Anaheim, CA
Overview: Who doesn’t love Disney? We have produced multiple meetings at the Disneyland hotel in all of the ballrooms. The event staff is responsive, the ballrooms are a good size and the attendees always seem to respond well to the property.
Ballrooms: The Magic Kingdom and Disneyland ballrooms (as well as the Disneyland Exhibit Hall) all work well for general sessions. The Exhibit Hall requires some creative stage design, as there are a couple of pillars that need to be worked around.
The Center Disneyland Ballroom has an existing stage and AV and works great for dinner functions.
In-house AV is handled by PSAV for video, and Disney Engineering handle lights and sound. PSAV seems to have a lot of turnover at the property. Many of the Disney Engineering staff have been on-site for many years and work well with outside production companies.
Internet is something to pay attention to, as it is expensive. We have had some issue with bandwidth as well. The on-site team is willing to work with you but you have to address this early and test immediately.
Loading docks: Disney has very particular loading dock requirements so careful attention to detail on load-in and load-out is required.
Breakout Rooms: There are a lot of breakout rooms but they differ greatly in location and size. There also are a number of rooms located in adjacent buildings which require attendees to walk outside. A thorough review of breakout rooms on the site visit is recommended and good show signage has proved valuable.
There are breakout rooms next to the Exhibit Hall, which can work well when moving back and forth between sessions, but not all rooms have air walls that go to the ceiling. This has not been an issue for us in the past but is something to look at.
Location: Downtown Disney is located next to the hotel so attendees have many options for dinner and entertainment.
Producer’s Notes: Great property with lots to offer. Some past experience working at the property definitely pays dividends and improves the overall working experience.