50th celebration: whose is best?

[chapnearwdw]

Hey there, fellow fans! I'm Ron and I used to work for Disney World in guest services for 7 years and then lost my job (don't ask - the wounds have just started healing), but that aside, I always have been/will be a Disney nut.

So with that in mind, I just wanted to pose this question to fellow fans out there: Who do you think has put on the best celebrations for the 50th between all of the different parks: disneyland, magic kingdom, disneyland paris, tokyo disneyland, or one of the other parks???

Personally speaking, I'd have to say Disneyland this past christmas was decked out to the max and the way they did the 50th was more impressive than Disney World, but maybe some of you have other takes on the matter. Feedback?

Ron

[Loomis]

I can't speak for any of the other parks, but I'd have to say that there is a great vibe in Anaheim.

Obviously, that is the park they are commemorating, and there are some great things happening there at the moment. The re-opening of Space Mountain will be enough for many, but the "Remember...Dream Come True" fireworks, the Parade of Dreams, the photo-montages and floral arrangements around the park all served to make this non-American feel like he had come home.

Little things like the redecoration of the castle, or the movie hosted by Steve Martin that plays on Main Street really instill you with a sense of history as you walk through the park. I don't know about everybody else, but all of these things helped convey to me a sense of the HISTORY of park as I walked the streets.

I can't speak for the other parks, but I think there is something about being in the original park on its 50th that makes it feel all that more special.

Then again - as a die-hard fan, I'm an easy sell

[Disney-Fan]

I agree with Loomis, though attraction-wise Disney World got the lion's share. I mean, you'd think the Orlando resort was the one celebrating... But Disneyland is definetely the lead in terms of atmosphere and feeling. You can really tell they're celebrating.

[mcduck]

I have not idea about the other parks besides Disneyland, here in Anaheim I have been visited the park since I came to the US, that is the last 6 years, and I have been seen that it became more and more “cheapy” for more money you get less every year and the 50's celebration is not the exception, too bad for a great park, the celebration has some high lights like the “collages” especially if you appear on one, the fireworks are just great but nothing above the expectations, and just the facade in the Fantasyland was fixed while the rest of the park... well you can notice that painting are getting old, and it has not the look of “the Happiest celebration on hearth” of course Disneyland will be always Disneyland, but in general I think it is below the expectations...

[BrandonH]

I respectfully disagree with you about the Anaheim park in general and the Remember...Dreams Come True fireworks display in particular. That fireworks show is the best one that I have seen in my entire 22 years, and it was so wonderful that I saw it three times in various locations.

I loved Disneyland's 50th celebration, even though Space Mountain had not yet reopened. The photomosaics, the gold, the new attractions, and more all add up to an unforgettable, magical experience.

[dizfan]

I agree. Remember Dreams Come True is an amazing show, it far exceeded people's expectations. And Disneyland has not looked as great as it does now in years!

What facade got fixed?

[I am the Doctor]

I can't speak for the other parks either, but Disneyland was great this past August! Figured if I was going to go to all that trouble to attend a Disney park on the 50th anniversary, it was going to be the original Disneyland! The photomosaics were kind of cool-looking, and it was a lot of fun trying to find all 50 of the 50th anniversary markers (some were very cleverly disguised, and not very easy to find). And having Space Mountain open again was just wonderful. The Disneyland version beats WDW's hands down!

Didn't watch the fireworks show, but Fantasmic and especially the Main Street Electrical Parade (I know it's in California Adventure, but I still consider it to be the Main St. Electrical Parade) were still great night-time entertainments. Even Downtown Disney was rather nice, and worth spending some time at.

[mcduck]

Well guys do not take me wrong, as I said there are some highlights and I also think that fireworks in Disneyland are great, always, but when you came continuously you can notice that there is no much for the so called big celebration, I personally think they even have better “galas” for Christmas than the ones used just for the 50's, and still quite enjoyable but that is what you are expecting in a park like this for that much of in the ticket price, nothing that it would really surprise you, it is like coming with out the celebration, that is all, but that is just my opinion...

One of the things that I notice besides the “Mickey Ears” and the golden staff is that the village panorama in Fantasyland was cleaned and probably painted, it looks nice, and that was something that I expect in the rest of the park, like in Toon Town where is almost in black and white... it need some maintenance...I have not seen the trolleybus since September and some other things that we can always see happen in the park and could be fixed for the 50's, so talking just about the celebration I think it could be much much better...

[chapnearwdw]

mcduck: yeah i skipped the regular fireworks @ disneyland also because i was more interested in seeing the rides and the xmas and 50th decorations (i went there last month)...and personally, i thought disneyland did a much better job with the celebration, too...

[memnv]

I thought the Disneyland 50th anniversary was awesome. I was there 4 days and I watched the fireworks one of them. It was awesome. The other 3 nights I went on rides because there was no lines during the fireworks. Also Space Mountain was re-opened when I went there in November

[chapnearwdw]

well i guess i figured since i had worked at disney world for SOOOOOO long, i had seen enough fireworks so we decided to do the rides and do holiday shopping instead since we were there for the holidays.


also, let me rephrase something i said in my last post: we didsee the fireworks from fantsamic, just not the 'dreams come true' show (but we heard them and the ground rumbled)...


the reason is up until the afternoon, the park was dead, but then all of the sudden the park filled to capacity and because of this, there were just way too many people on main street and near fantasyland to get an unobstruced view of them anyways...


but i don't feel like i missed out at all; i did something that most people outside of California will not be able to: visit Disneyland during the 50th celebration in the only December (hey, come to think of it, maybe that's why it got so crowded - maybe i should've gone in November instead so i could still see xmas decorations but skipped the holiday entertainment crowds)

[memnv]

I was there in November(Thanksgiving Day Weekend), There were 70,000 people there . I hear it is the second busiest weekend of the year after New Years