Disney World wait times for rides reach 5 hours on New Year's Eve

[Rumors Rocks]

Disney World wait times for rides reach 5 hours on New Year's Eve as some guests are turned away

Some five-minute long rides saw guests spending up to five hours waiting to get on. Eventually perspective Magic Kingdom guests had to be turned away if not being an annual-pass holder or Disney hotel guest.

http://www.nydailynews.com/news/nat...imes-hit-5-hrs-new-year-eve-article-1.1562901

Wait times for some Disney World rides in Orlando hit up to five hours on New Year's Eve.

There's bound to be a few more Mad Hatters before this night is through.

Throngs of Disney goers in Orlando, Fla. are spending their New Year's Eve in lines with wait times up to five hours while others aren't even getting in.

The line for Epcot's bag check, taken by a future guest, is seen from outside the Disney amusement park on Thursday.

Perspective Magic Kingdom guests have been turned away in what's being reported as a "Phase 3 closure" due to the already packed amounts of people inside.

Park goers are seen pressed together as they make their way around the Epcot Park on Tuesday.

The Phase 3 Closure is described as the highest level of closure before closing down the entire park. Only annual-pass holders and hotel guests were being allowed inside.

One shocking photo taken from outside the Epcot Park around noon — a Disney park still accepting guests as of around 6 p.m. — showed crowds covering the walkways in what's described as just the entrance's bag-check line.

The long, long wait to get inside the Magic Kingdom is similarly seen.

Those possibly feeling fortunate to get in, however, were met with even more lines.

Read more: http://www.nydailynews.com/news/nat...-new-year-eve-article-1.1562901#ixzz2pA2LMJT6

 

[eadavis]

Why anyone would want to go to the parks on New. Years Eve, or any major holiday for that matter, is beyond my comprehension. My New Year's Eve was spent in sweatpants by a comfy fireplace with close friends and family, wouldn't trade that for anything.

 

[Yellowstonetim]

Disney World wait times for rides reach 5 hours on New Year's Eve as some guests are turned away

Some five-minute long rides saw guests spending up to five hours waiting to get on. Eventually perspective Magic Kingdom guests had to be turned away if not being an annual-pass holder or Disney hotel guest.

http://www.nydailynews.com/news/nat...imes-hit-5-hrs-new-year-eve-article-1.1562901

I have serious doubts that the article is correct. What rides are 5 minutes and now 5 hours? News outlets get these kind of facts wrong as a matter of routine. 5 hours? Can this be confirmed as factual in any way? Who would see a line is 4 1/2 hours long and get in it to make it longer? Stand in a line for 5 hours!? 300 minutes?

 

[Marvindude]

The times of 4 and 5 hours came from the WDW app. I had a friend that was there and he talked to some other guest that said since there were so many people in the park and that they if they that to wait 6 or7 hours for the fireworks show they may as well do it in an attraction line.

 

[Alesia]

I have serious doubts that the article is correct. What rides are 5 minutes and now 5 hours? News outlets get these kind of facts wrong as a matter of routine. 5 hours? Can this be confirmed as factual in any way? Who would see a line is 4 1/2 hours long and get in it to make it longer? Stand in a line for 5 hours!? 300 minutes?

It happens every single year. We saw the line for Test Track or Soarin' (I forget which one) hit 280 minutes during spring break in 2009. It wasn't even Easter week, but a few weeks before.

Why do people wait that long? I couldn't tell you. I won't wait for more than 20 or 30 minutes for anything. I guess some people are more patient than I am.

 

[Yellowstonetim]

It happens every single year. We saw the line for Test Track or Soarin' (I forget which one) hit 280 minutes during spring break in 2009. It wasn't even Easter week, but a few weeks before.

Why do people wait that long? I couldn't tell you. I won't wait for more than 20 or 30 minutes for anything. I guess some people are more patient than I am.

Wow, its hard to believe without seeing it with your own eyes, but I believe you. To wait 4 to 5 hours for a ride of just a few minutes. Me neither. 20 30 minutes tops. I didn't ride Toy Story Midway Mania in several visits until FP+.

Amazing.

 

[black562]

I have serious doubts that the article is correct. What rides are 5 minutes and now 5 hours? News outlets get these kind of facts wrong as a matter of routine. 5 hours? Can this be confirmed as factual in any way? Who would see a line is 4 1/2 hours long and get in it to make it longer? Stand in a line for 5 hours!? 300 minutes?

I know there were pics shown on various places of wait times over 240 minutes, which is nuts.

