Disneyland officially reopening April 30th

[fctiger]

There are different levels of Disneyland fandom. I discovered this as a CM. This is nothing.

I came across a guest who was both homeless and an annual passholder. She saved up her money from panhandling and bought the cheapest pass.

OK, this is wild lol.

But I have a story that can at least equal that. There was a woman back in Tokyo who lost her job and couldn't go the parks as much as before. Her AP renewal was up but lied to her sister to get the money and said she needed to pay for rent. She then moved into a cheaper apartment in Tokyo just so she can max her unemployment insurance and have a little more money to go to the parks since she had a lot more free time. But here is the true kicker! She got fired from her job because she was calling in sick a lot (which is already kind of a no-no in Japan in general) but they found out she was calling in sick to actually go Tokyo Disneyland more often.

How do I know this? She was dating one of the foreign CMs (friend of a friend) at the time and she had became infamous with a lot of the workers lol. She would go to the CM hang out bars after they got off from work and hang out with them.

You get ALL kinds!

 

[FutureCEO]

I should hope he'd do a good job. He had over a year to prepare

Forgive me. I still can't not be snarky regarding our beloved CEO, Mr. Clean.

He looks like a Mr. Potato Head to me a little bit

 

[Giss Neric]

OK, this is wild lol.

But I have a story that can at least equal that. There was a woman back in Tokyo who lost her job and couldn't go the parks as much as before. Her AP renewal was up but lied to her sister to get the money and said she needed to pay for rent. She then moved into a cheaper apartment in Tokyo just so she can max her unemployment insurance and have a little more money to go to the parks since she had a lot more free time. But here is the true kicker! She got fired from her job because she was calling in sick a lot (which is already kind of a no-no in Japan in general) but they found out she was calling in sick to actually go Tokyo Disneyland more often.

How do I know this? She was dating one of the foreign CMs (friend of a friend) at the time and she had became infamous with a lot of the workers lol. She would go to the CM hang out bars after they got off from work and hang out with them.

You get ALL kinds!

Yup, this is not surprising. Japanese Disney fans are hardcore. The only difference from the Japanese and American fans are patience, politeness and they are not entitled. When I went to Shanghai Disney, you can see a fandom forming among the Chinese. You can tell most are average tourists but there is a fraction of them that are fanatics.

 

[Disneyland68]

First to respond to this

Classic!

 

[CaptinEO]

An opportunity came up for us to go to opening day today, so I took my daughter. It was a pretty good experience overall, though I guess we missed a lot of the fanfare as we only arrived at the parking garage at 8. It definitely felt like a muted occasion as so much stuff is closed. Not just several attractions but I really noticed the restaurants and shops that were closed. Cast members seem a little rusty in their roles, though I'm guessing a lot of them have been assigned new roles that they're just now learning.

Something I really had trouble with is hearing cast members. I'm not hard of hearing but so often they would give directions or say something through their masks and sometimes plexiglass and I couldn't hear them at all over the Disneyland noise. They need to address that.

I also think the new Disney look makes things feel very different. It's not just tattoos (though it seems like 90% of cast members are sporting substantial tattoos now), but unkempt facial hair, unconventional hair styles, unnatural looking hair colors, etc. Maybe some people will like it more now but it feels like they've lowered their standards.

Too bad crowds can't stay this way forever. We fit in 27 rides in 10 hours.

Saw a ton of people walking around streaming everything they were doing. It's gotten out of hand.

Oh no, the Disney look thing and streamers really bother me.

How many new opportunists decided to become streamers during this pandemic?


If this continues they need to address it and put a ban on it.

I think there's a big difference between someone filming to make a 5-10 minute video to upload and those that live stream the WHOLE time and interact with their chat room.

"Wow thanks Mickey Magic 93 for the dollar tip! We're enjoying fries right now at Red Rose Tavern, WOW thanks for the subscription PeteGoofy1445! Isn't this magical."

I feel bad for anyone that has to interact with these people and have their trip downgraded.

