Update 3: (7pm) While it appears that Disney is officially keeping California Adventure open, access to it is extremely difficult, with clogged roads, closed parking, and large crowds in and around the esplanade. Disneyland is closed to all guests and expected to remain that way until at least 10pm, when the parade and fireworks will have concluded. We recommend watching the live feed online or read our reviews of the new events:
Update 4: (11:30pm) Disneyland remained closed as midnight approached, even though reports from inside the park suggested moderate to light crowd levels.
Adventureland, Frontierland, and New Orleans Square are dead. Off season feel. pic.twitter.com/fG05NbIVO3
— Tom Bricker (@Tom_Bricker) May 23, 2015The official @DisneylandToday Twitter reported no more parking spaces anywhere at the resort as of 10pm, and crowds continued to mass outside the bag check areas. Cast members were heard saying to guests that the park's president had ordered Disneyland kept closed to entrants for the remainder of the event, though this could not be confirmed.
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(4:09pm) Two Disney theme parks at the same resort never have hit capacity at the same time. But we might be close to that historic first at the Disneyland Resort.
At about 1:50 this afternoon, Disneyland closed to new entries, due to the crowds of visitors at the park for the start of the Diamond Celebration and the 24-hour day.
Many guests enjoying #Disney24. Disneyland park is not currently admitting new guests. Updates to follow. #Disneyland60 (2/2)
— Disneyland Today (@DisneylandToday) May 22, 2015Disney began sending all guests seeking to enter the parks for the first time today into California Adventure instead. With massive after-school and after-work crowds expected to hit the resort in the next few hours, cast members are facing the possibility that both parks will have to close to new visitors, which could set off a chain reaction of traffic jams in the area as incoming visitors have nowhere to go.
People already camped out for tonight's #PainttheNight Parade! pic.twitter.com/1MVwMUNnCw
— Shawn Slater (@disneyshawn) May 22, 2015We've heard that the Mickey and Friends parking structure closed temporarily earlier today, and Disney is saying that access to the garage is "intermittently available." Fans have crammed the esplanade between the two parks.
Current view of the Esplanade from Disneyland. It's getting ugly... @DisneylandLive pic.twitter.com/iNEVqNNkKL
— Imaginat1on (@imaginat1on) May 22, 2015At the original "One More Disney Day" 24-hour party in 2012, Disneyland hit capacity in the early evening, creating traffic jams thoughout the area as fans tried to cram into the resort. (California Adventure closed at 8pm on that day, compounding the capacity problem.)
Needless to say, if you're not already at the Disneyland Resort and were thinking about visiting, may we suggest that a visit later in the weekend might be a better idea?
Update: (4:35pm) As of 4:15, Disneyland is closed to re-entry by returning guests, as well as to guests seeking to enter for the first time today.
@CyrenaScott As of 4:32pm, Disney California Adventure is admitting guests.
— Disneyland Today (@DisneylandToday) May 22, 2015Update 2: (5:30pm) While DCA remains open, officially, good luck getting to it. Disney's parking people in the old RV lot at the corner of Harbor and Bell now, which is pretty much the last nearby lot Disney has left. Cast members have been telling guests in the esplanade that Disneyland readmissions might start around 10pm. So if you're not already there, stay home and watch the livestream.
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It is sad that a place we loved so much did this. They lied to us and countess others, and did nothing to solve the problem. The 24 hour event was a nightmare. We saw none of the events we went to this event to see. We watched countless exit the park and heard the streets were empty, yet we stood outside the gates and would not be let back in.
After 20 years we are going to give up our season passes. This was a rude awakening to how little Disney cares about the people that make them great. Their loyal fans. In the end it was tough to realize that Disney is just a business and nothing more. Magic Gone.
Good riddance. You knew exactly what you were walking into. If you are vegan and couldn't find a meal, that's your own problem. You were not lied to. You left the park and it filled to capacity. You left at your own will, and you chose to attend yesterday... at your own will. You are also vegan... at your own will. If your dietery needs can't be met in the park, you should have brought your own food. If you wanted to see all the events... You would have stayed in the park.
No one will miss you not renewing your season pass.
The risks were well known and well reported before anyone went to the parks. You may not get in or back in.
Had the rides all been breaking down and the fireworks caught the Matterhorn on fire, yes Disney would be at fault. Visiting on a high capacity day is a personal choice.
Empty threats posted on a forum to not renew a season pass are laughable. Maybe it was a slight dig, but I'm a realist and will call it out.
I truly wish everyone could have enjoyed the event in this fashion. Was Disneyland at fault for the many of the issues that late arrivals encountered? I don't believe so. Many whom I spoke with had a plan and thoroughly enjoyed the event. Those who had issues either arrived late, were not prepared, expected just another day and most of all...didn't do their homework.
Learn from your mistakes, don't point fingers or blame others for something you could have rectified yourself
No. I had friends attend the event and they said it was totally fine. They got into Disneyland and stayed at Disneyland. They knew very well if they left they would not get back in. They were there at 4am to line up and stayed nearly the entire time. The fact is the people complaining are all anonymous and either never got into the parks or they left the parks at there own will.
"We were there and yes, due to dietary choices we did bring our own food. However, didn't do us much good when it was stuck in a locker in DL and we were stuck in DCA! We tried to retrieve our food several times which turned out to be a waste of time. Didn't get back to our locker until 4:00 am.."
Why did you leave the park? Once you are in stay there. You made the choice to leave your food in a locker and leave the park. How is that Disney's fault?
Now you have every right to be upset that the crowd control wasn't managed better, or that they shouldn't have allowed people to camp all up and down the sidewalks for the parade... Those are Disney's fault, and those types of things should be managed better... But you not being allowed back in due to capacity or because you decided to to be a vegan and limit your dietary consumption ARE NOT Disney's problem or fault.
People try to bring in these personal dilemmas to try and bring a emotional feeling to their problems and blame Disney (or any other company). The thing is though, it's YOUR PROBLEM. Take some responsibility on the decisions you made.
Around 10pm we exited DCA and cast members were not allowing anyone in the Esplanade saying, "We have to clear this area while we figure out what to do." Figure out what to do? A little late for that isn't it? There were nothing but contradictions - some cast members said DL is closed and not re-opening until Sat at 9am, yet other cast members 5 feet away told guests to either go to Downtown Disney or go back to DCA and that those in DCA would be given priority to enter DL. We heard that bag check had been closed as well, and for those who had made it through it had been a 3 hour wait. And it was impossible to re-enter DCA... it was a complete gridlock and a crush of people - no one could get in, no one could get out. And back in DCA, cast members were telling guests they would NOT be given priority to enter DL...! Meanwhile, friends in DL were confirming that DL was practically empty. Despite this, guests were surprisingly patient and trying to make the best of it, and cast members were only doing the best they could with the lack of direction from their mgmt. I witnessed one extremely rude cast member - Natasha from Ontario - she was beyond obnoxious and her behavior was inexcusable under any circumstance.
We left DCA again around 2am, and it seemed like people were starting to line up in the Esplanade for DL to open. But cast members were still insisting DL is closed and not re-opening. We decided to wait and see what would happen. Around 2:30am a cast member literally yelled at us that we MUST exit NOW, DL is closed... as that was coming out of his mouth, they started letting everyone in the Esplanade into DL! And even though we were already in the Esplanade, they would not allow us in, they forced us to go to the bag check re-entry... So frustrating.
Disney is great at planning for handling line ups and crowds the night before special events, but that planning now needs to go into what happens AFTER the initial line up.
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