A guest’s day in the rain at the Happiest Place on Earth
Story & Photography by Kimbery Rily
It’s not every day when you wake up and say, “Great! It’s raining! Now I can go to Disneyland!” But that’s exactly what this writer said on a cold, gray, wet January day, in order to find out just what happens to a guest’s experience when the atmosphere is “ruined” by rain.
Disneyland spokesman Bob Tucker said that when it rains, “It’s business as usual at the happiest place on earth.” Southern California had unusually heavy rains the first two weeks of January 2005, and guests kept visiting the parks. Out-of-town tourists who have already made their plans to come to Anaheim don’t let the rain spoil their vacation. Local visitors to the park take advantage of the off-peak season to enjoy the park when it’s not filled to the gills. It’s a great time to go.
I arrived at the Disneyland Park at ten o’clock. The skies were gray, the air was damp, and the tram seats were only wet on the outside edges of each bench. I waited about ten minutes to get my backpack checked by security and headed into the park, where I noticed a marked lack of people at the ticket booths. Unlike the waits during peak seasons, no lines of impatient park-goers weaved back and forth. I sauntered in, with little wait at the turnstile as well and asked a woman at the information desk what was closed. She said, “Nothing yet.”
With that, I went straight to the Tower of Terror. One of the newer rides at the park, with an indoor queue, surely this ride would have some sort of line. Not quite. Walking over non-skid rubber mats inside, I joined the six ladies waiting in the hotel, and we were ushered into the library, where some more guests followed. After watching the pre-show and hearing the recorded thunder I thought might be echoed in our skies later in the day, I walked through the basement of the ride and was ushered right onto one of the numbers on the floor, and within seconds, was seated on the fated elevator. Hmm, no waiting on that ride.
I asked a cast member outside the Disney Animation Room about character greetings. I bet the characters wouldn’t come out in the rain. She said it depended if the ground conditions were slippery or not, and how heavy the rain was. But Mary Poppins was just inside the Animation Room if I wanted to see her. If weather conditions worsened, characters would still appear at indoor locations in the park.
With that, I headed through the Sunshine Plaza to Soarin’ Over California. Ironically, as Randy Newman’s “I Love L.A.” played in the plaza with the line, “the sun is always shining,” the rain picked up, and umbrellas popped open. While some fled for cover under awnings and into rides, many people just stood in the drizzle getting wet. Once again, I skipped past the queues on Soarin’ Over California and walked straight down to the bottom of the ramp where I waited a few short minutes for the next show to start. By the time I came out, the rain had tapered off.
After skipping right on and off that ride, I made my way past the Grizzly River Run, where raft after raft came down empty. Aha! The ride must be closed. No, not closed, it’s just that there’s little fun in getting wet when it’s already raining out. When asking the ride attendant if it was slow, she answered, “Very.”
How about the outside rides? Were they closed? Were they empty? I got my first clue when I overheard one man say about himself, “Grandpa’s havin’ fun. I’ve been on more rides this time than I ever have.” On Mulholland Madness, they requested everyone use the FASTPASS entrance so we wouldn’t have to walk as far. Over half the rockets on the Golden Zephyr were empty, and couples had whole rockets to themselves. I decided to time myself. It was 11:35 when I’d gone on Mulholland Madness.
How fast could I ride all the rides on Paradise Pier? By 12:35, one hour later, I’d ridden the Orange Stinger, the Maliboomer, the Sun Wheel, California Screamin’ and King Triton’s Carousel–just to be thorough. There’s something very nice about having a park all to yourself.
Next, I walked over to “It’s Tough to Be a Bug”. You know the park is almost empty when attendants ask you to please move a little over halfway down the row, instead of urging guests to move all the way to the end. I had the whole row to myself, with my pick of seats!
At this point, I decided to head over to Disneyland to see if the original Disney theme park was any busier. The rain was coming down again, so I raised my hood. Main Street was so empty, you could have heard Jiminy Cricket chirping.
I checked out the Stand-by Wait Times board. The longest listed time, 15 minutes, was an exaggeration. Then I heard an announcement that I found confusing. Mickey’s Shining Star Cavalcade was going to start in a few minutes, but guests sitting on the sidewalks didn’t overcrowd the streets! I even found an empty bench to sit on.
