Favorite effect at Disneyland?

[sunnygirl]

The London thread got me thinking about this...Disneyland uses many different effects, ranging from the very low tech and probably low cost (such as the clear plastic "clouds" found in the London scene of Peter Pan), to the high tech and pricey (the Davy Jones projection in POTC). It's clear that the imagineers of Disney are nothing short of brilliant, IMO.

So what's your favorite effect?

Mine has to be the Pepper's Ghost in the HM Ballroom scene. I love to watch the "ghosts" as they appear and disappear.

[Dlandclub33]

The fiber optics used for stars on peter pans flight

[sunnygirl]

The fiber optics used for stars on peter pans flight

and right back at ya!

[MonstersGoBoo!]

I love the forced perspective effect on Main St. and of course Pepper's Ghost.

[RegionsBeyond]

I'd have to go with the Madame Leota current projection effect, combined with her floating about the room. Second would likely be the changing portraits in the Mansion load hallway.

[ThatGuyChris]

I'd have to go with the boulder in Indy

[Bruce Bergman]

The thing I like is, the effects you'd think are impossible are easy, and the ones you'd think are easy are the ones they have to work hard to make happen.

<---- (See Photo) Of course there's one Magician that puts a lot of hard work into his Craft that I'd love to see back at the Resort but that's a long and convoluted story and I can't go into too much detail here...

<Snip> ...to the high tech and pricey (the Davy Jones projection in POTC).

Just an aside, but that one couldn't be that expensive to operate - unless they didn't build it right and it needs constant maintenance...

They are running an air conditioner to get chilled air (so it will sink nicely in warmer room air) and adding a dash of 'cold smoke' or high-pressure atomized water mist from ultrasonic misting nozzles to it to get the foggy look (not sure which, but I'm betting on the ultrasonics because there is no smell) and running the cold foggy air through a specially designed strip register that gets the air stratified into a nice laminar flow.

Once you have your 'screen' in place, the rear projection of Davy is easy.

Now all the work and rigging it took for Tinkerbell to fly above the castle, and circle back and forth making several passes, that took a lot of work to pull off. The old "One Pass and make a 'Tink Taco' at the Tower" system may have worked for decades, but it doesn't have nearly the WOW!! factor.

--<< Bruce >>--

[IActuallyLikeDCA]

I really, really like the statues that "follow" you in the HM queue.

The effect at the end of Space Mountain... the space-typed lights all flashing makes it look amazing, and when it takes your picture the flash is pretty blinding, which really completes the experience for me. I'm not sure if they do that intentionally or not but it's strangely realistic.

I really like the new Tinkerbell light-up display right when you walk in the gates. It's simple but it just seems so Disneyland.

When they use that fog/water projection to make it look like you're about to hit a branch on one ride, I duck every single time despite the fact that it's nothing... not sure which ride that is but it gets me every time.

Soarin' has some nice effects... the ride in general for one, the part with the golf ball, and the part where you can smell the oranges.

Also, pretty much anything in Fantasmic!, especially the part with the giant Pinocchio doll.

[sir clinksalot]

Honestly, the "effects" that impress me most are for the rides like Pirates, Indy, HM, etc how you seamlessly go under the berm and outside of the park. It's so clever, and so amazing how they do it. Even on something as obvious as Small World, it still works so well.

Also, the "Music" effects and how they enhance/change scenes so seamlessly. This is especially evident on Pirates. The music is such a critical part of this ride, and none of it bleeds into the next scene. It sets each scene up so amazingly and seamless.

Some of my other favorites:

Rain effect on Tiki Room (I know it's low-tech, but I love it)
Boulder on Indy
Fire scene during pirates. When I was a kid I always thought those big pieces of wood were going to fall on me.
Singing Busts in HM.

[dsnylndmom]

The entire ballroom in HM. It's just a feast for the eyes so much to look at.
Coming into the battle scene for POTC. When I was a kid I used to think it was magic, that the room was so huge, you couldn't see a ceiling it was just an awe moment.
Flying over London and then inter Neverland on Peter Pan. I can still remember the look on both of my boys's faces on this ride. Both of them were just Amazed.

[EmeralineDragon]

Seconding the rain effect in Tiki. It's always a bit of a shock to walk out the door to clear skies.

[Abominable Snowman]

As dumb as the ride is itself, I love how real all the rain, and water in general, on Whinnie the Pooh looks in the first scene.

And I'm not sure what the effect is supposed to resemble exactly, but I love at the end of Space Mountain right before your picture is taken... all the colorful dots around you

And finally, the room that deciphers whether you will get eternal youth, riches, or visions of the future... That thing puzzled me for the longest time!

[Lore]

I'd have to go with the physically unpredictable structure of the Pirates ride. It's very hard as a kid to get your head around how so much adventure could be under New Orleans Square.

[SrcrMkyLvr]

I love the water effects used during Fantasmic and the effects used in the Indy attraction.

[Jetlife]

My favorite effect is at DCA, the end of Hollywood Blvd down next to the Hyperion Theater.
The way that the street goes off into the distance.
I don't know what it is called.