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Thread: D23 Expo – The Ultimate Disney Fan Event – Returns to Anaheim

  1. #51

    I agree that there were some with unrealistic expectations regarding being able to attend everything, but I also agree that the organization of the 2011 expo was terrible in many areas. For the Arena events, there were multiple lines in different areas of the Convention Center, and CMs gave different answers as to which line was the correct line to be in. I heard at one point a "standby" line was actually let in before a real line by accident, though I didn't witness that.

    Also for some of the smaller panels, there were unofficial lines that eventually became lines, and there were "waiting room" lines that were supposed to be the official lines. When waiting for the DCA Panel, we were told we might not make it into the room for the DCA Panel, but that the line for the Star Tours panel (after the DCA panel, but in the same room) would be forming in the same area, so if we didn't make it in for the DCA one, we'd be first up for Star Tours. Cool. EXCEPT that the CM who told us that was nowhere to be found after the DCA panel filled up, and then the other CMs cleared the waiting room to make way for an unofficial Star Tours line that had formed outside (which of course by then had more people in it than there were chairs in the room). So because of that, we ended up getting to see nothing. If we'd realized they wouldn't let us stay in line for the next panel, we could have split up and put one of us in the unofficial Star Tours line.

    Sorry that was convoluted, but that was the essence of my last-day experience at the 2011 Expo. I'm cool with waiting in lines. It's expected, it's part of how it works. I'm not cool with being told to wait in the wrong area or being told I can get into something and then being told I was waiting in the wrong area for nothing, especially when I'd taken care to ask the CMs to make sure I was in the right place.


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  3. #52
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    cstephens's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Shortpix77 View Post
    Sorry that was convoluted, but that was the essence of my last-day experience at the 2011 Expo. I'm cool with waiting in lines. It's expected, it's part of how it works. I'm not cool with being told to wait in the wrong area or being told I can get into something and then being told I was waiting in the wrong area for nothing, especially when I'd taken care to ask the CMs to make sure I was in the right place.
    Your explanation made perfect sense, and I completely agree. What really made no sense to me is that they'd already been through the 2009 Expo so knew that lines would be an issue, and yet there seemed to be very little thought or practice put into figuring out how the lines would work for very popular panels. With the difficulty of getting into some panels anyway, it was a lot more frustrating when you were trying to follow their rules, but even the CMs didn't know what the rules were.
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  4. #53
    Fun is wherever you find it... olegc's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by cstephens View Post
    Your explanation made perfect sense, and I completely agree. What really made no sense to me is that they'd already been through the 2009 Expo so knew that lines would be an issue, and yet there seemed to be very little thought or practice put into figuring out how the lines would work for very popular panels. With the difficulty of getting into some panels anyway, it was a lot more frustrating when you were trying to follow their rules, but even the CMs didn't know what the rules were.
    not sure if this has any real bearing - but according to some posts previsouly made DisneyParks was responsible for overall operations of D23 expo the first time in 2009 and Disney Pictures in 2011. Who has more experience with marshalling large crowds and lines? (its a rhetorical question)...
    "[Disneyland] has that thing - the imagination, and the feeling of happy excitement - I knew when I was a kid." - Walt Disney

  5. #54
    Some people are worth melting for oregontraveler's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Shortpix77 View Post
    I agree that there were some with unrealistic expectations regarding being able to attend everything, but I also agree that the organization of the 2011 expo was terrible in many areas. For the Arena events, there were multiple lines in different areas of the Convention Center, and CMs gave different answers as to which line was the correct line to be in. I heard at one point a "standby" line was actually let in before a real line by accident, though I didn't witness that.

    Also for some of the smaller panels, there were unofficial lines that eventually became lines, and there were "waiting room" lines that were supposed to be the official lines. When waiting for the DCA Panel, we were told we might not make it into the room for the DCA Panel, but that the line for the Star Tours panel (after the DCA panel, but in the same room) would be forming in the same area, so if we didn't make it in for the DCA one, we'd be first up for Star Tours. Cool. EXCEPT that the CM who told us that was nowhere to be found after the DCA panel filled up, and then the other CMs cleared the waiting room to make way for an unofficial Star Tours line that had formed outside (which of course by then had more people in it than there were chairs in the room). So because of that, we ended up getting to see nothing. If we'd realized they wouldn't let us stay in line for the next panel, we could have split up and put one of us in the unofficial Star Tours line.

    Sorry that was convoluted, but that was the essence of my last-day experience at the 2011 Expo. I'm cool with waiting in lines. It's expected, it's part of how it works. I'm not cool with being told to wait in the wrong area or being told I can get into something and then being told I was waiting in the wrong area for nothing, especially when I'd taken care to ask the CMs to make sure I was in the right place.
    It makes perfect sense to me. IIRC: if you're already in the queue line, have you checked your cameras/phones as well. It would be nice to have some proof of which CM said what. But then again, it probably wouldn't matter.

    As much as I would like to do this someday. With all the confusion going on these last 2 Expo's. I'd rather spend my money in the parks.

  6. #55
    Quote Originally Posted by olegc View Post
    not sure if this has any real bearing - but according to some posts previsouly made DisneyParks was responsible for overall operations of D23 expo the first time in 2009 and Disney Pictures in 2011. Who has more experience with marshalling large crowds and lines? (its a rhetorical question)...
    while at the D23 convention we ran into the (very NICE) lady that hosted our D23 Studio Tour a few months before. She was helping organize one of the waiting area, but she remembered us and we chatted for a bit. She told that yes, "Parks" ran the first convention and the Studio ran the second one.

  7. #56
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    I will go, just because I wouldn't want to miss something good. We were very disappointed in the 2011 Expo. We live in Seattle & I went the 2009 Expo by myself. Very easy to do things for 1 person & lines were so manageable. I had a great time & raved about it to my family. 2011 I took my husband with me & didn't get into many things we wanted to see. He was really annoyed - not the die hard Disney fan I am - and did not have that good of a time. We had member's tickets, got to things early & still couldn't get in due to the venue being full (really? you are there 2 hours before an event & it is already full? where's the fun in that?). We will definitely get the upgraded package for the next one, or not go, at least not my husband. Not worth our time or money to stand in line then not get to see what we wanted to see.


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