It's all about the cups

I like nature, and the palaces of Europe, but I also appreciate the majesty of a soaring railroad trestle bridge, or a giant ship.

One of my favourite places in all the world is Disneyland.

It is a brilliant work of art. It is one that evolves slowly, as fans would rebel en mass if any damage were to be done to some beloved corner of the park. However, it cannot sit static, either. They want big crowds and the dollars they bring in, and aged attractions can't attract them.

Actually, I don't use Disney terminology correctly. Disneyland is the name they give to the part of the park that has existed since the 1950s. To me, it also refers to the newer section that they call California Adventure where the parking lot used to be, and even to the shopping area in between.

“So what is the big deal? It's just a place with a bunch of rides,” says you.

You just don't know. Every molecule of architecture, every site-line, every texture, and every tint and shade is deliberate.

Everything.

Even at places that try to copy them, it isn't the same.

For example; they post the wait time at the entrance to every ride. These notice are constantly updated and accurate. If anything, they slightly over-estimate the wait time, rather than underplaying it.

That way, you arrive at a ride, see a posted wait time of 20 minutes, and then can reliably decide if the wait is worth it. However, that is an intellectual decision, and people don't reliably do things like that. Let's say you arrive, see the sign that says 20 minutes, and decide you want to wait and experience the ride.

Then you see all the people lined up ahead of you. Let's say it's a thousand people, all patiently waiting. No way would anybody get into that line, even with a sign that promises only a 20 minute wait. The ride might easily accommodate 3000 people per hour, but that's not what your animal brain will think.

Therefore, they arrange it so that you only see a tiny portion of the line, which then vanishes into the building, or around some corner. Get around the corner, and you see another small portion of the line that weaves someplace else. You never stay in any of these areas very long, as the line keeps briskly rolling forward. The wait areas are attractive, often with built-in entertainment.

The lines deceive you into experiencing the ride after the 20 minute wait that you were happily willing to commit to. After a ride or two, you get to trust what the signs say. 10 minutes means 10 minutes, or just maybe less, as do notices that say 45 minutes, or an hour.

They also have systems in place that let you skip long waits at many lines. They work a little like reservations. Busy rides have things called, “fast passes.” They give you a time to return and move to almost the head of the line, leaving perhaps a 10 minute wait. What these do is to get you out walking around enjoying the parks rather than standing in line. It isn't a profit deal, as these “fast passes” are available to everybody in the park equally.

Universal Studios has copied the idea, but everybody doesn't get to do it. Only guests with especially expensive passes do.

Sometimes we've arrived in Disneyland during a particularly crowded day. In 2014, we were in LA for two months, and purchased annual passports. We never felt we had to force ourselves into ridiculously long lines just to get our monies worth. If it were too busy, we'd just walk around enjoying the street entertainment and parades, grab a bite to eat, and maybe do a ride or two that we picked up “fast passes” for.

So they've figured out a way for people to see lots of rides without waiting in such long lines.

So what do you see as you are out, and strolling about.

There are vistas, and forced perspective, all designed to make the area more pleasant to be in. The place is packed with hidden gems. I dare you to go to Disneyland, walk one full loop inside the park, and then head over to California Adventure and do one loop there (loop is a relative term), and come away without having run into a dozen Disney characters, several live musical performances, and maybe even a live street show or parade.

And the staff. People who work there, want to work there. They are bubblier than Starbucks staff ever are. They all seem to be the sort that if they weren't working at Disneyland, they'd be there walking around as guests. They love it and want you to love it, too.

The only thing that gets on my nerves in this magical zone are the crowds. Even on relatively quiet days there will be huge masses of people. They are everywhere. On a quiet day, the ride waits are short, and they never run out of “fast passes,” and you can find food with minimal waits, but there will still be people everywhere; lots of them.

I find this tiring in and of itself, even though the crowds are a testament to how well Disney is handling everything.

I consider Disneyland a success, even in comparison to other theme parks. None of the others match the attention to detail, or staff enthusiasm. They all have a much more corporate (Universal Studios) feel, or amateurish presentation (Knotts Berry Farm). For example; at Universal, they think they are copying Disney's line wait philosophy. The lines aren't visible outside, but the waiting areas inside are just large warehouse kinda places. I'm sure somebody in some office said, “we're not wasting money on improving the waiting line areas. If they want to wait, fine, but if they don't, who cares. We've already got their entrance money” At Disney you get the feeling that they want you to wait, and not be discouraged by how the line appears, so that you will experience the ride, because then you'd have more fun.

It even extends to shopping philosophy, of all things. All through the parks there are zillions of places to buy stuff. It is all Disney stuff, sold by Disney employees, in Disney stores. I find it fascinating that it isn't the same stuff in all the shops.

Of, course, some of it is, but not all.

There is a hat with ears kind of like a Mickey Mouse hat, but that celebrates an obscure character called Oswald the Lucky Rabbit. They are incredibly distinctive, and stand out in every crowd. They are only available in one small shop inside California Adventure, and not in Disneyland at all. You can't get them anywhere in Disneyworld in Florida. If you want them, you have to go to that one wee shop. The good news is, as every store is operated by Disney, and the staff are highly trained and motivated, if you ask about the hat with the funny long ears in any of the shops, they will tell you exactly what they are and where to get them. Shoppers love stuff like that.

Another example is that while browsing in one of the shops in California Adventure, I found a really wonderful extra-huge Disney coffee cup. Although there must literally be about 50 places that you can buy Disney mugs within the parks, those particular cups only exist in that one store. I loved my mug so much, that I decided one wasn't enough (for when it's in the dishwasher).

I returned a year later, searching for another. Problem was, that the shop itself is huge, and I couldn't remember exactly where the cups were. Therefore, I asked a staff member (not like in a real store where staff hides from customers, and knows nothing anyhow), who lead me right to them. The colour had changed since the previous year, and she told me all I wanted to know about them. I now have a lovely contrasting pair of these mugs.

I'm not upset that we'll soon be visiting Disneyland again. Not upset at all.