Not loving Disneyland these days

[bisous]

I know they're going crazy with the whole "60th Anniversary" thing going on right now, but the last few times we've gone Main Street Disneyland is just horribly, horribly congested from about 6:30 to almost 10 pm. At one point it was so bad that I honest felt something of a panic in the air--like a feeling that people would stampede or something. It was scary and I was with my little kids. After our trip last week, I feel like for the first time I'm over Disneyland and want to take a break! What is particularly frustrated is that with all the parades and fireworks, all the rides I want to go on are constantly closed. In short succession yesterday eve we wanted to go on: the train, the monorail, Sleeping Beauty's castle, and storybook land. ALL of them were closed. It was annoying.

Anyone else feel this way?

[twowhat?]

We've gone every year for 3 years now during various months (Feb, May, and Aug). Feb was definitely the most enjoyable with the cool weather but lots of things closed for refurbishment. We just got back from an early August trip and everything was open. I feel like it can be kind of hit or miss. I don't want to deal with the extensive planning required for WDW and the hot/humid weather in the summer so we would rather go to CA, but try not to have high expectations, and we always have a great time.

It was crowded, yes! This year we used the new Disneyland app which I HIGHLY recommend!!! It totally helped us plan where we wanted to be in the park based on ride wait times, it was super super nice.

We did parkhoppers. The thing that helps out the most is being sure to take advantage of magic morning for Disneyland because it's the more crowded park (by far). Get in early, get in as many rides as you can in that hour because then the floodgates open. Even during magic morning, in the summer it's insane. We skipped Peter Pan this year because just 10 minutes into magic morning the wait time shot up to 45 minutes. I can't stand Tomorrowland, it feels SO cramped with the crowds. After getting in as much as we can, we leave by 10:30am to go to California Adventure to get a break from the crowds and get a FP for Radiator Springs (virtually no FP line by then if you don't mind a nighttime return). Then after lunch we get a FP for Soarin'. Then in the evening/parade time we might head back to DL and ride Autopia (one of our kids' favorites, LOL) and attempt to get a couple of other rides in while people are watching the parade. But I agree, it is SO crowded there! This was our first year without a stroller and OMG what a difference it made!!! This is also the first year we were able to stay out late and without an afternoon break at the hotel pool. In past years our kids simply got too tired.

On days that we start at CA, we do Toy Story Mania first, circle back to Carsland and ride Mater, then go get FPs for Radiator Springs once the FP line dies down, then go enjoy the rest of the park and eat lunch, then get a FP for Soarin, etc. Kids love Bugland for all those mild rides. It's just easier in CA. Less crowded. The Aladdin show was really good (even DH liked it) and a nice break from the heat in the middle of the afternoon.

[Tenasparkl]

It should be better once everyone is back in school and all of the summer crowds slow down. We went a few weeks ago and I forgot how hard it can be with the combo of crowds and heat. The 60th does seem to be drawing more people than usual and the late parade plus new fireworks seem to be keeping bigger crowds in the park during hours when it typically empties out.

[rkold]

We went the first week in August and I admit, I'll go back to DCA but I doubt I will be going back to Disneyland proper any time soon. Disneyland always feels insanely and unpleasantly crowded to me compared to WDW. I found Disneyland too crowded when I went the first week of December in 2013 (when kids were supposed to be back in school.) Even with early entry, it just felt too crowded. Now that DD is 40 inches, we had a grand time at DCA. We: Met Olaf, Met Anna+Elsa, ate at Ariel's, rode Radiator Racers, rode Mater's ride, rode Soarin', rode the Golden Zephyr, rode most of the rides in Bug's Land, rode the swing ride, rode the Jumpin' Jellyfish ride, Met Mickey and Met Minnie, all by around 2ish in the afternoon and then went back to see Fantasmic with our FP+ in the evening. Our day at DL, it feels like we accomplished next to nothing despite being at the park when it opened at 8 am. Every ride in Fantasyland had what looked like 30+ minute lines and none of them had FP. We went on Space Mountain, AstroOrbiter, the Motorway, Splash Mountain, and Casey Jr. We did meet a lot of characters, (Peter, Belle when she was near the park entrance, Winnie, Alice+Mad Hatter, the Wicked Queen, Thor and Cap) but I'm just not sure that is enough. Rapunzel/Merida meet outside in the hot sun with no shade and really long lines, so we skipped them. Rapunzel meets inside in WDW and has FP+ Eventually sunburned and exhausted we left. I went back in the evening alone, and had the hardest time just trying to move around the park because the parade was on. Unlike in FL, there were not mostly clear paths along Main Street. About the only time I've ever seen Main Street that crowded in FL was when they were filming the Christmas Parade and Main Street was pretty clogged the entire day. (However the lines elsewhere in the park were much shorter.) I did make it on Indy and did some shopping, but it felt like I spent a lot of time stuck and unable to move because of crowds.

In FL when lines get too long we do Sorcerer's of the Magic Kingdom, but I can't imagine them ever doing that game in CA because there is just no room!

[bisous]

You know, I should just avoid Disneyland between 6:30 and 10. I could go to DCA. As long as they arent shutting down my favorite rides for World of Color. :(

I am not a huge fan of the fireworks, parades, spectacles, etc. I can usually just not participate but lately DL and DCA have been all about shutting down rides to allow for the nighttime shows and it just bugs me!

[TxCat]

We just returned from our first family trip to Disneyland this weekend, and I was not impressed at all. To be fair, it has been 21 years since I was last there, but it was SO crowded! We were there Thursday-Saturday, and it was crowded every day. The temps were also in the 100s which didn't help matters. And, there was no Magic Morning for DL while we were there, just DCA. DCA was definitely more enjoyable and less crowded-feeling, but there were some things that we really wanted to do in DL, so we couldn't avoid the waits and the crowds. And, customer service at DL and the Grand Californian where we stayed was not very good for the most part. I'm not sure we would go back - if the girls really want another Disney experience in the future, I'm thinking WDW might be the better option.