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Up Main Street, U.S.A., into Fantasyland for Matterhorn and all of the kiddie rides, then into Tomorrowland for Space Mountain and Star Tours. From there, onto Pirates of the Caribbean and Haunted Mansion and we have to hit the Jungle Cruise and Indiana Jones at least once.
When out-of-town Guests plan their trip to Disneyland, it usually revolves around making sure they hit all of the big-ticket rides, maybe the parade and either Fantasmic! or the nightly fireworks show.
Even if you do ALL of the rides that Disneyland has to offer, if you just go according to the maps, you’re missing out on three of the most unique rides that the park has to offer:
Disneyland Railroad Tender Seat: Quite a few people know of the Lilly Belle trip around the park—a traveling history lesson from the Disneyland Railroad’s executive car—but not many know of the special ride that’s available at the front end of the train.
Offered only for Grand Circle tours departing from Main Street Station and back, riding in the tender seat allows Guests a one-of-a-kind trip around Walt Disney’s Magic Kingdom from a very unique perspective—that of the train’s engineer and the fireman.
You get to see the inner workings the steam engine—which can get pretty hot, especially during the summer months—and the crew members are always open to conversation during stops at the various stations and even during the ride itself, if you can hear them over the loud roar and whistles.
There are some restrictions to the tender ride, however, as it’s not available if the train is in need of a steam-down or if there will be a change in crew.
Monorail Nose Cone: Like the Disneyland Railroad, the Monorail offers a trip around—and outside—not just Disneyland but California Adventure as well, except up in the air. The nose cone is the front of the Monorail and is available on a first-come, first-served basis on every trip, allowing Guests to ride up front with the pilot, offering a somewhat more futuristic look at how a train operates.
Mark Twain Wheelhouse: My personal favorite of the three, the Wheelhouse is an amazing journey around the Rivers of America from high atop the Mark Twain, with Guests taking the helm of the steamship under the watchful eye of the Twain pilot.
The wheel moves but does not actually operate the boat, allowing even the smallest of children to safely navigate without fear of running smack-dab into the Pirate’s Lair on Tom Sawyer Island. Guests are also allowed to ring the bell and blow the steamboat’s whistle as needed, and can leave their mark by signing the wheelhouse’s guestbook.
One of the perks of the ride, which is available for almost all Mark Twain rides by asking a dockside Cast Member, Guests receive a souvenir “Pilot’s License,” a personalized keepsake to commemorate their journey!
This guest article is by Corey Kivett from The Insyders
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