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A dark ride within the Huang family's mansion in the heart of Chinatown. They were one of the original families to immigrate from China to California, bringing with them traditional Chinese culture and tremendous prosperity. Their mansion has grown & expanded somewhat haphazardly over the decades as their influence has grown, earning it the nickname Chimera Manor for its hybrid appearance. That eclectic design borrows influences from genuine Chinese manors such as Hu Xueyan's residence in Hangzhou and the Mu family mansion in Lijiang Old City.
The truth of the Huangs' prosperity is the good fortune granted to them by a cornucopia of mythical Chinese creatures who reside within Chimera Manor. The Huangs have imported these critters hidden within assorted ancient artifacts spanning the whole of China's millennia-old history.
Guests will queue up in the manor's artifact museum to meet these creatures. They will learn in a pre-show from family patriarch Huang Chi that the creatures have escaped their containment, and are presently rampaging throughout the house. Guests are tasked with helping the Huangs corral the critters.
The ride system is familiar from Tokyo Disneyland's Monsters Inc. Ride 'n' Go-Seek. Tracked dark ride vehicles (enchanted rickshaws) traverse the estate. Four rickshaws depart at once every 30 seconds. Rickshaws can rotate in any direction to face preferred show scenes. They can also pause in one place at length, all the better for storytelling & gameplay flow. Each rickshaw holds up to 4 guests.
Rickshaws contain two flashlight lanterns which guests can use to shine light on the escape critters, tagging them for retrieval. Whenever a critter is tagged, this triggers an amusing response. In practice this makes Chimera Manor a ride-through shooting gallery, minus the competition or the firearms. There are so many reactions - and Easter eggs - which guests can trigger, you cannot see it all in multiple rides. Like with the Tokyo attraction, the Chimera critters are all achieved through practical animatronics.
The ride takes guests deeper into Chimera Manor and through an assortment of Chinatown scenes. There are adorable critters throughout, all of them original designs inspired by Chinese mythology & folklore. The scene progression below is simply a blueprint and rough outline, with a mere sampling of the possible sights & gags.
Loading in the mansion's vestibule halls. Then into the parlor to meet the Qilin, the ride's mascot who introduces the flashlight gameplay mechanic. The Qilin will be a recurring presence throughout the ride. As rickshaws begin to glide through the parlor and the interactivity commences, further critters in this scene include a Dangkang (boar), a Jin chan (a three-legged golden toad), and living Pixiu statues.
Through a bathroom populated by playful Huli jing (nine-tailed foxes) and the White Dragon Horse from "Journey to the West."
Into the dining room, full of raucous activity. There are living ink print paintings. Playful dijiang furballs play among bowls & plates. Hungrily feasting are Monkey & Pigsy & Sandy, all main creature characters from "Journey to the West." Little foot-tall Erzhong Ren ogres appear here, as they will throughout the ride.
Onwards to the kitchen, where the plumbing & faucets & coolers are populated by massive Chinese water dragons. Squid tentacles emerges from bowls of noodles. Bao buns leap about. Shining a flashlight on a stack of dim sum containers reveals ogres inside.
The kitchen's pantry is overrun by purple Jueyuan apes ransacking the dried goods.
Rickshaws descend into the mansion's bowels, into the boiler room. A Bixi dragon turtle heats itself atop a boiler. In the shadows are bizarre creatures with long necks & multiple heads & human faces, creatures like the Fei Tou Luan.
Rickshaws continue on through the greater backstage of Chinatown. They pass through a fortune cookie factory full of singing Luan birds in cages and enchanted floating Lunar New Year lanterns.
Through a Chinese pharmacy where the dried medicinal sea creatures in vats come to life and play. Pharmacy drawers slide open to reveal more ogres. A physical acupuncture model appears possessed.
Through an artifact warehouse. A row of Jiangshi vampires clad in Qing Dynasty garb leaps past stiff-limbed. Massive, 15-foot tall Shishi Fu (Chinese guardian lions) look down benevolently upon guests. More ogres pop up from underneath a parade dragon costume. Shining a flashlight upon encased terra cotta statues brings them to life.
Rickshaws then reach the climactic centerpiece room, the fireworks factory. Ogres infest shelf upon shelf of Chinese fireworks. Flashlights cause fireworks to spin, sparkle, let off smoke, and otherwise create chaos. Flaming Fenghuang (phoenix) birds fly throughout. A rhino-sized Nian lion-dragon basks under sparklers. Windows to outside show great bursts of pyrotechnics.
Following this crazed finale, rickshaws glide through a Chinese observatory. Constellations depict the classic Four Symbols, the four most revered beasts in Chinese mythology - the white tiger & black tortoise & azure dragon & vermillion bird.
One last room through a Taoist temple lets guests bid farewell to the Qilin. There are pots & vases squirming behind him, filled with captured critters. Guests then unload in a mansion hallway, and exit to a Chinatown gift shop featuring plush toys & souvenirs inspired by the mansion's monsters.
Next: Soaring Dragons Coaster
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