Disneyland was AWFUL!

[ishbit92]

Will gladly accept your Magic Key if you're not going to use it

 

[gelatoni fan]

I actually agree that the things you mentioned can make a Disneyland visit less pleasant than expected even though I am not as bothered by them. It's perfectly reasonable to feel the way you do although I do think your post came off as exaggerated and emotional.

Of all the Disney parks in the world, Disneyland definitely has the worst environment right outside the parks. I've been to plenty of seedier places so I don't feel that the area in Anahiem is dangerous but I mostly tolerate the area when I go to conferences in Anaheim or Disneyland. It is annoying that I sometimes pay more for a kind of dumpy hotel in the Disneyland area than the Sheraton Grande at Tokyo Disney which is better than any hotel I've ever stayed at on the US mainland. In fact, I'd gladly stay at most of the Tokyo Disney area hotels even if I wasn't going to Tokyo Disney and have even done that when going to Yokohama and Makuhari. But for Disneyland, I'd sometimes look further away for someplace nicer.

I know people who really hate crowds and hate going to certain Disney parks because of it. I accept crowds, having been to Disney parks on full capacity days and even waited 8 hours for a show. But even though crowds don't bother me that much, I also think it's legitimate to feel this way.

I actually think that Disneyland's food is above average for a theme park but I would also like to see some better counter service options. I'm still sad that Flo's got rid of the original meals with 2 sides. I liked the turkey breast. The ribs they had for a while were good too. Now they only have fried chicken. I'm also not a fan of fake meat which seems to be the new common food item. When I had an annual pass to Tokyo Disneyland, I would go in specifically to eat but at Disneyland, I only eat if I don't feel like leaving the parks.

I think buying a Magic Key without having experienced the park first was a big mistake. When making any major purchase, you should do your research. There's even the option of buying tickets and upgrading them so you should have done that to try out the parks before committing to a Magic Key. The CM has no obligation to refund you here.

I'm sorry that you had a bad experience but if there's any silver lining, you now know more about your own preferences for theme parks and what the Disneyland has to offer so you can make more informed purchasing decisions in the future.

 

[felice]

Sorry I added more after you replied. The more I read this thread, the more it bothers me. It just gives off this vibe (warranted or not) of Americans going to Paris and getting upset that it’s nothing like the movies/cartoons….Or tourists flocking to third world countries and complaining about corruption/bribery, nepotism, and how slow/inefficient things are….or that everyone must be poor and that everything is better in the US. Those vibes.

Like yes, we know DLR has problems, but this is still our park and the park Walt actually physically walked and built. I will defend it with that fact every dang day!

Mind you though, in a similar kind of way, I know people in the UK who would never fly to the USA on the grounds of there being "too many guns / too much violence" - and being of the impression that US life in general is like something out of a Steven Seagal movie or similar - when the opposite is true - certainly for places like Anaheim. Mind you though, most Brits abroad usually need to be avoided due to their behaviour, particularly in cheap European resorts like Magaluf ....

 

[Wedgeout]

Hope you reconsider and give the Disneyland experience another go around. Times have certainly changed. Some CM’s have unfortunately lost their way, forgetting to use words like “please” and “thank you” as they direct your (sorry..assist your) park movements. The overall area around the parks is actually quite nice. Now the corner of Harbor-Katella near the liquor store you may find a few “seedy” characters but they mainly keep to themselves. (Might speak to you in a strange language they only understand though). Disneyland/DCA is best experienced slowly. (As the Radiator Springs Sheriff will tell you.”slow down…”). Don’t rush. Stop and enjoy what you are not seeing as you speed walk to each location, dodging left and right through the sea of other Disney fans.

 

[Karin1984]

You are going to get a lot of hate for saying this. I agree with you the area around DL was a little sketchy and I did not like getting asked for money and ranting fighting crazy people. I like DW bubble. Yes there is worse places. People on this board hate when people mention things they do not like.

I think it's not people hate others not liking what they like. People do not like unfair assessment of what they like.

