Or less!
Pros: Disneyland. Any excuse to go. Crowded with Fans and unique merchandise.
Cons: Lines. Disorganized lines. Lines for everything makes Daniel sad.
Whenever there is a 24 hour event, there will be crowds at Disneyland. Last Friday’s crowds were capacity, and there were people lining up to complain. As usual, I have nothing but the utmost respect for the Cast Members and Disney Management. Everyone I encountered was professional and composed, which made the event just a little nicer. Hopefully Disney will do better job of line control next time (because we know they can!) and things will go more smoothly for everyone.
By all accounts, Disneyland was doing very well with the overnight camping-in-line crowd. A constant series of tweets complimented the well organized lines – no camp out gear after 2 a.m., vendors out for the crowd, and a constant stream of slowly moving guests. Shortly after 2 a.m. the crowd began moving through the security gates, where Cast Members kept the lines organized until they began moving the crowd onto Main Street beginning at 4 a.m. At 6 a.m. the crowds scattered into the Parks, and the fun began! According to many, if the line control had continued from the opening, with clear re-entry policies (50 at a time, decided by the fire marshal, line begins here and so on..) much of the resulting confusion could have been avoided.
The exclusive merchandise was only available at a few select locations, so we elected to skip the long lines and ride! The new Matterhorn effects are a real treat, and surprisingly complex for such a fast ride. The bobsleds are now set up for individual riders in each section, but it is still a bumpy ride! The original line estimate at opening was 90 minutes, but we were on and off in just after an hour.
After a few rides, we joined the crowds to eat at one of the few locations open early. Standard menu applied, with the addition of a 60th Anniversary treat depending on the location. I swore I wouldn’t get sucked in, but I’ve got to buy a set of the Popcorn buckets that were offered! I know I’ll end up spending more than I intend, but that’s because they offer so much neat stuff.
When the park filled up at 11 a.m. we headed over to DCA to get some pictures and see if the lines for food were comparable. The staff worked hard, but the crowd was nearly overwhelming at times. We stuck to fruit and snacks for the most part, but still managed to get served real food. Dining reservations are a must, especially on crowded days!
After 2 p.m. we left to meet friends whom were joining us, only to find that Disneyland was closed due to capacity, with lines reaching all the way across the esplanade from DCA to the Disneyland Resort. After some exploring, we found a line to re-enter the Disneyland Resort stretching back through Downtown Disney. We elected to stay in DCA, waiting to simply catch the Fab Four when the gates were (hopefully) begin readmitting. We then stayed to try to at least catch the last parade scheduled for 1 a.m. if the gate opened after 10 p.m. In the end, we played around DCA, until around 2:30 a.m. when the gates were opened to allow us to be re-admitted to the Disneyland Resort. (Sadly missing all of the special Disneyland fun until my next visit)
Disney’s California Adventure is great fun, with an amazing view at night. The food was just fine,with the new Wilderness theme replacing the Condor Flats area around Soarin’ Over California. Carsland never disappoints, and we enjoyed checking out the awesome displays of 60th Anniversary Merchandise. I only hope things are still around for my visit on the 60th!
typicaldisneyguests 