Terrifying Experince at Epcot

[Erin1700]

That happened to me and my DD7 once at MK in early December. I do not know what caused it, b/c in a few minutes, the gridlock was over. But the whole time I kept telling her where to go if she would have gotten loose from my grip! Scary stuff!

 

[iluvwdw4ever]

I can totally relate!!!!! We experienced something like this at the MK on NYE. It can get very scary at times as people begin to freak out when they cannot move!!!! Its also not fun when you have 2 small children who reallllly need to use the restroom and it is literally impossible to get them there!!!!!! Thanks goodness we had 2 cups and a blanket!!!! I had never done anything like that before but had no other option!!!!!!

 

[seadd67]

I to am so sorry you had to go through that ,i can not Imagin a situation being sepreated from my DS . But with that amount of people,its going to be hard to re drict them. We were at MK last year and after the fireworks we were caught In a simlliar situation. Maybe the cm's could of done somthing,but all honestly I really do not know?. There Is so many people and they all have were they want to go and Its going against the flow,so log jam. I agre please let them know,we did,If enough Is brought to the situation they will have to work somthing out. Maybe a limt of people In one area, a sperat section just for people flow?.I hope this will not disgarge you from Disney world.

 

[wahoostampingirl]

My birthday is New Year's Eve and while I would love to celebrate my birthday at Disney (especially this year), stories like yours are why I will never be at Disney on my birthday.

We are leaving next weekend for our annual January trip where the MLK crowds pale in comparison to what you just described. I'm glad everything turned out ok for your family. That must have been sooooo scary.

 

[LMO429]

IMO letting so many people in one park is seriously dangerous. I know it's about Disney making $ and that is why they allow so many people in the park on NYE, but wouldn't it be better to make NYE or XMAS a Hard Ticket event...to limit crowds and possible dangerous situations. This way Disney can limit the amount of people in the park and charge a premium price for admission.

I'm curious if the OP would have been willing to pay extra $ to be there NYE but have to deal with less crowds...I know I would.

 

[mom2aandj]

To the op, I wanted to have a panic attack just reading your post!

me too!
I read another post on this board once about a similar gridlock situation at MK and how an older man appeared to be having a heart attack. Scary, scary stuff. This is what I always try to point out to people who want to go to WDW this time of year--it's not the lines, or the wait times. It's the fact that you may literally not be able to MOVE!

 

[Buzz Litebeer]

If anyone knows a name I can write to, pleas pm me - thanks.

Also PMing you this information, but...

Meg Crofton
President, The Walt Disney World Resort
PO Box 10040
Lake Buena Vista, FL 32830-0040

Jim MacPhee
Vice President, Epcot
PO Box 10040
Lake Buena Vista, FL 32830-0040

 

[Missin'Disney]

How scary for you. I'm sorry you had to go through that. I would have died!

Maybe if they received a # of complaints the park quota would be lowered. Does it really hurt their bottom line when people buy their tix as packages? I mean, how many people are paying at the gate?

I would definitely write that letter!
paragraphs or not...

 

[karriemouse]

We had a similar experience at MK on Christmas Eve. After Holiday Wishes we tried to move out of the central hub, which suddenly became impossible. Complete gridlock for about 10mins, everyone trying to push their way through, me trying not to get claustrophobic and not a cast member to be seen. Oh, apart from the one in the middle of the walkway with the trolly of 'flashing things' who was only (unintentionally I'm sure) adding to the problem by being there!!

It was frightening enough with older children so to the OP for her experience - I so hope you get some answers from Disney and that they learn something from it.

something really needs to be explained to the foreign visitors about lines and queues and taking turns and being patient. That is one group that I have found the worst to deal with. They do not understand patience, they do not understand waiting, they do not understand the queue issues that we deal with and they don't understand saying sorry if they cut through a family and split them up. With the way the economy has been I have heard it is so much more inexpensive this year for them to travel to the US. And I totally get that it might be their only chance to come to WDW but it may be the only chance someone from the US might get to go too. Don't ruin it for everyone and make people around you miserable because your country doesn't have patience to deal with crowds like this.

As a 'foreign visitor' I would like to say that yes, I was offended by this and found it patronising. Only a minority of countries are (seemingly) unable to queue, so please don't make such sweeping generalisations. In our incident above there were plenty of people with US accents doing plenty of pushing!!

