It is hard to
adequately describe how detailed and fully themed this area is.
Every surface has been attended to, every structure crafted to exacting
standards. Look up and you will see volcanic rock drilled out (a
drilling machine can still be seen poking through a section of the caves
ceiling allowing a hint of daylight to filter through - below) to create
the caverns that hold the line.
Look down and you will notice
how the floor is cracked, pock marked and perfectly in tune with the
rest of the space. The walls are a mix of hardened magma and porous
volcanic rock. Water drips from make shift duct work and electrical
lines run through out the space, connecting the caged lights which
illuminate your way. Some lava still glows a faint red, oozing down the
rocky walls.
The railings are all brass, aged
with time. All the metal surfaces have been oxidized and carry a soft
patina. The air is musty and the temperature is rising. A majestic and
sweeping score is subtly heard beneath the sounds of machinery and
drilling. Retention walls of thick weathered steel hold back some rock
while other areas show the signs of recent cave ins.
Along the way you
pass by several beautiful pieces of artwork, Victorian age
sketches of the various explored areas of the caverns. It is here that
you get a glimpse of things to come, etchings of crystal mines and
looming mushrooms as tall as a house. Further along you pass by Captain
Nemo's office and lab, both chock full of artifacts and mementos of
recent journey's. It's quite amazing really and beyond any other
attractions queue with the possible exception of Disneyland's Indiana
Jones ride, and this even surpasses that.
After winding through the queue
you reach the "terravators" which are in essence elevators
through earth (above). Another detailed diagram shows your position at
the Earth's surface and your eventual goal at the base camp hundreds of
feet below you. The detail here is again complete. The terravators
position in the caverns is marked with faceted gems, the doors are
rusted and aged, the railings are worn. The scope of the Victorian age
technology seen through out the attraction is typical of a lush movie
set.
After boarding
the equally well themed elevator cars you start to descend. The
floors shakes, gusts of wind blow by and gauges spin. The effect of
descent is as good as it needs to be, but is not perfect. The addition
of a visual aid indicating movement (as can be seen for example in the
hydrolators at Epcot's Living Seas pavilion) would have helped. Once the
doors open you look out onto a totally new world.
To your left is a sheer wall of
rock, and in front of you is a giant bellows pumping in fresh air from
the surface. This area (above) is darker, more foreboding and physically
hotter than on the surface, an amazing continuation of the queue. The
electrical lines can still be seen strung from the ceiling - follow them
and you will see them terminate into a giant generator, sparking and
whirling as it powers the place. Fog pours from an opening at the far
end of the queue as you continue, descending on ramps. Past some more
machinery and then over rocky riverbeds you finally get a glimpse of the
load area and the vehicles.
Each car (shown above) which
will carry you on your adventure, seats six passengers in three rows of
two. On the front is a large earth moving shovel, you'll also see that
the wheels are guarded by steel plates and there is a safety cage
surrounding the occupants. The seats are plush red leather-like affairs
that fit the theme absolutely perfectly.
Glance around you and the
details continue to pop, along the wall of the load area giant spirals
in the rock are visible, the tell tale signs of drilling. Lights flicker
as the generator struggles to keep the power flow constant, and the hum
of sputtering machinery and general low lighting gives a feel similar to
that of an engine room on a great ship. Once boarded the cars smoothly
accelerate and you are on your way.
We start off
cruising past the crystal caverns we had seen in the sketches.
Glowing pods of giant crystal rods surround us. luminescent spires of
pulsating color and light, the crystals are just the first of many
exciting things to come. These early sections of the caves are well lit
and labeled with signs... we are after all in the explored and well
traveled areas of the dig site. We continue to descend past a dark
hollow filled with glowing, whining creatures and emerge in the mushroom
forest. It is important to understand that this is not a flat ride that
takes place on one level, the cars are traveling up and down at
different points... at this juncture we are still descending.
We now enter the mushroom
forest. Here we pass giant mushrooms ranging in size from a few feet to
15 feet or so in height. In and among them are fantastical creatures of
all sorts (below). Jumping spider-like bugs, furry aliens and iridescent
living plants all make this their home.
As we continue
deeper we begin to speed up slightly. In the grand tradition of
theme park rides everywhere (especially Disney) we reach that point
"where something goes terribly wrong!" We come upon a collapse
that has blocked our intended path and we veer to the left instead,
going over a rough and bumpy patch and off of the lighted path we were
on. This is one of the few effects that could use improvement. While the
motion is wonderful the path we veer from is clearly simply a painted
back drop. We continue through uncharted chambers zipping around until
emerging in a larger area. Here, to the right we see an opening
overlooking an underground sea. Lighting flashes in the distance, and a
roll of thunder fills the air. It's a very convincing effect as we get a
real sense of depth and space. Rounding the corner to the right a huge
lightning bolt flashes, hitting the ground right next to us it catches
us off guard.
Suddenly a shadow of what
appears to be a creature flashes to our left across a rocky wall. Out of
control we bounce forward past a flowing river of lava. On our left is a
huge ball of fire, and we can feel the heat. The car turns to the right
and we come upon a huge subterranean creature who is not having a good
day. 20 feet or so tall he roars, rears back and lunges forward at us,
molten rock bubbling around him (below).
The cars take off
like a bat out of hell. (Think Test Track speeds here.) We go
flying up, twisting and turning along the way in near blackness. Light
can be seen up ahead... there's a smoke filled opening and BOOM! We get
blasted out of what seems like the top of the volcano. Feeling the cool
outdoor air for a moment, which is a relief from the musty heat inside
the caves, we lift from our seats and catch a moment of air. Suddenly
the cars plunge back down and into total darkness. Still accelerating we
go whipping around the entire caldera of the volcano. In one large loop
we traverse the perimeter of the Mysterious Island (the land in which
Journey is located) in total darkness.
Finally we emerge at the unload
station, back on safe ground. Again this area is just as fully themed as
those before it. After disembarking from the vehicles, we descend a
spiraling staircase which twists around a huge set of pipes (below)
until we exit the attraction back into the cavern system that makes up
much of Mysterious Island.
This attraction
is truly a home run. Disney swung for the fences and nailed it.
Journey to the Center of the Earth combines an innovative (and refined)
ride system with incredibly intricate detailing and a great premise.
Imagineering has delivered one of the truly great rides in Disney's
history, it delivers all the thrills one could want without limiting its
appeal to any one age group. This attraction offers a chance to see
things you will not see or could not see anywhere outside of this park
and it executes it all with loving care.
Perhaps the best indicator of
how good this attraction is, is asking if it merits repeat rides. We
experienced it 15 or 16 times, by far the most of anything we saw. And
we were not alone as many people get off just to line right back up to
ride again. On a scale of one to four stars Journey to the Center of the
Earth demands four shining ones, and a place at the very top of my list
of best theme park attractions in the world.
Next
we'll head to the other side of Mysterious Island as Ted
takes us on a voyage 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea!
Want to send some comments to
Ted?
You can E-mail him at ted@mouseplanet.com
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