10/1/21 (Planning thread for those w/ Magic Kingdom ressies on the BIG 50th)!

[fla4fun]

I will be there from the 28th through the 2nd. I plan on doing attractions prior to the 1st at MK, and then just enjoying being in the park on the day itself. I will be trying for a mid-day ADR wherever I can get a spot, so I will have one meal if everywhere is too busy. I just want to be there. I don’t have anything special that is a must do. I have a park pass for Epcot on the 2nd to hopefully catch the new Remy ride and fireworks.

My first visit was about five months after MK opened, and I was too young to remember it much. I want to remember this one.

 

[wannabee]

So just realized that both Crystal Palace and LTT opened with the park in 1971. I think I will choose one of these for lunch.

 

[Eeyore daily]

So just realized that both Crystal Palace and LTT opened with the park in 1971. I think I will choose one of these for lunch.

I didn’t realize that. Now I’m leaning towards to eating at LTT for dinner that day. Thanks!

 

[luv2cheer92]

So just realized that both Crystal Palace and LTT opened with the park in 1971. I think I will choose one of these for lunch.

Oooh good to know. I've been thinking about trying to focus my day on all the things that opened with the park.

 

[wannabee]

Dumbo
Haunted Mansion
Small World
Jungle Cruise
Mad tea Party
Main Street Vehicles
Peter Pan
Prince Charming Carrousel
Tommowland Speedway
Walt Disney World railway
Country Bear Jamboree
Hall of presidents
Tiki Room
Swiss Family Treehouse

I think these all opened on October 1, 1971

 

[patrickmit]

I'm going solo and have park reservations for MK. Super excited to just be in the parks, but especially excited to see the new fireworks too.

 

[HollyMD]

We have park reservations for 10/1, but our flight comes in that day and doesn’t land until 12:20, so will be a lot later getting to the parks. Hoping with a park reservation, we won’t have trouble. Also trying to convince my teacher husband to agree to miss another day of school and us fly in a day early!

 

[MelliJ926]

I'm heading to WDW on 9/21, to celebrate my 50th birthday on 9/26, staying until 10/2, to share my birthday with WDW! I've been at WDW for almost all the major celebrations: 10,15,20.25,30,35,40,45 and now the biggest one of all! I can't wait!! I have to dig out all my pins for the yearly celebrations. I believe I have an old fashioned button pin for the 10th.

 

[tofubeast]

I'm heading to WDW on 9/21, to celebrate my 50th birthday on 9/26, staying until 10/2, to share my birthday with WDW! I've been at WDW for almost all the major celebrations: 10,15,20.25,30,35,40,45 and now the biggest one of all! I can't wait!! I have to dig out all my pins for the yearly celebrations. I believe I have an old-fashioned button pin for the 10th.

You're the resident EXPERT here!! haha. How awesome you have been to them all, and what a great way to celebrate your big birthday, too. The only park anniversaries I have attended were the 20th and 25th of DHS (and honestly, that was just by chance!). I'd love to see your older pins/buttons for sure.

 

[tofubeast]

So MK had no park ressies opened for 7/4 and appears to have been considered "full" by Disney standards during reduced capacity if one couldn't get a ressie. From what I can see of some park videos, it didn't look insanely crowded by any means. I guess I hoped that 7/4 would be a peek at what we can expect on 10/1. i.e. if people were turned away from park hopping, etc. I didn't read that was the case, but maybe I missed it.

Disney announced the other day that 10/1 will be the first day that Disney resort guests can enter parks a half-hour (or maybe more) earlier. I find it odd they'd do that on 10/1...at least at MK. Maybe I am imagining insane (pre-pandemic time crowds) and really it won't be like that? Maybe I am crazy to even type that! haha.

 

[White Rose]

We are Doing a Split stay, staying at BWI CL from sept 26 to the 30th and 30th to Oct 3 for CR. We had booked WLCL when we booked back over a year ago, but their CL is not opening till Dec. we got our passes for Oct 1 as soon as they were listed.

Our plan is to have early morning breakfast at Cindys, and focus on day of special events and memorabilia. We might walk to and from the park, depending on what crowds we can see from the monorail When we get up. We have no plans on leaving the park till it closes.

do you think they will do a 24 hour day?

my first trip Disney... I was still cooking in the oven, if you get my drift. this totally explains my Disney enthusiasm.

 

[tofubeast]

Our plan is to have early morning breakfast at Cindys, and focus on day of special events and memorabilia. We might walk to and from the park, depending on what crowds we can see from the monorail When we get up. We have no plans on leaving the park till it closes.

do you think they will do a 24 hour day?

my first trip Disney... I was still cooking in the oven, if you get my drift. this totally explains my Disney enthusiasm.

It's funny, my good friend who I'm going with on this particular anniversary trip, was in utero on 10/1/71 when her mom was at MK on opening day. She is super excited to be there for this anniversary. She's thinking about making a shirt that states that fact somehow. (Any clever ideas?) So I guess she wasn't alone that day! hah

I have thought about the 24-hour day, too, given that they did that in recent years. I imagine they would have announced that by now if it were the case. Sure would be fun! I wonder if it would have happened if no Covid...

