Here now…DL was a Disaster Today!!

[The Mayor]

Yesterday (Sunday 8/8) we cruised through DCA and with the help of Genie+ we got on every ride and most of them twice. We were back at the DL Villas by 2:00.

Today (Monday 9/9) at DL was the complete opposite. It was the theme park nightmare you never wish to experience. We were prepared for it to be crowded but not for Indiana Jones, Matterhorn and MMRR to be closed at opening and for most of the morning. Matterhorn and MMRR opened around 10:30 but Indy is still down. Various other rides also went down during the morning and early afternoon which just contributed to the chaos. We ended up going on 5 rides (paid the $20 to go in MMRR) and headed back to the villas to relax at the pool. Onlyyyyyyy the villa pool was closed!!! Theme of the day apparently!! So now sitting by the main pool having a beer and hoping for a better DL experience tomorrow. It certainly can’t be worse than today.

Probably won’t be a popular opinion here but give me WDW any day over DL. We’ve been to WDW about 30 times and never experienced a day like this today at DL.

 

[Geemo]

We went once (2005) when it was Columbus Day. Never again.....
And that was before the crowd complaints began...

Now all trips avoid any type of event or holiday.

 

[Jhornick]

DCA wasn't much better today! Multiple rides closed for hours. Incredicoaster was closed for at least 4 hours!

 

[CayBoo]

I've heard it said that Mondays can feel like Saturdays a lot of the time. And being that it's a holiday today, it only added to the craziness.
Sorry to hear that it was a bit of a let down!
We're going next Monday, and I'm anxious about how crazy it'll be with it being the actual 100th anniversary of Disney.

 

[ktlm]

Sorry you are having a bad day. Don't Judge DL by a trip the first week in October, especially over Columbus/Indigenous People's day weekend. We love DLR. We went from October 6 to 10 in 2021 and it was the absolute worst DLR trip we have ever had. DD absolutely loves DLR and she was asking if we could get an earlier flight and just go home. The crowds were miserable. I have never experienced anything like that at DLR before and had been every year in the summer except 2020 for several years. We were just there for 4 nights over Labor Day weekend and had a wonderful time. The crowds were so much better than on our October trip.

Mondays are typically the most crowded days at DLR, so I can't even imagine what it was like today based on our October trip two years ago. We have been to WDW multiple times in October, and I would go there again in October, but I don't think we will ever go to DLR in October again.

I promise if this October trip is your first DLR trip-- you aren't seeing how wonderful it can be. Give it another chance a different time of the year. I hope the rest of your trip is better!!!

 

[ktlm]

I've heard it said that Mondays can feel like Saturdays a lot of the time. And being that it's a holiday today, it only added to the craziness.

We have never had a bad Saturday at DLR. Even on our horrible October trip- Saturday was the least crowded day of the trip. Every trip we have ever had Mondays were our most crowded day- usually they feel twice as crowded as Saturday. Hopefully you will get lucky and it won't be too bad!!!

 

[The Mayor]

We expected the crowds and feel we could have managed them had those three headliner rides not been down. Couple that with Splash and Space MT down for refurb and that’s 5 headliners out of commission.

One other thing that got to us at DL was the lack of signage. I had to constantly look at the park map to know which direction to go.

 

[Chili327]

One other thing that got to us at DL was the lack of signage. I had to constantly look at the park map to know which direction to go.

Isn't it basically the same as Magic Kingdom.? (Adventureland is left, Fantasyland is straight, Tomorrowland is right)

 

[The Mayor]

Isn't it basically the same as Magic Kingdom.? (Adventureland is left, Fantasyland is straight, Tomorrowland is right)

Plus multiple other lands squished in. Even if the four main lands are the same as MK it doesn’t account for the lack of signage. What if someone had never been to MK?

 

[starry_solo]

Plus multiple other lands squished in. Even if the four main lands are the same as MK it doesn’t account for the lack of signage. What if someone had never been to MK?

Aren't there signs leading into each land?

 

[starry_solo]

Well, except for Fantasyland, which is right through Sleeping Beauty's Castle.

I haven't gone to DLR in October in years. We just know that's a month to avoid with Oogie Boogie and all.

 

[Chili327]

Plus multiple other lands squished in. Even if the four main lands are the same as MK it doesn’t account for the lack of signage. What if someone had never been to MK?

Yea, that's what the maps are for.

 

[The Mayor]

Aren't there signs leading into each land?

I’ve just given my opinion so I’m not going to elaborate on it any further.

 

[The Mayor]

Yea, that's what the maps are for.

Didn’t realize that a simple comment about signage would get people all in a huff!!

 

[Living42Day]

PLEASE only visit WDW from now on, it is SO much better. Disneyland is horridly bad. All of the rides are closed almost all the time, the crowds are always packed, the weather is crappy and always raining. The park is SO spread out that you have to walk practically a mile between Pirates and Indiana Jones. It's ridiculous. And the food, don't even get me started on that!

My family, of course, is taking on the saintly task of continuing to visit Disneyland with out next 3 planned trips so that you don't have to. Please, let us take on the burden of visiting Walt's original kingdom.

In all seriousness, the less people that visit our favorite Disney park the better for us. Maybe Columbus Day week scares off enough people that we'll eventually get to the point of lower crowds.

 

[twodogs]

In all seriousness, the app does have an interactive park map on it that shows where you are and where you want to go. I have been there many, many times, and I had to pull that out yesterday because I got turned around and was hot and tired and had a tray of food getting cold and couldn’t think straight!

 

[Lisa24jks]

Probably won’t be a popular opinion here but give me WDW any day over DL.

Yes, probably not gonna be a popular opinion on the Disneyland board.

As for the signage/map issue, perhaps because you've been to WDW many times, it seems easier to get around in than DLR. I've only been to WDW once when I was a child and I guarantee that if you dropped me in there now as an adult, I'd be checking that map a LOT more than I do at DLR.

Conversely, I don't think DLR is all that difficult to navigate, but I'm a frequent visitor so... it's perspective. But still, that's why the maps exist.

Sorry that your day sucked, but there's something about the convergence of October, a Monday and a sort-of-holiday that probably made today a rough one. Just bad timing unfortunately.

 

[NVDISFamily]

Perhaps I’m a bit lucky as we can go to Disneyland all the time and WDW often enough but I’ve learned that just being in the parks is enough to bring a smile to us and our family. Most of our happiest times have nothing to do with rides. Being in cars land during the sh boom at dusk, hanging out at the end of Disneyland Main Street near the jolly holiday enjoying some treats people watching.

At WDW it’s riding on the boat during the fireworks to get treats for the family, the way tigger had a spontaneous moment with our girl as she was getting her hair ready for her visit to the castle for lunch, her interactions with the other little girls who were waiting for their lunch appointment with Cinderella and sheltering from the storm, and just walking just about anywhere in Animal Kingdom park (that place is magical).

If you just go with the flow and don’t expect too much you’ll never be disappointed.

 

[Chili327]

Didn’t realize that a simple comment about signage would get people all in a huff!!

I’ve never been to WDW before, but I’m going in January, so I’ll be sure to keep the map handy… & look for the signs.

 

[DizMe]

I'm really sorry your trip didn't go very well. I know what it's like to go in with expectations that are not met, and I really do get that we tend to prefer the park we know. I've only been to WDW once, many years back, and I felt similar to how you feel. I think it's very natural that we tend to prefer what we've known and loved, especially when the other option doesn't meet expectations due to some quirk of the cosmos or time of year or weather. I happened to go to WDW in August and...wow. Fabulous place but Aug was a bad choice.