MK at capacity March 29

[tinkerbell of winter]

I hope April 16th -24th is a lot more mellow than the parks being at capacity. NE schools have break then I believe, I just hope the whole NE doesn't go to Disney then!!

 

[emeraldlover]

That's when my family is going because the kids are on school vacation. Considering the absolutely lousy winter we have had with snow, now the rain that is causing flooding, I wouldn't be surpised if more people abandoned NE for WDW and the

 

[rcraw45425]

Safetymom, hate to bug you again. Staying at the GF, arriving around 3PM. I need to apply remaining days on two PH's to AP's for DH and DD. WHich would be less of a zoo, TTC or Guest Relations At MK? We have a 6:40 PS at Ohana, would like to try to either hit MK or MGM that evening. I know MK is open to 12AM, think the crowd will thin out any or still be packed? MGM closes at 9, so it's probably out.

 

[pdchris]

Wow, I sure hope crowds will be thinned the last week in April. I've never been that time of year so I don't know what to expect.

My first visit, in 2000, was the last week of April. I went with my son who was 12 at the time. We loved it. Stayed at AS Movies. Anyway, temps were very nice and crowds weren't bad at all. Although when we were at Epcot (on a Sun), I overheard one of the attendants say to another that they had never seen such a small crowd. So, perhaps that was a bit unusual.
Last year, my daughter went with us. MK was pretty bad in the early PM. It was like having to take baby steps just to get thru the crowd at Toontown.
This year, we flying down on May 7 for 5 days. So, who knows. As the saying goes, 'you pays your money and takes a chance.'
Finally, crowds don't really bother me that much. My son and I used to drive down to Cedar Point (I live in NW MI) in OH. Waits times on busy days averaged around 45 min for the popular coaster rides.

 

[Emily and Jack's Dad]

We are planning to be at MK on Sunday, 3 April. We are not staying at a Disney Resort. Should we go early - which won't be easy with two toddlers, or later in the day?

 

[Luv2Roam]

Mid afternoon the park entrance was reopened for guests. I was surprised too it was closed due to capacity.

I thought local kids were back in school. Someone I work with, her kids were off last week and the Friday before that. But were back in school starting this week.

 

[OnTheRocks]

Phases For Park Closing
At certain busy times of the year the parks experience great numbers of visitors. These fall mostly on the holidays but can happen any day of the year. In order to ensure safety and a magical time for all once a certain number of guests have entered the park, certain attendance measures go into effect. They are as follows:

Alternate Parking
All Walt Disney World Resort Theme Parks remain open today. Due to limited available parking, Guests arriving at the Magic Kingdom are requested to use alternate parking at Epcot and use Resort transportation to return to the Magic Kingdom Main Entrance.
Phase One:
Day Guests with Magic Your Way Base tickets or one-day one-park tickets, Guests without theme park admission and Cast Members using Main Gate & Silver Passes will be turned around at the Auto Plaza. Guests meeting these criteria are told the Park has reached capacity.
Phase Two:
At this time, admission is limited to Resort Guests, Annual and Premium Passholders, Guests with Park Hopper® tickets, and Guests re-entering this Park today. Guests using WDW Resort Transportation and Guests in taxis will be admitted. Guests not meeting the above criteria are told the Park has reached capacity.
Phase Three:
The theme park is only open to Resort Guests and Annual and Premium Passholders. Shades of Green and Downtown Disney Resort Area Guests using their respective transportation will also be admitted. Guests not meeting the above criteria are told the Park has reached capacity.
Phase Four:
Closed to all Guests and Guests are told the Park has reached capacity.

 

[crazyj4488]

This past Sunday thru today is inline with every other year. Look at the following webpage as it is your very best reference as to what to expect while you are there:

http://www.touringplans.com/BestDays.htm

The crowds during these past few days rank up there at 6-8 out of 10 which is pretty nasty.

The last week of April looks good as this is when the crowds finally thin out from the 4 rank to the 3's. I think it will be very manageable. I've got reservations at the resort April 24th (only crowded day) - April 30th. In 2001 I was there the last week of Februaury and was hit with crowd levels of 5. While very manageable at this level, they were somewhat annoying at times.

In 1993 I was there in early May and experienced the least crowded times I had seen since vacationing at the resort. Those days rank in the 3's so I am hoping for the same decent experience this time around.

Rule of thumb....avoid any park with the extra magic hour as almost all on-site resort guests will show up on that day. Those people alone could reach upwards of 25,000 people as there are just over 25,000 rooms at Disney hotels.