Speaking of old promotions, I wish they'd do what they did several years ago with bringing back old characters you don't see or see often anymore. Especially The Orange Bird!! Especially if they happened to have the original "costumes." That would be so much fun, even it is done in the way they are handling character "meets" right now. I'm hoping we get some fun surprises like this on 10/1!

 

[Livelovedance]

I bought this shirt awhile ago with intentions to wear it for the 50th anniversary. I can't believe it's almost here!

 

[KPeterso]

I ordered tank tops for the 50th for us. Hopefully this link works.

https://www.etsy.com/listing/103130...world-50th?ref=search_recently_viewed-1&pro=1

 

[kylenne]

So MK had no park ressies opened for 7/4 and appears to have been considered "full" by Disney standards during reduced capacity if one couldn't get a ressie. From what I can see of some park videos, it didn't look insanely crowded by any means. I guess I hoped that 7/4 would be a peek at what we can expect on 10/1. i.e. if people were turned away from park hopping, etc. I didn't read that was the case, but maybe I missed it.

Disney announced the other day that 10/1 will be the first day that Disney resort guests can enter parks a half-hour (or maybe more) earlier. I find it odd they'd do that on 10/1...at least at MK. Maybe I am imagining insane (pre-pandemic time crowds) and really it won't be like that? Maybe I am crazy to even type that! haha.

I just got back from spending the holiday weekend there and having actually spent the evening of 7/4 in MK frankly I would not use that at all as a gauge for anything wrt 10/1. Compared to pre covid July 4th it was hilariously empty. Park capacity is absolutely going to be higher come October and more resorts will be open—currently 2 of 3 monorail resorts have huge chunks of inventory out of commission, and both of them are 100% booked for the 50th. And that’s just considering monorail resorts, not other resorts or the hordes of people staying offsite because of no discounts and Disney resorts being booked solid.

Then there’s the fact that a holiday weekend with a returning fireworks show is a whole different beast from a brand new nighttime spectacular during a heavily promoted milestone anniversary celebration. My park reservation on Sunday was for AK and I hopped into MK (after a stop at Epcot, even!) with no problems. Meanwhile I would absolutely not be shocked if 10/1 ends up being the first time hopping is restricted because the park is at capacity. Literally everybody and their Aunt Susan is going to be trying to hop to MK because they couldn’t get a MK reservation for that day.

The only thing I would go by from this weekend is that getting home after fireworks/park close will be a trial akin to all 12 labors of Hercules at the same time for anybody not staying at a monorail resort. But even that might be helped in some small way if the Deluxe guests are going home an hour or two later because of the benefit which shall not be named.

 

[adamreisinger]

I booked my week at the Poly at the 11-month mark and now I'm just counting down the days until my MK reservation on Oct. 1. This will be my fifth time in the parks on an anniversary date (two Oct. 1s at WDW, two July 17s at DL), but the first time on a major milestone anniversary, so I'm very excited (though I'm anticipating leaving MK after the fireworks will be worse than trying to leave Epcot after NYE fireworks a few years ago).

 

[kylenne]

(though I'm anticipating leaving MK after the fireworks will be worse than trying to leave Epcot after NYE fireworks a few years ago).

You’re staying at the Poly lol you’ve got nothing to worry about on that front. You could walk now if you felt like it. That’s why we chose CR for that weekend and I was reminded of why when I saw the bus line for Coronado on Sunday night at park close. The only bad part for monorail resort guests will be just getting out of the park itself. If hours are extended like they were for this weekend, the park will still be open 2 hours or so following fireworks so leaving a bit before park close will be the move imo.

 

[Eeyore daily]

The only thing I would go by from this weekend is that getting home after fireworks/park close will be a trial akin to all 12 labors of Hercules at the same time for anybody not staying at a monorail resort. But even that might be helped in some small way if the Deluxe guests are going home an hour or two later because of the benefit which shall not be named.

That's been my biggest fear/worry which is why I haven't switched from Contemporary to Coronado. Kinda reaffirms that, thanks!

 

[kylenne]

That's been my biggest fear/worry which is why I haven't switched from Contemporary to Coronado. Kinda reaffirms that, thanks!

Don’t get me wrong, I LOVED my stay at GDT, would stay again in a heartbeat and but for getting home Sunday night the buses were fantastic. Even that was ultimately less onerous a wait than it looked like it would be at first. But I guess because I was literally just at a monorail resort a month ago, I couldn’t help thinking when I got on the bus that if I had been at the GF again like Memorial Day weekend I would have been back in my room already. I wasn’t upset or anything, but it did make me relieved to be at CR for 10/1. Because as ugly as that line looked on Sunday I can guarantee it’ll be even worse then, and it won’t just be CSR.

For those who aren’t staying within walking distance of MK I am begging y’all to have an exit strategy for that night. I really think that if the park is open until 11pm again and Disney Enchantment plays at 9:15, the sweet spot for leaving will probably be around 10pm. The crowd who leaves right after fireworks should have thinned substantially by then, but it’s when people who close down the park are still on rides etc.

 

[Distriv]

I'm doing my first DVC stay at the Polynesian for the 50th and got my MK park reservation as soon as I could. I'm really curious how park re-entry may/may not work for that day. Since I have a reservation do we think you can re-enter later in the day or once park hopping opens are all bets off? I'd like to think you'd always be allowed back in if you booked that park specifically and aren't hopping.