Photos by Seth Kubersky

It's no secret that legendary film director Steven Spielberg is a life-long theme park afficiando. As a long-time consultant to Universal Studios, rides based on movies he has created or produced (including classics like ET, Back to the Future, Jaws, Men in Black, and Jurassic Park) have been hits in Orlando, California, and Japan. Spielberg is also known to be a fan of classic Disney films; he had composer John Williams include the melody “When You Wish Upon a Star” in his Close Encounters of the Third Kind score, and his film A.I. is essentially an explicit update of Pinnoccio.

But few fans realize how far back Spielberg's fascination with theme park rides — specifically Disneyland dark rides and E-tickets — goes. Thanks to a fascinating 35-year-old story conference transcript, we have a first-hand account of the lauded filmmaker's pro-Disney fanaticism.

The minutes of this momentous meeting, recorded over a week in late January 1978, document the moment when Spielberg, together with pal George Lucas and screenwriter Lawrence Kasdan, brainstormed the basic backstory of Indiana Jones, and solidified the script outline that would eventually become 1981's Raiders of the Lost Ark. Originally leaked on an Internet film site in 2009 as scan of a grainy photocopy, the document has recently resurfaced as a searchable PDF. These newly accessible transcripts reveal the creative energy that birthed this iconic screen hero, and give insight into these award-winning artists' working methods.

Lucas demonstrates the unparalleled storytelling instincts of his early years, absorbing suggestions from others and then spitting back fully fleshed-out scene descriptions, many described almost shot-for-shot as they appear in the finished film. Spielberg is adorably enthusiastic, spilling forth a flood of incidental ideas — some brilliant (the evil monkey saluting “Heil Hitler”, filling the Well of Souls with snakes), some awful (Indy as a gambling addict?), and some so absurd they worked (at Steven's suggestion that Jones jump out of an airplane without a parachute, later recycled in Temple of Doom, Lucas retorts “That's sort of unbelievable.”). Finally, Lawrence Kasdan (who co-wrote The Empire Strikes Back and is working on the new Star Wars sequels) is largely silent but occasionally offers an excellent idea, like Indy's mentor being Marion's father, and the Nazi monkey giving away Marion's basket hiding place.

But the real goldmine in these transcripts for theme park fans are Spielberg's repeated direct references to Disneyland. The discussion comes in two parts; first, as the team is inventing the famous opening sequence in which Indy navigates a trap-filled native temple, Spielberg says the following:

When the spikes come out and go like that, there should be remains, skeletal remains skewered on some of them, of victims that have been there before. It's kind of like one of those rides at Disneyland.

I would just love to see the guys walking in and there's a whole pile of skeletons, but they're like cardboard, completely flattened, really completely flat. They know that something around here is going to squish them. They don't know what's causing it, but something if they walk the wrong way is going to come out and make them pancakes. The piece should be like a real, horror ride, like a Disneyland ride. Once you're committed to going into that cave, there's seismic rumblings all the time and there's stalagmites and things going drip, drip. It's going to really be a sound experience going through that cave. There's nothing more terrifying than skeletons.

What we're just doing here, really, is designing a ride at Disneyland.

Ironically, that exact sequence later served as inspiration for an actual Disneyland ride, but Spielberg didn't get to help design it. Since Spielberg has been a paid consultant to Universal since the 1980s, it was left to Lucas to help create 1995's Indiana Jones Adventure.

Finally, near the end of the story sessions, the team spitballs a mine train escape planned for the film's finale. The idea was later used for the sequel, but Spielberg's initial idea to film the high-speed sequence inside a classic Disneyland attraction is certainly amusing:

This mine cart thing, we should shoot it at the Disneyland Matterhorn. They go on it at the end, so the final run is an up and a huge down, and the out is over the ocean… Just the last part of the run. It's tracks and a very small closure. It's like where they have the cable to pull the thing up, except this time it's coming down. It's weightless.It's not being run by a machine. The wheels are locked on the track, but there's no machine grinding it forward. It has no brakes. They've gotten onto the tail end. It drops down to the loading zone.

These tidbits barely scratch the surface of the gems to be mined from this treasure trove of a transcript. Read it for yourself, and I guarantee you'll never look at the world's greatest archeologist, or the happiest place on Earth, in quite the same way again!