-J

 

[nygrl]

Wow, I sure hope crowds will be thinned the last week in April. I've never been that time of year so I don't know what to expect.

ny schools have off the last week of april this year

 

[marriedmarylander]

Alternate Parking
All Walt Disney World Resort Theme Parks remain open today. Due to limited available parking, Guests arriving at the Magic Kingdom are requested to use alternate parking at Epcot and use Resort transportation to return to the Magic Kingdom Main Entrance.
Phase One:
Day Guests with Magic Your Way Base tickets or one-day one-park tickets, Guests without theme park admission and Cast Members using Main Gate & Silver Passes will be turned around at the Auto Plaza. Guests meeting these criteria are told the Park has reached capacity.
Phase Two:
At this time, admission is limited to Resort Guests, Annual and Premium Passholders, Guests with Park Hopper® tickets, and Guests re-entering this Park today. Guests using WDW Resort Transportation and Guests in taxis will be admitted. Guests not meeting the above criteria are told the Park has reached capacity.
Phase Three:
The theme park is only open to Resort Guests and Annual and Premium Passholders. Shades of Green and Downtown Disney Resort Area Guests using their respective transportation will also be admitted. Guests not meeting the above criteria are told the Park has reached capacity.
Phase Four:
Closed to all Guests and Guests are told the Park has reached capacity.

I'm a resort guest with Magic Your Way Base (plus option) tickets. So does that mean Phase 1 I'll be turned away but Phase 2 since I'm a resort guest I can come in?

weird...

 

[rcraw45425]

Resort guests are higher up the food chain than offsite guests. No offense meant. It's just that they'll let you in as a resort guest even after it's closed to day guests. I'd just try to use the WDW transportaion rather than trying to drive myself, although, as a resort guest yo uknow you will receive a parking pass that allows you free parking at the Disney parks, right?

 

[efinn88858]

Wow, I sure hope crowds will be thinned the last week in April. I've never been that time of year so I don't know what to expect.

I normally go the 3rd week of April. It's always crowded, but I've never seen it at capacity. This year, I'm going the last week of April also, and hope it's thin crowds also.

 

[crazyj4488]

I think really light crowds are a thing of the past at WDW. I was shocked at the crowd levels in Feb of 2001 and it kind of annoyed me but I learned to deal with it as I always have at WDW. I think the last week of April will fair well enough versus March with all the spring breaks and Easter though. There is a minority of schools going on break because most schools are getting ready to wrap up the year versus taking breaks.

Keep in mind that the Magic Kingdom grad nights are going to be held on Friday the 29th and Saturday the 30th. This is why you see the odd closing hour of 7PM on a Friday during this week. I would try to avoid the MK, especially during the peak hours of the afternoon, during these days.

Also keep in mind that every single room at every level at the on-site hotels are already booked during this week (just go thru the website and try to book a room - NOTHING). This means that there will be 25,000 on-site peeps roaming the world during this time. Given this, do your best to AVOID the park that has the extra magic hours on that particular day. You know...when people walk to the right...do the opposite....go left : )

Stick to the list from the touringplans website I posted earlier and you will be able to deal well enough....arrive early and grab some fastpasses...hit the big attractions during parades, first thing in the morning, and right before the park closes.

-J

 

[drusba]

"Is it normally like this this time of year?
"I'm hoping it just this time of year and not a trend and continue during the Spring"


Last week and this week are the two Easter weeks. As posts have established year after year on this site, what that means is:

1. These are two of the three most crowded weeks of the year; Christmas is the other. These two weeks make those very crowded summer weeks, except for around July 4, look like off-season. 90,000 to 100,000 enter MK each day (its actual capacity is somewhat less than that and the only reason there are very long hours is because Disney is trying to spread the crowd in the hope of avoiding the risk of reaching capacity); in those hugely crowded summer weeks the number is only 60,000.

2. It is packed to the gills everyday during these two weeks; there is no "light" day at MK; don't even hope for one. That is true now, has always been true, and will always be true. (I have done 13 Easters there going back to the mid-1980's and it has never changed.)

3. Both weeks are equally bad so don't hope that the first is lighter than the second or vice versa.

4. On Friday of this week, it will get a tad bit lighter, on Saturday, it will get significantly lighter, on Sunday, April 3, you will wonder where the huge crowds went as it will then just be a normal spring break crowd (that is a large crowd but only about half of the Easter crowd). So don't worry too much about the rest of April; it will be crowded but not anything like they are seeing now.

 

[ANTSS2001]

See you all there !!!

 

[crazyj4488]

I, for one, will NEVER EVER go back to Disney anytime after June 5th up until after labor day. UGH....it's hotter than an oven which works ur patience and the crowds are just about unbearable. I have never gone to WDW during a major holiday. I've stuck to that stance since the late 80's and all my trips since that time have been quite pleasant with just a handful of struggles with crowds. I have been there in late Feb (moderately annoying crowds with EPCOT empty most of the time) and late May / very early June (same result but surprisingly lighter than that last week of Feb...just a bit hot). This year will be my first to go in the last week of April so I will be interested to see how bad it is. I've got somewhat high hopes for this week based on my research but it's always a gamble. The next time I go, I plan on getting out there in October in order to try that out.

You just do the best you can sharing the magic with tens of thousands of other crazy travellers. Keep your head up and be patient.

 

[rcraw45425]

Our warm weather game plan is to go to the park of a morning, have a sit down lunch somewhere, then either go to another park for a while or back to the resort for a break. Dress for dinner, then head back to a park for a few hours. Take your time, you'll keep your stress level down We have been there in June several times, it's definitely more doable than July, which is truly miserable! Rain/ thunderstorms in the afternoon, then the humidity kicks in. We were at the GF in July of '99, it rained every afternoon. It did, however, cool things off a little.