WDW bubble feel

[Leigh123]

Thanks so much to everyone ( well except one who was unkind just for the sake of it) to take the time to share your opinions and experiences. I do greatly appreciate your time and insight.

 

[VGCgroupie]

A


What upsets me is that people come to this forum for help and advice — not just the OP but the large number of people who will read this thread now and in the future — is the continued portrayal of the area as being unsafe. That’s simply not true — even the most blighted properties are worth significantly more than most people reading this thread’s homes. Because of that, Anaheim PD - and the rest of the police throughout OC - is well funded. Random violent crime is extremely rare anywhere in OC — these communities are safer than the average commonly in the USA.

One poster above said they don’t want to see signs of homelessness and poverty on vacation. That’s a great answer… you aren’t soft and don’t look down on homeless so why do you feel unsafe?

Disney and Anaheim have poured hundreds of millions of dollars into gentrifying the surrounding community. Nearly all of the hotels built in the 50s, 60s and 70s have been razed and replaced.

Im not sure if this was in response to me. I never said anyone wasnt safe as I dont know the crime stats, nor do I care to look them up. I said you might see things that may frighten you. Everyone is valid in their feelings and if something would scare me Im sure it would scare my now 9 year old, he was much younger when we witnessed what we witnessed. These things are still happening on occasion based on reports I have seen. So it cant be all rainbows and sunshine, OP asked and I answered. I cant remember seeing reports of half naked yelling people or people yelling with knives at WDW so they should know what they might see on a walk down harbor.

Aside from that, if staying on property wasn't an option I would do a place like Candy Cane with a hotel to park shuttle. Or I would rent a car and stay somewhere else for an even bigger bang for my buck vs harbor hotels.

 

[LAS2AMS]

Im not sure if this was in response to me. I never said anyone wasnt safe as I dont know the crime stats, nor do I care to look them up. I said you might see things that may frighten you. Everyone is valid in their feelings and if something would scare me Im sure it would scare my now 9 year old, he was much younger when we witnessed what we witnessed. These things are still happening on occasion based on reports I have seen. So it cant be all rainbows and sunshine, OP asked and I answered. I cant remember seeing reports of half naked yelling people or people yelling with knives at WDW so they should know what they might see on a walk down harbor.

Aside from that, if staying on property wasn't an option I would do a place like Candy Cane with a hotel to park shuttle. Or I would rent a car and stay somewhere else for an even bigger bang for my buck vs harbor hotels.

My comments were directed at person I was quoting . People (non-locals) are always asking me if Disneyland is safe / telling me they hear the area is unsafe. It’s a pet peeve of mine — random violent crime is non-existent in the resort community. There’s absolutely nothing to support that position.

Yes, it’s an urban theme park and the setting may take awhile for some people to adjust to. 20 years ago, Disneyland’s main entrance was filled with shuttle busses … today they’re few and far between and most people choose to walk. Again… thousands of people waking at night and every night. And no random violent crime.

 

[VGCgroupie]

My comments were directed at person I was quoting . People (non-locals) are always asking me if Disneyland is safe / telling me they hear the area is unsafe. It’s a pet peeve of mine — random violent crime is non-existent in the resort community. There’s absolutely nothing to support that position.

Yes, it’s an urban theme park and the setting may take awhile for some people to adjust to. 20 years ago, Disneyland’s main entrance was filled with shuttle busses … today they’re few and far between and most people choose to walk. Again… thousands of people waking at night and every night. And no random violent crime.

Since I grew up in SoCal we used to always drive. I remember vividly coming down the escalator from the parking garage and thats when I knew our vacation was beginning. As an adult I have never actually parked and entered this way, its always been Harbor or staying on property. But I bet it would spark just as much feeling as walking through the "here you leave today and enter the world of yesterday, tomorrow and fantasy" tunnel. I may just park and stay off property for our trip in February.

 

[LAS2AMS]

Since I grew up in SoCal we used to always drive. I remember vividly coming down the escalator from the parking garage and thats when I knew our vacation was beginning. As an adult I have never actually parked and entered this way, its always been Harbor or staying on property. But I bet it would spark just as much feeling as walking through the "here you leave today and enter the world of yesterday, tomorrow and fantasy" tunnel. I may just park and stay off property for our trip in February.

