What to expect for DL's 60th anniversary in 2015 (Starting May 22)

Tram and exit to the 5 freeway was a breeze. Shortest trip from Disneyland ever. I only got about an hour sleep before my son woke up, and of course I'm sick! Not getting enough sleep has not helped my immune system at all. Can't wait till naptime!

I don't know if I got really lucky, or made good plans according to what I read here and on Twitter, but I have zero complaints about yesterday. The real heroes are the CMs who were unwaveringly patient and cheerful no matter where I encountered them. From me to you, thank you from the bottom of my heart for making my day (and night).

For the record, I watched all 4 shows, waited a combined total of 9.5 hrs on bench or ground, rode 1 ride (BTMRR with FP at 11:40 pm), waited no more than 20 minutes total in lines (from parking, to bathrooms, to Carnation Cafe reservation, to FP line.) 1 extremely happy camper.
 
Over the last week there has been an onslaught of media surrounding the 24-hour event and the 60th anniversary/Diamond Celebration in general, all across the Internet and TV. I've had a hard time keeping up with it, as there has been so much to read, watch and listen to.

I think most people have been keeping up with and seeking out info on their own, but for those who have mainly just been tuning into this thread for alerts about the latest blogs and what not, here is some of what has recently come in and/or what you may have missed from the Disney Parks Blog (I think it's good to have one thread with links to all or most of the 60th-related articles/blogs, rather than having things scattered about to and fro):


From the Disney Parks Blog

"24-Hour Events Kick Off Summer at Disney Parks" -- Disney Parks Blog; posted on May 23rd, 2015 by Thomas Smith, Social Media Director, Disney Parks


"‘We’re Just Getting Started …’ Here at the Disneyland Resort Diamond Celebration" -- Disney Parks Blog; posted on May 23rd, 2015 by Tyler Slater, Public Relations Manager, Disney Destinations


"TLT Dance CLUB Dazzles Into the Early Morning at Disneyland Park" -- Disney Parks Blog; posted on May 23rd, 2015 by Tyler Slater, Public Relations Manager, Disney Destinations


"Disneyland Rocks and Swings Into the Night" -- Disney Parks Blog; posted on May 23rd, 2015 by Erin Glover, Social Media Director, Disneyland Resort


"Late-Night Snacking at the Disneyland Resort" -- Disney Parks Blog; posted on May 23rd, 2015 by Rachel Brent, Food & Beverage Marketing Communications Coordinator


"It’s T Time at Disney California Adventure Park" -- Disney Parks Blog; posted on May 23rd, 2015 by Shawn Slater, Communications Manager, Walt Disney Parks and Resorts Creative Entertainment


"New Artist Sketch Debuts for the Disneyland Resort Diamond Celebration" -- Disney Parks Blog; posted on May 23rd, 2015 by Michelle Harker, Manager, Merchandise Marketing & Communications, Disneyland Resort


"Disneyland Park is About to Shine its Brightest with the Debut of ‘Paint the Night’ and ‘Disneyland Forever’" -- Disney Parks Blog; posted on May 22nd, 2015 by Shawn Slater, Communications Manager, Walt Disney Parks and Resorts Creative Entertainment


"Dinnertime at the French Market Restaurant in Disneyland Park" -- Disney Parks Blog; posted on May 22nd, 2015 by Rachel Brent, Food & Beverage Marketing Communications Coordinator


"Find Your Favorite Disneyland Resort Diamond Celebration Souvenir During our 24-Hour Event" -- Disney Parks Blog; posted on May 22nd, 2015 by Michelle Harker, Manager, Merchandise Marketing & Communications, Disneyland Resort


"There’s ‘Reel’ Fun to be Had Tonight at Disneyland Park" -- Disney Parks Blog; posted on May 22nd, 2015 by Shawn Slater, Communications Manager, Walt Disney Parks and Resorts Creative Entertainment


"Guests Sparkle for Disneyland Resort Diamond Celebration 24-Hour Event" -- Disney Parks Blog; posted on May 22nd, 2015 by Erin Glover, Social Media Director, Disneyland Resort


"Lunching Across the Disneyland Resort" -- Disney Parks Blog; posted on May 22nd, 2015 by Rachel Brent, Food & Beverage Marketing Communications Coordinator


