Diamond Celebration: 24 Hour Event @ Disneyland Resort May 22-23!

[disneyobsessed808]

There is a new blog posting featuring some of the upcoming merchandise! Some of it looks pretty neat...lots of glitter!
First Look at Disneyland Resort Diamond Celebration Merchandise

Eh. Not sure what I was expecting, but I don't like that much of it. I like the Bulova watch though it's surely out of my price range.

 

[thmcdonald1]

Well @figment_jii, thanks for that sneak peak!

Does anyone think this stuff will it trickle in the week before the 22nd?

I really want a large number of those things but don't want to wait in obscene lines... That mug, the cuff links, the bulova watch... Good lord, the souvenirs will cost more than the trip!

 

[Gisele]

Well @figment_jii, thanks for that sneak peak!

Does anyone think this stuff will it trickle in the week before the 22nd?

I really want a large number of those things but don't want to wait in obscene lines... That mug, the cuff links, the bulova watch... Good lord, the souvenirs will cost more than the trip!

lmao........just say no man. Or.....know your spending limits, then go from there. If there is something that is screaming your name, then buy it, if it fits into said budget.

 

[chinarider]

We will be there this year. We were actually at WDW last year for the 24 hr day but, it was our last day there after a week so, we were done by noon. I'm more of an early morning person, so I will get up at and be on line for rope drop. Our strategy is to come back to hotel around noon , nap ( we're just old and tired peeps) and then head over to DCA for WOC (early dinner package ) and hopefully still be able to nab some fast passes before our meal for after we eat and before the show. Last year in Florida, none of the special merchandise was available until the parks opened at 6 am- I was extremely disappointment but that was just the 24 hr merchandise , not the anniversary

 

[Castillo Mom]

Last night I finally sat down to focus on planning for this event.

We attended in 2013 and 2014. We're locals and didn't expect the crowds we experienced in 2013. But that was likely due to the fact that only DL was open and not DCA. We arrived at about 8:00 p.m. and the park was at capacity so we had to wait in line for about 30 minutes before being allowed in.

2014 was crowded but doable. This time we arrived between 2:00 and 3:00 p.m. No issues with long lines at the turnstiles and we had no problem park hopping. We had an absolute blast!

My advice for anyone attending the event this year for the first time is to have realistic expectations going in so that you're not disappointed. Expect large crowds and long lines for rides. Take your time, pace yourself, be patient. Soak in the atmosphere, people watch, enjoy the various events taking place throughout both parks, just go with the flow and try not to over plan. Do also try to get a good night's sleep in the days leading up to the event so that you're well rested. Bring over the counter pain medication just in case. Also bring a change of clothing if you're planning on hanging on for the entire 24 hours so that you can freshen up mid way. Last but not least, HAVE FUN!!!!!

 

[ACDSNY]

My advice for anyone attending the event this year for the first time is to have realistic expectations going in so that you're not disappointed. Expect large crowds and long lines for rides. Take your time, pace yourself, be patient. Soak in the atmosphere, people watch, enjoy the various events taking place throughout both parks, just go with the flow and try not to over plan. Do also try to get a good night's sleep in the days leading up to the event so that you're well rested. Bring over the counter pain medication just in case. Also bring a change of clothing if you're planning on hanging on for the entire 24 hours so that you can freshen up mid way. Last but not least, HAVE FUN!!!!!

Great advice.

 

[figment_jii]

I second Castillo Mom's advice about being prepared for crowds and long lines. While the lines in 2014 never seemed as bad as I expected (based on the reports from 2012 and 2013), I am expecting this year to be busier (especially in the evenings). The parks did not reach capacity in 2014, but it sounds like they did in 2012 and 2013, so with the new shows debuting, there is good reason to assume capacity level crowds will return in 2015. I still think the 24-hour day can be a lot of fun, but it's important to go with the expectation that there will be big crowds.

 

[Geemo]

The only way I'm going to see any of the action in the parks is if they open a web-cam link like they have in the past.

If anyone hears of a webcam link please post it in a NEW thread.

Enjoy everyone!

 

[Gisele]

The only way I'm going to see any of the action in the parks is if they open a web-cam link like they have in the past.

If anyone hears of a webcam link please post it in a NEW thread.

Enjoy everyone!

Hey there now, there is always room for one more! And if many a park guest is able to subject themselves to resembling a sardine in a can, so can you.
No, really!

 

[Geemo]

Hey there now, there is always room for one more! And if many a park guest is able to subject themselves to resembling a sardine in a can, so can you.
No, really!

I'd love to! However, I just returned from a trip the first week of March and plan to go again in October.

The travel expenses from PDX in Oregon are what will keep me home for the event.

But I did enjoy watching the webcams the time Disneyland had them open to the public.

 

[thmcdonald1]

You know, I didn't even think that this might be an issue, but on the 22nd, will they have World of Color, Fantasmic, the new fireworks and the new parade? And will an individual be able to see all of them, or will times overlap?

 

[figment_jii]

My guess is that the F!, Paint the Night, and Disneyland Forever will be staggered so that no two shows are being presented at the same time. However, that does not mean there will be sufficient time to get from one showing to the next showing, especially on the 22nd. I think WoC is likely to overlap or very nearly overlap with one of the shows happening in DL.

