Keep PTN package or no?

[LKing]

We were also by Small World on opening night - did you happen to see the girls dressed like the fairies? That was us!

Yep, I watched you getting them ready, the photographer taking their pics, and then the start of the parade.

There was such great energy that night. Everyone was so excited when gates opened and the music started. I can only imagine how your girls felt. People were cheering and singing and dancing.

Did you not stay for fireworks after the parade? You were right there and could have just turned around. Tapestry of Happiness was just a few minutes after fireworks.

 

[Artygal90]

I really wish they showed Tapestry of Happiness before the parade! I hear it's great, but it's been too late for us to catch so far.

We were also by Small World on opening night - did you happen to see the girls dressed like the fairies? That was us!

For OP, sounds like you've come to a good decision for now, and you can adjust as reports come in and you get closer to your trip! Maybe they'll improve the check-in, at least?

I saw your girls on social media! I loved their outfits, how special for them that they got to kick off the parade. Talk about a core memory!

 

[Skyegirl1999]

Yep, I watched you getting them ready, the photographer taking their pics, and then the start of the parade.

There was such great energy that night. Everyone was so excited when gates opened and the music started. I can only imagine how your girls felt. People were cheering and singing and dancing.

Did you not stay for fireworks after the parade? You were right there and could have just turned around. Tapestry of Happiness was just a few minutes after fireworks.

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They were soooo excited!

For the fireworks, one of the women in our group had never seen it and the Blue Fairy is her favorite character, so we fought our way over to the hub so she could see the Blue Fairy fly! That was an adventure. Luckily the girls were easy to keep track of in the crush of humanity.

 

[LKing]

They were soooo excited!

For the fireworks, one of the women in our group had never seen it and the Blue Fairy is her favorite character, so we fought our way over to the hub so she could see the Blue Fairy fly! That was an adventure. Luckily the girls were easy to keep track of in the crush of humanity.

Wow, that's a subject for another thread. What path did you take to get to the castle? Did they re-route parade followers to the left before Matterhorn?

 

[Skyegirl1999]

Wow, that's a subject for another thread. What path did you take to get to the castle? Did they re-route parade followers to the left before Matterhorn?

They would have let us break left or right there (before the Matterhorn, so we could have veered into Fantasyland), and we did go left and eventually cut through Galactic Grill. We all had to wait by Astro Orbiter for the parade to finish going by, and then we grabbed a spot right by the curb of the hub - a tree blocked most of the projections, but since the Blue Fairy was our aim, that was ok. I personally would have gone back a bit further down Main Street and gotten a more straight-on view, but really any castle view at all was gravy at that point. We had just enough time to dismantle the wings and turn off all their lights before it started!

 

[speedyfishy]

We just did this package a couple days ago. We didn't have kids with us, just two adults.

Logistically at the restaurant the entire thing was annoying. First, our reservation was at 1 and they didn't let us check in even five minutes early. So, we stood under the sad umbrella trying to stay cool. Then the check in process was excruciatingly slow - one person checked us in outside by name only, then we waiting in another line inside to pay and get the lanyards and fastpasses and instructions. It was a long talkthrough...

We overhead two groups ahead of us asking for different food options - you can no longer get the actual fried chicken, but they will give you a fried chicken breast apparently. I went with the meatloaf and my friend asked for the kids meal instead. The person was asking very specific questions about why you wouldn't eat the meatloaf (allergies, dietary restriction, or just preference?). If you say you don't eat red meat she will remind you the salad comes with bacon... UGH. It was just awkward as heck.

This whole time quick service diners are streaming past you to get their food....

Once you get in there, you go to a special spot and get your food. The team there was not trained well, so that took a while. We went through checkout, and then there was no designated seating inside the restaurant either... so we had to stand around and wait for people to leave (we lucked out, someone was cleaning up so we didn't wait long, but the people behind us did....). It was very hot so no one wanted to be outside.

The food was.... MEH. I was hungry and it was fine, but most of our conversation was about why they don't just let you eat the regular food and use maybe a special appetizer and/or dessert to "make the package special". It was really annoying to see people sitting down with delicious fried chicken and carrot cake when I was eating strange spongy meatloaf. They tried to make it feel more upscale but it just didn't work. The salad was the best part.

So, at the other end of things... the parade seating. We decided NOT to get there before 8 since we heard there are lines anyway... getting a curb spot was not critical. We got popcorn and mickey bars and headed to the line. It was already really long... no idea how long people were waiting but clearly some had been there for a while. By the time we got tot he front, the curb was fully taken and so we took a spot near the rails facing the train station (at least we had a backrest).

I know some would prefer to face main street, but I actually liked our spot. We could see it coming down main street, and then around the loop, and then it came right by us. We got to enjoy a very long view... and very close.

Another annoyance... at around 8:15 or so, they took the ropes down... so pretty much anyone could walk up and sit there??? Since everyone was wearing lanyards most people walked by, but we did have a family come fill in and fill a spot. On the one hand, good for them, it was open seating. But that felt wrong also... we paid a LOT of money for that place, and to know it could have been packed in in was pretty annoying too.

