The laurel crown in this case goes to Great Caesar’s Ghost in the ballroom at the birthday party table! The exclamation is obligatory, since Great Caesar’s Ghost! Is named after an old expression of surprise. The phrase has fallen into disuse, so it’s likely, you’ve never heard anyone use it in actual conversation (unless you’re an old film fan). It’s a good bit of history and a slightly funny joke that’s entertaining for Disneyphiles. It’s just not relevant in today’s world where Great Caesar’s Ghost! has disappeared from the popular lexicon.
If you want more Haunted Mansion and creativity, get my book “The Haunted Mansion Is Creativity.” If you want a different kind of Haunting fun, check out “When Hauntings Collide,” the story where you are the star.
Tag Archives: disney
Top 31 Ghosts at Disneyland’s Haunted Mansion: #31 Hatchaway’s Husbands
Heading the list at the 31 spot are Constance Hatchaway’s husbands. Each one of them has a section of the attic dedicated to them. The have names and back stories, but these inhabitants of Disneyland’s Haunted Mansion are little more than props for one of the attractions more prominent ghosts. They’re also among the newer ghosts.
If you want more Haunted Mansion and creativity, get my book “The Haunted Mansion Is Creativity.” If you want a different kind of Haunting fun, check out “When Hauntings Collide,” the story where you are the star.
Top 31 Ghosts of Disneyland’s Haunted Mansion: Halloween Countdown, Sep. 30
(This article contains affiliate links. If you click on a link and it takes you to Amazon and you buy something, we will get a small amount of that purchase to support our future writings. It won’t cost you anything extra.) Perhaps the greatest injustice of Haunted Mansion Holiday and “the Nightmare before Christmas” takeover of Disneyland’s Haunted Mansion is that guests don’t get to experience the original attraction in all its glory. People, who can only afford one trip to the Magic Kingdom every year, may find themselves never experiencing the OG Haunted Mansion.
Don’t get me wrong. “The Nightmare before Christmas” is iconic, fun, and an impressive use of intellectual property (IP) in an overlay. However, it’s almost as if Disney forgot the Haunted Mansion itself is full of original IP for Disneyland and the Disney Company.
Of course, that last statement is utter bunk. Disney knows the Haunted Mansion is filled with stories that, properly executed, it can exploit. The company has released two theatrical movies – the unintentional horror starring Eddie Murphy and the relatively better and newer movie with an ensemble cast. It has combined the Muppets with the Haunted Mansion in a Disney+ release that is fabulous. It has also released several books with background stories of the ghosts that inhabit the Haunted Mansion, and at least one book that has the Haunted Mansion star as its own character.
Still, in honor of the classic version that you can’t visit from late August to mid-January, we’re doing a countdown of the Top 31 ghosts residing at Disneyland’s Haunted Mansion. Join our Patreon for free and tell us if you agree… with our rankings. Stay Tuned for the Ghost #31 tomorrow! If you want more Haunted Mansion and creativity, get my book “The Haunted Mansion Is Creativity.” If you want a different kind of Haunting fun, check out “When Hauntings Collide,” the story where you are the star.
Planning a Disney Vacation? Talk to Lynn Barron
Every year, I contact Lynn Barron (at Lbarron@conciears.com) to find out what a package to Disneyland costs, and every year, he asks me the appropriate questions to get me the best package price-to-benefit available. Lynn’s expertise comes from more than his extensive travel experience. He is a former custodial cast member, who has parlayed his former work site into two co-authored books on the park and a successful Disney podcast.
Books and Podcast
Along with Ken Pellman, Lynn authored Cleaning the Kingdom and its sequel. These two books expose the dirty underside of the park and how the vaunted custodial crew keeps it clean. Featuring stories from several custodial cast members, Cleaning the Kingdom is a must have for any Disney enthusiast and for those who wonder how they keep the parks so clean.
Lynn and Ken also do The Sweep Spot, a podcast that covers all the Disney topics. It provides updates about the parks and has interviews with former cast members, Disney historians and authors, including me. These two media ventures help Lynn keep his fingers on the pulse of the parks, so that he can plan incredible Disney vacations for his clients.