Rediscovered Transcript Reveals Original Spielberg/Disneyland Connection is a post from the TouringPlans.com Blog. Signup for a premium subscription today! Or get news via Email, Twitter, & Facebook.

All photos copyright Disney

Walt Disney World was on the receiving end of the theme park world's attention last week, thanks to the opening of New Fantasyland. But that doesn't mean WDW's West Coast older brother took the week off. Candlelight ceremonies and the return of a long-absent archeologist were highlights of one of the final moderately-attended periods before the Christmas crowds come.

Crowd Calendar

Quietest Day: Monday 12/3 was a 2 out of 10 at the resort, with 2.1 at Disneyland, and 1.9 at DCA.

Busiest Day: Friday 12/7 was a 7 out of 10 at the resort, with a 6.2 at Disneyland, and 6.9 at DCA.

Subscribe to the Touring Plans Disneyland Crowd Calendar for full details on predicted attendance for the next 30 days.

Special Events

• Disneyland's Holiday season continues through 1/6/2013, with the Holiday Fantasy daytime parade performing daily.
• The Candlelight Processional at Disneyland Park began on 12/1 and runs every day until 12/20. All tickets have already been distributed to VIPs and Annual Passholders, but limited standing-room-only viewing is available around Town Square. Due to stage equipment for the show, access to the Main Street Train Station is currently through the exits. Expect crowd congestion entering and exiting the park after 5pm on show nights.
• Walt Disney was born on December 5, 1901.
• Disney released video of the Cars Land-themed float being constructed for the 2013 Rose Bowl parade on New Year's Day.
• New Park Icon Sketches featuring the Partners Statue and other Disneyland landmarks were revealed, and will be on sale in the Disney Gallery.

• The U.S. Marine Corps collected donations for Toys For Tots in Downtown Disney through 12/10.
• Disney Parks blog published the recipe for Rancho del Zocalo vegetable tamales.
• Guided VIP tours of Disneyland's holiday offerings are available now through the end of the season.
• Now through 1/6, the Believe…In Holiday Magic fireworks show at Disneyland Park interacts with Glow With The Show light-up mouse ear hats.
• Santa is making daily appearances at Big Thunder Ranch's Jingle Jangle Jamboree through the end of the season.
• Holiday decor, seasonal songs, and nightly “snowfalls” have been added to DCA's Mad T Party now through New Years. Glow in the dark collectible pins are also now on sale.
• Fresh hand-made candy canes were prepared at Disneyland's Candy Palace on Monday and Friday, and at DCA's Trolley Treats on Tuesday and Saturday. Arrive at park opening to secure a wristband and be prepared for a long, long, wait if you want one of the $13 sweets!
• Santa Claus posed for (paid) photos in the mornings at the Paradise Pier hotel, and in the evenings at the Grand Californian and Disneyland hotels.
• A modest “holiday village” of merchandise and snack vendors continues operating near the ice skating rink in Downtown Disney.
• Disneyland Resort is now checking photo IDs for all guests holding multi-day tickets. This results in slow entry procedures; be prepared this holiday season to arrive extra early (at least 45 pre-opening) to be one of the first people into the park.

Openings, Closings, and Refurbishments

• Indiana Jones Adventure reopened on 12/7 after an extended refurbishment. Lighting adjustments, scenic improvements, and maintenance repairs were completed during the 3-month overhaul, but no significant new elements were added.
• Construction continues through 2013 on the new Princess Fantasy Faire and Fantasyland Theatre.
• MuppetVision 4D has been temporarily replaced with the Prep & Landing: Naughty vs. Nice 3-D short film for the holiday season.
• A Prep & Landing sequence has also been temporarily added to World of Color performances.

• Mickey’s Fun Wheel reopened from refurbishment a few days early on 12/4.

  

Last Week at Disneyland Resort (12/2/2012 – 12/8/2012) is a post from the TouringPlans.com Blog. Signup for a premium subscription today! Or get news via Email, Twitter, & Facebook.

Image copyright Disney

In the wake of recent refurbishments such as the Matterhorn Bobsleds and Storybook Land, we’ve largely grown accustomed to detailed information on adjustments being made to attractions long before they reopen. But one of Disneyland’s signature E-Tickets has been under wraps for a quarter of a year, and we have little solid evidence of what’s been going on inside in advance of its imminent return.

