WDW bubble feel

[Lumpy1106]

If you want to talk unsafe, can we throw LAX into the discussion? I mean, it is part of the trip for many so certainly part of the experience. Hate that place. Orlando has no equal.

 

[StarlitNight05]

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.

That's the same reason I prefer onsite, I want to escape the real world. We have a huge amount of unhoused people where I live and it's a very sad reality that I like to avoid on vacation.

But to reiterate what others have said, it's pretty safe offsite. We have never had anyone assault us from Harbor, verbally or physically.

For me it's just the feeling I get from it all that I like to avoid. One time we literally had to step over a few people who were laying on the sidewalk and I nearly cried. Here I am going to a wonderful, happy place, and these people have to sleep on the streets... Admittedly, I am an extremely sensitive person (I have been known to cry over commercials), so things that bother me may seem normal/not a big deal to others.

 

[BrianL]

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
Orlando Population: 307,573
Anaheim Population: 346,824

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, national average 135.5
Theft: Anaheim 1756.1, Orlando 3173.7, national average 2042.8
Assault: Anaheim 616, Orlando 615.7, national average 282.7
Burglary: Anaheim 499 Orlando 449.9, national average 500.1
Murder: Anaheim 3.5, Orlando 10.3, national average 6.1
Rape: Anaheim 36.3, Orlando 72.7, 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.

Yeah, but one thing to note is that WDW isn't really in Orlando. I doubt those statistics cover the area outside of the city proper and WDW visitors have little reason to be walking around in the city much. That said, any city is going to have safer and less safe areas. The area immediately surrounding Disneyland is pretty safe by most standards.

 

[crystal1313]

I felt relatively safe staying offsite, and still continue to stay offsite due to cost. However, after a very scary incident with a homeless woman who was screaming at us and approaching us in a threatening manner while waiting to cross the street, I am for sure more on edge and more uncomfortable. This was on Katella and Disneyland drive. Super grateful my kids weren’t with us when this happened. Also glad my husband was with me and able to diffuse the situation before anything more serious happened. If I could justify staying at the DLR hotels every trip, I would. We cannot financially afford to stay on site every trip, unfortunately.

 

[jimmymc]

I agree with others that Grand Cal is the closest to feeling in the bubble, and Disneyland Hotel is like a bubble that you just need to cross one street to get to. But both of these hotels can be very expensive. I would compare to the Courtyard or Howard Johnson, which are both a very short walk to the park and are more creatively decorated than standard chain hotels. They aren't a bubble with Disney, but don't feel like you're on a work trip to the midwest either.

 

[jimmymc]

If you want to talk unsafe, can we throw LAX into the discussion? I mean, it is part of the trip for many so certainly part of the experience. Hate that place. Orlando has no equal.

LAX is the worst. If you're mainly going to Disneyland and can pay a bit extra to fly into John Wayne, it's worth it.

 

[becoming_diznified]

LAX is the worst. If you're mainly going to Disneyland and can pay a bit extra to fly into John Wayne, it's worth it.

Depends where you're coming from. From a lot of places LAX is the only place in the area to get a direct flight.

 

[Bad Pink Tink 2.0]

Depends where you're coming from. From a lot of places LAX is the only place in the area to get a direct flight.

Exactly. I have no choice the only international flights are to LAX. Honestly though, LAX to me is no worse than Heathrow in London or Charles de Gualle in Paris. Major international airports are big, busy and and crowded and you just have to go with the flow and allow extra time.

 

[jimmymc]

Depends where you're coming from. From a lot of places LAX is the only place in the area to get a direct flight.

Yes, if you can get it, then it's great. I realize LAX is much bigger and the main international connection.

I do think LAX is worse than other big international airports. I'd take Atlanta, Newark, JFK, or San Francisco over LAX if I had the choice. Aside from the traffic in and out being terrible and lack of transit connections, baggage claim always seems to take a long time, and the terminals don't have as many things to do while killing time.

