Park was so crowded tonight!!!

Motorboat Cruiser · 08-09-2005, 12:10 AM

Man, just got back from the park and I could not believe the crowds. I kid you not, it seemed more crowded tonight, a Monday no less, than it did on the 50th.

In the 7 hours we were there, we were able to get on 3 rides; JC, HM and IASW. All had waits of almost 45 minutes. We decided to catch Fantasmic, as it had been a long time since we saw it. They made an announcement about 10 minutes before the show to let people know that the viewing area was full. I had never heard that before. It was so packed around the Rivers of America though. When the show ended, we tried to get out of the area to make it over to IASW for the fireworks. We gave up after not moving for a few minutes and ended up watching the fireworks from NOS at the rivers edge.

It actually wasn't too bad from there, other than not being able to see the castle from there. There was still a good view of the fireworks and you could see Tinkerbell from there. They did a few things like have lasers from TS Island mimic what they do from the castle during the Tomorrowland segment. They also released a bunch of fog and colored it with green lights during the HM segment. It wasn't as bad as I expected but then again, that is only because I have seen the show from the hub so many times. That is obviously where I prefer to see it.

Tonight, that just wasn't possible though. At 10:30, the wait for Space Mtn. was 2 hours. Fastpasses were long gone by the time we got there today so that wasn't an option. It also took us a complete walk around the park at 4pm before we could find a vendor that had any bottled water left. Most vendors only had one drink available and that was most likely Sprite.

Anyway, crazy day at the park. Just thought I'd share.

wendybeth · 08-09-2005, 12:16 AM

Hey, just like the last time I was there!

The first night (16th) we were stuck in NOS and saw some of the 'works from there. Nothing like seeing it from our swanky vantage point on the 17th, but still impressive. I wonder why it was so busy?

scaeagles · 08-09-2005, 06:08 AM

Well, what do you expect for 4.97 per visit? If all you AP holders would just stay away, the park would be less crowded for all of us paying customers.

Motorboat Cruiser · 08-09-2005, 06:20 AM

Oh, you're just upset because your sphincter is on the fritz.

TigerLily · 08-09-2005, 06:27 AM

My theroy is any day the so cal & so cal selects are not blocked will be busy. Last year i ahd the deluxe pass, but was able to go most saturdays. We went on the bats day weekend. Saturday was blocked for so cal and select passes (actaully all of august and most of july was.), but it was a great day in the park. We had several rides vechicles all to ourselves. It was kind of wierd being the only two people on pirates and nobody on the boats around us either. Anyway, sunday comes and the parks are sooo crowded. the first day so cal & selects can use their passes. Yes, I am aware it was also bats day, but not everyone lining up with their passes in hand were goth. I could not believe the difference in days. So, now I try to go when those passes are blocked...

(I'm not in the get rid of them crowd.)

Ghoulish Delight · 08-09-2005, 08:22 AM

I don't think it's the SoCal select people.

We went to the park the Monday immediately following the 50th, and it was jammed. And you could tell that it wasn't an AP crowd. The 50th was hella crowded, but it never felt jammed, and I attribute that to the fact that it was for the most part APers, people who know the park backwards and forwards. So what you don't have is countless people wandering aimlessly, stopping in walkways to figure out where they are going, going against traffic in known bottle-neck areas, or rushing around with any sort of urgency. There was a general orderly traffic flow. On the Monday, complete chaos. There was no traffic flow to the crowd, just a mass of people with no idea where they were going, and doing so quickly and impatiently. Not that there's anything wrong with people who don't memorize the park or move quickly to maximize their time, it just changes the nature of a crowd and makes it feel more crowded.

I've heard several times that Mondays and Tuesdays have replaced the weekends, at least in summer, as the busiest days. I don't think it's an AP factor, we go on weekends. I think it's a phenomenon caused by "common knowledge". The "common knowledge" is that the weekends are the busiest. It's been true for decades. So people have gotten clever and instead of going on weekends, wait until they can take a Monday, or Monday and Tuesday off, and "beat the crowds". Well, now enough people have figured out that trick so that Monday and Tuesday have become the most crowded days. Just a theory, but it makes sense to me.

Not Afraid · 08-09-2005, 10:10 AM

It's SUMMER! We'll have "our" park back soon enough. Let the loser cretins have it for now.

innerSpaceman · 08-09-2005, 11:38 AM

Exactly what GD said. Monday has become the new Saturday. Fine for me and the rest of us locals with nine-to-fivers.

