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View Full Version : The "backside" of Main Street



tonytone
05-25-2006, 09:51 AM
Sorry if this is old news, but it was a "first" for my family; after the evening fireworks was over, we were making the usual jaunt towards Main Street to leave the park. Well I'm sure all of you know how "fast" the crowd moves during that time; anyways, we had barely entered Main Street proper (we had viewed the fireworks near the Tomorrowland entrance) when CMs were directing folks towards the service/CM entrance near the Coke/Refreshment Corner area--next thing I knew, we were walking down the "backside" of Main Street (you know, sorta like the "backside of water"--LOL!!!)...got to see the rear entrances to the stores/food service areas, employee lockers, etc. Needless to say, we were able to bypass the Main Street crowds and reached the entrance/exit tunnels in no time!

When did DL start doing this...'cuz I don't ever recall CM's allowing this type of crowd traffic control last year?

Andrew
05-25-2006, 09:59 AM
When did DL start doing this...'cuz I don't ever recall CM's allowing this type of crowd traffic control last year?
To my knowledge, the first time this was done was in the last days of the Main Street Electrical Parade in late summer/early fall '96. It was frequently done due to poor show-stop planning of Light Magic in early summer of '97, but mostly ended when the order of show-stops was reversed. Disneyland hasn't had a dedicated night-time parade since then, but the various fireworks spectaculars do result in massive crowds toward the Hub end of Main Street, so the backstage walkways are still used when necessary.

hbquikcomjamesl
05-25-2006, 10:22 AM
I've been sent through the corresponding passage on the west side of Main Street at least once (and I think it was when LM was running). That side has a service dock for Jungle Cruise boats.

If I remember right, the side you passed through also has a CM lunchroom called "The Inn Between." (On a backstage tour, I also saw one near the Roundhouse, called "Eat Ticket")

The last time I was in DL, just as I was on my way into the "convenience" by the Space Mountain exit, I saw a very large number of non-CMs pouring out of an open service gate nearby.

tod
05-25-2006, 10:39 AM
I've been sent through the corresponding passage on the west side of Main Street at least once (and I think it was when LM was running). That side has a service dock for Jungle Cruise boats.

If I remember right, the side you passed through also has a CM lunchroom called "The Inn Between."

Not really. The "Inn-Between" is behind the Plaza Inn, between the onstage and backstage areas. Thus the name.

--t

hbquikcomjamesl
05-25-2006, 12:27 PM
Uh, yes, that much I'd understood; looking at the original post, I realize now that "tonytone" passed through the same backstage passage I did; I had misread his post, and thought (because he'd started around Tomorrowland) he'd gone through on the east side of Main Street, the side with The Inn Between at one end, and the parade layover area at the other.

Tinkermommy
05-25-2006, 02:12 PM
the backstage walkways are still used when necessary.

Funny story...we were there last Saturday (5/20) and viewed the fireworks from Main Street. When the show was over, it was so packed that I grabbed my little girl and her grandparents (who are not "regular" visitors), steered everybody to a space between a lamppost and trash can and suggested we stand there, out of the way, until the crowd diminished a bit.

After just a moment, a CM asked us if we were waiting for someone. I told her that we were not, that we were just staying out of the way until the crowd died down, half-joking that we were afraid to jump into the mob. She told us to follow her, and said she was going to help get us "out of there."

I knew CMs sometimes divert guests through the backstage areas, so we followed assuming that's what she had in mind. Instead, she led us off the sidewalk, into the worst of the mess, and said, "There you go!" Then she returned to the sidewalk, where I can only assume she continued to do brilliant and heroic things. It was so unbelievable that all we could do was laugh...LOL

Genris
05-27-2006, 05:54 AM
Then she returned to the sidewalk, where I can only assume she continued to do brilliant and heroic things. It was so unbelievable that all we could do was laugh...LOL


LOL

RStar
05-27-2006, 05:52 PM
I went down that side of Main St once. All the food locations are on that side (that side must be the only side with plumming) and the food dumpsters were back there. Whew, that smell!


~Bob

disneyhound
05-27-2006, 06:30 PM
...Instead, she led us off the sidewalk, into the worst of the mess, and said, "There you go!" Then she returned to the sidewalk, where I can only assume she continued to do brilliant and heroic things. It was so unbelievable that all we could do was laugh...LOL
"Problem Solved"; you obviously were not aware that you were to join the herd...

Tinkermommy
05-27-2006, 09:37 PM
you obviously were not aware that you were to join the herd...

What the heck was I thinking? Mooooo.....;)

MommyTo3Boys1Girl
05-28-2006, 06:28 AM
Sorry if this is old news, but it was a "first" for my family; after the evening fireworks was over, we were making the usual jaunt towards Main Street to leave the park. Well I'm sure all of you know how "fast" the crowd moves during that time; anyways, we had barely entered Main Street proper (we had viewed the fireworks near the Tomorrowland entrance) when CMs were directing folks towards the service/CM entrance near the Coke/Refreshment Corner area--next thing I knew, we were walking down the "backside" of Main Street (you know, sorta like the "backside of water"--LOL!!!)...got to see the rear entrances to the stores/food service areas, employee lockers, etc. Needless to say, we were able to bypass the Main Street crowds and reached the entrance/exit tunnels in no time!

When did DL start doing this...'cuz I don't ever recall CM's allowing this type of crowd traffic control last year?

Hmm, not sure if I would like to see this or not. Might prove to me that Disneyland just isn't well, it has service entrances, lol. Sort of like when I was a teen and my dance team performed at Disneyland, we came from Phoenix, AZ and were getting ready in a staging area for costumed characters, and I saw the 3 little pigs without their heads on. I have been in counseling ever since!

tod
05-28-2006, 06:57 AM
Funny story...we were there last Saturday (5/20) and viewed the fireworks from Main Street. When the show was over, it was so packed that I grabbed my little girl and her grandparents (who are not "regular" visitors), steered everybody to a space between a lamppost and trash can and suggested we stand there, out of the way, until the crowd diminished a bit.

After just a moment, a CM asked us if we were waiting for someone. I told her that we were not, that we were just staying out of the way until the crowd died down, half-joking that we were afraid to jump into the mob. She told us to follow her, and said she was going to help get us "out of there."

I knew CMs sometimes divert guests through the backstage areas, so we followed assuming that's what she had in mind. Instead, she led us off the sidewalk, into the worst of the mess, and said, "There you go!" Then she returned to the sidewalk, where I can only assume she continued to do brilliant and heroic things. It was so unbelievable that all we could do was laugh...LOL

Looks to me that the Cast Member thought that all you needed was a little encouragement. Oops.

--t

tonytone
05-30-2006, 12:08 PM
Hmm, not sure if I would like to see this or not. Might prove to me that Disneyland just isn't well, it has service entrances, lol. Sort of like when I was a teen and my dance team performed at Disneyland, we came from Phoenix, AZ and were getting ready in a staging area for costumed characters, and I saw the 3 little pigs without their heads on. I have been in counseling ever since!
LOL!!! I understand where you're coming from; in my case, two of my kids were already asleep so no worries about possibly being traumatized by seeing shocking stuff like that. Also...it's tough enough trying to push a two-seater stroller...and even harder to do so when you're trying to navigate the post-fireworks crowd! ;)

amarvel
05-30-2006, 02:54 PM
Its pretty cool huh? I was lucky enough on the 4th of july 1994, that was a crazy night!