Monday, August 18, 2014

Queue Review - Big Thunder Mountain Railroad

Hong Kong Disneyland - Big Grizzly Mountain Runaway Mine Cars

Not exactly the same ride, granted, but the spiritual equivalent.  This one looks like the Expedition Everest queue, only with all of the theming stripped out.



You can't tell from this video, but this is the first example we've scene of the dreaded cheater queue.  The line approaches the load area, only to turn back into another room.



Tokyo Disneyland - Big Thunder Mountain



Starts off strong, or at least different, with a walk through fake rocks, but soon we're in an endless maze of cattle chutes.

Disneyland Paris - Big Thunder Mountain

Had a hard time finding good footage of this one.




From the looks of it, there's a lot of wooden walkways before hitting any railed switchbacks.

Disneyland - Big Thunder Mountain Railroad



The original Disneyland version has the advantage of the surrounding area, which gives more of a sense of the old west than some of the others.  A good portion of this queue is a long walk alongside the track, which is infinitely preferable to the unending spiral of rails we used to see at...

Walt Disney World - Magic Kingdom - Big Thunder Mountain Railroad

Magic Kingdom wins this round if only because it's the most improved of possibly any queue ever.  What was once the worst example of corralling tourists is now at least tolerable.



I'm indifferent to the interactive elements, and I haven't been here to know how well they work, but at least the switchbacks have been broken up with walls so there is something, anything, to look at rather than the same tired faces passing you by again and again.  One game I liked to play is trying to high-five the same angry Dad over and over again until he either relents or tells me to piss off.


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