1HAPPYGHOSTHOST
Well-Known Member
Did you ever park in the old parking lot?
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When did Disneyland “peak,” if at all?
- Thread starter Magic Feather
- Start date
Darkbeer1
Well-Known Member
Loved the Parking Lot Trams in the 1960's and 70's, no real fixed routes. You raised your hand when you wanted to get off, though some folks just stood up and jumped off. Same with boarding, some would try to board while the tram was in route.
But they had a great loading system. They had rows of Tandem Parking. They started in the North West area, and moved east and south. Filling up the farther away spaces from the Toll Booths, keeping the cars away from the Pedestrians.
The Tram would park on the left/west of the row being parking, drawing the guests away from the cars coming in from the east.
When the Tram was filled, another tram was right behind, so no waiting most of the time.
All vehicle exits were on the West End (aka West Street).
It was a well run system, and an easy walk/tram ride to the Park Entrance.
It was a great place to park!
Californian Elitist
Well-Known Member
1HAPPYGHOSTHOST
Well-Known Member
and you don't miss it?!
Darkbeer1
Well-Known Member
Yesterland: Disneyland Parking Lot
yesterland.com
Californian Elitist
Well-Known Member
Stevek
Well-Known Member
You have my permission to call me old...or maybe wiseI would say, I Know.... BUT...
Please Stop The Generational Insults.
The number of generational insults seems to have increased lately - probably due to the pandemic. Regardless, they will no longer be tolerated. Just giving you all a head's up.forums.wdwmagic.com
mickEblu
Well-Known Member
Anyone choosing 2015/2016 as Disneyland’s peak is forgetting how crowded it was. It was brutal! And you were definitely never stuck in Tomorrowland near the Astro Orbitor during/ after fireworks gridlocked in a sea of people with nowhere to go and Big Thunder Trail under construction.
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Darkbeer1
Well-Known Member
My Dirt is older than your dirt!You have my permission to call me old...or maybe wise
The Empress Lilly
Well-Known Member
Hey it's not so bad! This thread argues that every age has seen a great DL.
Everybody would love to walk around in Walt's era, 55 to 67. But apart from that, the strength of DL is that DL forever feels like DL, there has been a great DL for every generation. Growing up during the 50th and 60th is brilliant.
Now WDW on the other hand...now there's a painful resort. It went from the world's greatest to world's worst Disney parks.
FerretAfros
Well-Known Member
Conventional wisdom (for whatever that's worth) has always said DL peaked in 1996. This places it just after Indiana Jones opened, but before TL98 and the DCA-era stagnation. It was also arguably the peak of the park's entertainment lineup, with a daytime parade (Lion King Celebration), nighttime parade (MSEP), Fantasyland Theater show (Spirit of Pocahontas), Big Thunder Arena (Festival of Fools), nighttime spectacular (Fantasmic!), and fireworks (Fantasy in the Sky). Sure, these productions weren't quite as elaborate as the long-running ones we have today, but there was also an unspoken understanding that they would only last a couple years before being replaced with something else fresh and current.
There were also countless atmosphere entertainment acts that have been cut over the years, like the Adventureland steel drum band, NOS mime, and Sword in the Stone ceremony. While DL has fared better than WDW in terms of atmosphere acts, there has still be a marked decline since the mid-90's. It's really hard to understate just how many things were packed into the park in that era, largely without the crowding that has become commonplace today.
Looking forward and back a few years, there are some arguments to shift it by a year or two. 1995 keeps the PeopleMover but doesn't have Festival of Fools. 1997 swaps MSEP for Light Magic (which at least was technically ambitious, if not a popular success), but most of Tomrrowland was under construction by then. The early 90's have the Motor Boat Cruise and Skyway (it's fascinating that more than a quarter century later, this area still serves no real purpose), but no Indy.
There's also a strong argument of a peak circa 1969-1974, with the quick succession of New Orleans Square (with HM by 1969), TL67, and Country Bear Jamboree, before Carousel of Progress was swapped for America sings. Not only were there a lot of additions in a relatively short amount of time, they were big ambitious projects that continue to shape how we think of Disney parks today. While the mid 90's certainly had a full roster of attractions and entertainment, it's hard to deny that TL was aging and increasingly vacant by then.
DCA's peak was pretty clearly circa 2012-14. It was fresh off its relaunch, had a lot of new exciting attractions, long park hours, and lots of fun atmosphere entertainment. Shortly after the initial buzz died down and much of the smaller entertainment was removed, the park quickly turned down its current misguided path of abandoning the cohesive park-wide theme. While the park is certainly in better shape now than it was in its early years, it's clearly reverted to its role as the park of second choice.
