Disneyland: The most hellish place on earth

I am SOOOOOOOOOO with you on this. I live in Florida. I was born in Jacksonvill and now live in the Tampa Bay area. My children are 5 and 6 and haven't been to Disney World. When we were growing up in the "60s and 70s", Disney WAS fun. Now, it's a friggin mad house. Who wants to wait in all those lines? I hear so many stories of people coming to Fl to experience Disney. They say it was a miserable time and a HUGE waste of money. I don't think I've heard anyone say they had a good time in years. Nope, we won't be going there until the kids BEG us to go. For now, we avoid letting them know there even exists such a place.

Reply

Think that's bad? Try Magic Mountain on a holiday weekend. They don't seem to believe in picking up trash, and crowd control is pathetic. The security also appears to be afraid of half the gangland types, so they do nothing about foul language or inappropriate behavior in a setting that's supposed to be fun for children.

I've had a great time at Disneyland every time I've been there. I never go on a Fri-Sun, or on holidays. I have also learned that waiting until after school begins in Sept. that you can get rooms and access passes way cheaper online before you go. Disneyland also may be expensive, but I can't believe how much better they are at making the time there a real family experience. I have been treated politely by every employee, there's seldom any trash left on the ground to see, smoking in the park has been moved to very few select smoking areas, and there's plenty of stuff for all ages to do.

Reply

Wow, my experiences at Disneyland with my two children have been radically different. We took our children to Disneyland the last week in August during the first summer of their 50th anniversary celebration (my son was 6 and my daughter was 3). We had braced ourselves for the worst and we were pleasantly surprised. With a very little bit of planning (and trust me, we are not highly organized, plan-oriented people), you can avoid the long lines at admission and the rides. We purchased our tickets on-line, so that eliminated the wait at the ticket booths, and we made sure we arrived at the park just before it opened. The longest line we waited in with our children was 35 minutes for the Buzz Lightyear ride. The advent of the FastPass really eliminates the need to wait in line (check into it). All of the employees and characters were wonderful. I felt the level of customer service was the of the highest caliber. They were all very friendly and helpful, not only to the adults, but more so to the children. I also have to say that, in my experience, the other guests at the park were also very friendly. I've always chalked it up to the fact that the whole experience really rubs off on people and they embrace the Happiest Place on Earth mentality. My kids are chomping at the bit to go back and I have to say that my husband and I are equally as anxious!

Reply

Hey, Ginny, is Busch Gardens in Tampa any better? We've just moved to Florida, to stay for the next 3 years.

Thanks!

Reply

Yikes! In the years we've been going, I've only had one bad experience and that was going on New Year's Eve about 8 years ago.
Other than that, stay away during the summer and any major holiday. I would much rather go to Disneyland than Legoland, Knott's, Magic Mountain any day. Yeah, it gets crowded, just like any other place. Have you been to the beach on a holiday weekend? Or the Getty, or the SD Zoo, or Sea World on a holiday weekend? It isn't much different-

The other suggestions you mentioned are good. But each is different in its own way.

Reply

I am a former Disney World cast member. I worked there twice, from 1991 to 94, and again from 1998 to 2001.

I recommend Disney World much more than any of the other attractions in the Orlando area, like Universal Studios. The employees at US were horribly rude (we used to call them the Disney rejects!). Disney World cast members are generally enthusiastic, love kids, and actually work there because they like it (its certainly not for the pay, though the benefits were awesome!).

Yes, Disney is expensive, but if you think about it, for the $55 or whatever it is now daily ticket, you get to go on as many rides and see as many shows as you can squeeze in all day long. Tickets to a pro sports event cost more than that, and last only a few hours.

For a family with small children, my advice would be to go during the off-season (Sept thru mid-Nov, or Jan thru early May), and avoid the really crowded times. Also, go in early and get the free Fast Pass tickets for the rides that would probably have the longest lines (Buzz Lightyear, Space Mountain, etc). Leave in the afternoon and get a nap in, then go back. It'd be better to do fewer things, and be more rested and have more fun, than to try to pack the day and end up with exhausted, cranky kids.

I've recently moved to a city with a Six Flags, and hooo, boy, I really don't recommend that! Maybe I'm jaded by the incredibly detailed and themed Disney rides and shows, or by their fantastic parades, or by the clean park & friendly employees... but nothing else we've ever gone to seems to measure up!

Reply

You forgot Knott's Berry Farm. My parents took us there when we were kids, and we always liked it much better than Disneyland. There are rides, reasonably priced food, fun activities, and shows. I've moved back to Southern California, and was very excited to take my husband there. We agreed that it was pretty awesome. They have some nice roller coasters and rides for the grown-ups, and a varitey of kiddie and medium-fast rides for kids. There are museums, animal shows, and other learning opportunites right on the grounds. It's small enough to do in a day and ride your faves a couple of times, yet big enough to be entertaining. And it's CHEAP! $40 adults, $15 kids 3-11 - cheaper if you're a SoCal resident. I'd go to Knott's over Disneyland any day.

