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Monsters, Inc: Mike and Sulley to the RescueDark rideDescription"Monsters, Inc.: Mike and Sulley to the Rescue" opened in late December 2005 in the old "Superstar Limo" show building in the Hollywood Pictures Backlot section of Disney's California Adventure. Like its predecessor, Monsters, Inc. is a dark ride, but the similarity pretty much ends there. This attraction offers a slow taxicab ride through the city of Monstropolis. Of course, something goes terribly wrong and we soon find that a - gasp! - human child is running loose in the city. Which should sound familiar to anyone who has seen the 2001 Pixar film upon which this ride is based. The ride breaks no new narrative ground, but encapsulates the animated hit with solid animatronic storytelling. The cheesy figurines from Superstar Limo are long gone, replaced with Mike, Sulley, Randall Boggs, Roz and the toddler Boo, whom Mike and Sulley must return to her bedroom in the human world before Monstropolis' Child Detection Agency gets her. Toddlers will have fun trying to find the animatronic Boo in each scene, and the musical score and pleasant visuals will keep older kids and adults at least moderately entertained. Disney's Imagineers have thrown in a few treats, too: Breathe deep the aroma of ginger while driving through Harryhausen's sushi restaurant, for example. If there's a knock to be made against this ride, it is that the ride meanders at a toddler's pace. A inventively staged recreation of the door warehouse merely reminds passengers of that scene's breathtaking chaos. The original evoked a fabulous roller coaster ride. But this ride's version feels more like watching shirts on the rack at a dry cleaner's. Still, Monsters, Inc. provides California Adventure with a solid, family-friendly dark ride that never cheats its riders, unlike the park's previous attempt at Pixar-themed rides in Flik's Fun Fair. It's interesting to note that, thematically, there would have been no appropriate land in which to place a Monsters, Inc. ride across the esplanade at Disneyland. Nor is there any place in Walt's original park to put an Incredibles or Cars attraction, either. (Putting Finding Nemo in Tomorrowland is beyond a stretch. What's futuristic about clown fish? Fact is, Disney needed a water setting and Tomorrowland has an unused lagoon.) If Disney decides to revamp California Adventure as the Disney-Pixar Studios to create a home for these film characters, more power to 'em. Monsters, Inc. provides California Adventure with the park's first passing mark in the animatronic storytelling that helped make Disneyland the world's most admired and emulated theme park. -- Last edited by Robert Niles [Update this description | Read previous versions] Photos
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Readers' Opinions
Nothing special. It lacked disney magic. - T K It's not anything special, but it is fun. I like how they have the screens on the side of the car. I also love the end where the person talks to you. - Erin : ) A well done ride that does a great job in recreating the movie into a family dark ride. Though it is similar as the fantasyland dark rides across the esplanade in disneyland, Monsters, Inc., animatronics and effects are obviously more modern and advanced. Everytime I ride this I remember the subpar Superstar Limo that used to call that building home and how much better Monsters, Inc. is. Overall this is a neat ride for the family or anybody who likes Monsters,Inc. Due to the ride's location in a desolate corner of the park, Monsters,Inc. rarely forms Peter Pan-type waits, and unless the park is really full, you won't wait more than 15-20 minutes to ride. - Manny Barron Just a normal Disney-Fantasyland dark ride. It's a shame they didn't put the same system like they have in Tokyo Disneyland's Pooh's Hunny Hunt to this ride. - Adriel Tjokrosaputro This is a cute ride. Good to see characters, theming. Also listen to what Roz says right at the end. She says something personalised for you, I think. We went in Nov 07, no queues, just straight on. - Jennifer Sharpe This is a cute little ride. my family enjoyed it. We were able to ride it back to back with little wait. - kelly griffin The movie was one of my favorites, yet the ride was not up to par. Almost like a Fantasyland Darkride, the ride was not spectacular. It was good seeing the characters come to life, but the ride doesn't truly pull you into the story. Some effects were great, such as Randall and Roz, but other than that, not much else stands out. - Brandon Mendoza It was okay, we were actually waiting to go on California Screamin but there was hardly anyone in line because a show was going on so my mom, sis, and I decided to check it out. If you haven't seen the movie then a lot of it won't make any sense (we actually had to explain some things to our mom). The end part with Rozz is fun though, my little sister flipped out because she actually talked to her. - Kitty Kat |
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