There were also countless atmosphere entertainment acts that have been cut over the years, like the Adventureland steel drum band, NOS mime, and Sword in the Stone ceremony. While DL has fared better than WDW in terms of atmosphere acts, there has still be a marked decline since the mid-90's. It's really hard to understate just how many things were packed into the park in that era, largely without the crowding that has become commonplace today.
Looking forward and back a few years, there are some arguments to shift it by a year or two. 1995 keeps the PeopleMover but doesn't have Festival of Fools. 1997 swaps MSEP for Light Magic (which at least was technically ambitious, if not a popular success), but most of Tomrrowland was under construction by then. The early 90's have the Motor Boat Cruise and Skyway (it's fascinating that more than a quarter century later, this area still serves no real purpose), but no Indy.
There's also a strong argument of a peak circa 1969-1974, with the quick succession of New Orleans Square (with HM by 1969), TL67, and Country Bear Jamboree, before Carousel of Progress was swapped for America sings. Not only were there a lot of additions in a relatively short amount of time, they were big ambitious projects that continue to shape how we think of Disney parks today. While the mid 90's certainly had a full roster of attractions and entertainment, it's hard to deny that TL was aging and increasingly vacant by then.
DCA's peak was pretty clearly circa 2012-14. It was fresh off its relaunch, had a lot of new exciting attractions, long park hours, and lots of fun atmosphere entertainment. Shortly after the initial buzz died down and much of the smaller entertainment was removed, the park quickly turned down its current misguided path of abandoning the cohesive park-wide theme. While the park is certainly in better shape now than it was in its early years, it's clearly reverted to its role as the park of second choice.
mickEblu
Well-Known Member
You make good points for all of the different periods you mention. Although I think the weakest argument is for 69-74. If you fast forward to 15 years to 89/90. You still have the tolerable crowds and smaller entertainment throughout the park but you have added Star Tours, Splash Mountain, Thunder Mountain and Space Mountain. And you can maybe even make the case that TL still had a little bit of that 67 life left. Of course, I wasn’t around in 69-74. Perhaps, the entertainment and atmosphere was so much better that it negates all of the park defining E tickets I just mentioned Which is certainly possible.
So it comes down to if TL 67 and Natures Wonderland> Thunder, Splash, Space, Star Tours?
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Phroobar
Well-Known Member
Nature's Wonderland was still around in '74 so it's got that going for it.
mickEblu
Well-Known Member
Good point. Just edited my post
shambolicdefending
Well-Known Member
DLR will peak in about 2030, after Chapek gets sick of it and sells it to Oriental Land Company.
I'd say late 70's, but only because People Mover and Adventures Through Inner Space were such good makeout rides if one were in high school and had a steady girlfriend. Late 80's there was Judy, and a swing band every Sat night. Nothing like the rocket jets at night when they were set up in the air--on whatever that gantry structure is called.
TrainsOfDisney
Well-Known Member
The peak for me was when the railroad and rivers of America had reopened but before Star Wars opened. I was still excited about Star Wars at that point and thought it would be an incredible addition to the park.
I also thought the park was in pretty great condition during the 60th. Paint the Night, Fantasmic, and Disneyland Forever was a great trio. I felt the park was very strong for that celebration.
I also thought the park was in pretty great condition during the 60th. Paint the Night, Fantasmic, and Disneyland Forever was a great trio. I felt the park was very strong for that celebration.
Ak is my favorite park over there. I think Pandora degraded it myself. They crammed too much in the space, spent so much and got so little "world." Everywhere you turn you see nothing but people and phony alien trees, there's no vernacular architecture to speak of, nothing that really makes you think you are in the forest of the movie, certainly not a quiet peaceful nature sort of experience.
I think DL peaked after the first run of Fantasmic, its original show and setting. we sat on the river bank, the thing was awesome, the heat was real, it was a real stage production, man lift dragon and all. Then they decided to formalize it rebuilt the walkway all of those tiered steps to sit on, tried to make it all too polished.
Man that was a night when we saw that. Just left you breathless, it was sooo fricken cool.
TwilightZone
Well-Known Member
I feel like everyone has their own personal peak but I'd say during the 60th anniversary all the way up to 2017. I feel like the changes made since then (Mission Breakout, Pixar Pier, Star Wars) are simply not good enough to count as a peak.
Especially Pixar Pier, dear god what a let down.
Especially Pixar Pier, dear god what a let down.