My Disneyland Trip Turned Out To Be A Bit Of A Disaster

[Porsche4]

Unfortunatley there doesn't seem to be a slow time at DL anymore I was there from the 8-10th, also using an ecv and at times it was insane! We got tons done early though and just took it easy later in the day and at night. I've been to DL too many times to count and this time was def busier than maybe even summer used to be. I kept wondering why these kids weren't in school! LOL

Sorry you had a bad experience

I know right I kept thinking the same thing. All the research I did before I left said that kids would be back in school that week straight after Thanksgiving so crowds would be more manageable. Go figure!!!!

 

[Porsche4]

I would keep in mind for everyone that From Halloween time until after the Holidays end most days are packed....you can get lucky and not have packed days but mostly if your not rope dropping DCA your going to be with lots of people most the day

What entertainment times did they changed? Besides the candle light weekend, I haven't seen them changing things so wanted to ask

Things like Feliz Navidad and a few other holiday offerings moved to just having shows on over the weekend and not every day. All the entertainment in Avengers Campus was also axed big time and had limited days of show times which was a big disappointment. This was the first time my son experienced this area and it is so dead now. It used to be vibrant with lots going on, now it is like a ghost town with crowds gathered round Webslingers and a couple of meet and greet areas but thats it. There is no ambience at all. Quite disappionting.

 

[Porsche4]

We were just there (7th-11th) and I thought the crowds were not too bad, certainly less than I was expecting for holiday season. Although we weren't on ECVs, which I imagine must make navigating some places nearly impossible. But those choke/crush points (especially around parades) seem to be horrible no matter how busy the day, so I think that is just a fact of life at DL these days.

Yes I think the dates you were there were the sweet spot this year and not the week directly after Thanksgiving as I was. We were in DL on Saturday the 7th and that was our best day in that park. It seemed a lot had avoided the park because Candlelight Processional was on and many locals who we were in line with at the gate before opening, were there just to snag themselves a spot for that in the evening so they didn't affect the lines for the rides.

 

[LKing]

I know right I kept thinking the same thing. All the research I did before I left said that kids would be back in school that week straight after Thanksgiving so crowds would be more manageable. Go figure!!!!

Since Thanksgiving was so late, I think you ran into more of the "first week of December" instead of the "last week of November."

It used to be vibrant with lots going on, now it is like a ghost town

When did you last visit Avengers Campus? Personally, I think it has been lackluster since the beginning. Hopefully the expansion will help.

 

[Porsche4]

FWIW, the week after Hallowe'en Time was great this year. Short lines, instant returns on mobile orders, plenty of places to sit to eat or just rest.

I probably shouldn't be telling everyone that...

Porsche4, I'm so sorry that it was insanely crowded during your visit. I've been following your preparations, and because you were coming from so far away, I know you can't just rush back and try to have a smoother trip. I hope your family can get back again sometime and have a more pleasant experience!

Thanks, yes I think that was the hardest pill for me to swallow. We are planning to take a break from Disney holidays for a while as I feel the value for money isn't there at the moment. We are heading back to the UK next year and possibly Belgium and The Netherlands the year after that. Hoping that maybe in 2027 we may take a trip to WDW which we haven't been to in years. Guess we will just have to wait and see. I have a bit of a sour taste in my mouth in regards to Disney at the moment but I guess that will pass and the itch will return.

 

[Porsche4]

I keep waiting for the crowds to plummet. DL is sooooo expensive, hotels, Lightning lanes, park hoppers, food. Everything is crazy expensive for a not so magical experience where you need to be on your phone all day. I keep waiting for the crowds to plummet but people obviously think DL is still worth it and good for you. The way the CDN dollar is there it would be even more expensive (if you could picture that). Sorry you didn't have a magical time.

I have to agree with you. The Aussie dollar is not strong against the USD either and this trip ended costing me an absolute fortune. For the cost of a two week trip to the US (we had a few days in Hawaii and San Francisco then 9 nights in DL) we could do four weeks in the UK or Europe. Its insane.