I’m in my early 40s (time goes by fast)! When I was growing up, the area was blighted and filled out with run down motels. Disney and Anaheim started acquiring these properties in the 1990s. Most were torn down and most everything else was rebuilt and/ or heavily remodeled over time. The lush landscaping didn’t exist, nor did the parking garages/ entrance off the 5. For some reason, the nasty 7-11s are among the few properties that remain.

The hardcore rejuvenation didn’t happen until the late 1990s, although it seems like yesterday to me. The entrance plaza was filled with hotel shuttles and the original old school trams that took people to the DLH / Pacific Hotels. Today it’s largely empty sans a rush of ART busses in the morning and the Toy Story busses.

Alas, Disneyland is in an urban area and that’s a shock to those who are use to WDW. That said, the land surrounding WDW has been increasing developed over the last decade and it shows. They tore down the old Splendid China theme park and built Margaritteville and all that neon is visible from much of WDW property.

 

[VGCgroupie]

I’m in my early 40s (time goes by fast)! When I was growing up, the area was blighted and filled out with run down motels. Disney and Anaheim started acquiring these properties in the 1990s. Most were torn down and most everything else was rebuilt and/ or heavily remodeled over time. The lush landscaping didn’t exist, nor did the parking garages/ entrance off the 5. For some reason, the nasty 7-11s are among the few properties that remain.

The hardcore rejuvenation didn’t happen until the late 1990s, although it seems like yesterday to me. The entrance plaza was filled with hotel shuttles and the original old school trams that took people to the DLH / Pacific Hotels. Today it’s largely empty sans a rush of ART busses in the morning and the Toy Story busses.

We are roughly the same age. So we were visiting in the same era. Time does fly!

 

[Bad Pink Tink 2.0]

I’m in my early 40s (time goes by fast)! When I was growing up, the area was blighted and filled out with run down motels. Disney and Anaheim started acquiring these properties in the 1990s. Most were torn down and most everything else was rebuilt and/ or heavily remodeled over time. The lush landscaping didn’t exist, nor did the parking garages/ entrance off the 5. For some reason, the nasty 7-11s are among the few properties that remain.

The hardcore rejuvenation didn’t happen until the late 1990s, although it seems like yesterday to me. The entrance plaza was filled with hotel shuttles and the original old school trams that took people to the DLH / Pacific Hotels. Today it’s largely empty sans a rush of ART busses in the morning and the Toy Story busses.

Not to dimish your experiences and how you have seen big changes over the course of many years. I get it. I grew up in a low income high crime area, and have also seen similar changes in the areas I know in Dublin.

For a lot of out of state visitors to Disneyland, though, the in your view cleaned up , safer Anaheim in 2024, is still very much a culture shock.

Its all to do with life experiences and perceptions. This is an extreme example but imagine people in their day to day lives who live in gated communities and never drive more than a 5 mile radius from their home for work, social life, school runs, grocery shopping etc etc and that 5 mile radius area has low crime and no homeless people on the street and they have never seen a street preacher at a cross walk, have never had to walk past street sellers talking loudly promoting their items.

That family goes from their bubble world day to day life, to the bubble world of WDW.

Then after a few years that family decides to take a trip to Anaheim and Disneyland.

Thats what I'm talking about when I say culture shock.

You have known the area for all your life and seen how its improved, but for first time visitors who have very different life experiences to you , they feel unsafe and uncomfortable

 

[LAS2AMS]

Not to dimish your experiences and how you have seen big changes over the course of many years. I get it. I grew up in a low income high crime area, and have also seen similar changes in the areas I know in Dublin.

For a lot of out of state visitors to Disneyland, though, the in your view cleaned up , safer Anaheim in 2024, is still very much a culture shock.

Its all to do with life experiences and perceptions. This is an extreme example but imagine people in their day to day lives who live in gated communities and never drive more than a 5 mile radius from their home for work, social life, school runs, grocery shopping etc etc and that 5 mile radius area has low crime and no homeless people on the street and they have never seen a street preacher at a cross walk, have never had to walk past street sellers talking loudly promoting their items.

That family goes from their bubble world day to day life, to the bubble world of WDW.

Then after a few years that family decides to take a trip to Anaheim and Disneyland.

Thats what I'm talking about when I say culture shock.

You have known the area for all your life and seen how its improved, but for first time visitors who have very different life experiences to you , they feel unsafe and uncomfortable

Good post. I don’t disagree with most of what you wrote, but I do like to point out that if you stay within the confines of the Anaheim Resort, you will have minimal (or no) exposure to homelessness, poverty, etc. Anaheim/ DL does an incredible job keeping the area clean.

