Christmas and New Year 2013 capacity phased closings and wait times

DznyGrlSD

DznyGrlSD

Well-Known Member
In the Parks
Yes
Mickey_777 said:
FWIW we were at DTD until about an hour ago and it honestly wasnt that bad. We arrived around 7pm and found a parking space right away behind cirque. We had dinner at Planet Hollwood, browsed WoD, hit up Ghirardelli etc and took in the live music. The place was jumpin and everybody was in good spirits. We would have stayed till midnight but my folks were exhausted from our 12 hour drive the night before. We wont be going near the parks till at least friday though.
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That's because there is NOTHING going on at DTD on NYE anymore...blame Pleasure Island.
 
Hobnail Boot

Hobnail Boot

Well-Known Member
Well we survived our 11th straight NYE at MK. Once the fireworls were over last night we barreled through the mobs to tackle BTMRR. Once we got out of the hub crowds were scarce and in good spirits. There was a dj on the roof next to the CBJ and he had a good sized crowd dancing in the street. Cast throughout the park were having a good time. The best were the 5 or 6 cast members in the Confectionary who were doing an awesome electric slide. Next year I hope to finally experience NYE at Epcot.
 
JimboJones123

JimboJones123

Well-Known Member
Diswas Dawg Fan said:
Well we survived our 11th straight NYE at MK. Once the fireworls were over last night we barreled through the mobs to tackle BTMRR. Once we got out of the hub crowds were scarce and in good spirits. There was a dj on the roof next to the CBJ and he had a good sized crowd dancing in the street. Cast throughout the park were having a good time. The best were the 5 or 6 cast members in the Confectionary who were doing an awesome electric slide. Next year I hope to finally experience NYE at Epcot.
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The CBJ DJ was just the coolest thing to see. Jamming in Frontierland.
 
wannabeBelle

wannabeBelle

Well-Known Member
I spoke with someone who was at DHS Last night and he said short of the Hollywood Blvd Area/ Main area and in front of the Hat, things were quite manageable there. I saw one shot of the crowds on the main walkway in front of the hat and it was about what I would have expected. Anyone here make it over there? Marie
 
luv

luv

Well-Known Member
I would advise all tourists to think hard before attempting WDW at Christmas/New Year's Eve, but I think it might be fun experience if you don't care about riding rides and hope to talk someone into doing NYE at Epcot with me next year. :)
 
wannabeBelle

wannabeBelle

Well-Known Member
Agreed Luv, I did New Year's Eve two years ago at DHS and it was pretty amazing. Do ADR's for inside the park, dont plan on seeing much or doing much and just relax and go with the flow. It was incredible!!! Definitely not for first timers or people who want to see as many things in the park as possible, but for us veterans, it was awesome!!! Of course the weather that year cooperated for me to not have to carry around a jacket. I couldnt imagine last night was particularly warm and I heard tales of a shower or two which wouldnt have been fun. Marie
 
Ariel484

Ariel484

Well-Known Member
wannabeBelle said:
I spoke with someone who was at DHS Last night and he said short of the Hollywood Blvd Area/ Main area and in front of the Hat, things were quite manageable there. I saw one shot of the crowds on the main walkway in front of the hat and it was about what I would have expected. Anyone here make it over there? Marie
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I was there last night and agree with what you heard. We had FP+ for RNR (which we never used because the ride kept breaking down), Toy Story and Tower of Terror...dinner ADR at 'Ohana. We also saw the Osborne lights and MuppetVision 3D and just walked around the park, avoiding the area in front of the BAH. We got a bus to our resort at 11:50 and were back in time for the tail-end of the festivities there. It was a great night. :)
 
TDF

TDF

Well-Known Member
For those curious, I was at Universal for New Years and although busy, it wasn’t Disney busy. You could basically walk on any attraction. Nothing hit 5 hours or even close to 5 hours. I laugh thinking about that.

