Wdw vets first trip to disneyland; the good, bad, and ugly!!!

[~Tinkerella]

DH and I just returned from our first trip to Disneyland in mid-September; 3 days between both parks. We are WDW vets and read many different reports about comparisons between the two. Many people told us we would be disappointed in DL since we've spent so much time at WDW. We went in with open minds.

The good ~

We had a great time. Yes, DL/DCA is different from WDW but it is a whole different experience. We liked that the attractions are more compact and there's not a lot of walking or bus rides.

The crowds were low; the longest wait was about 30 minutes for something like Toy Story Mania. Big Splash was 45 but I used the single rider line as DH didn't want to get wet so wait was only about 25 minutes.

The Matterhorn was supposed to be down for refurb, but we were pleasantly surprised to see that it was running; but that was short-lived ~ it was fun, but a bit too jerky for us!

We enjoyed Ghost Galaxy at Space Mountain and the overall ride is smoother than its counterpart at WDW.

Loved Indiana Jones ~ similar to Dino at WDW but the themeing was more fun.

Loved Radiator Spring ~ the entire area was so much fun and the racers were great.

California Screamin was fun and we were able to ride it numerous times with a wait of only 10 minutes.

Liked Pirates a little more than the WDW version; the ride is a little longer and liked the entrance more than WDW.

Haunted Mansion had the Nightmare Before Christmas Overlay which was totally cool.

Big Thunder Mountain Railroad was a smoother ride than WDW ~ always a fun ride. Splash was fun too ~ they must have had technical difficulties as it was shut down just after I finished my ride.

We rode all of the classics; Peter Pan, Alice, Mr. Toad, etc. just for the nostalgia.

World of Color was fabulous!

The bad ~

The weather!!! California was having a heatwave while we were there; temps around 100 degrees. We thought we were leaving high temperatures on the East Coast. But, since we are used to high temps. in the summer it wasn't too bad for us, not that we are outside all day on a regular basis. We would alternate attractions so that some were indoors where we could cool off.

We were disappointed that we couldn't ride the monorail which was down, we were told it was due to overheating.

The UGLY ~

Line cutting!!!!!! We hate line cutting!!!!! It's understandable if a parent is taking a child to the bathroom, but when grown adults cut to join friends that's another case entirely ~ or when you're waiting 20 or so minutes and get near the entrance of a ride, and suddenly 12 people (adults and children ~ and the number is no exaggeration) join a single man who is has been in line.

We did inquire about this at one attraction and others in line were griping and we found out through talking with others that there are contradictory responses to the question ~

~ it's our policy to let people join up with their party
~ we don't allow line cutting
~ we don't police the lines
~ it's not our policy to let people cut in line and you should report it to the cast members at that particular ride (they do nothing about it)

Should we, as adults, be complaining about this? Not sure of the answer to that, but the line cutters are not only getting in front of us, but other families with children who have been waiting. Guessing that people feel entitled and there's nothing that can be done. We like to be honest and follow the rules ~ it's the way we were raised and the way we raised our own children so guess we have to realize that not everyone is like we are. We certainly didn't let it ruin our experience.

Bottom line ~ we had a wonderful visit. DL/DCA and WDW each have their pros and cons and hey, it's Disney, so a trip to either coast is definitely worth it!!

 

[FryingPansWhoKnew]

First, let me say it's nice to hear you had a great time.

As far as the line cutting, I've never seen or heard one as egregious as the one you described...12 people cutting in line. Even though line cutting is a gray area for some, I think you'd be hard pressed to find anyone who supports what those people did.

 

[preschoolmom]

It was fun to read your thoughts! We just did our first trip to DL as well (after four trips to WDW). We did four days - and I bet they were the same as yours, as the first three days were surface of the sun hot.

We didn't see any real line cutting during our days - that's really interesting. I mostly found the California crowds to be way more laid back than the Florida crowds.

 

[Kae]

I agree with everything you said. I did notice that line cutting was way worse at DL like you said large groups. We also found that folks stood and waited for FP return time & kinda blocked they way.

