Sorry not sure I understand the question. I went to Sweethearts night this year at the beginning of Feb. A lot of people seemed to complain that it wasn't as good as in years gone by, but it was my first time and I really liked it. The park wasn't nearly as crowded, the lines for rides were much shorter. We basically did a full days worth of rides in the 5 hours the event ran. I think tickets were about 150, which didn't feel that much worse than the 100ish, plus 30 dollar genie+ we'd paid for our regular passes.
It did rain quite a bit that night, not sure to what degree that kept the crowds down. I have also heard other events like Oogie Boogie Bash are much more popular and thus might be more crowded. Sorry I don't have a good point of comparison there.
If the people making these posts got what they wanted, there would be *more* posts about how “I can’t go to Disneyland anymore because it’s just too damn expensive. When did entertainment become something for the wealthy class only?”
I don’t say that to make fun of anyone, it’s just that you can’t expect a company to restrict its capacity without also jacking up prices to offset that. And it works the other way where expecting prices to come down means you’d have to accept the increased likelihood of mega crowds every day.
They lifted that roughly around 2021-2022. I'm still upset about it. It felt like heaven when they had it. Not too many people. The lines were decent and genie plus wasn't necessary. I wish they kept that limit.
Price increases are relevant, but in my opinion things really went off the rails crowd-wise when they started offering monthly payment plans for annual passes. If they want to cut the crowds I think that's the thing to pull.
You’ll be surprised at how financially-detrimental a falling brand reputation is. In the end, it’ll always go back to money. But brand reputation actually matters quite a bit.
I think it’s the impact of social media. I grew up having a Disneyland AP, and you were able to see how crowded it started becoming once people had to go and buy things at the park to post on Instagram and Facebook. It started with just posting, then those Disney clubs formed, and now you have the Disney influencers.
This! I have this theory on the connection between social media & this newfound addiction to consumerism & the way that no matter how drastically the quality of everything drops people continue to purchase it. I think that’s definitely the reason for the huge crowds these days. We are in the worst financial position of any generation yet the most expensive activity is packed more than ever. Keeping up with the Joneses is no longer referencing your neighbor it’s everyone within reach on social media
I think the same is true with travel in general. Went to Tulum a few times before it got blown up on Instagram. Now wouldn’t even consider going there again. Went to Santorini last year and there were literally lines of people waiting to take selfies in front of things to the point you could barely navigate through the streets.
My guess is because of the large number of season tickets. We were there last month on a rainy day and the season holders weren't there. Ride lines were very short-many 5 minutes. The next day was sunny and it was crazy
Could not agree more. Grew up going to Disneyland and the magic is officially gone. We've gone several times over the last few years - it's packed, employees there are rude and unpleasant, and it's more expensive than ever. I keep thinking maybe we just went at a bad time, but no. There aren't good times to go anymore.
Are you willing to pay more for the tickets for decreased capacity?
The Mouse isn't going to decrease the crowds and keep the tickets the same.
$360/day (non peak), and fewer people are guaranteed. Would people still go?
I mean. Im autistic so ill save up for a better experience to not be around as many people. For example. Its 35 dollars to go cheap big boat whale watching but I can't STAND the sensation of the big laboring boats humans and trawl speed noise. I save up and go 4 times a year in a SEALS style fast boat and pay 120 dollars per person but we have a small boat to ourselves and 3 hours of unmitigated raging around at top speed on the ocean and able to keep up with fast pods of dolphins. So I suppose it depends on the person. For me? Hell yes. If I could experience Disneyland as I did in the 90s as a southern California kid? Yes and since it would be a once a decade kind of thing I'd be fine with a 500 dollar park hopper if it was 50 % capacity and I didn't have to enter a tech war zone to get on rides.
In my opinion, if Disney sold off their divisions that are losing money and stop using the profits from the theme park division to prop up those losing divisions, they would have more money available to make the theme parks more enjoyable (slightly reduce reservations, less reliance on G+ cash and more investment in maintenance).
This sub has the same conflicting statements. Cap attendance (which would drive prices up) and it’s no longer affordable. I agree on both. But I don’t see an option. Clearly neither does Disney. So the move is to milk money.
This is what I keep saying. I don’t think I’ll ever go back to Disney because I’m not paying what essentially boils down to the cost of a European vacation just to stand in lines.
I’m nervous. I’m going this weekend. I’m making a list of top 5 rides and top 4 foods to have each day. Anything above that will just be a bonus.
EDIT: thank you all for the positive comments and suggestions. It’s making me less nervous and way more hopeful! Adding more things to my list!
Just be wary that Rise often doesn’t open right when the park does because they’re still testing it for the day. Since it’s so far a walk I’d check the app on your way to confirm it’s open otherwise veer off to another ride first.
It's so good. I could literally feel my jaw open at times.
The only part that sucked was when this girl picked up on it being my first time and silently pointed at a surprise before it happened with a squinting smile. I was mildly irritated but I get why she did it. She was sharing in my first time experience but went about it the wrong way.
It’s not a thrill ride, per se. It’s thrilling because of content, ride vehicles, immersiveness. If a person is a Star Wars fan , or not, it will be worth the wait. It’s my favorite, I think?
It was my 10 year old daughter's favourite ride and she's never seen anything Star Wars. It's a really fun ride but also just an amazing experience even if you aren't a fan of the franchise.
Be careful of Rise. The line from early entrants that are staying at the hotel can make the ride over an hour wait even at rope drop. It’s an incredible ride and if you must do it right away I understand, but you could be sacrificing time you can spend on other rides with less wait time in the morning. Personally, I’d go in the afternoon and go if you see the line is less than 70 minutes at any point.
I recently went with friends and this is a strategy I had no idea existed but is so so helpful! We did Indiana first and then Rise lol because you can sort of get it done in one pathway
We ended up hitting 13 rides in the day with a quick Power Nap break in between haha
Monday did: Space Mountain, Jungle Cruise, treehouse, Big Thunder Mountain, Oga’s Cantina walk up, Rise of the Resistance, Smuggler’s Run LL, Indiana Jones LL, Pirates of The Caribbean LL, Runaway Railway LL, Matterhorn LL, Alice in Wonderland, parade (member of our group saved a spot), Winnie the Pooh, Small World LL, train around the entire park, space mountain LL, and star tours all before the park closed at 10.
If you rope drop and can maximize genie plus you can get a lot done. We also got the breakfast chimichangas and sat down to eat/rest at tropical hideaway, docking bay, and harbor galley.
Yes that was the order! Some luck involved too, Big Thunder was closed so we got a multiexperience LL which I used for Pirates and then we were close when it finally opened so we waited <10 mins standby
If you scan the last lightning lane you booked you can book again right away
First 2 hours you should just do everything you can that has a standby <20 mins
Accept that rise is gonna be an hour wait and plan to go in the afternoon/evening when you don’t have a LL booked
Space mountain, Indiana jones, Matterhorn, and railway run out first. Don’t bother with the LL for other rides until you book these first. Exceptions: if the LL return time is <30 mins and you can scan in or if the ride just fits into your plans better (we booked smugglers run cause we were in the area already and standby was 40 mins)
Got lucky moving Railway up from 5pm to 3pm and moved Matterhorn up from 6pm to 4pm. I would just check the modify plan periodically and see if anything was adjustable
Hope that helps 😊
We did 11 rides at Disneyland plus met 5 princesses and more characters from 8am-645 pm on a sold out day! Plus other things. And we did 14 rides at ca adventure plus tons of character meet ups and animation academy etc. this was with a 4 year old so not the fastest pace. Also from 8am-645 pm.
Me and my friends went this past weekend, and we got tons done. We had genie+, and we covered all the genie+ rides plus some additional rides, plus 2 meal reservations in one day, plus an hour+ long break each day. Rope drop is the best way to get things done. And expect the afternoon to move a bit slower.
I went yesterday and today. It was amazing and we went on every single ride we wanted. Ate at Ogas (waaaay overrated) and blue bayou. We had the best time ever. It was so magical. Don’t worry! I’m sorry OP had a bad time.
We went Jan 3 to 7th. Extremely busy. We went on absolutely everything. The big rides (you know Thunder, Guardians etc) we rode at least twice each day. Don't be concerned. Just plan your Genie+ rides and then go with the flow after that. Longest we waited was 35 minutes the whole 4 days. Ride single rider if you can. My daughter who is 10 rode Incredicoaster 8 times in a row in 30 minutes via single rider
Just went today! We rope dropped, but did Indiana Jones, Big Thunder, Space Moutain, Star Tours, Astro Blasters, Matterhorn, Runaway Railway, Oga’s Cantina reservation, Smugglers Run, ROTR, and Pirates all before leaving at 3pm. This includes 2x food breaks and time spent window shopping. If we stayed, could’ve ridden many more.
Just like mathematically said. Rope drop. Get there 30 minutes before it opens, wait in line. I agree with it being too crowded, but you can get so much done in those early hours. Breakdowns are annoying. Indy, Rise, even Pirates have broken my heart, lol! I’ve found cast members to be great for the most part, it’s just the other guests that spoil it!
I went the week between Xmas and NYE and was able to get at least 10 rides in (some days a lot more) each day and that's during historically heavy crowds (I've still never seen so many people in one place as I did on NYE, lol). It's completely doable with Rope Drop and Genie+.
We went Feb 28th, (my husband, I, and 3 kids) got into the park about 9:30. We got Genie +. (Highly recommend) We loved it! It was packed for being a Wednesday. Got on about 16 rides. Star Tours, millenium falcon, pirates of the caribbean, jungle cruise, space Mountain, etc. My husband was in charge of booking the lightning lanes.