The Indiana Jones Adventure has been one of the most popular and critically-praised thrills at Disneyland Park since its debut in 1995. But even its most die-hard fans will admit that it has almost always been in need of major repairs. I rank it among my top 5 favorite attractions anywhere, but I’ve never experienced it with every effect working as intended.

Since the ride was shuttered for refurbishment on September 4, Disney has been reticent to delve into what changes will be revealed when the Temple of the Forbidden Eye reopens this Saturday, December 8, outside of this vaguely worded interview in the Orange County Register. Online speculation has centered on the likely addition of OSHA-approved safety features, such as railing on the central bridge, much like Casey Jr.’s Circus Train recently received. Also probable is behind-the-scenes infrastructure upgrades that would hopefully make the breakdown-prone ride more reliable.

But as of the last time I rode, there were dozens of effects both large and small throughout the attraction in dire need of TLC. Without straying into the absurd (no, they aren’t adding a loop) here is my wish list of 5 elements I most want to see improved — or at least operating — the next time I go searching for Dr. Jones:

5. The Spike Chamber

Long before you board Indy’s troop transports, guests get to experience one of the most detailed queue lines Disney’s ever designed. Borne of the necessity to move patrons beyond the park’s berm to a show building built in an ex-parking lot, Indy’s simulated archeological excavation is almost intricate enough to be a walk-through attraction in of itself.

One of the queue’s highlights is a chamber with a suspicious pole standing from floor to ceiling. When guests disregard the warnings and touch the wobbly support, spikes emerge from overhead as the roof begins to descend; thankfully, it retracts before anyone is skewered. Anyone who has seen Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom will recognize this trap room’s inspiration (though thankfully there are no giant centipedes around here).

It’s a wonderful gag that delights first-time viewers, but has been inoperable more often than not for many years. Maybe a more sturdy mechanism could be installed, to insure future adventurers may continue to enjoy this ingenious example of “last gen” interactivity.

4. Decoder Cards

When Indy originally opened in 1995, the iPhone-less crowds waiting multiple hours in line were given decoder cards to help amuse them. Sponsored by AT&T, the cards provided a translation key to the cuneiform-style runes found through the temple. The secret messages don’t contain the mysteries of the universe (closer to A Christmas Story’s “drink your ovaltine”) but they made for a pleasant distraction.

The cards vanished, along with AT&T’s sponsorship, by the turn of the millennium. It would be great to see them return, updated for the 21st century. How about an iOS & Android apps that lets guests translate glyphs with the help of their smartphone camera? There could be a social game component with achievements for documenting different inscriptions. Free Fastpasses for completists! (I wish…)

3. Rat Attack

One of the dangers that you face in Mara’s deadly lair is a pack of rats, as featured in The Last Crusade. Your troop transport drives under vines, across which the rodents are crawling, and some of the vermin tumble into your lap.

At least, that’s what’s supposed to be happening. But this moment has always featured one of the ride’s least successful effects. The rats are a video projected onto a smoke screen, but the atmosphere never seems sufficiently thick to make the image legible. Many first-time riders are left confused but this segment, and some never recognize the rats at all.

As a solution, Disney could start by replacing the current fog screen with a newer mist model (like in Pirates of the Caribbean) and upgrading the projector to HD. Better still, leg ticklers could be installed under the vehicles’ seats (see Universal Studios Hollywood’s Mummy coaster) to viscerally convey the close encounter. And while they’re at it, It’s Tough to Be a Bug-style underseat rollers would plus the lackluster insect area.

2. Harrison Ford

It’s interesting to note that, while Disneyland’s Indiana Jones attraction was created with George Lucas’ authorization and input, series star Harrison Ford was not involved. As a result, a sound-alike voices the three Indy animatronics found inside the ride, which originally bore only a vague facial resemblance to the iconic actor.

Image copyright Disney

In the last few years, however, two of the ride’s animatronics were replaced with new models that much more accurately recreate Ford’s visage, albeit closer to the way he appears in Kingdom of the Crystal Skull than in the vintage films. (The third animatronic is dangling from the ceiling, and his face is virtually invisible.)

That unheralded upgrade gave rise to rumors that perhaps Ford would finally be recruited to record dialogue for Disney, finally adding the missing element of authenticity. Here’s hoping the next time I survive the giant rolling ball, it will be Harrison’s unmistakable voice growling, “Tourists. Why’d it have to be tourists?”