We also found DL Fantasmic way more awesome which was a surprise to me since it doesn't have a theatre. Must be seen to be understood.

Kae

 

[mummabear]

I think we were there similar dates to you-damn it was hot.
Funny re the line cutting-we specifically noticed and had a discussion that line cutting didn't seem to be as bad this trip as previous ones but I guess that was just luck at being in the right lines.

 

[knitster]

We were there at the same time as you - so.freaking.hot. We're from West Texas, so we thought we'd be leaving the heat behind. Nope! The first 4 days of our trip it was over 100 in Anaheim and in the 70's and 80's back home - torture!!

I'm sorry to hear you ran into so much line cutting. We didn't deal with any of that, thankfully. There was the occasional 'bringing a child back from the potty' or '1 person meeting a group of 5 who are already in line' type things, but those don't bug me. I did, however, get major stink eye from a couple of adults when my toddler darted in front of me (and them) as we entered Star Tours at rope drop. He was running to catch up to my husband and other two kids, oblivious to the fact that other people were between us in line. As I scooted past them to catch him, I said, "I'm so sorry, I'll let you pass me as soon as I get to him." Which is exactly what I did. I grabbed him and moved over to let them pass. 2 of the 4 people smiled as I apologized for the incident, but the other 2 rolled their eyes at me and shoved past us. Unbelievable. I did everything in my power to *not* inconvenience them, including calling the other 3 members of my family back to the end of the line to join us, rather than the other way around, and they were still annoyed with me for that 2.5 seconds that my toddler cut in line!

Sorry, didn't mean to go on such a rant...lol

 

[hootey]

 

[Kristina4109]

We were just there on September 20th right when the weather started to cool off. AHHHH, it was wonderful. So glad that you enjoyed your trip! I am also a WDW vet (been going since 1976) and discovered DL when I moved to L.A. in 1995. My first reaction when we drove to the park (back then there was only one) was "I can see the rides from the freeway!"

Glad you had a good time at the Happiest Place on Earth!

 

[GatorChris]

I suppose the line cutting is universal. I experience it as much at WDW as I do at DL. I usually make the person point out who they're meeting before I let them through, just to embarrass them a little. On one occasion when there was 4 people trying to move, I made them point to the people they're trying to join, then told the people to move back because I wasn't OK with them holding the line. It didn't go over well, and my wife was embarrassed. But I bet they didn't do any line cutting for the rest of the day.

 

[crystal1313]

We experienced the same kind of line cutting in July at Pirates and it was a large group of people and they were super rude to say the least.

 

[~Tinkerella]

First, let me say it's nice to hear you had a great time.

As far as the line cutting, I've never seen or heard one as egregious as the one you described...12 people cutting in line. Even though line cutting is a gray area for some, I think you'd be hard pressed to find anyone who supports what those people did.

Truly a great vacation.

As I said, I was not exaggerating; 12 people - that was the worst we've ever experienced.[/COLOR][/FONT]

 

[~Tinkerella]

WOW Knitster! I guess some people feel entitled or something. You tried to do the right thing and you still get attitude. I applaud you for your actions.

Like I said, we didn't let it ruin our trip. I can look in the mirror every night when I go to bed and know that I did the right thing, and you can too, and that's enough for me. You set a great example for your children!!

 

[~Tinkerella]

I suppose the line cutting is universal. I experience it as much at WDW as I do at DL. I usually make the person point out who they're meeting before I let them through, just to embarrass them a little. On one occasion when there was 4 people trying to move, I made them point to the people they're trying to join, then told the people to move back because I wasn't OK with them holding the line. It didn't go over well, and my wife was embarrassed. But I bet they didn't do any line cutting for the rest of the day.

GatorChris ~ my DH did the same thing one time during this trip, and another time he flat out refused to move and let people through!

 

[VicMom]

Sounds like we were there around the same time (we left on the 18th) so I felt that heat and wasn't happy about it. But there isn't anything to do but slather on the sunscreen and drink lots of water.

