[JJSR Highlights] Is Disneyland Really the Happiest Place on Earth?

It’s a Small World display at Disneyland in California. [Source: Author, Joanne Son]

A statue of Walt Disney and Mickey Mouse stand at the foregrounds of Disneyland. [Source: Associated Press, John Raoux]

Many people consider Disneyland as the happiest place on Earth. It has so many fun rides and treats that makes an average day into a fairytale. Many tourists come to this magical place, that every inch of the park is always crowded with people. Disney characters come out to sign autographs and take pictures, and there are many rides for every age to enjoy. Although Disneyland is considered “the happiest place on Earth”, it can sometimes be one of the most exasperating and tiresome places.

Joanne Son, 8th Grade St. Brendan School

To start off, long lines are one of the most famous sights in Disneyland. People wait in line on an average of 30 minutes to 2 hours. After waiting in this long of a line, people expect to be on a fulfilling ride, but is instead disappointed with a short, unexciting ride. Of course Disney has made an attempt to solve this situation. There are now tickets called Fast Passes and these tickets allow people to enjoy the ride without having to be in a long, tedious line. But, it still has resulted in a few drawbacks.

One problem that came with the solution is that people can only unlock Fast Passes for one ride at a time. Regular tickets are expensive enough, so if these tourists and people have paid an extra amount of money to skip these lines, why not allow them to have fast pass admittance to all the rides, instead of having them unlock the passes one at a time.

Another problem with these fast passes, are that they require the riders to come at a specific time. So, if they really wanted to ride this one ride, but it required them to come 2 hours later, just waiting in line would most likely be faster. You might think, “Well, then they can ride other rides while waiting for the other ride”, but all of the other rides most likely have long lines as well. As I stated previously, fast passes can only be unlocked for one ride at a time. So people wouldn’t be able to get fast passes for other rides at that time while waiting.

Long lines and fast passes are not the only problems. Yes, the rides are sturdy and reliable, but some rules need to be made about the weight limit or the amount of people on one ride. The rides can break down if there are too many people on one ride or the weight limit is passed. For example, my friend and I were on the Alice in Wonderland ride when it suddenly stopped moving. We could not finish the ride, for three grown women were in one car, and the three of them combined had passed the weight limit the car can handle. This was a mild situation for a less complicated ride, but if it is a ride with big drops and loop de loops, this rule needs to be strictly followed.

One last problem that Disneyland has, is the price of every single item they sell. Starting from food to their merchandise, everything is overpriced. If the prices were lowered, people might want to actually purchase a souvenir or two, because who wouldn’t want a pair of the classic mouse ear headband. The same thing goes for the food. Everyone needs to be energized to continue walking around the parks, but a plate of plain spaghetti that is close to $30 is not necessary. Of course, to run such a big park like Disneyland, there is a lot of money that is needed. But since the tickets are expensive enough, if the prices on the other things were lowered, people might enjoy Disneyland more than they already do.

Even with these three problems, Disneyland still remains one of the most entertaining and magical places that every age can enjoy. It’s like stepping into a world where fantastical dreams really do come true.