DLR and Earthquakes

[Disney Dreams]

Alex,

I am sorry that your 1 day at DLR was affected by Mother Nature, but maybe I can help make your memory of your 1 day adventure better.

Sometimes we experience things in life and our memory filters certain moments in cementing that experience in our memories. I would like to suggest that you reframe your memory of your DLR day. Why? Well....

...Still, what a bummer to be at Disneyland with all of the attractions closed.

But you weren't. In your other thread you said you were up bright and early and arrived at the Resort just after park opening. The earthquake occurred around 8:30-8:45pm. You had the opportunity to enjoy DLR for almost the entire day in what ever way you chose prior to the earthquake.

You said that,

...We did get to ride: Matterhorn, Space Mountain, Splash Mountain, California Screamin (twice), Orange Stinger, and Golden Zephyr, so the day was not a total loss!...

You had almost 12 hours at the Resort prior to the earthquake to enjoy anything you wanted to - rides, shows, shopping, eating, take photos, or wander aimlessly (my favorite!). After the earthquake, there was the fireworks show to be enjoyed if you wanted, shopping, eating, enjoying the beauty of the Park at night, just not rides immediately.

I don't know if / when everything opened up again, but even if it never did, you only lost 2 hours of ride time out of the entire day. I know this seems like a lot of time when it was your big day trip to DLR, but when looking at your entire day, it was a very short amount of time, no?

Maybe by re-framing your memory of your day and focusing on the 12 hours prior to the quake and the things you could have enjoying after the quake can help you remember your getaway as a fun day that let you escape from real life for a bit at the kind generosity of a friend.

- Dreams

 

[Disney Dreams]

Goodness me, I have just read this thread.

As you can see, I'm from the UK. We will be here in August.

Can someone tell me what you do it an Earthquake strikes. I'm use to visiting WDW, and all the hotels there are prepared for Hurrican's. I'm hoping even a little one doesn't murmer whilst we are there. But if I know what to do, I'll feel safer.

I'm one of those nutty people, who always has to have a seat on a plane within 5 rows of an emergency exit, and always read the safety instructions.

If you are inside or outside, try to move out from directly under any large fixtures above you that could fall. Once the shaking stops, if you are inside, most likely the building will evacuated. Listen to the Cast Members for direction, but basically exit the building CALMLY from any door near you. Once outside, there may be CMs giving instruction (or not) depending upon the severity of the quake.

If you are inside your hotel room, you want to move to a door frame or under a desk during the shaking. The idea is to position yourself under the strongest areas / furnishings in the room to protect you from anything that may fall. Again, once the shaking stops, depending on the strength, evacuate according to your hotel's procedures.

- Dreams (born and raised in So. Cal. Quakes are just part of life - and we don't get them that often, really.)

 

[AlexMouse]

But you weren't. In your other thread you said you were up bright and early and arrived at the Resort just after park opening. The earthquake occurred around 8:30-8:45pm. You had the opportunity to enjoy DLR for almost the entire day in what ever way you chose prior to the earthquake.

I think you must have missed the part where I said we went to the hotel to sleep, since we drove all night to get there. We were specifically looking forward to a well-rested and wonderful evening at the park. At the suggestion of someone on the boards here, we went around during the earlier part of the day collecting fast-passes for the things we wanted to ride that night. As those who followed my other thread know, I specifically chose Sunday because of the midnight closing time.

I wouldn't say the parks were PACKED, but they were busy for sure. Hour waits for Space Mountain and Tower of Terror, etc.

Like I said, we did get to ride a few things in the earlier part of the day, so not a total loss.

 

[Disney Dreams]

I think you must have missed the part where I said we went to the hotel to sleep, since we drove all night to get there. We were specifically looking forward to a well-rested and wonderful evening at the park....

I read that part too. I guess I was just doing the math and thinking unless you were at your hotel for a really long nap, you still had a lot of time to enjoy the Parks. Try to remember that time, not the 2 or so hours lost post-earthquake and your trip will be one you look back on with happy memories.

 

[AlexMouse]

I don't know if / when everything opened up again, but even if it never did, you only lost 2 hours of ride time out of the entire day. I know this seems like a lot of time when it was your big day trip to DLR, but when looking at your entire day, it was a very short amount of time, no?

No. Closer to 4, unless you're specifically referring to California Adventure.

4 Hours is about my max to walk around the parks anyway. I have a bad back and the walking gets to me after about that amount of time, then I need to go rest in the hotel. Not bad enough to prevent riding anything, it's usually just the walking that gets to me.

That's why, under "normal" circumstances, I stay for the better part of a week. I usually manage about 6 hours in the parks per day, with the rest of the time spent resting in the hotel.

