There are reports that DCA will be open at 2:00 am...

[Tink33]

on July 17th for folks lining up to get into Disneyland for the 50th Anniversary. All of the information is listed at www.mouseplanet.com

My DD found out about this and is trying to talk me into sleeping at DCA that night. Maybe I will be at Disneyland on the 17th.

 

[iceskatejen]

Interesting. I think we'll be getting there a little after 3am or so since one of my friends was able to borrow a wheelchair for the weekend. Now we can just park in the Pumbaa Lot. It would be nice to be able to camp out in there (just for the bathrooms).

 

[boosmom96]

That sounds really cool!! I'd love to hear all about it if you go. I did the 50th Anniversary of the Golden Gate Bridge and I think that's my quota for crazy crowds!!

 

[exDS vet]

I contacted guest relations and they said that DCA will open at it's regularly scheduled time. No camping out. I'm not sure where mouse planet got their information, but I wouldn't plan on camping out just yet.

 

[iceskatejen]

What guest services says and what is actually going to be happening have been known to be two completely different things.

 

[dletz]

The info they are giving every CM is that there is no camping out allowed. They are also telling them a different parking lot will be open than the one posted on mouseplanet. In addition to that mouseplanet states that the opening address at 4:45 will not be on any screens, and they are telling the CMs that it will be displayed on all of the screens.

Mouseplanet also doesn't tell you that the gifts will be given out for guests going to DCA that day and that there will be at least one screen in DCA to watch the festivities.

I have no clue where mouseplanet got their information, but a lot of it is completely different that what the CMs are being told. Are they telling CMs info to give to the public, but also planning on opening DCA since they know people will show up, but don't want to advertise it. Who knows. I know for May 5th, there were people standing outside the gate at 11pm the night before, and they were made to leave. They also closed the esplanade area sometime after 3am and would not let anyone in until after 6am.

 

[disneychrista]

I believe MiceAge also mentioned that you can get into DCA 7/17 but they mentioned 3am not 2am. Both say that you have to be there by 6am. That everyone in DCA will be allowed into DL at 7am. Any not in DCA at 6am will be held at the security gate until everyone from DCA is inside DL. They expect it to take up to an hour.

I plan to get there by 5am or so.

 

[yensiD naF]

I have heard that DCA will not open the gates early for any early crowds. This makes perfect sense to me. Why pay castmembers to work during the wee hours of the morning just so some crazy "die hards" can hang out? This is not a Harry Potter convention or a Greatful Dead concert. Reasonable people will arrive early, but at a reasonable hour.

 

[TDC Nala]

Good freakin grief. I am not going anywhere at 2 AM.

 

[Tink33]

I think it makes sense to open DCA at 2:00 am or 3:00 am. If they have food, drinks and souvenirs available, they will make money. It will also look better for the media that will be attending if there are not hundreds of people camped out in the Esplanade or outside the security gates.

It has been confirmed that the ticket booths will be open at 1:30 am. Once you buy your ticket will they escort you out of that area?

I guess in 36 hours we will know for sure. They did open Disneyland up over night for the official opening of DCA.

 

[dletz]

Actually the media got a kick out of seeing all of us standing outside waiting to get in. They were inside the park taunting all of us on May 5. I was standing at the gates, and may different stations would have someone walk out and laugh, or get it on film. Many local stations showd the crows all the way to the DCA gates.

 

[Tink33]

Call me crazy, unreasonable or obsessed, we are spending the night in line!!! We plan on a late night movie in DTD and then off to the big wait. I will have extra glo sticks and glo earrings to share, as well as some other surprises for those sitting next to me in line.

Thanks to all that sent pms and emails encouraging me to Just Do It. I will look for you iceskatejen. Everyone else, think of me while you are snuggled in your warm beds tonight.

 

[iheartdisney]

Well, I'm in the "nutjob" category with you. I'll be there around 3. Unless I can't fall asleep, then I'll be there by midnight. But I'm hoping for a combo of warm bed/cold cement tonight!

 

[eileenkeeney]

For some, this may turn into a very frustrating trip.
Imagine getting up at 0-dark-hundred, after minimal sleep, only to discover that there is no place you are allowed to wait. You then cluster somewhere outside of Disney property, at some point you believe will be the point of entry, only to find later, that they start letting people in from the other side.
Lining up 6 hours before the park opens can be fun or it can turn into a major disappointment.
I hope that Disney gets the needed information out, so that this does not happen to anyone.

 

[dletz]

I don't see them opening only one side of the esplande before the other, and if they do it would be to allow only resort guests in and not everyone.

I am going in a few hours. Do I expect to be the first one in the park. No We're going to wait in line most of the middle of the night mainly just to do it. My daughter is so excited. She wants to go in the middle of the night. Yes, we'll be very sleep deprived, but we know ahead of time it will be crowded, with lots of sleepy grumpy people.

 

[eileenkeeney]

It turned out that the rumors were true (which is a good thing based on how many people showed up).

I really wonder if Disney sort of planned this, but didn't want to make it official, and were waiting to see if enough people were lined up, to make it worth doing.
Or, maybe they just have poor internal communication, so that guest services, and many CMs had no idea what to tell people.

I liked the idea of the colored wristbands.

 

[All Aboard]

No surprise that the rumors were true. Heck, they were all over the place in great detail. It would have been absolute chaos had Disney not had a plan to deal with the crowds (that were clearly going to show up in the numbers that they did - honestly, did anyone think otherwise?)

The reasons the CM responded that "DCA was opening at regular time" was two-fold. 1) it wasn't a lie - the park didn't actually open for operation until it's regular time and 2) perhaps a bit of a deterrant to others who had not yet decided if they were going to arrive at o-dark-thirty or not.

Disney was proactive on this one, and it seems to have paid off.