Editor's Report
Page 1 of 1

"Yo Ho, Yo Ho"

Out With The Old
A few years ago Disneyland used to hold Annual Passholder parties. At these events Annual Passholders had the opportunity to experience Disneyland in unusual ways. I can remember walking through Pinocchio's Daring Journey and Snow White's Scary Adventure, getting my picture taken next to the Country Bears and, my favorite, riding Space Mountain with the lights on. At the first party (which I didn't attend) I heard there was a huge line just for the opportunity to experience the queue for Indiana Jones Adventure.

Sometimes these parties would be held for special events - a special showing of the Main Street Electrical Parade during its final season and the infamous Annual Passholder preview for Light Magic. These events were held after normal park hours and admission was usually $25. I loved these events and I miss them. There was something extra special about experiencing Disneyland in a whole new way - as few people get to do - that I really miss.

The last of these events was the Light Magic preview. It was not a successful preview, to say the least. Thousands of words have been written about this event and if you're interested I'd suggest you go to Deja.com and search on "Light Magic Preview". You'll find enough to keep you reading all day. I don't know if it was because of that event or something else but Passholder parties fell by the wayside.

In With The New
In their place Disneyland is now doing events like the May 20th Pirates of the Caribbean event. By my count this is the seventh such event Disneyland has held, the others being the Walt Disney CDROM release, The Ladies Behind the Magic, the Haunted Mansion Event, Mr. Toad's Enchanted Evening, the Christmas Collectible Event and Cinderella's 50th Anniversary Ball. These events are usually much more expensive than the Passholder parties and have a heavy emphasis on merchandise. They're aimed at the collector more than the Disneyland fan. I'm a Disneyland fan, not a collector, and I don't enjoy these events as much.

That said, I do enjoy them very much. My favorite part is the panel discussion held at some of these events.. During the discussions current and former Imagineers and other Disney workers discuss what went into creating the attraction or film. Usually led by Tim O' Day, these discussions give a unique opportunity to hear about the inner workings of Disney as well as provide the chance to hear some wonderful "Walt stories" and see the Disney legends I've read about so much. The entertainment at these events has also proved to be very top notch.

The Verdict
If I had my way Disneyland would continue the merchandise events and bring back the Passholder parties. I'd happily spend $25 tomorrow for another opportunity to ride Space Mountain with the lights on. But I wouldn't want to miss out on hearing X. Atencio talk about creating the script for Pirates of the Caribbean either. But if I had to pick one, there's no question I'd pick the Passholder events. The atmosphere created by these is something I haven't seen replicated since they went away. I miss them very much.

This Week
This week's Trivia Contest is all about Disneyland of the 60s and 70s and this week's Online Poll asks the question "Are You Interested in the financial side of Disney?" Also look for a report from the recent Walt Disney Classics Collection convention at Walt Disney World.

The regularly scheduled Guest Relationn column that would run this Friday will not be run due to the marriage and honey of columnist Chris Reed. We wish Chris and his new wife Felisa the very, very best. If you'd like to find out more about the happy could, visit their website at www.chrisandfelisa.com.

-- Doobie Moseley (April 11, 2000)