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!

[Kevy Baby]

One last detail: the number of people just standing around both in and around the hub after 6:00 a.m. this morning was amazing. I guess they just didn't want it to end

[BarTopDancer]

Originally Posted by Ghoulish Delight

I was IMing a friend who works at Google in Irvine when he received the email with the menu for today in their cafeteria. "Bacon wrapped meatloaf" he tells me.

"I want to go to there" I tells him.

2 hours later, I go to there.

He didn't even mention...it's FREE bacon wrapped meatloaf. I hate him a little right now.

And the open bar!

Originally Posted by innerSpaceman

They did very little for the very first one, for the 25th birthday. But that's when I noticed a comradery and party atmosphere that I'd never experienced at Disneyland before, and very rarely since. As GD said, there was something about being at Disneyland in an other-worldly and unique state - and everyone was like best friends forever with everyone else. It was so bizarre and amazing.
SNIP

Anyway, I'm sad I missed this one. But knowing friends were having a ball really put a smile on my face last night, even if I couldn't be there myself.

Maybe never doing this before was the key. I don't think any of us have ever done an overnight in Disneyland before. It was a unique experience for us and frankly you just seem like a little black cloud raining on our headons about how much something you didn't even do probably sucked based upon the things you were reading on the internet. I'm glad that you say you are glad we were having fun. It was an absolute blast and I wouldn't trade those memories for anything.

Originally Posted by Kevy Baby

I CAN'T fault Disney for the number of people who showed up though!

The one thing Disney usually does right is crowd control. They have plenty of experience with insane crowds and parks at capacity. I can fault them for the short staffing of the busses to the unreasonable walking-distance Toy Story lot and crowd control outside the parks.

Luckily everyone we came across was just as shocked about how packed it was and in the same ecstatic just to be there mood that seemed to negate the entrance experience.