Disneyland was AWFUL!

[DisSurfer878]

You are Wrong! I have never stayed at the Desert Inn. (And I think it's very inappropriate that you tried to check. Wow!)

Every single post, comment, and like you make on this website you are willing posting on is public and any single one of us could look at your history and find out tons of information in a matter of seconds. Maybe pack away the feigned outrage over lack of privacy when posting on a public forum

 

[DontSpamMe]

Too bad they didn't go in with the lowering expectations mantra so many have been saying. We walk from both Katella and Harbor routinely. Is it Overland Park Kansas? No. I'm certainly more alert to my surroundings while making the walk, but I've never felt unsafe. Walking to and from Disneyland is no different than many of the other tourist cities in America.

We just returned from a trip. Though it is still not optimal, we were still able to carve out a small piece of magic to make the trip worth it.

If you are sensitive to this kind of stuff you should put a hold on any Disneyland trips until things return closer to normal.

 

[robinb]

Yes I know...but to actually do that?????

Challenge accepted .

 

[shh]

It's not like Orlando is the safest place in the US either .

You want seedy - let me take you on a fun filled tour of US 192 Kissimmee. (But edited to add: it IS much easier to escape the seedier parts of WDW region - besides all the outrageously overpriced (whoops..sorry about that) onsite resorts, there are many lake buena vista area choices that still feel a bit bubble-like. Bubble light?)

 

[JC1984]

Seediest places I have visited:
Reedy Creek Improvement District
WDW POC
Then again I grew up on the mean streets of Anaheim. Disneys Westside til I die

 

[CO2CA]

The first problem is Anaheim itself. It is seedy and dangerous, and unpleasant to walk through...and Disneyland is right in the middle of it. The next problem is that Disney is packing people in those parks like sardines. (We went on a Tuesday and Wednesday hoping for low crowds. No such luck.) The crowds were so thick that you couldn't enjoy anything. I barely noticed the decorations because I was so busy trying not to be bowled over by the masses. We gave up on trying to ride any rides but tried hard to at least see the parade. However we missed that too because there were people about 10 thick in front of us. (I'm short) The only thing left to do was eat. We could not find anything edible. I have never seen so much "carnival style" junk-food in one place. It was disgusting. So I went to Guest Services to ask if I could have a partial refund on the "Magic Key" I purchased for this trip/year. (I have no desire to ever return). They were uncaring and rude about it and simply said "Nope". Absolutely no part of this experience felt like the "Disney" I know and love. (It very much reminded me of how Six Flags took a bad turn 20 years ago! Yikes!). No thanks.

OP, I'm going to go against most here and say don't return to Disneyland. There is no point in making yourself upset and miserable. Sure, you have the sunk cost of the Magic Key passes that you purchased before actually visiting Disneyland (they are nonrefundable, so it was in no way the CMs fault). But $1200+ is a small amount to lose if you feel that you or your family were in danger by being in Anaheim. Safety should always be a top priority.

Perhaps at WDW you can step up and see the parade right when it starts (I don't know...I've never been to WDW because it's in FL and I have no desire), but at Disneyland people tend to wait so they can get a good spot. If you weren't going to ride the attractions, I definitely would have staked out a spot for the parade. At least that would give something to do to fill the time.

I don't go to many carnivals (I have actually never been to a carnival because my mom never trusted the ride safety lol), so maybe I am unsure of what they serve at those. Disneyland serves everything from soups to salads to prime rib to lobster to salmon. Most of these items are accessible by quick service. Do carnivals serve these things? If so, they are a lot better than I had originally thought.

 

[alvernon90]

I love this thread. I remember several years back I took a trip to WDW and then wrote a summary thread on that board. My main conclusion was that you can have a better experience at DL because of many numerous hassles at WDW. People on the WDW board were angry. I mean angry! And they said a lot of things to me that seem familiar in this thread:

• You did your trip all wrong. WDW cannot fail, it can only be failed. Plan harder next time.
• You're biased toward the West coast, you did not have correct expectations for WDW. Lower your standards next time.
• You are a jerk with a bad attitude and you should shut up.
• DL sux, WDW rulz!