I never noticed line cutting (or on any previous visit). Talk about Knott's Berry and I have stories that will keep me from every going back there.

I definitely noticed some rude people this time-specifically about my son. He's 3.5 (but tall and most people think he's 4.5-5yrs old) and has autism. So to try to make it easier for him to deal with the crowds we brought our stroller for him so anytime he was feeling overwhelmed (or even too hot an wanted the shade of the canopy) in he went to prevent behaviour issues. He had his noise cancelling headphones and would pretty much wear his sunglasses anytime we weren't in the hotel to help him deal with the visual stimulation and crowds (and he did awesome and totally rocked the trip-except for some photos). Plus we did get his stroller tagged as a wheelchair as he couldn't deal with line-ups (people close to him, the noise, visual stimulation) and on some things we were sent through separate line-ups.

I can't tell you how many comments were muttered and said to us about this. Things like "You know that it would be easier if you didn't bring your stroller in the line" and "Don't you think he's too old to use the stroller now?". And a lot of comments when he was being his energetic, 3.5yr old autistic self-not hurting anyone and we would be careful that he had room to move around when he needed so that he couldn't bump into people (for example if he heard music he liked and wanted to dance a bit-nothing major at all). If I was in-front/behind with the people in a line-up I might take a few moments of my time to explain why he was there or moving a bit fidgety or acting a certain way-usually would shut them down but there were people who had the audacity to tell me that there was nothing wrong with DS (and a few who told me that they knew so-and-so with autism and they didn't act like my son so therefore he doesn't have autism and I'm just trying to milk things) and I should try being less neurotic about him. Yeah those people weren't worth my time or effort.

 

[megsoro]

Sounds like we were there around the same time (we left on the 18th) so I felt that heat and wasn't happy about it. But there isn't anything to do but slather on the sunscreen and drink lots of water. I never noticed line cutting (or on any previous visit). Talk about Knott's Berry and I have stories that will keep me from every going back there. I definitely noticed some rude people this time-specifically about my son. He's 3.5 (but tall and most people think he's 4.5-5yrs old) and has autism. So to try to make it easier for him to deal with the crowds we brought our stroller for him so anytime he was feeling overwhelmed (or even too hot an wanted the shade of the canopy) in he went to prevent behaviour issues. He had his noise cancelling headphones and would pretty much wear his sunglasses anytime we weren't in the hotel to help him deal with the visual stimulation and crowds (and he did awesome and totally rocked the trip-except for some photos). Plus we did get his stroller tagged as a wheelchair as he couldn't deal with line-ups (people close to him, the noise, visual stimulation) and on some things we were sent through separate line-ups. I can't tell you how many comments were muttered and said to us about this. Things like "You know that it would be easier if you didn't bring your stroller in the line" and "Don't you think he's too old to use the stroller now?". And a lot of comments when he was being his energetic, 3.5yr old autistic self-not hurting anyone and we would be careful that he had room to move around when he needed so that he couldn't bump into people (for example if he heard music he liked and wanted to dance a bit-nothing major at all). If I was in-front/behind with the people in a line-up I might take a few moments of my time to explain why he was there or moving a bit fidgety or acting a certain way-usually would shut them down but there were people who had the audacity to tell me that there was nothing wrong with DS (and a few who told me that they knew so-and-so with autism and they didn't act like my son so therefore he doesn't have autism and I'm just trying to milk things) and I should try being less neurotic about him. Yeah those people weren't worth my time or effort.

I'm here now. First Disneyland trip. I've noticed generally people here are ruder than at the World. Line cutting (both food and rides) is a big one. I also had a lady literally use her stroller last night as a battering ram to push me out of the way at the end of world of colors. (Let's not mention all the people who shoved and elbowed and even physically were moving other peoples children!)

If I was behind you in line and heard anything someone was saying to you and your son, I'd probably be removed from the parks. That is the rudest behavior I've ever heard... But after seeing adults behave like spoilt children, nothing phases me here anymore.

