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View Full Version : You mean this isn't Disneyland?



tonytone
04-06-2009, 07:58 PM
LOL--I reckon this isn't the first time the following has happened but...as we were going through the DCA turnstiles my wife happened to overhear the folks behind us ask the CM if they were entering Disneyland. The look on their faces when the CM told them that, no, they were about to enter DCA and DL was across the plaza--let's just say that they had been waiting in line for about half an hour waiting for DCA to open, so it doesn't take much imagination to guess what kind of look they had. :crying::eek:

Disneyland1955
04-06-2009, 09:02 PM
I love stupid people! What would this world be like without them! LMAO:p

tod
04-07-2009, 05:05 AM
Makes sense, especially if they've never been.

Disneyland is clearly marked with a big sign over the train station, but DCA is not labeled with anything that says DISNEY'S CALIFORNIA ADVENTURE -- or, more appropriately, BEWARE! KEEP OUT! I'D TURN BACK IF I WERE YOU! -- so I can see that happening.

Those of us who treat Disneyland and DCA with the same casualness as our own living rooms sometimes forget that for some people this is a first-time and maybe a once-in-a-lifetime experience.

--t

houseofmouse
04-07-2009, 06:51 AM
In Oct. we had a couple in Disneyland ask us to point them in the direction of Toy Story Midway Mania. :) It happens, people get confused. Sometimes they see a line and get in it without really paying attention.

olegc
04-07-2009, 08:38 AM
In Oct. we had a couple in Disneyland ask us to point them in the direction of Toy Story Midway Mania. :) It happens, people get confused. Sometimes they see a line and get in it without really paying attention.

and you can attribute a lot of the above (and other things mentioned) to the advertising on TV. When the Two-fer ad is out it shows many attractions in both parks (and also shows the characters on Main St taking pictures of the Pixar Play Parade in DCA - now that's confusing). And in many other ads it talks about the DISNEYLAND and then in really small letters - resort. so confusion for tourists is almost natural.

daveywest
04-07-2009, 08:38 AM
... but DCA is not labeled with anything that says DISNEY'S CALIFORNIA ADVENTURE ...

... other than the big 20-30 foot letters that say "California".

Bytebear
04-07-2009, 09:00 AM
They should have signage just inside the bag check saying DL to the left and DCA to the right (or vice versa if you are coming in from the other side). But the bag check is really the problem. The esplinade was not designed to have a bag check, and that conjests things and people are so busy being prodded like cattle through line after line (bag check, ticket booth, turnstyles) that you have no time to look at signage. By the time you get to the giant California sign, you are too frazzled to know where you are going, and if you happen to head right instead of left, you will just end up following the rest of the hurd toward the turnstyles.

(When I first saw the title of this thread I thought it was going to be about Nara Dreamland (http://www.themeparkreview.com/japan2004/nara1.htm)).

disneylandgirl
04-07-2009, 12:27 PM
Us regulars who know DLR like the back of our hands forget that it is confusing for the poeple who are out of town, and from small towns too. DLR seems HUGE to some people. My mom was totally confused when I went with her, she had no idea where we were at most of the time.

tod
04-07-2009, 01:38 PM
... but DCA is not labeled with anything that says DISNEY'S CALIFORNIA ADVENTURE ...


... other than the big 20-30 foot letters that say "California".

"California," yes, but they are in California already and they know that.

Nothing says "Disney's California Adventure."

--t

AZCardsGirl
04-07-2009, 02:10 PM
It can be confusing to the first time visitor. As can driving there. I used to live near LaPalma and Brookhurst and we kids would be stopped by families in cars circling our neighborhood looking for Disneyland. As an Anaheimer I always took pride in being very nice to tourists and helping them whenever I could.

SeansMom
04-07-2009, 06:19 PM
Actually, it took our son quite a few years to realize that DCA was not part of DL. He just assumed it was one place as we hopped back and forth daily. In fact, the first time I asked him what his favorite ride in DL was, he said GRR. Um, no, honey that's in DL. Yeah, Mom, we were in DL. LOL. I wonder how many other kids think the same way??? Easy to see it'd be confusing for somebody who's never been!

disney_leonard
04-07-2009, 07:16 PM
And for anyone who has been to WDW the DLR parks being adjacent to each other is different. At WDW you have a bus or monorail ride to get from one park to another.

shna
04-08-2009, 10:51 AM
Aside from not having terribly clear signage, I find it odd that there are not more DCA-specific souvenirs. DCA grows on me more and more with each visit & is the park my little girl almost always wants to visit first when we have our Mommy/Daughter Disneyland days. I was looking for DCA shirts on Monday, but the selection was sorely lacking. *sigh*

EeyoreGirl
04-08-2009, 11:17 AM
Actually, it took our son quite a few years to realize that DCA was not part of DL. He just assumed it was one place as we hopped back and forth daily. In fact, the first time I asked him what his favorite ride in DL was, he said GRR. Um, no, honey that's in DL. Yeah, Mom, we were in DL. LOL. I wonder how many other kids think the same way??? Easy to see it'd be confusing for somebody who's never been!