If you drive up Ball Road, for example, to State College to dine at In-N-Out… you’ll encounter a large blighted Latino enclave. I get that that this is the stuff that makes people uncomfortable… but again, you don’t have to experience this if you don’t want to (stay in Anaheim Resort). It’s no different than the area you visit when you leave WDW property to make a Target run.

The Los Angeles area in general is a huge culture shock from the rest of that nation. Probably less so in years past, but if you grew up in Middle America, I’m not surprised how places like Anaheim, Santa Ana, etc. would make you uncomfortable.

 

[Bad Pink Tink 2.0]

Good post. I don’t disagree with most of what you wrote, but I do like to point out that if you stay within the confines of the Anaheim Resort, you will have minimal (or no) exposure to homelessness, poverty, etc. Anaheim/ DL does an incredible job keeping the area clean.

If you drive up Ball Road, for example, to State College to dine at In-N-Out… you’ll encounter a large blighted Latino enclave. I get that that this is the stuff that makes people uncomfortable… but again, you don’t have to experience this if you don’t want to (stay in Anaheim Resort). It’s no different than the area you visit when you leave WDW property to make a Target run.

The Los Angeles area in general is a huge culture shock from the rest of that nation. Probably less so in years past, but if you grew up in Middle America, I’m not surprised how places like Anaheim, Santa Ana, etc. would make you uncomfortable.

I stayed at Desert Inn and Suites 26 June to 30 June 2024 , which is almost directly at the cross section to the entrance gates. In the short 7 minute walk from my room to the Disneyland entrance I saw multiple homeless, against the railings of Park Vue Inn, at the bus stop outside Tropicana Hotel and at the Disneyland bus stop on Harbour. There was a street preacher at the cross walk as I waited to cross the road to the Disneyland entrance in the morning. Each night when I left the park there were multiple street venders with music, light up items, bottles of water etc.

None of it bothered me, Im just observant as I am used to seeing far worse in Dublin.

But as I was walking to and from Disneyland, and passing this more colourful aspect of Anaheim, I also observed the body language of the people around me who were also going to Disneyland. I could easily tell that many people were uncomfortable seeing this what you and I consider harmless reality.

 

[OlliePop27]

Thanks so much to everyone ( well except one who was unkind just for the sake of it) to take the time to share your opinions and experiences. I do greatly appreciate your time and insight.

OP - Have a great trip! You unknowingly posted about one of the hottest button recurring topics on the DL board - on site vs. off site.

There's a lot of great people who posted, and everyone has valid opinions. Ultimately, please do not let it detract from the fact that Disneyland is amazing and pure magic. All of us on here absolutely love it and you will have a spectacular time regardless of where you stay. Once inside the parks, especially Disneyland Park, the outside world seems far away just like at WDW.

Having personally stayed at all three of the on site hotels at different times in my life, I can confidently say you will enjoy any of them - I personally believe the Grand and the DLH are the most magical of all. The Grand is closest and a more Wilderness Lodge type feel. The DLH is a bit further (but still walkable and has the monorail to get you into Disneyland park) and themed to retro Disneyland (I'm partial to this hotel having gone almost annually during my childhood). The DLH also has Trader Sams like you have at the Poly and really cool pools!

Have an amazing time and please report back afterwards about your experience!

 

[5forMickey]

My comments were directed at person I was quoting . People (non-locals) are always asking me if Disneyland is safe / telling me they hear the area is unsafe. It’s a pet peeve of mine — random violent crime is non-existent in the resort community. There’s absolutely nothing to support that position.

Yes, it’s an urban theme park and the setting may take awhile for some people to adjust to. 20 years ago, Disneyland’s main entrance was filled with shuttle busses … today they’re few and far between and most people choose to walk. Again… thousands of people waking at night and every night. And no random violent crime.

I think you may want to read my comment a little closer as my comment was “I don’t feel safe”….I fully stated it was MY opinion only. Some may share my feelings others may not but it’s MY opinion. That’s the thing about personal opinions, they aren’t always the same which is generally why people request them instead of stats.

