so excited! staying right across the street and can't sleep! i think I'll get up and get ready now. thanks for all the extra info!
so excited! staying right across the street and can't sleep! i think I'll get up and get ready now. thanks for all the extra info!
Alright! Who's there and having a blast!?!
I want to know what kind of line there was beginning at 10pm last night.
i was there - but had to come home to work - and will go back tonight. did not wait overnight and got in at 710am. Merchandise lines were long in Emporium and it looked like everything sold out - but they restocked 30 min later. That does not mean it will last forever, though. Ear hats are being sewn on the fly at Mad Hatter on Main St. Signs all over the park for the special menu items late in the evening. It actually was not too crowded. Some folks got in 2 or 3 attractions and a snack by 9am or so.
Modern Family was filming a segment on the banks of the RoA. Kind of odd - but it did soak up some of the crowd who wanted to watch them film instead of hit attractions and such.
I expect it to get quite busy later in the day and evening. Overnight might not be so bad.
Free buttons (AVP posted a pic on Twitter and Facebook).
"[Disneyland] has that thing - the imagination, and the feeling of happy excitement - I knew when I was a kid." - Walt Disney
I was there last night starting at 9 p.m....and left at 10:30 p.m.. The organization was horrible, to say the least. People were already lining up in the bus area east of the Esplanade when I arrived. There were a few CMs there who directed people to line up there, so the line continued to grow. I was near the front, within the first 75-100 people. At around 9:45 p.m., a CM told everyone the area would have to be cleared and everyone would need to make their way to the 15 minute parking area sidewalk. At this point, many of the people at the very front of the line began to run. It was chaotic, to say the least. People who had been at the very end of the first *unofficial* line were now at the end. There was one lone CM trying to tell everyone to stay on the sidewalk, leave a pathway, etc.. A few other CMs showed up to try to direct the front of the *unofficial* line and said at 10 p.m. everyone would be escorted back to where we had all been originally standing. People were VERY angry and upset about losing their spots in line, etc.. At 10 p.m., CMs began to escort the group back to where we had already been standing. At this point, I asked several CMs if they knew about the wristbands which I had read about being distributed. They all told me they didn't know. They counted everyone in line twice, I was around #250 at this time but they still didn't hand out wristbands nor did they say when this might happen. At 10:30, I decided to leave, and this is when they made the announcement they would indeed be handing out wristbands, but again, didn't say when this would happen. The wristbands were handed out about 10 minutes after I left, and people could leave their spots if they wanted to to return this a.m.. I really do not understand why they were so disorganized. They knew people were going to be lining up, yet they were so unprepared. Why couldn't they pass out the ears like they did on 7.17.05? Also, why did WDW APs get an opportunity to purchase their ears online while here at Dland we had to wait in line, etc.?
I'm planning on going back later this evening, but still am very unhappy with the way everthing was handled. You would think after nearly 57 years, Disney would know how to handle a crowd and be organized.
So do I. But I'm not willing to pull an all-nighter to get it. I REALLY wish they would bring back breakfast at Cafe Orleans!Originally Posted by olegc
If I go down, I'm going down fat and full.
Me too....
Planning 3 trips at once...
well, it does start to be served at 11pm. that's not too late ;-)
the lines for RBT alone should be an indication that any early morning park wide opening warrants the Cafe to be opened. Of course I will say many of the shops around it were still closed, as well as Pirates being such a walk on.
"[Disneyland] has that thing - the imagination, and the feeling of happy excitement - I knew when I was a kid." - Walt Disney
So people who got a wristband for a hat/spot in line, could leave, go home, and sleep, and still have their spot??!
Well, sort of...I talked with my neighbor who I left behind in the line, he said they were told after getting the wristbands that one person in your group had to stay but others could leave. So, he stayed while his sister went home. It really was a nightmare of disorganization. I ended up going back last night...traffic was backed all the way up Harbor 1.5 miles to where I live. I ended up walking there and waited nearly 2 hours in the Esplanade to enter the park. I left after about an hour and a half, just wanted to get my ears, which I had to go to three locations to find a pair to then get embroidered. I will never participate in an event like Leap Day again.
Was hoping there would be some more stories from One More Day, but I guess everyone who stayed through the night is probably sleeping right now.
