchio: 07/10
Again, a decent enough dark ride with some nice effects. I think the cars move too quickly though. Even after two rides, some details still flash you by.
Star Tours: 07/10
Seemed a little outdated this time. It should be slightly longer. Perhaps it's time for them to change the video? It gets a little same-ish after the 2nd or 3rd time.
Disneyland Railroad: 07/10
A nice relaxing change from all the traditional rides. The Grand Canyon diaroma, the It's a Small World bridge and the Pirates viewpoint are well worth the ride.
Lancelot's Carousel: 05/10
My lowest mark. It just isn't that exciting. The horses don't move up and down as much as they should, and the ride is slow and short.
Cars: 07/10
A nice ride in WDS. Feels like you're going to crash, so is quite exciting. Queues can be 20 minutes or more so make sure you go at the right time of day.
Studio Tram Tour: 07/10
The effects are spectacular, but I feel that the water/fire routine alone isn't enough to warrant a 15 minute ride. It needs that little bit more to justify queuing for 25-30 minutes.
Animation Studio: 08/10
An enjoyable and comedic look at drawing Disney's Mushu. The after show Animation Acamedy is fantastic. There are 12-15 easels with a guide at the front showing you how to draw a certain character. Well worth waiting for.
That's about all we went on. I'll post soon showing what we did on each day so you can base an itinerary around our visit.