Adventureland and New Orleans Square at Disneyland

The tiny walkable area of Disneyland’s Frontierland (next part!) surprised me most, but both Adventureland and New Orleans Square were small and quaint too. Out of all the lands, I probably spent the least time in Adventureland because it was always congested.

Although Disneyland lacks some of my favorite animatronic shows that Magic Kingdom has, Walt Disney’s Enchanted Tiki Room was wonderfully charming as always.

I enjoyed the preshow, but the tiki idols weren't lowering from Tangaroa's branches.

Wake up, Jose!

I saw the Tiki Room once a day, and it was awesome to see the show where Audio-Animatronics had its start. My favorite song was the flowers’ chant.

Just like Mr. Lincoln, during the first couple of times I watched the show, the theater was practically empty. During the last time I saw it, though, it was a full house.

The Magic Fountain--sitting atop a counter intended for the restaurant that evolved into the Tiki Room--blew me away, as the WDW Tiki Room lost its fountain years ago.

I like how people are wandering through the theater exit in this picture… “oh, what’s this?!”

The Adventureland Bazaar is an interesting combination of merchandise shop, pressed penny emporium, and restaurant seating area.

I knew the Jungle Cruise was squeezed between Indiana Jones Adventure and Tiki Room, but I had no idea how little space there was between the Adventureland walkway and the JC dock. The queue is well-designed for such a tight footprint.

Like most attractions, I rode it several times, including once at night, making it a neat experience by flashlight.

Looks like a skipper is in training.

Sitting in the back of the boat, I was able to capture some unusual angles.

It was amazing to think of the historical importance that the Jungle Cruise holds, like almost all Disneyland attractions!

Probably the park’s most intense ride, Indiana Jones Adventure was experiencing some maintenance issues, with the snake and finale (rolling boulder) scene both not working. Even with that, it was still impressive to a first-timer like me.

 The standby line was entirely outside, but as the temple entrance was the merge point with Lightning Lane, they let you walk quickly through the expansive indoor queue.

One Adventureland attraction I missed was the former Tarzan's Treehouse, which you can see covered in scaffolding in the above picture. I'll be interested to see what it becomes.

Pirates of the Caribbean was one of the first attractions that my family rode. I was expecting the drawn-out cave scenes at the ride’s start, but those atmospheric scenes really do take you to another place. 

My favorite part of the ride’s first half might be the dark tunnel following the cave scenes, when all is quiet. I loved the voice that says “No fear have ye…” before you emerge to see the Wicked Wench, cannons firing.

Strangely, all the “chase” turntables were working the first time I rode Pirates, but later in the week, just one of them was turning. The attraction had just reopened from a months-long refurbishment at the end of June, however, so all of the sets were properly lit. I also loved the gunfight finale scene, another thing that WDW’s PotC lacks.

I got my family reservations to eat in the Blue Bayou, which was one of my mom’s favorite parts of the trip. It was enjoyable to watch the Pirates boats floating by in the shadows, and it’s funny to think that several hundred people passed while we ate dinner, completely unaware. My one sister got the Monte Cristo sandwich, and she didn’t know what she was getting herself into!

The streets of New Orleans Square were a little crowded, but I loved seeing the area for the first time, knowing it set a new standard for many of the lands that followed it. 

Although the Court of Angels has been closed for a long time, I was still able to get a taste of the smaller Royal Courtyard next to Pirates.

I took the below picture to capture the faux ship masts attached to the NOS rooftops, a fascinating use of forced perspective. 

My favorite Disneyland attraction might just be the Haunted Mansion. 

In a park with such an amazing lineup of darkrides, its atmosphere is unparalleled. I did it upwards of seven times, including when there was no line, meaning I could be in and out in ten minutes. 

It feels shorter than the Magic Kingdom version overall, but the Disneyland Stretching Room is better. One of my favorite details is how when the Ghost Host says, “There’s always my way” and the lights go out, you can feel the elevator hitting the lower level hard below your feet. Stuff like that can’t be imitated in any online POV video.

It was interesting seeing Disneyland maintenance in action. The “let me out” coffin wasn’t lifting for the first few days I rode the Mansion, but it was fixed by the end of the week.

I'll be doing a full post of nighttime pictures eventually, but I couldn't wait to share this shot of a full moon above the Haunted Mansion.

The Disneyland Railroad is useful for transportation as well as sightseeing. I just can’t believe that Disney has let the Walt Disney World Railroad sit idle for years by comparison.

They were running three trains on the track most days, and it was fun watching all the engines chug past.

Want to be considered a genius by your friends or family? Tell them the fun fact that the NOS Station telegraph spells out “Ward Kimball sucks.” (Does anyone get that joke??)

Up next, we’ll be visiting Frontierland and Critter Country. We’ll also soon be taking a side trip to Knott’s Berry Farm in two parts. It took me a little longer to finish this post than I would have liked, but I hope to have the next one up by September 18th at least. Thanks for reading!