gavinshearer.com

« It's A Small World, After All | Main | Times: "How monorail got into a bind" »

June 24, 2005

Al Lutz On Disneyland's Birthday

Al Lutz's column in MiceAge this morning talks about how Disneyland's management is starting to freak out a bit about the expected crowds on July 17:

"What has longtime Disneyland-watchers worried is that TDA seems to have severely underestimated the emotional attachment many Disney fans have to July 17th. There is currently no plan to hold a line of thousands of overnight campers, like when they naively believed 50,000 or more people would show up for DCA's grand opening and the actual number came in under 5,000. If the Disney fans of the world descend on Anaheim en masse as they keep promising to do, it could be an event that quickly devolves into mayhem due to poor planning."

My friend Paul in Santa Monica thinks I'm nuts to come down for the event:

"Dude no offense, but you must be out of your mind to come to Disneyland on it's 50th birthday. It is bad enough going to that hell hole in the Summer.....I just took my kids a few weeks back on a rainy day, and it was a nightmare!"

I have to say that the crowds don't bother me - I look at them the same way I look at the long lines on the opening day of an "event" movie, or like waiting to see a band you love. Other people's energy is part of the experience.

That said, I'm not gonna camp out, but the park opens at 8 AM ... so Tony and I might be in line around 6.

UPDATE, September 10, 2005: One or more of the original hyperlinks on this page expired, and has been dereferenced. The hyperlinked text is now underlined.

Posted by Gavin Shearer at June 24, 2005 10:06 AM. Posted to Disney | Travel.

« It's A Small World, After All | Main | Times: "How monorail got into a bind" »