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View Full Version : DCA Pin of the Month 9-9 - Rumor or Truth?



KarenW2
09-10-2001, 08:08 AM
We were at DCA yesterday, 9-9, for the Pin of the Month that was changed from 9-8 to 9-9, because of the Disneyana Convention. We knew park hours changed that day to open at 10am, instead of 9am, so we were very surprised to see so many people already in line to get vouchers (we figure they didn't check the park hours & ended up early by mistake)!

Since we were staying at Disneyland Hotel and since the main entrance was so packed by these early people, we decided to use the Paradise Pier entrance. We were very disappointed to find upon arrival after 9:30, the gates weren't even open there! We know at the front entrance, they open the gates at least 1/2 hour early for "rope drop", same as at the Grand Californian entrance. Does anyone know why the PP entrance doesn't follow the same rules? The CM there pulled 3 cute little girls out of line, scanned their passes & had them stand at the front to make the "opening announcement", since I guess they don't even pipe the main announcement back there, so all of us in line had to wait til AFTER 10am and AFTER this "announcement" to get thru the turnstiles!

We were very dismayed to find upon entry that there was already a HUGE line outside of Treasures for pin buying as well as a HUGE line for the artist signing pins! Talking to some people in line, we heard that these people, already in line at both places had RUSHED the security at the front entrance and did not wait for the CMs to give them the OK to enter! Another group was being "escorted" from the Grand Californian entrance as we were walking to the purchase line. These people were very upset and said the CMs there insisted they escort the guests to the line and purposely held them up as the front people ran to the lines first!! I asked the security CM at Treasures where all the people already in lines came from & when they were allowed in and all she could say was she had no idea, she had just come "on".

I know there were many more people in line because of the Disneyana Convention last week, and some of these people were yelling at the very young CM working the purchase line, passing out flyers about the upcoming Mystery Pin locations. The ones with Disneyana lanyards were yelling at the kid, telling him they EXPECTED to be treated with SPECIAL treatment, why should THEY have to wait in line, etc. I felt really badly for the kid, as it wasn't even his job to do anything about it & he wasn't the person they should be "discussing" it with anyway. Another woman was yelling at him about how SHE got there at 6:30am and couldn't even park in the parking structure! Why would she get there THAT early, when the park didn't even open til 10am? From what I understand the structure opens 1 hour before park opening, so since DL opened at 9am yesterday, that wouldn't be til 8am.

It was not a fun morning and it took us at least TWICE as long to get thru the purchase & signing lines as on a "normal" month.

Which brings me to my topic question. Was anyone out there in the group at the entrance who can tell us if the story we heard about rushing the CMs at the front it true? Or if it isn't, how did these people get to Treasures & the signing line so far ahead of the rest of us?

After waiting nearly 3 HOURS, just to get into the building for Public Day on Saturday & all the hour waits just to buy the 4 pins & 2 "beanies" we wanted to buy or just look around, this was a very frustrating way to spend Sunday morning.

And since I saw some #15 Mystery Pins on lanyards in line, I was wondering how many of these people were the ones discussed in the other thread.

Anybody know the answers to these questions? Many thanks in advance for help in finding out what REALLY happened yesterday!

AVP
09-10-2001, 08:58 AM
Karen,

DCA opened at 10:00 a.m. yesterday. The vouchers for the POM were distributed at 9:00 a.m., and guests were then able to get in line outside DCA to wait for the gates to open.

At 9:30, DCA's main gate opened, and guests were asked to wait behind a rope at the north edge of Bountiful Valley Farm. The plan had been to allow those guests to enter the park at 10:00 a.m., which is standard proceedure. In most other cases, the guests are WALKED into Paradise Pier, with two security guards holding the rope and walking them into the area.

After I got my vouchers, I went over to Disneyland to have breakfast with some friends. Then we went over to DCA to play a few rounds of Millionaire, and finally went to Paradise Pier to get our pins. We missed the whole incident, but the stories I heard confirmed what you posted here. Some of the people at the DCA rope basically "rushed" the rope, and formed a line at Treasures to buy their pins.

The gate guards at the Grand Californian and Paradise Pier entrances followed the correct proceedure, and did not let guests into the park until 10:00 a.m.

Personally, I think the people who rushed the guards at the rope should have been escorted back to the entrance, and made to wait until 10:00 to even re-enter the park. And that's IF they didn't get their admission media revoked, which is what I think really should have happened.

As for the #15 mystery pin, I posted all about that in another thread. Just do not assume that everyone who has one was one of those people causing problems the other day. I'd hate to have the people I gave those pins to shunned for wearing them.

Adrienne VP