It's perfectly fine to prefer the bubble over having to walk in the real world to get to the fantasy. Some people like the bubble, others don't care. That is all fine. What people object with is how it is phrased. It's all a matter of words. The choice of words about the Anaheim area makes people think: Does this person even live in the real world? That's what causes annoyance and discussion. If the OP had said 'Our trip was less successful because...' and 'One of the reasons I prefer WDW is cutting out the real world', then we have a completely different thread then when it is 'AWFUL! Seedy, dangerous unpleasant!' Just the last word 'unpleasant' would have been sufficient.

And what sets off people on the DIS in general is: The majority of us are planners. We prepare each trip carefully, whether that is to planning every detail or only knowing which park on which day. When someone comes by on this board saying they had an awful trip that could have been prevented by planning, a lot of people on here think: "Yes, and that's why we plan!"
Is that fair? Maybe not, but that's what happens on a board filled with experts.

I am an AP holder at Disneyland Paris, several times a year on the DIS I come across WDW and/or DL regulars who think: "I have been a million times to WDW, I know what a Disney park is, I do not need to do research." And then find out afterwards that a Disney park in Paris is not the same as a Disney park in Florida. I defend Disneyland Paris with a passion not because I think Disneyland Paris is the best park in the world, but because most of the issues for occasional visitors is going into the park with expectations that will never come true. Different cultures result in different parks.

What you see often on the DIS with WDW regulars going to DL is that they find the CMs not as over the top friendly and happy as they are in WDW. Florida CMs are not California CMs because they are in completely different parts of the country. They might be in the same country, but the culture between these two states is different.

 

[JC1984]

DL is pretty seedy…you ever been in the corner of Main Street near the Little Red Wagon (yes that delicious carnival food serving place) on a dark night? Almost got mugged by Mary Poppins and Bert back there. I even lock my doors on the Autopia

 

[BrianL]

DL is pretty seedy…you ever been in the corner of Main Street near the Little Red Wagon (yes that delicious carnival food serving place) on a dark night? Almost got mugged by Mary Poppins and Bert back there. I even lock my doors on the Autopia

Or go into the Cinema where my legendary "Vagabond Children of Main Street USA" story was born - I swear they were about this close to hanging a pot over a fire in the middle and cooking an old boot!

 

[By-Tor and Snow Pup]

I agree that Disneyland is way too crowded these days. They sold a lot of Dream Keys and then people vocally complained they couldn't go as often as they did as being AP; so Disneyland opened up many more reservation spots.
Mid-October was New Years Day,

 

[skyp4WDW]

So in the other thread, it looks like you stayed at the Desert Inn, 300 feet from the DLR entrance gateway. Like, was the 300 foot stretch of Harbor that bad? I mean, were there that many aggressive panhandlers, drug dealers, crystal meth tweakers, and friendly bottled water/flying toy thingie sellers in that little 300 foot stretch? Like, I can see this statement making sense if you ended up walking the entire length of the city or something, but just by sheer distance, 300 feet isn't much, even with a worsening homeless situation in most western cities.

Plus, if you said it was super crowded, I feel that there would have been safety in numbers in that 300 foot walk. Relatively easy to walk by/not make eye contact/ignore, but I also know not everyone is used to aggressive panhandling.

You are Wrong! I have never stayed at the Desert Inn. (And I think it's very inappropriate that you tried to check. Wow!)

 

[BadPinkTink]

(And I think it's very inappropriate that you tried to check. Wow!)

Just an FYI, everyones posts and post history is searchable here on Disboards. There is a link to your post history on your profile and on a desktop / laptop when you hover your mouse over a persons name you can see the link to messages /posts and the amount of posts a person currently has. For example, I can see just by hovering my mouse over your name that you have made 437 messages / posts here on Disboards. I can then click on the number and every one of your posts is listed.

 

[starlite_]

Sorry I added more after you replied. The more I read this thread, the more it bothers me. It just gives off this vibe (warranted or not) of Americans going to Paris and getting upset that it’s nothing like the movies/cartoons….Or tourists flocking to third world countries and complaining about corruption/bribery, nepotism, and how slow/inefficient things are….or that everyone must be poor and that everything is better in the US. Those vibes.

