4 ways Disneyland can help bring the Magic back

Disneyland is celebrating its 60th anniversary this year and has pulled out all the stops with new decorations, parades, fireworks and entertainment.

We know the granddaddy of all Disney parks contains some of the best attractions and continues to innovate. But in other areas, Disneyland falls short.

©Steven Liebman Disneyland at 60.

The Disney culture is based on four principles for guest experiences: Safety, Courtesy, Show and Efficiency. While Safety and Courtesy may be a bit obvious, Show means cast members stay in character and ensure the area they work in is show-ready, and Efficiency means employees perform a their role efficiently so guests get the most of out their visit.

During a recent trip to the resort, we found a few of these principles lacking.

Here are four things should do to bring back the Magic:

1. Send cast members back to the Disney Institute for a refresher course. During out recent stay, not one person wished us a magical day or asked for an autograph on a credit card slip. It was all just business. The best we could hope for from the cast members was “Have a nice day,” if we got that at all. Now, this might sound a bit ridiculous, but these types of touches keep the magic and wonder alive when visiting.

2. Better communication with resort guests. There were a few instances in which this was problematic and annoying. The monorail closed for mechanical issues. That’s understandable, but when walking from the hotels to the parks, it would make sense to have a sign stating the monorail is temporarily closed instead of all having to walk up to the cast members and keep asking. In addition, there was a day in which the extra magic hour was changed from Disneyland to California Adventure. There were no signs at the resorts, there was no mention by security at the bag check, and it wasn’t until you walked up to the gate and asked why no one was moving that you finally found out. We heard on several occasions, “We’re just asking you to be patient,” but that only goes so far.

3. Find ways to deal with extreme heat. Yes, Southern California gets hot. But extreme heat is an issue when it comes to Disneyland and has been since its opening day, when the temperatures hit 100 degrees and the newly paved asphalt started to melt. Most of the lines, restaurant seating and rides are outside. That means standing in the sun and dealing with heat. How about some misting stations, or putting some seating under cover? As rides and attractions are updated, put the lines inside. Really, how many times can you see Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln on a hot day?

4. Redesign walking traffic patterns. The great thing about Disneyland is the feeling of intimacy; the bad thing about Disneyland is the congestion which takes intimacy to an all-new level. The area around Indiana Jones Adventure, New Orleans Square, the area between Fantasyland and the Matterhorn, and the entryway to Tomorrowland — ok, that’s pretty much every major intersection — are all major choke points. Hopefully, the creation of Star Wars Land will allow some sort of change to take place, but there needs to be a way to either add a few feet to the walkways or create a few more cut throughs.