When did Disneyland “peak,” if at all?

D.Silentu

Well-Known Member
I never saw mad T Party but I would take a land being beautified over a temporary stage show in the ugliest part of the park. Especially since there was other nighttime entertainment in the park such as PTN and World of Color after the period you mention.
Fair enough, but as I see it, what you call "the ugliest part of the park" was at least being utilized, versus today where it is simply an ugly ghost town. To be honest though, for me any situation where live music is involved usually gets a higher grade.
 

Stevek

Well-Known Member
I do wonder how much the answers will vary here depending on age. I'm guessing many folks on the board never go to experience DL in the late 70's/early 80's or perhaps even before the Peoplemover closed in mid 1995. Those of us that have been visiting from the 70's on (early 70's in my case) will have a different perspective...not right or wrong, just different.
 

mickEblu

Well-Known Member
Fair enough, but as I see it, what you call "the ugliest part of the park" was at least being utilized, versus today where it is simply an ugly ghost town. To be honest though, for me any situation where live music is involved usually gets a higher grade.

I can appreciate that.
 

Darkbeer1

Well-Known Member
I do wonder how much the answers will vary here depending on age. I'm guessing many folks on the board never go to experience DL in the late 70's/early 80's or perhaps even before the Peoplemover closed in mid 1995. Those of us that have been visiting from the 70's on (early 70's in my case) will have a different perspective...not right or wrong, just different.
Scary to think for me it was the early 60's....

But yes. A memorial time for me was the late 1990's through early 2000's. The Port Disney/Westcot debate, the Save Disney Years plus the building and all the Fallout from DCA. Decently not the Best Years for Disney, but the amount of material to write about, well, as stated, Memorial.
 

PiratesMansion

Well-Known Member
Scary to think for me it was the early 60's....

But yes. A memorial time for me was the late 1990's through early 2000's. The Port Disney/Westcot debate, the Save Disney Years plus the building and all the Fallout from DCA. Decently not the Best Years for Disney, but the amount of material to write about, well, as stated, Memorial.

Early 60s is probably the most interesting answer I've seen thus far to this question.

Why early 60s as opposed to late?
 

Darkbeer1

Well-Known Member
Early 60s is probably the most interesting answer I've seen thus far to this question.

Why early 60s as opposed to late?
My response was to SteveK and that he is younger than I am!

It was when I first visited DL. I guess the late 1960's through the 70's was a memorable time for me. I started to get my freedom from the adults, as my Dad trusted me, if I stayed in the park.

Loved Adventure through Inner Space, Rocket to the Moon, Carousel of Progress, the AT&T pre/post areas of Circle Vision. When they were shut down, I was bummed
 

josh2000

Well-Known Member
so strange to read this thread as someone who first visited Disneyland Resort in 2001 as a toddler. I get a sad feeling that I'll never have experienced any of these great iterations that are mentioned in this thread.
 

PiratesMansion

Well-Known Member
My response was to SteveK and that he is younger than I am!

It was when I first visited DL. I guess the late 1960's through the 70's was a memorable time for me. I started to get my freedom from the adults, as my Dad trusted me, if I stayed in the park.

Loved Adventure through Inner Space, Rocket to the Moon, Carousel of Progress, the AT&T pre/post areas of Circle Vision. When they were shut down, I was bummed

I see. I misinterpreted the early 60s as your favorite time and not when you first visited.

Disneyland right around 1970 would have been cool to experience.
 

BrianLo

Well-Known Member
I'd strongly argue for 2016 as well. Frankly the resort as a whole.

DCA was largely peaking and the 60th at Disneyland was also simultaneously warmly received. Sure Disneyland may have had days in the distant, distant past - but the whole resort functioned well together that year.

Even if people liked all the changes that came after, most of the resort was under various stages of construction projects and some of the wider entertainment has been cut or paused.
 

Rich T

Well-Known Member
Disneyland was at its most “magical” when it still had Nature’s Wonderland, but its replacement was a necessary survival decision.

Having experienced DL for 6 decades, I believe the park peaked in 1992, the year Fantasmic opened (even though the show ruined nighttime Frontierland).

But mere months later, the long, greed-driven decline started. And I can point to the exact moment of the change: It happened when Team Eisner realized they could UPCHARGE for access to the Disney Gallery’s Fantasmic viewing balcony (which had previously been free to anyone who knew it was there).

A big green lightbulb suddenly lit up over corporate headquarters.

That’s when the company began to morph into the greedy, wallet-gobbling monster its harshest critics had always accused it of being.

The fact that the park is still amazing in spite of all the damage it’s suffered is a tribute to the past artists and engineers who actually knew what they were doing.
 
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Stevek

Well-Known Member
My response was to SteveK and that he is younger than I am!

It was when I first visited DL. I guess the late 1960's through the 70's was a memorable time for me. I started to get my freedom from the adults, as my Dad trusted me, if I stayed in the park.

Loved Adventure through Inner Space, Rocket to the Moon, Carousel of Progress, the AT&T pre/post areas of Circle Vision. When they were shut down, I was bummed
And I'm old ;)
 

lumberguy5

Active Member
60th Pre F! shutdown, entertainment was running Fireworks, 6 parade runs, and WoC/F!. You get DCA after alot of the fixes and DL before the budget cuts.
 

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