"Disneyland Resort Diamond Celebration Brings ‘Sweet’ Surprises" -- Disney Parks Blog; posted on May 22nd, 2015 by Michelle Harker, Manager, Merchandise Marketing & Communications, Disneyland Resort


"‘Paint the Night’ Parade and ‘Disneyland Forever’ Fireworks Premiere at Disneyland Park" -- Disney Parks Blog; posted on May 22nd, 2015 by Erin Glover, Social Media Director, Disneyland Resort


"Fueling Up for 24 Hours at the Disneyland Resort" -- Disney Parks Blog; posted on May 22nd, 2015 by Rachel Brent, Food & Beverage Marketing Communications Coordinator


"The Disney Gallery Unveils New Exhibit for the Disneyland Resort Diamond Celebration" -- Disney Parks Blog; posted on May 22nd, 2015 by Michelle Harker, Manager, Merchandise Marketing & Communications, Disneyland Resort


"VIDEO: Disneyland Resort Diamond Celebration Begins" -- Disney Parks Blog; posted on May 22nd, 2015 by Erin Glover, Social Media Director, Disneyland Resort


"New Pressed Coins Debut for the Disneyland Resort Diamond Celebration" -- Disney Parks Blog; posted on May 22nd, 2015 by Michelle Harker, Manager, Merchandise Marketing & Communications, Disneyland Resort


"Disneyland Resort Diamond Celebration Has Officially Begun" -- Disney Parks Blog; posted on May 22nd, 2015 by Erin Glover, Social Media Director, Disneyland Resort


"Watch the Disneyland Resort Diamond Celebration 24-Hour Event LIVE on Disney Parks Blog" -- Disney Parks Blog; posted on May 22nd, 2015 by Erin Glover, Social Media Director, Disneyland Resort


"Sleeping Beauty Castle Ready to Dazzle for Disneyland Resort Diamond Celebration" -- Disney Parks Blog; posted on May 21st, 2015 by Erin Glover, Social Media Director, Disneyland Resort


"Disneyland Resort Diamond Celebration Begins Tomorrow, Celebrating 60 Years of the Happiest Place on Earth" -- Disney Parks Blog; posted on May 21st, 2015 by Erin Glover, Social Media Director, Disneyland Resort


"Creating Custom Animation for the All-New ‘World of Color – Celebrate!’ at Disney California Adventure Park" -- Disney Parks Blog; posted on May 21st, 2015 by Shawn Slater, Communications Manager, Walt Disney Parks and Resorts Creative Entertainment


"‘World of Color – Celebrate!’ Premieres at Disney California Adventure Park, Opens for Guests May 22" -- Disney Parks Blog; posted on May 21st, 2015 by Erin Glover, Social Media Director, Disneyland Resort


"Downtown Disney District Extended Hours for Disneyland Resort Diamond Celebration 24-Hour Event, May 22-23" -- Disney Parks Blog; posted on May 20th, 2015 by Erin Glover, Social Media Director, Disneyland Resort


"Perfecting Projections for the Immersive New ‘Disneyland Forever’ Fireworks Spectacular" -- Disney Parks Blog; posted on May 20th, 2015 by Shawn Slater, Communications Manager, Walt Disney Parks and Resorts Creative Entertainment


"Sixty Years of Innovation: ‘Fantasmic!’ at Disneyland Park" -- Disney Parks Blog; posted on May 20th, 2015 by Erin Glover, Social Media Director, Disneyland Resort


"Prepare to be Dazzled for 24 Hours this Friday at Disneyland Resort" -- Disney Parks Blog; posted on May 20th, 2015 by Shawn Slater, Communications Manager, Walt Disney Parks and Resorts Creative Entertainment


"Disneyland Diamond Days Begins May 22 – First Weekly Prize is 2-Carat Blue Disney Diamond and Vacation Package" -- Disney Parks Blog; posted on May 20th, 2015 by Erin Glover, Social Media Director, Disneyland Resort

"Honoring Disney’s Electrical Parade Heritage in the All-New ‘Paint the Night’ Parade at Disneyland Park" -- Disney Parks Blog; posted on May 19th, 2015 by Shawn Slater, Communications Manager, Walt Disney Parks and Resorts Creative Entertainment


"Richard M. Sherman’s Tribute to Walt Disney in ‘Disneyland Forever’ Fireworks at Disneyland Park" -- Disney Parks Blog; posted on May 19th, 2015 by Valarie Sukovaty, Disneyland Public Relations





Of course, there has been a lot that has come in from The DIS and DIS Unplugged as well, which I am going to round up and post here. The Disney Food Blog should undoubtedly have a piece or two as well, which I will hunt down.

