What a HUGE difference a week makes - DCA slow on Sunday, May 1st

[sunnygirl]

We went to DCA for a few hours today and it wasn't terribly crowded at all! We got on TOT in less than 10 minutes, same with Soarin and CA Screaming. It was awesome! The biggest crowd we saw was during the Block Party Bash, which was really cool.

[idontneedaname]

that was one big rat!!!!

[Circarama]

No that is not.

The issue here is every opportunity given some of these Disney fanatics take it to poke away at DCA. I've visited 50+ major theme parks in the US. I've worked in three and I can say for a FACT that DCA is one of the best theme park in the United States. Now, that may not correspond with everyone's opinion and I can respect that, but I don't see where it is productive to constantly poke away at what you hate. I really dislike Six Flags Magic Mountain, but I don't make it a point to constantly insult the park.

Also, it seems to me that many here feel like DCA is a failure for Disney. I see it as quite the opposite. Like many company's have done in the past they overprojected the expected operating figures for the park. So it did not meet the 7.5 million estimated attendance, but is it a failure? Is Disney loosing their shirt on this park? Also, does offerring a locals discount during the off-season really accurately indicate that the park is failing?

I honestly don't expect Disneyland fanatics to like DCA, but also I wouldn't expect them to like Epcot, Disney/MGM or Animal Kingdom either. My problem is the Disneyland fanatics who hate DCA have never clearly told what they wanted or expected. Honestly, I can infer that they wanted Disneyland 2, but that is just stupid thinking since it would only deplete the original. Some cry for Westcot, but if you hate DCA, then you'd probably hate Westcot more. It was a dumbed down EPCOT and EPCOT is IMO one of the worst Disney parks.

I personally have found DCA to be a wonderful park and basically a best-of collection of the three other parks in Florida. Also, in comparison to other theme parks it is one of the best in the US and its ranks in the top 10 US theme parks for attendance.

You are side-stepping the issue here. YOU went on the attack with your opening statement,

You can easily turn that around your falicious claim and say "buy a day at DCA and get into Disneyland for free." You can also say you get into each park for half-price. Why don't you and the rest of the DCA haters at least tell the story like it is. Oh, but if you did then you wouldn't be able to bash the park every moment you get.

You can read the entire thread,NOBODY WAS BASHING THE PARK!!
You do owe Darkbeer an apology. He did nothing to bait you. He simply stated that the attendance was low enough to walk onto every ride.
I realize and respect that you admire DCA, but you have a very short fuse when anybody mentions DCA in an unflattering way. If you're going to go on the attack, why don't you wait until it's justified? :botox:

[Jspider]

it's not a big deal either way

DCA doesn't really have a full day for the average californian and I'm not entirely sure it has a full day for someone like me

but they are slowly getting there with every addition

they've got a few decent rides so yeah

honestly we're still basicaly in the off season visitation is bound to be low now

so they're doing promotions that work well at getting people through the gates

I'm sure that this promotion has an effect on Disneyland attendance as well

it's a nice shot in the arm before tourist season starts and they pack up all the special offers

DCA looks to do a bit better in rank with the upcoming additions but I do hope for that next Eticket to really expand the place more


anywho I wonder how DCA's done on the day DL's closed will people settle on visiting DCA or will they just drive back home

[cfparkmanager]

I guess that's almost like saying," I'm sorry for being so mean in my last post, will you forgive me Darkbeer? :monkey:

No that is not.

The issue here is every opportunity given some of these Disney fanatics take it to poke away at DCA. I've visited 50+ major theme parks in the US. I've worked in three and I can say for a FACT that DCA is one of the best theme park in the United States. Now, that may not correspond with everyone's opinion and I can respect that, but I don't see where it is productive to constantly poke away at what you hate. I really dislike Six Flags Magic Mountain, but I don't make it a point to constantly insult the park.

Also, it seems to me that many here feel like DCA is a failure for Disney. I see it as quite the opposite. Like many company's have done in the past they overprojected the expected operating figures for the park. So it did not meet the 7.5 million estimated attendance, but is it a failure? Is Disney loosing their shirt on this park? Also, does offerring a locals discount during the off-season really accurately indicate that the park is failing?

