Merry Christmas One and All! The Murphy's are LIVE from the GF and BC 12/18-12/26UPDATED WITH NYE

[Wis2InTink]

Thank you for sharing your trips with us! I have been following them for years. I consider it a special gift from you to thousands of Disney fans. Disney cast members sprinkle pixie dust. You are their best free advertising!

 

[BlvInMagic]

Have you encountered any of the parks being closed due to max guest occupancy?

 

[TigrLvsPooh]

Good morning!!!!! At 4:00 PM! LOL

I had an INSANE night at MK last night! Totally crazy!

I drove there around 5:00 PM. Parked easily in the MK lot, took the tram, then the monorail. Piece of cake. However, as soon as I arrived I found the hub to be packed with people literally camped out on blankets, most of them ASLEEP and they'd obviously been there all day. I saw entire families piled up sound asleep on the ground. It was crazy!

I decided to explore the park, I knew I wanted one of the free hats they were handing out, so I figured I'd come back to the hub later and fight my way back in. Plus I had fastpasses too. So I rode BTMRR and Peter Pan too.

Dole whip!

They were having a dance party in Frontierland:

Here's a video: http://vid59.photobucket.com/albums/g293/ekmurphy12/Disney December 2015/82FAD9BA-F6B8-4A09-9A4A-EC7F6CB64C5B_zpsvsify3ux.mp4

Video: http://vid59.photobucket.com/albums/g293/ekmurphy12/Disney December 2015/444CEDCD-9B4C-41E7-A60C-3E67CC5455F3_zpsv8d26hmn.mp4

Another video: http://vid59.photobucket.com/albums/g293/ekmurphy12/Disney December 2015/1C45E3EC-8D2D-4BF7-8A98-CB7984A286F1_zpsvfg9rlu6.mp4

Tried to grab a pic from top of BTMRR:

Long story short, it took me TWO HOURS to find a hat! I literally asked every single castmember I saw and finally when I gave up I went to Columbia Harbor house to get something to eat my luck changed! Working as a cashier was a tall boy named "Nicholas" and I told him that was my son's name too. We got to talking and I was saying how I thought my Nic would love to come work for Disney, etc, etc, and somehow the conversation turned to my hat search. He said to hold on a minute, and he left and came back with a manager who had a hat for me!!!!!!!!!!!!! I almost cried I was so happy!!! If you don't believe in the magic of Disney and how incredibly special this place is then let me tell you that there is no other place in the world a kid working at a cash register would care enough about a lonely old lady searching for some dumb plastic hat!

My hat!!!!!!!!!!!!

So after I ate my food it was about 10:00 PM. I knew I had to get back to the hub area and try to fight my way into some sort of viewing spot. Somehow!

I was able to find a group of people with two ECVs who were ramming into the crowd like a battering ram so I just fell in behind them and tagged along. I ended up pretty darn close to the center of the hub after we inched our way in for about 45 minutes.

Video: http://vid59.photobucket.com/albums/g293/ekmurphy12/Disney December 2015/6C7B2ED8-45BD-46F2-A030-DBBB4F7B0A44_zpsg9g8kgz2.mp4

Another video: http://vid59.photobucket.com/albums/g293/ekmurphy12/Disney December 2015/A5F9F40D-B67D-4995-9B6B-5ABEDCBED121_zpsgzwbygjx.mp4

So now here I stand with over an hour to go! I witnessed a lot of crazy things let me tell you. I saw a pretty bad fight in front of me between two men who were pushing and shoving, then I saw two different medical emergencies where they had to carry people out. Plus I saw 3 or 4 different families literally carry their strollers over the top of the crowd trying to exit. Like some sort of infant crowd surfing!

It was crazy.... CRAZY!!!!!!!!!

When the fireworks finally started it was all worth it.

Video: http://vid59.photobucket.com/albums/g293/ekmurphy12/Disney December 2015/39C6AA74-3D93-41A9-806F-3A770C0BAE45_zpsbfhyub4e.mp4

Video: http://vid59.photobucket.com/albums/g293/ekmurphy12/Disney December 2015/DBA3DF17-31C7-49D5-AA8A-076D46C2A726_zpsevhvvk70.mp4

Finale video: http://vid59.photobucket.com/albums/g293/ekmurphy12/Disney December 2015/DD4C4B55-73E3-45FD-B71A-5739333A50EB_zpskhy3qgxk.mp4


I had a great view!

