Leap Day at Disneyland

[Kevy Baby]

Originally Posted by Ghoulish Delight

BAH! Missed you by mere minutes.

Steve, I'm sure you would have been unimpressed with what little Disney "DID" to make it special. Some food, a few extra characters and music, and not much else. But when we were there, it didn't matter one bit. They "DID" just enough by providing a unique setting and an excuse. The people did the rest. Giddy party atmosphere ensued in droves. Even the completely unconscious chick being dragged around by paramedics had a huge smile on her face.

Whether it should be done again, or should have been done differently, or what frequency...I don't really care. If anything, all this proved is that you can't DO anything to create it. It's not about frequency, it's not about any special events or offerings or entertainment. It's about stumbling on the lucky combination of factors that make people feel like they're experiencing Disneyland in a unique and other-worldly state. So yeah, it's not surprising that the 3rd time around fell flat way back then. The first time is true uniqueness. The 2nd time loses the pure uniqueness of the first time, but that's replaced by the feeling of nostalgia for that first time, the giddiness of recalling your previous giddiness. By the third time, even that is not novel and it's just repetitive. So there's got to be something else to generate that out-of-the-ordinary mindset.

Wait. Where was I going with this? What time is it? Cranberries? A monkey poured coffee in my moots!

You nailed it with this post Greg. The event wasn't about what Disney did to make it special, it was about the people; the people I spent day/night/morning with as well as the others at the park.

Disney fell short on a couple of details, short-staffing being the key issue. One of the things that bugged me the most was the trash around the park, in the queues, etc. (but this is as much guests' responsibility as Disney's). I CAN'T fault Disney for the number of people who showed up though!

Overall, it was great!