Stop the Madness
Written: Mar 08 '08 (Updated Mar 08 '08)
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Product Rating:
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Pros: cute idea, Single Rider, FastPass, seats are larger than they look
Cons: available at many other amusement parks - there is no "Disney difference" here
The Bottom Line: Mulholland Madness is a fairly decent carnival ride that suffers from being placed in a venue with traditionally higher standards.
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| Liffey's Full Review: Mulholland Madness - California Adventure |
Having sort-of panned the Maliboomer in my most recent review, I may as well finish the job and take on its cousin around the corner, the Mulholland Madness roller coaster.
Retreading some of the same criticisms that dog the Maliboomer is unfortunately necessary. Mulholland Madness isn't a creature of Imagineer creativity. It's a generic Wild Mouse coaster. Look for one at the next street fair near you. All Disney did is add themeing to tie it to California's highway/freeway culture. Hey, my students on the prom committee could have done that.
Sure, there is precedent in Walt Disney World's similar Primeval Whirl. And do you remember how well Disney's ostentatious dip into off-the-rack ride architecture was received? Suffice to say you could've read at midnight by the flames burning in rec.arts.disney.parks.
Like the Maliboomer, there is a Single Rider option to ease the pain when the queue is long. (And note that at least half the time, the queue will be. Coasters, however feeble, get people's attention.)
FastPass is also available, giving you a window later in the day when you can cut in front of the riff-raff, but I have to tell you - it breaks my heart a little to think of you getting a FastPass for Mulholland Madness instead of something like Soarin' Over California. (The exception would be if you're traveling with a child who hates Soarin' or any of the wetter/scarier rides.)
Unlike the Maliboomer, this cop-out isn't grudgingly fun to ride. That's just one easy-to-please adult's opinion, of course. (MM certainly has its fans, but you should notice that they're usually defending themselves against the majority.)
What's wrong with it? It's ugly. The queue is less exciting than the self-checkout lane at the supermarket. When you ride, you can watch the tracks and anticipate every move. The atmosphere is cramped. The cars jerk around in a way that feels more like "unstable tower of bolts put together by drunk carnies" than "fooled you - have fun!"
In other words, everything that's wrong with Mulholland Madness is that it is exactly what it is: an ordinary Wild Mouse coaster. This ride is meant to excite people who aren't asking for much, and those kinds of people should be at parks in the sticks, not Disneyland.
I don't mind a simple attraction. Is everyone's beloved Dumbo all that original? No, not at all. (We see it within the same resort at least three more times with the Astro-Orbiter, Golden Zephyrs, and Flik's Flyers.) The problem with Mulholland Madness is that it lacks that special Disney touch to set it apart.
Someone must have raised the same issue to Disney's most green marketing intern because the ride is being re-themed as part of the new five-year plan for California Adventure. Now, instead of having a(n albeit cutesy) link to the park's California theme, it will be themed toward Goofy learning to fly.
What?
Dude. Slapping a character brand all over an attraction is not what makes a ride "Disney." Taking your breath away, realizing you've been smiling without meaning to? That's Disney!
The usual sites are a'buzz with rumours that the Goofy makeover won't happen and that Mulholland Madness will simply vanish, but these are still just rumours. The only sure advice is to take lots of photos now, because something's going to change.
I don't hate Mulholland Madness. If nothing else, the cars are reasonably comfortable - and I'm speaking as a big woman married to a big man. Also, the idea of traveling L.A.'s freeways is a perfectly good one - ask anyone whose been to Walt Disney World. There the concept has been executed in the brilliance that is Rock 'n' Roller Coaster.
I'm glad MM makes some people happy, although its target audience seems to be those who won't quite reach the 42" height requirement. Besides, I appreciate the 90 seconds people spend on the coaster instead of in line somewhere else, in front of me. Believe me, there's a little devil inside wanting to give this four stars just to keep you away from the park's more exciting attractions, like the tortilla machine demonstration in the Pacific Wharf.
(I'm not kidding. Have you ever seen that machine spit out a double tortilla?)
End verdict? Mulholland Madness is fine to step on now and again when there's no line and you're on your zillionth Disneyland vacation, unconcerned with hitting all the good stuff. First timers? Don't short-list it.
Recommended:
No
Best Suited For: Students
Best Time to Travel Here: Anytime
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Epinions.com ID:
Liffey
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Reviews written: 79
Trusted by: 71 members
About Me:
I like thinking.
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