All things Disneyland - Disneyworld

bianchi10 · #1 08-01-2017, 12:37 PM

If there's one thing in this world I know, it's that Disneyland truly is the happiest place in the world. Out of a crowd, you may find a handful of people who just don't get it or who have never been. I feel bad for those lol

For me, I'm an absolute fanatic!!! I've been to Disneyland 8 times now and Disneyworld once. I personally prefer Disneyland over Disneyworld all day long, but I wouldn't cry about forcing myself to have the time of my life if I was at either place. Since I'm in Oregon, it's not that accessible unless we plan a family vacation. Our entire family is all on the same page with it, so while others vacate to Hawaii or other tourist destinations, we find ourselves going back to where the magic happens.

There's simply a magic that happens when you walk through the gates. The smells, the sounds and the interaction all around you. Can make even the oldest visitors feel like an innocent child.

All my friends that go come to me months in advance to help develop an itinerary for their trip. I could talk all day long about Disneyland! Every time I go, I leave filling my Disney fix. Usually get home and say to myself, "I think I'll be good for a couple years now" and within months, I'm ready to head back for more! My wife and 2 kids get together on the couch every month to watch home videos from our vacations there. My wife and I have talked about retiring to Anaheim one day and working at Disneyland.

I follow a lot of you on Instagram and have seen your trips to Disneyland or Disneyworld.

I can't wait to go back!

Here's a video I made from our visit this last year with my wife, 2 kids, brother and parents

Trying to figure out how to post the actual video instead of the link but it's not working....

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=x8SOaILTE1w

Michael Maddox · #2 08-01-2017, 01:18 PM

Ugh.

I'm glad you enjoy it, but the thought of those places makes me retch.

With all sincerity, please help me understand its appeal. I know LOTS of people who feel just as you do, but I simply don't get it.

Henrythewound · #3 08-01-2017, 01:23 PM

I don't see the appeal. Spend a ton of $$ to fight through crowds and wait in long lines for rides and expensive food. Admittedly the rides are cool but the rest of the experience far outweighs the good bits for me. Luckily I can let the grandparents and aunts and uncles take the kids.

Nooch · #4 08-01-2017, 01:25 PM

We're DVC members -- have been since before the kids came around, to boot -- the buy in was a wedding gift and the annual dues are a christmas gift from my father, so it's at zero cost to me. We know we'll always have a room -- the harder part for us (at this point in our lives) is swinging the park tickets.

We feel the same way. Nothing beats an ice cream cookie sandwich from the Sleepy Hollow Inn at Liberty Square in Magic Kingdom.

Now, with kids, seeing how excited they get meeting the princesses and all -- just renews the love.

At the end of the day, strip it all down, I love WDW because I know exactly what kind of vacation I'm going to have. I know it's going to be clean, the food will be consistent, the cast members will be accommodating. And while variety is the spice of life, if I only get one week to do a big vacation every year, I want to know what I'm getting into.

Also: Paging TheGunner

Michael Maddox · #5 08-01-2017, 01:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Henrythewound

I don't see the appeal. Spend a ton of $$ to fight through crowds and wait in long lines for rides and expensive food. Admittedly the rides are cool but the rest of the experience far outweighs the good bits for me. Luckily I can let the grandparents and aunts and uncles take the kids.

The rides seem sub-par compared to Busch Gardens, Six Flags, or even Sea World. Without the tie-ins to popular Disney properties and characters, are they really that good? And compared to descending Unicoi Gap into Helen, Georgia at 55 mph on a road bike or doing power-on stalls in an Aerobat, are they really anything at all?

The atmosphere seems too contrived, too sterile and antiseptic...a vision of an American "happy place," that never really existed. There's so much REAL magic in the world, how could a cartoon ever really compete?

And I'm not even talking about Disney as a corporation, the crowds, and the expense.

Maybe I'm just a cynic.

thegunner · #6 08-01-2017, 01:34 PM

you misspelled disneyworld

Quote:

At the end of the day, strip it all down, I love WDW because I know exactly what kind of vacation I'm going to have. I know it's going to be clean, the food will be consistent, the cast members will be accommodating. And while variety is the spice of life, if I only get one week to do a big vacation every year, I want to know what I'm getting into.

Also: Paging TheGunner

also DVC members (two different resorts, sigh). i like that i can just turn off. i don't think about anything, everything is taken care of, and forgive me for being cheesy, but it's pretty magical. also, something drew didn't mention is that coming from NYC, where people are kind of jerks on default setting, having that happiness all around you is really disarming.

Nooch · #7 08-01-2017, 01:43 PM

I get the rides aren't going to satiate any thrill seekers -- but that's not what it's about. The rides are an experience, story telling, etc... The animatronics are incredibly impressive -- take the Mickey at the town hall, for instance. Yes, we all know it's a dude in a suit -- but he talks, his mouth moves, he blinks, the facial expressions change. Mr. Potato Head at the Toy Story midway, calling people out by what they're wearing, interacting with the crowd. It's all pretty fun.

