at Capacity?

[BigRed7399]

We are going Nov. 22-30 and staying at the Carribean Beach Resort with the Dining plan.... Okay, if the park goes to full capacity... do we automatically get in? Do I need to worry about this???

 

[Sleeping Becca]

I don't think that any of the parks will reach capacity on Thanksgiving.

Really the only time parks reach capacity is the week between Christmas and New Years and maybe MK on the 4th of July. Waterparks have been known to reach capacity with regularity during the busier summer seasons, particularly on Saturday.

Resort guests are guaranteed entry into a Theme Park. Not necessarily the park you want but a park. For example if MK is at capacity and they are no longer letting guests in, you will not be allowed in. You will have to go to another park that is not a capacity. Epcot is the most roomy and can handle very large crowds. I don't think I have ever heard of Epcot reaching capacity and no longer accepting entry.

 

[CR Resort Fan 4 Life]

Courtesy of Cheshire Figment here is the list on the 4 closing stages the parks would go threw.

Stage 1 - The parking lot entrance is closed. You can only access the park if you are using Disney Transportation.

Stage 2 - The ticket windows are all closed (and the automated Ticket Vending Machines are turned off). Unless you already have a ticket you cannot get in.

Stage 3 - Only people with Annual Passes or current Resort IDs will be allowed in.

Stage 4 - Nobody is allowed in.

Note - having restaurant reservations in a park, even with written proof, will not override a stage closing for you.

 

[asmit4]

I would 'worry' about it on Thanksgiving day...what I would do is arrive at your desired park before 10am and STAY at that park the entire day. Other than that- no park should hit a level where onsite guests won't be allowed in.

I'm not even sure that Thanksgiving reaches that type of capacity but it would be the only day this would happen if at all.

 

[MollyMoo]

Have been to WDW many, many times during "peak" season ... I shudder to think what a "park at capacity" would be like in terms of crowd levels. Anyone every experience this?

 

[RMulieri]

Have been to WDW many, many times during "peak" season ... I shudder to think what a "park at capacity" would be like in terms of crowd levels. Anyone every experience this?

Yes.Christmas 3 years ago.NEVER,NEVER again.While it was very festive it was so crowded it took almost an hour to move down main street, I was petrified of losing my 9 yr old niece in the throngs.

 

[CR Resort Fan 4 Life]

Have been to WDW many, many times during "peak" season ... I shudder to think what a "park at capacity" would be like in terms of crowd levels. Anyone every experience this?

The last 2 years on Christmas Day my family and I checked out of WDW and when we left after 11:00 AM cars were being turned away at the Magic Kingdom toll gates and the line up of cars trying to park was backed up to where you drive by the Swan & Dolphin.

 

[disnut8]

We've gone just about every Thanksgiving for the past eight years (I think we - husband - chose family once). We arrive at Disney World around noon on Thanksgiving Day (leave Georgia the night before and go halfway). We stay offsite and drive to the parks. We've never had any problem going to any park we wanted and never had to even think about the park being at capacity.

Don't worry about it. Christmas/New Year's week is a zoo but Thanksgiving is crowded but as far as I know, for the past seven of eight years, no park has closed. I don't even think any was close to closing.

Magic Kingdom would be the first to close so just plan Thanksgiving to be at Epcot or somewhere. You'll be fine.

 

[toostsmom]

Yes.Christmas 3 years ago.NEVER,NEVER again.While it was very festive it was so crowded it took almost an hour to move down main street, I was petrified of losing my 9 yr old niece in the throngs.

I was there at the same time 3 years ago and vowed NEVER EVER to go back at Christmas again. It was quite miserable, and we missed out on a lot of our favorites because the lines were just too long.

 

[Zippa D Doodah]

IIRC historically WDW is crowded over Thanksgiving, but not ridiculously so (as in Christmas-New Years). We were there Thanksgiving week 2004. We arrived the preceding Satrurday and left on Thanksgiving Day. MK was much more crowded than I like on that Wednesday, but everthing else was reasonable.

 

[WDSearcher]

Thanksgiving Day usually isn't an issue. The day AFTER Thanksgiving, however, is one of the most crowded dates on the park calendar. If any of the parks close at capacity, it will be on the day after Turkey Day, not on Turkey Day.

 

[sherreis]

Thanksgiving Day usually isn't an issue. The day AFTER Thanksgiving, however, is one of the most crowded dates on the park calendar. If any of the parks close at capacity, it will be on the day after Turkey Day, not on Turkey Day.

We were there Thanksgiving 2006 and we were in MK on that Friday. It wasn't that bad most of the day. The worst time of the day was Wishes that night.

