Worried about Osborne lights

[kiramay]

We are heading to WDW in a few days, and the reports about HS are worrying me. Right now we have planned to hop to HS after dinner at Chef Mickey's on the 17th (dinner at 5, park closes at 8). I know it'll be crowded but I'm hoping a little less since the Star Wars fireworks start the next day. I'm just really worried we'll be stuck on a bus in traffic for a long time.
Our only other chance is Tuesday the 22nd but I know it'll be more crowded by then.

 

[hiroMYhero]

With the buses and gridlock, you may have a hard time getting through the gates before 8:00.

The 17th is the private The Force Awakens premiere party at DHS. Park hours won't be extended because the park needs to be cleared before the moviegoers make their way to DHS for the party.

 

[kiramay]

I wonder if we can hop another night, but then I still run the risk of traffic in the evening.

 

[hiroMYhero]

If you hop from Epcot, you can walk from the International Gateway or take the Friendship Boat.

 

[wilkeliza]

If you hop from Epcot, you can walk from the International Gateway or take the Friendship Boat.

Friendship boats have had reported waits of up to an hour. If you are able I would say walk.

 

[Bete]

See if you can get an earlier reservation at Chef Mickey. Also, maybe consider another dinner place with an earlier time, if necessary. I wouldn't miss the Osbourne Lights.

If you are going to Animal Kingdom one of your days there you could use that day to park hop over to Hollywood Studios. Animal Kingdom closes the earliest of the parks.

 

[kiramay]

Friendship boats have had reported waits of up to an hour. If you are able I would say walk.

How long is the walk? I might be able to rearrange the 21st.

 

[kiramay]

See if you can get an earlier reservation at Chef Mickey. Also, maybe consider another dinner place with an earlier time, if necessary. I wouldn't miss the Osbourne Lights.

If you are going to Animal Kingdom one of your days there you could use that day to park hop over to Hollywood Studios. Animal Kingdom closes the earliest of the parks.

Thank you, but that won't work this time. CM opens at 5 and we have a 5 pm ressie. It's a family tradition. And my AK day we're actually hopping to MK after lunch.

I think I've found an Epcot day that we can hop/walk over after our 3:10 ADR.

 

[hiroMYhero]

How long is the walk? I might be able to rearrange the 21st.

Plan on at least 20 minutes. You can cut through the Boardwalk Inn pool area rather than walk the length of the Boardwalk.

@Robo has a map that shows the shortcut through Boardwalk.

 

[Grumpy247365]

I was on the bus to EPCOT Friday night and the exit to Hollywood Studios was really backed up. Even the parking booth at EPCOT had a ton of cars backed up waiting to get in. I was at HS Thursday night and was able to experience it from the beginning. It's worth it if you can make it. Good luck.

 

[DOOM1001]

Friendship boats have had reported waits of up to an hour. If you are able I would say walk.

I saw the lights one last time Saturday night,never have seen crowds like that at DHS!!We hopped from Epcot to DHS,the boat had a huge line so we walked to the Y&B club and luckily we were near the front of the line for the boat as they only let in like 8 people on the already full boat.When we got to the Swan and Dolphin the same thing happened,they let in like 5 people to at least get some people on,they squished us a little more inside.The walking paths looked like a reverse full marathon,instead of thousands heading to Epcot it looked like thousands heading to DHS.We walked back to Epcot after seeing the lights and the lines were also huge for the bus or the boats,the boat line almost reached the bag check area,there must have been probably 30,000 people leaving from seeing how packed the park was getting,but even at that point there was probably double that amount coming in,the place was a zoo!!,and I won't get into how crowded it was in the actual Streets of America,goes to show how much people love the lights!!

 

[MataHari22]

Since Robo hasn't replied yet, here is his map, I think. Map is post #15.

You can walk or take a boat from Epcot to Hollywood Studios????

 

[MrInfinity]

We just went to HS on Dec 2, right after the opening of the new Star Wars stuff... and it was way less crowded than I anticipated. Hearing the reports out here I was prepared for the worst and it was a pleasant surprise. Of course there were a lot of ppl leaving at close, and we were among them, but 2 Poly busses came back to back and we got on the 2nd one. The Streets of America were busy, but not like Mardi Gras busy... you could still comfortably push a stroller around with a good few feet of space on all sides. You could set up to take a picture and get 5-10 ft of clearance in front of you with no problem at all. It was not wall-to-wall people like I was expecting. They did have a weird traffic pattern going where you had to walk to the back of the park, then make your way forward thru the streets of America. I think just to keep everyone going more or less in one direction.

 

[Isildur's Bane]

he Streets of America were busy, but not like Mardi Gras busy... you could still comfortably push a stroller around with a good few feet of space on all sides. You could set up to take a picture and get 5-10 ft of clearance in front of you with no problem at all. It was not wall-to-wall people like I was expecting..

on Saturday night it was very very busy and more than ive seen in the years ive been going. only started to clear out good about the time the park closed and there was still a lot of people an hour later when they turned them off.. I saw pictures from earlier in the night and it was even worse remineded me of times square at new years

 

[DOOM1001]

We just went to HS on Dec 2, right after the opening of the new Star Wars stuff... and it was way less crowded than I anticipated. Hearing the reports out here I was prepared for the worst and it was a pleasant surprise. Of course there were a lot of ppl leaving at close, and we were among them, but 2 Poly busses came back to back and we got on the 2nd one. The Streets of America were busy, but not like Mardi Gras busy... you could still comfortably push a stroller around with a good few feet of space on all sides. You could set up to take a picture and get 5-10 ft of clearance in front of you with no problem at all. It was not wall-to-wall people like I was expecting. They did have a weird traffic pattern going where you had to walk to the back of the park, then make your way forward thru the streets of America. I think just to keep everyone going more or less in one direction.

I was also there around your dates,I believe I was there December 1st and although it was quite crowded when they turned the lights on at 6pm until like 6:30 the crowds definitely lightened up where there was a good amount of walking room.This Saturday (December 12th) the place was a zoo,( see my previous post).I can't imagine how they'll be in the next couple of weeks when crowds really get insane.

 

[ghostdogzero]

We were there tonight (Monday 14th) just for the lights, thinking it would be a quick in and out en route to the MK for FP+ fireworks. Without having read any boards ahead of time, we drove. Arrived at 6:30 and were let in (I guess miraculously), parked in the STAGE lot. CMs were directing you to the empty spaces from others leaving. The crowd was ginormous. Haven't seen this many people at HS since opening weekend. The entire traffic flow was moving towards the Osborne lights. Be prepared. The lights set is hip to hip and shuffles at a glacier's pace. Give yourself plenty of time. And don't expect to dance in the street or make very merry as you won't have room ...unless... you head down near the stunt show entrance where there was plenty of wide open space with a fantastic view down the middle of the set. All told it took us 90 minutes from car to park and back to car with ONLY doing the lights AND being parked in the HS lot. Spoiler alert, we made it to the MK with plenty of time to spare and the park was a ghost town after the fireworks. We went on 7 rides in 90 minutes... Buzz, PM, Pooh, Mermaid, Pan, Carousel, 7DMT (at 11:30p, the wait time said 40 minutes and was really 10). Heading back to HS Wednesday day and will update again.

I'm with the guy who said get to HS early and go to AK from there. Or, chance it like we did AFTER the lights have been on a bit and people are leaving.