My family and I are currently here on summer vacation. We visit nearly annually, and we did a two week trip this year which included time in Laguna, La Jolla, Newport, Universal Hollywood and Griffith Park. Overall we’ve had a great time and continue to be reminded why California remains our ideal vacation spot. But we’ve been at Disneyland for three days now, and the last two have been absolute nightmares. Fathers Day was actually wonderful - weather was pleasant and wait times were relatively low all day.
These last two days, the wait times are unlike anything I’ve ever seen at Disneyland. Jungle Cruise is at 70 minutes. I thought that only happened at WDW. It seems that Genie+ has really done Disneyland wrong. I had high hopes it might work as well as MaxPass, but I do not recall MaxPass affecting wait times this much. We visited last October with no form of “skip the line” and it was our best trip ever. I’m sure having Pirates down and Toontown shut down is not helping things, but there are always rides down and I’ve still never seen anything like this. Walkways don’t appear unusually packed, so I think this has more to do with low staffing and Genie+ than unusually high crowds. Mix in the grueling heat this week (I know, out of Disney’s control), and this has been a letdown of a Disney trip despite Sunday being wonderful. It seems Disneyland is being run more and more like WDW, and that is really a shame. One prime example is it seems like the Main Street Vehicles stop running earlier than they used to.
Given line lengths, we’ve spent more time than usual in the shops and while I know this isn’t a new complaint, it’s hit home how terrible the merchandise is and how the same crap is sold in every store. Now me, a grown man, not being interested in the merch is one thing. But my kids are at a Disney park and the only merch they’ve been interested in are legos from the Lego Store in Downtown Disney. Pathetic. I don’t see why we can’t have unique ride-themed merch - I’d buy a Big Thunder shirt in a heartbeat.
Some positive notes, to the contrary, as I try to be an eternal optimist:
-I am surprised at the level of entertainment that’s been brought back. Live music is plentiful. At DL alone there’s a parade, fireworks, projection shows, and Fantasmic! every night. It’s almost a personal disappointment, as I enjoy the riverboat running at night and not having traffic flow issues all hours of the night. But I do commend the effort. We’ve seen a lot of roaming characters and had spontaneous interactions. The level of entertainment at DL post-COVID is higher than it was at WDW pre-COVID.
-The cast members are still great for the most part. A few bad apples, but by and large they’ve been great and the interactions with them continue to help make your day a little better. After the working conditions they’ve been put through the last couple years, I truly commend them.
-The number of benches per guest at the Disneyland Resort is so much greater than it is at WDW and makes DL a bearable destination even when it’s busy and hot.
-Plaza Inn breakfast was legitimately good, and the characters and character handlers were wonderful. It was really the highlight so far for my kids. This was the cheapest character meal we’ve ever done at either US resort and the best (not just in terms of value but genuinely the best).
-The parks have been pretty clean overall. I’ve yet to see overflowing trash bins or filthy restrooms. Not as clean as they used to be, I’m sure, but better than WDW has ever been and as good as it was pre-COVID.
-The Disneyland Railroad is perhaps the greatest ride in the world and has been a lifesaver this trip with the heat/crowd combo. The train is a drag at most parks but feels like a genuine ride at DL. Main Street Cinema may be the greatest non-ride attraction for similar reasons.
These last two days, the wait times are unlike anything I’ve ever seen at Disneyland. Jungle Cruise is at 70 minutes. I thought that only happened at WDW. It seems that Genie+ has really done Disneyland wrong. I had high hopes it might work as well as MaxPass, but I do not recall MaxPass affecting wait times this much. We visited last October with no form of “skip the line” and it was our best trip ever. I’m sure having Pirates down and Toontown shut down is not helping things, but there are always rides down and I’ve still never seen anything like this. Walkways don’t appear unusually packed, so I think this has more to do with low staffing and Genie+ than unusually high crowds. Mix in the grueling heat this week (I know, out of Disney’s control), and this has been a letdown of a Disney trip despite Sunday being wonderful. It seems Disneyland is being run more and more like WDW, and that is really a shame. One prime example is it seems like the Main Street Vehicles stop running earlier than they used to.
Given line lengths, we’ve spent more time than usual in the shops and while I know this isn’t a new complaint, it’s hit home how terrible the merchandise is and how the same crap is sold in every store. Now me, a grown man, not being interested in the merch is one thing. But my kids are at a Disney park and the only merch they’ve been interested in are legos from the Lego Store in Downtown Disney. Pathetic. I don’t see why we can’t have unique ride-themed merch - I’d buy a Big Thunder shirt in a heartbeat.
Some positive notes, to the contrary, as I try to be an eternal optimist:
-I am surprised at the level of entertainment that’s been brought back. Live music is plentiful. At DL alone there’s a parade, fireworks, projection shows, and Fantasmic! every night. It’s almost a personal disappointment, as I enjoy the riverboat running at night and not having traffic flow issues all hours of the night. But I do commend the effort. We’ve seen a lot of roaming characters and had spontaneous interactions. The level of entertainment at DL post-COVID is higher than it was at WDW pre-COVID.
-The cast members are still great for the most part. A few bad apples, but by and large they’ve been great and the interactions with them continue to help make your day a little better. After the working conditions they’ve been put through the last couple years, I truly commend them.
-The number of benches per guest at the Disneyland Resort is so much greater than it is at WDW and makes DL a bearable destination even when it’s busy and hot.
-Plaza Inn breakfast was legitimately good, and the characters and character handlers were wonderful. It was really the highlight so far for my kids. This was the cheapest character meal we’ve ever done at either US resort and the best (not just in terms of value but genuinely the best).
-The parks have been pretty clean overall. I’ve yet to see overflowing trash bins or filthy restrooms. Not as clean as they used to be, I’m sure, but better than WDW has ever been and as good as it was pre-COVID.
-The Disneyland Railroad is perhaps the greatest ride in the world and has been a lifesaver this trip with the heat/crowd combo. The train is a drag at most parks but feels like a genuine ride at DL. Main Street Cinema may be the greatest non-ride attraction for similar reasons.