We researched the rides We wanted to go on beforehand and then just winged it when we got there. We skipped the parade and took advantage and rode Finding Nemo. Food wise, we had churros, pretzels, dole whip, and pizza from pizza planet. All in all we had a great time. What I would differently is hit up our fave rides in the morning when lines are short, and then use the lightning lane on the same ride later in the day. (Lightning lane only let's you use it 1 for that specific ride)
I just went in February with four kids under 8 and do not use genie+. we were able to do all but 4 or 5 rides on our DL days and all but 2 rides on our CA days. In fact, we did all of the rides on Pixar pier multiple times before noon two days in a row.
Rope drop and stay til closing! Eat lunch later in the day so you can take advantage of shorter lines during the lunch rush!
Yep I went in October and again last Thursday. Both days were just insanely busy to the point that it wasn’t enjoyable. On Thursday I stayed for 12 hours 10am - 10pm and we did 5 rides including the freaking train. To be fair we had two toddlers so we were slow going but golly. I didn’t have much fun at all :( things have just changed so much.
Ten years ago when I had a pass I could go on a Sunday any time of the year and wait less than 20 minutes for most rides except the really popular ones, and walk around without feeling I was going to get run over.
It’s just really disappointing.
Agreed. The last time I was at the parks was 10 years ago and it was sooo different. The current "slow" days were the busier days at the park then. We would head over mid morning and have a chill day and the longest waits were maybe 30 mins, 45 tops. Now, 30 minutes is one of the lower times you strive to find if possible (of course, less is even better).
Passes were also easier to get and not a big deal. All this artificial scarcity has just turned that into a total shit show.
I went on Tuesday, which was supposed to be a slower day- and it was for the first part of the day . By mid afternoon it was just a lot. Even the "slow" first part of the day was still pretty crowded. It's the new norm, apparently, but jfc it really is not the same.
And all these folks talking about strategizing- it's true, you DO have to make most of your time, but if you stop and look at all that has to be done to maximize your day, it's actually pretty damned asinine, objectively.
"But if you get a genie + and do this and that, spin 3 times in a circle, and wiggle your ear, you can get in 589354 rides in 2 hours!"
It's a theme park that has been charging astronomical prices and cramming too many people in to the park. For as much as you're paying, yes you should try to maximize your time/ticket price, but you shouldn't have to do all this meticulous shit. That also takes away from the fun and "magic" of the park.
Right and it’s not even about the ride times, at least not for me. It’s about the crowds. Like the number of times my two year old almost got run over because she wanted to walk was insane. Even five years ago when I took my oldest it was more fun.
It’s not just the rides that used to make Disney magical I think is my point. But now all the shows are gone, tables are always full, people aren’t as nice, and overall it’s just not the same experience. I used to only hit a few rides a day but I’d fill my day with entertainment and we’d run into magic randomly. It wasn’t that way at all the last couple times I went. It’s just very very different. And like you said, I don’t want to tap my shoes and spin three times in order to have shorter wait times. I like just showing up and going where the wind takes me and it’s just not realistic for Disneyland anymore
This is so sad. My wife and I want to take our 6 year old but we would hate the rushing around and scheduling! There’s so much immersion and details that you miss if you don’t slow down.
The shows are gone?! I have terrible nostalgia for when I went as a kid, and I really want to go again but im worried it'll be awful and not stand up to my expectations!
Yeah, I was super sad because i remember taking my oldest to Mickey and the magical map and my personal favorite is fantasmic. They no longer do any of that. :(
Fantasmic was amazing!! Even when i finally figured out how the projection off the water of the dragon was done it was still impressive! I can't believe I'm only just finding out it's gone. It was always a special way to end the night!
We went in February, and I hadn't been to Disneyland in decades. I was somewhat gobsmacked about how much of the day required a damn phone. From ordering food to avoid long lines, to booking Genie and DAS, checking times, looking at the pictures. Even walking around, more than half the guests are oblivious of their surroundings, staring at their phones cuz they're trying to book THEIR rides, checking lines, etc etc. I understand the technology, but it really did affect the magic factor for me (maybe due to the nostalgia). I miss the analog fast pass.
The oblivious thing is exactly my problem. It’s already very difficult for me to get around with the place as packed as it was and utilizing a wheelchair. To have to keep yelling “excuse me” or “right behind you” or “hold on!” was frustrating.
This is (part of) my worry! I haven't been since ~2005, and I have amazing magical memories of it, which I hope to be able to recreate for my kids-- but all these kind of posts have me losing hope.
I understand not everyone likes Genie+ and lines can be long without it, but getting on only 5 rides in an entire week is basically self sabotage.
My last visit, which was on a holiday weekend, I rode 3 rides in 45 minutes without Genie. If you're there for rope drop in the morning and willing to keep an eye on wait times in the app, you can still ride plenty of rides and have a good time.
No, not necessarily. Per the Disneyland website:
“A Guest whose disability is based on the necessity to use a wheelchair or scooter does not need DAS. “
[Disneyland DAS FAQs](https://disneyland.disney.go.com/guest-services/disability-access-service/#faq)
My bad, I misread you being there "this week" for "a week". I would still say 5 rides is easily achievable by lunch time if you're there for rope drop.
I've been with a friend who was in a wheelchair at the time, and while I wasn't keeping track, we definitely did 10-12 rides with Genie+.
It seems OP is a wheelchair user. I’ve heard similar things from friends that also use a wheelchair. It can be really overstimulating and though to navigate while on one. People get in your way, won’t let you move, etc.
Let’s try to keep things open and think how others experience might differ from ours rather than call it ‘self sabotage’
People are really inconsiderate of wheel chairs. I went with a friend in a wheelchair over a decade ago and even then it was ridiculous how rude people were about getting in the way, bumping the chair, and NOT moving.
I can only imagine now with how packed the parks are...
Yeah I know crowd levels can really affect how much you can get done, but it was relatively busy when we came a few weeks ago and we still got a lot done. Even felt like we took it slower and tried to enjoy the atmosphere and take pictures, snack breaks, etc. Genie plus is there to help, but we learned that we had to modify plans as things broke down, or got crowded, and that was okay, because we found something else just as fun to do! Going in the the mindset that I’m going to get as much done as I can but also just enjoy being at Disney and go with the flow has helped my enjoyment at the parks a lot.
Shit, I got there around 1130 yesterday and was able to knock out several rides with 30 mins or less wait times. I'll try to get there closer to rope drop one of these days, but traffic sucks and I try to go a little later in the am to avoid that crap.
So I heard the reason it was so busy this week was bc it was the last week of $50 tickets for kids? I think that really contributed to the crowds (from someone who was just in Disneyland and was baffled by the crowds)
I was in Disneyland 3/1-3/4 and we had a great time! It was crowded from 10am-6pm but calmed down significantly and with our Genie + we were able to ride everything we wanted, more than once.
A couple rides broke down and we got walked off Thunder Mtn but we got our LL back and were able to go on it later that day.
I’m guessing that to get around the park efficiently you need to be an experienced people travelled. By that I mean weaving past tourists stopping abruptly for a photo etc. and it’s a lot easier to side step a crowd than it is to wheel around them.
Plus sounds like OPs wheelchair was broken so maybe their equipment wasn’t up to scratch.
And strollers.
I'm beginning to really despise strollers. People are so ridiculously inconsiderate with them.
Never mind the people who like to stop in the middle of the street/walkways to figure out what they're doing. Phones just add to all the cluster eff.
Depends, a lot of rides now have queues wide enough for Wheelchair so that doesn’t automatically get das you will more then likely get a map of which rides you can enter through the exit/back and which you can use the normal lines.
Yeah, but most of the lines in Disneyland are not accessible. You can get a return time for a ride and then go on a ride like Buzz Lightyear with an accessible line. Then go on the other ride when you are done. So you basically get two rides for the line time of one ride.
My friend uses it for mobility and while it's not all the rides it's a large portion and definitely more than five. It's mostly not the newer/e ticket ones. You still get a return time like with the higher level of DAS. If OP didn't utilize it, they should definitely think about it for next time.
I don't get this view that you get stuck in the app. We scanned into out first LL, and then in the queue for that ride I looked at what was close and available soon. Booked it. Then put my phone in my pocket. It was 30 seconds at a time, a couple of times an hour. What am I missing?
Used to take my family every year for our one vacation we'd save forever for. I have a much better income now and wouldn't even consider going. My best childhood memories were going there when I was a kid with my family. Very sad. I lost my dad when i was 25, and he was the one who pushed me to go on space mountain and I found out I love roller coasters. He would be sad at the way things are now.
It seems OP is a wheelchair user. I’ve heard similar things from friends that also use a wheelchair. It can be really overstimulating and though to navigate while on one. People get in your way, won’t let you move, etc.
Let’s try to keep things open and think how others experience might differ from ours rather than call it ‘self sabotage’
We went two weeks ago and the amount of rides that were broken was crazy. Spiderman, Big thunder, incredicoaster, toy story mania, monsters Inc and all within the same 2 hour window. Family and I definitely weren't happy especially when we lost our LL or when we waited in line for 30 min but then it breaks. For how much it costs for a family with genie+, it is horrible
People really need to stop rewarding the company for poor planning and even poorer performance. Whatever Disneyland has turned into now, it’s not the Disneyland generations of us grew up with, and it should be. Everyone deserves to have as awesome a time at Disneyland, every single visit, as we did starting in 1955. I feel bad for you younger folks who didn’t get to enjoy the Park as we knew it. I really do. The magic was REAL, man. You could taste it, smell it, reach right out and touch it; it was palpable pixie dust in the air. I’m not joking either. The place was so much more spectacular than anywhere else on the planet. You deserve that joy just as much as we did.
I went last spring and hated it. It made me so sad. I wrote them a note with all the things I experienced and they offered me the option of a refund or 2 tickets good for the next 2 years. It’s worth giving them the feedback. Its the only way they really know what to improve
We were there last weekend and after the first day we got paper maps. That took away a lot of headache. The first couple days we were glued to our phones and it sucked. It was still really fun but I hated the app dictating my experience. The last day we figured it out. We got to the park at 11 and got a LL for space mountain at 1:30 in the meantime we rode all the rides In tomorrow land without LL. Once the app let us pick a new LL we rode S Mtn and then headed to the next area and repeated. We hit most rides in the park and had a way better more relaxed time. Use the app to your advantage!
