The Mark Twain is coming back, and I’ll look forward to riding it along the river again.
Shout out: Happy Mutant @Otherbrother is one of the engineers who’s worked on that proud vessel over the years.
[quote]a 5/8 scale recreation of a steamboat—the first one built in America since approximately 1905.[/quote]To be clear, it’s really just some electrical thing running along a track on the bottom of the river, right?
There is a track directing the boat’s course but it is a real steam-driven paddlewheeler. (The boiler is heated by diesel fuel).
I have to say that the author of that Wikipedia article really doesn’t know much about steam engines if he thinks the exhaust is rerouted back to the boiler!
I’m assuming it is a two-cylinder double acting single expansion condensing engine. Can anybody who has seen it verify and if so fix Wikipedia with an edit? (Two cylinder steam engines have to be double acting so that they can start in the correct direction from any position of the crankshaft; the cranks are at 90 degrees).
Gosh, that’s some dedication. I suppose the mechanics must be fairly simple if it’s still cost-effective over some combination of electric motors and fog machines.
Is the wishing well grotto still there? That was my quiet chill spot.
It definitely is, and it’s still a quiet refuge on the busiest noisiest days.
I like the art museum over Pirates as a quiet spot, although there’s not really anywhere to sit. Also, frequently the old cartoon theater on Main Street is empty and quiet, aside from the anvils dropping on heads or what have you.
And when the train comes back, that’s actually quite a relaxing ride around the park. I took my daughter once when she was very young, and when she passed out I rode it around the park twice while she napped on my shoulder. You never have to get off the train if you don’t want to.
Other nice quiet spots:
• Blue Bayou restaurant (though the food is pricey)
• the ‘nature walk’ near Grizzly Peak at California Adventure
• upstairs at the Terrace wine bar at California Adventure, which used to be my all-time favorite secret hideaway where you could sip some wine on a hidden terrace overlooking the park, shaded by trees. Sadly now you have to order ‘tapas’ to sit up there, so nevermind!
Do they still offer seven minutes in heaven?
manybellsdown, the Disney Gallery, which used to reside above the entrance to Pirates of the Caribbean, is now a private hotel suite. The new Disney Gallery (possibly called Disneyana at this point) is now located at the very front of the park on the right in Town Square, on the site the old savings bank. It is the first building you come to as you emerge from beneath the railroad tracks.
As long as I get my 2 minutes of hate, all is well.
You know, in 30 years in California and probably a dozen+ trips to Disneyland, I went to California Adventure exactly once. Which is silly, because you can drink there!
@RichardKaufman ooh, didn’t realize! It’s been awhile since I hit that art gallery. I didn’t know it had moved!
I will say that California Adventure has vastly improved since it first opened. Still a bit lean on stuff to do, but it’s gotten prettier and less junky, with better food and better rides. And the new World of Color show is pretty neat. Though if you want to drink at Disneyland, your best bet is to walk over to the Disneyland Hotel and visit the wonderful Trader Sam’s tiki bar, where the drinks have ‘special effects’ and the teriyaki burger is terrific.
I second that vote for Trader Sam’s. But go early or it gets very crowded (like everything else in that vicinity!).
There are some things you just can’t fake with special effects. The sights, sounds, smells and physical sensation of being in the presence of a full-scale steam engine is a hard experience to replicate. And Walt himself was somewhat of a steam engine officionado, so it’s not surprising he’d go all in for something like that.
I have been there! We bought every drink that came with a stupid souvenir cup because that’s kind of our thing.
Trader’s Sam rocks, and you must buy a Zombie mug. Can’t help it.
