Insane crowds, more space needed

[DarleneBurrows]

Enough is enough, there are no longer quiet periods in Orlando for the parks. It's growth is continuing upwards. There just needs to be more space, more land areas for the public to be spread out.

Watching the fireworks tonight was borederline dangerous how everyone was squashed into the tight lines.

It just made for a really miserable experience. Magic Kingdom suffers badly obviously as it's the busiest. Perhaps now it's time to look at stop navigating people one way up Main Street. Perhaps we need a side street. Exiting the park is thoroughly horrendous once the fireworks close.

 

[Jenwade49]

I hear you... I always get nervous after the MK fireworks, trying to leave the park with the enormous crush of people threatening to split our family apart. We have tried a few things:

First, maybe consider not leaving right after fireworks end? That’s obviously when the largest crowd is exiting. I know that’s hard after a long day in the parks, but sometimes we will go walk around Tomorrowland until the worst of it is over.

Second, although it’s not as great of a view or experience, you could try watching the fireworks towards the top of Main Street, and then you would be first to escape!

I feel like they are trying to accomplish some crowd control somewhat with the castle projection show right before Happily Ever After starts (does that really fool anyone?), but I agree that it feels chaotic and borderline dangerous to fight that crowd at times.

 

[Walt Disney1955]

It really does need to spread out a bit and unlike Disneyland there is space to do it, yet they do it worse than Disneyland who jam a lot of attractions in a smaller space. They had this opportunity when they expanded Fantasyland. Getting rid of a dark ride like Snow White wasn't wise. Opening up something like the Swan Boats would help. They have continually added resorts and the size of the parks have not expanded the way the resorts have.

 

[Walt Disney1955]

What were the crowds like when the park first opened? In 1971 to the mid 1970s for example. You would think this would be a time with overflowing crowds and while it seems lots of people went it just never looked nearly as busy in old pictures.

 

[epcotisbest]

I hear you... I always get nervous after the MK fireworks, trying to leave the park with the enormous crush of people threatening to split our family apart. We have tried a few things:

First, maybe consider not leaving right after fireworks end? That’s obviously when the largest crowd is exiting. I know that’s hard after a long day in the parks, but sometimes we will go walk around Tomorrowland until the worst of it is over.

Second, although it’s not as great of a view or experience, you could try watching the fireworks towards the top of Main Street, and then you would be first to escape!

I feel like they are trying to accomplish some crowd control somewhat with the castle projection show right before Happily Ever After starts (does that really fool anyone?), but I agree that it feels chaotic and borderline dangerous to fight that crowd at times.

Not leaving right after the fireworks end is a great strategy. We usually hang out in the Main Street shops, maybe grab a late night hotdog at Casey's or just hang out and relax while we wait for the goodnight kiss.

 

[cheezbat]

I’ve said it forever and I’ll say it again: Magic Kingdom needs arcades on the backsides of each side of Main Street...just like they did in Disneyland Paris. The crowds are way too large at MK and I’ve been there more times than I can count where the crowds were so packed it was dangerous. People screaming, cursing, shoving, trampling...it’s horrible. It truly brings out the worst in people.

 

[HansGruber]

Watching the fireworks tonight was borederline dangerous how everyone was squashed into the tight lines.

I was commenting to a family member about how dangerous it was years ago during night parades.
Unfortunately, I looked foolish as not much has changed. It got pretty dicey while trying to find a spot for Happily Ever After.
They directed us to a part of the park that I had never even been to. Our view was partially blocked as well.
We tried getting over to TomorrowLand after the show; that was an adventure.

 

[The Empress Lilly]

Disney's answer has been to raze the hub, remove fountains and pave paradise. :'(

There really ought to be a second MK park. It is not too late to preserve what's left of the MK and to built the new hideous toontown toddler character park they are replacing it with simply elsewhere, as a new park.

 

[JoeCamel]

Enough is enough, there are no longer quiet periods in Orlando for the parks. It's growth is continuing upwards. There just needs to be more space, more land areas for the public to be spread out.

Watching the fireworks tonight was borederline dangerous how everyone was squashed into the tight lines.

It just made for a really miserable experience. Magic Kingdom suffers badly obviously as it's the busiest. Perhaps now it's time to look at stop navigating people one way up Main Street. Perhaps we need a side street. Exiting the park is thoroughly horrendous once the fireworks close.

Orrrrrrrr.... TDO could reign in their money gubbing ways and actually limit guest count to a reasonable level to enhance the guest experience for the space provided?
Plenty of space, just don't try to cram everyone in that is willing to buy a ticket.

 

[Willmark]

The cattle call packed in at the fireworks is a mass causality incident waiting to happen.

All it’s going to take is one stampede... never underestimate the stupidity of cattle, errr people in large groups.

 

[G00fyDad]

The cattle call packed in at the fireworks is a mass causality incident waiting to happen.

All it’s going to take is one stampede... never underestimate the stupidity of cattle, errr people in large groups.

Which is why we NEVER watch the fireworks from the mass of people or try to leave as everyone else is leaving. If you're stuck in the crowd then you are at its mercy when it decides to start moving for the exits. If something happens and you go down then you will get trampled, even in non-emergency situations. There just isn't enough room for people to see you and stop. We find a spot off to the side and wait out the largest bulk of cattle leaving the parks. We always rent a car so we are not subjected to the 1+ hour waits for the transportation system. We just head right to the car and leave once the largest chunk have left and are waiting for monorail/buses. Unfortunately, with MK we are subject to the monorail or ferry boats to get to the car so we leave right before the fireworks start and watch them from the ferry.

