Anyone who knows anything about me knows that I am not a very big thrill seeker, especially in the form of roller coasters or simulators and what not. It's a big part of why, outside of Disneyland, I'm not a huge fan of amusement parks and the lot. I don't go to Disneyland for the rides (although there are many that I absolutely love), I go because of the experience. Is it surprising to anyone that I don't tend to make the venture into Tomorrowland all that often? Easily the two biggest attractions in this corner of Disneyland are Space Mountain and Star Tours. So we have a roller coaster and a simulator ride? Methinks they are not on my agenda. Ever. Or at least they were up until the new Nemo subs opened up replacing the space that used to be 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea back in 2007, which is a ride that I would venture over to see if it wasn't for lines that would go on for well over an hour.
OK, so my point is this: I don't spend a lot of time in Tomorrowland.
I've literally been on two rides in Tomorrowland to date: Atuopia and the Finding Nemo Submarine Voyage and that is it. The whole theme of this years Disneyland trips (both this one and the one back in March) was all about trying new things. So guess where we were headed next? Not that there was any way she was going to get me on Star Tours, and Space Mountain was a no-go no matter what since it was closed while they installed a new Halloween theme for this years festivities. But there were a couple of things I could still try for the first time. Like the Buzz Lightyear Astro Blasters!
How can I best describe the Astro Blasters? It's like one bug, moving video game. You get into your Star Cruisers and you shoot at little targets with your hand held laser guns and you get points for every enemy target that you hit. It was an absolute blast and with a short wait time of 5 minutes while we were there, it was definitely worth it. And since it has the FastPass option I'd even give it another go during a busier season.
Let me just say that I totally kicked Andrea's butt at this one!
It felt pretty good. Games like those have never really been my strong suit, but what the hey.
And then of course there's Innoventions, which is even harder to describe than the Astro Blasters. It's not a ride, but more of a walk-through exploration kind of thing. Upon entering you play this little game show sponsored by ABC (total product plug, but what else do you expect) before you get the opportunity to explore the Elias family Dream Home, which is riddled with all kinds of high-tech digital technology. Out of all the rooms we really only discovered the full potential in one, thanks to the help of one of your friendly neighborhood cast member. It was the daughters bedroom equipped with a crazy magic mirror that lets you 'try' on clothes without actually having to put them on. It as pretty funny actually. And I loved changing the posters on the wall. I had me some fun doing some silly dancing all thanks to the poster of the dancer that us we when we went in there. Every room had something fun to discover and play with. But you have to keep in mind, the entire thing is a big old ad for Microsoft, HP, and all of the other companies involved. Again, what else do you expect these days?
The second floor didn't house too much interest for me. There were a lot of video games and what not. The only thing that I may have liked to see, but didn't think of because I was exhausted and ready to head back to the hotel at that point, was the ASIMO presentation.
But here are a few photos of the fun we had:
And thus ended my first day at Disneyland. Between the few hours of sleep, the loooooooong drive, and a day spent in the hot sun had me pretty sleepy at close to 7. No way was I going to be able to make it until park closing at 8 p.m. and still be able to make the walk back to the hotel before I actually fell asleep. I don't think sleepwalking along Harbor Blvd. would be that great of an idea. So Andrea and I parted ways at Innoventions so she could have the fun she wanted while I made plans to go catch some zzzzz's.
Coming up: Day 2 begins with a Royal Breakfast.
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