Now that the actual 24-hour event is over, the Diamond Celebration and all that comes with it is sticking with us for the rest of the year and probably beyond, and it should be interesting to track crowds as the Celebration carries on, keep up with any new food items, pieces of merchandise, etc.





pixiedust:pixiedust:pixiedust:
 
As expected, the 24-hour event is getting a lot of mixed reviews in cyberspace. On Micechat I noticed that there are some firm opinions that it was a very poorly handled and terribly mismanaged event, and then there are those who say that it was to be expected and not that bad. People are disagreeing about whether or not the Main Street sidewalks were packed with people. People are disagreeing about how crowded it looked on the live webcams/feeds. Some people are saying that at certain points the crowds in the Esplanade were getting hostile and yelling at CMs or threatening violence, and it was feared that to let those angry people in the park, even if there had been room for them, would have been a disaster (probably true).

In one article I read -- from Theme Park Insider, I think it was, but I can't recall -- the writer was saying that Disneyland basically crammed too many things into one event: a 24-hour deal, the kickoff of the 60th, and the debut of 3 new shows (he forgot to mention that it is also Memorial Day weekend, which, in my mind, played a huge role as well), and that they should have spread out the activities a bit, over time.

I know that a lot of guests ended up having a lot of fun and are very glad they went, but I know myself -- and looking at the photos of the crowds, I know I would not have enjoyed it. Having been there on a super-crowded New Year's Eve many years ago, I know that I am not a fan of elbow-to-elbow crowds. So, for myself, I did the right thing by waiting to see the new shows another time.

But it is fascinating to read and hear the recaps from both guests and media like. Some of our local news channels sent people out to the parks, and the reporters were basically having a grand old time, riding all the rides and posting on Facebook and Twitter all day long.
 
Another popcorn bucket update...DCA also has all three Mickey balloon popcorn buckets.
  • Blue - Buena Vista Street
  • Red - Soarin'
  • Purple - Paradise Pier
The new buckets are really cute and seem really popular. They do say Disneyland 60th on the back! In general, the popcorn lines seem shorter in DCA.

I also spotted someone with the Boba Fett mug today (guessing it's somewhere in tomorowland). Will be investigating soon.

60th anniversary merchandise has spread out to most major stores in both parks. There is a lot of stuff! Pins are popular (as expected), but there around 9 open edition designs, so thise should be re-stocked. Little Green Command Store remains the only one with the Limited Edition pins.
 
Last edited:


As expected, the 24-hour event is getting a lot of mixed reviews in cyberspace. On Micechat I noticed that there are some firm opinions that it was a very poorly handled and terribly mismanaged event, and then there are those who say that it was to be expected and not that bad. People are disagreeing about whether or not the Main Street sidewalks were packed with people. People are disagreeing about how crowded it looked on the live webcams/feeds. Some people are saying that at certain points the crowds in the Esplanade were getting hostile and yelling at CMs or threatening violence.

I think the reviews are going to change a lot based on what time the person arrived and what their goals were when in the park. We walked up to the security check at 6:15 am on Friday morning, walked right through, had no wait at the gate, and spent the next three hours walking on to ride after ride.

I think the reviews are going to change a lot based on what time the person arrived and what their goals were when in the park. We walked up to the security check at 6:15 am on Friday morning, walked right through, had no wait at the gate, and spent the next three hours walking on to ride after ride.

How annoying -- id written a much longer post but it hardly posted any of it! The gist of it was that it felt like most of the crowd was there just to fill up main street and wait all day and evening for the first paint the night. The rest of us had short waits for rides and experienced quite a lot!
 
Last edited by a moderator:
I have to agree with kangamamma, we arrived at around 5:15 am and breezed right in to DL. Now inside the crowd was pretty big as they hadn't had the opening yet. We just went up by the Emporium. I waited for it to open while my son and DH went to try to get a locker. (No luck, the lockers were sold out at 4:30 am inside the park) I grabbed some 24-hour shirts while my husband got in line at Starbucks. The park opened while I was in the store and I found a short line, payed for my purchase and headed to Starbucks. By that time my husband was almost to the counter. When we got our drinks, we just found a table inside and drank our drinks and people watched.