When I was last at the Park this past Sunday, it was still pretty crowded. But the gang I was with was able to handle it most beautifully. We found a nice, dark, quiet table at the French Market and dined there (well, they did - I'm still boycotting) till Fantasmic started. And then we began our crowd-avoidance tour of Disneyland. Mmmm. Through New Orleans Square while it was abandoned for the show at river's edge. Up stealthily through Big Thunder Trail. There was a bit of a crowd at Dumbo for fireworks, but it was still magical as the awesome place you can walk right up to with mere minutes to spare before Remember begins.

Then we wandered around the Matterhorn a few times. It was 101 and we were hoping it would come back up ... alas no luck there - but we were really not interested in rides, simply into the beauty of Disneyland. We kept returning to different areas of Triton's Gardens. Not a soul to be found. Then Snow White Wishing Well all to ourselves. Oh, and that gold Peter Pan Pirate Ship in the Castle Courtyard is a wonderful place to sit and hang out.

After the final Fantasmic, we were able to have the actual quiet part of the Park back to the actual quiet appropriate for the west side. Mmmmm, the crowds all gone, the beauty of the backwoods to ourselves. Haunted Mansion for my friend Jim who had not yet seen floating Leota. Then Splash Mountain, where the CM let us walk through the fast pass line, moving ahead of about 50 people in the standby queue, non stop from start to log. We were repaid for this cheek by getting soaking, wringing wet. Wall of water worthy of the Poseidon Adventure. Then leisurely back through the closed Park from the farthest end to the tip of Town Square.

Anyway, as most of us know - - if Disneyland's crowded, you just have to know how to work the place. The Park is so pretty at night. Rides are a plus, but the place itself is what it's all about to me.

Motorboat Cruiser · 08-09-2005, 04:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by innerSpaceman

Anyway, as most of us know - - if Disneyland's crowded, you just have to know how to work the place. The Park is so pretty at night. Rides are a plus, but the place itself is what it's all about to me.

I'm with you there. I went about a week ago, by myself on a Thursday. Didn't ride anything, just wandered around and took in the place. It was crowded but it didn't detract from anything I was doing. Stayed until they kicked me out.

€uroMeinke · 08-09-2005, 06:31 PM

Aren't the So Cal & So Cal Select people blacked out for the entire Summer?