I honestly don't expect Disneyland fanatics to like DCA, but also I wouldn't expect them to like Epcot, Disney/MGM or Animal Kingdom either. My problem is the Disneyland fanatics who hate DCA have never clearly told what they wanted or expected. Honestly, I can infer that they wanted Disneyland 2, but that is just stupid thinking since it would only deplete the original. Some cry for Westcot, but if you hate DCA, then you'd probably hate Westcot more. It was a dumbed down EPCOT and EPCOT is IMO one of the worst Disney parks.

I personally have found DCA to be a wonderful park and basically a best-of collection of the three other parks in Florida. Also, in comparison to other theme parks it is one of the best in the US and its ranks in the top 10 US theme parks for attendance.

[Circarama]

You proved me wrong.

The advertising went right over my head.

I guess that's almost like saying," I'm sorry for being so mean in my last post, will you forgive me Darkbeer? :monkey:

[Circarama]

That is not how it is advertised. It is not advertised buy a day at Disneyland, get into DCA for free. It is 2 parks for the price of one. You can easily turn that around your falicious claim and say "buy a day at DCA and get into Disneyland for free." You can also say you get into each park for half-price. Why don't you and the rest of the DCA haters at least tell the story like it is. Oh, but if you did then you wouldn't be able to bash the park every moment you get.

The fact is it is a 2-for-1 park promotion. There is no INDICATION, or PROMOTIONAL STATEMENT that specifically says that one park or the other is FREE.

Personally, I prefer DCA over Disneyland and I know others that share that feeling.

Of course, we could just remove DCA and return the area to a parking lot. Would that make you happy?

Dude, where is the hostility coming from? :confused:

[gibbage]

I only waited 35 minutes for SM!!

Same, once it got dark!!!! Then waking became a lot more.... Interesting...

[Disney Analyst]

Great pictures, the facade is turning up on Monster Inc

[melmel]

Disneyland was slow also on Sunday. The paths where crowded, but I only saw 10-20 min waits on every ride all day with the exception of SM. It was interesting to see so many people, but so short lines. I dont know weather it was tired 2 day pass holders, or the park was crammed with AP's, but something was going on. Nobody was waiting in line....

This is in stark contrast to the park just a few years ago. Indy never had less then 45min wait. Nobody would be out enjoying the park, but would be standing in line.

Its my "therie" that things have changed with not only the park, but the people who visit it. It was all about the rides 2-3 years ago since there was not much of anything else of interest in the park. Now they have bands all over, flowers, talking trash cans and simply just a lot of stuff to do OTHER then standing in lines. I dont think Fastpass had anything to do with what I experanced Sunday since the ONLY Fastpass I saw was SM, but even 65 mins for SM on a hot day was NOTHING compaired to the 2 hour lines 2-3 years ago.

Im going off on a tangent. I just observed something differant, and I am trying to figure out what caused this. I like it!

I only waited 35 minutes for SM!!

[gibbage]

Disneyland was slow also on Sunday. The paths where crowded, but I only saw 10-20 min waits on every ride all day with the exception of SM. It was interesting to see so many people, but so short lines. I dont know weather it was tired 2 day pass holders, or the park was crammed with AP's, but something was going on. Nobody was waiting in line....

This is in stark contrast to the park just a few years ago. Indy never had less then 45min wait. Nobody would be out enjoying the park, but would be standing in line.

Its my "therie" that things have changed with not only the park, but the people who visit it. It was all about the rides 2-3 years ago since there was not much of anything else of interest in the park. Now they have bands all over, flowers, talking trash cans and simply just a lot of stuff to do OTHER then standing in lines. I dont think Fastpass had anything to do with what I experanced Sunday since the ONLY Fastpass I saw was SM, but even 65 mins for SM on a hot day was NOTHING compaired to the 2 hour lines 2-3 years ago.

Im going off on a tangent. I just observed something differant, and I am trying to figure out what caused this. I like it!

[seenoevil]

I enjoyed the breather...but here comes Mother's Day!

[wolfy]

Heck Disneyland was that crowded either......5 minutes for Indy! Loved it! Got on all sorts of rides and were only there about 6 hours (including the meet and lunch of course)!