 

[Porsche4]

Porsche4 ~ I'm so sorry your trip was disappointing! I know how much time, thought and effort you've put into your plans. It's so difficult when things like that happen, especially when you're traveling from afar because it's not like you can just pop over to the parks another day.

I'm glad DCA was a bright spot and I hope you did manage to have at least some magical moments.

Thanks for your kind words. We did definitely have some great moments and it was absolutely wonderful having my son with us who just makes us all laugh with his quirky sense of humour. He hasn't been to a Disney park in years and even though he found it overwhelming at times he now has the bug back again and says he really wants us to organise a trip to WDW in the next few years. That will be a challenge as I know it is even more crowded there than DL but I will plan that holiday a LOT differently. I guess I just had very different expectations going into this holiday which I realise now in hindsight were way off the mark. It will be some time before we get back to DL but never say never right.

 

[disneychrista]

I think part of the problem this year with the week after Thanksgiving was that Thanksgiving was late this year plus Candlelight being that weekend.

I just got home from my time at Disneyland (12/11-12/13) and I agree the crowds were insane, especially in the evenings. Mom was in a scooter and she was complaining the entire time about people walking right in front of her, to the point that she said she felt invisible.

 

[ShoeCello]

I assume you are referring to Tiana's Place and not Bayou Country. The walkway into Adventureland (from the Tiki Room to the treehouse) is narrow. The placement of the planters doesn't help. Even on an average day, it is difficult to walk though. I imagine that it is even more difficult to navigate with an ECV.

Just an FYI that it is Tiana's Palace (and not Tiana's Place). I agree with you that that area is a pinch point for traffic flow. That whole area can get even more congested when the ropes are up on the Pirates bridge for F! viewing and when the Pirates queue spills out onto NOS... can't wait for them to remove Pirates from LL (which I hope they do given their promises of LL being "temporary")!

 

[LKing]

Just an FYI that it is Tiana's Palace (and not Tiana's Place). I agree with you that that area is a pinch point for traffic flow. That whole area can get even more congested when the ropes are up on the Pirates bridge for F! viewing and when the Pirates queue spills out onto NOS... can't wait for them to remove Pirates from LL (which I hope they do given their promises of LL being "temporary")!

Ugh! Thanks, I keep messing that up! I'll correct my original post.

 

[Porsche4]

I’m sorry to hear your trip was disappointing, especially after so much waiting and planning. After decades of visiting WDW and now DL for several years, I think I’ve finally broken through that mental barrier into “go with the flow” territory. It’s difficult, especially knowing how expensive these trips are, how much long-term planning they require, and it gets even more complicated when you’re going with several people, especially those with extra “challenges.”

Hopefully you get a chance to go again in the future and this experience leads to improved planning for your particular situation. And hopefully there were some positive memories created with your kids even through the struggles.

Oh we definitely made some great memories and you are absolutely right. If we manage to get to WDW as planned in the next few years the bar will be set very low, reading all the stories about wait times there. I also think as I get older that I am finally learning to go with the flow a bit better. I just wish Disney would do away with park reservations that would just make my life so much easier as I could then just relax and be more spontaneous. If things go awry on your holiday, which inevitably they will, you could then just readjust things on the go. Park reservations lock you in and it is just too stressful to try and rearrange things. Our trip to Scotland last year was a joy as even though I had planned out our days we changed things several times and just had such a wonderful trip. Oh well perhaps by the time we return Disney will have seen the light.

 

[ShoeCello]

Things like Feliz Navidad and a few other holiday offerings moved to just having shows on over the weekend and not every day. All the entertainment in Avengers Campus was also axed big time and had limited days of show times which was a big disappointment. This was the first time my son experienced this area and it is so dead now. It used to be vibrant with lots going on, now it is like a ghost town with crowds gathered round Webslingers and a couple of meet and greet areas but thats it. There is no ambience at all. Quite disappionting.

