Say goodbye to those nice people on the dock… because there are soooooo many other people in the park that you’ll never see them again! This was an interesting week, folks. Disneyland held the World Premiere for the new Jungle Cruise movie in the park on Saturday and it made quite the splash. We hear there are fewer monkeys in the movie than on the new version of the ride. And although most days still show availability on the park reservation calendar, it’s been quite busy lately. In fact, it’s just as busy, if not more so than the summer of 2019.
Jungle Cruise Movie Premiere
On Saturday (July 24), things got a little wild around Disneyland. The new Jungle Cruise movie starring Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson and Emily Blunt had its world premiere at Disneyland’s Fantasyland Theater. While the film doesn’t officially release for public viewing until July 30, lucky Disneyland visitors could catch a glimpse of the stars as they walked the red carpet and did some publicity throughout the park.
Guests entering the park on Saturday were given a little bag containing a button for the film and a bag of M&M’s (a sponsor of the film).
And over at the Jungle Cruise, it looked like the Rock might pop up at any moment… which he eventually did.
Jungle Cruise had some surprise celebrity appearances.
Our good friends, the DisneyLand Insiders, were right there as Emily Blunt and the Rock exited the Jungle Cruise:
Since it already has tables and is located adjacent to the Jungle Cruise, the Tropical Hideaway was designated as a media center and green room for stars and invited media.
The Fantasyland Theater played host to the actual screening later in the day and was dressed up for the occasion with tropical foliage and signage. And any attraction loud enough to interrupt the movie screening was shut down by 8pm (Small World, Disneyland Railroad, Casey Junior, and Storybook Land among them).
On Friday I caught a glimpse of the transformation…
Vines and plants were brought in to dress the theater.
If the inside of the theater looks like Adventureland to you, that’s because loads of plants were brought in and tucked into various sections of the theater.
By Saturday, the entire facility was transformed (Check out this short video from our DisneyLand Insiders):
And a clip of all the best parts of the Jungle Cruise premiere at Disneyland:
The day prior to the premiere, The Rock made a surprise appearance in Downtown Disney along with his ManaMobile, a food truck that offered free tequila and French Toast to lucky guests (21+, of course!). The DisneyLand Insiders were there for that special experience too! And because they are too young to partake in tequila, their mom did the honors…
Our amazing and energetic DisneyLand Insiders stayed up all night to pull together this video for you of everything you want to know about the Jungle Cruise premiere weekend at Disneyland:
So… Many… People!
We visited the Disneyland Resort Friday and Saturday this week to capture the impact of the Jungle Cruise premiere and record the latest updates. The parks were absolutely packed on Friday, with Disneyland a bit less so on Saturday. It appears that Disneyland capped the park a bit lower than on Friday to accommodate the special event. But DCA may have been the busiest we’ve seen it since the parks reopened.
The parks currently feel like they’ve returned to the expected summer attendance levels from 2019, perhaps busier.
The world of tomorrow feels very much like the freeways of today – bumper to bumper traffic.
When the Astro Orbitor queue is filled, it’s a busy day. This is one of those attractions that folks ride when the line is short, or when everything else has already filled up.
The pathways in Fantasyland felt busier than the actual queues. You could ride the new version of Snow White’s Enchanted Wish in about 20 minutes (not too bad), or Peter Pan in about 40 (that’s a bit much), or Dumbo for 55 minutes (no way). So keep your eyes open for shorter line opportunities.
The Mad Tea Party queue had wrapped around the side of the attraction. During the first two months of reopening, you could walk right onto the Teacups with no line. Times have changed.
And over at the stroller garden of Small World, there were people everywhere. They had to move stroller parking during the Jungle Cruise movie premiere to a less conspicuous spot.
It’s busy, but this isn’t the worst I’ve seen Fantasyland. The crowds here really seem to ebb and flow throughout the day.
But New Orleans Square wins for crowds density.
40 minutes for Pirates wasn’t even the longest wait of the day for the ride, but it did manage to clog up a huge portion of the land for queuing.
I’m sure you noticed those striped buildings in New Orleans Square. I’ve got a part 2 of this update for tomorrow with more photos of that situation.
But look hard enough and you’ll find opportunities to avoid the wait here and there. Pirates was 40 when Mansion was just 25. That’s when it’s time to jump in line. The ghosts have air conditioning!
And as busy as it was at Disneyland, Disney California Adventure felt much worse. Part of that is because it just doesn’t have as many rides, but they pack the park anyway.
The key to judging the Soarin’ line is to look at the alley beside the attraction. If it is full, that indicates very busy conditions. And this can be a difficult line to wait in since it stops for long periods of time.
Pixar Pier was packed tight.
Does this feel like old times to you? It does to us. And not the good ol’ times either, but the sort of crowds that make a visit uncomfortable. This is a very long overflow line for Incredicoaster:
And look at this doozy of a line for Poultry Palace. Yes, there were long lines just to eat…
It was an hour wait to board the Pal-A-Round…
And another attraction which is a bellwether for crowds… The Little Mermaid had a FULL queue that took up the rarely used overflow space outside the large built-in line.
And the parade corridor toward Paradise Gardens was filled with guests.
I simply won’t wait over 30 minutes for carnival-type rides. 40+ minutes for Goofy’s Sky School is a no-go for me.
Even a little spinner ride like the Emotional Whirlwind was busy.
So, as you can see, both parks had a very busy weekend. Park reservations are here to stay, but that doesn’t mean that capacity is being set to comfortable levels. Sure, there’s a cap out there, but it appears to have been set at a pretty high level.
So, when you see a wide-open park reservation calendar like the one below, don’t assume the parks will be empty – they could very well be just as packed as this past weekend. Park reservations are really there to help Disneyland know how many guests to expect. It’s a great tool for Disney, even if it’s an added hoop for guests to jump through.
Live In The Parks With Dusty
I take you on a tour of Disneyland and explain the various events and construction going on at the park. I hope you enjoy this little virtual visit:
(The embed wasn’t working, so we are sharing a link to the video on the MiceChat Facebook Page HERE)
Disney Theme Park Ticket & Travel Deals
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More Fun Than A Barrel Of Monkeys
Well, folks, that’s not even a dent in the Disneyland Resort Update we have planned for you. Unfortunately, we struggled with internet issues all night and have run out of time to get the rest uploaded. So, you’ll have a big part 2 tomorrow with even more photos, news, construction, and struggles from the Disneyland Resort.
Are you planning to see the Jungle Cruise movie? Does the resumption of normal crowd levels change any of your plans? The parks are still doable, just busier than many folks expect due to the reservation system. How busy is too busy for you?
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