08-09-2005, 12:10 AM	#1
Motorboat Cruiser Cruiser of Motorboats Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: So Cal Posts: 3,665	Park was so crowded tonight!!! Man, just got back from the park and I could not believe the crowds. I kid you not, it seemed more crowded tonight, a Monday no less, than it did on the 50th. In the 7 hours we were there, we were able to get on 3 rides; JC, HM and IASW. All had waits of almost 45 minutes. We decided to catch Fantasmic, as it had been a long time since we saw it. They made an announcement about 10 minutes before the show to let people know that the viewing area was full. I had never heard that before. It was so packed around the Rivers of America though. When the show ended, we tried to get out of the area to make it over to IASW for the fireworks. We gave up after not moving for a few minutes and ended up watching the fireworks from NOS at the rivers edge. It actually wasn't too bad from there, other than not being able to see the castle from there. There was still a good view of the fireworks and you could see Tinkerbell from there. They did a few things like have lasers from TS Island mimic what they do from the castle during the Tomorrowland segment. They also released a bunch of fog and colored it with green lights during the HM segment. It wasn't as bad as I expected but then again, that is only because I have seen the show from the hub so many times. That is obviously where I prefer to see it. Tonight, that just wasn't possible though. At 10:30, the wait for Space Mtn. was 2 hours. Fastpasses were long gone by the time we got there today so that wasn't an option. It also took us a complete walk around the park at 4pm before we could find a vendor that had any bottled water left. Most vendors only had one drink available and that was most likely Sprite. Anyway, crazy day at the park. Just thought I'd share.
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08-09-2005, 12:16 AM	#2
wendybeth Nevermind Join Date: Jan 2005 Posts: 7,847	Hey, just like the last time I was there! The first night (16th) we were stuck in NOS and saw some of the 'works from there. Nothing like seeing it from our swanky vantage point on the 17th, but still impressive. I wonder why it was so busy? __________________
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08-09-2005, 06:08 AM	#3
scaeagles I LIKE! Join Date: Jan 2005 Posts: 7,819	Well, what do you expect for 4.97 per visit? If all you AP holders would just stay away, the park would be less crowded for all of us paying customers.
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08-09-2005, 06:20 AM	#4
Motorboat Cruiser Cruiser of Motorboats Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: So Cal Posts: 3,665	Oh, you're just upset because your sphincter is on the fritz.
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08-09-2005, 06:27 AM	#5
TigerLily Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: Lancaster, CA Posts: 101	My theroy is any day the so cal & so cal selects are not blocked will be busy. Last year i ahd the deluxe pass, but was able to go most saturdays. We went on the bats day weekend. Saturday was blocked for so cal and select passes (actaully all of august and most of july was.), but it was a great day in the park. We had several rides vechicles all to ourselves. It was kind of wierd being the only two people on pirates and nobody on the boats around us either. Anyway, sunday comes and the parks are sooo crowded. the first day so cal & selects can use their passes. Yes, I am aware it was also bats day, but not everyone lining up with their passes in hand were goth. I could not believe the difference in days. So, now I try to go when those passes are blocked... (I'm not in the get rid of them crowd.)
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08-09-2005, 08:22 AM	#6
Ghoulish Delight I Floop the Pig Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Alternative Swankstyle Posts: 19,348	I don't think it's the SoCal select people. We went to the park the Monday immediately following the 50th, and it was jammed. And you could tell that it wasn't an AP crowd. The 50th was hella crowded, but it never felt jammed, and I attribute that to the fact that it was for the most part APers, people who know the park backwards and forwards. So what you don't have is countless people wandering aimlessly, stopping in walkways to figure out where they are going, going against traffic in known bottle-neck areas, or rushing around with any sort of urgency. There was a general orderly traffic flow. On the Monday, complete chaos. There was no traffic flow to the crowd, just a mass of people with no idea where they were going, and doing so quickly and impatiently. Not that there's anything wrong with people who don't memorize the park or move quickly to maximize their time, it just changes the nature of a crowd and makes it feel more crowded. I've heard several times that Mondays and Tuesdays have replaced the weekends, at least in summer, as the busiest days. I don't think it's an AP factor, we go on weekends. I think it's a phenomenon caused by "common knowledge". The "common knowledge" is that the weekends are the busiest. It's been true for decades. So people have gotten clever and instead of going on weekends, wait until they can take a Monday, or Monday and Tuesday off, and "beat the crowds". Well, now enough people have figured out that trick so that Monday and Tuesday have become the most crowded days. Just a theory, but it makes sense to me. __________________ 'He who receives an idea from me, receives instruction himself without lessening mine; as he who lights his taper at mine, receives light without darkening me.' -TJ
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08-09-2005, 10:10 AM	#7
Not Afraid HI! Join Date: Jan 2005 Posts: 17,108	It's SUMMER! We'll have "our" park back soon enough. Let the loser cretins have it for now.
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08-09-2005, 11:38 AM	#8
innerSpaceman Kink of Swank Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Inner Space Posts: 13,075	Exactly what GD said. Monday has become the new Saturday. Fine for me and the rest of us locals with nine-to-fivers. When I was last at the Park this past Sunday, it was still pretty crowded. But the gang I was with was able to handle it most beautifully. We found a nice, dark, quiet table at the French Market and dined there (well, they did - I'm still boycotting) till Fantasmic started. And then we began our crowd-avoidance tour of Disneyland. Mmmm. Through New Orleans Square while it was abandoned for the show at river's edge. Up stealthily through Big Thunder Trail. There was a bit of a crowd at Dumbo for fireworks, but it was still magical as the awesome place you can walk right up to with mere minutes to spare before Remember begins. Then we wandered around the Matterhorn a few times. It was 101 and we were hoping it would come back up ... alas no luck there - but we were really not interested in rides, simply into the beauty of Disneyland. We kept returning to different areas of Triton's Gardens. Not a soul to be found. Then Snow White Wishing Well all to ourselves. Oh, and that gold Peter Pan Pirate Ship in the Castle Courtyard is a wonderful place to sit and hang out. After the final Fantasmic, we were able to have the actual quiet part of the Park back to the actual quiet appropriate for the west side. Mmmmm, the crowds all gone, the beauty of the backwoods to ourselves. Haunted Mansion for my friend Jim who had not yet seen floating Leota. Then Splash Mountain, where the CM let us walk through the fast pass line, moving ahead of about 50 people in the standby queue, non stop from start to log. We were repaid for this cheek by getting soaking, wringing wet. Wall of water worthy of the Poseidon Adventure. Then leisurely back through the closed Park from the farthest end to the tip of Town Square. Anyway, as most of us know - - if Disneyland's crowded, you just have to know how to work the place. The Park is so pretty at night. Rides are a plus, but the place itself is what it's all about to me.
	Submit to Quotes

08-09-2005, 06:31 PM	#10
€uroMeinke L'Hédoniste Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: A.S.C.O.T. Posts: 8,671	Aren't the So Cal & So Cal Select people blacked out for the entire Summer? __________________ I would believe only in a God that knows how to Dance. Friedrich Nietzsche
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