 

[Disneyland68]

I don't know which decade you are born but unkempt facial hair, unconventional hair styles, unnatural looking hair colors are what you basically see on a daily basis, everywhere you go. Celebrities you see nowadays are not the cookie cutter/clean shaven folks or has the classic Hollywood movie star looks. If what you see is them being comfortable with themselves then who are we to judge what we think is tidy and conventional.

Aloha,
If our society allows the celebrities to set our grooming standards we’re all in trouble. A professional appearance is just that...professional. Be as it may, Disney has lowered their standards for whatever reasons.

 

[CaptinEO]

No, they are not.

Can you even buy photopass?

 

[Tamandua]

"Wow thanks Mickey Magic 93 for the dollar tip! We're enjoying fries right now at Red Rose Tavern, WOW thanks for the subscription PeteGoofy1445! Isn't this magical."

No joke... I heard something like this yesterday. I also saw a streamer wearing an Ordinary Adventures shirt. Cringe.

 

[Tamandua]

I hope that after yesterday they are better prepared for the outdoor queuing. The first thing we did yesterday when we got into the park around 8:40 am (technically before the park opened) was head to the haunted mansion where we were told they were not allowing any more guests into the line as it was too long. Later in the day we came back and got in line and they split some of us off into a second entrance I never knew about that went down some stairs and entered the hallway where you get into the doom buggy. The capacity limits must make the elevator scene move the line too slow so they're bypassing it for some people.

 

[MagicWDI]

Oh no, the Disney look thing and streamers really bother me.

How many new opportunists decided to become streamers during this pandemic?


If this continues they need to address it and put a ban on it.

I think there's a big difference between someone filming to make a 5-10 minute video to upload and those that live stream the WHOLE time and interact with their chat room.

"Wow thanks Mickey Magic 93 for the dollar tip! We're enjoying fries right now at Red Rose Tavern, WOW thanks for the subscription PeteGoofy1445! Isn't this magical."

I feel bad for anyone that has to interact with these people and have their trip downgraded.

I'm more annoyed by people putting their kids on their shoulders during fireworks shows or feeling they have to sarcastically scream after reprising the Ghost Host in the stretching room than this. As long as these guys don't interrupt my Disney experience by being loud or getting in my way of seeing the magic, then I don't mind.

Then again, if someone is talking loudly in the queue, whether it's on the phone with "Stacy" or to 153 YouTube viewers, that will take me out of the magic and I really do not like when I'm taken out of the magic...

 

[MagicWDI]

Can you even buy photopass?

I saw on the app they are selling it for $20 per day and calling it PhotoPass+. Same price as MaxPass used to be. I didn't see if you could purchase it though, but it was being displayed.

 

[DavidDL]

Is Maxpass a thing right now? Since the wait times were so low I’m gonna guess no. Is Disney even offering it during the capacity restrictions?

My brain says two things; 1, they don’t need it but 2, it’s Disney so if they can sell something, they will, haha.

 

[MagicWDI]

Is Maxpass a thing right now? Since the wait times were so low I’m gonna guess no. Is Disney even offering it during the capacity restrictions?

My brain says two things; 1, they don’t need it but 2, it’s Disney so if they can sell something, they will, haha.

No FastPass/MaxPass at the moment and no word when it will return, or even if it will return at the same price point.

 

[DavidDL]

No FastPass/MaxPass at the moment and no word when it will return, or even if it will return at the same price point.

Thank you for the information!

 

[Disney Analyst]

As has been noticed with no FastPass at WDW since their reopening, everything moves a lot quicker in standby. I honestly want them to kill the programs.

If they really feel the need to have it… only offer a limited day of paid option to fast track through a line like Universal does.

 

[Californian Elitist]

OK, this is wild lol.

