Record Crowds Flock to See Disney Parade

The farewell tour of Disneyland’s Main Street Electrical Parade powered the Anaheim park last weekend to one of its highest attendance figures on record, a Disneyland spokesman confirmed Monday.

Saturday marked the third-busiest day in Disneyland’s 41-year history, as crowds flocked to say goodbye to the Blue Fairy, Pete’s Dragon and friends before they flicker out Oct. 15, according to Disneyland spokesman Tom Brocato.

Disneyland doesn’t release attendance figures, but sources inside the park estimate that Saturday’s crowd exceeded 80,000--a significant increase over the 50,000 to 60,000 people the park normally plays host to on a busy summer day.

Cars jammed Disneyland’s 15,000-space parking lot to bursting by early afternoon, forcing the park to send the overflow to the Anaheim Convention Center and to a parking lot north of the Disneyland Hotel.

Saturday’s attendance mark was exceeded only by crowds on July 4, 1986 and 1987, which makes the figure all the more impressive, considering it was a non-holiday weekend at the end of September when the crowds typically start to thin.

“The reaction has been amazing,” Brocato said. “People are determined to see the parade one last time.”

Disneyland has lured visitors with an all-out media blitz of television, radio and print ads that has reached a fever pitch in recent weeks.

The campaign has been effective, as the park is on pace to shatter last year’s record attendance, estimated at 14.2 million. But it also has led to snarled traffic, long lines and massive crowding inside the park.

“The place is a zoo,” said one cast member. “I love the parade, but I can’t wait for this to end.”

The crowds may only get bigger heading into the countdown to Oct. 15. Anaheim hotels are reporting sell-out crowds in the remaining two weekends before the Electrical Parade’s finale, thanks to a couple of major conventions and frenzy among Disneyphiles to say goodbye to the 24-year-old institution.

Even hotel brass don’t have the pull to get a room. Patrick Hynes, spokesman for the Anaheim Hilton, said he has searched in vain to find a room for his 12-year-old goddaughter, who is longing to see the parade.

“It’s the hottest ticket in town,” Hynes said. “That final weekend could be the toughest weekend of the year to find a room in Anaheim.”

Disneyland’s Brocato said the park has beefed up its staff in preparation for the final onslaught of parade lovers. The park is running two nightly performances of the parade, and would consider doing more, except that the batteries on the floats won’t tolerate it.

“The parade literally glows away after two performances,” Brocato said.

If attendance reaches gridlock proportions, Brocato said, park brass may consider suspending ticket sales at the gate--something Disneyland has done only once in its history.

He suggests guests consider visiting the park on a weekday to guarantee a last crack at the parade.