Torrential downpour

A powerful storm hit Southern California with "torrential downpours" that dumped 1.5 to 5 inches of rain in the span of 24 hours. If you aren't familiar with the climate here, note that it does not see this much rain for spans as long as a year or more, and the consequences for receiving this much rain in such a short period like this usually rears its ugly head. Drainage systems were overwhelmed as usual, which resulted in a sea of flooded streets and freeways. The aftermath was widely documented and shared by local news and on social media, filled with photos and videos of cars attempting to cross pools of water on the 710 freeway near Long Beach and various surface streets. Long Beach streets apparently have trouble with drainage during most storms, one resident decided to surf the flood waters*. While consuming a plethora of storm coverage, the realization that my doom scrolling was getting me nowhere quickly spawned an idea: I ask myself, "How crowded is Disneyland during a cold, soggy, windy rain storm?"

*https://www.nbclosangeles.com/news/local/long-beach-man-seen-surfing-on-flooded-streets/3848926/

Thanks to my wife, we have the privilege of being Magic Key holders, allowing us to visit Disneyland and California Adventure most days throughout the year. On a whim, I checked same-day availability for this moist visit; access granted, "Your reservation is confirmed!" exclaimed the web page. It was getting late in the day, so I quickly packed up my Nikon Z8, the tiny Nikon 40mm f2 Z lens, scrambled to find rain-appropriate gear, then rushed out the door. This should be interesting, I thought to myself as I drove to the park, since it was unusually cold, windy, and wet weather for a Southern California native like me. When I arrived, I walked through Downtown Disney to pre-emptively gauge park attendance. Walkways were luxuriously spacious, voiding the need for me to take small, calculated steps to avoid running into strollers, parents, kids, and people in general. As I walked through, I noticed bright lights and music emanating from the midcentury themed outdoor stage. The heavy rain had calmed down considerably, now diminished to a light but constant sprinkle.

Woodwind instruments and rain don't mix well, so I was surprised to see a saxophonist on stage with 3 instruments out - a tenor, alto, and soprano sax - despite the rain. On top of that, the keyboard and bass were hooked powered and plugged into the house mix. As a former stage crew audio tech, I knew that this was a big risk and was sure that both Disney and the performing ensemble were praying to the anti-rain powers that be. The small trickle of visitors also yielded a small audience, every listener apparently bundled up and rain ready, which was highly unusual. Most nights were typically crowded with an abundance of visitors gathered around the stage to listen; however, most nights are I enjoyed the tail end of the chart they just finished performing and decided to stay to listen to more. Since I had my camera in my bag, I thought I'd snap a few photos of the performers. Armed with only a 40mm lens, I was up for the challenge of getting a variety of shots.

It's difficult to take photos discreetly with a large camera like the Z8, so I just owned up to it by walking around the stage to get different angles, being cautious not to be intrusive to the audience and instrumentalists. I walked to cover stage left and stage right from a medium distance, being careful not to block the view of anyone watching. Although it was less attended than usual due to the weather, it was important to walk behind people as there was no reason to block anyone's view for a photo op. Getting a shot from the middle of the artificial grass area was the easiest angle to shoot since most listeners were huddled up around the light posts with canopies on either side of the stage. I ended up walking directly towards the stage, crouched on one knee, and fired off a few shots to get an unobstructed view of all four members of JohnnyG & the Dynamites. These guys sounded great.

I wanted some unexpected angles of the group, so I walked to the edge of stage right and attempted to get the keyboardist. Since I only had 40mm of reach, I knew that I would have to get more creative than usual to get something presentable. Not having a clear view, I noticed that there was a breeze block wall that hid the stage ramp that I used to help frame him. I reached up to clear the ramp rails and gave it a try. The percussionist was impossible to reach from this angle, so I walked to the back of the stage to find a shot. There were significantly fewer obstructions from the back of the stage, so finding a clear view of him was less arduous.

Although the back of the heads were mostly the only thing I could from the very back of the stage, I noticed that I had a backlit view of JohnnyG framed between the drum set and keyboard. When I lined up my shot, it just so happened that the chart they were playing was closing. Apparently, since he was playing at the time, he turned around and lifted his leg to direct the band. I got the timing right, snapped some photos, and ended up with a keeper.

It was getting a bit late to enter California Adventure since it was a few minutes away from front gate closing time, so I started making my way to Disneyland at this point. As I walked away, I overheard JohnnyG announce a name, "Thanks, everyone, for listening. This is JohnnyG and The Dynamites. Follow us at JohnnyGSax on Instagram. Join us at 9:30 when we'll be back!" so I stopped walking, pulled out my phone, and quickly typed in "Johnny G Sax" in my notes. I learned that they've performed at the Downtown Disney LIVE! stage several times before and had a few other performances lined up in the next few days. Although I was originally just passing through to get the parks, I was glad to have stopped, listened, and photographed JohnnyGSax & The Dynamites that night.

So, I eventually made it to Disneyland without incident. There were fewer visitors than I expected, with a chasm of free space between groups of people walking around with their umbrellas, Disney branded rain ponchos, and hooded jackets. It was empty enough for me to take the two photos above without interruption and without needing to rush - a rarity in these two particular areas of Main Street. I walked over to Sleeping Beauty Castle to see the plethora of Instagrammers and families posing for their followers; however, I was underwhelmed due to the lack of a crowd fighting for the right angle. It was strange to see this amount of free floor space available in front of the castle since real estate is typically prime here until closing time.

Checking the Disneyland attraction wait times was eye opening. What do you mean Indiana Jones has a 15 minute wait for the standby line? Getting stuck on a runaway train on Big Thunder Mountain Railroad only took 10 minutes before boarding to one's eventual doom? Rain, wind, and chill scared off enough Disneyland visitors that it only took 20 minutes for one to get growled at by the Yeti on Matterhorn Bobsleds. For the uninitiated, these attractions typically have a lengthy standby wait time greater than 45 minutes during peak days. Elementary school me would have been ecstatic for such short wait times. Current me was glad that the park didn't flood like Walt Disney World would in a similar situation, wondering what kind of liability awaited. Despite the short attraction wait times, the lack of some semblance of a crowd made Disneyland feel strangely empty.

Apparently, the short answer to my initial question is: Not very.