Does BWPPI have Balconies & Capacity Crowd Days Question

[RobertaMomof2]

Hi everyone! I have two quick questions please.

1. We are going on the super crowded week after Christmas (yes, we are insane but the kids are out of school and I am off work so it needs to be this week). We have only gone in the past during the summer. My question is this. If I get park-hopper tickets and we decide to park hop on a day that is at capacity, would we not get into DCA? I mean if we leave the gates at DL to hop and DCA is full to capacity (or the opposite) are we just out of luck? How would that work? We plan to be there at opening FYI.

One more question. We have reservations for a mini-suite at BWPPI for that week and I am wondering if there are rooms with balconies there? It appears from the photos of the hotel there are some balconies above the office maybe... Just wondering if anyone knows.

I really enjoy snooping around here and hope to (now that I got my login and password figured out) contribute more in the future. Thanks so much to you all for your help.

 

[CastMember 02]

If DL or DCA is SOLD out "respectively" you will not be able to re-enter either park. This has only happened once in my 12 year tenure with TWDC. DL is usually the park that reaches capacity. It is done in stages. CM's are visible and ready to answer questions regarding capacity issues. There is usually a line to "standby" its sorda like a 1 in 1 out process. DCA is usually less crowded hence the chances of selling out are less. (also for those reading that are staying "on-property" you are NOT guaranteed admission because you are staying with Disney, Not even annual passholders, read your passes folks Have a magical stay !

 

[DDhunter]

Hi everyone! I have two quick questions please.

1. We are going on the super crowded week after Christmas (yes, we are insane but the kids are out of school and I am off work so it needs to be this week). We have only gone in the past during the summer. My question is this. If I get park-hopper tickets and we decide to park hop on a day that is at capacity, would we not get into DCA? I mean if we leave the gates at DL to hop and DCA is full to capacity (or the opposite) are we just out of luck? How would that work? We plan to be there at opening FYI.

One more question. We have reservations for a mini-suite at BWPPI for that week and I am wondering if there are rooms with balconies there? It appears from the photos of the hotel there are some balconies above the office maybe... Just wondering if anyone knows.

I really enjoy snooping around here and hope to (now that I got my login and password figured out) contribute more in the future. Thanks so much to you all for your help.

If you go to the park early you should have no issues. When you leave one park to park hop, you simply get a hand stamp. Those with hand stamps are allowed to re-enter.

 

[SMD]

If you go to the park early you should have no issues. When you leave one park to park hop, you simply get a hand stamp. Those with hand stamps are allowed to re-enter.

They close the gates in stages. Stage 1 they will allow re-entry. But they do some times close the DL gate. I've seen the line fill the esplanade while they let people in one at a time as others leave. I've never even turned away from DL due to a closure, but I have been handed a slip of paper in the parking lot stating the gates were closed. I believe that guests with tickets get shut out before APs.

 

[RobertaMomof2]

Thanks everyone. Seems like maybe before we leave to park hop our best bet is to ask a CM if the DCA park is at capacity or not, and go from there.

Any ideas on BWPPI? Thank you!

 

[Malcon10t]

If you go to the park early you should have no issues. When you leave one park to park hop, you simply get a hand stamp. Those with hand stamps are allowed to re-enter.

Not true. If the gate "hard closes" (Level 5), pretty much no one gets in (exception is VIP tours.) Fire marshal sets the rules. This happens frequently during the timeframe the poster is asking about.

DCA has only hard closed once. I wouldn't expect it to be an issue. But DL does it frequently. With the exception of NYE, if you return after the first parade lets out, you should get back in. Turnstile closures don't last the rest of the day, simply til enough people exit to warrant reopening.

 

[figment_jii]

We have reservations for a mini-suite at BWPPI for that week and I am wondering if there are rooms with balconies there? It appears from the photos of the hotel there are some balconies above the office maybe... Just wondering if anyone knows.

Sorry, but no, the BWPPI does not have any balconies. What you're seeing over the lobby area are actually accent walls.

 

[RobertaMomof2]

Sorry, but no, the BWPPI does not have any balconies. What you're seeing over the lobby area are actually accent walls.

Ahhh ok, thank you so much! That makes sense.


Thank you on the "Hard Close" note. That makes sense. Will for sure ask about that kinda thing before we park hop if we do plan to come back into DL.

Thanks for everyone's help on this.

 

[DDhunter]

Not true. If the gate "hard closes" (Level 5), pretty much no one gets in (exception is VIP tours.) Fire marshal sets the rules. This happens frequently during the timeframe the poster is asking about.

DCA has only hard closed once. I wouldn't expect it to be an issue. But DL does it frequently. With the exception of NYE, if you return after the first parade lets out, you should get back in. Turnstile closures don't last the rest of the day, simply til enough people exit to warrant reopening.

Hmmmm, interesting I have been there twice when the park reached capacity and was let in because I had a hand stamp from earlier in the day.

 

[figment_jii]

Hmmmm, interesting I have been there twice when the park reached capacity and was let in because I had a hand stamp from earlier in the day.

As SMD and Malcon10t said, the parks have closure stages (i.e., levels). When you were there, the park probably hadn't reached the Fire Marshall closure level (Stage 5), but it had probably reached one of the earlier levels where some guests were not being allowed entry.

I know this is for WDW, but it'll give you a sense of how the closures work. While DLR will have different definitions of the levels (I couldn't find a summary of them), this list of the four levels at WDW can be helpful to get a sense of how the phased closure system works.
http://touringplans.com/walt-disney-world/capacity-closures