We actually rode tons of rides that day. Most people and CMs were great.

The frustrating things for us:

1 hour wait in line for food at Tomorrowland Terrace for breakfast, but the people in line were great.
How early people started claiming spots for the parade and fireworks (but we ended up with a great spot for the parade!)

When it felt crowded for us:

Of course, when we first entered the park.
After the parade, when we were trying to go towards Main St. (that was crazy and a little scary for people with small kids)
Watching the fireworks on Main St.

I think going in with the right frame of mind helped. We knew it was going to be crazy crowded and went in thinking we were probably only going to ride 3 or so rides the entire day. We just figured we would shop and do a lot of people watching. We told ourselves and our son to just go with the flow and not to get upset by things. We ended up being there 20 hours and doing something like 18 rides. We probably could have done more, but we took time to shop and rest. We stayed in DL park as we didn't want to take the chance of not being able to get back in. We saw the parade and fireworks, but not F! or the WOC.

Talking about it yesterday at breakfast we all agreed that we had a really fun time!
 


I went to the 24 hour day from 9 am to 2 or 3 pm. I had a guided tour that took up most of that time, so I am probably biased, but during that time the park was fine. Everything was stuffy and maybe a little overcrowded, but nothing too bad.

I think the major failing was just the park closures. And I seriously don't understand what was going on most of Friday night. The @DisneylandToday twitter was saying that DCA was open to new guests. Yet, the bag check was stagnant. I watched the front of the bag check line from the Harbor side at about 10:45 PM and no one was moving. I asked security and they said "no one is allowed in either park or the esplanade at this time." Yet, the DisneylandToday twitter was actively saying that DCA was admitting guests!

I decided to walk with my wife to the AMC at DTD to see Tomorrowland. (GREAT MOVIE!!! HIGHLY RECOMMENDED FOR ANY DREAMERS!). After the movie, I looked at several wait time apps and the wait times in Disneyland were 5 minutes on even the big rides. This is at 2 AM! But the park was still said to be at capacity. This was right when they started letting guests go from DCA to Disneyland. At 3 PM, a senior management cast member who was helping us with a problem (package pick up from a 3rd party vendor in the park that was closed) told us that Disneyland was now open to guests. We went to the bag check line in DTD and there was still absolutely no movement, so we went home.

I don't think that there is much that TWDC could have done to prevent this from happening. But, there was a MAJOR lack of communication from top line management to entry level cast members and that lack of communication just intensified the negativity felt by guests at the park.

I'm not complaining! I got to do everything I wanted to do sans the night time entertainment. I really am sad that I didn't get to see any of that new stuff, but I knew the risks when I left the park at 3 PM.

Long rant, but I think that all sides need to be represented here.
 
How annoying -- id written a much longer post but it hardly posted any of it! The gist of it was that it felt like most of the crowd was there just to fill up main street and wait all day and evening for the first paint the night. The rest of us had short waits for rides and experienced quite a lot!
And stand in line to buy multiple popcorn buckets! There were really long lines for a few rides much of the day - Space Mountain, Matterhorn, Star Tours, but otherwise it seemed good. I rode much more than I expected and had no trouble finding a spot for parade/fireworks viewing away from Main Street.
 
Does anyone know if the Paint the Night parade has any VIP for a price$$ seating areas like the Xmas parade? Or Are there any dine and watch packages like world of color? Or any other ideas that would get you good seating with an unobstructed view of the parade without having to sit on the ground for hours.
 
Does anyone know if the Paint the Night parade has any VIP for a price$$ seating areas like the Xmas parade? Or Are there any dine and watch packages like world of color? Or any other ideas that would get you good seating with an unobstructed view of the parade without having to sit on the ground for hours.

I am also curious about this! We are doing ABD this Oct so I'm wondering if we will get reserved viewing spots! If not, then I'm hoping for some sort of package!
 
