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View Full Version : What a HUGE difference a week makes - DCA slow on Sunday, May 1st



Darkbeer
05-02-2005, 06:44 AM
While DM and I spent most of the day at Disneyland, headed over to DCA around 4:30 PM, and almost everthing was a walk-on, or close to it.

Heck, when we went to ToT shortly after 6 PM (park closed at 9 PM), and they had the FASTPASS line closed, and sending everyone thru stand by. But no worries, since there was no wait, heck some elevators were going up only partially full.

I have photos of no line in the upstairs queue, and some of the partial elevators...

http://darkbeer.smugmug.com/gallery/511861

DCA stuff starts around photo 260...

Amazing, last weekend, they set up extended queues due to the crowds using up the last weekend of the "Pay for Disneyland, get DCA for free" tickets...

This weekend, it was back to the AP lounge.

Heck, in the Hollywood Backlot area, a character came up to us and interacted (nobody else was around, and I guess they were looking for something to do.)... By the way, Max and his friend did a great job... just weird that they came to us, since nobody was around...




We had fastpasses for Screamin', but didn't need to use them. The wait was less than 10 mintues. There was no wait for ToT, we walked right on. As Darkbeer states above there were cars that were half empty and no one was in line. We walked into the Amimation Building and there were maybe four or five other people in there.

Max came to us to interact and actually danced with me for two to three minutes (he really is a good dancer, Darkbeer could take some lessons from him.) while his friend tried to convince Darkbeer that we needed to see Aladdin and ride ToT.

There were people in the park, but it was nowhere near as bad as last weekend. Last weekend Soarin' had a wait time of over an hour and half. This afternoon the wait time was less than thirty minutes.

Yes, we did stop my the Cove Bar for a short time, but even the staff there was remarking on how quiet it was this weekend. In fact when we walked into the Cove Bar, there was nobody at the bar and only two tables had people at them.

mkcbunny
05-02-2005, 07:34 AM
Cool. It would be really helpful if you locals who are monitoring park attendance on a semi daily basis could let the rest of us know how the park is on the first days after the 5th. I expect that weekend of the 6-8th to be JAMMED, but I am really curious about how busy it's going to be on Monday the 8th and Tuesday the 9th, as I go on the 10th. Thanks in advance.

Disneyfun
05-02-2005, 08:53 AM
Bet they will be DEAD on the 5th! BY the way what is the AP lounge?

jennia
05-02-2005, 08:59 AM
Great report. DS and I both enjoyed the pics. It was fun to see the things that have changed in the last few days or that we missed Friday.

SilverStyle
05-02-2005, 09:11 AM
I know, I was working tower it was so slow...... It just makes the day go slower. We have never seen it this slow since the ToT open, but we just call it the calm before the storm.

Darkbeer
05-02-2005, 09:32 AM
Bet they will be DEAD on the 5th! BY the way what is the AP lounge?

The AP Lounge is a nickname for DCA, since a large percentage of the park on any given day is AP holders.

It was given due to the fact that many AP holders escape the busy part of the day at Disneyland. For example, someone showing up around 10 AM, and enteres Disneyland. Around 1 PM, the park is getting crazy, so off to the AP Lounge for a few hours to get away from the crowds, then back to Disneyland for the nighttime stuff...

Captain Josh
05-02-2005, 09:35 AM
To be fair, Disneyland felt pretty slow in the middle of Sunday Afternoon (20 minutes for Indy, with Fastpass due at 5pm?) Never thought I'd see the day...

tod
05-02-2005, 09:37 AM
BY the way what is the AP lounge?

There are two that I know of: The Hearthstone Lodge in the Grand Californian and the Cove Bar in DCA.

--t

Disneyfun
05-02-2005, 10:52 AM
There are two that I know of: The Hearthstone Lodge in the Grand Californian and the Cove Bar in DCA.

--t
Okay So now I know were they are. What do you do there. Just hang aorund with other AP holders Do oyu need to show your pass.
Darn I have had my pass for over 8 years I have a delux Tip top no black out days and I am now finding out there is a specail lounge for us :confused: I need more info! :(

Darkbeer
05-02-2005, 11:00 AM
Okay So now I know were they are. What do you do there. Just hang aorund with other AP holders Do oyu need to show your pass.
Darn I have had my pass for over 8 years I have a delux Tip top no black out days and I am now finding out there is a specail lounge for us :confused: I need more info! :(

There are NO special lounges for AP holders, these are just places that you can usually find folks that own AP's...

Once again, the comment about the AP Lounge in the original post was directly related to the high amount of AP holders that pass thru the gate (many days, over half the folks in DCA are AP holders.)

SilverStyle
05-02-2005, 11:30 AM
There are NO special lounges for AP holders, these are just places that you can usually find folks that own AP's...

Once again, the comment about the AP Lounge in the original post was directly related to the high amount of AP holders that pass thru the gate (many days, over half the folks in DCA are AP holders.)

Hey Darkbeer, If you took pictures of the photo from ToT. I was prob one of the bellhops that dispatched you. I remember the girl on the 1st row for some reason.

Disneyfun
05-02-2005, 01:08 PM
There are NO special lounges for AP holders, these are just places that you can usually find folks that own AP's...

Once again, the comment about the AP Lounge in the original post was directly related to the high amount of AP holders that pass thru the gate (many days, over half the folks in DCA are AP holders.)

Oh good I am not missing anything! Thanks for the reply.
You have no idea how much i am kicking my self for not going. I so wanted to go!!! Duaghter talked me out of it!