Should I Worry HS Will Close Early Due to Osborne Lights Crowds?

[MKMK]

Making our first trip to WDW during the holiday season next week. Planning to visit the Osborne lights on our final night (8th). Should I worry the park will close early due to crowds (we were planning on heading over around 5 pm) and we won't be able to get in? Am a bit worried as all of restaurants show no availability that evening.

 

[erionm]

I think it's unlikely they will close the park due to capactity. Over the Thanksgiving weekend, they closed the DHS parking lot due to capactity (direct people to Epcot), but people were still allowed to enter the park.

 

[siskaren]

There are four levels of closure and only the fourth one is where no one is let in, which according to this article, hasn't happened since April 7, 2009 (and at MK, not at DHS):

http://touringplans.com/walt-disney-world/capacity-closures

I would think then that it would be highly unlikely that DHS would reach that stage, even on the last day of the Osborne Lights.

 

[Allison]

No way.

 

[MakiraMarlena]

There is almost no chance that DHS itself will close for capacity at ANY stage on December 8 due to the Osborne lights.

You cannot base any estimate of park attendance on restaurant bookings...DHS has only 5 full service restaurants. The capacity of the park is far larger than the capacity of those 5 restaurants.

 

[MKMK]

Very good to hear. We had a close call with MNSSHP this fall (historically bought tickets when we arrived, but this year the date we selected sold out early) so a bit paranoid now.

Appreciate you passing along the link - interesting to understand the different levels of closure for the parks.

 

[lovemygoofy]

I do think that the park will likely be crowded that night due to the Christmas party going on in MK and DHS closing early on Wed.

 

[wilkeliza]

Very good to hear. We had a close call with MNSSHP this fall (historically bought tickets when we arrived, but this year the date we selected sold out early) so a bit paranoid now.

Appreciate you passing along the link - interesting to understand the different levels of closure for the parks.

Hard ticket events are very different than the day to day. They sale about 1/4 of MKs true capacity for the parties so they are easy to sell out. Osborne Lights is not a hard ticket event and is included in standard admission. I was there the first official night of the lights and we had no where near closing phase crowds.

 

[gap2368]

If the MK has any closer I would go over to HS even if you have to get there before 5 but as others have said it is unlikely

 

[MakiraMarlena]

Oh it will be crowded, especially at the lights. But not at capacity. Not even close.