Yes it drives me nuts too when people can't stand in line, but please can we direct the frustrations these people cause at them directly rather than at everyone from outside the US?

 

[princesswendy720]

Wow that sounds more like a mosh pit at a concert than the happiest place on Earth! I have panic attacks in large crowds that I can't move in, so I can sympathize with your DD. I'm sorry that this happened to you.

 

[RMulieri]

YIKES..precisely why I will NEVER go back to disney at the holidays.Something similar happened with my niece a few years back..no fun and sheer terror.Never again.Disney will have to pay me to go back.

 

[nessz79]

Really scary!

I've been in a similar situation at MK in my younger days of high school. We were there close to Easter to participate in the parade. We were allowed to experience the park afterwards and at closing time we decided to take the ferry to the bus area. Wow- it was complete gridlock. At one point it was so tight that we were being moved with the crowd. It's hard to describe, but it's like the crowd literally picks you up and moves you.

I'm so glad that I was young and didn't have children at that time. I would totally freak out if I had my young boys with me. I think everything you did and said was appropriate. The main thing is you were able to get through everything ok. I hope you get an appropriate and heart-felt response from Disney.

 

[edwardsfire]

Paragraphs.

LOL, thats what i was thinking!
And to the subject....Thats what crowds do...next time. Push back.

 

[ligirlz]

Oh my I am glad you and your family got out of there safely. The nerve of some people who can't understand that your going the same way and resort to pushing.

 

[maxiesmom]

IMO letting so many people in one park is seriously dangerous. I know it's about Disney making $ and that is why they allow so many people in the park on NYE, but wouldn't it be better to make NYE or XMAS a Hard Ticket event...to limit crowds and possible dangerous situations. This way Disney can limit the amount of people in the park and charge a premium price for admission.

I think this is a great idea, but I doubt they would ever do it. You would then have people complaining about them jacking up the prices to attend on holidays.

 

[lacrosse_lady72]

Exactly. I really meant no harm but I literally couldn't read/follow it.

DITTO.

 

[princesswendy720]

And to the subject....Thats what crowds do...next time. Push back.

Yea because one big mass of people pushing each other and children getting trampled on is an ideal situation, right? The Walmart employee who was killed from being trampled to death on Black Friday was big news here. I would definitely not suggest getting into a pushing match in a crowd full of children.

 

[nessz79]

LOL, thats what i was thinking!
And to the subject....Thats what crowds do...next time. Push back.

 

[Brier Rose]

We were at Epcot NYE as well, and while we did have a few moments of not being able to move through the crowds easily, we were lucky enough not to experience anything like the OP.

I can definitely see that happening though!

I am just thankful the entire park was not like that! We actually found lots of places to just chill away from the crowd and catch our breath. We were there from 11:00am until around 1:30am. The crowds cleared out considerably after the first Illuminations. We didn't even have to wait in line or stand on the monorail on our way back to the Contemporary. Can't say those traveling by car or bus were quite as lucky! We could see the parking lot from above and it looked absolutely nuts!!

Speaking of nuts..the ONLY problem we had were with some drunk and rude park guests. There was one point during the night that my brother, his girlfriend, my husband and myself were sitting outside the China dance party waiting for my DD and some friends.

We were all just laughing hysterically, having a good time, when this crazy obviously drunk woman who was on the floor dancing came over and started SCREAMING obscenities at us. She apparently thought we were laughing at her. We just ignored her and kept on talking, which infuriated her even more, and she proceeded to try and climb over bushes to get to us..all the while screaming..which you could barely even hear over the music.

We just continued to ignore her..refusing even to look her way. She gave up and just went back to dancing!

 

[NYPDwife]

I experience rudeness like this at MK on Christmas Day. We arrived at the Main Street train station platform one hour before the parade started to wait. 15 minutes before the parade starts, this woman is practically on top of me and DD (she was sitting on the floor looking down through the rails). I kept telling her to move back that she was almost making me fall on DD and she pulled the "I don't understand what you're saying" look. Finally I (gently ) shoved her back a bit once the parade started and she moved away, only to get another woman to start doing the same thing. I spent the whole parade arched over my daughter so she wouldn't get trampled.

I don't understand, as a woman, you have this deep instinct to protect children (I would do the same for kids who aren't mine), but both women just didn't give a crap, they just wanted to see a freekin parade.