Mulholland Madness - Just enough Madness for a mom and a preschooler
Written: Jan 30 '05 (Updated Jun 21 '06)
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Thrilling enough for the elementary school kids
Cons: Not really a roller coaster, short, limited theming, sharp stops
The Bottom Line: A great roller coaster for those who like small thrills. Minimal theming
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| modernmarvel's Full Review: Mulholland Madness - California Adventure |
I don't really care for thrill rides anymore - I guess it is a sign that I am getting older. Luckily, my taste for thrill rides matches that of my five year old who likes a little thrill but isn't quite ready to go upside down yet.
LOCATION
Mulholland Madness is located in Disney's California Adventure in the Paradise Pier section. I find this area to be a real disappointment. I expect Disney to provide lots of cool theming. Paradise Pier looks more like a local carnival with similar rides.
WAITING
There are fastpasses available for this ride. We visited Disney's California Adventure on a very slow day and there was no wait for this ride. However, we have seen 45 minute waits on busier days. The waiting area looks like a holding pen with an orange railing separating the different portions of the line. There isn't much to look at or do while you wait. The line area is under a canopy so at least there is some shade.
BOARDING
The height restriction on this ride is 42 inches. The roller coaster cars are painted to look like street vehicles. One looked like a police car. My favorite looked like a 60s-era VW bus with flowers painted on it. Each car seats four with two in the front and two in the back. My eight year old sat in the front of our car. I sat in the back with my five year old. A bar comes down over your lap to hold you in the car. The ride attendants but a big foam cylinder on the lap bar in front of my son so it would fit snugly.
THE RIDE
This is a thrill ride so it doesn't last long. This ride reminds me almost exactly of the bionicle ride at Legoland. The ride is a roller coaster but it is contained in a very compact space. Once you board, there is a very quick ride to the top. Then, most of the ride occurs at a level high above Paradise Pier. The concept of the ride is that you are driving on a winding road. There are a couple of cute billboards for scenery but not much else contained within the ride itself. You do get a nice view of the Paradise Pier section the the park during this part of the ride.
I would not call this a high thrills ride. The car goes pretty slowly for a roller coaster. There are some switch backs that give the illusion of speed. In the switchbacks, you have the sensation of being yanked around a corner. There are also a couple of minor dips where the car goes faster that were just thrilling enough to me. Big thrill seekers will be disappointed though. There are no banked turns where the car turns slightly on its side. There are also no spirals or other circular features.
As the car dips from the highest level, your only scenery becomes the scaffolding of the ride. I didn't mind this too much because you are going quickly and enjoying the motion of the ride rather than the theming. Still, the best thing about Disney is the theming and I am slightly disappointed they didn't do more to elevate this common ride.
The thing that caught me off guard in this ride is that the car brakes hard a few times, particularly near the end of the ride. The braking was so sudden, I was jammed against the bar in my lap. This was the most jerky part of the ride and I didn't really care for it. It wasn't painful but it would be nice if they found some way to eliminate it. However, those with back or neck problems may want to steer clear of this ride.
In any case, after this ride, my kids (ages 8 and 5) demanded that we ride again. Since there was practically no line, we rode several times in quick succession before we were ready to move on. I really did enjoy this low thrills coaster and my kids gave it a big thumbs up.
FINAL RECOMMENDATION
This was a great roller coaster for a mom and younger kids. It wasn't scary and it was a lot of fun. We rode it several times with great enjoyment. The only negative I see is that the ride is pretty quick and definitely not worth a long wait. If you visit on a busy day, try using a fastpass. My kids would give this ride five stars, I subtracted one for the boring wait area and minimal theming.
MY REVIEWS OF THE DISNEY THEME PARKS IN CALIFORNIA
Disneyland
Disney's California Adventure
MY REVIEW OF THEME PARK HOTELS IN CALIFORNIA
Disney’s Grand Californian
Marriott Suites Anaheim
Residence Inn Anaheim
MY REVIEW OF THEME PARK RESTAURANTS
Storyteller’s Cafe
Blue Bayou
Wine Country Trattoria
Goofy’s Kitchen
MY REVIEWS OF INDIVIDUAL RIDES AND ATTRACTIONS IN DISNEY’S CALIFORNIA ADVENTURE
Soarin’ Over California
Grizzly River Run
The Sun Wheel
Orange Stinger
Jumpin’ Jellyfish
Playhouse Disney Live on Stage
Twilight Zone Tower of Terror
Monster’s Inc. Mike & Sully to the Rescue
Jim Henson’s Muppet Vision 3D
It’s Tough to be a Bug 3D
Princess Dot Puddle Park
Heimlich’s Chew Chew Train
Tuck and Roll’s Drive ‘Em Buggies
Flik’s Flyers
Francis’ Ladybug Boogie
Misson Tortilla Factory Tour
Boudin Bakery Factory Tour
MY REVIEWS OF INDIVIDUAL RIDES AND ATTRACTIONS IN DISNEYLAND
Pirates of the Caribbean
Indiana Jones Adventure
Storybook Land Canal Boats
Snow White’s Scary Adventures
Pinocchio’s Daring Journey
Peter Pan’s Flight
Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride
Alice in Wonderland
Matterhorn Bobsleds
It’s a Small World
Tarzan’s Tree House
Aladdin’s Oasis
Splash Mountain
The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh
Autotopia
Honey, I Shrunk the Audience 3D
Astro Orbitor
Buzz Lightyear Astro Blasters
MY REVIEWS OF OTHER THINGS TO SEE IN SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA
Legoland
SeaWorld San Diego
Birch Aquarium at Scripps
The San Diego Zoo
The San Diego Wild Animal Park
Balboa Park
Cabrillo National Monument
San Diego’s Old Town
The Museum of Making Music
Anza-Borrego Desert State Park
Recommended:
Yes
Best Suited For: Families
Best Time to Travel Here: Anytime
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modernmarvel
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