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View Full Version : First Visit to DCA (long TR)



beanpole
01-24-2004, 12:16 AM
I visited DCA for the first time on 1/9/04. I arrived at the entrance around 4:00 on a Friday as the sun was setting. My first impression of the entranceway was how much it reminded me of Downtown Disney in terms of overall look and feel, though with the music levels turned waaaay up. Not being a Bob Seger fan and having already spent too much money in the shopping complex next door, I made a beeline for SoC in the Condor Flats area.

There was no wait in the standby line (the park was sparsely populated) so I walked right into the airplane hanger. It's a good thing that I didn't have to spend much time waiting in the various queue areas, since there wasn't much to see anywhere in the building other than flat painted walls and some airplane photos. However, I was blown away by the attraction itself. The spectacular images, the wind in my face, the smells, the seamless merging of motion and vision, the music - everything worked together to create an unforgetable experience.

Grizzly River Run was next on the agenda. As nightfall was rapidly approaching, lighting effects were beginning to work their magic on the beautiful rockwork and churning water. I loved how this attraction reminded me of the Matterhorn in some of its theming. Racing through the dark and mysterious tunnels with the grizzly bear-like wind howling in my ears, plungin over waterfalls and spinning madly through the beautiful rockwork, I never wanted it to end. Upon exiting (drenched but very happy), I decided to take in a theatre show.

ITTBAB in the the Bug's Land seemed to be a good choice. Of all the Disney '4-D' type attractions, I think ITTBAB was the most exciting I've experienced, though the very first time seeing a movie-based show is always going to be the best. The Hopper AA figure was especially fascinating to watch and the spider attack sequence had me laughing uncontrollably. Afterward, I took a quick stroll around the area to see how the kiddie rides had been worked into the theme. With the lighting and sound effects everywhere, I as suitably impressed.

For dinner, I backtracked to the wharf area and ordered nachos from the Cucina Cucamonga Mexican Grill stand (right after grabbing a free tortilla from the Mission factory next door). As for overall quality, they were about on par with Taco Bell Nacho Bellgrandes, though much larger and with chicken instead of hamburger meat. Oh, and priced much higher. Too bad I couldn't find any hot sauce anywhere. Overall, it was okay.

Now that I was stuffed to the gills with cheese sauce and refried beans, the time was right for a pleasant little roller coaster ride. As I crossed the bridge across the lake towards the carnival area, I stopped to marvel at the sight of the pier's beautifully illuminated rides reflected in the water. My ride on California Screaming was exhilarating and thrilling, yet amazingly smooth. The music effects worked brilliantly too. I really wasn't unhappy with the unadorned queue area, since the ride itself was such a blast. Nevertheless, this would be a good candidate for FastPass had there been a line. As the park was practically empty, the ride was a direct walk-on for me.

I took a quick stroll around the Pier area. Out of mild curiosity, I went for a ride on the wildmouse coaster. I'd rate it a "2" out of "10" on the entertainment scale. Generally, carnival rides don't do much for me, so I lost interest and headed back to the Grizzly Peak area in search of something to do.

Upon glancing at my watch, I was surprised to see that only 2 and a half hours had passed since entering the park. I figured that I could fit in a couple of other attractions before 7:00 PM, which would give me a solid 3 hours of touring time at Disneyland before closing. With this in mind, I visited the Animation Building in the Hollywood section of the park. The main entrance, with the film clips displayed across multiple screens in a manner similar to a Vegas sports bar, was nice. The film about Walt was also... nice, though I winced when Walt's voice-over delivered the words, "...and quality will out..." just as Eisner's face pops up on the screen wearing a slightly smug expression. The do-it-yourself animation area was... nice too.

Having already seen Muppets 3-D at MGM-Disney in Florida and having already seen another 3-D movie in DCA, I skipped it. The Hollywood section was underwhelming in terms of attractions and overall scope, but when ToT opens, that's going to change.

I took in a showing of the Golden Dreams movie. I suppose that it would have made for a good viewing in a High School history class, but it didn't do much for me in a theme park environment. Being alone in the theatre probably didn't help. And with that attraction under my belt, I left DCA and headed straight for DL.

So, I managed to experience most of DCA's major attractions in 3 hours, largely possible due to a total lack of lines. My takeaway impression? I felt that DCA enhanced my day at the Resort. Could I spend an entire day there and feel that I got my money's worth? No. Am I willing to pay an extra $3.00 a day for a park hopper pass so that I may combine DCA with DL in one day? Sure, that's a good deal. I had a good time there.

But the question that I cannot answer definitively, even after weeks of reflection, is whether I think that DCA is a 'good' theme park. Remembering the beautiful scenery (particularly after dark) and the exciting attractions, I'd say, "yes." Remembering the bland queue areas for some of the rides, the incessant and inescapable music blaring out from loudspeakers everywhere, the over-reliance on film-based attractions (which for me lack the repeatability of other types of attractions), and the relative dearth of attractions overall, I'd say, "not really." Still, I will purchase park hopper tickets from this moment forward and consider DCA to be a welcome addition to my Disney experience.

Forbin
01-24-2004, 12:20 AM
You should've tried Aladdin.

MrTomMorrow
01-24-2004, 12:21 AM
Thanks for that trip report!

It's always neat to see the park from a new perspective, from somebody experiencing the park for the very first time.

Yes, Aladdin would have added tremendously to your trip, in my opinion.

beanpole
01-24-2004, 12:26 AM
Yes, Aladdin would be perfect for earlier in the day. Next time, I'll give it a try!

EandCDad
01-24-2004, 12:45 PM
Great trip report. My wife was out of town and I took my daughters to DCA earlier this month (we're AP's). We've been there many times but we had the same basic opinion of it. Good to read a fair, balanced report. Thanks.