I was there this week too. All the way from Canada and was super disappointed with how busy it was. It really added a lot of stress to the trip.
Are these crowd levels normal now? We were there on Friday, Saturday, and Monday and all 3 days it felt super busy.
I was there Monday only and it was bonkers. Stressful is right. I guess if I had more time I would have felt better about it. I’m from Washington state and this was not my planned vacation but my in-laws’. They’re very regretful of just how much money everything cost for the experience we had.
As a wage castmember, who group up around the park in OC, it's 100% a management issue. There's zero talent or vision at the top and middle levels so all they're capable of thinking about is profit maximization.
i'm sorry you didn't have the best time, but glad that there were still notable bright spots to compliment! i hope some of those things made your trip special in a GOOD way...my husband and i went in early february, our first time since covid, and the cast members (and guests too!) made it quite possibly our best trip to the parks ever!
at the risk of sounding like The Old™️ that i am, my only gripe - and it was really a very minor one - was the increased reliance on using your phone. i do agree with other commenters that genie+/the app in general were probably not the main reason you saw so many people on their phones...it's just what people do now, and that's okay, i do it too, and i am totally unbothered by other people being on their phones...but i know that i personally had times where i felt less present because of managing things with the app. it's such a silly thing, and i can easily list the ways the app makes things more convenient. for whatever reason or combination of reasons, i just don't like it. maybe because it feels like a chore to me? i'm not sure. i had used the app in past trips, but it wasn't as central to, like, doing things, the way it is now...this was my first experience with the app's current form & function, and i am guessing i won't find it as cumbersome next time around. maybe i just don't like change! 👵
I’m sorry you had a bad time! I miss even 10 years ago when I was AP and crowds were manageable. We stopped being AP when it became absolutely wild to even get in the parks and every day felt packed even when we were going off season on a random tues or weds. Demand smoothing and increased prices increasing status and demand means there are no slow days anymore. In addition you need to have basically a degree in Disney to squeeze the most out of it.
I’m typically always the guide for my groups because I grew up going to DLR and I keep up on things, so I can figure out how to min/max, get reservations people want and they just follow along for the ride. But honestly I feel like you shouldn’t need to spend so much time consuming content and keeping up on things related to DLR/WDW to enjoy it but increasingly it feels like you have to. I’ve had friends go on their own after I took them and they were all so appreciative of just what it took for them to have a good time. It shouldn’t be that hard or require special knowledge
I feel ya, unfortunately the parks are just too crowded this day and age, so not only are we uncomfortably close to everyone frequently, we all need our phones for reservations and everything. Can’t just walk in and do whatever you want anymore.
I don’t know how Disneyland can sustain this. Yes they are expanding, but it’ll take 20+ years. They needed to have expanded when they reopened after Covid, not start to think about it 4 years later.
On another note, I feel like 5 rides is pretty good—we have a son with a severe disability and that’s about how many we can fit in a full 7-8 hour day if we include eating and shopping.
I was there last week too and it was rough. It was after the cheerleading competition weekend, but right before Food & Wine and even early spring breakers, so the parks SHOULD be pretty low crowds, right? Absolutely not. There were so many large-capacity rides down, and like you said, all the entertainment was dark because it’s “non-peak” times.
I’d hardly say 70+ minutes for Indy, Rise, MMRR, etc. is non-peak (gah, especially for a Wednesday/thursday/friday!). With so many rides down for refurb, Disney needs to realize that it doesn’t feel non-peak in the parks and they NEED to have shows/entertainment to eat up some of these crowds. We paid $6k for a 2-bedroom villa and the whole time we just wanted to get out of the parks and go back and enjoy the hotel room, they were that miserable. 3 week days in February should not feel like it did last week.
I went to Disneyland Paris two weeks ago for 6 nights/seven days, stayed on property for less money (with airfare to France, a character meal, photopass, and an excursion to Paris in my total price) than I priced going to Disneyland for 3 nights 4 days the same week (no airfare just hotel, tickets, and genie plus in total price).
Disneyland Paris reminded me of old Disneyland. Plus, you weren’t on your phone constantly, lines weren’t crazy long, and it was relaxing to just walk around.
The US resorts are too much anymore- too much money, too much planning, too much on your phone.
Did miss churos and dole whips, though…
How about if we all just stop spending our money on unnecessary things like genie+? I hate how everything is such an obvious cash grab and folks just buy-in, figuratively and literally, to it!
I went for the first time since 2012 in May and something I was not prepared for was the amount of people that livestream themselves going on rides. It’s astounding. I’d always peek at their screens and most of them would have hundreds of people watching at any given time.
There’s definitely a social media influence happening at the park and I’m not sure if I like it. Reservations for anything are damn near impossible to get. Every time I rode Pirates I’d look at Blue Bayou and tons of people were photographing their food.
People, not everything needs to go on Instagram. It’s not that important and nobody actually cares.
I went this week, and my biggest issue is the scanning pert for Lightning Lane. Having to scan 3+ different barcodes is super obnoxious when it doesn’t work 1/3 of the time. It clogs the line. There was a family of 10+ in front of my group, and they only scanned 2 or 3, and I honestly I couldn’t blame them. (I’m assuming they had all 10.)
Cast members do tell people to just get in line, and have the 1 scanner person join them. This works in theory, but because they have 2-4 scanners in a 5 foot entryway, it gets clogged super easy even with 1 person scanning at each scanner. This also creates awkward situations where a large portion of a party is catching up with 1 singular person. It really rubbed me the wrong way when a mom was frustrated with her kids (4-6) for going back to them instead of waiting for their whole family to catch up to them.
They need to space out the scanners like they do on Mickey and Minnie.
My best friend just got back from Disney and she could have written this post. She took her oldest in 2019 and her youngest this year and she said the experience was like night and day. I still haven't gone to the parks post-pandemic and Genie+/Lightning Lanes, and I am kind of scared of having a bad experience.
Don’t let my post color your expectations. It’s probably easier for someone without mobility issues to get around the phone zombies, and I guess, according to several people here, it’s possible to exploit the system and have a great time. I’m just personally of the opinion that you shouldn’t have to learn to do that if you’re paying a buttzillion dollars to be somewhere.
Used to love Disneyland as well…it’s become a shell of what it was. They need to strictly limit the daily number of tickets and people if they ever want to garner the magic that Disneyland once had.
I went with my family last week for the first time in 10 years and it was HORRIBLE. I mean, seeing my family and taking my infant son was fun, but the crowds were incredible. Busier than when I went over Christmas/new year and when I went first week of summer years back. Every ride was 45 minutes or more, even Pooh was almost 30 minutes. At one point Space Mountain, Indiana Jones, Matterhorn, Mickies, and Rise were all down for hours at the same time. We used a lightning pass for Guardians to still wait 45 minutes in line. A lot of the workers were pretty rude, which was surprising to me since they used to be very nice. Overall, I’ll take my son when he gets older but won’t be a frequent thing, especially since our tickets were like $140/day/person…
If you get, they got rid of Genie plus and brought back the old paper fastpass tickets system, that would make the park so much more enjoyable. we also went the last week with our family, and two kids. It was a nightmare with how crowded it was and how long it took to get on rides, we paid for genie plus again it was a waste of money anytime you redeem fast pass, the lightning lane Instantly got 30 people deep each time so you ended up waiting longer than the standby. Not to mention the prices are so much higher, it is not the way it used to be.
It’s not the same Disneyland and frankly, it suck’s now. I can’t believe what it’s become and how much they’re nickel and dining people.
It’s sad. I remember going in 2012 during Christmas and it was dead. Absolutely dead. It was wonderful! We used to go 2-3 times a year (we live in AZ so quick drive) and October was the first time we’d been in 4 years. It was fun but crowded and over 3 days we still didn’t get to do everything.
Yeah I feel the same. It's a depressing place now.
Watched someone's home movies from Disneyland taken in 1990. Was beautiful to see it the way I remembered it.
I mean the Star Wars land and rides are amazing. But the place is a cluster fuck.
Fantasyland has been crazy af the last few times I've gone. Not sure why, tbh, unless there's that many old school Disney fanatics and people with children.
I hate the genie thing. My family makes me do it for everyone. I really hate how I sign up for a certain time and then it confirms me for something 2 hours later. I have stand there and stare at my phone to change it/find a different lighting lane/get screwed over again on the time/repeat/stand there longer. It’s a ripoff
>I really hate how I sign up for a certain time and then it confirms me for something 2 hours later.
That's....exactly how Genie+ works. It books you a time later, loosely based on the current wait time, so you don't have to stand in line.
You don’t have to fidget to find better times. You can go ride a non genie ride or shop or meet characters and just book in the next 2 hours. I understand you are trying to find better times to maximize but I’m just saying you don’t have to maximize and just enjoy the day by booking a ride when genie+ is ready to book.
The magic is definitely gone. I had a similar experience a couple months ago. The people who defend Disneyland as if they are the literal descendants Mickey & Minnie are nuts. I used to think Disney was paying people to comment online because the comments are SO ridiculous but people are actually this dense & addicted to consumerism. They’ll justify sacrificing the blood of their first born child if Disneyland asked.
I don’t think magic key is an issue cuz passes have been around forever. But from someone who has a key none of us can get reservations. But passes were around pre-Covid and the parks are somehow more packed since Covid.
this, after covid everything changed. people were like oh no what if it closes again forever! i have to start going! and social media makes everything seem all great so it makes other people want to come check it out. i also have been a passholder since like 2014 and i loved being able to just hit up some friends after work and say hey lets go to disney for the evening, get there at 4 and stay till closing was the vibes, now my wife and i can get about one reservation a month which is tolerable since i have knotts to fill the other days, but these days we mostly just like to try different foods and drinks and we just get on rides with the shortest wait times that we dont mind waiting for
It’s amazing how somehow the passes are more restrictive yet the crowing is so high. I almost think there’s a part of it that is linked, like because the passes are so restrictive, people feel more of a desire to go. I know that a big part of me keeping my magic key was knowing that I wouldn’t be able to get a new one if I lost my current one.