New for today:

"New Made With Magic Items Debut for Disneyland Resort Diamond Celebration" -- Disney Parks Blog; posted on May 25th, 2015 by Steven Miller, Merchandise Communications Manager

I love the paintbrush! :artist:

"Disney Infinity Community Builds Disneyland Toy Box in Honor of Disneyland Resort Diamond Celebration" -- Disney Parks Blog; posted on May 25th, 2015 by Erin Glover, Social Media Director, Disneyland Resort




pixiedust:pixiedust:pixiedust:

And, also.. I recommend reading Andy Castro's article, "Disneyland’s Diamond Celebration kicks off with a bumpy 24-hour party" - on MiceChat/MiceAge. Here: http://micechat.com/102868-disneyland-diamond-celebration-launch/

I don't like to link to "the competition," but this article is worth a look! :lmao:

It is a fascinating read, as he breaks down the 24-hour event and where it went wrong, due to misinformation and lack of communication. The photos of a near empty Disneyland in contrast with the startling shots of a jam-packed, claustrophobic Esplanade are quite remarkable.
 
Last edited:
And, also.. I recommend reading Andy Castro's article, "Disneyland’s Diamond Celebration kicks off with a bumpy 24-hour party" - on MiceChat/MiceAge. Here: http://micechat.com/102868-disneyland-diamond-celebration-launch/

I don't like to link to "the competition," but this article is worth a look! :lmao:

It is a fascinating read, as he breaks down the 24-hour event and where it went wrong, due to misinformation and lack of communication. The photos of a near empty Disneyland in contrast with the startling shots of a jam-packed, claustrophobic Esplanade are quite remarkable.

Wow -- this was a really good write up. While I wasn't experiencing any of the drama outside the gates, because I was inside the whole time, and I'd heard that the park was closed from early on, I had no idea it was such a mess outside.
 
And, also.. I recommend reading Andy Castro's article, "Disneyland’s Diamond Celebration kicks off with a bumpy 24-hour party" - on MiceChat/MiceAge. Here: http://micechat.com/102868-disneyland-diamond-celebration-launch/

I don't like to link to "the competition," but this article is worth a look! :lmao:

It is a fascinating read, as he breaks down the 24-hour event and where it went wrong, due to misinformation and lack of communication. The photos of a near empty Disneyland in contrast with the startling shots of a jam-packed, claustrophobic Esplanade are quite remarkable.

I was at the 24-hour celebration as it was also my birthday! I have to agree with the Dateline Disneyland account. We were there with small children, so we weren't at rope drop, nor were we planning on camping out all day. We were in Disneyland in the morning, though. My plan was to go back in after my wife and the kids were in bed at our hotel. I figured after the parade at 8:50 and fireworks at 9:30, enough people would be leaving to re-open the gates. My plan was to come in on the monorail to get in "behind" everyone exiting on Main Street. I think this would have been a great plan, except for the fact that the Monorail was not re-opening and the CMs there were relaying the information that Disneyland was going to be closed until 9 am Saturday, period!

I left the monorail to get into the line that stretched from bag check all the way to the Rainforest Cafe. There was a rumor that we didn't need to stand in that line as the multiple lines at bag check were in use and people were just walking up to those lines, including people coming off the trams. I didn't want to risk getting out of line since I was by myself, but it turned out to be true. I spent 45 minutes in line to get into the esplanade, when I could have just gone straight to bag check and been in within 10 minutes.

Once in the esplanade (around 11:15 pm), the Disneyland side was roped off and the CMs there were also saying that they had been told Disneyland would be closed until 9 am, end of story. A number of people were just waiting there, and after a few minutes, the CMs were brought together by some supervisors and updated. They then came back and said, still 9 am, but if Disneyland does happen to re-open, they will clear the esplanade and first allow guests in DCA to cross over. So, the best bet to get into Disneyland would be to enter DCA. I did this and waited near the front with a lot of other people. We all kept checking Twitter for updates, seeing the pictures and reports of empty walkways and walk-on rides in Disneyland. It finally dawned on me that with Main Street crowded for the 1 am parade (which I was really hoping to see), they probably would wait until after that and the crowd cleared before they opened Disneyland again.

As word started getting out on Twitter that Disneyland would re-open around 2, the front area of DCA got extremely crowded. I was in the middle of the gates, about 15 people back when it became official that we would be allowed into Disneyland. We were packed in there pretty good, and I did start to get worried that there could have been a very dangerous situation if people got impatient and started pushing. The crowds around me were a mix of some pretty big guys and families with small kids, so it could have been bad. Thankfully, the CMs were in control as much as possible in that situation, and most of the people were just happy to be making it into Disneyland and willing to be patient.

