Disneyland 60th!

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Sun, 07/19/2015 - 19:56

EmFord

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Disneyland 60th!

Well I'm back from Disneyland for the 60th Anniversary fun and whew what a whirlwind. I promise I will actually write a trip report and finish it for this.. As I get unpacked and buy some groceries for my empty kitchen, I just wanted to give some highlights.

Pros:
The magic of being in the park that Walt built
The ability to walk everywhere and not rely on Disney transportation (not that I'm complaining, we did kind of miss the busses towards the end.. haha)
New Orleans Square!
The difference between some of the similar rides.. Space, Pirates and Tower of Terror were noticeably better than their WDW counterparts.
The original rides, Indiana Jones and Radiator Springs were awesome!
Trader Sams!

Cons:
No Disney bubble.. you really are constantly bombarded with the "real world"
The size.. While easy to get around there was just so much less to do
The Cast Members -- now I attribute this again to the lack of a Disney bubble but we really didn't feel the immersion from all the workers like in WDW. Some were downright rude and did not stick to the themes of their rides AT ALL.
The other guests - Now this one is hard, I know that we were there during a crazy week, and in the summer at that but we found a lot of rude guests. From cutting in line (A LOT) to a woman actually pushing (really hard) my boyfriend as we were trying to maneuver through the post parade crowds.

Overall I would recommend any diehard Disney fan get out to Disneyland at some point. It sure isn't WDW but the magic is certainly felt in the park that started it all.

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Mon, 07/20/2015 - 16:06

Kristen K.

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EmFord wrote:

The Cast Members -- now I attribute this again to the lack of a Disney bubble but we really didn't feel the immersion from all the workers like in WDW. Some were downright rude and did not stick to the themes of their rides AT ALL.
The other guests - Now this one is hard, I know that we were there during a crazy week, and in the summer at that but we found a lot of rude guests. From cutting in line (A LOT) to a woman actually pushing (really hard) my boyfriend as we were trying to maneuver through the post parade crowds.

The demographic at Disneyland for locals vs. travelers is the inverse of WDW, with 70% of the Disneyland Guests being locals. That has it's own unique problems to manage when it comes to attitude of the guests, and this totally effects the attitude of the cast members. While I've never really had any serious problems while there, you can indeed feel a difference.

Mon, 07/20/2015 - 17:19

EmFord

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Posts: 414

Kristen K. wrote:

EmFord wrote:

The Cast Members -- now I attribute this again to the lack of a Disney bubble but we really didn't feel the immersion from all the workers like in WDW. Some were downright rude and did not stick to the themes of their rides AT ALL.
The other guests - Now this one is hard, I know that we were there during a crazy week, and in the summer at that but we found a lot of rude guests. From cutting in line (A LOT) to a woman actually pushing (really hard) my boyfriend as we were trying to maneuver through the post parade crowds.

The demographic at Disneyland for locals vs. travelers is the inverse of WDW, with 70% of the Disneyland Guests being locals. That has it's own unique problems to manage when it comes to attitude of the guests, and this totally effects the attitude of the cast members. While I've never really had any serious problems while there, you can indeed feel a difference.

Yeah I figured it was because of the huge amount of locals.. I also realize that in WDW people come to Orlando a lot of the time specifically to work for Disney (the college program being a major example) so they know what they are getting themselves into and have fun in the "magic". Whereas in Disneyland, a lot of the cast members simply live in Anaheim and its a quick job for them. It certainly didn't affect our trip majorly but it did make us miss the World a little bit. haha

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Tue, 07/21/2015 - 03:21

alicemouse

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Posts: 2832

EmFord wrote:

Cons:
The Cast Members -- now I attribute this again to the lack of a Disney bubble but we really didn't feel the immersion from all the workers like in WDW. Some were downright rude and did not stick to the themes of their rides AT ALL.
The other guests - Now this one is hard, I know that we were there during a crazy week, and in the summer at that but we found a lot of rude guests. From cutting in line (A LOT) to a woman actually pushing (really hard) my boyfriend as we were trying to maneuver through the post parade crowds.

It's so awesome that you go to be there for the 60th festivities, but I'm so sad for you that this was the case! We actually had the exact opposite experience in March. We attributed it to the fact that since most guests were locals there was less "once-in-a-lifetime-trip" pressure on them and as such, we found most people to be considerably more cordial than the average WDW guest. We didn't find the CMs as a group to be rude, but definitely less informative! You really have to think for yourself at DL because there are WAY fewer people sending a constant barrage of safety instructions at you. I wonder if it had to do with there being additional stress and tension for everyone surrounding the anniversary festivities. I hope that your next trip to DL is more magical!! I'm very much looking forward to your trip report as I absolutely fell in love with Disneyland.

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Tue, 07/21/2015 - 17:54

Allie

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Sorry to hear you had some bummer interactions, but I cannot wait for your trip report!

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Tue, 07/21/2015 - 19:13

EmFord

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Oh don't get me wrong! We had a wonderful time.. Just a little less magical than WDW lol. I definitely attribute it to the stress of the 60th. Even though I heard a CM say that it wasn't any more crowded than a normal summer day, so maybe their summers are just always hectic. And I think the appeal of the new Paint the Night parade made t extra crazy since Disneyland already isn't as equipped as WDW to deal with parade crowds and then this was one EVERYONE was trying to see. We saw people sitting and reserving spots at 4pm.. The parade didn't start till 9. It was crazy. It really did feel super cool to be there for a momentous anniversary though and I would definitely go back if the chance arose.

I'm gonna start getting pics together and get the TR started ASAP

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Tue, 07/21/2015 - 20:31

The Colonel

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Strange- I felt quite the opposite about the guests. I was meeting lovely, friendly people left and right and had no problems whatsoever. In fact I commented when I got back that I thought it was more of a community feeling and less an international vibe. Maybe the 60th crowds combined with the heat of summer made it less enjoyable.

I stayed in VGC and I really felt totally immersed in a Disney Bubble. I never left Disney property. I found the parks, rides and general experience much nicer. But that may also be the novelty of a new thing.

I loved Disneyland so much that I am going again in September, less than year later.

As for CMs, I'm finding them less and less magical everywhere we go. Disney should work on that aspect.

I'd love to hear your thoughts on the 60th festivities, especially Paint the Night. Can't wait for your report.

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Mon, 08/03/2015 - 20:02

LouisianaMike

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Wow!! Lucky you!!

I was actually on a business trip to L.A. from the 19th -29th July, and had the opportunity to go checkout DL, but couldn't get myself to go SOLO without the wife and kids. I so wanted to go, but would have felt guilty going without them.. Sounds like you had a great time.. I can't wait to read the trip report. I'm hoping my next business trip will allow me to bring the family out to L.A. and make a trip to the park for a day or two. We'll see!!

LouisianaMike

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Disneyland 60th!