But yeah, for sure, we did get to ride some of the big things... heck, we walked right on to Splash Mountain that morning with no line at all. When we emerged from our Splash Mountain adventure the line was back to the very end near the Haunted Mansion exit. So we did have some good luck there!

Still, the evening was a loss, and no matter how I re-arrange my memory nothing is going to change that. My usual trips are almost always about being there at night. There is nothing that can compare with being at Disneyland after dark! (I'm sure many that frequent these boards would agree with me there!)

I understand what you're saying, and for sure, I usually do appreciate the fireworks and just the atmosphere of being in the park, like you mention, but with almost everyone being in a bad mood because of all the attractions being down, it wasn't any fun. Who wants to go to Disneyland to just hang out and hear people complain?

Add to that, that my buddy that I went with is not a "Disney person" per se... he just likes the thrill rides. Everyone has their own reasons for appreciating Disneyland, and mine may not be the same as the next person's.

Sure, it was a bummer, but we still both enjoyed the trip, brief though it was.

Actually, it just makes me want MORE! MORE I TELL YOU! MOOORRREEEEEEE DIIIISSSSNNNEEEYYYYLLLAAANNDDDD!!!!

 

[AlexMouse]

I read that part too. I guess I was just doing the math and thinking unless you were at your hotel for a really long nap, you still had a lot of time to enjoy the Parks. Try to remember that time, not the 2 or so hours lost post-earthquake and your trip will be one you look back on with happy memories.

Again, I get what your saying. But I prefer to remember what actually happened, rather than what I wanted to happen. I'm just that way.

I've had some horrid experiences at Disneyland before, and I choose to remember them. For one thing, keeping those in my memory helps me avoid such situations in the future.

For example, I was there one summer where they were clearly over capacity and I honestly feared for my life. It was so bad that they had to open up some of the backstage areas to let people through. I will never stay there again if I ever experience anything like that. The crowds were so thick and the crowd control (at that time) was so bad that if someone would have tripped or fallen, they would have been trampled to death.

I've never experienced anything like that since then (late 90's I think?) but it pays to remember it.

Now, I know that there are some folks, probably including you, who want to live in the "Disney Bubble" and get annoyed when someone says anything bad about their beloved Disney experience. My sister is very much that way, so I do understand this. I'm just not that way, however.

I love Disneyland, for a variety of reasons (See my "What Disneyland Means to Me" thread on the community board: http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=2147154) but I take the good with the bad, just like in "real life."

If I'm at Disneyland again when the ground starts shaking, I'll know it's time to do something else for the next couple of hours. Knowledge is power!

EDIT: Added link - I had trouble finding it when I searched for the thread.

 

[Disney Dreams]

...Now, I know that there are some folks, probably including you, who want to live in the "Disney Bubble" and get annoyed when someone says anything bad about their beloved Disney experience....

Nah, was just hoping to help you find fun memories in your trip. I wish you all the best in your job hunt and hope that you land somewhere that you enjoy.

 

[AlexMouse]

Nah, was just hoping to help you find fun memories in your trip. I wish you all the best in your job hunt and hope that you land somewhere that you enjoy.

I have fond memories of all my Disney trips. I just prefer to remember everything, even the bad stuff.

There is no light without darkness, right?

I'll have to post separately sometime about my sister... one time she almost freaked out on Pirates of the Caribbean because the father sitting in front of us in our boat told his son that all the treasure was fake! She really has issues sometimes when she thinks someone is breaking the "disney bubble," but she'll also be the first one admit that!

She got very upset with a Cast Member in Animal Kingdom once because she was looking for a stuffed Bagheera in one of the shops and he didn't know what it was.

I should write a book. If nothing else, it's amusing. LOL

 

[Huff]

Goodness me, I have just read this thread.

As you can see, I'm from the UK. We will be here in August.

Can someone tell me what you do it an Earthquake strikes. I'm use to visiting WDW, and all the hotels there are prepared for Hurrican's. I'm hoping even a little one doesn't murmer whilst we are there. But if I know what to do, I'll feel safer.

I'm one of those nutty people, who always has to have a seat on a plane within 5 rows of an emergency exit, and always read the safety instructions.

Odds are you will never feel any earthquake on your visit. Disneyland has never had any real damage from any earthquake as far as I can recall. Closest was a sign board fell at Angel Stadium a few miles away.

 

[mystic_path]

I dunno how to answer your question, but I was also there on the 17th when the quake hit. I was sitting at Coke Corner when it hit and I felt it. I looked at my best friend and she was like me. We were kind of in awe. Then About 12 cast members ran out into the middle of the court yard sitting area where the piano is at Coke Corner and were discussing what to do. Then another guy came out from the back and told us all it was 5.0 on the scale. We then walked around to find every single attraction was closed but found it strange they would still let the fireworks go off.

