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disneylandgirl
07-18-2009, 03:40 PM
So I went to DLR yesterday. I decided to watch the Electric Light Parade, as I haven't seen it since I was a baby. What I'd like to know, is who came up with the bright idea of having a parade right before closing time, especially at California Adventure??? Because after the parade, there was just a HUGE MASS of people following the parade route trying to get out, everyone seriously INCHING along, then everyone goes to Disneyland. Which, by the way, they had only five turnstiles open, and the rest were exits. Clearly, there were more people going into the park than out. Who the heck planned this? It was a complete mess! If I were in charge, I would seriously re-think how that all works.

DizneyMommy
07-18-2009, 03:45 PM
They can't run EP until dark, it is not totally dark until about 8:30, the park closes at 9. At closing time is the only option, DCA does not get a high enough attendance or bring in enough money to warrant staying open later.

Malcon10t
07-18-2009, 03:57 PM
Believe it or not, the limited turnstiles is rumored to be a strategic move to keep Main ST from being stressed from everyone who wants to do the best of both ELP and fireworks. Limiting the input into DL keeps from having 12000 people crashing in at 915 to see the 925 fireworks and making the crowds there even worse.

disneylandgirl
07-18-2009, 04:04 PM
What's weird is that the fireworks started about 9:15. Not sure why, but they were definitely early. And a LOT of people were sitting right outside CA watching them. IDK... it just seemed like such a mess to me.

Malcon10t
07-18-2009, 04:13 PM
What's weird is that the fireworks started about 9:15. Not sure why, but they were definitely early. And a LOT of people were sitting right outside CA watching them. hmmm, perhaps your watch was off? Fireworks will not begin until Fantasmic! concludes, and it finishes at 9:23p. (And people always crowd the Esplanade to watch the fireworks.)

houseofmouse
07-18-2009, 07:25 PM
I thought fireworks were 9:25. They were both times we saw them a few weeks back.

We usually chill after the parade for a while and let some of the crowd thin out. We watch by Mullholland Madness usually. We chat, go to the bathroom, walk slow ect.. This last time the crowds were not too bad trying to leave. There were a lot of people but it was not awful. I would recommed just hanging for a little while, walking through the shops while people scurried out.

lauras5boys
07-18-2009, 08:41 PM
We were at Electrical Parade last night too. It was such a madhouse. I tried to just stay where I was with the kids until people cleared out a bit but apparently people didn't like that idea because thyey kept yelling at us to move. We were against the wall and out of the way and i didn't want to lose the kids. It was crazy.

with_5
07-18-2009, 08:45 PM
I wish they would open the park an hour later so it could stay open until 10:00 in the summer. We like it so much better after dark.

West Covina Dave
07-18-2009, 09:08 PM
I was also at DCA last night (Friday) and watched the parade. We were sitting right in front of the Zephyr and after the parade we were following the parade out and planning on exiting through the Redwood Creek/Grizzly River Run route, but that had that closed off and wouldn't let anyone go out that way, we had to follow the parade out. I suspected that they were trying to meter the crowd and keep them from swarming the gate at Disneyland. By time we got inside Disneyland it was about 9:35.

Incidentally, they had about 10 gates open, there were about 5 on the south facing side and about that many on the east facing (over by the kennel) side. That's a pretty good way to get in in the evening, people don't see it and the lines tend to be a lot shorter than the normal gates.

darph nader
07-19-2009, 06:30 AM
Houz about this. Once World of Color is up and running,they could move Fantasmic over to DCA? They alternate nights,giving NOS a break from the crowds? (runs/ducks,evading pitch-forks and torches):rolleyes:

angcould
07-19-2009, 07:18 AM
Houz about this. Once World of Color is up and running,they could move Fantasmic over to DCA? They alternate nights,giving NOS a break from the crowds? (runs/ducks,evading pitch-forks and torches):rolleyes:

ducking... good one....... can't fault someone who has a good idea! but perhaps after the remodel DCA will have a chance to revamp their hours
if attendance increases as they are hoping..... so for now it seems the
hours fit the demand.

cstephens
07-19-2009, 08:44 AM
Houz about this. Once World of Color is up and running,they could move Fantasmic over to DCA? They alternate nights,giving NOS a break from the crowds? (runs/ducks,evading pitch-forks and torches):rolleyes:

Even though you don't really mean it - on a practical level, Fantasmic wouldn't be able to be run out of the Paradise Pier lagoon. Some people had actually suggested moving Fantasmic to the sub lagoon (before the subs came back, of course), to relieve the crowding in NOS, but Fantasmic can't be run from the sub lagoon either, at least without a lot of downscaling.

spectromen
07-19-2009, 09:15 AM
The practice of shows/parades right before closing is actually not new. It's been done at WDW quite often and even at DL in the past. I believe the original thinking was that it keeps guests in the park longer, thereby forcing them to have to buy dinner in the park rather than on the outside. Unfortunately, most DLR eateries close before official close time, so they sort of defeated the purpose.

darph nader
07-19-2009, 01:35 PM
Even though you don't really mean it - on a practical level, Fantasmic wouldn't be able to be run out of the Paradise Pier lagoon. Some people had actually suggested moving Fantasmic to the sub lagoon (before the subs came back, of course), to relieve the crowding in NOS, but Fantasmic can't be run from the sub lagoon either, at least without a lot of downscaling.