Sure, it's a small world isn't all it's cracked up to be, but it brings you back to the beginning, where you can appreciate what went into it when the park was opened.

bianchi10 · #8 08-01-2017, 01:50 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Michael Maddox

Ugh.

I'm glad you enjoy it, but the thought of those places makes me retch.

With all sincerity, please help me understand its appeal. I know LOTS of people who feel just as you do, but I simply don't get it.

Sure thing! I'll try to paint a picture for ya, but I think a big prerequisite of falling in love with disneyland as an adult is that you had been there as a child. For me, I get hit with nostalgia as soon as I walk in. The magic I was drawn into as a child comes back to me all over again. I can understand why some adults who go for the first time may not enjoy it as much.

First off its the environment. The smells of caramel corn, ice creek and elephant ears. The music up main street or while walking through place to place. It's literally a step into a world of imagination. The attractions sometimes defy reality and pull you into this imaginary surrounding.

I'm not HUGE on roller coaster or heights so that takes out a lot of attractions that I don't even do. People often ask me why I love a disneyland so much if I don't even do half the rides. To me that speaks even more highly about how it's more about the environment and simply pulling back the disbelief in whatever and allowing myself to enjoy the fun.

I sure the lines can get long and when it's hot out, it can really suck at the moment, BUT I've been there when it wasn't busy and honestly, I felt like it took away from the experience. I enjoy the crowd and watching families have such a good time.

I remember one time sitting in line and watching the mad hatter walk down main street. He was being rushed to another part of the park where he was supposed to have an appearance. He stopped near this child that was 7 or 8 years old and interacted with him and his family for maybe 2 minutes. To see the excitement on that kids face was priceless and I guarantee you, that kid has grown up remembering that moment. Back when you're a kid, you aren't influenced by anything, you simply believe in the stories and movies you watch. Being at Disneyland where those very same movies come to life is special.

I've always had a great imagination and I've always been a huge kid at heart. Maybe that has something something to do with the fact of why I love it there so much. I'm able to be a kid and do away with the everyday stress that comes along with being an adult.

bianchi10 · #9 08-01-2017, 01:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Michael Maddox

The rides seem sub-par compared to Busch Gardens, Six Flags, or even Sea World. Without the tie-ins to popular Disney properties and characters, are they really that good? And compared to descending Unicoi Gap into Helen, Georgia at 55 mph on a road bike or doing power-on stalls in an Aerobat, are they really anything at all?

The atmosphere seems too contrived, too sterile and antiseptic...a vision of an American "happy place," that never really existed. There's so much REAL magic in the world, how could a cartoon ever really compete?

And I'm not even talking about Disney as a corporation, the crowds, and the expense.

Maybe I'm just a cynic.

I would venture to argue, how could real current day ever compete with the imagination of being in a cartoon!?

I TOTALLY get that REAL thrill sealers that love fast and extreme roller coasters may not get much out of what Disneyland offers, but my entire love for Disneyland as I mentioned above is based more in the feeling of being there with all the surroundings that fulfill all the other senses that create memories that can be awakened from any little thought or smell you may come across even when away from the park

Michael Maddox · #10 08-01-2017, 02:03 PM

See, I don't think we really differ that much in personality.

I went to Disney World in 1976, for the first time. I had just turned 7 years old and had grown up on classic Disney films and cartoons, though I always had a preference for Warner Brothers. (I'm still an animation and cartoon nut.) I was mostly enamored with the Contemporary Hotel (though we stayed in the Polynesian Village) and the monorail.

I definitely am imaginative and creative; I draw, paint, and write, but I spend most of my time composing and playing music.

My favorite Disney films are probably The Little Mermaid and Enchanted (mmmm...Amy Adams). Outside of those, I'd credit Pixar for most of the actual movie magic in their best films.

I understand the desire of people to find magic in the world, but the version of it that Disney offers just seems too antiseptic for me, too narrow, and too small. There's something off-putting about it. It's syrupy-sweet and without substance. And the spin that Disney puts on characters from classic literature (Winnie the Pooh, for instance), removes the humanity from them. CLASSIC Disney shorts are still wonderful (Goofy's "Smoking" cartoon, or In Der Fuhrer's Face).

I'm going to shut up, now, because I'm afraid that I sound like a confrontational ass. I'll keep reading, though.

weaponsgrade · #11 08-01-2017, 02:03 PM

My in-laws are an hour away from Disneyland. I've been there twice with my little ones. They love it, I hate it. I get motion sickness on a lot of the rides, it's hot, expensive, and just sensory overload for me. The whole setup is designed to suck money from your pockets. On one of the days of our stay we went into one of the restaurants for breakfast before hitting the rides. We had been there the day before, but I didn't notice it was now during the time where the characters sit with you to eat. It wasn't until we were seated that I noticed the price was something like $50 per person. I spied Snow White coming over and quickly shooed the kids out before they saw. Crisis averted.