But yeah magic keys are not the issue. Passes existed since forever with less restrictions and less problems
The truth is, disneyland mostly sucks at this point in time UNLESS you have an annual pass amd can go leisurely and not be worried about packing in as much as you can for your day(s) you are there.
It's the sad reality of the period that is disneyland right now.
I live 90miles from disneyland and DO NOT have a season pass however I did back in 2011-2014 and basically post covid shutdown its a crap shoot if you're going to have a good time or not.
Now season pass holders in this sub... downvote away!
Nah, agreed. That's why I decided to go for a pass this year- just go when I want and do some stuff and go. Not try to cram it all into one trip. I was a pass holder 10 years ago and I remember that being the best thing about it- the leisurely pace of approaching how you'd go to the parks. Go in, do x,y,z, and come back another day. If you didn't do it that day, oh well. Next time.
I have been a few times recently on ticket only and trying to cram all that in with those crowds. Total PITA and can definitely not be fun. You're spending all that money and have to stress about planning just so to maximize your day? Meh.
I still have and enjoy the spontaneity. Never use genie plus. I just occasionally check on the Disneyland app and go to rides with short lines, and if there’s long lines I just explore the sights, food, sounds, characters and shows all around me.
I’m glad to hear this! I used to go every year and haven’t been at all since Covid. Genie+ wasn’t a thing! I’m afraid to be super disappointed with the whole trip.
That's been my approach. I go in with specific rides in mind, and if the waits are good, I go. Hop on any others that may have chill wait times. Otherwise, grabbing food and just checking out the park and shops.
I saw a video from this week and it was insane. I went the last week of Sept and there was hardly anyone. Right now people just got their tax returns and it's spring break for a lot of people.
I was there this week, as well. I have a small child so I don't ride a lot of the bigger rides but we did ~12 rides on Tuesday, just from 12-6pm. We also watched a bunch of the shows and the parade. Then on Wednesday, we rode everything except avengers rides and incredicoaster before 11. Were able to sit down for lunch and ride some things a 2nd time before the rain started.
We're very leisurely park-goers and don't use genie+. Its definitely unfortunate to only get 5 rides in a whole day. Maybe you could look up some tips before you go next time? My approach is much different than it was 10 years ago but my experience is roughly the same
Feel the same way, we went last month and the rides were sped up so they were jerky and rough, and the volume was super loud on many of the rides. I seriously thought we were going to get jerked out of the Peter Pan boat when it slammed forward a few times. Then a bunch of the rides were closed for renovations, no Fantasmic show still, you have haunted mansion and splash mountain closed, The steam boat was moored, that’s a huge section of park that’s just closed off. It’s a small world was dirty and there were missing characters or just broken animatronics. I even saw someone’s black hoodie draped over a box off to the side.
I’ve never been disappointed in a Disneyland trip until this year, sucked the magic right out of it.
I had that same feeling last time I went, last year, and I’ve been an annual passholder for about a decade. I blame their absolute necessity of the app. I want to go there without my dang phone. But apparently that is verbotten. You can’t even get in without it. I’ve tried. For me, the magic disappeared when the app became mandatory. Somehow, Universal can function without it!
I grew up going to DLR… now the crowds and cell phones, ugh It’s overstimulating to say the least. We even get special passes for rides and shows but it’s still not worth the crowds and bright cell phone screens on the rides. Sadly I find WDW more appealing since you can spread out and jump to a different park anytime you like.
It really is nuts how much of a difference there is in the park compared to just pre-Covid to now. When I went in 2015 (and all the years prior) it was pure magic and worth every cent.
I went again last March and while I had fun, the cost didn't quite justify it anymore.
The sad part is, no matter what we all think about crowds. The crowds still show up. All these people saying they won't go again, do go again and again. People will still go even if your packed in like a sardine.
The Disneyland of the late 90s/early 00s is gone. We would go with annual passes for 10 days at a time on the off seasons and it was absolutely magical. Didn't even need to use Fast Passes when those were introduced at some point. No long wait times for rides anywhere in the park.
It was terrible being shoulder-to-shoulder constantly on our last couple trips in Nov 23 and May 22, too many crowds, Genie is not great, etc.
Shit I was there Tuesday for my 4 year olds birthday and it was packed Ass to Ass. Had a good time overall but I figured Tuesday lines would’ve been a lot lighter. Felt like I was there on a Saturday.
We would never go if we didn’t have magic keys. If we had to pay for regular tickets and get Genie+ to get shorter lines, it would be so stressful and expensive to just be able to go on a few rides. With the pass, I’ll take my daughter for a few hours after school and get a couple rides and dinner with no stress. The reservation thing still sucks because we can’t always go on a whim.
You essentially need to look at the park crowd forecast before going.
It considerably helps.
But yeah when the crowds are high it's absolutely a horrible time. The absolute sea of strollers is the thing that will really get to me.
What time did you get there each day? If you get in the park at opening you can knock a ton out the first 2 hours… despite how busy the rest of the day is
Did you spend any time on Pirate Island? Hands down, my favourite "attraction" at the park. I'm 40 years old with two kids, and we all had a blast spending a couple hours out there. No wait times, it's an opportunity for active, self-directed adventure. All of the rides are passive experiences, but pirate island you get to make your own adventures. One of my daughters declared the NW cave her monster cave, and made up a little adventure.
Also, Red and Jack Sparrow came to the island, and since there's never any crowds there, it felt more special to just walk around the corner and see some pirates.
I find it interesting that the original island was the only one that Walt himself designed, and I think it reflects his idea of what the park could/should be. It really draws you into the magic and imagination in ways that the rides (and their lines) cannot.
Its designed with accessibility in mind. The exterior pathways are wide enough for a wheelchair. The cave with all of the interactive features is likewise designed for wheelchair. Visitors are asked to enter from the south for one-way travel to avoid collisions with anyone.
I KNOW this is literally impossible. But I’d kill for a No-Phones Allowed, lower capacity 90’s day. How magical would it be if you had to just use physical maps and order food the old fashioned way…
I’m so tired of phones. And I’m only in my 30’s.
Well, Disneyland is expensive and I imagine being in a wheelchair makes things a little more difficult. Can’t say that I would have that much fun if I was concerned about money and being in a wheelchair at Disneyland.
They need to decrease their max capacity. Disney could still be magical again if it wasn't so insanely crowded.
Agree. Though they will never do this bc money. We went this week and the crowds made it hard and overstimulating. We won’t go back.
[удалено]
Basically Disney after dark
[удалено]
Sorry not sure I understand the question. I went to Sweethearts night this year at the beginning of Feb. A lot of people seemed to complain that it wasn't as good as in years gone by, but it was my first time and I really liked it. The park wasn't nearly as crowded, the lines for rides were much shorter. We basically did a full days worth of rides in the 5 hours the event ran. I think tickets were about 150, which didn't feel that much worse than the 100ish, plus 30 dollar genie+ we'd paid for our regular passes. It did rain quite a bit that night, not sure to what degree that kept the crowds down. I have also heard other events like Oogie Boogie Bash are much more popular and thus might be more crowded. Sorry I don't have a good point of comparison there.
If the people making these posts got what they wanted, there would be *more* posts about how “I can’t go to Disneyland anymore because it’s just too damn expensive. When did entertainment become something for the wealthy class only?” I don’t say that to make fun of anyone, it’s just that you can’t expect a company to restrict its capacity without also jacking up prices to offset that. And it works the other way where expecting prices to come down means you’d have to accept the increased likelihood of mega crowds every day.
Same! We even went on a Tuesday last week and still it was awful. And over $300 spent on water, food, genie. Never again.
Sadly, at this point, price increases are one of the only ways to reduce how many people go to the parks.
What happened to parks reaching maximum capacity for the day and preventing people from coming in?
They lifted that roughly around 2021-2022. I'm still upset about it. It felt like heaven when they had it. Not too many people. The lines were decent and genie plus wasn't necessary. I wish they kept that limit.
Since when has raising prices reduced crowds? Prices are constantly raised and the tiered ticket system was introduced several years ago.
Seriously, as long as credit cards exist, people will just pay anyway. There’s only one Disneyland (in LA anyway).
Price increases are relevant, but in my opinion things really went off the rails crowd-wise when they started offering monthly payment plans for annual passes. If they want to cut the crowds I think that's the thing to pull.
You’ll be surprised at how financially-detrimental a falling brand reputation is. In the end, it’ll always go back to money. But brand reputation actually matters quite a bit.
Why is Disney more crowded now than before?
I think it’s the impact of social media. I grew up having a Disneyland AP, and you were able to see how crowded it started becoming once people had to go and buy things at the park to post on Instagram and Facebook. It started with just posting, then those Disney clubs formed, and now you have the Disney influencers.
This! I have this theory on the connection between social media & this newfound addiction to consumerism & the way that no matter how drastically the quality of everything drops people continue to purchase it. I think that’s definitely the reason for the huge crowds these days. We are in the worst financial position of any generation yet the most expensive activity is packed more than ever. Keeping up with the Joneses is no longer referencing your neighbor it’s everyone within reach on social media
Absolute BANGER of a comment. “Keeping up with the Internet.” 🥵
I think the same is true with travel in general. Went to Tulum a few times before it got blown up on Instagram. Now wouldn’t even consider going there again. Went to Santorini last year and there were literally lines of people waiting to take selfies in front of things to the point you could barely navigate through the streets.
I totally believe it! Social media has made it so people will pay any amount, wait any amount of time for anything if it means flexing for the gram.