Honeymoon and More
Lynn has arranged park visits for both my nieces, including one honeymoon and one trip to Walt Disney World. His recommendations and hard work have made these trips easier. More importantly, he has helped make the Disney parks more fun.
Lynn didn’t ask me to write this. I just wanted to give him a shout out for the joy he’s brought to my family. Disneyland is a magical place, and Lynn has increased its magic through his various endeavors. Thanks, Lynn.
Mickey Mouse Ice Cream and Happiness
Every so often, our local Grocery Outlet has Mickey Mouse Ice Cream sandwiches at amazing prices, especially when compared with the ice cream sandwiches sold in the parks. The Grocery Outlet sandwiches seem smaller than the ones in the park, but that could be an illusion of memory. While the sandwiches were always my favorite, my Grahms loved the Mickey Mouse ice cream bars. She liked how hard frozen they were, and she would get at least one every trip. When the email ad from Grocery Outlet landed in my box touting the sale of Mickey Mouse ice cream bars, I knew I had to get them.
I found the ice cream bars in the frozen section with the other ice cream, which makes sense. However, I hesitated. They were a low price, but could I really afford them? How many could I afford? Wouldn’t I be better off purchasing something of real nutritional value? I looked at the packaging: one set was orange and celebrated the Mickey Mouse Club; the other was blue and celebrated Walt Disney World’s 50th anniversary. I looked closer, and holding the package, it didn’t seem like they were Mickey Mouse shaped. I decided to take a trip around the store. Maybe I didn’t really need them, after all.
I got to the end of the frozen food aisle and knew I would get the ice cream. Maybe they weren’t Mickey Mouse shaped, but I could still enjoy the ice cream and the packaging. Now, I had to decide how many I could afford. I decided to see what else was available in the store. After picking up a box of Pop Tarts, I couldn’t stand the thought of someone else buying the ice cream bars, so I returned to the frozen food aisle.
I bought them all. I no longer cared about the shape or the cost. I was going to enjoy them and the memories they invoked. Twenty-one Mickey Mouse ice cream bars went into my freezer at home.
I waited 16 hours before I opened my first ice cream bar. IT WAS MICKEY MOUSE SHAPED! Grahms would be happy. I know I was, and as of writing this, still am.
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My Journey to FanX 2023 (and What I Did There)
When panel suggestions opened for FanX 2023, I had no idea what I would be doing in September during the convention. I was looking for jobs and hoping to get something that would pay the bills. I figured if I wasn’t employed by the comic convention in Salt Lake City, I could get to the Salt Palace and have a good time. So, I filled out the form and suggested “Disneyland Is Creativity.”
Disneyland Is Creativity
“Disneyland Is Creativity” is the name of the first book I published. It uses the structure and history of Disneyland to illustrate creativity principles. Main Street, U.S.A. is a good example of how Disney made people feel comfortable when coming into the park; you need to feel comfortable if you want to practice creativity, especially in a business setting. Disneyland’s opening day provides plenty of examples of failure and mistakes; in creativity, you’re going to fail and make mistakes because you’re trying something new.
I had done a panel based on my book at Lilac City Comicon, and I have also done the follow-up panel based on the Haunted Mansion at Lilac City Comicon and Ogden UnCon. I was confident I could present a compelling and enjoyable panel for FanX conventioneers and Disney fans.
FanX 2023 Notification and Work
When I got the email to let me know that I had been chosen, I was excited. I was also working at a bookshop and didn’t have days off available. Still, I figured I would figure out the time off at the time that I was able to let people know I was invited to FanX as a panelist. The bookshop was fine with me going; I just wouldn’t get paid.
Then, I got a notice that my rent would be increasing. My bookshop job would no longer pay for my expenses. I was going to have to find something new.
I applied for a hotel job and a bank job. I scheduled interviews for both, and I was offered the job at the hotel. I told him I would have to discuss it with my wife. He said he would get back to me the next day with the exact pay amount they were offering. He didn’t call the next day.