Like yes, we know DLR has problems, but this is still our park and the park Walt actually physically walked and built. I will defend it with that fact every dang day!

This! Thanks for putting it into words, it does give me those vibes and gods I really dislike those type of tourist, just don't come to my country if all you're gonna do is complain that it isn't US. Not saying OP is like this, but the attitude resonates unfortunately.

 

[mdmost]

This thread is interesting when I compare it to my first experience at Disneyland after only going to WDW previously. We went the next summer after our WDW 2015 trip. We stayed at the Howard Johnson. I was floored with how easy it was to get to the parks and that I could see Space Mountain from our hotel room. The walk was a breeze. My kids were still small so carrying them back after we either took a break from the parks or ended for the evening was nothing. Yeah, we saw some people around the bus stop who weren't doing so well but we see that in Dallas. We never felt unsafe. I loved how small and intimate everything at Disneyland felt. It was a locals park. Yes, it's not a vacation destination and you do lose something in not being in the Disney bubble. However, I'll gladly take a 10 minute walk to my hotel when doing a midday break or walking across a courtyard to park hop. I love how easy it is to get from one portion of the park to the other, all the while not feeling like my skin was baking off or that I was drenched in sweat. I love the fog in the morning and the cool breeze at the opposite ends of the day. We went to WDW in September and I'm not anxious to return. It's too big, too hot, too expensive, and I never feel I can enjoy myself there like I can at DLR. DLR just fits us better. I can't wait for our June trip.

I'm sorry the OP didn't get that same experience and I'd imagine it's probably pretty different right now from that first time we went in 2016.

 

[skyp4WDW]

You are going to get a lot of hate for saying this. I agree with you the area around DL was a little sketchy and I did not like getting asked for money and ranting fighting crazy people. I like DW bubble. Yes there is worse places. People on this board hate when people mention things they do not like.

Finally, the voice of reason. Thank you.
The intensity of some of these comments is ludicrous. They make assumptions and then rant as if they're facts. For instance, several posters assumed that 1) I had never been there before, 2) I did not plan properly, 3) I should not trust my own eyes when I observe the area around Disneyland? NONE of these things are true.
Of coarse I understand that some people are big fans of Disneyland and they may not agree with my perceptions. Further, I am not trying to change their minds...BUT, they are not the only ones who visit these boards. When I posted my honest review of MY "Disneyland vacation", I was thinking of that sweet little family of four, from Omaha, who is planning their once in a lifetime vacation....Maybe they too might be more comfortable in the WDW bubble.

 

[skyp4WDW]

Just an FYI, everyones posts and post history is searchable here on Disboards. There is a link to your post history on your profile and on a desktop / laptop when you hover your mouse over a persons name you can see the link to messages /posts and the amount of posts a person currently has. For example, I can see just by hovering my mouse over your name that you have made 437 messages / posts here on Disboards. I can then click on the number and every one of your posts is listed.

Yes I know...but to actually do that?????

 

[Deadp00l]

We went to Disneyland (and California Adventure) last week to soak up a little Christmas ambiance. It was not what we expected... Let me preface my comments by saying we are huge Disney fans. I've probably been to WDW a hundred times in the past 25 years. However now that we live on the western side of the country, I thought it would be nice to check out DisneyLAND this December. The first problem is Anaheim itself. It is seedy and dangerous, and unpleasant to walk through...and Disneyland is right in the middle of it.

Take it from someone who lives 20 minutes away from Disneyland. We call that city "Anacrime" for a reason. BUT. That's not Walt's fault. As a result of non-Disney businesses and residentials popping up around the park in the early days, Walt learned that he needed to create a "bubble" for his next park. Credit to Anacrime for that.

The next problem is that Disney is packing people in those parks like sardines. (We went on a Tuesday and Wednesday hoping for low crowds. No such luck.) The crowds were so thick that you couldn't enjoy anything. I barely noticed the decorations because I was so busy trying not to be bowled over by the masses. We gave up on trying to ride any rides but tried hard to at least see the parade. However we missed that too because there were people about 10 thick in front of us. (I'm short)

Holiday + walkways are smaller at Disneyland compared to MK + has so much more rides per square footage than Disneyworld's four park. It iz what it iz.

