Day at Disneyland: Getting There
The big day arrived at last. Monday, May 9, 2023.
I arrived in downtown Martinez and found plenty of parking in the lot at the Amtrak Station. It’s one of California’s busiest passenger rail stations with Capital Corridor, San Joaquin, California Zephyr, and Coast Starlight trains serving here. In fact, moments before San Joaquin train 710 arrived for Bakersfield, the southbound Coast Starlight train 11 made its brief stop to discharge and pick up a few passengers.
My choice of a parking spot would later provide amusement on my return 3 days later.
It has been a while since I last rode this train. At that time, a good friend (and Disneyland aficionado), Ed Mackinson was working aboard as a conductor. What started as a service with one northbound and one southbound train each day has grown into a major transportation service with a robust schedule of six round-trip trains a day under state sponsorship.
The San Joaquin trains primarily use the bilevel passenger cars purchased by the state of California for Northern and Southern California service. The train often consists of six car trainsets of four coaches and a cafe car. Once the conductor had scanned my electronic ticket, I was free to get coffee and pastry. It was a relaxing ride with stops in Antioch, Stockton, Modesto, Turlock, Merced, Madera, Fresno, Hanford, Corcoran, and Wasco; with a final rail destination of Bakersfield. Motorcoach service to Los Angeles Union Station completes the trip.
Joining me en route at Fresno was my good friend and former Disneyland Jungle Cruise skipper, K.D. Younger. This trip allowed her some much-needed diversion from otherworldly concerns for a few days. Other characters along this time include best pal Michelle Valladolid (a veteran of early internet days as well as an occasional columnist at a variety of websites); and Michael Riley ( a friend of many years with various Star Trek and Disney misadventures including a stint as the Emergency Retail Hologram as Star Trek: The Experience in Las Vegas). With all three of these compatriots, there are plenty of great Disney and more memories behind us. They also have joined me for trips on chartered private railcars to various destinations. One could not ask for better company on this adventure.
Upon the arrival of our motorcoaches at Union Station, I headed for the Hertz counter to pick up my rental car for the next few days. The Manager’s Special turned out to be a four-door Chevrolet Spark. Small but useful, it got us around the Southland for the next few days without incident.
Union Station has seen a renaissance in the last few years as it became a true multi-modal transportation hub. What began as a rail-only facility in May of 1939 with passenger trains of three mainline railroads and trains from across the country today sees Amtrak trains and buses, along with Metrolink trains from all over Southern California, Metro light and heavy rail along with local and long-distance bus services. Not to mention Greyhound and many other local bus services. It is indeed a busy place.
The station has also seen a revival in food and beverage service with everything from a small market to Starbucks to quick service and fast food all available. Traxx is a popular sit-down dining option. But on this day, our destination was the revival of a classic space at Union Station. At one time, the Harvey House restaurant was the best of the best when it came to dining while waiting for your train to depart. As it served its last meals by Harvey in 1967, today it serves as the Homebound Brewery. It’s a classic brewpub with beer brewed on-site. A great mix of cocktails, beverages, and food all come together as a great place to meet and greet.
Meet and greet indeed! This was an opportunity to meet up with a Facebook friend, Jeff Sumners, who shares a series of interests including railroading, Nevada, theme parks, Lucius Beebe and Charles Clegg, to name a few. Over a few pints of great beer and snacks, we commiserated over some recent experiences. Hope to get the chance to enjoy more time soon.
Eventually, K.D. and I made our way to our Motel 6 in Buena Park to turn in at the end of a long day. Which leads to the end of this chapter of our story. Next time? If it’s Tuesday, this must be Orange County. Stay tuned…
Day at Disneyland: More Plans
In the past, when it came to tickets for days at the Disneyland Resort, I usually had several choices. For many years, off and on, I had one of the levels of an Annual Passport. That started back when the Magic Kingdom Club first offered them to test the waters, so to speak. But my last AP had sunset almost ten years ago. That option exists now in the Magic Key program. If I had the interest, and if the Keys were available, I could have invested in one. As my plans for the next 12 months may not include another theme park visit, it did not seem appropriate.
Disneyland has a number of options for ticket purchases for admission to the California theme parks. Everything from single-day single park tickets to multi-day tickets and even tickets that allow guests to park hop (visiting both parks on the same day). Along with the variety of tickets, pricing is now based on season and demand.
