The 60th Anniversary of Disneyland: The Reality of it All

[BalooChicago]

Train question(s):
We decided to leave via the train. Seeing Tomorrowland empty was kind of surreal.
Approaching the train my wife and I swear we saw passenger cars will (yellow?) seats perpendicular to travel, but neither train that came through as we waited were that configuration- what did we see? Are there three engines?

The train we took had the Lilly Bell with 60th bunting on it - is it normally setup, or is it likely due to the Tomorrowland premiere?

 

[Californian Elitist]

Train question(s):
We decided to leave via the train. Seeing Tomorrowland empty was kind of surreal.
Approaching the train my wife and I swear we saw passenger cars will (yellow?) seats perpendicular to travel, but neither train that came through as we waited were that configuration- what did we see? Are there three engines?

The train we took had the Lilly Bell with 60th bunting on it - is it normally setup, or is it likely due to the Tomorrowland premiere?

The yellow car you saw is indeed available for passengers. I've sat there before, it's quite lonely.

 

[Vegas Disney Fan]

I ran the 10k this morning and then hit the parks for a couple hours, I loved the hat box ghost but was disappointed the vanishing husband pictures weren't working in the attic scene. My only complaint with hat box is it almost looks too good, it looks amazing but the other characters looked really pale compared to it. Similar to how the bride in the attic is very bright compared to the rest of the scenes. All in all a great addition though.

It was so busy I only lasted until noon before heading home.

 

[TP2000]

So are they officially at 1,000 ghosts now?

No. The 999 figure was cooked up by the Marketing Department in 1969, and it has never been close to accurate in Anaheim, or any of the Haunted Mansion clones around the world. It's actually far, far less.

I rode three times today (I was in full Disney Nerd mode, then I came home and had some Scotch and shook it off). But I counted.

There are currently only 124 ghosts in Disneyland's Haunted Mansion.

Audio-Animatronic Ghosts = 41 (These are physical figures that move, from the hanging ghost in both stretching rooms, to the moving Knight Armor in the Endless Hallway, to the arms struggling with the coffin lid, to all the moving figures in the Graveyard Scene, to the three hitchhiking animatronics, plus the new Hatbox Ghost animatronic. I also included the four ravens with glowing eyes, which represent the narrator)

Special Effect Ghosts = 34 (These are special effects or moving props that imply a ghost is present, from the moving busts in the queue, to the floating candelabra, to each door knocker, to each sound-and-repeat effect in the Séance Circle, to each husband with a disappearing head in the Attic, to each Pop-Up or moving gravestone in the Graveyard)

Projection Effect Ghosts = 48 (These are projections or reflections, from Madame Leota, to all 31 "holographic" projections in the Ballroom, to the 5 hitchhikers in the mirrors at the very end, and also Little Leota on the speedramp out the exit)

Narration Ghost = 1 (Our Ghost Host who narrates the attraction.)

Non-Ghosts = 2 (The caretaker and his animatronic dog in the graveyard)

I suppose if you counted every flying ghost that appears on the scrim screen as you exit the Attic, you might be able to add a couple dozen ghosts to the 124 tally. Let's be super gracious and say there are 76 flying ghosts on the scrims, even though the actual total is three dozen at most. But let's just say there's 76. That would get us to 200 ghosts in Disneyland's Haunted Mansion. But don't tell the Marketing Department that, they'll be mad.

 

[TP2000]

Train question(s):
We decided to leave via the train. Seeing Tomorrowland empty was kind of surreal.
Approaching the train my wife and I swear we saw passenger cars will (yellow?) seats perpendicular to travel, but neither train that came through as we waited were that configuration- what did we see? Are there three engines?

The train we took had the Lilly Bell with 60th bunting on it - is it normally setup, or is it likely due to the Tomorrowland premiere?

