ANAHEIM, Calif.—Disneyland’s vaccine super site was flooded with patients for the second day running Jan. 14, but as the shot for COVID-19 becomes more readily available, many patients say they’ve struggled to make an appointment.
Orange County residents can book a timeslot to receive the vaccine through the county’s Othena system, which takes reservations online and through an app. But some users said they found the site difficult to use, with it crashing due to high amounts of traffic.
The website has drawn about 100 million hits since going live, Supervisor Doug Chaffee told City News Service.
Mike Evans, 78, of Santa Ana said it took his wife several attempts to use the website. Ultimately, she was able to snag him a spot, and he was among hundreds waiting in line on Jan. 14.
“The [booking] process is not easy, and you have to be very diligent,” Evans told The Epoch Times. “It kicked her out a few times and she had to keep doing it. And [she] finally got it. It took diligence and patience.”
Once at the Anaheim super site, he waited about an hour to receive a shot. He said he was pleased with the center’s staff and volunteers.
“Everybody is really super nice and helpful,” he said. “I didn’t mind [the wait]. I felt really lucky to be able to get in here. And everybody was super helpful. I really liked the process.”
Susan Goldman, 80, of Huntington Beach was extremely grateful to receive the vaccine. Although she was prepared for a long wait—and even packed a lunch—she said the entire process took just 45 minutes.
“It’s a miracle,” Goldman told The Epoch Times. “I can’t believe I’m vaccinated.”
Although the wait was a breeze, she said booking an appointment was “awful.”
“It was a miracle I got an appointment, “she said.
Goldman said she attempted to sign her boyfriend up for an appointment, but was unsuccessful despite trying for hours.
“Last night, it was invalid,” she said Jan. 14. “Today, it still wouldn’t give us [an appointment].”
Susan Bloom, of Lake Forest, was able to successfully book an appointment for the Disney site on Jan. 14, but not without first encountering problems.
“It was difficult,” Bloom told The Epoch Times. “It was actually that the site was down for a while, and I just kept going hitting the back button, going back and forth.”
Bloom, a health care worker, said it took her about an hour to receive the vaccine once on site.
“[It was] very organized,” she said. “Disneyland has always done very well with lines. It’s like an E-ticket ride. You have to wait online a long time.”
Challenges the public faced with booking appointments have been attributed to an astonishingly high demand for the vaccine.
“Due to the high demand for vaccines, individuals may experience a delay in getting an appointment,” Orange County Supervisor Lisa Bartlett told The Epoch Times in an email. “The system is designed to offer appointments when sufficient vaccines are available, and this fluctuates daily. I ask that people be patient and revisit the site frequently for updated information and appointment availability.”