 

[becoming_diznified]

Exactly. I have no choice the only international flights are to LAX. Honestly though, LAX to me is no worse than Heathrow in London or Charles de Gualle in Paris. Major international airports are big, busy and and crowded and you just have to go with the flow and allow extra time.

I mean I can see the appeal of John Wayne. It is smaller and is closer to Anaheim than LAX is. But I prioritize non-stop flights coming from east coast US so I can tolerate LAX. Nothing kills a trip like having your connecting flight canceled...

 

[Lumpy1106]

I don't have a good LAX story. We don't use LAX parking lots because one time we got stuck in a lot for 2 hours in the middle of the night because the payment system they were using was slow and there was a traffic jam getting out of the lot. The drivers were blocking the shuttle buses inside the lot so they couldn't go and get more people and make the problem even worse. Now we only use Parking Spot which has generally been good, but expensive. Even so, we got left on the curb for hours during COVID because the shuttles would only let a handful of people on and they weren't running additional shuttles to make up for it. Another time someone tried to break into my car - didn't get anything (there was nothing in the car) but they did $1200 worth of damage to the door in the process. Then there's the ever-present pot smoke, homeless and general filth. I swear the loop is designed to cause conflicts and make people angry. And the traffic - the local news has live cameras set up because they know it will be jammed on a regular basis, and worse during the holidays. Security really can take hours (though I will say, better than Seattle and maybe Denver). The peoplemover opens in 2025 but, IMHO, it's not going to help all that much. It will eliminate the rental car shuttles but that's it. You will have to carry all your bags on the PM because, unlike all the other airports, the PM gets you to the check-in counter and from baggage claim - it does not get you to and from a remote gate.

I feel bad for visitors who don't have the option, but you just don't have these sorts of issues at SNA and LGB. LAX is like a punch to the face - not a great way to welcome anyone to So Cal. Any issues you encounter in Anaheim are going to be pretty mundane by comparison.

 

[irlandaise]

I agree with others that Grand Cal is the closest to feeling in the bubble, and Disneyland Hotel is like a bubble that you just need to cross one street to get to.

Technically you need to cross a street (Disneyland Dr.), but that street isn't visible from the wide, shrubbery-lined pedestrian overpass between the DLH and Downtown Disney. So it isn't at all the same as crossing Harbor Blvd.

 

[5forMickey]

Bad Tink 2.0 exactly this.”It’s all to do with life experiences and perceptions.” my example was going to be a little different, more like “ what if you went to the country and we took you into the mountains, gave you a map for your hike and told you “yes, there are black bears in the area but they seldomly bother people”?” Not sure some would be very comfortable For me, not a big deal, but for someone who’s only ever been in an “Urban” area you might feel different. Again, that’s why we all have our opinions. I’m very sorry, and not trying to offend people, but I do not feel safe outside of the resort. I’m pretty sure my risk are low, the three physically strong intimidating men with us are most capable of protecting us from most things but I don’t want to go through that. I honestly feel bad for those that think “it’s normal”……not where we come from.

 

[LKing]

Yeah, but one thing to note is that WDW isn't really in Orlando. I doubt those statistics cover the area outside of the city proper and WDW visitors have little reason to be walking around in the city much. That said, any city is going to have safer and less safe areas. The area immediately surrounding Disneyland is pretty safe by most standards.

I am aware of that. I can't find stats for the Reedy Creek region.

The reason I included Orlando wasn't to make a comparison to Anaheim. I included it so that people are aware of the crime rates when they leave and venture to places such as Universal.

I edited the post to include Kissimmee. The stats are per 100K, but Kissimmee is a quarter of the size of the other cities.

 

[OlliePop27]

This has to go down as of the most fascinating threads in recent memory. It has gone from a multi page back and forth over the value of off site hotels, to the safety of Harbor Boulevard, to the benefits/detriments of LAX.

Three of the most often discussed and debated topics on the DLR boards, all in one thread!