Then as now, my attitude was the same: if you love WDW so much, GO THERE! Leave DL to those of us who appreciate it.

Also, I am truly impressed that this thread has been allowed to go this long. On the WDW boards the debates are MUCH more aggressive than is allowed here, but this thread has been freewheeling and fun! Nice to see it!

 

[Geemo]

 

[PirateBrigade]

Also, I am truly impressed that this thread has been allowed to go this long. On the WDW boards the debates are MUCH more aggressive than is allowed here, but this thread has been freewheeling and fun! Nice to see it!

I’m personally waiting for an explanation of specifically what constitutes “seedy” from the OP, or I’m going to just assume the worst of every stereotype of “a family of four from Omaha.”

(ETA yes I know the OP isn’t actually from Omaha, figure of speech)

 

[BrianL]

I really think some of you are very caught up on the semantics. Does "seedy" really matter. We all know exactly what one might see in Anaheim. Just chalk it up to a little emotional hyperbole. It's nothing to get worked up about.

 

[longboard55]

We go to both parks, AP to Disneyland and a yearly trip to WDW. You need to enjoy each on it is own and do not think one will be like the other. Our first trip to WDW we hated it, too much travel time, horrible weather, then we figured it out and now we love it. WDW is a take it slow trip. Disneyland is a compressed trip

 

[disney-inspired]

I really think some of you are very caught up on the semantics. Does "seedy" really matter. We all know exactly what one might see in Anaheim. Just chalk it up to a little emotional hyperbole. It's nothing to get worked up about.

LOL you're about 5 pages too late.

 

[PirateBrigade]

I really think some of you are very caught up on the semantics. Does "seedy" really matter. We all know exactly what one might see in Anaheim. Just chalk it up to a little emotional hyperbole. It's nothing to get worked up about.

I want to know the bias in play, because that matters very much when describing Anaheim.

Edited:
Calling an entire city “seedy” can be offensive to the hard working people that live in Anaheim, I believe a higher standard is needed so people reading this thread in the future know the intent behind the statement.

 

[MrsD.Duck]

I guess I am trying to figure out is disneyland suppose to pick itself up and move some place less "seedy"? I mean since it is right in the middle of Anaheim. Seriously how dare Anaheim develope around disneyland!

 

[skyp4WDW]

Will gladly accept your Magic Key if you're not going to use it

Actually this is exactly why I thought about asking for a PARTIAL refund (minus the two days I used it.) I know since they paused the sale of "Magic Keys" a lot of people who might want one cannot buy one right now. It seemed reasonable to me for them to resell my pass to someone who would like to have it.

 

[BrianL]

I want to know the bias in play, because that matters very much when describing Anaheim. I had coworkers when I worked down in Newport who refused to cross the 55 because “the signs were in Vietnamese.”

Actually, I encountered someone who got mad because they “couldn’t read Asian.”

I dunno, I think the OP just had a crummy time and posted about it emotionally. I don't think it has to be any more than that.

 

[ardanxela]

I think you've made your point by now. Now it just feels like a witch hunt.

 

[CO2CA]

You are Wrong! I have never stayed at the Desert Inn. (And I think it's very inappropriate that you tried to check. Wow!)

I am curious on which hotel you stayed at, if you don't mind sharing? I know a few years ago they had Little Boy Blue/Zabys/Islander motels on Katella that were definitely sketchy, but all of those have since been leveled and now house the Hyatt House at the Convention Center. I tell my family and friends who visit to stay between the borders of Katella and Manchester on Harbor for safety/convenience if they stay off-property. Not to say that outside of those borders are unsafe, but that is where we have felt best.

 

[LizzyS]

I'm sorry to hear that you had a bad time. I've only been to DLR once during the holidays and that was a one and done for me because it was by far the most people I've seen packed into the park and it made me a little uncomfortable (pre-pandemic). In saying that, I love Disneyland and we enjoy going at more offbeat times of year.

 

[LizzyS]

I don't mind Anaheim around the parks, though. It's reality that it's in the middle of a city; it's not WDW.