1. Crumbling Ceiling

Speaking of the rolling ball, that finale effect was only the most crucial of many moments that were malfunctioning before Indy’s rehab. Other must-fixes range from the stuck shifting doors at the start to the dodgy air dart corridor. I’ll give Imagineering the benefit of the doubt and assume all those essential effects will be back to working 100%… at least for a few weeks.

But there is one effect that has been disabled so long, it would be nothing short of a holiday miracle if it returned. The illusion I speak of is Indy’s equivalent of Haunted Mansion’s hatbox ghost; something so elusive most fans have only heard of it in whispered legends.

Image copyright Seth Kubersky

Originally, as your vehicle first approached the large central chamber, the massive Mara skull on the opposite side of the chasm fired a laser beam towards you from its all-seeing eye. The blast impacted the roof above the lava pit, causing a chunk of rock to fall from the ceiling.

This startling effect was achieved with a high-capacity ice machine positioned above. The frozen chunks it churned out were colored with dye, and their fall was accompanied by dramatic sound effects that sold the illusion. Unfortunately, the mechanism proved too difficult to maintain, and has been disabled for over a decade.

Rumor holds that the ice-maker is in an inaccessible location for replacement, so I have zero expectations that this request will be fulfilled. But an Indy fan can dream, can’t he?

Whatever ultimately emerges from the Adventureland jungle this weekend, my fervent plea is that they don’t screw it up while trying to improve it. This is (or rather was until recently) a George “Greedo shot first” Lucas product we’re discussing. So here is my anti-wish list of things nobody wants to see added to the Indiana Jones Adventure:

5. Shia LaBeouf.
4. CGI monkeys.
3. Karen Allen, grinning beatifically like she’s had a head injury.
2. Shia LaBeouf. Seriously.
1. A nuked fridge.

Indiana Jones Adventure Refurb: 5 Things Disneyland Hopefully Refurbished (and 5 They Hopefully Didn’t) is a post from the TouringPlans.com Blog. Signup for a premium subscription today! Or get news via Email, Twitter, & Facebook.

All photos copyright Disney

The spooky seasonal spirit is in full swing at the Disneyland Resort, thanks to thrice-weekly Halloween parties in Disneyland Park. Keep an eye out for special snacks and souvenirs offered around the parks until the end of the month, and enjoy the lighter crowds on non-party weekdays.

Crowd Calendar

Quietest Day: Tuesday 10/9 was a 3 out 10 at the resort, with crowds at 1.6 out of 10 at Disneyland, and 7.6 at DCA.

Busiest Day: Sunday 10/7 was a 9 out of 10 at the resort, with a 7.7 out of 10 in Disneyland, and 9.5 at DCA.

Subscribe to the Touring Plans Disneyland Crowd Calendar for full details on predicted attendance for the next 30 days.

Special Events

• Halloween Time, Disneyland's annual trick-or-treat-themed decor treatment, continues to run through October 31. A variety of “ooey-gooey” sweets are currently available from Disneyland's candy kitchens.
• Disney's Happiest Haunts VIP guided tours continued to be offered every night through October 31.
• Mickey's Halloween Party was held after hours in Disneyland on October 9 & 12, and will continue on October 14, 15, 19, 23, 26, 29, and 31. Disneyland Park closes to day guests as early as 6pm on these nights, greatly increasing attendance in DCA on those days.
• Disneyland cast members Sachiko White and Megan Navarette were appointed the resort's 2013-2014 Ambassadors, and will represent the resort as spokespersons at publicity events around the world.
• Downtown Disney hosted an Octoberfest party with German-themed food and drink on Sunday 10/13.
• A temporary ice-skating rink is being constructed at Downtown Disney near the AMC Theatre. It is tied to the release of the new Tinker Bell film, and will officially open on October 23.
• You can download free desktop wallpaper from the Disney Parks blog to celebrate the 5th anniversary of the beginning of DCA's recently-completed expansion.
• Disney received permission from the FCC to being testing RFID-enabled electronic wristbands than may be used by guests as admission tickets and hotel keys. The “next generation” technology is being rolled out first at Walt Disney World, and is expected to eventually migrate to Anaheim as well.

