The Disneyland Crush!

Disneyland management is finally doing something about the massive holiday crowds visiting the park this season. The first thing I noticed was the red poles set up in front of ticket booths #1 - #12.  These poles are set with only about 8" of space between them and you must squeeze through them in order to buy a ticket.  All people who cannot squeeze through these poles, along with people with strollers, wheelchairs, and walkers are instructed to go to ticket booth #13.  I was lucky enough to squeeze through the poles and enter the park but I did notice that the folks coming in from booth #13 were met with a tram and were given a ride to some unknown destination.  At first I thought the poles were some sort of metal detection system but I soon figured out that Americans have "Supersized" themselves since 1955 and this was a great way of keeping the "oversized" people out of the park!

I was taken back by the fact that there were no costumed characters to greet the children entering the park, instead management has replaced them with simple cardboard cutouts "to save precious space" in the park.  The kids still had fun getting their pictures taken beside them and kicking the cardboard characters in the shins.  I guess some things will always stay the same.

It was quite an ordeal to get to the end of Main street, I got several dirty looks as I shoved my way through the crowd.  At one point someone shouted, "Hey look!  It's the InsidEar!".  I was really embarrassed, I must of had about about a thousand people staring at me.  I almost wish I hadn't shouted. 

Another 20 minutes later I arrived at The Indiana Jones Adventure.  The line was packed as usual but something seemed different but I didn't figure it out until too late.  When the ride was over we were sent through some "emergency exit" doors leading South through a tunnel.  At the end of the tunnel we had to pass through a one way revolving door and I found myself in DCA along with a record number of screaming children in strollers, handicapped people and just plain fat people.  I guess the holiday crowd control plan was working!