Reply

Hey Sandy - YES! Busch Gardens is better than WDW in my opinion. We have season passes and go pretty often. We just get there right before it opens and can usually get on all the rides/in all the shows we want before it gets too crowded. When u move here, I really recommend the passes. You can go as often as you want...get the fun stuff out of the way in 3 or 4 hours and get home before it gets too busy. You can also get into Adventure Island with them too. Welcome to Tampa Bay.

Reply

I live in San Diego, and agree with the previous commenter about the crowds and prices at the SD Zoo, Sea World, and Legoland.

Add another one against Legoland- ticket prices for adults are now $57, which is more than Sea World. At SeaWorld, between Christmas and April, you could pay $53 and get a pass to come back any day you wanted all year. Now that's a family bargain!

Legoland also holds little appeal for children over the age of 12. It's a much smaller park the Disneyland, and I've waited an hour in lines there before. It can get just as crowded as Disneyland.

There's just more PEOPLE in the world, and they've got to go somewhere. I've seen the crowds increase over the years at both the San Diego Zoo and at Sea World.

We make an annual trip to Disneyland once a year. We plan it meticulously, we have our patterns worked out, and this year we went in October, and the longest line we waited in was Peter Pan. Everything else was 10 minutes or less, it was fabulous. It's all in the timing!

Reply

Sharon is so right about the 6 Flags. We went to two in Texas and they were a sticky, graffiti, non customer service sort of place. My thoughts on the lady that hates Disney, is how sad. We are a family of 5 and have always enjoyed Disneyland and World. You make your life what it is. I'm sorry hers is so miserable and negative. But the worst part is she is showing her two kids how miserable and negative the world can be. When we think of Disney we don't think of the cost, long lines and all the sometimes rude tourists we meet, but the laughter, the jokes, the fun and of course a very once in a lifetime experience when a castmember makes your day. They is enjoyment at Disneyland but if one looks for the negatives, like that poor women, it would be better if she did go to Hawaii! I know her "complaint" list would be much longer!

Reply

Oh dear. I love Disneyland. I love to take my preschooler to the tide pools in Laguna, the California Science Center(free) and Legoland. I can't make up my mind. For local residents, the annual pass is the way to go at any theme park...then go during the off season and on Wednesday mornings. Three visits, 3-4 hours each and you've paid for the pass. Bring food from home and enjoy in the picnic areas spread throughout the park. Don't go on any rides with a line.

If on vacation - look on E-bay for tickets. As annual pass holders, we get stuck on a broken ride once every 4 or 5 visits and get a free ticket to return...which we promptly sell on E-bay. Legoland also does a similar thing - so look before you pay full price. Then spend the rest of your vacation enjoying the natural beauty of Southern California.

Reply

Julie,

We just went to Disneyland for the first time. My four year old and my husband had never been before and I had only been to Disney World. My experiences as a child are intact as happy, wonderful days and now my daughter's is as well, but we found the trick. We went the week after Thanksgiving. Both parks are historically "empty" these weeks. We did not wait more than five minutes to get on any ride. The only "crowded" event was the line to get your pictures taken with the Disney Princesses. We inadvertently got in this line because we thought we were waiting to see the Disney Princesses show.

There are parts of Disneyland which are really shop-worn and not even age appropriate for little ones. The Alice in Wonderland ride which is touted for toddlers is anything but. My daughter buried her head in my arm the whole time. Worst yet, it just wasn't a fun ride. The Jungle Cruise is also REALLY shop worn. I remember loving that as a child, but the animatronics have not been updated and it looks really fake now.

Overall, I would recommend going to Disneyland as long as you resist the ridiculously overpriced souvenirs, go in an off-week and don't go every year. Like everything, too much familiarity breeds contempt.

Reply

I love Disneyland....the first trip with my four year old son was pure magic. We went in the off-season, early spring, when most kids are in school. The crowds were not bad at all. Yes, the food is expensive, and so are the souvenirs, but if you limit your spending to a few worthwhile items, you won't break the bank. We rented a room with a fridge and we ate lunches and a few breakfasts at the hotel, so that we really only bought a few fun snacks at the park. We went back again this past September for my son's 7th birthday, and again we had an awesome time. We went during the week, and we did not have to wait at all for most rides. As a matter of fact we rode Space Mountain and Thunder Mountain so many times, we wore ourselves out!
I think people who visit the park during the summer when it is hot and sticky and everyone else in the world is on vacation are setting themselves up for disappointment. Of course it is going to be crowded and uncomfortable then! If you go in one of the off peak times, it is still one of the happiest places on earth. Another thing I don't understand is why people bring babies and very small children - they aren't really old enough to retain the happy memories and can't stand all the walking so they get tired and cranky.

Reply