The kids expected Disney again this year, but I felt I needed to nip this thing in the bud least they expect this is the default summer thing. I took them to Legoland this year and they loved it even more than Disney. Legoland has a big waterpark. It was their first time to a real water park and they had an awesome time. Legoland is also closer to the coast and much cooler. The park is a lot smaller than Disney, but much less crowded (at least when I went a few weeks ago).

I'm hoping that next summer we can try a national park or camping. I'd like to get them into the outdoors more.

bianchi10 · #12 08-01-2017, 02:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Michael Maddox

See, I don't think we really differ that much in personality.

I went to Disney World in 1976, for the first time. I had just turned 7 years old and had grown up on classic Disney films and cartoons, though I always had a preference for Warner Brothers. (I'm still an animation and cartoon nut.) I was mostly enamored with the Contemporary Hotel (though we stayed in the Polynesian Village) and the monorail.

I definitely am imaginative and creative; I draw, paint, and write, but I spend most of my time composing and playing music.

My favorite Disney films are probably The Little Mermaid and Enchanted (mmmm...Amy Adams). Outside of those, I'd credit Pixar for most of the actual movie magic in their best films.

I understand the desire of people to find magic in the world, but the version of it that Disney offers just seems too antiseptic for me, too narrow, and too small. There's something off-putting about it. It's syrupy-sweet and without substance. And the spin that Disney puts on characters from classic literature (Winnie the Pooh, for instance), removes the humanity from them. CLASSIC Disney shorts are still wonderful (Goofy's "Smoking" cartoon, or In Der Fuhrer's Face).

I'm going to shut up, now, because I'm afraid that I sound like a confrontational ass. I'll keep reading, though.

For sure and feel there is a fair amount of validity. It's all personal opinion of course so I don't want to come across like I'm saying you or anyone else is wrong by any means.

Also want to clarify that I'm not suggesting that you had to have had a killer imagination with imaginary friends and watched disney movies all day to appreciate and love Disneyland.

And, Enchanted......Bravo! Love that movie. Amy Adams and Patrick Dempsey were perfectly casted for that.

cdn_bacon · #13 08-01-2017, 02:54 PM

I will say this. As someone who went as a child, and traveled back last year, (36 years later) with family and mother's in tow. This was a very expensive trip for my wife and I as we footed the bill for everyone's flight and accommodations. Mainly it was a treat for our eldest daughter who's younger sister suffers from disability and she has to be tended to more frequently. ( apologies, not meant to draw sympathy, just one of the reason's why we went)

We rented a house of a friend in Kissimmee which accommodated 12 and was very close to Disney World. We stayed for 5 days 2 of which were actually in Disney World, the others in Disney Studio's (making my daughter up as a princess) and various other Floridian attractions. The two days at Disney were super long, in the sun, ride after ride and watched the parades. We attempted to ride every ride we could, and even stayed for the fireworks.

Two 11 hour days later, watching the fireworks/show on the castle show with my daughter on my shoulders completely burnt out. I finally "Got" what Disney was trying to achieve by making a place so fantastic for his family and friends to visit. I've been to other parks including the one local to us that has fireworks etc, but there is just "something" about it.

I however wont be going back anytime soon. It is costly, and once you've seen it I'm ok with not revisiting for awhile. Although I have a friend that goes yearly.

just my two cents. it's an amusement park. take it for what it is.

oldpotatoe · #14 08-01-2017, 03:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Michael Maddox

The rides seem sub-par compared to Busch Gardens, Six Flags, or even Sea World. Without the tie-ins to popular Disney properties and characters, are they really that good? And compared to descending Unicoi Gap into Helen, Georgia at 55 mph on a road bike or doing power-on stalls in an Aerobat, are they really anything at all?

The atmosphere seems too contrived, too sterile and antiseptic...a vision of an American "happy place," that never really existed. There's so much REAL magic in the world, how could a cartoon ever really compete?

And I'm not even talking about Disney as a corporation, the crowds, and the expense.

Maybe I'm just a cynic.

Disneyland compared to power on stalls in an Aerobat...sorry, I think my 6 and 4 year old grand daughters would rather go to the magic kingdom.

BTW-power on stalls? Kinda tame, considering. Get you buddy up in another one. 1000 feet abeam, 'fight's on'...see who ends up behind who's wingline. Stalls, might as well shoot approaches...yawn.

BTW I'm taking both grand daughters, their parents, to DW next summer, it's for the kids and me...I've been to both plus Tokyo Disneyland.. really like them all.

thegunner · #15 08-01-2017, 03:17 PM

i do think part of the problem is, people who go once in a blue moon try to do everything, and then bemoan that the experience is exhausting, that it costs too much (i don't disagree with this part, my wife and i spend a lot of money at disney, but relative to multiple custom frames? eh, not so much), but part of what's nice is to just go and take in the sights and experiences. i honestly like going to people watch - which i think is something nooch and i might take for granted with DVC.

i get it, people who aren't going to like it aren't going to like it, but there's definitely another side to it, so it makes sense that this is always going to sound polarizing to the other half.