Yes, you read correctly. The beloved 60th Celebration, has come to a close. It is time to bid the diamonds and jewels of the 60th farewell. It has been fun to be sure. We have seen some amazing things and felt some incredible feelings. I personally think that this was Disneyland's most nostalgic celebration or event. They really went back to their roots on this one. Ironic, considering that they are adding a whole new land, and taking out a beloved attraction. But enough about that. Lets focus on the positives shall we?
The Diamond Celebration at Disneyland. What a grand year. One for the books to be sure. I mean, just the decor on the castle was amazing, but there was a whole fireworks show, parade, and even more decor through both parks to celebrate the big 6 - 0. Speaking of witch, the beloved firework show, "Disneyland Forever", will leave as will the new "World of Color" show, with the 60th as well as the "Paint the Night" Parade. But don't despair! The "Paint the Night" parade will make its way cross country to the Walt Disney World Resort, where it will continue to spread the magic of the Disney parks. Meanwhile, the dearly loved 60th decor on the castle, Main Street, Beuna Vista Street, and the entrances as well as the Disneyland Hotel, and Downtown Disney will be taken down and the various locations will return to normal form. Sad but true, these things are happening as we speak. Or, if you prefer, as I type and you read.
Lets go back to what I said a bit earlier, about this being the most nostalgic celebration Disneyland has had. The Diamond Celebration is a culmination of 60 years of magic at the Disneyland resort. Every time someone thinks of that, they think of their past years with the park. it sparks something and makes them think of the past trips they have had. All the trips as kids they can remember, all the times as teens with their friends on their senior trip, or as adults with their kids. They think of all the fun times they have had. All the boxes of popcorn eaten, the shared mickey mouse ice creams, the first time on Tower of Terror, the first time eating a Dole Whip, the last time you stood and watched the Disneyland Band. It is a celebration of Disneyland, yes, but it is also a celebration of what has made Disneyland great. The memories that keep bringing people back. The nostalgia of the park itself is a mix between memories of people, and memories of the land itself. And that is why Disneyland has continued to bring in the crowds for 60 years. It captures them on their first trip, and brings them back until their last trip.
Now, on to the technical stuff. Lets focus on the crowds I mentioned earlier. The crowds this year at Disneyland have hit record highs. Disneyland isn't just popular, its a trend. Disneyland has become a trend and the rise of the Disneyland Nerds is upon us. Its now "cool" to like Disneyland. It always was, but now its a proper "thing" to be way into Disneyland. The 60th helped with that, and so did all the Star Wars happenings at the parks. Disneyland got a new look with all these new shows and events. Its a new Disneyland for a new generation, and yet its still the same Disneyland for the old generation. So, now that the newer image is leaving, what will happen? I think that what will happen is this: Disneyland will still be popular to everyone for a year or two. Then the popularity will fade after a while, leaving only the die-hard Disneyland fans and the usual general crowds. Then Star Wars Land will come out and crowds will come rolling in. Star Wars fans and Disneyland fans alike. I think it will be about 6 or 7 years till we experienced the crowd levels of the "old days" when there was down times to go and super crowd times.
Ahh. Those were the days. But for now, in this moment, we will have to put up with the intense crowds until they finally die down. And we will bid sad farewell to the beautiful Disneyland Diamond Celebration and all that it came with. Thanks Disneyland for reminding us what its really about. And what Disneyland was built for, and here's to the next 60 years.