Disneyland trip count: 31
WDW trip count: 2
i finally left at 230am since I was too tired. I had been there at the opening and then had to leave for my real job. AVP and cstephens stayed to the end (from their twitter feeds). I can tell you that at around 830 or 9pm the resort area went gridlock - freeways, streets, etc. I waited 90 minutes to go from orangewood at harbor up the road to get to TS Lot. massive crowds to get in like the 50th event. all the way to DCA. Closed the gates to new entry until around 1am. lines everywhere for everything. Some of the photo ops were nice and Fantasmic used the stage for the character finale since the MTwain was down. I was by myself so it was tough to hang out. Regardless - I would say the majority of the crowds were in the 18+ to 30 age bracket. Each restaurant was a huge wait - and after Fantasmic the flood of guests into the west side was massive. They played Rock Around the Clock on the speakers on Main St at Midnight. and apparently the MMC theme at the end of the night (er, day) - well, 6am.
When I left at 230am - the ticket booths still had folks in line to buy - A LOT OF PEOPLE. all switchbacks all the way to the end. THe line to get into the park went down to DCA, across the entrance, and back up towards the west exits of Disneyland. And when I got to the TS lot around 315 (they had average numbers of buses) there were still people getting on the buses to go back to the park. THey probably never would get in.
The merchandise was pretty much sold out by the evening except for the 2x and 3x shirts.
There is a completely unsubstantiated report from another twitter reporter for DLAND that said there was a rave held in the park (KIIS FM at TL stage) and this is one of the reasons why twitter access and cell phone access itself was so erratic in the evening. sometimes you'd have nothing, and you turn a corner or go into another land and boom 12 messages pop up (for me). I never made it into TOmorrowland to witness anything for myself but I would not be surprised - the massive amount of people coming in the gates after work and in the early morning hours was just an amazing thing to see from a historic perspective.
I had fun - but could not hang until 6am. I know more people will come out. I have seen that some even have gone back to the park this morning.
"[Disneyland] has that thing - the imagination, and the feeling of happy excitement - I knew when I was a kid." - Walt Disney
Did you read our coverage on MousePlanet?
one other note - today (3/1) the park is already kind of crowded I hear. I was going to pass along that last night as I left many of those in line to still get in (at 230am!) and those going to the tram were already planning their 2nd day of coming back. The two-fer tickets must have been hot sellers.
"[Disneyland] has that thing - the imagination, and the feeling of happy excitement - I knew when I was a kid." - Walt Disney
Wasn't it on Facebook? If that is the one, then nope. No Facebook account.
Disneyland trip count: 31
WDW trip count: 2
I'm about to post a mini trip reportUnless a moderator doesn't mind me posting it in this thread?? Edit as you'd like:
------------------
Ahhh Disneyland "One More Day"....
I am a premium AP holder and my friend needed to buy her AP. She had been having issues with her new bank so she was unable to resolve her AP problem beforehand. No biggie...or so I thought haha
We left a little later than we'd have liked but made it to the 5*south in decent time. Then it began....the 3 HR wait in the carpool lane to exit (8:45ish to 11:45pm). Once we were off of the freeway, it actually only took us 10 min to get through Mickey & Friends structure including the tram. Missed all showings of F! but saw the clouds changing color in the sky from my car!!! LOL
My friend waited a little over an hour in ticket booth line where I witnessed several people line jumping and cutting. I was walking around the esplanade just for people watching. An altercation broke out because some ditzy pretty girl flirted her way to the front in exchange for her phone number...only to find out she was buying tix for her and her boyfriend. I saw many people trying to buy their way to the front. Lots of crying exhausted looking children. At this point they were ONLY selling APs with no guarantee they'd be admitted.
Once her AP was purchased we got in no problem. It was just after the last F! Showing and people were let in without any hesitation. Crowds were antsy as CMs were spreading rumors that DCA would be reopening. Weird non-lines were forming all over the place.
Once we were in we went straight to FL as the wait times for those rides was less than 20 min!!! After that I went to Mad Hatter next to Mr Toad and bought my blue mousketeer ears & had the "one more day" promo embroidery added. They let APs use their discount on the special embroidery too. Yay!
A few negatives... Way too many unsupervised and/or intoxicated minors and out of control, foul-mouthed adults. Witnessed people being escorted by security for having OPEN CONTAINERS at DL. Really?! Too many people walking around smoking. Too many adults trying to throw their weight around like they own the place. If I got $1 for every time I heard someone dropping names or demanding their money back I could buy myself a premier pass and a ticket to Orlando hehehe.
I had as much fun as one could have expected in the small amount of time we were privileged to attend but if they do something like this again it should be way more selective.
Last night is not how I was to experience disneyland ever again. People are so gross and the queues were THRASHED. All i kept wondering was how on earth they'd turn the park over before reopening! Several CMs kept repeating "No one really thought THIS MANY people would be here tonight." Interesting. But- gotta hand it to the CMs. Despite everything and every guest they were OUTSTANDING!!!