The Disneyland Railroad has four train consists, and five locomotives. Four locomotives are named for early executives of the Santa Fe Railroad; Holliday, Ripley, Gurley and Marsh. The fifth locomotive was acquired in 2005 and is named Ward Kimball, after the famed Disney animator.

On busy days they run all four consists; three of which are the Freight Trains where passengers sit in boxcars or passenger cars facing inward towards the park. However, there is one consist called the Excursion Train that has bench seats facing perpendicular to travel and the cars have yellow walls and maple colored wood seats. That Excursion Train is what you saw, but when you were waiting at the station several of the Freight Trains came through instead.

Tokyo Disneyland uses Excursion Train consists exclusively, because they have much higher passenger capacity compared to the Freight Train consists.

The Lilly Belle is often attached to the end of one of the Freight Trains; it's not reserved for special day or busy times. It is used quite regularly. They've been installing 60th bunting all over the park in the last week, and it sounds like the Lilly Belle also got the 60th treatment.

 

[Bairstow]

No. The 999 figure was cooked up by the Marketing Department in 1969, and it has never been close to accurate in Anaheim, or any of the Haunted Mansion clones around the world. It's actually far, far less.

 

[RandomPrincess]

So are they officially at 1,000 ghosts now?

Nope the Hat Box ghost was always there he just chose not to materialize until now.

 

[GiveMeTheMusic]

No. The 999 figure was cooked up by the Marketing Department in 1969, and it has never been close to accurate in Anaheim, or any of the Haunted Mansion clones around the world. It's actually far, far less.

I rode three times today (I was in full Disney Nerd mode, then I came home and had some Scotch and shook it off). But I counted.

There are currently only 124 ghosts in Disneyland's Haunted Mansion.

Audio-Animatronic Ghosts = 41 (These are physical figures that move, from the hanging ghost in both stretching rooms, to the moving Knight Armor in the Endless Hallway, to the arms struggling with the coffin lid, to all the moving figures in the Graveyard Scene, to the three hitchhiking animatronics, plus the new Hatbox Ghost animatronic. I also included the four ravens with glowing eyes, which represent the narrator)

Special Effect Ghosts = 34 (These are special effects or moving props that imply a ghost is present, from the moving busts in the queue, to the floating candelabra, to each door knocker, to each sound-and-repeat effect in the Séance Circle, to each husband with a disappearing head in the Attic, to each Pop-Up or moving gravestone in the Graveyard)

Projection Effect Ghosts = 48 (These are projections or reflections, from Madame Leota, to all 31 "holographic" projections in the Ballroom, to the 5 hitchhikers in the mirrors at the very end, and also Little Leota on the speedramp out the exit)

Narration Ghost = 1 (Our Ghost Host who narrates the attraction.)

Non-Ghosts = 2 (The caretaker and his animatronic dog in the graveyard)

I suppose if you counted every flying ghost that appears on the scrim screen as you exit the Attic, you might be able to add a couple dozen ghosts to the 124 tally. Let's be super gracious and say there are 76 flying ghosts on the scrims, even though the actual total is three dozen at most. But let's just say there's 76. That would get us to 200 ghosts in Disneyland's Haunted Mansion. But don't tell the Marketing Department that, they'll be mad.

Again, slow clap for you sir. Slow. Clap.

 

[TTA94]

PTN in HKDL uses the parade route lights to do a similar sequence before the show arrives in that zone to coincide with the opening audio. I'd be surprised if something similar wasn't done here.

I'm sure HKDLs route lighting is more advanced with LEDs unlike DLs which I believe are still old par cans? Unless they are updating them? I did see a pic of one of the lighting rigs on Main Street and the par cans were moved as if they were working on them?

 

[Bairstow]

I'm sure HKDLs route lighting is more advanced with LEDs unlike DLs which I believe are still old par cans? Unless they are updating them? I did see a pic of one of the lighting rigs on Main Street and the par cans were moved as if they were working on them?

I wonder if they would have upgraded all that when they installed the projection elements for the new fireworks show.