I think on the May 22, the debut night, I think it will be very difficult to see all three shows from an ideal vantage point. I wouldn't be surprised if folks are starting to stake out parade and fireworks viewing spots hours in advance (can you imagine how early the first guests will show up for hub spots for the fireworks?). I'd almost guess that F! will be "quiet" because it's not going to be "new", so it probably won't be that many folks first choice in shows. WoC may still be using FPs, so that might help with the crowds, but I don't really know for sure. The most we can hope is that they'll do another middle of the night WoC showing like they did in 2014.

 

[jkolkemo]

I talked to dining last night and so far they have fantasmic scheduled for 9:00, Fireworks at 9:25 and world of color at 9:00 and 10:15. No middle of the night woc show, unless they release this info later to dining. We were hoping for the breakfast woc deal like they had last year, but as of right now, no. Trying to decide if we go for big meals for reserve seating or go with the flow and just eat every 2 hours and get what we get. We love the snacks and don't want to be too full from the bigger meals. Decisions, Decisions. Hoping that they do add another WOC in the middle of the night. All those people at shows at the same time will be crazy.

 

[figment_jii]

That sounds like the typical schedule, so my guess is that it'll change closer to the actual date of the event! At a minimum, they'll have to schedule in the new parade.

 

[DLandgirlie]

I am still waiting for more details about the event before I decide to go. If I go, I'm willing to sacrifice rides for the new shows. Not interested in Fantasmic, but I definitely want to see WOC and Paint the Night. Strategy wise, well, I most likely will arrive around 4:30am starting at DL for rope drop,then head over to DCA. I'll head out ~ 12:30pm come back around 5:30pm to relax and stake out show spots, watch WOC/Paint and leave if I'm drained, if not, catch a few rides and call it a day. I could stay for 24hrs but my party most likely can't and I want to enjoy it with them. I just want to say I did it once lol Plus I want access to the special food options.

 

[beachdreamr1229]

I am still waiting for more details about the event before I decide to go. If I go, I'm willing to sacrifice rides for the new shows. Not interested in Fantasmic, but I definitely want to see WOC and Paint the Night. Strategy wise, well, I most likely will arrive around 4:30am starting at DL for rope drop,then head over to DCA. I'll head out ~ 12:30pm come back around 5:30pm to relax and stake out show spots, watch WOC/Paint and leave if I'm drained, if not, catch a few rides and call it a day. I could stay for 24hrs but my party most likely can't and I want to enjoy it with them. I just want to say I did it once lol Plus I want access to the special food options.

In in the same boat. I may actually be going solo because my family just don't have the desire or stamina. I may be insane, but I just want to be able to say I did it, you know? And I don't know if I'll still have the stamina for it when my kids are old enough to enjoy it. I don't care about rides because we go at least once a month, but I would love to be able to see the new shows.

My only question is, for those of you who have done the event in past years, do you think having a hotel room to go back and rest in is beneficial, or not worth it? I'll be driving down either in the middle of the night or the night before depending on the answer. My plan is to get to the gates around 5am and leave after the night shows probably.

 

[figment_jii]

My family had planned to take a mid-afternoon or early-morning break originally, but we ended up powering through all 24-hours (well, 25-hours if you include the time before the park opened). If you were planning on trying to make all 24-hours, I would consider having a hotel room, but if you're only going to be there until late night (e.g., midnight), I would probably skip the room and power through (you can always take a nap on the train ).

 

[HappiestHaunt]

Dining still cannot make reservations for the table service spots in Disneyland yet. I am thinking there might be added shows closer as well, since they are still working out the scheduling it seems.

 

[Castillo Mom]

In in the same boat. I may actually be going solo because my family just don't have the desire or stamina. I may be insane, but I just want to be able to say I did it, you know? And I don't know if I'll still have the stamina for it when my kids are old enough to enjoy it. I don't care about rides because we go at least once a month, but I would love to be able to see the new shows.

My only question is, for those of you who have done the event in past years, do you think having a hotel room to go back and rest in is beneficial, or not worth it? I'll be driving down either in the middle of the night or the night before depending on the answer. My plan is to get to the gates around 5am and leave after the night shows probably.

Everyone is different, but for me personally I think going back to the room for a nap would be harder. I'd be tempted to not want to go back to the parks.

Our longest jaunt was 3:00 p.m. to 6:00 a.m. the following day. We weren't in the parks for 24 hours but were up just about that long. The point is, we were so distracted with all the fun things to do and the various parties going that we didn't really start to feel the exhaustion until we slowed down at around 5:00 a.m.

Disney makes it a really fun, energized event so I'm not too worried about getting a room this year either. We can always take a cat nap at the Animation Academy!

 

[Gisele]

Everyone is different, but for me personally I think going back to the room for a nap would be harder. I'd be tempted to not want to go back to the parks.

Our longest jaunt was 3:00 p.m. to 6:00 a.m. the following day. We weren't in the parks for 24 hours but were up just about that long. The point is, we were so distracted with all the fun things to do and the various parties going that we didn't really start to feel the exhaustion until we slowed down at around 5:00 a.m.

Disney makes it a really fun, energized event so I'm not too worried about getting a room this year either. We can always take a cat nap at the Animation Academy!

Save a spot for me please. I'll buy you a churro.