Camping out at Disneyland for the opening of California Adventure? Here's the scoop:
The plan for visitors staying overnight at Disneyland is to keep them up and awake with games, activities,
high sugar outdoor vending (ODV) foods and loud music piped through the Park. They have decided to
ditch the low-key approach and instead go for a pep rally style all-night event. Expect lots of cheering
contests, cast members (CMs) encouraging Guests to do "the wave", and pop music and snappy Disney
tunes played over the PA systems at louder than normal levels. They don't want anyone to be able to nap
or sleep or feel relaxed all night. They want the atmosphere to be frenetic and loud for hours on end, so
that no one can sleep.
The hope is that the people who spent the night at Disneyland will rush into DCA first thing in the morning
and then crash by mid-day because they have been up all night drinking Cokes and doing The Macarena.
That way, the majority of people who stayed overnight on the 7th will be leaving by early afternoon, and
Disney can begin letting in more people who didn't show up until after the sun rose on the 8th. This will also
free up more parking that can be opened in the afternoon hours for later arriving Guests. Sneaky, but true.
People planning on spending the night on the 7th may want to bring earplugs and eyeshades to block out
the noise and pep-rally style antics led by perky CM's. And don't expect to be able to purchase anything
that isn't loaded with sugar or caffeine. Visitors arriving on the evening of the 7th and early on the 8th will
be given wristbands of differing colors that will determine where in the queue they get to wait.
KEEP IN MIND - people waiting in line in Disneyland overnight will not be able to see the opening
ceremony, and the queue will begin to cycle through Disneyland and across the Esplanade at 8:00 am
AFTER the ceremony, according to your wristband color. Once in, you cannot leave and come back - once
out you lose your chance to get in early.
And in case you wanted to the first in, you won't get a chance, as a local family has already been selected
to be the "First Guests" into DCA on the 8th. Your wristband, and your ticket, will get you into the park on
Thursday, but do not guarantee you a place in line.
If it's important to you that you're among the first in the park, you'll have to hold your spot in line all night. But
if you just want to make sure you CAN get into DCA on Thursday, get your wristband Wednesday, go
home, and don't come back until noon Thursday!
I've gotten more than a few questions from readers, which pretty much duplicate the ones in this note from
Robert below. I'll attempt to answer them as best I can from the knowledge I have at this time:
1) Will Disney be allowing parking in the structure overnight and how late can you arrive?
They will allow lining up to start at 5 PM today, which indicates to lots of folks involved that the structure will
remain open all night.
2) Following that, how late on Wednesday night will they be admitting people to wait for the
opening.
They are expecting 20,000 for the sleepover, they have planned for a 50,000 day total in the new park. My
guess (again) is that they will allow people to keep queuing up at least until about 6 or 7 AM - and probably
stop queues into Disneyland (and the trams in) during the ceremony, which runs from 7 AM until 8 AM.
People arriving in the early morning (5 to 6 AM) after the first 20,000 have been let in, may find themselves
waiting out in the Pinocchio lot until 8 AM. Again folks, this is an educated guess from what little we can
find out. The area between the parks promises to be a zoo during that opening ceremony.
3) If late overnight parking is available, Will there be tram service and how late?
Trams may or may not be available during the sleepover, depending on the crowd size. After groups are
gathered, and Disneyland officially closes, they may just go ahead and have you walk over to the park, via
the walkways through the Pinocchio lot, crossing Disneyland Dr. / West St. and through the Downtown
Disney mall. The mall may also be used as a staging area too, but that's only if the overnight crowd is less
than 5,000.
Greg asked:
Any word on the expected turnout for the original Disneyland on the 8th and 9th? I'm fearing
big overflow crowds, but today I noticed on your site that Disneyland attendance may be
lower (?).
The problem in answering this is that passholder attendance situation is unknown - chances are many of
them will come to see the new park (since passes have been on sale since December). If they can't get in
(due to crowds) they may end up waiting at Disneyland instead until they can start readmitting folks.
My guess is that there will be light attendance at Disneyland during the weekend - even if passholders
show up in droves. Keep in mind they don't use the park in the same way the regular day visitors do either.
Be aware if you do plan to try the sleepover - um, wakeover...
- that the local weather folks have been
forecasting some light showers that night, along with a cooling trend. Dress in layers, and you should be
fine.