Openings, Closings, and Refurbishments

• Indiana Jones Adventure is closed through 12/7/12 for a much needed refurbishment.
• Storybook Land Canal Boats and Casey Jr. Circus Train: Closed through 11/15/12.
• Construction continues through 2013 on the new Princess Fantasy Faire and Fantasyland Theatre.
• The Tomorrowland Starcade is closed 10/8-10/18 to install a Wreck-It Ralph meet & greet.
• Muppet*Vision 3D is not running while a Frankenweenie 4D trailer is screened in the theater (end date unknown).
• Decorative tile in front of Carthay Circle in DCA is currently being replaced; the restaurant remains open.
• In Cars Land, new padding has been added to the vehicles at Mater's Junkyard Jamboree, and temporary telephone poles have be added to support holiday decor.
• In Cars Land, the garage that was originally intended as the Fastpass distribution center for Radiator Springs Racers is being repurposed as an extension of Ramone's gift shop.
• Construction continues on Earl of Sandwich in Downtown Disney, with no opening date announced yet. The largest rumors suggest it may be open for Thanksgiving.

Last Week at Disneyland Resort (10/7/2012 – 10/13/2012) is a post from the TouringPlans.com Blog. Signup for a premium subscription today! Or get news via Email, Twitter, & Facebook.

All photos copyright Disney

The end of August equals the start of the slow September season at Disneyland. Crowds should be minimal for the next couple weeks, at least until the special Halloween events kick off on the 14th.

Crowd Calendar

Quietest Day: Tuesday 8/28 was a 2 out of 10 at the resort, with DCA crowds at 2.7 and Disneyland Park at only 1.2.

Busiest Day: Saturday 9/1 was a 5 out of 10 at the resort, with DCA crowds at 3 and Disneyland Park at 5.

Subscribe to the TouringPlans.com Disneyland Crowd Calendar for details on predicted crowds for the next 30 days.

Special Events

• The Disneyland Half Marathon Weekend was held 8/31 through 9/2, culminating in the running of the 2012 Disneyland half-marathon on Sunday.
• Disneyland Annual Passholders can make reservations to sample the new menu at Disney's Paradie Pier Hotel's PCH Grill, now through September 20.
• Annual Passholders were also invited on 8/28 to an exclusive viewing of Fantasmic! which kicked off the inclusion of “Glow with the Show” mouse ear lighting effects in the nightly production.
• Tickets went on sale for Passholder previews of the upcoming Frankenweenie exhibit at DCA, including a special dining experience. Registration for free previews begins on 9/5 for the 9/13 event.

Openings, Closings, and Refurbishments

• Mouseinfo reported that the Voices of Liberty performances at the Main Street Opera House have been extended through the holiday season.
• The Pirates League makeover boutique has temporarily taken over New Orleans Court of Angels, now through Halloween.
• The Haunted Mansion closed on 8/27, and will reopen on 9/14 as Haunted Mansion Holiday.
• Several attractions, including Indiana Jones Adventure, Casey Jr Circus Train, and Storybookland Canal Boats, close this week for extensive refurbishments.
• Tonight (9/3) is the final performance of the Magic, Memories, and You projection show.
• Construction continues on the new Fantasyland Theatre and Princess Fantasy Faire.
• Construction continues on the Earl of Sandwich in Downtown Disney.

Last Week at Disneyland Resort (8/26/2012 – 9/1/2012) is a post from the TouringPlans.com Blog. Signup for a premium subscription today! Or get news via Email, Twitter, & Facebook.

All photos copyright Disney.

The summer tourists have gone home, and the local kids are back in school, making September a spectacular time to visit the Disneyland Resort if you desire short lines. Mid-week visitors can expect the smallest crowds seen since before the June relaunch of Disney California Adventure. Beware, however, that seasonal installations and long-delayed refurbishments will result in several favorite Disneyland attractions being declared off-limits over the next month. Be sure to check the refurbishment list when planning a visit to the parks, so that you aren’t unpleasantly surprised upon arrival.

Crowd Calendar

Quietest Day: Most Mondays through Thursdays this month sport wait times in the bottom third of the year. The day after Labor Day is traditionally dead quiet, with Tuesday 8/30 predicted at only 1.1 out of 10 at Disneyland, and 1.8 at DCA.

Busiest Day: Saturdays and Sundays will be moderately busy once the Halloween decor is in full effect. Saturday 9/22 should hit a predicted peak of 6.3 out of 10 in Disneyland, and 6.6 at DCA.