It was a magical morning watching the sunrise over DLR and even more so shopping in an EMPTY world of disney store hehehe
I thought I sensed the same thing from them though I never heard it. Parking CMs looking dazed (note - TS LOT - no fee to get in, just come on in and try your luck); those serving meals just trying to be helpful (the nicer restaurants were jammed, VHaus was OK but not what I wanted to eat). I can't speak for attraction CMs since I never made it to another one (too long for me) but the merchandise and snack/drink CMs were just doing their best - but the look they sometimes gave was "what happened?"
Maybe Disneyland thought it would be much more like a regular day -lots of folks would come for a majority of the day but slowly move out by 1, then the ones who came in later would stay till 6. Ahh, but the promotion was too good about staying all 24. It was genius - but scary genius and I wonder if they will keep the lessons for next time.
"[Disneyland] has that thing - the imagination, and the feeling of happy excitement - I knew when I was a kid." - Walt Disney
I wouldn't count on it....
My experiences, part of which I posted previously the Hearts thread, but more appropriately belongs here.
I arrived at Disneyland at around 5:40 a.m. on 2/29 and the bag check was closed. From the tram, it looked like the line stretched all the way back past where the trams normally drop people off, heading towards the back-side of Haggan Daz. The tram went around to the other side to drop off our people. While most people walked to the end of the lines, there was a second line that went through Downtown Disney, I have no idea how far back, I went with the tried and true "hover and see what happens" approach.
Shortly before 6:00 a.m., they started to set up a bag check, going so far as to turn on the lights to that pavillion. When they did that, people immediately started forming a third line, and I found myself near the front of that line. At which point, a lady who started yelling to the CMs that it "wasn't fair" to the people who had been waiting and were near the front of the original lines. She wanted her line to go through first and have the newly formed third line held back.
From what people were saying, they closed off the esplanade at 5am, so the people hadn't been waiting any longer than 1 hour. The people who had been waiting longer and were in the 1st 2,000 people (and thus got the free hats) were already on the other side of the esplanade and were escorted into the park first. In hindsight, I'm not sure that the people at the front of the line realized that there was an even longer line on the other side of the esplanade or if they thought that they were first in line. This could have accounted for some of her behavior?
After her yelling, they changed changed their mind and turned the lights for the pavilion back off. But at that point, there was already a distinct line formed. When they opened the checkpoints and didn't open the second pavilion, all the people in the fake third line wound up merging into the existing lines. I'm not sure how that was better than just opening a third checkpoint, but there you have it.
Then, after the bag check, there was another rope and wait for the early arrivals to go through the turnstyles before they dropped the rope for the people in the middle of the esplanade to queue for the turnstyles. There, I listened to another lady who was complaining that she and her girls weren't going to get a free hat "because they said on the news that they were giving away free hats" I told her that it was only to the first 2,000 people, which she seemed to know, but thought it was unfair that other people got there before she did. She seemed to think that it should have been a free-for-all starting at 6:00 a.m. I'm guessing that based on where she was in line, she had gotten to Downtown Disney shortly after they closed the esplanade and assumed/told her kids that they were in the first 2,000 because at that point it seemed that they were the first 50 or so "in line" - not knowing that there was an even longer line on the other side. If that's the case, CMs should have told people what was going on. I have no idea if they did try to communicate this earlier, but by the time I got there, all the CMs were on the inside of the esplanade and from what I could tell the outside area was more or less a free-for-all of gossip/rumor. The lady indicated that she would be complaining to City Hall. I left it at "Good luck with that, try to not let this ruin the rest of your day."
No, it was on the MousePlanet front page all day yesterday, and updated frequently with current happenings from both resorts.
http://www.mouseplanet.com/9894/One_...neyland_Resort
AVP
I'm walking in the 2012 Disneyland Half Marathon in honor of two incredible Lymphoma survivors in my life: Gramma Jan and my friend Michele. If blood cancers have touched your life, please consider a donation to my walk fund to help fund better cures.
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Seems to be a recurring theme with Disney with every event they put on. They continually underestimate the response. One would think after a couple of times of doing major events they'd get the sense that folks like the brand and what they're all about and start planning for massive crowds.
Karin
thankfully they have another 4 years to figure it out if they want to do it again. From the sounds of it, there were a lot of rude, drunk and obnoxious people. Ridiculous. I am sure those who behaved had fun but it only takes a few to ruin it for everyone else.
Have a Disney Day!
