Epcot Closing Due To Capacity

[CamColt]

Has anyone ever heard of Epcot closing to on site guests?

I was there once when MK started the closing stages, and heard the same day AK did the same, but I don't think I have ever heard of Epcot closing.

We are planning on changing hotels on Christmas day so my plan is to just send our luggage through Disney while we head out to Epcot, then take a midday break around 3:00 to check in and hopefully unpack if we have our luggage by then. But I also want to do the CP Processional that night, so I'm wondering if leaving the park would cause us a problem and maybe we should skip the break.

Also we would be reentering from IG if that matters.

 

[Robo]

Epcot is generally more crowded on New Year's Eve.

But, like any other time, NOBODY can predict exactly what a given universe of guests from around the globe will actually DO... who happened to choose a particular day to go to a particular park to do a particular thing.

You "probably" will have no problem, but what good is that kind of advice?

Best advice would be to size-up the situation on the day you are THERE, and make a decision at that time.

 

[cleo]

It is very unlikely Epcot will close due to capacity. I personally have never known it to happen.

 

[java]

Last July forth I think it started the closing proceedures around 4PM but then ended up opening it up again. And we have been to EPCOT many many new years and it has never closed to capacity in the years we were there.

 

[denecarter]

Epcot closed NYE about 3 years ago.

 

[LadyDulcinea1]

Not sure if this is relevent, but I'm pretty sure if you're staying on property you're guaranteed admission into the parks even if they're closed for capacity. Just thought I'd mention that

 

[chipscinderelly]

Epcot was at one of the "stages" of closing NYE 2005 while we were there - we were told by Cast Members at the gate.

 

[BrianD]

Man, if EPCOT closes due to capacity, I definitely DO NOT want to be in there! That's a lot of dang people.

 

[Robo]

Epcot closed NYE about 3 years ago.

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I just want to make it clear that the OP was asking about CHRISTMAS day.

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My response was that Epcot was generally more crowded on NEW YEARS.


(Meaning that on Christmas Day, Epcot was less likely to close than, say, MK.)

BUT my point is that nobody can PREDICT what will actually HAPPEN.

BTW, On-site WDW resort guests are always "guaranteed" entry to ONE of the parks... but that doesn't mean that it will necessarily be the park(s) of their own CHOICE, if that one happens to be "FULL".

(If MK is closed due to over-capacity, WDW resort guests may be sent to Epcot, or MGM, or DAK.)

 

[denecarter]

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I just want to make it clear that the OP was asking about CHRISTMAS day.

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My response was that Epcot was generally more crowded on NEW YEARS.


(Meaning that on Christmas Day, Epcot was less likely to close than, say, MK.)

BUT my point is that nobody can PREDICT what will actually HAPPEN.

BTW, On-site WDW resort guests are always "guaranteed" entry to ONE of the parks... but that doesn't mean that it will necessarily be the park(s) of their own CHOICE, if that one happens to be "FULL".

(If MK is closed due to over-capacity, WDW resort guests may be sent to Epcot, or MGM, or DAK.)

Sorry for the confusion... I know the question was really more about Christmas, but the OP did ask if anyone had heard of Epcot closing to on-site guests. Some of the posters couldn't think of a time it had; I was just giving an example of a time I had heard it had closed (we were in D-MGM that day and were told that Epcot had "closed"). I could also have been given the wrong info... just saying I had heard of it happening.

And I agree that MK would logically be more likely to close on Christmas than Epcot... at least based on our experiences. And I also agree that there is no 100% accurate way to predict exactly what the tens of thousands of people at WDW are going to do from one moment to the next. There are general crowd patterns and averages and norms... but sometimes, you just get a high concentration of non-norms.

Again, sorry for the confusion.

 

[TiggerXx]

Oh my gosh, when I first read this title I thought you meant Epcot was closing for good! Phwew! Good. It's not. But yeah, it would suck to be in there for crowds that big.

 

[TSR6]

Not sure if this is relevent, but I'm pretty sure if you're staying on property you're guaranteed admission into the parks even if they're closed for capacity. Just thought I'd mention that

Wrong.

If you are staying on property - you are guaranteed admission to A park. If MK closes down through all the capacity stages though, it is shut down to everyone - even resort guests. Resort guests are the last group of people turned away though.

If it came to this, you would know about it at your resort before you even got to the MK gates though. They are pretty good about communicating this throughout property.

 

[LadyDulcinea1]

Wrong.

If you are staying on property - you are guaranteed admission to A park. If MK closes down through all the capacity stages though, it is shut down to everyone - even resort guests. Resort guests are the last group of people turned away though.

If it came to this, you would know about it at your resort before you even got to the MK gates though. They are pretty good about communicating this throughout property.

Sorry for misspeaking.................

 

[TSR6]

Sorry for misspeaking.................

It's actually a huge misconception, and not surprising at all that you posted that - really. It's very common. I just try to make sure to stress "A" park anytime I mention that due to it being such a common mistake.

 

[byoung]

Not sure if this is relevent, but I'm pretty sure if you're staying on property you're guaranteed admission into the parks even if they're closed for capacity. Just thought I'd mention that

You are guaranteed admission to a park, If park is closed for capacity they will refer you to a park that's not closed for capacity.

 

[mousermerf]

Trends for this year...

MK is busy - typical.

AK is up lots - probably exceeding MGM, and some say as far as exceeding Epcot (but that isn't from reliable sources)

Epcot is up - it looks to have some large peak days

Epcot has seen capacity closures, typically NYE and some years for Easter. Peak influx occurs 9-10am on those days, so phasing is usually around 11am-ish. That can either go flat, or get worse until 1-2pm. Theme parks tend to be out of phases most days by 1pm, MK sometimes will go until 4 or 5pm though, and water parks which phase all summer are usually reopened by 2pm.

 

[CamColt]

Thanks for the info everyone.

I know being a resort guest it would have to be to the last stage of closing for us not to get back in, so that would be pretty bad, but I was just wondering if it was ever heard of. It sounds like what I was thinking...its pretty safe, but there is always that chance.