Blizzard Beach was full today (4/6/25) - hotel guests turned away

[hardcorestitch]

This issue should be alleviated (a tiny bit) once both water parks open in late May.

 

[traveler9]

Could an AP holder park at AK and take a bus to BB if this happens?

 

[elvispursley]

Could an AP holder park at AK and take a bus to BB if this happens?

I don’t see why not—many APs stay onsite and drive to parks.

 

[scrappinginontario]

Could an AP holder park at AK and take a bus to BB if this happens?

Yes, I’m sure they could. The water park was accepting bus guests, it was only the parking lot that was full.

 

[Willows909]

Please note guests on Disney buses were never turned away. Cars were turned away.

Arriving by bus was still gaining entrance. I don’t know that renting a cabana would make a difference when driving. If there’s nowhere to park, there’s nowhere to park.

Taking Disney transportation seems to be a better way to gain entrance on a busy day.

So would that Disney transportation include the Minnie van transport...I would think yes?

 

[Dave006]

So would that Disney transportation include the Minnie van transport...I would think yes?

Correct and even other regular ride shares Uber / Lyft since it drop off service, and not parking.

Dave

 

[Willows909]

Thanks!

 

[FireflyTrance]

Thank you for confirming this!

If a parking lot is full, a parking lot is full. They cannot create more spaces and all it does is cause challenges, confusion and frustration when people are driving around but there are no available spaces.

Thank you @Disturbia for confirming that the park itself was still allowing new guests to enter.

A clearer title to this thread would be to indicate the Blizzard Beach Parking Lot was Full.

They told us the park was full and no one, including hotel guests were being let in. My husband specifically asked if he could drop us off and we were told no. It was over 90 degrees that day and it was the weekend, so the situation on other days could be different. Maybe if we had taken the bus it would have been different, but if that’s the case then the cast member lied to us. My husband was fine dropping us off and not parking there.

Anyway, I wouldn’t assume taking the bus guarantees entry, especially if it’s a very hot day during a peak time. The park has a maximum capacity.

 

[Dave006]

Maybe if we had taken the bus it would have been different, but if that’s the case then the cast members lied to us. My husband was fine dropping us off and not parking there.

We will never know but it is likely that the CM thought your group was just trying to get into the parking lot. Guests try this all the time, and then just keep driving in circles looking for a parking space.

Dave

 

[VGCgroupie]

They told us the park was full and no one, including hotel guests were being let in. My husband specifically asked if he could drop us off and we were told no. It was over 90 degrees that day and it was the weekend, so the situation on other days could be different. Maybe if we had taken the bus it would have been different, but if that’s the case then the cast member lied to us. My husband was fine dropping us off and not parking there.

Anyway, I wouldn’t assume taking the bus guarantees entry, especially if it’s a very hot day during a peak time. The park has a maximum capacity.

Yes and various blogs put out posts the park was at capacity, not just parking

 

[elvispursley]

I can’t imagine that a bus would take all those people over to the park just unload to a closed-due-to-capacity park.

 

[Disturbia]

They did check at the entrance that we were resort guests, so I’m not sure other guests would be allowed in even if you took the bus. Maybe someone else can confirm.

 

[gottalovepluto]

I can’t imagine that a bus would take all those people over to the park just unload to a closed-due-to-capacity park.

It’s also possible to see buses running but all they were doing was taking people away from BB. Were people seen offloading from buses at BB while it claimed to cars to be closed to capacity?

If this happens to anyone else the next play is to drop the party off/park at AK instead & attempt to gain park entry by bus.

 

[scrappinginontario]

It’s also possible to see buses running but all they were doing was taking people away from BB. Were people seen offloading from buses at BB while it claimed to cars to be closed to capacity?

If this happens to anyone else the next play is to drop the party off/park at AK instead & attempt to gain park entry by bus.

Yes, we have a first hand account of guests in a resort bus entering when cars were being turned away.

@Disturbia shared their experience:

No they did not stop buses. Resort guests were still being allowed in. We saw the big ‘at Capacity’ sign while being driven in and it took a few extra mins because cars had to turn around. Cars were being turned around as there was no parking; we saw cars parked on grass and those were packed as well).

Also, for those new to the thread, while cars were turned away for a period of time when parking was full, they were encouraged to try later in the day if they wanted, when some guests would have left so it was not a complete closure for the remainder of the day.

 

[Disturbia]

Just to be clear, our experience was the day before 4/5 and it was around noon and the water park was at capacity (only buses with resort guests were allowed). Cars were not allowed to park. Minnie vans were allowed to drop off resort guests. We took a Minnie van from AK to BB.

I am not sure if more guests were allowed in much later than mid afternoon.

4/6 might have hit phased closures earlier.

 

[Disneylover99]

Just to be clear, our experience was the day before 4/5 and it was around noon and the water park was at capacity (only buses with resort guests were allowed). Cars were not allowed to park. Minnie vans were allowed to drop off resort guests. We took a Minnie van from AK to BB.

I am not sure if more guests were allowed in much later than mid afternoon.

4/6 might have hit phased closures earlier.

So wait. You went April 5th.
I heard the capacity closings were April 6th and 8th.

The OP went April 6th and she reported she was told she could not be dropped off because nobody was being admitted. That sounds like a true capacity closure.

We’ve been to the water parks multiple times over the years. We’ve often seen cars turned away. Parking can be an issue, because lots are not that big.

 

[Disturbia]

So wait. You went April 5th.
I heard the capacity closings were April 6th and 8th.

The OP went April 6th and she reported she was told she could not be dropped off because nobody was being admitted. That sounds like a true capacity closure.

We’ve been to the water parks multiple times over the years. We’ve often seen cars turned away. Parking can be an issue, because lots are not that big.

They hit capacity on 4/5 as well but were allowing resort guests (I believe an estimated percentage of guests who are checking in are included in this calculation). They were turning back all cars and at the park entrance they were checking guests for resort stays. I believe this would be like a first phase of closure so non resort guests are turned away.

The second day they probably hit the next phase (and earlier) where even resort guests aren’t allowed in.

Sorry for the confusion. I had posted on the resort/April thread regarding my stay post cruise and was directed to this post for comment.

 

[AnnaKristoff2013]

Has anyone confirmed if ‘at capacity’ meant they stopped buses too? I have not heard or read that anywhere.

I understand parking was full but I’m not convinced that they were not transporting guests from resorts via bus to the water park. I would think if that was happening it would have been mentioned somewhere.

If that happened, can someone please post a link to that information?

Is there still even direct transportation from the resorts to Blizzard Beach by bus anymore? I thought it was just one or two resorts that have that now.

 

[holden]

Please note guests on Disney buses were never turned away. Cars were turned away.

Arriving by bus was still gaining entrance. I don’t know that renting a cabana would make a difference when driving. If there’s nowhere to park, there’s nowhere to park.

Taking Disney transportation seems to be a better way to gain entrance on a busy day.

Thanks for that clarification. I must not have read all of the comments. Good to know that those arriving by bus were still allowed in!

 

[kylenne]

Is there still even direct transportation from the resorts to Blizzard Beach by bus anymore? I thought it was just one or two resorts that have that now.

Coronado and the All Stars have direct buses to BB. Everyone else has to take a bus to AK and transfer there. Not sure about AKL.