Disneyland to close forever how would you react?

[Disneyfan4lyfe]

How would you react if you were to find out Disneyland was to close?
I know its not going to happen in this lifetime! But its going to happen sometime or another I'm sure.

What do you think peoples reactions will be?
How would you react?


Ill start I would probably fall to the ground and CRY!

[Uzmati]

Save thousands of dollars

[Max Fischer]

I would stop going.

[Steve DeGaetano]

First, before making a knee-jerk emotional response, let's speculate a little on why this might happen. Once we know how something happens, then we can formulate our response.

If something like this were to happen, there would need to be underlying reasons. In other words, the amount of money needed to keep the park operating, versus what the land could be sold for for other uses, would come into play. The Park could start seeing revenue decline for any number of reasons: Better entertainment choices elsewhere, declining quality that forces consumers to not go as often, rising gas prices, rising operating costs. If folks perceive that they're not getting as much "bang for their buck" things could begin to decline.

You would see things start declining over a period of years. A vicious cycle would begin, with maintenance being deferred. Once maintenance is deferred, attendance might drop. And when attendance drops, spending in other areas of the Park might be curtailed: lower wages resulting in less-than-than stellar employees. The Park would become seedier and seedier, trash everywhere, cleanliness out the window. Limited food choices. Then attractions would begin closing for lack or operating or maintenance budgets. This would drive even more folks away.

Eventually, the Park would be a shadow of its former self. People would still go, but for different reasons. Eventually, land values in Orange County might make it a better fiscal option for the Disney Company to sell off the Park to developers.

Look at what's happened to Coney Island, or even more recently, the proposed sale of Magic Mountain to developers.

Now, once the Park is nothing but a shell--something we would have watched over the course of years--would we still break down in a fit of tears upon hearing the news that the park is going to be razed, and condos constructed in its place? After all, it wouldn't have come as a surprise to most people. Or would some merely shrug their shoulders, wondering how the place lasted as long as it did?

Sure, we would all be sad. I would be sad that my two boys won't have those particular memories that I share of the Park with my own parents. But aside from that sadness, I suppose life would go on, as it did in the years before 1955. Something new will come along, and I guess I would enjoy anticipating what that might be. I would be thankful I got to experience the Park at its peak, and annoyed as I think about the Frogs that may have inadvertently contributed to the Park's decline. And then, I'd sit back with a dry martini and peruse my copies of The E-Ticket, and think about old times.

[DebiTasha]

For whatever reason, I would be crushed. It's part of my childhood (and adulthood) that contain wonderful memories. No matter how bad things get, you can always count on Disneyland to make it seem alright. I was bummed (not crushed) to find out Santa's Village was closed. I wanted to share that special, if not cheesy, place with my son. I know, there's no comparison, but it's a part of me that I won't be able to share with future generations. I'm much more nostalgic about my childhood now that I'm a mommy myself.

[Disneyland Daddy]

I'd be extremely sad - I'd also want a refund on whatever amount I had left on my annual pass.

[WannaCub]

I'd be sad, but happy that I'll have to get a job that pays ALOT more!

[fo'c's'le swab]

Originally Posted by Disneyland Daddy

I'd be extremely sad - I'd also want a refund on whatever amount I had left on my annual pass.

An quintessential APer to the last!!

[nathan detroit]

I would write a strongly worded letter to The Times.

[CaliforniaAdventurer]

Oh yeah great thread for MiceChat people...

Were you expecting us to say "Oh sure, we'd be OK with it."

I think at this point even if the Walt Disney Company wanted to give up on the park, after 52+ years it's an institution and the city of Anaheim, the County of Orange, or the State of California would step in. The public would not accept the place closing.

But I have thought about the Clark Griswold scenario, for how many years would people still drive up expecting it to be there?

[CaliforniaAdventurer]

Oh and the politicos made sure Magic Mountain is staying a theme park, it's considered an important 'cultural' destination in Santa Clarita.

[RenMan]

Originally Posted by Steve DeGaetano

You would see things start declining over a period of years. A vicious cycle would begin, with maintenance being deferred. Once maintenance is deferred, attendance might drop. And when attendance drops, spending in other areas of the Park might be curtailed: lower wages resulting in less-than-than stellar employees. The Park would become seedier and seedier, trash everywhere, cleanliness out the window. Limited food choices. Then attractions would begin closing for lack or operating or maintenance budgets. This would drive even more folks away.

Good point. This is an eerie picture, but it's exactly the way DL would close. They wouldn't just close it like it is now, especially since it's such an American landmark.

You know what image this brings to mind? Have any of you seen pictures of Nara Dreamland in Japan? It's a Disneyland knockoff that's been abandoned, and it presents a very frightening view of how all of this would go down. Check out the link.

[Disneyfan4lyfe]

Originally Posted by RenMan

Good point. This is an eerie picture, but it's exactly the way DL would close. They wouldn't just close it like it is now, especially since it's such an American landmark.

You know what image this brings to mind? Have any of you seen pictures of Nara Dreamland in Japan? It's a Disneyland knockoff that's been abandoned, and it presents a very frightening view of how all of this would go down. Check out the link.

Even though its a knock off park its alot like disneyland! its nice sorta!


Was that park actually operating? I am looking at the pictures and wondering how your riding the roller coaster in the park

[PirateMickey]

It would depend on the circumstances of it closing.

If it closed all of a sudden, then:

Shock, denial, anger, resentment, then reality would set in and I'll survive.

Then I'll start selling my DL memorabilia on eBay and make a killing!


If it slowly degraded over time, and turned into GangLand, then I would probably say oh well, no one else cared, so why should I...

And then hope that I could dump my DL memorabilia on eBay for anything that I could get for it.

But lets not let that happen.

Enjoy!

[sunnygirl]

This question seems to come up so much around here, and I can't even answer it. What do you think I would do? How do you think a bunch of hard core Disney nerds on a Disneyland message board would react?

We'd all freak out.