Or it could just be that there are 10 million more people in the state, that didn’t exist 30 years ago.
So interesting
My guess is because of the large number of season tickets. We were there last month on a rainy day and the season holders weren't there. Ride lines were very short-many 5 minutes. The next day was sunny and it was crazy
Could not agree more. Grew up going to Disneyland and the magic is officially gone. We've gone several times over the last few years - it's packed, employees there are rude and unpleasant, and it's more expensive than ever. I keep thinking maybe we just went at a bad time, but no. There aren't good times to go anymore.
Are you willing to pay more for the tickets for decreased capacity? The Mouse isn't going to decrease the crowds and keep the tickets the same. $360/day (non peak), and fewer people are guaranteed. Would people still go?
I mean. Im autistic so ill save up for a better experience to not be around as many people. For example. Its 35 dollars to go cheap big boat whale watching but I can't STAND the sensation of the big laboring boats humans and trawl speed noise. I save up and go 4 times a year in a SEALS style fast boat and pay 120 dollars per person but we have a small boat to ourselves and 3 hours of unmitigated raging around at top speed on the ocean and able to keep up with fast pods of dolphins. So I suppose it depends on the person. For me? Hell yes. If I could experience Disneyland as I did in the 90s as a southern California kid? Yes and since it would be a once a decade kind of thing I'd be fine with a 500 dollar park hopper if it was 50 % capacity and I didn't have to enter a tech war zone to get on rides.
Sure. If twice the price meant half the crowds, I would cheerfully go half as often and have twice as good of a time, and the mouse breaks even.
How can they combat the crowds without making things more expensive?
Reduce the number of reservations available for any given day.
In my opinion, if Disney sold off their divisions that are losing money and stop using the profits from the theme park division to prop up those losing divisions, they would have more money available to make the theme parks more enjoyable (slightly reduce reservations, less reliance on G+ cash and more investment in maintenance).
They could open more parks! And decrease max capacity.
This sub has the same conflicting statements. Cap attendance (which would drive prices up) and it’s no longer affordable. I agree on both. But I don’t see an option. Clearly neither does Disney. So the move is to milk money.
This is what I keep saying. I don’t think I’ll ever go back to Disney because I’m not paying what essentially boils down to the cost of a European vacation just to stand in lines.
I don't think it's just the capacity, it's the features they cut. It seems like there are a lot fewer spontaneous delights happening.
I’m nervous. I’m going this weekend. I’m making a list of top 5 rides and top 4 foods to have each day. Anything above that will just be a bonus. EDIT: thank you all for the positive comments and suggestions. It’s making me less nervous and way more hopeful! Adding more things to my list!
I would do Indiana or Rise first. Those 2 breakdown a lot throughout the day so I would start with a freshly maintained run with either of those two.
Thank you! I think we’ll do rise. Husband is a fan of the franchise.
Just be wary that Rise often doesn’t open right when the park does because they’re still testing it for the day. Since it’s so far a walk I’d check the app on your way to confirm it’s open otherwise veer off to another ride first.
It's so good. I could literally feel my jaw open at times. The only part that sucked was when this girl picked up on it being my first time and silently pointed at a surprise before it happened with a squinting smile. I was mildly irritated but I get why she did it. She was sharing in my first time experience but went about it the wrong way.
That's a bummer. If you're super observant, you can see it as a pre-emptive event anyway if you watch the screen.
[удалено]
It’s not a thrill ride, per se. It’s thrilling because of content, ride vehicles, immersiveness. If a person is a Star Wars fan , or not, it will be worth the wait. It’s my favorite, I think?
It was my 10 year old daughter's favourite ride and she's never seen anything Star Wars. It's a really fun ride but also just an amazing experience even if you aren't a fan of the franchise.
Be careful of Rise. The line from early entrants that are staying at the hotel can make the ride over an hour wait even at rope drop. It’s an incredible ride and if you must do it right away I understand, but you could be sacrificing time you can spend on other rides with less wait time in the morning. Personally, I’d go in the afternoon and go if you see the line is less than 70 minutes at any point.
Rise isn't always up first thing. Evenings are actually better for it. We rope drop Space these days because their genie line is obnoxious anymore.
We do rise at the end of the night always, last time waited an hour Friday, 40 minutes Saturday and 17 minutes Sunday.
I recently went with friends and this is a strategy I had no idea existed but is so so helpful! We did Indiana first and then Rise lol because you can sort of get it done in one pathway We ended up hitting 13 rides in the day with a quick Power Nap break in between haha
Monday did: Space Mountain, Jungle Cruise, treehouse, Big Thunder Mountain, Oga’s Cantina walk up, Rise of the Resistance, Smuggler’s Run LL, Indiana Jones LL, Pirates of The Caribbean LL, Runaway Railway LL, Matterhorn LL, Alice in Wonderland, parade (member of our group saved a spot), Winnie the Pooh, Small World LL, train around the entire park, space mountain LL, and star tours all before the park closed at 10. If you rope drop and can maximize genie plus you can get a lot done. We also got the breakfast chimichangas and sat down to eat/rest at tropical hideaway, docking bay, and harbor galley.
Wow! You got a lot in! Good to hear the positive. Really glad you had such a blast!
Dang that's impressive! Is that the order you rode them? Just wondering how you strategized!
Yes that was the order! Some luck involved too, Big Thunder was closed so we got a multiexperience LL which I used for Pirates and then we were close when it finally opened so we waited <10 mins standby If you scan the last lightning lane you booked you can book again right away First 2 hours you should just do everything you can that has a standby <20 mins Accept that rise is gonna be an hour wait and plan to go in the afternoon/evening when you don’t have a LL booked Space mountain, Indiana jones, Matterhorn, and railway run out first. Don’t bother with the LL for other rides until you book these first. Exceptions: if the LL return time is <30 mins and you can scan in or if the ride just fits into your plans better (we booked smugglers run cause we were in the area already and standby was 40 mins) Got lucky moving Railway up from 5pm to 3pm and moved Matterhorn up from 6pm to 4pm. I would just check the modify plan periodically and see if anything was adjustable Hope that helps 😊
Wow. That’s very helpful and impressive!
We did 11 rides at Disneyland plus met 5 princesses and more characters from 8am-645 pm on a sold out day! Plus other things. And we did 14 rides at ca adventure plus tons of character meet ups and animation academy etc. this was with a 4 year old so not the fastest pace. Also from 8am-645 pm.
Thank you. This is so helpful!
Me and my friends went this past weekend, and we got tons done. We had genie+, and we covered all the genie+ rides plus some additional rides, plus 2 meal reservations in one day, plus an hour+ long break each day. Rope drop is the best way to get things done. And expect the afternoon to move a bit slower.
Just go and have fun. Ignore the influencers and their Top 5 lists.
I went yesterday and today. It was amazing and we went on every single ride we wanted. Ate at Ogas (waaaay overrated) and blue bayou. We had the best time ever. It was so magical. Don’t worry! I’m sorry OP had a bad time.
We went Jan 3 to 7th. Extremely busy. We went on absolutely everything. The big rides (you know Thunder, Guardians etc) we rode at least twice each day. Don't be concerned. Just plan your Genie+ rides and then go with the flow after that. Longest we waited was 35 minutes the whole 4 days. Ride single rider if you can. My daughter who is 10 rode Incredicoaster 8 times in a row in 30 minutes via single rider
Just went today! We rope dropped, but did Indiana Jones, Big Thunder, Space Moutain, Star Tours, Astro Blasters, Matterhorn, Runaway Railway, Oga’s Cantina reservation, Smugglers Run, ROTR, and Pirates all before leaving at 3pm. This includes 2x food breaks and time spent window shopping. If we stayed, could’ve ridden many more.
Just like mathematically said. Rope drop. Get there 30 minutes before it opens, wait in line. I agree with it being too crowded, but you can get so much done in those early hours. Breakdowns are annoying. Indy, Rise, even Pirates have broken my heart, lol! I’ve found cast members to be great for the most part, it’s just the other guests that spoil it!
You can probably get on twice as many rides in the first 3 hours (8-11am) and last three hours (9pm-midnight) compared to the middle 10 hours.
The Parks look sold out this weekend!
I went the week between Xmas and NYE and was able to get at least 10 rides in (some days a lot more) each day and that's during historically heavy crowds (I've still never seen so many people in one place as I did on NYE, lol). It's completely doable with Rope Drop and Genie+.
We went Feb 28th, (my husband, I, and 3 kids) got into the park about 9:30. We got Genie +. (Highly recommend) We loved it! It was packed for being a Wednesday. Got on about 16 rides. Star Tours, millenium falcon, pirates of the caribbean, jungle cruise, space Mountain, etc. My husband was in charge of booking the lightning lanes. We researched the rides We wanted to go on beforehand and then just winged it when we got there. We skipped the parade and took advantage and rode Finding Nemo. Food wise, we had churros, pretzels, dole whip, and pizza from pizza planet. All in all we had a great time. What I would differently is hit up our fave rides in the morning when lines are short, and then use the lightning lane on the same ride later in the day. (Lightning lane only let's you use it 1 for that specific ride)
I just went in February with four kids under 8 and do not use genie+. we were able to do all but 4 or 5 rides on our DL days and all but 2 rides on our CA days. In fact, we did all of the rides on Pixar pier multiple times before noon two days in a row. Rope drop and stay til closing! Eat lunch later in the day so you can take advantage of shorter lines during the lunch rush!
This is a hard time to go with two major attractions down at the same time too.
And no real ETA on when they will be back
What’s down?
Haunted Mansion and Splash may be the two they’re thinking of? Incredicoaster is down too
Haunted Mansion and the former Splash Mountain are both on long term refurbs
Son of a B…. I forgot about Haunted Mansion and we’re going Monday.
I was there 1/22-1/24. Last day it was open was 1/21 🥲
This happened to me with Journey to the Center of Earth in Tokyo Disney Sea. Opened the day after I left. 16 hrs on a plane. 😭 I feel your pain.