The only thing left to do was eat. We could not find anything edible. I have never seen so much "carnival style" junk-food in one place. It was disgusting.

I got nothing to say here as that's an opinion. Just out of curiosity, what did you eat?

So I went to Guest Services to ask if I could have a partial refund on the "Magic Key" I purchased for this trip/year. (I have no desire to ever return). They were uncaring and rude about it and simply said "Nope". Absolutely no part of this experience felt like the "Disney" I know and love. (It very much reminded me of how Six Flags took a bad turn 20 years ago! Yikes!). No thanks.

I believe unless it involves death, has Disney ever [partially] refunded annual passes before?

Sorry about your experience. As someone who is local to Disneyland but been to Disney World a few times, I prefer Disney World more because of the bubble and it's a vacation. But Disneyland IS right there and cheaper (no flight/hotel) for nearly the same kind of Disney fun.

I hope you give it a second chance.

 

[BadPinkTink]

Yes I know...but to actually do that?????

but whats the big outrage?? The function is there, its not against the rules, this is a public website. Surely you knew that anything posted here can be searched and that what you post is not private information and that people can read back all your posts?

 

[JC1984]

 

[BrianL]

but whats the big outrage?? The function is there, its not against the rules, this is a public website. Surely you knew that anything posted here can be searched and that what you post is not private information and that people can read back all your posts?

That's true, but there's really no need to try to invalidate the OP's experience by trying to "catch" an inaccuracy or something. The OP had an experience that is not what many of us usually see. It happens. I mean, I wouldn't call Anaheim "seedy" but it does have it's problems and while I've never witnessed some of the things that other's have, that doesn't mean they never happened - any given day right?

 

[JC1984]

I must say while I know this thread may soon get shut down I have thoroughly enjoyed it! Thank you to the OP for opening it and to all my fellow contributors. May DL always remain seedy and your food remain greasy. May your walk ways remain bottlenecked and your heart true. Peace, Love, Mickey Mouse!

 

[Disney0010]

I think that we all have our own opinions of what we like/dislike and nothing wrong with sharing.

I grew up in Florida and have lost count as to how many times that I have visited WDW including our five night stay in May. After that visit we decided that it will be a while before we visit again. This was at the height of Covid. The parks were supposed to be operating at reduced capacity but you couldn’t prove it by us. All four parks felt packed and having been there many times pre Covid, I know how the parks feel when busy. The six foot markers for social distancing was not being adhered to and CM’s did nothing to enforce it. We stayed at the Riviera and had issues with trying to get to several parks (buses) due staff shortages. We ended up using Uber when we couldn’t use the Skyliner which usually went down each afternoon due to thunderstorms. Epcot (Future World) was a major construction zone.

We now live two hours from DL. I will admit that the first few times that we visited DL I found myself comparing the two and found myself missing WDW. Not good to do as they’re two different animals. One should appreciate what each offers.

Sometimes we stay on site and other times we stay nearby and walk to the parks. We have never felt unsafe. We have a huge homeless issue right here in my hometown and a trip to the local grocery store usually involves an encounter with the homeless.

I love the fact that DL feels more intimate and I don’t have to plan ahead of how I’m going to need to use a bus, monorail, Skyliner or some some of transportation to get to another park. Can DL feel crowded? Yes but honestly the MK at WDW has been the worst by far that we have ever experienced.

The one comment that surprised me was concerning food. The quality of food is the same at both locations. Quick Serve food is not great IMHO and that includes both DL and WDW. The quality reflects the parks trying to prepare and turn quickly to feed the masses. To get better food one usually has to leave the parks (Downtown Disney/Disney Springs) or dine at places like Carthay Circle, Topolino’s Terrace, California Grill, etc. at the parks/resorts and of course at a much higher price.

In the end DL may not be for you if you need the “Disney Bubble”. I suggest trying it again after the holidays and try to appreciate the parks for what they are. So much history knowing that Walt walked DL and was very involved in the parks development. Maybe try staying at either the DL Hotel or GCH. Both great properties. Happy Holidays.