 

[PinkBudgie]

Last summer we were there when the 5.4 hit around 11:30 am. We were buying our APs in the bank. We stood in the doorway. After it ended the CMs had everyone leave the buildings and stand out in the middle of street away from the bulidings as much as possible. After a few minutes they let us go back in and finish.

Many rides were shut down for the entire day at that point and some people went to complain at City Hall. We decided it wasn't DLR's fault so we didn't. Smaller rides started up again after a few hours. Indiana was never re-opened that day and neither did the Rapids ride. Space came back up in the evening. Of course, everyone had their FP from the morning like us so even the FP line was long.

After waiting in line for over an hour at Bengal BBQ for lunch (What else did we have to do anyway? ) we went shopping at DTD for a few hours.

 

[mystic_path]

Last summer we were there when the 5.4 hit around 11:30 am. We were buying our APs in the bank. We stood in the doorway. After it ended the CMs had everyone leave the buildings and stand out in the middle of street away from the bulidings as much as possible. After a few minutes they let us go back in and finish.

Many rides were shut down for the entire day at that point and some people went to complain at City Hall. We decided it wasn't DLR's fault so we didn't. Smaller rides started up again after a few hours. Indiana was never re-opened that day and neither did the Rapids ride. Space came back up in the evening.

Yeah thats exactly what happened this last week too. For Indiana Jones the ride was back up the following day but it took like 3 days for them to get the bolder to work again.

 

[tink2dw]

At Least You have a great story!! With a brag able number :thumbs up 2!

1st Trip- We entered LA coming up to and Passing 6 Flags, every off ramp had 2 police cars with Cops in Riot Gear and Heavy Rifles trained on the traffic!!
We were worried it had to do with the Rodney King trail it was due end soon. Nope!! 6 Flags was hosting the first Rap Concert. Salt and Peppa were appearing. Everyone with a 6 flags ticket dug out of that one drawer, grabbed their ticket and headed to the concert. 6 Flags did not print a special event ticket, OOPS!! The place filled to the rafters with anyone with any older ticket. The Fire Marshal Closed the park! And that is when the Riot Started incensed Fans tore up the shops! And there were 2 police cars with Cops in Riot Gear and Heavy Rifles trained on the traffic!!

2nd Trip- We went to Universal Studios where their tag line is "This is a Working Studio Lot" I have all the children, mine and my best friends We were at the top of the escalator when we heard Gun Fire everyone in our area reacted and then a police helicopter flew low over head. I saw a CM and ask if we were safe?? He said this is a working studio, it is probably a new Arnold Schwarzenegger movie. So, we went on and had a great day! Turn on the news at the hotel, to Breaking News at Universal Studios Working Office Buildings, a fired employee, couldn't find work, lost his Wife and Family and had just had it, Drunk himself silly, drove to the offices and put 6 bullets thru a window injuring the women from the ricocheting bullets, then got out of his truck laid down the gun and whisky and then laid face down in the road till the cops could arrest him. But we were close enough to have heard that Gun Fire!!

3rd Trip - Great Day at the Parks! Come back to the Hotel turn on the news, Breaking Story A small Pick-up truck with a Bed Cover is in the lunch line up at McDonald's drive thru when a Gunned Man tried to Carjack the Truck, he's trying to pull the lady out of the car shooting at her, but there is a big attacking dog going after the Gunmen. The 1 or 2 people with cell phones[very early days of cell phones and carjacking]are calling 911, they can't out of the McDonald's drive thru they are stuck behind the truck. Finally the Police came and arrested the Gunman. Now they need to get the injured women out of her truck, but the big dog is having none of that!! They have to call animal control to get Dog. All the while the cars are still stuck behind this truck. Animal Control has a hard time getting the snarling, attacking dog under control finally they tranquilize the dog. Police get the lady out and sent to the Hospital where it is touch and go.
The NewsCaster summed the story up with The lady will make it fine but She will be going straight to Jail, the dog was guarding the truck full of Drugs she was driving!!!

4th Trip - Never turn on the tv news in the hotel while on vacation!! You will never know how close the news, was to you, to freak you out!!!

And really what is worse freezing rain and winds, fire, mud slides, Santa Anna winds or a small earthquake? And Far far worse is when you get to the park and everything is down for renavation ie lake at DCA??

Every time I go to DL suddenly Fantazmic is "Dark" I haven't seen it since 2001 at the then MGM Park at WDW.

We all have our crosses to bear.......

 

[tink2dw]