Thursday, December 18, 2014

A Walk in the Park: Disneyland Edition - A Rainy Day at Disneyland

By Daisy Sparks



This week's A Walk in the Park article takes a look at a rare event that happened at Disneyland recently...it rained!!! It doesn't rain much in Southern California and when it does, it's kind of a big deal. The news channels become excited with top stories from "Storm Watch 2014!" The rain is most welcome in drought ridden California and it really does clean the air. We've had on and off rain over the last week. It sure makes for some pretty pictures and sights throughout the Disneyland Parks. Continue after the page break as we walk Disneyland during a rare, rainy day...




This first set of photos were taken at Disneyland. Rain doesn't scare most visitors away. Unless it rains most of the night and well into the mornings, the Parks will still get a good number of visitors.




 
 
 
 
 
Here are some photos of what it looks like on Main Street, USA and the West Side (Frontierland & New Orleans Square) of Disneyland. Some of the themed walkways can get a little slippery so you may have to walk slowly and just enjoy the scenery in the drizzle.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Wet Disneyland days also means seeing a lot of rain ponchos. It used to be a sea of yellow when everyone bought and would wear the famous Mickey Mouse rain ponchos. I think everyone now comes more prepared and brings their own economic rain gear. If the rain does start to come down,  New Orleans Square has many attractions that you can get on to escape.

One of my favorites is the Mark Twain Riverboat. It's about a 20 minute ride and you can see some great things all around the island including Guests still enjoying Splash Mountain. When it does rain, Davy Crockett's Explorer Canoes do not operate.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
These next set of photos were taken at Disney's California Adventure (DCA), specifically Paradise Pier and Condor Flats. The light drizzle means that characters can still come out and make moments with Park Guests.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
One of the most popular rides at DCA is Radiator Springs Racers. It is a really fun ride but when a steady drizzle or lots of rain has happened, the attraction is notorious for experiencing problems. In this photo you can see that the car is empty and there is only one car on the track.

 
 
 
It's kinda appropriate for a car ride during a storm through the dessert.

This next set of photos were taken by a friend of mine who was interested in photographing Disneyland in the rain and from a particular angle. These were shot on a very rainy evening back in February (2014). With his permission, I wanted to share these photos he refers to as "Disneyland from Below".
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Rainy days at the Disneyland Parks do not come often. When it does, it can make for some really great photos. My kids love to go to Disneyland when it rains because the crowds can be a bit lighter and we can make some really great family memories, too.

Wishing you and yours a magical holiday season!
-Daisy
 
 
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Daisy Sparks grew up in Southern California and Disneyland was a regular part of her life. While in college, she started working at Disneyland as a Main Street Merchandise Host. Her "college job" led to 12 adventurous years working with Mickey Mouse. She was a trained Magic Demonstrator, Hat Writer and was even signed off as a Disneyland Monorail Ride Operator. Daisy loved every minute of it while she held various management positions in Merchandise, Business Operations and Attractions. 

Daisy is married to her college sweetheart, David (a former Jungle Cruise Skipper). David solicited Daisy's Duck's help in memorable engagement proposal that took place at Disneyland's Club 33. Daisy left Disneyland in May 2001 to raise her two daughters. She continues to visit the Disneyland Resort multiple times a week as a Guest. Daisy particularly loves the Disneyland heritage because of all of the little details and stories that make it "the happiest place on earth."

You can read more about Daisy's Disneyland adventures over on her personal blog at DisneyDaze .






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