Subscribe to the Touring Plans Disneyland Crowd Calendar for full details on predicted attendance for the next 30 days.

Special Events

• The Disneyland Half-Marathon on September 2 wraps up a weekend of fitness events that attracts 17,000 runners. Due to races, there will be no early entry at DCA on September 1, and none at Disneyland on September 2.
• Halloween Time, Disneyland’s annual trick-or-treat-themed decor treatment, officially runs September 14 through October 31, though merchandise is already available in the park.
• Disney’s Happiest Haunts VIP guided tours run every night starting September 14 through October 31
• The season’s first Mickey’s Halloween Party will be held after hours in Disneyland on September 28. Parties continue on select nights through October.
• Disneyland will close early at 5pm on September 6 for an employee recognition event. DCA will remain open until 8pm.
• “Sneak peak” dining events at the the Paradise Pier Hotel of the PCH Grill’s new menu are being offered to Annual Passholders during September 2-20.

Openings, Closings, and Refurbishments

Disneyland

• The final performance of The Magic, The Memories, and You will be held on Labor Day. The version in Florida is being replaced with a new projections show, but there are no plans for the Disneyland version to return after the seasonal lighting display on it’s a small world.
• Haunted Mansion: Closed since 8/27/12 through 9/13/12 for installation of the Nightmare Before Christmas-themed Hauntend Mansion Holiday overlay.
• Indiana Jones Adventure: Closed 9/4/12 through 12/7/12 for a much needed refurbishment.
• Storybook Land Canal Boats and Casey Jr. Circus Train: Closed 9/4/12 through 11/15/12.
• Big Thunder Ranch: Closed 9/10/12 through 9/13/12 to install Halloweentime decor.
• Space Mountain: Closed 9/10/12 through 9/13/12 to install the Ghost Galaxy seasonal overlay.
• Davy Crockett’s Explorer Canoes: Closed 9/17/12 and 9/18/12.
• Sailing Ship Columbia: Closed 9/18/12 through 9/20/12.
• Mark Twain Riverboat: Closed 9/25/12 through 9/28/12.
• Construction continues through 2013 on the new Princess Fantasy Faire and Fantasyland Theatre.

Disney California Adventure

• Soarin’ will run at 50% capacity on September 18 and 19 as its two theaters are each serviced on successive days.
• Toy Story Midway Mania! is closed on 9/5/12.
• Muppet*Vision 3D is closed 9/10/12 through 9/13/12.
• The Art of Animation lobby will be closed 9/10/13 through 9/13/13 to install a Frankenweenie exhibit, but the other attractions inside will remain open.

Downtown Disney

• Construction continues on Earl of Sandwich, with no opening date announced yet.

This Month at Disneyland Resort: September 2012 is a post from the TouringPlans.com Blog. Signup for a premium subscription today! Or get news via Email, Twitter, & Facebook.

Disneyland Park is widely praised for having the highest density of highly-themed attractions of any American amusement enterprise. But one area in which the original Magic Kingdom falls behind some of its younger siblings is in the theming of its queue lines.

Back in Walt’s day, the “switchback” queue was an innovation, encouraging face-to-face interaction between strangers waiting in line. Today, with many guests engrossed in their digital devices, people need something more enticing that other humans to hold their interest. Hence, the highly-detailed holding area, filled with scenic elements and effects engineered to import the backstory information riders need to fully enjoy their imminent adventure.

Currently, the world’s top themed queue environments can generally found in Disney parks outside of Anaheim, such as Expedition Everest at WDW’s Animal Kingdom, or Journey to the Center of the Earth at Tokyo’s DisneySea. And while this article only touches on the original Disneyland Resort gate, Radiator Springs Races may make that list once cars Land at Disney California Adventure opens in June. But the Happiest Place on Earth can still lay claim to a few top-flight queues.

Here is my personal top 5 favorite pre-attraction areas inside Disneyland Park. Please add your own nominees to the comments below!