Sorry,I really mean it. The Lagoon seems larger imho,and they could show from both sides. Besides,I miss riding the Mark Twain at night,darn it.
Of course you have to realize,that at my age,I can remember when they didn't have fireworks or parades EVERY night. You could enjoy the park without the cattle calls.

Omnitographer
07-19-2009, 02:22 PM
One can only hope that Color will result in more attendance and thus later operating hours.

Donald Duck Fan68
07-19-2009, 07:03 PM
Sorry,I really mean it. The Lagoon seems larger imho,and they could show from both sides. Besides,I miss riding the Mark Twain at night,darn it.
Of course you have to realize,that at my age,I can remember when they didn't have fireworks or parades EVERY night. You could enjoy the park without the cattle calls.

Well, since you were serious, there's just no way to move Fantasmic! without some serious remaking of the show. I don't think they could use the WoC stage for the Mickey scenes (nor would they really want to), there would be no Columbia Peter Pan/Hook sequence, and no Mark Twain sequence with all the characters just to scratch the surface.

Malcon10t
07-19-2009, 07:19 PM
Of course you have to realize,that at my age,I can remember when they didn't have fireworks or parades EVERY night. You could enjoy the park without the cattle calls.You do realize they don't have fireworks/parades/Fantasmic! EVERY night, right? Yes, every night during the summer time, just like in the 60s, but not every night during off peak, just like any other time. But, perhaps they should also close the park on Mon/Tues, just like they used to also...

ETA - Anyone else remember when Disneyland had the Main Street Electrical Parade, Fantasmic!, and Fantasy in the Sky, all at night, all in the same park????

darph nader
07-19-2009, 08:51 PM
You do realize they don't have fireworks/parades/Fantasmic! EVERY night, right? Yes, every night during the summer time, just like in the 60s, but not every night during off peak, just like any other time. But, perhaps they should also close the park on Mon/Tues, just like they used to also...

ETA - Anyone else remember when Disneyland had the Main Street Electrical Parade, Fantasmic!, and Fantasy in the Sky, all at night, all in the same park????

The other side of the coin I guess. About the only time(s) we are there it's up and running. Some people upset b/c it's not on that night,I'm wigged b/c it is. Go figure. :eyeroll:

Maus
07-19-2009, 09:12 PM
ETA - Anyone else remember when Disneyland had the Main Street Electrical Parade, Fantasmic!, and Fantasy in the Sky, all at night, all in the same park????

:::raising hand::: I do! I do! And it never seemed as crowded as it does now.

Seashellmama
07-20-2009, 12:11 AM
:::raising hand::: I do! I do! And it never seemed as crowded as it does now.

At a curmudgeonly 44 years old, I can wax nostalgic about the good old days as well as anyone, I suspect, but this... this is not true. My awareness, in my teens, of my own human-crowd-claustrophobia began at Disneyland, at the hub, at night, between some nighttime show and some other nighttime show- I couldn't move, there was nowhere I could go to get away. It was very bad. I really don't think things were Better then, crowdswise. (On the other hand, the hour+ lines for Space Mountain at the time were avoidable by ducking through a very nice hallway that dropped you in about 10 minutes from boarding... perhaps I deserved my Main Street panic attacks).

backsthepack
07-20-2009, 06:23 AM
We watched the light parade this past June while there. First time in a long time. Anyway, I agree, I was shocked by the crowds trying to exit. So we just hung out awhile, watched everyone jamming their way through and headed out once it wasn't quite so bad. We didn't attempt to get into Disneyland though. We just planned it as an early night for us and headed to our hotel.
We really never watch the parades or fireworks and never, ever Fantasmic. We quit that once our little one got older. He has no interest. But he did want to see the light parade this trip so we did. I just don't like the crowds, the waiting for hours to get a good view. Dealing with the people that are rude. It just isn't worth it to us. We prefer to use that time to get on rides and enjoy the other things.

disneylandgirl
07-20-2009, 08:01 AM
We were at Electrical Parade last night too. It was such a madhouse. I tried to just stay where I was with the kids until people cleared out a bit but apparently people didn't like that idea because thyey kept yelling at us to move. We were against the wall and out of the way and i didn't want to lose the kids. It was crazy.

I think they try to keep you moving because the park was closing.

That actually happened to me on Main Street, right after we entered DL again. I stopped because I had to mail some postcards, and I was writing notes on them, I was NOT in anyone's way, and a castmember came over and told me I had to move and couldn't stand there. It was very annoying.

Maus
07-20-2009, 09:00 AM
At a curmudgeonly 44 years old, I can wax nostalgic about the good old days as well as anyone, I suspect, but this... this is not true.

Well, I have a longer memory than you (in years that is) and I said it SEEMED less crowded, not that it WAS. In my younger days I didn't mind the crowds so much.

MammaSilva
07-20-2009, 09:30 AM
Well, I have a longer memory than you (in years that is) and I said it SEEMED less crowded, not that it WAS. In my younger days I didn't mind the crowds so much.


Maus, I agree with you on the it not seeming as crowded but I wonder if that was because in 'our' time of the ELP the night time fireworks show wasn't 'built' around the castle, it was wherever you were you just looked up and watched and listened to the music. Now the 'prime' view of the show is in the Main street 'hub' and crowds gather all up and down Main street to see the effects that you can't see well from the east or west side of the park. I spent many a night watching the parade and fireworks from different vantage points along the parade route!

Maus
07-20-2009, 01:14 PM
You're right, MamaSilva. At 9:25 p.m. you just stopped whatever you were doing and looked up at the sky!