Up for it? Better be!
The plan for visitors staying overnight at Disneyland is to keep them up and awake with games, activities,
high sugar outdoor vending (ODV) foods and loud music piped through the Park. They have decided to
ditch the low-key approach and instead go for a pep rally style all-night event. Expect lots of cheering
contests, cast members (CMs) encouraging Guests to do "the wave", and pop music and snappy Disney
tunes played over the PA systems at louder than normal levels. They don't want anyone to be able to nap
or sleep or feel relaxed all night. They want the atmosphere to be frenetic and loud for hours on end, so
that no one can sleep.
The hope is that the people who spent the night at Disneyland will rush into DCA first thing in the morning
and then crash by mid-day because they have been up all night drinking Cokes and doing The Macarena.
That way, the majority of people who stayed overnight on the 7th will be leaving by early afternoon, and
Disney can begin letting in more people who didn't show up until after the sun rose on the 8th. This will also
free up more parking that can be opened in the afternoon hours for later arriving Guests. Sneaky, but true.
People planning on spending the night on the 7th may want to bring earplugs and eyeshades to block out
the noise and pep-rally style antics led by perky CM's. And don't expect to be able to purchase anything
that isn't loaded with sugar or caffeine. Visitors arriving on the evening of the 7th and early on the 8th will
be given wristbands of differing colors that will determine where in the queue they get to wait.
KEEP IN MIND - people waiting in line in Disneyland overnight will not be able to see the opening
ceremony, and the queue will begin to cycle through Disneyland and across the Esplanade at 8:00 am
AFTER the ceremony, according to your wristband color. Once in, you cannot leave and come back - once
out you lose your chance to get in early.
And in case you wanted to the first in, you won't get a chance, as a local family has already been selected
to be the "First Guests" into DCA on the 8th. Your wristband, and your ticket, will get you into the park on
Thursday, but do not guarantee you a place in line.
If it's important to you that you're among the first in the park, you'll have to hold your spot in line all night. But
if you just want to make sure you CAN get into DCA on Thursday, get your wristband Wednesday, go
home, and don't come back until noon Thursday!
I've gotten more than a few questions from readers, which pretty much duplicate the ones in this note from
Robert below. I'll attempt to answer them as best I can from the knowledge I have at this time:
1) Will Disney be allowing parking in the structure overnight and how late can you arrive?
They will allow lining up to start at 5 PM today, which indicates to lots of folks involved that the structure will
remain open all night.
2) Following that, how late on Wednesday night will they be admitting people to wait for the
opening.
They are expecting 20,000 for the sleepover, they have planned for a 50,000 day total in the new park. My
guess (again) is that they will allow people to keep queuing up at least until about 6 or 7 AM - and probably
stop queues into Disneyland (and the trams in) during the ceremony, which runs from 7 AM until 8 AM.
People arriving in the early morning (5 to 6 AM) after the first 20,000 have been let in, may find themselves
waiting out in the Pinocchio lot until 8 AM. Again folks, this is an educated guess from what little we can
find out. The area between the parks promises to be a zoo during that opening ceremony.
3) If late overnight parking is available, Will there be tram service and how late?
Trams may or may not be available during the sleepover, depending on the crowd size. After groups are
gathered, and Disneyland officially closes, they may just go ahead and have you walk over to the park, via
the walkways through the Pinocchio lot, crossing Disneyland Dr. / West St. and through the Downtown
Disney mall. The mall may also be used as a staging area too, but that's only if the overnight crowd is less
than 5,000.
Greg asked:
Any word on the expected turnout for the original Disneyland on the 8th and 9th? I'm fearing
big overflow crowds, but today I noticed on your site that Disneyland attendance may be
lower (?).
The problem in answering this is that passholder attendance situation is unknown - chances are many of
them will come to see the new park (since passes have been on sale since December). If they can't get in
(due to crowds) they may end up waiting at Disneyland instead until they can start readmitting folks.
My guess is that there will be light attendance at Disneyland during the weekend - even if passholders
show up in droves. Keep in mind they don't use the park in the same way the regular day visitors do either.
Be aware if you do plan to try the sleepover - um, wakeover...
- that the local weather folks have beenforecasting some light showers that night, along with a cooling trend. Dress in layers, and you should be
fine.
Up for it? Better be!