Disney has also added an additional wrinkle into the process by requiring that guests have a reservation for specific days of their visit in addition to theme park tickets. By reserving a place in advance, Disney can plan accordingly for operations. Everything from Cast Member scheduling to food service and retail sales can be planned in advance based on projected guest numbers for any given day.
In my case, it would be a one-day one-park pass for Disneyland, at the lowest price of $104 for an adult ticket. I would not require a physical paper ticket, but would instead by using the Disneyland app on my iPhone. The app does offer guests the ability to plan their days in many ways. But I am old school and wanted to be flexible in my visit. I didn’t want to be tied down to scheduling my time for attractions or meals. The goal was to do things as they happened. For the most part, that was how it went on the day.
Another concern relates to my health. As a type 2 diabetic, I require injections of insulin prior to breakfast and dinner. Insulin requires refrigeration. I considered carrying a small foldable cooler with frozen blue ice packs. That could have been stored in a locker and accessed as required. However, a friend shared that Disneyland’s First Aid center offers refrigeration of medications. Problem solved for the first part. The second part? Being diabetic, I needed to consider what to eat during the day. That is where time with the Disneyland app in advance offered a good understanding of what food is available in the Park. I could give thought to what would work best for me in advance. I can’t say that I was absolutely on my best behavior at all times, but in my defense, I did walk a substantial number of steps that day. If a low-sugar or sugar-free option was available, I did choose that. Points for Coca-Cola Zero Sugar and Sprite Zero Sugar being available both in bottles and as fountain beverages throughout Disneyland. (I will share in more detail what my meal and snack choices were in another post.)
Parking was another shock at the price of $30 per vehicle. But added through purchase on the Disneyland app, it was simple enough just to show the iPhone when the Parking structure opened at 7:30 am.
To be honest, this wasn’t planned as a full day at the Park from rope drop to closing. Over the years, getting the chance to get off our feet in the afternoon has become something of a passion. Just being away from the hustle and bustle of even a quiet day at the theme parks has merit for children of all ages. We’ll explore what actually happened in the next chapter of our tale. Stay tuned…
A Day at Disneyland 2023 – Prologue
May 10, 2023, to be exact.
My last visit to Anaheim and the Happiest Place On Earth was well before the Covid-19 Pandemic. A day with friends visiting the California Adventure almost 5 years ago to be precise. So, I was well and truly overdue for a day at Disneyland.
There had been changes all around the Disneyland Resort; including some rather large additions that I had only seen virtually. Notably, the entire Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge and the Black Spire Outpost on the Outer Rim planet of Baatu.
Planning for this day was a good six months ahead of time. While budgeting is always where I tend to start such an adventure, it was not going to be my only challenge. Transportation would need to play a part as I would be traveling from the San Francisco Bay Area to Anaheim and back again. The method most often employed tends to be driving down Interstate 5. A trip I have made too many times, so it was low on the list, as gasoline and rental car prices being high at the moment make it less appealing than in the past. And a recent work trip driving from the Inland Empire back to the Bay Area helped me make the decision against the long drive.
Air travel was another option under consideration. Even with attractive airfares, the usual suspect becomes Southwest. Service from the Bay Area airports offers multiple destinations with Long Beach and Orange County as attractive choices. But all of the hassles of getting into and out of airports for travel also helped make me decide on another option.
That came in the form of passenger rail service aboard Amtrak. I had the chance to travel from Oakland to Los Angeles and back on business in mid-April aboard the Coast Starlight. However, those trips already are a 12-hour plus day. And we encountered unusually long delays making for very early morning arrivals, which I did not wish to repeat.
Amtrak does offer an alternative in the guise of its San Joaquin trains which frequently travel between Oakland and Bakersfield daily, with motorcoach connections to various Southern California locations. All in all, it was an 8:25 am departure out of Martinez, with a 4:30 pm arrival at Los Angeles Union Station. Low roundtrip fares and the availability of a rental car at the station sealed the deal.
While I do enjoy taking in a day at Disneyland by myself, the other opportunity was to visit good friends I had missed connecting with in recent years during the quarantine and more. So a full trip of four days and three nights including travel was planned and all it needed was to plug in the final choice of dates.
Oh, that and to get my Disneyland ticket and theme park reservation.
We will save that for the next chapter in this tale.
Thoughts on Entertainment
In general, people seek out something to divert them from their daily tasks. Even if only briefly, this diversion (more often than not) will take on some form of entertainment.
