MK Full

[McKelly]

How did the other parks do - anybody know? Any other park closures?

 

[Herfnerd]

"Honey, if we show up at 11:30, we will have to wait 45 minutes to order. So let's 'beat the system' and get in line at 9:00. That way we will only have to wait 90 minutes."

Makes sense to me - get in line at 11:30 with a 45 minute wait, you're eating at 12:15pm

BUT......if if you get in line at 9am, even with a 90 minute wait, you're eating MUCH earlier at 10:30am!!

 

[yitbos96bb]

(Larry the Tourist) Really, WDW???

This is an "enjoyable guest experience"?

I'm thinking the upper limit needs to be reset down ten or twenty thousand or so...

(Larry the Stockholder) SHUT UP! Meg Crofton for President!!!

Maybe I'm misremembering, but I swear in the 80's they didn't shut the parks down at all. That the crowds were far worse on Christmas and July 4th. I was a kid so this could be fantasy.

 

[mesaboy2]

Had a HS classmate post on FB yesterday that she was arriving at MK at 1:40 and surprised to see it closed.

Then she posted again from EP at 3:00 surprised to see a 120 minute wait for Soarin.

Then she posted again an hour later surprised to see Disney had this thing called FastPass and how it's unfair that people who get there early get the FastPasses and they should also have them for people who show up late.

I just shook my head. I can't imagine paying premium prices to go this time of year, when it's the most crowded, and have just no clue at all. And she's probably the norm.

Don't worry. FP+ is on the way to make everything better for these people.

 

[robinb]

Don't worry. FP+ is on the way to make everything better for these people.

yippie.

 

[chartle]

Maybe I'm misremembering, but I swear in the 80's they didn't shut the parks down at all. That the crowds were far worse on Christmas and July 4th. I was a kid so this could be fantasy.

The only way that could happen is if there were no fire codes.

I was going to start another thread to ask this, but I have read that at one time maybe the late 70 to maybe the early 80's, no one went to WDW over Xmas. It was so dead that CM's out numbered guests.

Can any one confirm this?

 

[RMulieri]

The only way that could happen is if there were no fire codes.

I was going to start another thread to ask this, but I have read that at one time maybe the late 70 to maybe the early 80's, no one went to WDW over Xmas. It was so dead that CM's out numbered guests.

Can any one confirm this?

I have heard this too..Not sure how true it is

 

[andyman8]

So far, no closures today that I've heard of.

 

[disneyworld1977]

Had a HS classmate post on FB yesterday that she was arriving at MK at 1:40 and surprised to see it closed.

Then she posted again from EP at 3:00 surprised to see a 120 minute wait for Soarin.

Then she posted again an hour later surprised to see Disney had this thing called FastPass and how it's unfair that people who get there early get the FastPasses and they should also have them for people who show up late.

I just shook my head. I can't imagine paying premium prices to go this time of year, when it's the most crowded, and have just no clue at all. And she's probably the norm.

LOL I am sorry but I am just amazed at some of these threads. Yes this time of day the parks, especially MK is crowded. Again I don't know how many people are staying onsite, but we are, never have stayed outside and the EMHM have been awesome! I know someone has to be with me on this one?? Every park we have been to this week, we have done every thing we have wanted by 12-2pm and got the heck out of there, back to our resort for rest time and went back out and braved some stuff at some other parks, but to get the ride times and get the stuff you WANT to get done, early mornings is the way to go guys.

I saw the crowds coming into MK this morning when we were leaving at 11:00 this morning, crazy! We were the only ones walking the opposite way down Main Street

 

[mbrou24]

Just went 12/16-12/23 to deal with crowds we leaned heavily on EMH when MK was open til 1am the park tended to die out after wishes and most rides were walk on or under 10 minute waits. That IMO is the best way to deal with crowds

 

[disneyworld1977]

LOL I am sorry but I am just amazed at some of these threads. Yes this time of day the parks, especially MK is crowded. Again I don't know how many people are staying onsite, but we are, never have stayed outside and the EMHM have been awesome! I know someone has to be with me on this one?? Every park we have been to this week, we have done every thing we have wanted by 12-2pm and got the heck out of there, back to our resort for rest time and went back out and braved some stuff at some other parks, but to get the ride times and get the stuff you WANT to get done, early mornings is the way to go guys.

I saw the crowds coming into MK this morning when we were leaving at 11:00 this morning, crazy! We were the only ones walking the opposite way down Main Street

On and this is the first time, so far (a day to go) that we haven't had to stand on a bus. Never have had that before. Guess I am planning better and hitting the crowds right too!