[figment1986]

Great photos like usuakl.... you forgot to point out next to the limo vehicles was a porta potty..... Seems like a good location for one right???

[cfparkmanager]

EXCUSE ME!!!!!

You proved me wrong.

The advertising went right over my head.

[Darkbeer]

The fact is it is a 2-for-1 park promotion. There is no INDICATION, or PROMOTIONAL STATEMENT that specifically says that one park or the other is FREE.

EXCUSE ME!!!!!

I am using the wording that was featured on TV and Radio ads, Billboards, and the tickets THEMSELVES!!!!

http://darkbeer.smugmug.com/gallery/...13684204/Large

To quote the ticket ...

Visit Disneyland Park on 1 day and Disney's California Adventure Park on another day for FREE!

Note, the use of "FREE" in all caps, and the exclaimation point was straight from Disney.

And here is a link to the commercial that was running the last couple of months in the SoCal area...

http://www.mouseinfo.com/video/com/dlcomm022005.rm

Once again, here is Disney claiming that you pay for Disneyland, and get DCA for FREE!

[cfparkmanager]

last weekend of the "Pay for Disneyland, get DCA for free" tickets....

That is not how it is advertised. It is not advertised buy a day at Disneyland, get into DCA for free. It is 2 parks for the price of one. You can easily turn that around your falicious claim and say "buy a day at DCA and get into Disneyland for free." You can also say you get into each park for half-price. Why don't you and the rest of the DCA haters at least tell the story like it is. Oh, but if you did then you wouldn't be able to bash the park every moment you get.

The fact is it is a 2-for-1 park promotion. There is no INDICATION, or PROMOTIONAL STATEMENT that specifically says that one park or the other is FREE.

Personally, I prefer DCA over Disneyland and I know others that share that feeling.

Of course, we could just remove DCA and return the area to a parking lot. Would that make you happy?

[Disneykat]

We walked onto TOT as well. I've never seen that before. We also pretty much walked onto Maliboomer!!!! Even the Animation bldg was fairly dead....Ursula's grotto was completley empty. I still chickened out and did not act out the scenes or sing.....LOL

[melmel]

I practically walked on ToT at 1:30 pm yesterday. It was a 20 minute wait. That's insane. What, were there 8000 people in the park??

I also think numbers are especially low because people are wanting to go to the park on May 5 and after that... Even in DL there couldn't have been much more than 25000 people.

[Darkbeer]

While DM and I spent most of the day at Disneyland, headed over to DCA around 4:30 PM, and almost everthing was a walk-on, or close to it.

Heck, when we went to ToT shortly after 6 PM (park closed at 9 PM), and they had the FASTPASS line closed, and sending everyone thru stand by. But no worries, since there was no wait, heck some elevators were going up only partially full.

I have photos of no line in the upstairs queue, and some of the partial elevators...



http://darkbeer.smugmug.com/gallery/511861



DCA stuff starts around photo 260...

Amazing, last weekend, they set up extended queues due to the crowds using up the last weekend of the "Pay for Disneyland, get DCA for free" tickets...

This weekend, it was back to the AP lounge.

Heck, in the Hollywood Backlot area, a character came up to us and interacted (nobody else was around, and I guess they were looking for something to do.)... By the way, Max and his friend did a great job... just weird that they came to us, since nobody was around...

We had fastpasses for Screamin', but didn't need to use them. The wait was less than 10 mintues. There was no wait for ToT, we walked right on. As Darkbeer states above there were cars that were half empty and no one was in line. We walked into the Amimation Building and there were maybe four or five other people in there.

Max came to us to interact and actually danced with me for two to three minutes (he really is a good dancer, Darkbeer could take some lessons from him.) while his friend tried to convince Darkbeer that we needed to see Aladdin and ride ToT.

There were people in the park, but it was nowhere near as bad as last weekend. Last weekend Soarin' had a wait time of over an hour and half. This afternoon the wait time was less than thirty minutes.

Yes, we did stop my the Cove Bar for a short time, but even the staff there was remarking on how quiet it was this weekend. In fact when we walked into the Cove Bar, there was nobody at the bar and only two tables had people at them.