I survived!!!!!!!!!!!


Once they ended I immediately wormed my way to Haunted Mansion for my 3rd fastpass. There was no way I was going to try and make the exit. After the ride the park was really thinning out a lot so I went back to the hub to take some pics and hear the music. Then got some ice cream and did a bit of shopping. I waited until about 1:30 AM before walking to the exit and found this:

Video: http://s59.photobucket.com/user/ekmurphy12/media/Disney December 2015/98B455F0-B6B3-4F61-B0C7-711E45F8749C_zpsnendfwai.mp4.html

So I had to use my Disney skills and took the boat to the Poly. I'm not supposed to do that I know, but Disney smarts has to be a benefit sometimes right??? At this point it was bedlam and every man for himself.

By the time I reached the TTC and lined up for the tram it was 2:30 AM. So that was one hour of travel time just to cross the lagoon.

I lined up for Villains tram and finally made it to my car around 3:00 AM. Thankfully the parking lot was nearly empty by this point so I had no issue getting out. But the police had all the interior roads around WDW property closed and forced everyone out the main entrance and to the highway. So I had to completely leave Disney property and circle back in to get to the Wyndham. By the time I found a parking place here and got to my room it was close to 4:00 AM.

BUT I DID IT!!!!!!!!!!

But this is why I only stay in Disney hotels!!!!!!!

 

[TigrLvsPooh]

Have you encountered any of the parks being closed due to max guest occupancy?

I heard rumor there was a phase A (first level closure) on Christmas Day for a little bit. But nothing closed yesterday for NYE. I overheard a CM say MK was only at 75% last night.

 

[TigrLvsPooh]

Thank you for sharing your trips with us! I have been following them for years. I consider it a special gift from you to thousands of Disney fans. Disney cast members sprinkle pixie dust. You are their best free advertising!

Thank you!!!!! I enjoy doing these live reports, I'm glad someone can find them useful.

 

[Dentam]

They should sell t-shirts that say "I survived NYE at the Magic Kingdom!"

 

[Wood Nymph]

Dole whip!

It looks a little melted. Was it a hot night?

he left and came back with a manager who had a hat for me!!!!!!!!!!!!!

That is definitely a pixie dust moment.

I was able to find a group of people with two ECVs who were ramming into the crowd like a battering ram so I just fell in behind them and tagged along. I ended up pretty darn close to the center of the hub after we inched our way in for about 45 minutes.

Wheelcars and ECV's can be nice to stand behind, too. Was there a fast pass reserved area for the fireworks?

But this is why I only stay in Disney hotels!!!!!!!

Three and a half hours to get back to your room is rather crazy. It sounds like a wonderful experience though.

 

[TigrLvsPooh]

It looks a little melted. Was it a hot night?
That is definitely a pixie dust moment.

Wheelcars and ECV's can be nice to stand behind, too. Was there a fast pass reserved area for the fireworks?

Three and a half hours to get back to your room is rather crazy. It sounds like a wonderful experience though.

Very hot!!! It felt like the middle of summer.
If there was a special area roped off I don't know how anyone could have reached it. It was a wall of humans from the top of Main Street all the way to the castle. I only made it down there because I came out of Columbia harbor house and followed the side of the walls around the hall of presidents then cut through the Christmas shop and behind Tiana's gazebo.

 

[disny_luvr]

The crowds are insane! Aren't you glad you decided to brave them to experience NYE in the MK?!?! I'm sure it was an awesome experience!

 

[TigrLvsPooh]

The crowds are insane! Aren't you glad you decided to brave them to experience NYE in the MK?!?! I'm sure it was an awesome experience!

I'm glad for sure! But I didn't wake up today until 2:00 pm and I'm still in my pajamas!
I was supposed to go to the studios tonight but I've got zero motivation at this point. We walked down to the pizzeria here at our hotel and ate it in the room. Just a nice lazy day.