5. The Haunted Mansion

The Haunted Mansion was the last attraction Walt had direct input on, and is justly regarded as an essential example of the Disneyland experience. The Omnimover ride vehicles and elaborate ghostly effects inside the ride certainly are a big element of that, but the attraction’s brilliance begins long before you board your Doombuggy. After entering the Southern Gothic mansion’s front gate, you’ll pass a pet cemetary filled with witty monuments to departed furry friends. Upon crossing the threshold, you’ll enter the infamous “Stretching Room,” and encounter your “Ghost Host” (voiced by the immortal Paul Frees). And there’s still the corridor of transforming paintings and seemingly-shifting statues to traverse before your voyage into the netherworld really begins. As a bonus, during the Halloween and Christmas holidays the exterior and interior are adorned with decor inspired by Tim Burton’s A Nightmare Before Christmas.

4. The Disneyland Story presenting Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln

Since this theater presentation is rarely full, most guests see it without having to wait more than a few minutes in its Main Street lobby. But it would be a mistake to miss the mini-museum that makes up this attraction’s pre-show, and not only because it it blissfully air-conditioned. Start by examining the exhibits dedicated to the development of Disneyland, especially the lovingly-detailed model of the park as it looked on opening day. The retrospective video starring Steve Martin and Donald Duck shown here was originally created for the park’s 50th anniversary in 2005, but is still well worth watching in full, with a wealth of historical footage. Next, move on to the inner pre-show room, home to a stunning scale model of the White House (made by hand, based on the original blueprints) and maquette miniatures of the Spirit statues found in Epcot’s American Adventure. Finally, a second video fills you in on the origins of the Mr. Lincoln show, and Walt’s personal interest in Honest Abe. By the time they enter the main theater, patrons who have seen all the pre-show has to offer will have a much fuller understanding of the historical importance of this still-impressive patriotic performance.

3. Roger Rabbit’s Cartoon Spin

Based on a film franchise that the Disney corporation seems to have largely forgotten, Cartoon Spin is a hybrid between Mr. Toad and the Mad Tea Party that doesn’t have a lot of fans among Unofficial Guide reviewers. There are some nifty effects, and it’s certainly more detailed than some of the classic Disneyland dark rides. But some of us feel that it falls short because the spinning makes for a chaotic, incoherent experience. Still, one strong suit everyone can agree on is the elaborately detailed queue line. A tour of the seamy side streets of Toontown, visitors get to see a landmarks like the Ink & Paint club (knock on the door for an interactive surprise) and a Dip-making facility. Roger Rabbit’s queue is often overloaded, and its Fastpasses are disconnected from the rest of the park, so I often skip the line when I ride, which is a shame.

2. Star Tours: The Adventures Continue

The original Star Tours queue was among the first with first-class theming, featuring an authentic-feeling Star Wars spaceport complete with animatronics of C-3PO and R2-D2. When Imagineering refreshed the ride in 2011, they upgraded the already-amazing queue as well. A razor-sharp hi-def screen in the initial room now broadcasts a steady stream of saga references, and a pair of wisecracking security robots in the second room spout side-splitting inside jokes about Lucas and Disney characters. Even the pre-boarding safety video was beefed up (some dodgy CGI aside) with some droid-based humor. (Classic Star Tours fans, fear not for the original pre-show’s distinctively coiffed narrator; she and her hair can still be glimpsed in the new film.) Best of all, when you use Fastpass at this attraction (a must on busy days) you still get to experience all the same sights as the standby line.

1. The Indiana Jones Adventure

This one wasn’t even close. More than a decade an a half after its debut, Disneyland’s Indiana Jones attraction still has no real competition for the “best queue” crown on the West Coast (though Universal Studios Hollywood’s new Transformers ride is making a run for it). Only Unversal Orlando’s Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey has truly surpassed Indy effort in completely immersing guests in a complete world before they board. The journey from Adventureland into the Temple of the Forbidden Eye feels like an epic (and lengthy) adventure in of itself. Born of the necessity to get guests beyond the park’s berm and into the former parking lot where Indy’s show building was constructed, the extensive line effectively builds anticipation for the groundbreaking ride at the end. Treacherous tunnels, decorated with dangers such as spiked celings and realistic-looking bat guano, sport interactive elements that (when working) will prompt surprised smiles; just be sure ignore any “don’t touch” signage. There are even ancient codes on the walls that you can learn to decipher. Frequent guests will often use the single rider option to board quicker, skipping the queue, but this is one line that every theme park fan needs to wait in at least once.

All photos copyright Disney.

Top 5 Attraction Queues at Disneyland Park is a post from the TouringPlans.com Blog. Signup for a premium subscription today! Or get news via Email, Twitter, & Facebook.