 

[hhisc16]

DH and I have been to WDW at least 25x. We enjoy the overall resort on these trips as much as the parks. We usually stay at Animal Kingdom Lodge or Yacht and Beach Club. We like being in the “bubble”. We are thinking of venturing to DL in April. I know from here and all the YT videos I have watched the parks exp is different. My question is does it feel anymore like the wdw resort experience to splurge and stay Iin one of the 3 Disney hotels as opposed to a good neighbor hotel that ? I hope this question makes sense and thank you in advance.

We stayed at VDH and VGC this summer and the DLR bubble felt similar to the WDW bubble.
We enjoyed our DLR stay at both resorts!

 

[BrianL]

My comments were directed at person I was quoting . People (non-locals) are always asking me if Disneyland is safe / telling me they hear the area is unsafe. It’s a pet peeve of mine — random violent crime is non-existent in the resort community. There’s absolutely nothing to support that position.

Yes, it’s an urban theme park and the setting may take awhile for some people to adjust to. 20 years ago, Disneyland’s main entrance was filled with shuttle busses … today they’re few and far between and most people choose to walk. Again… thousands of people waking at night and every night. And no random violent crime.

This I agree with. If you walk along Harbor you are likely to see some street vendors and a few homeless folks. They are in fact unlikely to attack you. It is a very safe area. I have never been harassed by anyone out there, unless you consider a guy playing a guitar on a street corner for tips harsassment. He didn't even ask - just had his case open, you know? I get that some people aren't used to that, and it may not even be ideal or desireable, but it is not at all unsafe. I'd worry more about the drivers while crossing Harbor/Katella!

 

[Tinkaboo]

A


What upsets me is that people come to this forum for help and advice — not just the OP but the large number of people who will read this thread now and in the future — is the continued portrayal of the area as being unsafe. That’s simply not true — even the most blighted properties are worth significantly more than most people reading this thread’s homes. Because of that, Anaheim PD - and the rest of the police throughout OC - is well funded. Random violent crime is extremely rare anywhere in OC — these communities are safer than the average commonly in the USA.

One poster above said they don’t want to see signs of homelessness and poverty on vacation. That’s a great answer… you aren’t soft and don’t look down on homeless so why do you feel unsafe?

Disney and Anaheim have poured hundreds of millions of dollars into gentrifying the surrounding community. Nearly all of the hotels built in the 50s, 60s and 70s have been razed and replaced.

AMEN! I have never felt threatened or unsafe walking back and forth ( when I’m not using CCI shuttle) to the park. I rather enjoy it in the cool of the morning, mingling and observing young families with children, excited to get there.

The homeless,for the most part, don’t even approach or panhandle, some maybe have a sign. I just can’t comprehend why people feel unsafe in Anaheim. Probably half of them venture other places around LA where they are more likely to be harassed.

AS FOR THE REPETITION OF TOPICS…let’s face it, some people just don’t know how to use the SEARCH function

 

[Bad Pink Tink 2.0]

I'd worry more about the drivers while crossing Harbor/Katella!

OMG, yes... especially at 11pm at night after a long park day and my feet just move at the pace they move. The countdown lights opposite telling my brain to MOVE as when the lights turn you know those cars are ready to go

 

[DizMe]

I grew up going to Disneyland starting in the late 50s. Once or twice a year, we would do a day trip to Disneyland. You parked in a giant parking lot then and didn't really see anyone or anything much around the resort. When I was older, we were just dropped off at the gate. There was no Downtown Disney and we never left the resort itself, and I didn't see or pay attention to what it looked like outside the park and entry drive.

There were many changes over the years, of course. As a younger adult, I'd take my kids and we'd stay in a motel on Katella, which is now long gone. I have an old postcard of it, LOL. The main DL entrance was still right across the street at that time and it was still the only park. But it was nothing like it is now. No huge hotels (there was one hotel I recall called the Grand, which is around where Cheesecake Factory is now--I honeymooned there in 1977), the Disneyland Hotel, and maybe the Pan Pacific which is now Pixar Place Hotel. We weren't ever afraid to walk back and forth. There were far fewer cars and you could just cross Katella from the motel without going down to an intersection! You did have to make the long trek through the DL parking lot to the ticket booths and the trams would not let pedestrians ride, lol.

