The Very Hungry Caterpillar - Disney Style
Written: Apr 26 '04 (Updated Jul 15 '06)
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Cute theme, cookie smell
Cons: This ride is really short
The Bottom Line: This a cute ride for the toddler and preschool set although it is very short.
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| modernmarvel's Full Review: Heimlich's Chew Chew Train - California Adventure |
Heimlich's Chew Chew Train is a very tame, short and cute ride through an adorable setting. It will thrill the 2-3 year old set. Anyone older than that will still find it cute but very, very short.
LOCATION
Heimlich's Chew Chew Train is located in A Bug's Land which is based on the Disney / Pixar movie "A Bug's Life." This area has one of the best theming jobs I have ever seen in any park. The detail is amazing and you will find something cute or clever in every corner. Even the foliage and landscaping are designed to make guests feel as small as bugs. Benches are designed to look like they were made out of popscicle sticks - lights are made of gigantic drinking straws and fireflies. All of the rides and attractions in this area are designed for small children (although I saw a lot of adults on them). Even if you don't have small children, take a walk through to check it out.
THE RIDE
The ride occurs in several cars linked together - roller coaster style, although this ride is about as tame as you can get. The train looks like Heimlich from A Bug's Life with his head at the front and each car representing a body segment. Two people can fit in each bench seat.
Loading and unloading is pretty quick. At the gate you wait for the prior passengers to unload so you can climb aboard. You have to pull a seat belt over your lap and the ride attendant checks this. The seat belt is rather silly because the ride moves very slowly on a circular track with no jolts and there is a door on each car to contain riders. Even more silly is that the ride attendant hassled my husband and me over not putting the seat belt on.
The ride itself is very short - under 2 minutes. The concept is that Heimlich is very hungry and he is eating his way through a garden. You can hear Heimlich's voice and his munching as the train passes through a giant carrot, a giant watermelon that mists riders with watermelon "juice" as they pass through, an animal cookie box that smells like real cookies, a cupcake and various other food items. At one point, you hear a giant burp which my 4 year old found very funny.
The theming is very cute and Heimlich has some cute, but obvious jokes. At one point we passed a giant fork and got the obvious joke about a fork in the road. Still, my kids were tickled and thought the cookie smell was pretty neat.
Overall, I liked Heimlich's Chew Chew Train. My 4 year old loved it. My 7 year old thought it was cute but way too short and not particularly interesting. Adults will probably find the theming to be clever even though the jokes are corny. The landscaping and props are really well-designed with lots of detail.
The line was very short on our most recent visit. However, even though it got a mild thumbs up from our family, we didn't ride again because the ride itself is so short - there wasn't anything we wanted to see a second time.
THE WAIT
The line snakes through heavy foliage with some cute theming mixed in. There is no seating in the line - you have to stand the whole time - although this is not too unusual for Disney. The line moves pretty quickly since the ride is short and the cars hold several people.
FINAL RECOMMENDATION
Given how short this ride is, I wouldn't recommend standing in a long line unless your child really loves A Bug's Life. However, if the line is short, this is a cute ride to try and will appeal most to the toddler through preschool set.
MY REVIEWS OF THE DISNEY THEME PARKS IN CALIFORNIA
Disney's California Adventure
Disneyland
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
Mulholland Madness
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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