I did the interview for the bank and was offered the job there as well. However, they had some details to work out before they could give me the benefits package. I called the hotel, the person at the front desk refused to take a message. I called a second time, and left a message with a different front desk person. I called a third time, and I had the bank offer in my hands. There was only one more hurdle to jump for the bank before the offer was finalized. I asked for time off to go to FanX. While waiting for the approval, I called the hotel manager one more time. He did not get back to me. The bank did with the approval for unpaid leave, and I accepted the offer.
Flights and Hotels
I had to book flights and hotels for FanX. I booked the cheapest hotel I could find within walking distance. If I was going to drive, I didn’t want to have to deal with my car during the convention. I should have looked at the reviews. By the time my wife looked at the reviews, it was too late to book a hotel with the FanX discount, which is what I should have done in the first place. We found the City Creek Inn and Suites about 1.5 miles away from the Salt Palace. It ended up being good enough – quiet, waffles for breakfast, clean room. It could do with a renovation, but we were just going to be sleeping there.
I booked flights out of Eugene with Southwest Airlines. They were the least expensive that didn’t charge for luggage. That meant I could take my books, computer, and posters to FanX without paying anything additional. The flights went smoothly; we didn’t even need to pay for earlier boarding. (We got the last two seats that were together on the flight back. All the other flights we sat together without having to worry.)
The Worst Buddhist
I knew Darren Lamb, the Worst Buddhist, was going to FanX. I think he may have been at every convention put on by the group since its inception – 15 shows or 10 years ago. I edit Darren’s books because he writes stories that need to be written and read. If you’re looking for something amazing with some Buddhist leanings, Darren delivers. His fiction works include “The Book of Benjamin,” an exploration of what happens if the answers are literally inside of us, “Rebirth: a Zombie Tale” explores reincarnation during the zombie apocalypse, and “The Pit Bull” brings together a dog and a disparate and desperate group of people who are looking for healing.
I asked if he would allow me to do a book signing at his booth. He was enthusiastic about it. I asked him to pick us up at the airport, and he was enthusiastic about that, too. I scheduled and did the signings at his booth immediately after my panels.
Darren also writes some great non-fiction. If you are looking for a way to practice spirituality, and you can’t find anyone to help you, “Ronin Buddhism” is a great read to set you on your own path. (I have used affiliate links for the books in this post. They take you to Amazon, which provides me a small commission if you purchase something and doesn’t cost you or the author anything additional.)
Walt Disney World Vs. Disneyland Panel
Josh Twelves Facebooked me and said I was scheduled for a panel on Thursday. I looked at my schedule and told him I didn’t know anything about that panel. I knew I was scheduled for Friday, but Thursday was free as far as I could tell.
He clarified that he added me to his panel. I didn’t know Josh, but I have been to both parks. Disneyland is my go-to vacation, and I was a College Program participant at Walt Disney World (which was amazing). After a little back and forth, I agreed to do the panel with Josh, Tracy Mangum, and Jake Dietz. (The latter two do “the Movies that Make Us” podcast.)
It was a fun panel that Josh moderated well. There was plenty of audience participation, but I think the consensus was that Disneyland is better overall. We did have a West Coast bias because it’s super easy to get to the Happiest Place on Earth from Utah. We also had a Walt Disney bias; Disneyland is the only park he walked and lived in. Neither of those two things can be said for Walt Disney World.
Disneyland Is Creativity Panel
Jenya said this was her favorite panel of the two days we were able to attend FanX. I had brought the wrong laptop, so I couldn’t connect to the projector. That meant I had to do the presentation without the PowerPoint prop. Jenya thought it went even better than the previous panels I had done on the same subject.
I enjoyed being able to take a group of Disneyland fans down the Main Street, U.S.A. of our imagination while relating aspects of the park to creative principles. The questions afterward were great, and we found out that one of our audience members was headed to do her own Disney College Program experience. If you want me to upload video, leave a comment.
Panels and Books
I was able to sell three sets of the books I brought: “Disneyland Is Creativity,” “The Haunted Mansion Is Creativity,” and “Penguinate! The Disney Company.” All three are available on Amazon in eBook format. Only “The Haunted Mansion Is Creativity” is available on Amazon in both paperback and as an eBook. I have some paperbacks of the other two still available. All three sales came from people who came to the panels.