 

[BlvInMagic]

I heard rumor there was a phase A (first level closure) on Christmas Day for a little bit. But nothing closed yesterday for NYE. I overheard a CM say MK was only at 75% last night.

WOW!!! Just read your NYE update post... INSANITY! Kudos to you on your ninja-like movements through the sea of peeps. 'Infant Surfing' ... HOLY HANNA, but I guess it was one of those "any port in the storm" sort of thing for the parents

 

[disny_luvr]

I'm glad for sure! But I didn't wake up today until 2:00 pm and I'm still in my pajamas!
I was supposed to go to the studios tonight but I've got zero motivation at this point. We walked down to the pizzeria here at our hotel and ate it in the room. Just a nice lazy day.

You can be lazy - you're on vacation. Heck, I was sluggish and lazy today (after going to bed at 1:30am) and I'm not on vacation.

 

[rteetz]

I heard rumor there was a phase A (first level closure) on Christmas Day for a little bit. But nothing closed yesterday for NYE. I overheard a CM say MK was only at 75% last night.

According to news reports MK did hit Phase B yesterday http://www.wdwmagic.com/attractions...s-to-some-guests-due-to-reaching-capacity.htm

I also did hear many say tho that it wasn't as crowded as previous years.

 

[TigrLvsPooh]

WOW!!! Just read your NYE update post... INSANITY! Kudos to you on your ninja-like movements through the sea of peeps. 'Infant Surfing' ... HOLY HANNA, but I guess it was one of those "any port in the storm" sort of thing for the parents

At one point a huge bright red double stroller was coming towards me at eye level, and I'm tall (5'10") so I just grabbed the front wheels and lifted it as far over my head as I could. Crazy!

 

[TigrLvsPooh]

According to news reports MK did hit Phase B yesterday http://www.wdwmagic.com/attractions...s-to-some-guests-due-to-reaching-capacity.htm

I also did hear many say tho that it wasn't as crowded as previous years.

As I walked through other parts of the park, it was pretty dead. It definitely felt more crowded overall when we were there 12/24. They probably have to do those brief shutdowns just to let the crowds move deeper into the park. They were letting single day ticket people in when I arrived at 7:00 pm.

 

[TigrLvsPooh]

I need to find a post office close by to mail home a box of stuff. I keep buying too much! The only one I've been to before was in celebration.

 

[Amy&Dan]

Oh Erica, your NYE hat story brought back memories of 10 years ago when my family of four was at WDW for New Years Eve. We were at Epcot and asked many cm's for hats to no avail. My daughter was 9 and my son 11 and they were so bummed! At 1:00 a.m. as we left my son spied two hats sitting on top of a trash can and he and my dd put them on and wore them as we exited. We still have them!

Love your report and pictures as always. Enjoy Pop, its about my favorite resort, can't wait to see your photos! Enjoy your mom time!

 

[TigrLvsPooh]

Oh Erica, your NYE hat story brought back memories of 10 years ago when my family of four was at WDW for New Years Eve. We were at Epcot and asked many cm's for hats to no avail. My daughter was 9 and my son 11 and they were so bummed! At 1:00 a.m. as we left my son spied two hats sitting on top of a trash can and he and my dd put them on and wore them as we exited. We still have them!

Love your report and pictures as always. Enjoy Pop, its about my favorite resort, can't wait to see your photos! Enjoy your mom time!

I was checking trash cans! I kept thinking someone would set one down because they realized they didn't have room in their suitcase for it.

I am anxious to leave the Wyndham for sure. Whoever built this place must have used tissue paper between the walls because we can hear every single sound coming above, below, and around us. Thankfully we travel with high velocity fans to drowned out the noises at night. It's a nice place, but I wouldn't stay here again. Even though it was dirt cheap for this huge villa I can tell now why it is so cheap. It was fine for our needs, but get me back to Disney!

 

[pas130]

Holy crazy crowds leaving, I was actually thinking about that...swarms of cars and people YIKES! You survived and recovered, and super sweet with the hat from Nicholas. I love CHH!!!

 

[toystoryduo]

I'm so sorry to hear about the issues at Bonnet Creek, Erika. We booked a trip there for May because the rate that we got was cheaper than POP with the spring discount. Was it just the noise that was the main issue? Or were there other issues as well?