 

[lilsonicfan]

I find the onsite hotels at DL to be pretty ridiculous in pricing so if it weren't for DVC, I wouldn't stay there. We stayed at Grand Cal and it was really convenient and amazing but in my view it was worthwhile because I stayed on DVC points which made the cost more like the Harbor Blvd hotels/motels, maybe even cheaper. We have stayed at the two Harbor hotels that are closest to the entrance, and would do so again if we couldn't stay at the Grand Cal. Very short walk, very short amount of time for your senses to be overwhelmed by the non-Disney-ness of it all.

 

[cruisehopeful]

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.

I would say, yes, staying in one of the Disney hotels does feel like you're staying in the bubble. There are lots of nice hotels within walking distance and some have better room options. That said, no matter how much I like a neighboring hotel, I am always disappointed that I am not onsite. It doesn't matter to a lot of people. It matters a lot to me.

 

[LAS2AMS]

I would say, yes, staying in one of the Disney hotels does feel like you're staying in the bubble. There are lots of nice hotels within walking distance and some have better room options. That said, no matter how much I like a neighboring hotel, I am always disappointed that I am not onsite. It doesn't matter to a lot of people. It matters a lot to me.

Everybody wants a Disney property, which is why Disney commands the rates that it does, and why it’s flirted with building a fourth property. Guess that Star Wars hotel at the Hollywood Studios is more profitable .

The really is, for what Disney charges on most weekends for its hotels, you could enjoy a luxury outing at the oodles of oceanfront properties throughout Southern California. Spa treatments, gourmet meals, total pampering. Or you can enjoy a view of Anaheim from the DLH and get into the park 1/2 hour earlier.

When I was a kid, we stayed at the Pan Pacific Hotel Anaheim shortly after it was renovated. A year later, we stayed there as the Disney Pacific Hotel. Property looked exactly the same… they hauled in Surfin’ Goofy statue and piped in Disney music, but little else changed. We stayed there again and the hotel displayed grand plans for its transformation into the Paradise Pier Hotel. Disney cancelled those plans and just painted/ ranamed the hotel. Officially because it had a large Japanese following but let’s be frank - like the rest of the California Adventure property, they got cheap.

I haven’t seen the place since it became Pixar Place, but a few years ago little had changed. Even the carpeting installed as the Pan Pacific was still visible in many of the public areas. Crazy to think people are paying $500+ night for this place on weekends.

 

[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

I appreciate your comments but I do want to address a few things:

People keep complaining about street vendors but these are legal businesses that pay for permits and are subject to the same standards as a freestanding restaurant. They regularly receive inspections by the health department.

Religious zealots are more frequent in Downtown Disney than along Harbor Blvd. The Disney Bubble won’t protect you here. Not sure why Downtown Disneyland is considered public but Downtown Disney World (now Springa) isn’t.

I’ve been through the resort district hundreds of times and homelessness isn’t common. The Anaheim PD do a pretty good job about moving them away from the resort area.

Again, I think some people are confusing the Anaheim Resort District with the greater area. And let’s be honest - unless you’ve spent your entire life vacationing in the Disney World Bubble - street vendors, homelessness/ beggars, religious zealots, etc. are every day fixtures in all major touristy spots throughout the world. The only way to avoid them and be a world traveler is to stick with World Showcase.

 

[LAS2AMS]

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.

It’s a baseless opinion that you’re openly sharing. How would you react if somebody you knew started telling everyone ‘I don’t’t feel safe at all around them’ and when you confronted them, they respond ‘it’s MY opinion.’ Obviously that baseless opinion is going to impact you negatively.

In the two decades I’ve participated on these forums there’s been a perpetual stream of Disney-obsessed individuals who’ve never experienced life outside of WDW, decided to go to DL… and because it’s different, complain about safety. Nonsense. DL isn’t WDW. It doesn’t have the land to create the bubble that, for example, hides the fact that the All-Stars are nestled among several miles of run down hotels off 192 and would otherwise be a short walk from one of the nastiest Walmarts in the country.