 

[Tuvalu]

Perhaps now it's time to look at stop navigating people one way up Main Street. Perhaps we need a side street. Exiting the park is thoroughly horrendous once the fireworks close.

There are two alternate side exits that are usually open after fireworks. One goes backstage on the west side of Main Street (entry by Plaza Restaurant, exit by Tony’s Town Square); the other is backstage on the east side (entry by restrooms near Casey’s, exit by the Car Barn).

However even with Main Street and two bypasses, exiting MK right after fireworks is a nightmare.

 

[DarleneBurrows]

Yes so our original plan was to leave mid way through the fireworks. Obviously we couldn't as it was gridlocked. Then my little nephew fell on a pavement he couldn't see, and we were lucky the mass crowd behind us also leaving weren't too close to allow him that split second to get up quickly.

It's so dangerous that you could loose little ones.

It got so bad, that they opened up a side entrance just to the side of main street - which looked awful and really ruined the illusion (lol), but it was all they could do.

If they want to persisit with a Main Street model then they have no option but to widen that road and move the shops back. A simpler option would be simply to put another lane in, like the exit route we took.

 

[ohioguy]

I was hopeful they would finally open "International Street", or whatever was once proposed, when the Magic Kingdom Theater was announced, just to help the entry and exit crowds.

 

[NickMaio]

There are two alternate side exits that are usually open after fireworks. One goes backstage on the west side of Main Street (entry by Plaza Restaurant, exit by Tony’s Town Square); the other is backstage on the east side (entry by restrooms near Casey’s, exit by the Car Barn).

However even with Main Street and two bypasses, exiting MK right after fireworks is a nightmare.

A few weeks ago they had these side exits open. It was much quicker and safer to exit as we had our little one in a stroller.
Not only quicker but safer. Not a lot of people were using these exits.

 

[Mickey5150]

What the Magic Kingdom needs is to do their fireworks like they do in Disneyland. At Disneyland they have the show on the castle but also on small world and the rivers of america so it spreads the crowd to 3 places. At the MK the only way to see show is to be on main street facing the castle.

 

[eliza61nyc]

Wait, isn't July an insanely busy time also?? We do need more space but boy I avoid the summer and Christmas time like the plague.
I'll be back in the world in about 3 weeks while I don't expect it to be empty, I'm hoping the insane crazy crowds are gone since school will be starting.

 

[crxbrett]

I’ve said it forever and I’ll say it again: Magic Kingdom needs arcades on the backsides of each side of Main Street...just like they did in Disneyland Paris. The crowds are way too large at MK and I’ve been there more times than I can count where the crowds were so packed it was dangerous. People screaming, cursing, shoving, trampling...it’s horrible. It truly brings out the worst in people.

Sounds a lot like like Disneyland. Disneyland is so jammed sometimes that you can't even move and just stand there waiting for 10+ seconds with thousands of others doing the same thing. It's definitely being herded like cattle in a tiny corral. Not fun at all.

 

[Mark Cameron]

Enough is enough, there are no longer quiet periods in Orlando for the parks. It's growth is continuing upwards. There just needs to be more space, more land areas for the public to be spread out.

Watching the fireworks tonight was borederline dangerous how everyone was squashed into the tight lines.

It just made for a really miserable experience. Magic Kingdom suffers badly obviously as it's the busiest. Perhaps now it's time to look at stop navigating people one way up Main Street. Perhaps we need a side street. Exiting the park is thoroughly horrendous once the fireworks close.

They have those side paths that they use at night to route folks around Main Street, maybe they need to use those a lot more. Walking down Main Street USA is very appealing but maybe they should limit it lol

 

[CaptainAmerica]

Enough is enough, there are no longer quiet periods in Orlando for the parks. It's growth is continuing upwards. There just needs to be more space, more land areas for the public to be spread out.

Watching the fireworks tonight was borederline dangerous how everyone was squashed into the tight lines.

These two statements actually contradict each other. More lands, more space, more attractions would spread people out during the daytime. However, they would also increase total crowd levels in the park and those bigger crowds are still going to disproportionately flock to the hub and Main Street during parade and fireworks time. Just because more space means the guests CAN spread out doesn't mean the guests actually WILL spread out.

Disney doesn't need more, they need better distribution.

It just made for a really miserable experience. Magic Kingdom suffers badly obviously as it's the busiest. Perhaps now it's time to look at stop navigating people one way up Main Street. Perhaps we need a side street. Exiting the park is thoroughly horrendous once the fireworks close.

I definitely agree with this.

Sounds a lot like like Disneyland. Disneyland is so jammed sometimes that you can't even move and just stand there waiting for 10+ seconds with thousands of others doing the same thing. It's definitely being herded like cattle in a tiny corral. Not fun at all.

Certain times are absolutely scary and dangerous. The worst I've ever seen was around 10:00 PM on May 24, 2013, which was the 24 hour event to kick off #MonstrousSummer. The parade/fireworks had just ended so loads of people were trying to leave, but Epcot and Hollywood Studios had also just closed so people were also trying to force their way in for the all nighter event. It was nighttime rush plus rope drop all at the same time. I was legitimately scared that people were going to get seriously injured.