One definition of that word? Something affording pleasure, diversion, or amusement, especially a performance of some kind.
Loyal readers of this space may recall that I have delved into something of an exploration of the shared experience in entertainment. Everything from theme parks to sporting events to motion pictures and more… all managing to offer something in a group setting.
Occasionally, we do get a new way to share an experience. And on occasion, the form of sharing manages to become ingrained. One such example was home entertainment. You can go back to that first storyteller sharing a tale for those gathered around a fire, expanding the reach of the tale through oral tradition.
Performances of oral traditions became yet another form. Theatrical manifestations brought people together to watch actors at work putting their own spins onto tales. From the theater, sprang motion pictures as another method of sharing performances; all leading up to the big blockbusters of today and tomorrow.
The printed word took things a step further as stories were shared through everything on a printed page. Books, magazines, pulp novels, and more; all allowed portability and sharing in homes, through lending libraries or retail outlets, or commercial endeavors.
Home entertainment really exploded in the 20th Century. Radio brought wireless communication with news and performances of all kinds from around the world. The ability to listen to prerecorded performances came with the phonograph. And you could repeat that experience over and over again with no limitations; other than the sanity of those around you. Television brought the expansion of radio with images now broadcast as well as sound right into your domicile. Some thought of it as a fad that wouldn’t last. Yet here we are almost 100 years later with more information and entertainment than we know what to do with. All at our beck and call, waiting to divert us in one way or another.
This expansion has opened yet another door as we now see participatory entertainment becoming more and more available. Everything from online gaming to live-action role-playing offers participants opportunities to place themselves within environments to interact with one another; often taking on a persona much different from the one they fulfill every day to make ends meet and keep the bills paid.
Recently, it was announced that Disney is ending the operations of its Galactic Starcruiser later this year at Walt Disney World in Florida. Many people have mislabeled this as a hotel rather than an experience. While a themed hotel would appeal to one audience of Star Wars enthusiasts, the Galactic Starcruiser was designed to attract those who fully wanted to immerse themselves from start to finish in the galaxy, far, far away. Your adventure began by being shuttled from the Earthside starport to the Starcruiser for your two-night trip aboard, complete with an off-ship excursion to the Black Spire Outpost on the planet of Baatu. It wasn’t just checking in at the front desk and being escorted by the bellman to your hotel suite. Your role as a passenger aboard the Starcruiser offered you the opportunity to get involved and play a part in the story that was about to unfold.
While I have not taken this voyage or played a part in one, I have seen and heard from plenty of folks who have done just that. The people who were most invested in playing got the most out of the experience. And from what they shared afterward, they felt they got entertainment worth the cost. Which was considerable for a two-night, three-day adventure in the range of $5000 for two persons, if you chose that package.
The more you chose to play or participate, the more you got out of the experience.
On my recent visit to Disneyland (which will be shared in greater detail here), I got a taste of this during my first visit to the Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge area. Those guests who chose to visit the Black Spire Outpost and participate with the inhabitants in the experience can do so at an advanced level. Simply by dressing in apparel that approximates the costumes worn by Cast Members and adopting the local customs – “Bright suns!” -, these guests take their entertainment to a higher level than those who simply ride the attractions and shop the various establishments. There is nothing wrong with a shared experience in which the participants are passive. But actively participating offers a different experience, which appeals to a growing number of guests.
I don’t think it will be fair to call the Galactic Starcruiser a failure. Again, from what I have seen and heard, the Cast Members working on this experience all did a great job. Each one has a role in the story, and they played them well. As to food and beverages, plenty of hotels or cruises have had adjustments in offerings as guest tastes were refined. Overall, I think that on the whole, guests at Walt Disney World opt for a more traditional theme park experience matched with a hotel stay. This kind of immersive entertainment will not end, but the lessons learned from the operation will help as Disney looks for new ways to entertain guests in years to come.
Why can’t it just happen as it happens?
Remember this quote:
“Things change.”
Loyal readers of this space may recall that Don Ameche uttered those words on-screen in a 1988 film of the same name. Yet, that sentiment is a good reminder; be it in life, a celebration, a vacation, or even on a battlefield.
You can plan out everything to the last detail, leaving nothing to chance. Have those ducks all lined up perfectly in a row. Everyone perfectly attired, all bright and shiny, shipshape and bristol fashion. All it takes is the slightest breeze and those ducks are no longer in a row but scattered across the pond, haphazardly arrayed.