Average Wait Times We Saw:
Simpsons: 30 Minutes
Harry: 120-140 Minutes
Despicable: 120-140 Minutes
Terminator: 45 Minutes
Hollywood Roller Coaster: 120-140 Minutes
Spider: 45-60 minutes
 
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M

Mouse_Trap

Well-Known Member
marni1971 said:
Right now its madness. Lines to enter the parking garages are back into Kirkman coming from that direction. All Uni property roads are solid. Both garages are frequently full to capacity with guests, displacing team member overflow elsewhere.

Basic math... The garages are 10,500 cars each right? Say 3 people on average per car. That's 63,000 people. Top of my head IOA holds about 40,000 and the studios high 40's to low 50's max. So say 80,000 total. Factor in hotel guests and people going to CityWalk and it would seem that if the garages are both full then the parks would be close too.
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I never realised that the park capacities were that, I expected quite a bit higher for some reason.
 
S

SpaceMtn101

Member
I see know one mentioned this yet but we tried to do the 11am Frozen princesses yesterday (got there at 10:30) and it was already a 2 to 2 1/2 hr wait. Went back a little later about an hour after it opened and it was a 5 to 5 1/2 hr wait! That meet and greet is insane! I cannot imagine coming on a trip and waiting 5 hrs for a princess meet and greet. This was also New Years morning and it was raining.
 
Figments Friend

Figments Friend

Well-Known Member
JenniferS said:
I gave you a "like" for this post - not so much because I like that you had a terrible time, but more to say thanks for the update.
There really needs to be another option to "like", such as "I agree" or "I hear ya".
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I am still patiently waiting for the 'Love' option.
Plenty of posts i have read over the years here that i would have enjoyed hitting the 'Love' button for.

Sometimes hitting 'Like' is just not enough...

:D
 
Figments Friend

Figments Friend

Well-Known Member
James122 said:
That is craaaazy. I think if I arrived and saw crowds like that waiting to get into the Magic Kingdom, I'd just turn around and get right back on the monorail! When it's that crowded, it stops being fun ( at least for me).
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Agree.
Not really understanding why anyone in their right mind would want to subject themselves to such insane crowded conditions.

I can understand some people enjoying the 'thrill' of 'being there on that day' and maybe even getting a buzz off of the craziness. I can see some finding appeal in that aspect of it. I did this myself at DL this past September for the Villians Event out there. A great time regardless of the packed Park that night.

But for Christmas/New Years Eve..?

It would just ruin the cheerful vibe for me to be caught up in such a crowded atmosphere.

Each their own of course...but the massive crowded conditions and insane wait times would put a serious damper on things in my mind.
Such conditions really make it difficult to savor the Parks when you are spending the bulk of your time standing in long lines and acting 'competitive' with other Guests around you.

Thus why i love 'off-Season'....oh i do so love it.
I can however understand why some vets may enjoy experiencing it...at least once.
One of those 'bucket list' type of things...or a tradition.
 
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M

Millies

New Member
Just following up now that I'm back home on a computer. We did DHS for NYE and actually had a pleasant time despite the craziness apparent at the other parks. Yes lines were long and yes it was a crowded day, but it never felt overwhelming. We were able to get a spot on Hollywood Blvd at 10:30 next to the information board with ride and show times. The area eventually filled in but most people were respectful regarding space.

My only complaint was the countdown to midnight. The Mulch Sweat and Shears band was fairly entertaining but completely dropped the ball at midnight. They were still wrapping up their last song as everyone watched their cell phones go from 11:59 to 12:00. People started blowing their horns and you could hear EPCOT's fireworks going crazy. Eventually at ~12:02 the 'official' countdown took place. Sort of disappointing but the fantastic fireworks that followed immediately made up for it.

All in all we had a great time. If you plan on being in WDW for NYE I highly recommend DHS if you want to avoid a bit of the chaos but still take in some excellent Disney fireworks.
 

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