My son thinks the 2 parks are one and the same too probably because we hop back and forth. We also say we're going to Disneyland as the trip approaches so that probably as to the confusion - it's all Disneyland.

Bolivar
04-08-2009, 11:24 AM
Our family treats them all as one park. For us, DCA is more at the "land" level not the park level. So, most of the time our hierarchy would go something like this: Jungle Cruise is a ride in Adventureland which is in DL. GRR is a ride that is in DCA which is in DL.

DaDuckFan1955
04-08-2009, 11:55 AM
... other than the big 20-30 foot letters that say "California".


Some might think it is just refering to the resort being in CALIFORNIA?:cool::eek::~D

Bytebear
04-08-2009, 12:23 PM
Aside from not having terribly clear signage, I find it odd that there are not more DCA-specific souvenirs. DCA grows on me more and more with each visit & is the park my little girl almost always wants to visit first when we have our Mommy/Daughter Disneyland days. I was looking for DCA shirts on Monday, but the selection was sorely lacking. *sigh*

I saw quite a few DCA specific souvenirs at the gift shop next to GRR. Maybe look there next time. I don't do a lot of shopping in DCA, but that shop seems to be more my style (more rustic, less Princess).

shna
04-08-2009, 06:58 PM
I saw quite a few DCA specific souvenirs at the gift shop next to GRR. Maybe look there next time. I don't do a lot of shopping in DCA, but that shop seems to be more my style (more rustic, less Princess).

Thank you - I'll have to give that a try. I only looked in the shop at the very front of the park. Come to think of it, I don't think we went anywhere near GRR. I'll have to pop over there after MouseAdventure in a couple of weeks. :)

ginap73
04-08-2009, 07:45 PM
the GRR area is my FAVORITE area of DCA.

We treat DCA like another land.. it's was odd not going there last wed.. I haven't had a full day at disneyland for A LONG time.

Disneyland1955
04-09-2009, 01:36 AM
Good times!

jazzysmom
04-12-2009, 04:20 PM
It is all so completely overwhelming for first timers, and for those who haven't been there in a long time. I completely understand how confusing it can be. I hope they had a wonderful day, wherever they ending up spending it!

Burnt Toast
04-12-2009, 04:25 PM
I've found that more and more Guests fail to do even the basic amount of research for their vacation.

More and more do I talk to Guests and I tell them about Park Hoppers and that they have access to both Parks and their reply is, "You have two Parks?". This is after they've told me how much money they've spent or how long it took them or how they've been really looking forward to their vacation.

Then I talk with the Guests that come to me and tell me that they've had a horrible time and they didn't know what to do or when to do it or that we even had two Parks.

:I

tonytone
04-13-2009, 08:00 AM
Those of us who treat Disneyland and DCA with the same casualness as our own living rooms sometimes forget that for some people this is a first-time and maybe a once-in-a-lifetime experience.
Understandable; however--if I had any uncertainty as to whether I was in line for either DL or DCA, I don't think I'd choose to wait in a somewhat-long line for a lengthy period of time before asking a CM at the turnstiles as to which park I was about to enter. ;)

olegc
04-13-2009, 09:08 AM
Understandable; however--if I had any uncertainty as to whether I was in line for either DL or DCA, I don't think I'd choose to wait in a somewhat-long line for a lengthy period of time before asking a CM at the turnstiles as to which park I was about to enter. ;)

in the past on MP and on other web sites (kevin yee is famous for this one) it's stated that out of town tourists are unfairly treated by using things like Fastpass, when certain events open or close, etc. and that locals get the better end of the deal. Sorry to say that if I am going to spend a bunch of money to go to the DLR then I would at least try to plan a little and figure out what was what. I can't tell you how many times folks are confused or don't know which directions attractions or rides are - and they don't ask for directions, look on a map, or sit down and decide (and it's not just the men!).