FanX and Its Guests
Outside of my panelist duties, I was able to see several stars and a couple of panels. Alexandra Daddario, Jake Abel, Zachary Levi, John Rhys-Davies, and Christopher Lloyd were the biggest names that I saw on stage. Lloyd said this would be his last comic convention. Abel was hilarious. They were all hampered about what they could talk about by the writers’ strike that is being supported by SAG-AFTRA.
We started the day with Jim Meskimen, who was funny and sincere. He made a good impression on us, pun intended. Meskimen does impressions as part of his act; you can visit Jimpressions.com for more information. Jenya really enjoyed the History of Costumes panel put on by the costume department of the Hale Center Theater Orem.
Artist Alley
As with almost every comic convention I have attended, there just wasn’t enough time to do much with Artist Alley beyond my own book signing. We saw Ty Hulse from afar, who we had met at Lilac City Comicon. On Friday night, our last day, I took a couple extra minutes to rush through the aisles jam-packed with amazing artwork, stickers, and posters, but nothing caught my eye until I saw a comic book for $2.99. That’s a great price. As I looked more at the booth, I noticed that the proceeds were going to help stop animal abuse. I wasn’t really sure I wanted it, but as I walked a couple of booths past the comic books, I decided that I had budgeted the money, and I should come away with something from my FanX experience. (Plus, Jenya was sure I wanted it and said I should get it.) If it doesn’t support the artist, at least it will go to a good cause.
So we made a U-turn, and I went to the booth. The Calico comic book series from Sigma Comics was eight issues and a sticker for $20. I was warned the comic was graphic; the bad guys won’t make it out alive.
I would’ve loved to stay for Saturday, but budget constraints and other circumstances required me to go home. Thursday was great because it was less crowded than Friday. Friday was great because the convention energy picked up. We were glad to have been able to attend and participate in FanX2023.
FanX 2023 in Salt Lake City and ‘Disneyland Is Creativity’
It’s official! We are less than a month away from FanX 2023 in Salt Lake City, and I have a panel, “Disneyland Is Creativity.” Based on my book, this panel will provide ways to improve your creativity by using examples and metaphors from Disneyland’s structure and history. This panel is a must for fans of the park and for those who are interested in learning principles of creativity to improve their lives and the lives of others. The time and place of the panel will be released with the FanX app. Download the app, bookmark our panel, and join us for a walk down memory lane.
Get ‘Disneyland Is Creativity’
You can get a copy of “Disneyland Is Creativity” and its sequel “The Haunted Mansion Is Creativity” from Amazon. You can also order them directly from me and pick them up at my panel. We will bring a very limited supply of books to be available at Darren Lamb’s table in Artist Alley. (Darren is known as the Worst Buddhist; his table will have cool, geek-inspired Buddhas and stickers as well as books he’s written.) I’ll be happy to sign your books when I see you at FanX in Salt Lake City.
FanX 2023 in Salt Lake City
FanX 2023 is Salt Lake City’s premier comic convention. It will be held September 21 to 23, 2023. Tickets often sell out. Get yours ahead of time.
As always, events and panels are subject to change. Be sure to confirm the panels and activities you’re excited for, ahead of time.
‘Hocus Pocus Spell Book’ Retains Fabulous, Funny, Evil of Sanderson Sisters
While watching the highly entertaining, over-the-top, comedic, delicious portrayal of the Sanderson Sisters in the cult classic Hocus Pocus and its newly released sequel, the audience often forgets that the sisters are evil. They talk about eating children, they terrorize teenagers, including keeping two of them in a cage, and the audience sees them kill a child by sucking in her essence to become young and beautiful, or at least, younger and more beautiful.
Bette Midler, Sarah Jessica Parker and Kathy Najimy are amazing, charismatic, and can sing a tune in a beguiling, amusing manner. They have individual and unique senses of style. Their portrayal of the Salem witches is truly something to behold. Still, no matter how much we like the characters and the actors, who make them, the Sanderson Sisters are evil. If you need a better reminder of their evil ways, look no further than the Disney “Hocus Pocus Spell Book.”