 

[Marvindude]

We'll the main thing is that there are a lot of people both on and of property that have never been to WDW that have no clue about FP system and that is one of the big factors in the crowds and how they flow or don't flow.

 

[regul8ter18]

Wow, its hard to believe without seeing it with your own eyes, but I believe you. To wait 4 to 5 hours for a ride of just a few minutes. Me neither. 20 30 minutes tops. I didn't ride Toy Story Midway Mania in several visits until FP+. Amazing.

We have been to WDW 3 times since 2010 and have yet to get onto Toy Story Midway Mania. We won't wait longer than an hour for any ride.

 

[Alesia]

We'll the main thing is that there are a lot of people both on and of property that have never been to WDW that have no clue about FP system and that is one of the big factors in the crowds and how they flow or don't flow.

I'm not sure that factors in to it. Wait times don't reach that high until well after the fastpasses are gone for the day (which can be as early as 10:00 am for major headliners.) I think it has more to do with: 1) the sheer number of people in the parks during Christmas week, 2) The huge number of people who refuse to wake up early on vacation, and 3) The large percentage of people who don't follow a touring plan and just go with the flow.

 

[Alesia]

We have been to WDW 3 times since 2010 and have yet to get onto Toy Story Midway Mania. We won't wait longer than an hour for any ride.

Just get there at rope drop. you could ride it at least 3 times in the first hour that the park is open.

 

[OnSpaceshipEarth]

It's strange because by all accounts Thanksgiving Week was pretty empty. Take a look at all of the Thanksgiving threads on this site and you'll see nothing even REMOTELY resembling *this*.

We were there in mid July(another supposed "peak time") and never ran into anything that could be considered super-crowded. In fact, outside of the MK, every park was EMPTY...especially EPCOT.

Oh...btw...we were there for a week July 14-21.

 

[Q-man]

I have serious doubts that the article is correct. What rides are 5 minutes and now 5 hours? News outlets get these kind of facts wrong as a matter of routine.

5 minute long ride isn't the same as a 5 minute wait to ride a ride.

 

[KYMickey]

2) The huge number of people who refuse to wake up early on vacation, and 3) The large percentage of people who don't follow a touring plan and just go with the flow.

Oh, you mean the people who really want to go on vacation instead of having do have a minimum in it battle plan? Having to plan out your every move for every minute of the day certainly takes away the enjoyment of a vacation!

 

[gilby]

Subscribing

 

[Marvindude]

We go on vacation twice a year to Hawaii in July and WDW at Christmas, my wife knows that when it comes to WDW that it is always boot camp style. I make her get up early to get to the magic hour park for that day. She can rest when we get back home, because of the amount of people in the parks now we don't have a choice if we want to enjoy the rides. She is always upset that I make her wake up so early until it's the middle of the day and we have already done the major attractions.

 

[OnSpaceshipEarth]

We go on vacation twice a year to Hawaii in July and WDW at Christmas, my wife knows that when it comes to WDW that it is always boot camp style. I make her get up early to get to the magic hour park for that day. She can rest when we get back home, because of the amount of people in the parks now we don't have a choice if we want to enjoy the rides. She is always upset that I make her wake up so early until it's the middle of the day and we have already done the major attractions.

My experience is that there are always less people in the Parks than there was 15-20 years ago.

 

[Yellowstonetim]

5 minute long ride isn't the same as a 5 minute wait to ride a ride.

Duh, read it wrong. Thought it said 5 minute wait. Yes, amazing to me that someone would wait 5 hours for 5 minutes of ride. Not me. Ever.

 

[Donut23]

We go on vacation twice a year to Hawaii in July and WDW at Christmas, my wife knows that when it comes to WDW that it is always boot camp style. I make her get up early to get to the magic hour park for that day. She can rest when we get back home, because of the amount of people in the parks now we don't have a choice if we want to enjoy the rides. She is always upset that I make her wake up so early until it's the middle of the day and we have already done the major attractions.

Whew!

Very happy I do NOT visit WDW with you. I have outgrown boot camp, crowds and lines!

 

[Alesia]

Oh, you mean the people who really want to go on vacation instead of having do have a minimum in it battle plan? Having to plan out your every move for every minute of the day certainly takes away the enjoyment of a vacation!

For some people, sure. Different people want different things out of their vacations. But the fact is that if you're going to sleep until 11:00 am, the trade off is going to be much longer lines for you than for someone who woke up at 7:00. Personally, I hate the idea of wasting time sleeping in WDW when I could have stayed home and slept in every day for free. It just feels like a waste of time and money to me.