I feel like even when wait times are lower.....the walkways always feel so congested. I'm not sure what can even be done about that. I think part of the problem is actually LL. People are just wandering around waiting for the LL return rather than jumping in other queues. So it's just hard to navigate the parks. I feel like it's this way even during the "slow" seasons, unfortunately.

I wonder if WDW is better when it comes to this since their walkways are just built wider. I've never actually been to WDW during the holiday season though.

Another contributing factor to the overcrowding is the fact that multiple high capacity entertainment venues are sitting shuttered. Hyperion seats 2,000 people, so back when Frozen or Aladdin were running multiple shows a day that would be some 1.5K-2K people not in line at any one time for the (already limited number of) attractions at DCA. Similarly, at DLP, Fantasyland Theater seats 1,800 people and the old Captain EO theater seats another 500. Back when DLP was running both daytime and nighttime parades daily, these could suck another couple thousand people to watch (and thus meaning walkways for other parts of the park were emptier). I hope Disneyland gets the guest feedback that live entertainment is important, and not having these venues in use can have negative impact on crowding throughout the park.

 

[Porsche4]

I feel like even when wait times are lower.....the walkways always feel so congested. I'm not sure what can even be done about that. I think part of the problem is actually LL. People are just wandering around waiting for the LL return rather than jumping in other queues. So it's just hard to navigate the parks. I feel like it's this way even during the "slow" seasons, unfortunately.

I wonder if WDW is better when it comes to this since their walkways are just built wider. I've never actually been to WDW during the holiday season though.

Yes I have to agree. Even on busy days we found the wait times at many rides were manageable it was just the crowds that were insane. It seemed like there were so many people just milling round and that was what made navigation so tough.

 

[Porsche4]

Since Thanksgiving was so late, I think you ran into more of the "first week of December" instead of the "last week of November."


When did you last visit Avengers Campus? Personally, I think it has been lackluster since the beginning. Hopefully the expansion will help.

We were there in April 2022 and it was a lot of fun, this time it just seemed like there was nothing there. I guess that will change once the new rides are introduced.

 

[irlandaise]

can't wait for them to remove Pirates from LL (which I hope they do given their promises of LL being "temporary")!

Do you mean that then the queue that was for LL holders will be filled with standby guests and thus keep the Pirates line from extending so far from the ride?

 

[irlandaise]

I wonder if WDW is better when it comes to this since their walkways are just built wider. I've never actually been to WDW during the holiday season though.

I haven't been to WDW in years, but yes, the walkways are much wider there, so if you plan your visit for a less busy time you should have a much better situation than at DL. The holidays would obviously be a challenge, but maybe doable with careful planning.

 

[ShoeCello]

Do you mean that then the queue that was for LL holders will be filled with standby guests and thus keep the Pirates line from extending so far from the ride?

Yes. Basically only half the outdoor area is being used as standby queue right now.

 

[LAS2AMS]

The walkways at DL are narrow but it seems they’re making improvements. I noticed there’s some fences up at the entrance to Tomorrowland and the corresponding sign says they’re making improvements to improve the landscaping and widen the walkways… so I’m assuming they’re reducing the landscaping.

The queues are way tighter at DL and DCA vs. WDW.

In fairness… there’s way less ECV traffic at DLR vs WDW, so even though the walkways are more narrow, I often find them more manageable.

 

[LKing]

The walkways at DL are narrow but it seems they’re making improvements. I noticed there’s some fences up at the entrance to Tomorrowland and the corresponding sign says they’re making improvements to improve the landscaping and widen the walkways… so I’m assuming they’re reducing the landscaping.

Interesting. To me, Tomorrowland seems like the least congested land.

 

[LAS2AMS]

Interesting. To me, Tomorrowland seems like the least congested land.

I agree. And they could always put AstroOrbitet back on top of the PeopleMover (and bring that attraction back while there’re at it).