The hardbound tome is “A Guide to Spells, Potions, and Hexes for the Aspiring Salem Witch,” and Disney doesn’t soften it up. Inside, the book’s graphic novel style presents beautiful, intricate drawings along side what could be real spells and potions based on their ingredients. The infamous dead-man’s toe is there along with oil of boil, cockroaches, tarantula hair. The sharp-eyed Disney enthusiast will recognize a couple of spells, potions, and magical items from other evil Disney warlocks and witches. A scream of fright, anyone?
Interspersed among the pages are words from Winnie, Mary and Sarah as they navigate the books spells, and ready themselves to face the elders coming to burn them at the stake. Their personalities shine through the brief missives.
This article uses affiliate links. If you purchase something using our affiliate link, we make a little money, and it doesn’t cost you anything extra.
For more Disney-related writing check out my books “Disneyland Is Creativity,” “the Haunted Mansion Is Creativity,” and “Penguinate! The Disney Company.” Available on Amazon or contact me for personalized copies.
How to Make Disney California Adventure a Two-Day Park
When you go on vacation, you probably want to relax. You don’t want the stress of having to do things within a short amount of time. By scheduling two days at Disney California Adventure, you’ll be giving yourself more than enough time to get all of the attractions in during your trip. You could likely do all of the attractions in one day without much of a push, but if you get sick for some reason, the extra day gives you the opportunity to go back to your hotel room to rest up and recover your strength. You don’t have to worry about pushing through tiredness or other issues. Still, by midmorning of the second day, you might be wondering what there is left to do. If you don’t want to pay for a park hopper, here are ways to fill out the rest of your day.
A Typical One-Day California Adventure
You should always start your morning with a good breakfast. If you eat outside the park, don’t settle for one of those “Breakfast Included” meals from your hotel. Grab something filling and relatively healthy from a nearby restaurant. Otherwise, you can start in Disney California Adventure with a decent meal from Pym Test Kitchen. The breakfast food from the Shawarma Palace court was also pretty good. The only other choices, at least in September 2022, were the Starbucks Fiddler, Fifer & Practical Café on Buena Vista Street and the cappuccino cart at the intersection of the Pacific Wharf and the Pixar Pier Bridge. (Rumor has it that the Corn Dog Palace also served an interesting breakfast item, but we didn’t make it to that side of the park to find out.)
Once you have a good breakfast on board, you should head to one of the E-ticket attractions. If you have Lightning Lane, I suggest hitting up the Guardians of the Galaxy there, and going to Radiator Springs Racers if your stomach can handle it. Standby wait times for this attraction can reach up to two hours or more, so be sure to have your sunscreen and water on board before you get into line. (If you’re one person or a group that doesn’t mind being split up, try the single rider line.) The Lightning Lane for Radiator Springs Racers cost extra, so while it would be good for my Disney stock value for you to purchase it, finding a lower wait time is likely better for you and your budget. Do not expect wait times to get lower throughout the day; they remain pretty high.
The next attractions you want to look at are Toy Story Midway Mania, which had a Lightning Lane available, and WEB Slingers, which had a pay lane available. Grab the Midway Mania Lightning Lane when it’s available, and head over to WEB Slingers. The wait their can get to be pretty long, but while we were there, it was between 40 and 60 minutes.
Soarin’ is the last attraction where the wait times can get to be horrendous. It has a Lightning Lane, so you’ll be able to get on board at least once. Along with Goofy’s Sky School, which also has Lightning Lane, the standby lines were about 45 minutes. Monster’s, Inc.: Mike and Sulley to the Rescue often have longer wait times of about 40 minutes.
After that, it’s really a matter of what you want to do and what’s available as far as attractions go. Finish off Cars Land with Mater’s Jamboree and Luigi’s Honkin’ Halloween, and take a stroll through Pixar Pier, and Paradise Gardens Park to catch up with Pix Pal-A-Round, Inside Out Emotional Whirlwind, and the Little Mermaid – Ariel’s Undersea Adventure. You could also squeeze in the barely themed Silly Symphony Swings and the unthemed, leftovers of Jumpin’ Jellyfish and Golden Zephyr. If getting wet is your thing, Grizzly River Run is usually less crowded during the cooler times of the day.