I'm so sorry you had to deal with that

 

[knitster]

That makes me so sad to hear. We had the exact opposite experience at WoC. The couple directly in front of us moved and angled and scootched around to make a little pocket of space for my 8 year old to stand so she could see the show. And we didn't ask them to do so, they just looked down and noticed her standing there, straining to see.

It boggles my mind when people do the things described in this thread. It takes such a small amount of effort to be considerate of those around you!

 

[B-Ride]

As WDW vets we visited for the first time like you. The only thing I'd like to add was that we really wished Matterhorn had been closed down. We rode it once and it was without a doubt the most uncomfortable ride at a Disney park. Worse that the old Goofy roller coaster at WDW.

 

[knitster]

Tinkerella I just saw that you're from Maryland. I met a couple from Maryland who were WDW vets on their first trip to DL, while I was there. We were all standing in line at DCA, waiting to get our Photopass+ activated (which was an incredibly aggravating experience, might I add). Was that you??

 

[megsoro]

Another bum day in Disneyland so much line cutting! We waited 40 minutes for Peter Pan just to have a family cut in front of to join grandma. It was right in front of a CM and when we pointed it out, she said she couldn't do anything. My local six flags can eject people for line hopping, but Disneyland can not? No wonder it's so rampant!

The CMs in the land don't seem to be as consistent as those in the world. Waiting for the parade I was told I could not save a seat for my sister, who was in the restroom. So I stood up and left. Come back to the area to try and find a spot, and several people had blankets spread, not sitting on them, obviously saving seats. Right in front of a group of CMs! Final straw was when waiting for fantastic we were sitting in the ropes off section, towards the back. I had a few shopping bags next to me, well within the area. A cm stepped back into the ropes to allow a group to pass through and leaned so heavily on the ropes that he pushed it back several inches and managed to step on a bag and broke an ornament I had purchased! He mumbled an apology, and left before I could get his name. I'm planning on going to guest services tomorrow morning to see if I can get an exchange. But I doubt it. I've already feel like I've wasted $700 so what's another $20 right?

Will say we had no problems in DCA... Just surreal the experience we've had in DL.

 

[Dot2Vegas]

Sounds like we were there around the same time (we left on the 18th) so I felt that heat and wasn't happy about it. But there isn't anything to do but slather on the sunscreen and drink lots of water.

I never noticed line cutting (or on any previous visit). Talk about Knott's Berry and I have stories that will keep me from every going back there.

I definitely noticed some rude people this time-specifically about my son. He's 3.5 (but tall and most people think he's 4.5-5yrs old) and has autism. So to try to make it easier for him to deal with the crowds we brought our stroller for him so anytime he was feeling overwhelmed (or even too hot an wanted the shade of the canopy) in he went to prevent behaviour issues. He had his noise cancelling headphones and would pretty much wear his sunglasses anytime we weren't in the hotel to help him deal with the visual stimulation and crowds (and he did awesome and totally rocked the trip-except for some photos). Plus we did get his stroller tagged as a wheelchair as he couldn't deal with line-ups (people close to him, the noise, visual stimulation) and on some things we were sent through separate line-ups.

I can't tell you how many comments were muttered and said to us about this. Things like "You know that it would be easier if you didn't bring your stroller in the line" and "Don't you think he's too old to use the stroller now?". And a lot of comments when he was being his energetic, 3.5yr old autistic self-not hurting anyone and we would be careful that he had room to move around when he needed so that he couldn't bump into people (for example if he heard music he liked and wanted to dance a bit-nothing major at all). If I was in-front/behind with the people in a line-up I might take a few moments of my time to explain why he was there or moving a bit fidgety or acting a certain way-usually would shut them down but there were people who had the audacity to tell me that there was nothing wrong with DS (and a few who told me that they knew so-and-so with autism and they didn't act like my son so therefore he doesn't have autism and I'm just trying to milk things) and I should try being less neurotic about him. Yeah those people weren't worth my time or effort.

Im so sorry that people are jerks! I could never imagine making those comments to another parent. I hope that you guys were able to enjoy your trip, despite insensitive people!