LP Lotion: Magic or Mahem? A Disneyland 'One More Disney Day' Recap
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Click for video and pictures of the event kick-off

The “One More Disney Day” promotion at Disneyland seems to have turned out to be more than anyone expected— and not at all in a bad way.

For myself, I arrived at 5am, an hour before the scheduled 6am opening. The crowd was huge! Early arrivals (including overnighters) were confined to the area directly adjacent to the eastern entry gates, and the east esplanade where the busses pull in. The line extended through most pedestrian areas, and back along the route that leads behind the Hyperion Theater in DCA.

2000 people had already been issued wristbands for the special hats. I saw some people pass through the line who had clearly jumped ahead. But without the wristband, they were not issued a coveted hat.

The opening was low-key, although nicely handled. The Disneyland Band was on hand, playing song after song. The Disney characters were out in force, and the Disneyland Ambassadors were available. There were even chefs to give demonstrations of the specialty menu items that were being offered throughout the day. I learned that, as of 5am, virtually every reservation in the Park restaurants for the next 24 hours had been filled.

A long-time cast member welcomed the crowd and led them in a countdown. The first guests, who had been waiting since 10pm the night before, streamed through the gates. And the guests kept coming, and coming. I was all the way down Main Street twenty minutes later and noticed the street was still quite busy. People were still coming through the gates at 6:50am.

Every food outlet in the park quickly filled up, and lines formed. This was a pattern all throughout the day. Thanks to cell phones and Twitter, any place that started to empty out would suddenly get a rush of guests.

Disneyland never really slowed down, although it was pretty pleasant through the late morning and early afternoon. There was a definite change in the “vibe” around 4:00. It started feeling like a late afternoon on New Year’s Eve. Rumors started swirling about park closures, crowds turned away, and traffic jams on the I-5 freeway. Most of these were easy to confirm or deny on social media.

Adding to the confusion was the (some would say baffling) decision to choose this day to film an episode of Modern Family in Disneyland. Sections of Frontierland were closed off throughout the early part of the day for the cast and crew.

At one point shortly after 4, I noticed a line extending out of the Emporium side door, and into Town Square. When I went to see what it was, it turned out to be guests trying to get exclusive logoed merchandise. Cast members were coping as best they could. I guess many guests who were just arriving were unaware that the t-shirts, sweatshirts, hats and watches were available in multiple locations. There was also confusion about the free buttons that were being given out at the entry gates. Some locations simply set them out in baskets, some handed one button to each guest, and some said there weren’t any more.

I was to meet a group of friends who were arriving at 7pm for dinner. There was a series of calls as they explained that they were caught first in traffic, then in the crowded tram stop, and then at he massive lines at the front gates. They actually got to the hub at 8pm. We ended up at Rancho del Zocalo, which was not overly crowded. (They were also offering a special tamale dish.)

My next “appointment” was at 10pm on the Big Thunder Trail. Friends and I were to meet and see if there was a possibility of getting into the “Midnight Snack” that was promoted on line. The Snack was set up for 11:45, with a line forming starting at 10. As I passed through the Trail at 9:15, there was already a massive line, and a number of guests gathered at the entrance. I quickly changed plans, and we all met at Carnation Gardens, where Mickey’s Pajama Party was scheduled for 11pm-6am. This turned out to be a fun, but minor, meet ‘n greet with photo opportunity. We then made our way to Frontierland to do the same with… the Country Bears! (These guys haven’t been seen in Disneyland for years!)

Frontierland was getting somewhat crowded, as we realized that the 1am Fantasmic! Crowd was starting to fill in. We made our way back to Main Street, just as an announcement was made (at 12:30) that the Fantasmic! Viewing area was completely full. Cast members were now in full guest control mode, directing everyone away from Frontierland with lighted batons. Again, it was crowded and noisy, but everyone appeared to be having fun.

By now, stories were circulating about what was happening at the front gates. We decided to check it out for ourselves. Sure enough, there was now (at nearly 1am) a massive crowd waiting to get in. As we arrived, they began letting people through. There were hoots and hollers as people got into the park. (We saw one guy literally drop to his knees and kiss the pavement!) I asked one person how long they had been waiting outside, She said three hours. I asked if that was all in line. She said they had been stuck in line for no more than twenty of thirty minutes; it had taken two-and-a-half hours to get from the freeway to the parking structure.

My group decided to get away from the crowds on Main Street by riding the steam train. As we pulled out of Main Street station (it was now after 1:30am) we were shocked by the sight of a sea of people waiting to get to the ticket booths! The lines for gate admission were finally going down, though. After one –and-a-half trips around the park, We got out at Toontown for a final walk through the park. By 2am I was ready to call it a day. Heading out I marveled at the crowds and activity on Main Street. From the platform of the train station the street appeared full.

Once through the exit gates, I noted that there was still a massive number of people trying to buy tickets. Even with tickets in hand, there were fewer entry gates now open, so the line to get in snaked, more or less single file, all the way around the entry plaza.

Just the thought of waiting in any line was too much to even think about.  At 2:30am I headed out to my car. All in all, it was a fun day—one I will certainly never forget.

Click below for pictures on the following pages.