Once in Disneyland, the crowds were pretty light. In under 2 hours, I was able to ride Jungle Cruise, Indy single rider, Pirates, Snow White, Mr. Toad, and Buzz. I was glad I waited it out

As Andy said, the biggest problem was the lack of communication and accurate information. I don't know if there was some strategy to telling everyone that Disneyland would remain closed until 9 am, in order to get enough people to leave? I completely understand why Disneyland had to close their gates in the afternoon, it just seems like they should have been better prepared to re-open the gates in the evening. Why not use the Monorail to let guests who have hand stamps or hotel guests into the park as some guests start to leave? This would at least avoid adding to the congestion on Main Street. Or, what about the corridors behind the shops on Main Street? Weren't those made to allow people to move in and our of the parks when Main Street was crowded? How about sending a CM through that line stretching through Downtown Disney to let people know that this was not any official line?

There were CMs and security clearing people out of the area by the DCA gates, telling people that the tweets about Disneyland re-opening at 2 were false, and then a few minutes later, other CMs were telling people to form single-file lines in order to move over to Disneyland. It was just obvious that there was no real plan in place.

Ultimately, I'm glad that I went. It was still a great way to spend a birthday. If I knew that Disneyland wasn't going to re-open until 2, I probably would have stayed with my family, slept for a couple of hours, and headed down to DCA around 12-1 am.

I am thankful to all of the CMs on the ground who were working hard to keep everyone safe. All of the ones that I encountered were very nice and patient.

If anyone has any questions about the experience, I'd be happy to answer. Thanks!
 
Does anyone know if the Paint the Night parade has any VIP for a price$$ seating areas like the Xmas parade? Or Are there any dine and watch packages like world of color? Or any other ideas that would get you good seating with an unobstructed view of the parade without having to sit on the ground for hours.

There was definitely a VIP package on the 24 hour day as I was seated directly behind the VIP section. The CMs were saying to get more information on the package, you should call the park directly and ask about VIP options. I think it was for people who took the VIP tour, belonged to Club 33, or were somehow connected to the Disney company. Not sure if they'll always have that option, but they definitely did that night and tons of people were asking how to get one of the seats.
 
It's funny to read such mixed reviews. We were there, didn't wait more than half an hour for a ride. To be fair we didn't go near Main Street (but that was cause of how it happened rather than on purpose), we watched the fireworks from the fantasmic area, saw the second fantasmic with fastpass, watched the 1am parade from it's a small world area, arrived 90 mins early and found a spot no bother. The longest wait all day was for breakfast at tomorrowland terrace and the queue to get into the car park. Made it to 3am. Was walk on some rides including jungle cruise at about 7/8pm.
 
Did anyone happen to see the thread titled "24 Hour Party - Cast Member Horror Stories" on Micechat? It was started yesterday afternoon, but I just noticed it for the first time a few minutes ago. Reading the first post, it really is quite unnerving to know that these things were going on and the CMs were basically being abused by guests, if the OP is correct. People get crazy in situations like that, and without the proper crowd control it could so easily turn into a mob scene.
 
Did anyone happen to see the thread titled "24 Hour Party - Cast Member Horror Stories" on Micechat? It was started yesterday afternoon, but I just noticed it for the first time a few minutes ago. Reading the first post, it really is quite unnerving to know that these things were going on and the CMs were basically being abused by guests, if the OP is correct. People get crazy in situations like that, and without the proper crowd control it could so easily turn into a mob scene.

Wow! I just looked at the thread you mentioned. This was our first time attending a 24 hour event and I was going out of my way to be extra nice to everyone. Even walking to Disneyland at 5 am I was saying "Good Morning" and smiling at everyone! :) I can understand being frustrated, and even angry, but to threaten, spit, or physically touch someone is unacceptable!
 

GET A DISNEY VACATION QUOTE

Dreams Unlimited Travel is committed to providing you with the very best vacation planning experience possible. Our Vacation Planners are experts and will share their honest advice to help you have a magical vacation.

Let us help you with your next Disney Vacation!











Top