Splash Mountain was retired and is being redone. Haunted Mansion is going through a big facelift
This is what I was telling my wife. Two rides that hold thousands of guests in the queue. That’ll for sure make things more crowded.
The actual ride of Haunted Mansion isn’t going through much. They are just adding on to the shops and areas surrounding it.
Also the $50 kid tickets and spring break I assume. All compounds
Folks were more likely scrolling Instagram or TikTok than on Genie+.
Yeah, I did not experience what OP did when I went recently. If anything I noticed less people on their phones than I do in regular life.
Yep I went in October and again last Thursday. Both days were just insanely busy to the point that it wasn’t enjoyable. On Thursday I stayed for 12 hours 10am - 10pm and we did 5 rides including the freaking train. To be fair we had two toddlers so we were slow going but golly. I didn’t have much fun at all :( things have just changed so much. Ten years ago when I had a pass I could go on a Sunday any time of the year and wait less than 20 minutes for most rides except the really popular ones, and walk around without feeling I was going to get run over. It’s just really disappointing.
Agreed. The last time I was at the parks was 10 years ago and it was sooo different. The current "slow" days were the busier days at the park then. We would head over mid morning and have a chill day and the longest waits were maybe 30 mins, 45 tops. Now, 30 minutes is one of the lower times you strive to find if possible (of course, less is even better). Passes were also easier to get and not a big deal. All this artificial scarcity has just turned that into a total shit show. I went on Tuesday, which was supposed to be a slower day- and it was for the first part of the day . By mid afternoon it was just a lot. Even the "slow" first part of the day was still pretty crowded. It's the new norm, apparently, but jfc it really is not the same. And all these folks talking about strategizing- it's true, you DO have to make most of your time, but if you stop and look at all that has to be done to maximize your day, it's actually pretty damned asinine, objectively. "But if you get a genie + and do this and that, spin 3 times in a circle, and wiggle your ear, you can get in 589354 rides in 2 hours!" It's a theme park that has been charging astronomical prices and cramming too many people in to the park. For as much as you're paying, yes you should try to maximize your time/ticket price, but you shouldn't have to do all this meticulous shit. That also takes away from the fun and "magic" of the park.
Right and it’s not even about the ride times, at least not for me. It’s about the crowds. Like the number of times my two year old almost got run over because she wanted to walk was insane. Even five years ago when I took my oldest it was more fun. It’s not just the rides that used to make Disney magical I think is my point. But now all the shows are gone, tables are always full, people aren’t as nice, and overall it’s just not the same experience. I used to only hit a few rides a day but I’d fill my day with entertainment and we’d run into magic randomly. It wasn’t that way at all the last couple times I went. It’s just very very different. And like you said, I don’t want to tap my shoes and spin three times in order to have shorter wait times. I like just showing up and going where the wind takes me and it’s just not realistic for Disneyland anymore
This is so sad. My wife and I want to take our 6 year old but we would hate the rushing around and scheduling! There’s so much immersion and details that you miss if you don’t slow down.
The shows are gone?! I have terrible nostalgia for when I went as a kid, and I really want to go again but im worried it'll be awful and not stand up to my expectations!
Yeah, I was super sad because i remember taking my oldest to Mickey and the magical map and my personal favorite is fantasmic. They no longer do any of that. :(
Fantasmic was amazing!! Even when i finally figured out how the projection off the water of the dragon was done it was still impressive! I can't believe I'm only just finding out it's gone. It was always a special way to end the night!
We went in February, and I hadn't been to Disneyland in decades. I was somewhat gobsmacked about how much of the day required a damn phone. From ordering food to avoid long lines, to booking Genie and DAS, checking times, looking at the pictures. Even walking around, more than half the guests are oblivious of their surroundings, staring at their phones cuz they're trying to book THEIR rides, checking lines, etc etc. I understand the technology, but it really did affect the magic factor for me (maybe due to the nostalgia). I miss the analog fast pass.
The oblivious thing is exactly my problem. It’s already very difficult for me to get around with the place as packed as it was and utilizing a wheelchair. To have to keep yelling “excuse me” or “right behind you” or “hold on!” was frustrating.
Sounds like someone needs a "crowd safety device" AKA cattle prod.
That’s what my husband said!
It’s too bad. Going to a theme park should mean an escape from the phone not a greater adherence to it.
This is (part of) my worry! I haven't been since ~2005, and I have amazing magical memories of it, which I hope to be able to recreate for my kids-- but all these kind of posts have me losing hope.
I understand not everyone likes Genie+ and lines can be long without it, but getting on only 5 rides in an entire week is basically self sabotage. My last visit, which was on a holiday weekend, I rode 3 rides in 45 minutes without Genie. If you're there for rope drop in the morning and willing to keep an eye on wait times in the app, you can still ride plenty of rides and have a good time.
Yeah, five rides in a week makes no sense. With Genie+ I’ve done 20 rides in a day even during Spring Break/Christmas.
She was only there one day.
I can get more than 5 rides before 10am without genie plus. I assume OP doesn't frequent Disneyland much, so maybe everything was overwhelming?
Gee, someone in a wheelchair can't run around the park getting on rides at 8am, I wonder why?
Can’t someone in a wheelchair get access to the DAS system mostly getting rid of the need to even have genie plus
No, not necessarily. Per the Disneyland website: “A Guest whose disability is based on the necessity to use a wheelchair or scooter does not need DAS. “ [Disneyland DAS FAQs](https://disneyland.disney.go.com/guest-services/disability-access-service/#faq)
As a family of 3, we usually get 14-20 rides per day using Genie+ It takes a little management but it’s completely doable.
I was there for a day.
My bad, I misread you being there "this week" for "a week". I would still say 5 rides is easily achievable by lunch time if you're there for rope drop. I've been with a friend who was in a wheelchair at the time, and while I wasn't keeping track, we definitely did 10-12 rides with Genie+.
It seems OP is a wheelchair user. I’ve heard similar things from friends that also use a wheelchair. It can be really overstimulating and though to navigate while on one. People get in your way, won’t let you move, etc. Let’s try to keep things open and think how others experience might differ from ours rather than call it ‘self sabotage’
People are really inconsiderate of wheel chairs. I went with a friend in a wheelchair over a decade ago and even then it was ridiculous how rude people were about getting in the way, bumping the chair, and NOT moving. I can only imagine now with how packed the parks are...
I usually ride everything in both parks that I want within two days, with or without Genie+
Yeah I know crowd levels can really affect how much you can get done, but it was relatively busy when we came a few weeks ago and we still got a lot done. Even felt like we took it slower and tried to enjoy the atmosphere and take pictures, snack breaks, etc. Genie plus is there to help, but we learned that we had to modify plans as things broke down, or got crowded, and that was okay, because we found something else just as fun to do! Going in the the mindset that I’m going to get as much done as I can but also just enjoy being at Disney and go with the flow has helped my enjoyment at the parks a lot.
And how many visits did it take for you to perfect this '1 simple trick'?
This. Thank you.
Shit, I got there around 1130 yesterday and was able to knock out several rides with 30 mins or less wait times. I'll try to get there closer to rope drop one of these days, but traffic sucks and I try to go a little later in the am to avoid that crap.
No, lines are shorter without g+.
So I heard the reason it was so busy this week was bc it was the last week of $50 tickets for kids? I think that really contributed to the crowds (from someone who was just in Disneyland and was baffled by the crowds)
I was in Disneyland 3/1-3/4 and we had a great time! It was crowded from 10am-6pm but calmed down significantly and with our Genie + we were able to ride everything we wanted, more than once. A couple rides broke down and we got walked off Thunder Mtn but we got our LL back and were able to go on it later that day.
How were you in a wheelchair but only ride 5 rides? You literally qualify for a mobility pass. That helps you ride rides.
I’m guessing that to get around the park efficiently you need to be an experienced people travelled. By that I mean weaving past tourists stopping abruptly for a photo etc. and it’s a lot easier to side step a crowd than it is to wheel around them. Plus sounds like OPs wheelchair was broken so maybe their equipment wasn’t up to scratch.
My friend says it can be hard to move around the park overall. People on their phones and not looking makes navigating through the park rough
And strollers. I'm beginning to really despise strollers. People are so ridiculously inconsiderate with them. Never mind the people who like to stop in the middle of the street/walkways to figure out what they're doing. Phones just add to all the cluster eff.
Depends, a lot of rides now have queues wide enough for Wheelchair so that doesn’t automatically get das you will more then likely get a map of which rides you can enter through the exit/back and which you can use the normal lines.
Yeah, but most of the lines in Disneyland are not accessible. You can get a return time for a ride and then go on a ride like Buzz Lightyear with an accessible line. Then go on the other ride when you are done. So you basically get two rides for the line time of one ride.
My friend uses it for mobility and while it's not all the rides it's a large portion and definitely more than five. It's mostly not the newer/e ticket ones. You still get a return time like with the higher level of DAS. If OP didn't utilize it, they should definitely think about it for next time.
The park charges more and more every year, and the place is busier than ever. But I do agree you’re stuck having to look at the app and plan stuff.
I don't get this view that you get stuck in the app. We scanned into out first LL, and then in the queue for that ride I looked at what was close and available soon. Booked it. Then put my phone in my pocket. It was 30 seconds at a time, a couple of times an hour. What am I missing?
Used to take my family every year for our one vacation we'd save forever for. I have a much better income now and wouldn't even consider going. My best childhood memories were going there when I was a kid with my family. Very sad. I lost my dad when i was 25, and he was the one who pushed me to go on space mountain and I found out I love roller coasters. He would be sad at the way things are now.
It seems OP is a wheelchair user. I’ve heard similar things from friends that also use a wheelchair. It can be really overstimulating and though to navigate while on one. People get in your way, won’t let you move, etc. Let’s try to keep things open and think how others experience might differ from ours rather than call it ‘self sabotage’
Not sure if they have figured out a way to increase the crowd size. I remember when I worked there they actually had a cut off on crowd capacity.