You don't have to walk on water, it's how you walk on land.
they don't really have 4 years until the next event, just the next 24 event. The next major crowd event is 4 months away - DCA relaunch. True, not a rave target (except maybe electronica) but still massive crowds to get in and see. I remember the 50th was blacked out for many APs - but OMDD was not. Hmmm... I wonder what the strategy may be here for June 15th.
"[Disneyland] has that thing - the imagination, and the feeling of happy excitement - I knew when I was a kid." - Walt Disney
Well I meant 4 years to do another Leap Event.
Have a Disney Day!
You don't have to walk on water, it's how you walk on land.
I thought that article was going to have updates, but every time I clicked on it it yesterday (or today), it just had a brief article with some links inside to the FB page and references to following everyone on Twitter. No updates in the actual article at all. I did keep up a bit on the MP FB page...maybe I am missing something???
Just to add my experience to this thread: DH and I were on the 5 near the park just after 7pm. At that point, there wasn't much backup on the actual fwy, but there was some backup on both the carpool and regular park exits. So, we got off on Disney Way, made a right turn, and headed into the Pumbaa lot, which was open without any CMs staffing the kiosks. They were running courtesy buses to the park, so we hopped on the first one we saw, made it through security relatively quickly (maybe a 5 min wait), then got in line for the gate. The lines seemed to go back to the middle of the Esplanade, but the lines on the sides were actually very short. We got in the one furthest to the right and only waited maybe 10 mins. to get in. They didn't have any buttons at the gate we went through, but I saw a basket of them a couple of gates down, so I walked over and grabbed one for each of us. Walking down Main St. was a bit difficult because we were part of the increasing stream of people entering the park. Once we made it to New Orleans Sq., we got in line for Pirates, which took about 20 mins. After that, we waited 10 mins. for Pooh, then walked on Splash. Once we were done with that, it was around 9pm, and we decided to head out. Just as we were leaving, it was really starting to get insane. The bus back to the lot took longer than it would've taken to walk, simply because the traffic was so terrible on Harbor. Luckily, the exit to Pumbaa allowed us to bypass most of the major traffic, and we were home by 10pm. The traffic reporter on NBC 4 on the 11pm news said it was the worst traffic he'd seen in 18 years.
Overall, we had a fun time, but I wouldn't have wanted to stay any longer. I agree that it seemed like the CMs were totally unprepared for that crowd level. We couldn't believe how backed up the 5 fwy. was when we left. If Disney ever attempts this again, I don't think we will go, but I am glad we gave it a go last night.
Sanity is the playground for the unimaginative...
******************
"I keep thinking I'm a grown-up, but I'm not."
Okay, I'm now awake enough to share my OMDD experience! We got to the resort right about 6 a.m., M&F structure was busy, but not terrible. Got on a tram right away (no one ever seems to realize that the last opening on the left is only half for strollers, not ALL for strollers...) and arrived to a much-larger-than-usual bag check line and entrance line. Everything went pretty quickly in spite of the crowding at that point, we got our Leap Day buttons, and went on our merry way. It got crazy from there
Lines were pretty epic throughout the day, but not so bad if you FP'd the big stuff. Our goal was to do every single attraction in both DL and DCA, but there weren't enough hours for DCA, and the crowding was just as bad there as at DL. Managed to do about half of DCA before giving up and heading back to DL at about 6 p.m., where we did finish EVERYTHING (except the few things that were closed). 60 attractions accomplished in all, so I'm counting it as a victory. Innoventions closed an hour earlier than they were supposed to, and a few other things were intermittently closed and/or broken down at various times. Crowds seemed to get MUCH WORSE after DCA closed, and I agree with others who said there were a lot of out-of-control guests... we saw a lot of pot-smoking in various locations, and a few people completely trashed. A girl in front of us in line for Jungle Cruise wasn't able to stand upright without leaning on her boyfriend... we gave her a wide berth. Tomorrowland was a place to be avoided -- there was a DJ in Tomorrowland Terrace, and it was just wall-to-wall people everywhere. We went on Captain EO and experienced a completely full theater, which I really never see.
Anyway! Had a lot of fun overall, but I feel like the crowd control could have been better. Also, who thought it was a good idea to film an episode of "Modern Family" on a day like this?? They were shutting down various areas of DL throughout the day to do that, and with the crowds like they were, it just made things worse. My only other beef was the way the FastPasses were set up -- the last FP return times were for 8 p.m. (luckily AVP posted this on Twitter and we adjusted plans accordingly). Why, oh why, would they do that when the crowds were only getting worse as the night went on?? Just seemed unnecessary to me. Overall assessment: Fun experience, but I'm not sure I'd do it again!
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