El Crisis y Disneylandia

The economic crisis has hit Disneyland. I thought the "Happiest Place On Earth" was recession proof until last Sunday when I went to the "Magic Kingdom" with three cousins from Mexico City. Traces of the crisis (pronounced "cree-seas" in Spanish) were everywhere, from the lower admission cost to the manageable lines.

The ticket price was our first indication that things were not all rosy at Disneylandia. Instead of the 90-something dollars the website cited for adult admission, our tickets were only $69 each. (When I say "only" I mean "only" in the sense that I had been prepared to fork over a hundred dollars for a day at an over-crowded, overrated money sucker.) My cousins got in for two dollars less because of their senior status and we were all pleased by the surprise rate cut.

The lines were another sure indication that all is not well with the world. We waited 10-15 minutes for most rides and 30 minutes at the more coveted Indiana Jones and Space Mountain. Five minutes for It's A Small World? It is possible! Only half capacity at the Tiki Tiki Room? Yes! This actually made the visit more pleasant for me, as I had started the day dreading long lines and lack of private space. It was the Sunday before Christmas, after all, and I figured the weekend was the worst time for Anaheim. Not so.

I enjoyed my trip to Disneyland. Indiana Jones was a pretty decent attraction and the Christmas decorations covering the park were pretty, especially in It's A Small World and in New Orleans Square. I laughed and screamed my way through the ever-reliable Space Mountain and was impressed by the animatronics of Pirates of the Caribbean, including its spot-on Johnny Depp/Jack Sparrow character.

I was pleased that Disneyland has caught on that they can't totally gouge people for money like they used to. Who's going to pay $90 for Disneyland when you can get into Knott's Berry Farm or Universal Studios for half that price? It's still a total rip-off and they should be ashamed for charging a family of four $260 to get in, but at least we happened upon the Magic Kingdom when its luster is as faded as America's.