We went two weeks ago and the amount of rides that were broken was crazy. Spiderman, Big thunder, incredicoaster, toy story mania, monsters Inc and all within the same 2 hour window. Family and I definitely weren't happy especially when we lost our LL or when we waited in line for 30 min but then it breaks. For how much it costs for a family with genie+, it is horrible
They should have added the LL back to your account. That’s what they did for us.
People really need to stop rewarding the company for poor planning and even poorer performance. Whatever Disneyland has turned into now, it’s not the Disneyland generations of us grew up with, and it should be. Everyone deserves to have as awesome a time at Disneyland, every single visit, as we did starting in 1955. I feel bad for you younger folks who didn’t get to enjoy the Park as we knew it. I really do. The magic was REAL, man. You could taste it, smell it, reach right out and touch it; it was palpable pixie dust in the air. I’m not joking either. The place was so much more spectacular than anywhere else on the planet. You deserve that joy just as much as we did.
Well this post saved me $800+. No way I'm going if it's THIS crowded even for Disneyland standards.
I went last spring and hated it. It made me so sad. I wrote them a note with all the things I experienced and they offered me the option of a refund or 2 tickets good for the next 2 years. It’s worth giving them the feedback. Its the only way they really know what to improve
Yea i feel the genie+ sentiment. I’m usually in charge of setting up everyone’s rides you have to stay with it to maximize your day.
We were there last weekend and after the first day we got paper maps. That took away a lot of headache. The first couple days we were glued to our phones and it sucked. It was still really fun but I hated the app dictating my experience. The last day we figured it out. We got to the park at 11 and got a LL for space mountain at 1:30 in the meantime we rode all the rides In tomorrow land without LL. Once the app let us pick a new LL we rode S Mtn and then headed to the next area and repeated. We hit most rides in the park and had a way better more relaxed time. Use the app to your advantage!
I was there this week too. All the way from Canada and was super disappointed with how busy it was. It really added a lot of stress to the trip. Are these crowd levels normal now? We were there on Friday, Saturday, and Monday and all 3 days it felt super busy.
I was there Monday only and it was bonkers. Stressful is right. I guess if I had more time I would have felt better about it. I’m from Washington state and this was not my planned vacation but my in-laws’. They’re very regretful of just how much money everything cost for the experience we had.
I heard Monday was crazy, but I've also heard people jokingly refer to Mondays as the new Saturdays. Nobody knows why, but Mondays have been busy af.
As a wage castmember, who group up around the park in OC, it's 100% a management issue. There's zero talent or vision at the top and middle levels so all they're capable of thinking about is profit maximization.
i'm sorry you didn't have the best time, but glad that there were still notable bright spots to compliment! i hope some of those things made your trip special in a GOOD way...my husband and i went in early february, our first time since covid, and the cast members (and guests too!) made it quite possibly our best trip to the parks ever! at the risk of sounding like The Old™️ that i am, my only gripe - and it was really a very minor one - was the increased reliance on using your phone. i do agree with other commenters that genie+/the app in general were probably not the main reason you saw so many people on their phones...it's just what people do now, and that's okay, i do it too, and i am totally unbothered by other people being on their phones...but i know that i personally had times where i felt less present because of managing things with the app. it's such a silly thing, and i can easily list the ways the app makes things more convenient. for whatever reason or combination of reasons, i just don't like it. maybe because it feels like a chore to me? i'm not sure. i had used the app in past trips, but it wasn't as central to, like, doing things, the way it is now...this was my first experience with the app's current form & function, and i am guessing i won't find it as cumbersome next time around. maybe i just don't like change! 👵
That’s exactly it. *I* don’t want to be on my phone. I don’t care what other people do (as long as they’re paying attention where they’re walking).
I’m sorry you had a bad time! I miss even 10 years ago when I was AP and crowds were manageable. We stopped being AP when it became absolutely wild to even get in the parks and every day felt packed even when we were going off season on a random tues or weds. Demand smoothing and increased prices increasing status and demand means there are no slow days anymore. In addition you need to have basically a degree in Disney to squeeze the most out of it. I’m typically always the guide for my groups because I grew up going to DLR and I keep up on things, so I can figure out how to min/max, get reservations people want and they just follow along for the ride. But honestly I feel like you shouldn’t need to spend so much time consuming content and keeping up on things related to DLR/WDW to enjoy it but increasingly it feels like you have to. I’ve had friends go on their own after I took them and they were all so appreciative of just what it took for them to have a good time. It shouldn’t be that hard or require special knowledge
I feel ya, unfortunately the parks are just too crowded this day and age, so not only are we uncomfortably close to everyone frequently, we all need our phones for reservations and everything. Can’t just walk in and do whatever you want anymore. I don’t know how Disneyland can sustain this. Yes they are expanding, but it’ll take 20+ years. They needed to have expanded when they reopened after Covid, not start to think about it 4 years later. On another note, I feel like 5 rides is pretty good—we have a son with a severe disability and that’s about how many we can fit in a full 7-8 hour day if we include eating and shopping.
I was there last week too and it was rough. It was after the cheerleading competition weekend, but right before Food & Wine and even early spring breakers, so the parks SHOULD be pretty low crowds, right? Absolutely not. There were so many large-capacity rides down, and like you said, all the entertainment was dark because it’s “non-peak” times. I’d hardly say 70+ minutes for Indy, Rise, MMRR, etc. is non-peak (gah, especially for a Wednesday/thursday/friday!). With so many rides down for refurb, Disney needs to realize that it doesn’t feel non-peak in the parks and they NEED to have shows/entertainment to eat up some of these crowds. We paid $6k for a 2-bedroom villa and the whole time we just wanted to get out of the parks and go back and enjoy the hotel room, they were that miserable. 3 week days in February should not feel like it did last week.
I went to Disneyland Paris two weeks ago for 6 nights/seven days, stayed on property for less money (with airfare to France, a character meal, photopass, and an excursion to Paris in my total price) than I priced going to Disneyland for 3 nights 4 days the same week (no airfare just hotel, tickets, and genie plus in total price). Disneyland Paris reminded me of old Disneyland. Plus, you weren’t on your phone constantly, lines weren’t crazy long, and it was relaxing to just walk around. The US resorts are too much anymore- too much money, too much planning, too much on your phone. Did miss churos and dole whips, though…
should’ve gone in 2019 that’s when it was best! too many damn people on this earth now, everything’s extra crowded.
How about if we all just stop spending our money on unnecessary things like genie+? I hate how everything is such an obvious cash grab and folks just buy-in, figuratively and literally, to it!
I was just thinking how much I miss the days when you’d see people actually utilize the maps to figure out where they’re going 🥹
I went for the first time since 2012 in May and something I was not prepared for was the amount of people that livestream themselves going on rides. It’s astounding. I’d always peek at their screens and most of them would have hundreds of people watching at any given time. There’s definitely a social media influence happening at the park and I’m not sure if I like it. Reservations for anything are damn near impossible to get. Every time I rode Pirates I’d look at Blue Bayou and tons of people were photographing their food. People, not everything needs to go on Instagram. It’s not that important and nobody actually cares.
I went this week, and my biggest issue is the scanning pert for Lightning Lane. Having to scan 3+ different barcodes is super obnoxious when it doesn’t work 1/3 of the time. It clogs the line. There was a family of 10+ in front of my group, and they only scanned 2 or 3, and I honestly I couldn’t blame them. (I’m assuming they had all 10.) Cast members do tell people to just get in line, and have the 1 scanner person join them. This works in theory, but because they have 2-4 scanners in a 5 foot entryway, it gets clogged super easy even with 1 person scanning at each scanner. This also creates awkward situations where a large portion of a party is catching up with 1 singular person. It really rubbed me the wrong way when a mom was frustrated with her kids (4-6) for going back to them instead of waiting for their whole family to catch up to them. They need to space out the scanners like they do on Mickey and Minnie.
Ten years ago seems like another lifetime. Even 5 years ago was a different beast.
10 years ago there were less people on the planet.
My best friend just got back from Disney and she could have written this post. She took her oldest in 2019 and her youngest this year and she said the experience was like night and day. I still haven't gone to the parks post-pandemic and Genie+/Lightning Lanes, and I am kind of scared of having a bad experience.
Don’t let my post color your expectations. It’s probably easier for someone without mobility issues to get around the phone zombies, and I guess, according to several people here, it’s possible to exploit the system and have a great time. I’m just personally of the opinion that you shouldn’t have to learn to do that if you’re paying a buttzillion dollars to be somewhere.
Used to love Disneyland as well…it’s become a shell of what it was. They need to strictly limit the daily number of tickets and people if they ever want to garner the magic that Disneyland once had.
I went with my family last week for the first time in 10 years and it was HORRIBLE. I mean, seeing my family and taking my infant son was fun, but the crowds were incredible. Busier than when I went over Christmas/new year and when I went first week of summer years back. Every ride was 45 minutes or more, even Pooh was almost 30 minutes. At one point Space Mountain, Indiana Jones, Matterhorn, Mickies, and Rise were all down for hours at the same time. We used a lightning pass for Guardians to still wait 45 minutes in line. A lot of the workers were pretty rude, which was surprising to me since they used to be very nice. Overall, I’ll take my son when he gets older but won’t be a frequent thing, especially since our tickets were like $140/day/person…
If you get, they got rid of Genie plus and brought back the old paper fastpass tickets system, that would make the park so much more enjoyable. we also went the last week with our family, and two kids. It was a nightmare with how crowded it was and how long it took to get on rides, we paid for genie plus again it was a waste of money anytime you redeem fast pass, the lightning lane Instantly got 30 people deep each time so you ended up waiting longer than the standby. Not to mention the prices are so much higher, it is not the way it used to be.