After the show came through, I wandered over to the Indiana Jones Adventure, where the board advised me I’d have a nine-minute wait. Not only did I walk right in through the caves and down to the numbered rows before our jeep, but the rain really impressed upon me the atmosphere of a rainforest.
Here’s where I discovered the one and only rain-caused closing. On my way into New Orleans Square, Tarzan’s Treehouse had been blocked off because it was a tad too slippery for young guests to be climbing around on. The rest of the afternoon, I was able to walk onto any ride I wanted with little to no wait at all. The Haunted Mansion, Pirates of the Caribbean, Roger Rabbit’s Car Toon Spin, all beckoned with less than 3 minute waits. The longest wait I had to endure was a whopping seven minutes for the Matterhorn Bobsleds. Finally, I asked a ride attendant on the Big Thunder Mountain Railroad if they ever closed rides for rain, and she said only if it’s really pouring or if there’s lightning. Other than that, the guests keep coming and the rides keep running.
During peak seasons, guests sometimes have to wait extensively to enjoy their favorite attractions. I’ve waited an hour and a half to ride Space Mountain before. The rain wasn’t the only refreshing thing on this cold, wet, January day. Having what seemed like my own personal theme park, complete with un-crowded streets, no wait for food, and my favorite rides open and waiting for me was the best surprise, and really made my day. When it comes to the question of weather affecting the atmosphere of the park, I’ll take a rainy day any day.
What can YOU do to improve your guests’ rainy day experience?
by Bill St. Yves
Imagine, it’s the day you’ve been waiting for all year! It’s the day you head to the local amusement park for a day of fun. You gather all of the items you’ll need, drive there, park and begin to enjoy your day. Now imagine the dark clouds beginning to roll in…
What can you as a park manager offer your guests to ensure they still have a great time? Obviously safety is the first concern for any park. After all, who really WANTS to be on a 200 foot steel structure when lightning is flashing around you? Unfortunately for most parks this means stopping operation on some of their most popular attractions. So how do you keep your guests entertained until the rain stops? Here are a few suggestions on where to send your guests so they can still have a good time:
INDOOR ATTRACTIONS During periods of rain guests will head for anything under cover. Now is a great time for them to jump in line for a ride that is indoors or under cover like a dark ride or motion simulator. Make sure you have as many cars running on the attraction as possible. This will help to move more people through faster.
RESTAURANTS Be sure you have as many registers open as possible to handle the large amount of guests who will be coming in. Also be sure you have enough cooks on to handle the orders. It’s a good idea to shift staffing from some of your outdoor stands which will not be doing much business to the inside restaurants.
SHOWS Grab a show guide and find the nearest theatre. Most parks have 1 or 2 indoor theatres so now is a great time for guests to get off their feet and enjoy some of the entertainment the park has to offer. And since most park shows last 35-40 minutes there is a good chance that the rain will have passed by the time the show ends. Open the doors to the theatre as early as possible to allow guests to seek shelter from the rain. If you normally open doors 15 minutes prior to show, try opening them 20 or 25 minutes before. Guests will be very grateful to get out of the rain.
SHOPS This is a great opportunity for guests to take some time and browse through the gift shops to find that perfect souvenir. Be sure you have “rainy day displays” which can easily be set up during inclement weather. These can include ponchos as well as umbrellas and some impulse items. Again, it’s a good idea to shift staffing from some of the other areas which will not be doing as much business to help assist the guests with their purchases.
What to do when the atmosphere FLASHES and SPLASHES
Indoor rides can keep you out of the rain and still entertain
Disneyland’s completely indoor attractions
Indiana Jones Adventure
Pirates of the Caribbean
Haunted Mansion
The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh
Roger Rabbit’s Car Toon Spin
Minnie’s, Mickey’s House
it’s a small world
Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride
Peter Pan’s Flight
Pinocchio’s Daring Journey
Snow White’s Scary Adventures
Monorail
Honey, I Shrunk the Audience
Innoventions
Star Tours
California Adventure’s completely indoor attractions
The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror
Muppet Vision 3D
Playhouse Disney
Disney Animation
It’s Tough to be a Bug!
Soarin’ Over California
Golden Dreams
Seasons of the Vine
The Bakery Tour
Games of the Boardwalk
Disney’s Aladdin Musical Spectacular
Snow White the Enchanting Musical