 

[goofyfigment]

Im not staying onsite, got to mk for rope drop did all of our must dos and left when the parade was delayed due to rain. If this what they mean by crowded ill take it

 

[Lizziejane]

stupid question of the day because I'm just curious - would most of those unhappy looking people (from the 12:30 pm picture) be resort guests? I gotta think locals would know to stay the heck away on Xmas day....

and now just wondering, are the 4 parks physically capable of handling ALL resort guests at the same time? what I mean is, if all WDW resorts were full to capacity, and each and every single resort guest decided to hit a park on Xmas day - would they all be accommodated, or would some get turned away due to park closures?

 

[mesaboy2]

stupid question of the day because I'm just curious - would most of those unhappy looking people (from the 12:30 pm picture) be resort guests? I gotta think locals would know to stay the heck away on Xmas day....

and now just wondering, are the 4 parks physically capable of handling ALL resort guests at the same time? what I mean is, if all WDW resorts were full to capacity, and each and every single resort guest decided to hit a park on Xmas day - would they all be accommodated, or would some get turned away due to park closures?

Non-resort guests are not the same as locals. Lots of options to staying off-site.

I've never heard of all 4 parks closing at capacity at the same time.

 

[disneyworld1977]

Im not staying onsite, got to mk for rope drop did all of our must dos and left when the parade was delayed due to rain. If this what they mean by crowded ill take it

Yea, really huh?

Question since I haven't stayed offsite, were you able to get in at 7am and get on rides without being a resort guest?

 

[JCH]

stupid question of the day because I'm just curious - would most of those unhappy looking people (from the 12:30 pm picture) be resort guests? I gotta think locals would know to stay the heck away on Xmas day....

and now just wondering, are the 4 parks physically capable of handling ALL resort guests at the same time? what I mean is, if all WDW resorts were full to capacity, and each and every single resort guest decided to hit a park on Xmas day - would they all be accommodated, or would some get turned away due to park closures?

Actually, a lot of locals go for holidays as a tradition. We know to make ADRs in advance, how to use fast pass, and since we've been on all the rides, going just for Christmas breakfast or lunch with the characters, a few fav rides, and the Christmas parade is a fine day.

 

[BeachPrincess]

How did the other parks do - anybody know? Any other park closures?

We are Florida resident annual passholders. We were there 12/22 through 12/25 (left last night). We purposely stayed away from MK - done that before and will never do it again. Way too crowded for our liking but it's just hubby and me, no kids. Our two favorite parks are Epcot and HS and we alternated those two over the four days. Did HS on Christmas Eve and Epcot Christmas day. Found both to be crowded but not obnoxiously so. In fact, yesterday at Epcot was not as crowded as Food and Wine festival, in our opinion. I was a bit worried about crowds prior to the trip but we had no problems. In fact it was much less than I expected. We drove down on December 29th a few years ago, just for the day, to celebrate a milestone birthday. Did Epcot and it was so crowded we left after a few hours. Otherwise, we have no experience with the New Year's crowds. To all who are still there, hope you are having a wonderful holiday season and enjoying WDW. Wish we were still there for sure!!! Why does it always go by so fast??

 

[Eastern]

We usually go during Easter week and use EMH both early and late. Friends of ours were there the same week one year and they had such a different experience because they had a leisurely breakfast and got to the parks ~11am; we were getting ready to go back to the resort at that time. You can't go late and get on many rides during peak times.

 

[kmb584]

Here you go. All these were taken near Liberty Tree Tavern:

Finally, around 12:30 p.m.

I absolutely LOVE "MY" World, but the crowds...

Over the course of my lifetime I've been subjected to many shoulder-to-shoulder crowd levels, but as someone who desires to take her daughter during the Christmas season, it definitely won't be Christmas week! I've enjoyed the Christmas decor many times over before DD was born! I can only hope to share that magic with her in the future!

 

[goofyfigment]

Yea, really huh?

Question since I haven't stayed offsite, were you able to get in at 7am and get on rides without being a resort guest?

No they held us at TTC until 745 then let us on the monorail. Got to the park did space mtn then buzz, did haunted mansion then big thunder from there did pirates jungle cruise and Aladdin. From there got a fastpass for little mermaid and did pooh and dumbo. Once off dumbo went to mermaid then got back to main st at 1140 got a great spot for the 1230 parade but that ended up being cancelled due to the rain. We left then and are planning on heading back later tonite for the light parade and wishes.