I don't really know when things started to change, but I'd say the '80s? The area began to seem more rundown, which isn't surprising given that it was aging, and Disneyland went through a period of not being maintained as it had been. Happily, DLR eventually got a lot of nice refreshes and improvements, and so did the surrounding area. But there was also a lot more traffic and people and the times were changing. This isn't just true of DLR, but cities in general. In my lifetime, there have been very significant alterations in what city streets are like, both for the better and for the worse. I think Anaheim has done a wonderful job with the area around DLR, but it's a much larger problem addressing things like homelessness, income disparity, drug use, car racing, etc. It isn't a Disneyland Resort/Anaheim problem, it's a national one, and I see the same kind of thing on a smaller scale in my town in Northern California.

But when I'm on vacation, especially at Disneyland, I'm there to be in another world--a fantasy world, for sure--and I prefer not to see everyday problems. I don't want to deal with that for a while. I enjoy the illusion of a clean, wholesome world where people are happy. Granted, it is an imaginary world, but isn't that why most people love Disney?

 

[BrianL]

But when I'm on vacation, especially at Disneyland, I'm there to be in another world--a fantasy world, for sure--and I prefer not to see everyday problems. I don't want to deal with that for a while. I enjoy the illusion of a clean, wholesome world where people are happy. Granted, it is an imaginary world, but isn't that why most people love Disney?

I totally understand not wanting to see it, but it's a leap from that to considering the area unsafe. I love the bubble at WDW, but I just don't want to spend the money to stay on property at DLR since all of the three options are still pretty pricey. WDW has value and moderate class resorts which is nice (they also have like 20 resorts on property).

 

[DizMe]

I totally understand not wanting to see it, but it's a leap from that to considering the area unsafe. I love the bubble at WDW, but I just don't want to spend the money to stay on property at DLR since all of the three options are still pretty pricey. WDW has value and moderate class resorts which is nice (they also have like 20 resorts on property).

Absolutely. I guess I should have said that I don't usually feel unsafe, it's more that I just don't like being in the real world, LOL. That's why I go to DL.

I've had a few incidents occur though that did feel potentially unsafe for a single woman. One was downright scary. My daughter (she was about 17) and I were walking back to Hojo at night once several years ago. There were so many people trying to get across the crosswalk going back from DL that we thought we'd be clever and go down the DL side of Harbor. It was fine until we got farther down and suddenly there was no one around and it was very dark. There were only bushes next to the sidewalk, as DL property was right behind it, and suddenly, a man jumped out at us and waved his arms around, yelling and lunging at us. I think he just thought it was funny to scare us, but it was a big wake-up call to stay alert and stick with others. I once had a homeless man who appeared to be sleeping under a bench suddenly reach out to me and then laugh when I jumped.

 

[becoming_diznified]

Our family did WDW in 2023 and DLR for the first time this past summer. Both times we stayed outside of the properties due to both cost and just having more space for a family to spread out. Honestly it made things a lot nicer as we weren't on top of each other when we were not at the parks. We drove to both parks, so at some point you enter the "bubble" once you get out of the parking lot/garage and you're on the tram. It was weird seeing DLR being in the middle of the city though I don't recall (at least driving) that any place felt unsafe. We also may have missed a lot of things on Harbor Blvd since we didn't walk into the park.

 

[LKing]

Risk and safety are often relative to one's own community. At home, we learn how to live with it. When we travel, we don't have that same awareness and things like trash and homelessness stand out more.

According to the US Census, the city of Orlando have approximately the same population
Anaheim population: 346,824
Orlando population: 307,573
Kissimmee population: 79,226

Crime rates - According to Niche (per 100,000)
green indicates less than the national average, red indicates greater than the national average

Robbery: Anaheim 110.2, Orlando 137.1, Kissimmee 69, national average 135.5
Theft: Anaheim 1756.1, Orlando 3173.7, Kissimmee 1469, national average 2042.8
Assault: Anaheim 616, Orlando 615.7, Kissimmee 291, national average 282.7
Burglary: Anaheim 499 Orlando 449.9, Kissimmee 225.8, national average 500.1
Murder: Anaheim 3.5, Orlando 10.3, Kissimmee 3.8, national average 6.1
Rape: Anaheim 36.3, Orlando 72.7, Kissimmee 45.2, national average 40.7

My point in sharing these stats is to show that, in the vast majority of cases, crime in Anaheim is below the national average.

I included Orlando because, for those who are in a WDW bubble, it is important to be aware of your surroundings when you leave that perceived area of safety. My guess is that the Orlando theft rate is mostly crimes of opportunity. The Orlando rape and murder rates are higher than both Las Vegas and NYC. That concerns me.

Edit to add Kissimmee. I can't find Reedy Creek stats.