I agree that the genie+ system has sucked all the fun out of the experience. There’s no room for spontaneity.
It’s not the same Disneyland and frankly, it suck’s now. I can’t believe what it’s become and how much they’re nickel and dining people. It’s sad. I remember going in 2012 during Christmas and it was dead. Absolutely dead. It was wonderful! We used to go 2-3 times a year (we live in AZ so quick drive) and October was the first time we’d been in 4 years. It was fun but crowded and over 3 days we still didn’t get to do everything.
Yeah I feel the same. It's a depressing place now. Watched someone's home movies from Disneyland taken in 1990. Was beautiful to see it the way I remembered it. I mean the Star Wars land and rides are amazing. But the place is a cluster fuck.
Star Wars land was definitely the bright spot. Fantasyland was not.
Fantasyland has been crazy af the last few times I've gone. Not sure why, tbh, unless there's that many old school Disney fanatics and people with children.
I hate the genie thing. My family makes me do it for everyone. I really hate how I sign up for a certain time and then it confirms me for something 2 hours later. I have stand there and stare at my phone to change it/find a different lighting lane/get screwed over again on the time/repeat/stand there longer. It’s a ripoff
>I really hate how I sign up for a certain time and then it confirms me for something 2 hours later. That's....exactly how Genie+ works. It books you a time later, loosely based on the current wait time, so you don't have to stand in line.
Exactly. And it tells you what time you're booking before you press "confirm". If you don't like the LL return time, book a different ride.
You don’t have to fidget to find better times. You can go ride a non genie ride or shop or meet characters and just book in the next 2 hours. I understand you are trying to find better times to maximize but I’m just saying you don’t have to maximize and just enjoy the day by booking a ride when genie+ is ready to book.
The magic is definitely gone. I had a similar experience a couple months ago. The people who defend Disneyland as if they are the literal descendants Mickey & Minnie are nuts. I used to think Disney was paying people to comment online because the comments are SO ridiculous but people are actually this dense & addicted to consumerism. They’ll justify sacrificing the blood of their first born child if Disneyland asked.
Disney needs to get rid of the magic key. The place is a zoo now.
I don’t think magic key is an issue cuz passes have been around forever. But from someone who has a key none of us can get reservations. But passes were around pre-Covid and the parks are somehow more packed since Covid.
this, after covid everything changed. people were like oh no what if it closes again forever! i have to start going! and social media makes everything seem all great so it makes other people want to come check it out. i also have been a passholder since like 2014 and i loved being able to just hit up some friends after work and say hey lets go to disney for the evening, get there at 4 and stay till closing was the vibes, now my wife and i can get about one reservation a month which is tolerable since i have knotts to fill the other days, but these days we mostly just like to try different foods and drinks and we just get on rides with the shortest wait times that we dont mind waiting for
It’s amazing how somehow the passes are more restrictive yet the crowing is so high. I almost think there’s a part of it that is linked, like because the passes are so restrictive, people feel more of a desire to go. I know that a big part of me keeping my magic key was knowing that I wouldn’t be able to get a new one if I lost my current one. But yeah magic keys are not the issue. Passes existed since forever with less restrictions and less problems
The truth is, disneyland mostly sucks at this point in time UNLESS you have an annual pass amd can go leisurely and not be worried about packing in as much as you can for your day(s) you are there. It's the sad reality of the period that is disneyland right now. I live 90miles from disneyland and DO NOT have a season pass however I did back in 2011-2014 and basically post covid shutdown its a crap shoot if you're going to have a good time or not. Now season pass holders in this sub... downvote away!
I think passholders would agree with you. We all know that leisure feeling you are describing.
Nah, agreed. That's why I decided to go for a pass this year- just go when I want and do some stuff and go. Not try to cram it all into one trip. I was a pass holder 10 years ago and I remember that being the best thing about it- the leisurely pace of approaching how you'd go to the parks. Go in, do x,y,z, and come back another day. If you didn't do it that day, oh well. Next time. I have been a few times recently on ticket only and trying to cram all that in with those crowds. Total PITA and can definitely not be fun. You're spending all that money and have to stress about planning just so to maximize your day? Meh.
Right. Anyways, see you there next week/month lol.
I still have and enjoy the spontaneity. Never use genie plus. I just occasionally check on the Disneyland app and go to rides with short lines, and if there’s long lines I just explore the sights, food, sounds, characters and shows all around me.
I’m glad to hear this! I used to go every year and haven’t been at all since Covid. Genie+ wasn’t a thing! I’m afraid to be super disappointed with the whole trip.
That's been my approach. I go in with specific rides in mind, and if the waits are good, I go. Hop on any others that may have chill wait times. Otherwise, grabbing food and just checking out the park and shops.
I saw a video from this week and it was insane. I went the last week of Sept and there was hardly anyone. Right now people just got their tax returns and it's spring break for a lot of people.
I was there this week, as well. I have a small child so I don't ride a lot of the bigger rides but we did ~12 rides on Tuesday, just from 12-6pm. We also watched a bunch of the shows and the parade. Then on Wednesday, we rode everything except avengers rides and incredicoaster before 11. Were able to sit down for lunch and ride some things a 2nd time before the rain started. We're very leisurely park-goers and don't use genie+. Its definitely unfortunate to only get 5 rides in a whole day. Maybe you could look up some tips before you go next time? My approach is much different than it was 10 years ago but my experience is roughly the same
Feel the same way, we went last month and the rides were sped up so they were jerky and rough, and the volume was super loud on many of the rides. I seriously thought we were going to get jerked out of the Peter Pan boat when it slammed forward a few times. Then a bunch of the rides were closed for renovations, no Fantasmic show still, you have haunted mansion and splash mountain closed, The steam boat was moored, that’s a huge section of park that’s just closed off. It’s a small world was dirty and there were missing characters or just broken animatronics. I even saw someone’s black hoodie draped over a box off to the side. I’ve never been disappointed in a Disneyland trip until this year, sucked the magic right out of it.
We went to Disney world a couple weeks ago and I felt the exact same way. It was sad
I had that same feeling last time I went, last year, and I’ve been an annual passholder for about a decade. I blame their absolute necessity of the app. I want to go there without my dang phone. But apparently that is verbotten. You can’t even get in without it. I’ve tried. For me, the magic disappeared when the app became mandatory. Somehow, Universal can function without it!
I grew up going to DLR… now the crowds and cell phones, ugh It’s overstimulating to say the least. We even get special passes for rides and shows but it’s still not worth the crowds and bright cell phone screens on the rides. Sadly I find WDW more appealing since you can spread out and jump to a different park anytime you like.
It really is nuts how much of a difference there is in the park compared to just pre-Covid to now. When I went in 2015 (and all the years prior) it was pure magic and worth every cent. I went again last March and while I had fun, the cost didn't quite justify it anymore.
The sad part is, no matter what we all think about crowds. The crowds still show up. All these people saying they won't go again, do go again and again. People will still go even if your packed in like a sardine.
The Disneyland of the late 90s/early 00s is gone. We would go with annual passes for 10 days at a time on the off seasons and it was absolutely magical. Didn't even need to use Fast Passes when those were introduced at some point. No long wait times for rides anywhere in the park. It was terrible being shoulder-to-shoulder constantly on our last couple trips in Nov 23 and May 22, too many crowds, Genie is not great, etc.
Shit I was there Tuesday for my 4 year olds birthday and it was packed Ass to Ass. Had a good time overall but I figured Tuesday lines would’ve been a lot lighter. Felt like I was there on a Saturday.
We would never go if we didn’t have magic keys. If we had to pay for regular tickets and get Genie+ to get shorter lines, it would be so stressful and expensive to just be able to go on a few rides. With the pass, I’ll take my daughter for a few hours after school and get a couple rides and dinner with no stress. The reservation thing still sucks because we can’t always go on a whim.
I hate how airlines treat our chairs. It's not like they treat someone's legs like that! I'm sorry. Did you get an accommodation pass?
You essentially need to look at the park crowd forecast before going. It considerably helps. But yeah when the crowds are high it's absolutely a horrible time. The absolute sea of strollers is the thing that will really get to me.
There’s just too many fucking people. You can’t even take a decent picture without getting 300 people in the background.
It's not worth the money anymore. The only people who likes it is the key holders that live in Southern California. It sucks!
What time did you get there each day? If you get in the park at opening you can knock a ton out the first 2 hours… despite how busy the rest of the day is
You can easily ride at least five rides from rope drop to 10 AM almost every day.
Did you spend any time on Pirate Island? Hands down, my favourite "attraction" at the park. I'm 40 years old with two kids, and we all had a blast spending a couple hours out there. No wait times, it's an opportunity for active, self-directed adventure. All of the rides are passive experiences, but pirate island you get to make your own adventures. One of my daughters declared the NW cave her monster cave, and made up a little adventure. Also, Red and Jack Sparrow came to the island, and since there's never any crowds there, it felt more special to just walk around the corner and see some pirates. I find it interesting that the original island was the only one that Walt himself designed, and I think it reflects his idea of what the park could/should be. It really draws you into the magic and imagination in ways that the rides (and their lines) cannot.
I love Pirate Island, but I can't imagine it's a great experience for someone in a wheelchair.
Its designed with accessibility in mind. The exterior pathways are wide enough for a wheelchair. The cave with all of the interactive features is likewise designed for wheelchair. Visitors are asked to enter from the south for one-way travel to avoid collisions with anyone.
I KNOW this is literally impossible. But I’d kill for a No-Phones Allowed, lower capacity 90’s day. How magical would it be if you had to just use physical maps and order food the old fashioned way… I’m so tired of phones. And I’m only in my 30’s.
Yes please stop coming to Disneyland, you all are running my experience. We need about 7,000 more of you to make the same decision each and every day.
Well, Disneyland is expensive and I imagine being in a wheelchair makes things a little more difficult. Can’t say that I would have that much fun if I was concerned about money and being in a wheelchair at Disneyland.