So - we expected mediocre food and great parade viewing. That's what we got. When we walked through to the seating, the crowds were already very thick.... so we did save the time for a couple more rides and snacks for sure, and got a place to sit for the hour long wait. We would have been standing anywhere else, with a view behind other people standing, much less than ideal.

We did the World of Color dessert party and one of the Fantasmic packages, and both were MUCH better than this... but, the parade was AMAZING and we did get great seating. But I still do not think I would recommend this... Disney needs to figure this one out.

I completely agree with this review. The check in process was annoying. Painfully slow and you are baking in the heat. They fought us when trying to get an option besides meatloaf. Kept pushing and asking if it was a dietary restriction or allergy. Like yes, it’s a restriction, I don’t eat it. I offered to cancel the package and they wanted to still charge the $10pp. Ive done this package in the past for the Christmas parade and Main Street electrical parade and they offered the full fried chicken meal or a pasta. Now if you say you don’t eat red meat you get a single chicken breast. I also don’t eat pork and was able to get a regular side salad. Not the wedge. My friend didn’t know that was an option and just went without a salad. We wont be doing this package again.

 

[Skyegirl1999]

I completely agree with this review. The check in process was annoying. Painfully slow and you are baking in the heat. They fought us when trying to get an option besides meatloaf. Kept pushing and asking if it was a dietary restriction or allergy. Like yes, it’s a restriction, I don’t eat it. I offered to cancel the package and they wanted to still charge the $10pp. Ive done this package in the past for the Christmas parade and Main Street electrical parade and they offered the full fried chicken meal or a pasta. Now if you say you don’t eat red meat you get a single chicken breast. I also don’t eat pork and was able to get a regular side salad. Not the wedge. My friend didn’t know that was an option and just went without a salad. We wont be doing this package again.

You know, they were playing that creepy lullaby music in the Esplanade for the first week of the 70th, and by a week later, they pivoted back to the normal Esplanade loop.

I'm hoping this meatloaf situation might go the same way. Surely if they continually have people trying to dodge the meatloaf, they'll have to adapt???

 

[Artygal90]

You know, they were playing that creepy lullaby music in the Esplanade for the first week of the 70th, and by a week later, they pivoted back to the normal Esplanade loop.

I'm hoping this meatloaf situation might go the same way. Surely if they continually have people trying to dodge the meatloaf, they'll have to adapt???

I completely agree with this review. The check in process was annoying. Painfully slow and you are baking in the heat. They fought us when trying to get an option besides meatloaf. Kept pushing and asking if it was a dietary restriction or allergy. Like yes, it’s a restriction, I don’t eat it. I offered to cancel the package and they wanted to still charge the $10pp. Ive done this package in the past for the Christmas parade and Main Street electrical parade and they offered the full fried chicken meal or a pasta. Now if you say you don’t eat red meat you get a single chicken breast. I also don’t eat pork and was able to get a regular side salad. Not the wedge. My friend didn’t know that was an option and just went without a salad. We wont be doing this package again.

I read on other social media tonight about people getting interrogated about wanting substitutions. I sent a chat message in the Disneyland app asking them to please just let people order off the regular menu given that no other dining package at the resort is that inflexible AND it’s an expensive package to boot. Maybe worth a shot to write in complaining about your experience and requesting a policy change? Maybe if enough people make the request they’ll loosen up.

I know they don’t have to and the packages will still sell out (I’ll probably still pay for the darn package regardless) but it would be good customer service for them to be more accommodating.

 

[irlandaise]

Yep, I watched you getting them ready, the photographer taking their pics, and then the start of the parade.

There was such great energy that night. Everyone was so excited when gates opened and the music started. I can only imagine how your girls felt. People were cheering and singing and dancing.

Did you not stay for fireworks after the parade? You were right there and could have just turned around. Tapestry of Happiness was just a few minutes after fireworks.

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Sorry, can someone fill me in? Were these non-Disney people who somehow got to be in PTN?

 

[LKing]

They didn't get to be in the parade. They stood in the street as the gate opened and the parade began. As soon as the floats started moving, they ran back to their seats. I don't know that DL regularly chooses people to start the parade. @Skyegirl1999 can better answer that.

This is a screenshot from the video I took when the parade started. You can see that her girls were running back to their seats before Tink passed the gate. The fairies spent some time interacting with the girls when they were in their seats. That is common in parades and cavalcades when kids are dressed like characters.

 

[irlandaise]

They didn't get to be in the parade. They stood in the street as the gate opened and the parade began. As soon as the floats started moving, they ran back to their seats. I don't know that DL regularly chooses people to start the parade. @Skyegirl1999 can better answer that.

Okay, thanks. One of your photos showed what appeared to be CMs walking toward the girls, so I thought something was being coordinated for the parade.

 

[LKing]

In the first photos, the people wearing fluorescent clothing are Photopass photographers. They were walking up and down the parade route taking photos of guests with PTN signs. They took several photos of the girls standing in the street. The woman in black had a more official role.