During our trip, attraction breakdowns were common. Radiator Springs Racers was shut down the first time we tried to go on it. The Incredicoaster was also closed when we decided to try to ride it. We ended up missing out on the Incredicoaster.
One more thing to include in your day is the World of Color. If you have the Disneyland app, you can join a virtual queue, but I always suggest heading over to Wine Country Trattoria and choosing something from their World of Color menu. You just need to make reservations ahead of time.
Midway Mania and WEB Slingers
Both Toy Story Midway Mania and WEB Slingers use your arms to make the attraction more enjoyable. They are far enough apart, that your first rides can be consecutive. However, after that, you may want to wait until your arms have recovered to go again. It’s an unexpected and fun workout. (Start getting those fast twitch arm muscles in shape before you go. I’d put a link here, but I don’t know anyone who is doing those types of workout routines, especially for Disney Park attractions. If you do, let me know.)
What to Do Day 2
We finished our first day with only the Incredicoaster and Radiator Springs Racers left to do, and we didn’t have a plan for our second day. However, there are a lot of things that we could have done to fill our day rather than wondering what we should do while wandering around.
Ride ‘Em Again
Obviously, a lot of the appeal of a second day is the ability to get on the E-ticket attractions again, especially if you have Lightning Lane access. WEB Slingers and Toy Story Midway Mania are big draws because of their playability. You can try to improve on your previous scores, you are part of the show, and there is something to be said for the endorphins that come from the extra fast twitch muscle use. Guardians of the Galaxy is geared to provide a different ride each time due to its randomness. During Halloween, you get the added bonus of having Monsters After Dark in addition to the BREAKOUT! Version. Radiator Springs Racers has two tracks: one you get a paint job, the other gives you new tires. Mater and Luigi offer different songs to ride to though you’re likely to hear all of them while waiting for your turn to experience the attraction. You won’t find this specific Ariel Undersea Adventure anywhere else in the U.S.; the Walt Disney World Version is slightly different. But what should you do while you’re on your way to riding these attractions again?
Pictures with Characters
Decide to make it a day with character(s). If you have Genie+, all of the photos you take with the Photopass people are yours! That makes standing in line for characters, so much the better. If you don’t have Genie+, cast members are usually happy to take photos with your camera. Or you can opt for selfies.
Characters can be found on Buena Vista Street, at Avengers Campus, and in other areas of the park. Those who have a Disney Visa can take advantage of a special, time-limited photo opportunity. (Don’t have a Disney Visa? You can apply for one here where you can earn up to a $300 Statement Credit after qualifying purchases, and I can get a bonus. Learn more. https://www.referyourchasecard.com/200a/N8NY3U2R9A!)
Animation Academy
Anyone who says Disney never gives anything away for free has never visited the Animation Academy. When you visit the Academy, you get to learn how to draw a Disney character from a Disney artist. It’s a hands-on experience, so you get to practice what you are learning, and you get to keep the paper you drew on. Sometimes, the Disney artist will also give away their drawing. It’s free, and it’s something that only the most knowledgeable Disney guests take advantage of. If you don’t have any money left for souvenirs, this drawing makes for a good take home memory. Even if you think you can’t draw, you should give this activity a try.
Other Attractions
Mickey’s PhilharMagic and Disney Junior Dance Party are two ongoing attractions where you can sit and enjoy something indoors. Coco has a party with his family in the Paradise Gardens Park. Spider-Man leaps through the air in his product testing show. Doctor Strange uses the mystic arts to protect the Avengers Campus from an other-dimensional threat. During other times of the year, parades may also be offered. These pleasant, and in the case of Spider-Man, amazing, shows provide a pleasant diversion that will help you appreciate Disney California Adventure all the more.
The World of Color
If you’re going to Disney California Adventure for two days, make sure you see World of Color both of them. The first time, you get a sense of where to stand for the performance. The second time, you can get there early enough to get where you want to stand. Jenya and I did World of Color twice, and the first time we stood behind a stroller. By the time the show started, we had two tall men in front of us on the left side, and a man who put his child on his shoulders on the right side. No one can be faulted for their height or for wanting to give their child a better view of the show.