In today’s world of instant gratification, those little breezes are more than just an annoyance. They are the stuff that brings Karen to the Customer Service desk, asking to see the Manager, in search of satisfaction in some form, preferably compensation for the perceived slight or inconvenience. Bring forth the free goodies and don’t spare the horses. As Verucca once said, “Daddy, I want it now!!!”
That’s the peril of planning. Now, I have been guilty of planning every last detail of what I had hoped would have been the ultimate magical moments; memories indelibly created, to be cherished for years to come. Only to have something intrude and throw those delicately crafted plans right out the proverbial window. Disappointing? Yes. Instead, the hastily constructed Plan B comes along and we are back on track; literally. In the lessons learned category, late trains become only one thing. Later.
I’ve been going to Disney theme parks for a while now. Okay, since 1965, if memory serves. In all of those years, I took a lesson from my mother. On our first park visit, she came ready for just about everything a mother of five could anticipate. For example, no stroller(s). If you couldn’t walk on your own, you didn’t make the trip for the day. My youngest brother, stayed with family for the day, safe and sound in the wilds of Pasadena. Considering how strollers have become Transformers over the decades since, meeting needs never previously considered, right down to being used as offensive weapons when negotiating capacity crowds waiting on the three o’clock parade. The Conestoga wagons have nothing on these modern miracles.
My mother also carried a lime green tote bag, filled with essentials, including the Disneyland ticket books for every member of the family. Other items included sunscreen, moistened washcloths, Band-Aids, and other first-aid essentials; even the trusty Brownie Hawkeye camera with black & white film. Not to mention the usual collection of things mothers typically have in their purses. But, no voluminous assortment of snacks, healthy or otherwise. No gathering of water bottles or juice boxes. Woe betide the child or adult who tried to add to the burden by having mom carry it. That bag was heavy enough without piling on more. While this wasn’t her first visit to Disneyland, previous family outings had given her the acquired wisdom to know the limits ahead.
One thing you can still count on, all of these 60-plus years later, is that there will be waiting for something at a Disney theme park. It can’t be avoided. At some point, you will wait with other Park guests, in a line. Disney as a company saw this very early on. They brought someone with experience in how to deal with this aboard and applied lessons learned.
A couple of those lessons? First, attraction ticket books. A through E. Thoughtfully crafted to offer guests a good mix of experiences for the price. With only so many tickets in a book, rationing returned and the question became what would be the best use of those tickets? After all, you might not be able to ride every E-Ticket attraction in the Park, so enjoy the favorite and use the rest of those A through D coupons wisely, too.
Second, plussing those lines or queues to make standing in them interesting. Even a small thing would make a difference. Like waiting for the Jungle Cruise, where skippers would make announcements about having those E-Coupons ready, adding humor to make the time seem to pass quicker. Or adding things to see, giving guests a preview of what lay ahead, like the Haunted Mansion’s Pet Cemetary.
Third, meal times mean longer waits for food. So even a couple of extra minutes waiting in line for the classic hamburger and Coca-Cola could be that breeze moving those ducks. Why not encourage folks to dine in other ways? Quick service, buffeteria, and sit-down dining all became available. Even think outside the box, and choose meal times that are outside the usual breakfast, lunch, and dinner times. Maybe a snack, like a Dole Whip or box of popcorn, could be enjoyed on the go. All of the options, but flexible to meet the needs.
When it came to ending the use of ticket books, I understood the cost savings including the labor needed to collect those tickets. An annoying fact is that many of today’s attractions have cast members at the entrance to answer questions or check height restrictions for younger guests; so the labor costs didn’t vanish entirely. With the introduction of Fast Passes, we saw something of the return of tickets for attractions. And now with the required park reservations, admission tickets, Genie+, and Lightning Lanes tied into the apps on cell phones, we have almost gone full circle. In some respects, I have wondered why Disney didn’t bring back ticket books in electronic form and include those costs in the single price of admission.
I won’t go into the subject of Annual Passes/Magic Keys; that’s another topic for another day. Same with Mobile Ordering for food, beverages, snacks, and meals. Knowing the challenges that the company has faced over the last few years, adjustments will continue. I don’t know that Walt would have agreed with everything that has come along in the guest experience. But I do know that he would have been willing to try. Because the whole point?
“Things change.”