 

[Parkhopper]

Have been to WDW many, many times during "peak" season ... I shudder to think what a "park at capacity" would be like in terms of crowd levels. Anyone every experience this?

Yes! New Year's Eve 1999/2000! The parks were at capacity really early (like between 9 and 10am). We went to EPCOT first thing and caught a monorail to Magic Kingdom. As the monorail was leaving Epcot, you could see that they were no longer allowing cars to enter.

At the Magic Kingdom, people were tired and CRANKY (me included!) There were people sleeping on every spot of grass that could be seen. Every bench had people either sitting or sleeping on it and several times I saw parents sleeping on a bench with their kids sleeping underneath it!!

Nobody dared to leave. By about 7:00pm people were all sitting around tired and grumpy. My DH and I walked on to Splash Mountain and had to purchase the photo at the end because here we were in the park which was filled to capacity and we were the only ones on Splash Mountain! There was nobody in the car in front of us and nobody in the 2 cars behind us.

It was unbelievable! After the fireworks at midnight, the park really cleared out fast! We went on the first Jungle Cruise of the millennium and stayed in the park until 2:00am. We were able to do 16 attractions between midnight and 2:00am because there was NOBODY there!

Suzi

 

[gourmetgirl]

YES! But from a different perspective. I was a CM at Uptown Jewelers on Main Street on July 4th 1989. The park was at capacity and I had a break. DBF (at the time) came to get me. We wanted to go out and see the fireworks. We went out to the street and literally couldn't even take a step toward the castle. Complete gridlock. We then went down through the tunnel system and popped out in Fantasyland to watch them. It was nuts.

Then....I went back to work and the computerized cash registers had completely shut down. Our lines were 30+ deep and we were trying to get the watches that people wanted to buy, calculate tax on paper with a pencil, take money and issue change by using long-hand math. No registers anywhere in the park were working so it was all like this. I will never forget that night as long as I live.

 

[kapoof]

we went this past easter, well a week before on palm sunday i have NEVER seen mk so packed! the line to peter pan was down across the hm! the line to splash mountain was unreal, it went on forever... i can't imagine how crowded it would be at capacity.

 

[disneyin2008]

I'm going this Thanksgiving and have been reading people's trip reports from last year. Mk was closed for a short time according to two different trip reports that I read. I don't know which category it was from Cheshire's list, but one of the posters was really mad because they had an ADR at LTT and missed it. That would make me very sad, so we're planning something else that day.

 

[sunnybrook]

Yes! New Year's Eve 1999/2000! The parks were at capacity really early (like between 9 and 10am). We went to EPCOT first thing and caught a monorail to Magic Kingdom. As the monorail was leaving Epcot, you could see that they were no longer allowing cars to enter.

At the Magic Kingdom, people were tired and CRANKY (me included!) There were people sleeping on every spot of grass that could be seen. Every bench had people either sitting or sleeping on it and several times I saw parents sleeping on a bench with their kids sleeping underneath it!!

Nobody dared to leave. By about 7:00pm people were all sitting around tired and grumpy. My DH and I walked on to Splash Mountain and had to purchase the photo at the end because here we were in the park which was filled to capacity and we were the only ones on Splash Mountain! There was nobody in the car in front of us and nobody in the 2 cars behind us.

It was unbelievable! After the fireworks at midnight, the park really cleared out fast! We went on the first Jungle Cruise of the millennium and stayed in the park until 2:00am. We were able to do 16 attractions between midnight and 2:00am because there was NOBODY there!

Suzi

Wow! What a crazy experience!

 

[maj42169]

I'm going this Thanksgiving and have been reading people's trip reports from last year. Mk was closed for a short time according to two different trip reports that I read. I don't know which category it was from Cheshire's list, but one of the posters was really mad because they had an ADR at LTT and missed it. That would make me very sad, so we're planning something else that day.

Yes, we were there last year at Thanksgiving and they were turning cars away at the gates. We left the park around 5 to go for dinner with Chef Mickey. We had no problem getting back into the park. The problem was earlier in the day.

 

[minnie61650]

Have been to WDW many, many times during "peak" season ... I shudder to think what a "park at capacity" would be like in terms of crowd levels. Anyone every experience this?

Yes, During Pesidents week in Feb. 1999 we were at the MK with DS (a senior) and DD in (a freshman). Our HS Marching Band was marching that day in the parade and they closed the gates around noon.

Good thing our Marching band was already in the park.
And yes, at capacity all we could see was wall to wall guests.
I kid you not!

 

[simzac]

Our 2 DS's marching band will be in the parade on Thanksgiving day at MK. DW and I plan to be at MK bright and early so if it fills up, we will already be in the park.