But I have a story that can at least equal that. There was a woman back in Tokyo who lost her job and couldn't go the parks as much as before. Her AP renewal was up but lied to her sister to get the money and said she needed to pay for rent. She then moved into a cheaper apartment in Tokyo just so she can max her unemployment insurance and have a little more money to go to the parks since she had a lot more free time. But here is the true kicker! She got fired from her job because she was calling in sick a lot (which is already kind of a no-no in Japan in general) but they found out she was calling in sick to actually go Tokyo Disneyland more often.

How do I know this? She was dating one of the foreign CMs (friend of a friend) at the time and she had became infamous with a lot of the workers lol. She would go to the CM hang out bars after they got off from work and hang out with them.

You get ALL kinds!

I believe every bit of this story. You have to come across these types of fans to believe it. Literally nothing surprises me anymore. Homeless fans, jobless fans, fans showing up to the parks at the crack of dawn when they are already guaranteed entrance, fans getting into fights with other fans because they want to be the last ones to ride, fans showing up literally every day... I’ve seen it.

 

[SoCalDisneyLover]

Oh no, the Disney look thing and streamers really bother me.

How many new opportunists decided to become streamers during this pandemic?


If this continues they need to address it and put a ban on it.

It is Free Advertising for Disney. They might take measures to minimize any problems being caused by the streamers, but there is Zero chance they're going to put any sort of a ban on them. They create interest in the parks, whether it be a new ride, new food item, entertainment offering, etc.

 

[fctiger]

I believe every bit of this story. You have to come across these types of fans to believe it. Literally nothing surprises me anymore. Homeless fans, jobless fans, fans showing up to the parks at the crack of dawn when they are already guaranteed entrance, fans getting into fights with other fans because they want to be the last ones to ride, fans showing up literally every day... I’ve seen it.

Exactly!

I never been a CM but I obviously am a huge fan like a lot of people here and met a lot of Disney fans over the years and you can tell there are basically three breeds of Disney fans: casual fans, devoted fans (like I and probably most here consider ourselves) and the obsessed fanatics. The last group are the people who show up at 4:30 in the morning with passes they already have or will sell off some of their furniture if they can to get those tickets in the first place. That breed of fan is on a level that has passed healthy fanaticism.

Tokyo Disney actually has this type of fan the most beyond what you see in America. I don't know if there are still there, but there use to be signs around the resort stating that fans could not sleep outside the park premises not because there was some special event they were camping out for, but because fans would literally spend the night just so they could be the first in the park, period. This use to be a common routine for a lot of them and some would literally show up and sleep in the parking lot or near the front gates the night before until Disney finally cracked down on it.

As for the girl, I met her once at a party. She was in her early twenties at the time (this was over 15 years ago) and pretty much a party girl in general. Just wasn't very responsible (but seem very nice lol) and like a lot of girls at that age in Japan, Disney became her obsession. I would like to think now she's found a healthy balance with it.

 

[fctiger]

It is Free Advertising for Disney. They might take measures to minimize any problems being caused by the streamers, but there is Zero chance they're going to put any sort of a ban on them. They create interest in the parks, whether it be a new ride, new food item, entertainment offering, etc.

Pretty much. And Disney seems to invite a lot of them for special events like the opening of GE. It's free promotion and some have a huge audience, including probably some of the people on this site like me. They are in every park now worldwide.

 

[fctiger]

Yup, this is not surprising. Japanese Disney fans are hardcore. The only difference from the Japanese and American fans are patience, politeness and they are not entitled. When I went to Shanghai Disney, you can see a fandom forming among the Chinese. You can tell most are average tourists but there is a fraction of them that are fanatics.

I only been to Shanghai Disney twice so far but yes even with that park you see the seeds are sowing. I remember watching a show and hearing a group behind me literally quote the lines from it as it was happening. They knew it line by line. You can tell they been showing up over and over again (and to this one show) when people can quote every line from a 15 minute castle stage show. Disney knows what their doing. In another ten years, SDL will be an obsession just like people have with the American and Japanese parks.

But there is no harder group of fan than Japanese fans. It's mind boggling the level of fandom they show for those parks. That's why they got DisneySea as a gift for their level of fandom.