When we went the second time, we were there early enough to get in front of our viewing section for preferred dining. Being ale to see the whole show without having to look through people made such a huge difference. There were even portions of the show that I didn’t see in the first performance because they were blocked by the taller people in front of us.
The Lowdown on Disneyland Resort’s Genie+
You have to have a smartphone to access Disneyland Resort’s Genie+ in the parks. I suppose you could probably carry around a laptop or tablet, but neither of those is convenient. If you don’t own a smartphone, you can do what I did. There are several companies that offer pay as you go smartphones. $23 for the phone and $30 for the plan was more than enough to get me through five days in the Disneyland Resorts. I didn’t use the phone for anything but the Genie+ app, and the park Wi-Fi was generally strong enough outside the attractions to update with little to no lag. If you don’t have a smartphone in your party, Genie+ isn’t for you unless you’re just going for photos. So, what does Genie+ bring to the experience, and is it worth your while?
Genie+ and Photos
If you purchase Disney’s Genie+ service for your Disneyland Resorts trip, you get access to all of the photos taken of you by Disney photographers. This is called “PhotoPass,” and back in the day, it was a good way to include everyone in the photo. Fewer people were willing to take advantage of the photographers in Disneyland and Disney California Adventure, so it was relatively easy to get your money’s worth with photos. Now, there are lines in front of the iconic photo spaces, like Sleeping Beauty Castle and the big pumpkin at the beginning of Main Street, U.S.A. during Halloween. Still, it’s nice to be able to run into an unoccupied photographer and get a couple of photos, especially when they throw in a little pixie dust. It can be a good way to extend your day if you’re running out of things to do in Disney California Adventure.
Lightning Lane
Photos aren’t the only benefit of Genie+. Lightning Lane is the replacement for Disney’s formerly free service – FastPass. Because Genie+ is set at a specific amount per ticket per day ($20 as of Sep. 23, 2022), PhotoPass wasn’t enough to offer guests, even with the touted app “benefits.” Lightning Lane allows you to reserve a time at an attraction and to board that attraction with little to no waiting. Even the longest line we got in at the Haunted Mansion Holiday went relatively quickly as cast members herded Lightning Lane users through the phone scanners with phenomenal efficiency. You only get one Lightning Lane use per attraction per day – I guess lightning never strikes twice. Still, if you’re on a limited time schedule and you want to get through all the attractions in Disneyland, Lightning is well worth using.
However, there is a caveat. Some attractions that offer Lightning Lane, do so at an extra cost. Radiator Springs Racers, Web Slingers: a Spider-Man Adventure, and Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance would allow you to pay to go to the head of the line. The prices differed by attraction and by day. At up to $20 a person, it might just be better to plan your trip to hit those attractions early in the day, avoiding both the crowds and the additional fees. Web Slingers had the lowest wait time of the two throughout the day while we were there, even getting down to 40 minutes, so that is the one I would least likely spend additional money on, even if it was the most fun.
Plus, seriously, think about what you can do with the fee before spending it on a three- or four-minute attraction. If it makes your vacation better because you hate standing in line, go for it. (It’ll help improve the value of my Disney stock.) But even at $7 a person, that’s a churro with change left over.
Other App Benefits
The app features quite a few IRL experiences. In Peter Pan’s Flight, you can find hidden objects in line that lead to Tinkerbell, and for a 45-minute wait, that’s something to do. Esmeralda and Fortune Red offer up tales of adventure – one card a day is free. (You can continue the adventure with additional coins if you don’t have the time to complete it.) And there are a series of Imagineer talks available to listen to. (I didn’t use those because I was with my wife and thought I should spend my time with her. We didn’t have headphones, either.)
While the app will plan your day for you, telling you which attraction you should hit next, the biggest benefit is knowing the wait times for attractions before you get to them. It was especially useful for knowing when attractions had broken down. If the stand-by line is unavailable, you know not to go there.
Mobile ordering for your meal is also available.
Disneyland Resort’s Genie+ Conclusion
Getting into the parks is expensive, the Disneyland Resort’s Genie+ allows you to maximize your time with its Lightning Lane and can bring more enjoyment through its games and IRL freebies if you are inclined to collect or use them.
Penguinate! Positive Creativity 