 

[Sage of Time]

Diamonds on Carthay!

 

[George Lucas on a Bench]

Looks like a clear mini plastic Space Mountain with the Sorcerer Hat on top of it.

 

[TP2000]

What's the foul up? Shipping issues or lack of planning on DL's part(I Hope Not!) Did they wait until Feb to start this because they didn't tell us anything until Jan 28th?

I was at a dinner party this weekend and this exact topic came up from my dear neighbor who works in TDA. She's worked at Disneyland for decades and is high up the management food chain now. Her tale...

Several big parts of Paint The Night were caught up in the labor strife that shut down the West Coast ports this spring, specifically the Port of Long Beach. The PTN floats were coming over from China for assembly here, as the same group that made a fleet for Hong Kong also made Disneyland's floats. There was a last minute logistical scramble to get the floats off of the container ships they were on, and on to smaller and vastly more expensive cargo ships that can dock at small, specialized ports that weren't part of the Longshoremen's union troubles. Disneyland paid through the nose to make that happen, and there were round-the-clock phone calls and videoconferences with China, plus a few favors pulled in with the US State Department.

The floats made it to Anaheim, delayed but in good condition. But if TDA had gone the easy and cheap route and allowed the regular cargo shipment to happen, the PTN floats would have been stuck in limbo while the Longshoremen continued their strike and work slowdown while dozens of cargo ships floated offshore or were detoured to Canadian ports.

All Paint The Night floats are now on property and are assembled, and rehearsals are ongoing. It's a mad dash to May 22nd, but I'm sure Disneyland will make it.

 

[dweezil78]

HM is not FP? Isn't it FP+ at MK? Does DL have a shorter queue/faster stretching room?

No, yes, and sort of.
Disneyland's queue is indeed shorter, both and length and time, but the stretching rooms, which are actual elevators, aren't any faster.

Disneyland's HM actually does have FP -- but generally it's only used for the Nightmare Before Christmas overlay when crowds are larger. Looks like they used it yesterday for HBG's debut though.

Back in the days when almost every ride had FP it was used regularly until management realized they were causing unnecessary delays and queue backups and finally tore most of them out. WDW then took these extremely valuable insights and learnings from DL, investing $1 Billion to do the exact opposite in their parks.

 

[cheezbat]

I would most likely never to a 24-hr day. It sucks because I had intentions on going to the parks on the 22nd before they announced it was going to be a 24-hr gig.

I have the same predicament. I'll be there that week, and planned on going that day, until I found out they decided to make it another 24 hour day. All heck breaks loose. Totally not interested in dealing with those crowds.

Maybe I'll go to Knotts Berry Farm instead!

 

[Californian Elitist]

I have the same predicament. I'll be there that week, and planned on going that day, until I found out they decided to make it another 24 hour day. All heck breaks loose. Totally not interested in dealing with those crowds.

Maybe I'll go to Knotts Berry Farm instead!

You could either go there, or take a trip to Los Angeles! Anywhere but Disneyland.

 

[Twilight_Roxas]

I suggest going to the parks at 1:00am.

 

[wild01ride]

Any word on if they will be doing a Passholders preview or premiere for the 60th WoC (or did I miss that info elsewhere)?
I'll be down there the week leading up to the 22nd and would love to catch the new WoC while I'm there!

Any other 60th Soft Openings?

So far, no. No passholder preview at all, and I doubt there will be soft openings of the entertainment.

Not even Mad T Party??? Darn!?

 

[Suspirian]

I went to last year's 24 hour event and it honestly looked like a regular day. For whatever reason the crowd felt pretty manageable IMO.

 

[cheezbat]

You could either go there, or take a trip to Los Angeles! Anywhere but Disneyland.

I've been all over Los Angeles on all my past visits. Haven't been to Knotts since 2009...

Still, there's plenty of other things to do in SoCal aside from Disney.