Mark Cameron
New Member
BREAKING NEWS: Disney to build another castle in the Magic Kingdom and call it the Fairy Godmother-in-law suite! (Problem Solved) 
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Insane crowds, more space needed
- Thread starter DarleneBurrows
- Start date
Goofyernmost
Well-Known Member
Don't they already have an exit area just east of Main Street, built within the last couple of years? I used to just go through the stores along Main Street on the west side and come out by the fire station in the town square. Is that not doable anymore?
The fireworks are a separate event and will draw a massive crowd no matter how many people are in the park. Me, I prefer to leave early and time it so that I can watch them from the ferry on the way back to TTC. It's really cool with the reflection off Seven Seas Lagoon.
I'm not a fireworks fan anyway, and I cannot understand what people see emotional about a bunch of rockets exploding. Pretty? Yes, but, it is just organized explosions. I will grant that Disney has the best and it spoils you when you try to enjoy some local show, but, once is enough for me. I spent a year in a war zone and for me there is nothing about things exploding that make me warm and fuzzy. But, yes, I know that is just me and I sometimes wish I could get the joy out of it that many people seem to do. Just not in my DNA I guess.
The fireworks are a separate event and will draw a massive crowd no matter how many people are in the park. Me, I prefer to leave early and time it so that I can watch them from the ferry on the way back to TTC. It's really cool with the reflection off Seven Seas Lagoon.
I'm not a fireworks fan anyway, and I cannot understand what people see emotional about a bunch of rockets exploding. Pretty? Yes, but, it is just organized explosions. I will grant that Disney has the best and it spoils you when you try to enjoy some local show, but, once is enough for me. I spent a year in a war zone and for me there is nothing about things exploding that make me warm and fuzzy. But, yes, I know that is just me and I sometimes wish I could get the joy out of it that many people seem to do. Just not in my DNA I guess.
Disstevefan1
Well-Known Member
Agreed, limit guest count at MK to a reasonable number.
Im 50 yo. Ive been going since I was 10ish. Ive always remembered mainstreet being congested. Stupid congrsted during parades and fireworks.
Minnie Mum
Well-Known Member
Glad you posted that. For a minute I thought I had hallucinated the whole Main Street bypass thing. Would it kill Disney to inform their guests that these exist? How hard would it be to put them on the park maps.
I also think they need to decrease the capacity limits of MK. Few can argue that the crowds after the fireworks show are potentially dangerous.
LaunchPadMcQuack
Active Member
We use the fireworks time to go on rides without queues. It's the best time to go on Big Thunder Mountain or Splash Mountain.
After seeing them once, my children aren't impressed by fireworks.
After seeing them once, my children aren't impressed by fireworks.
CaptainAmerica
Premium Member
The Magic Kingdom is never that crowded in total outside of Christmas and other peak holidays. The issue isn't number of guests through the gates, it's number of guests in particular pinch points at particular times of day. If you walked over by Jungle Cruise during the fireworks on almost any night, you're going to find a borderline ghost town.
Exactly. "Magic Kingdom is too crowded" is inaccurate or at least overly general. "Main Street and Fantasyland are too crowded at certain times of day" would be more accurate.
They're not open every night, so putting them on the maps would cause problems on the nights they're closed. As others suggested, I think those areas need to be cleaned up and themed to be "on stage" so they can be open every night.
Capacity is not a problem. The post-fireworks crowds are insane even on a day when the park is at <50% capacity. The issue is all the people wanting to be in the same tiny area of the park at the same time, not total number of people through the gates.
KRW101
Member
My daughter and I are headed down in 3 weeks. Hoping the crowds are a little lighter. Although since Wishes ended we have only watched HEA once, for us,no need to do again. We will do some rides now during the fireworks. I will not miss the hassle of the hub at all. I do feel sorry for those exiting at that time with little ones, it could be a little terrifying.
NEmickeyfan
Well-Known Member
I believe that the incorporation of the castle projection to HEA has increased the numbers of those watching on Main Street. If you want to get the complete show, you almost have to be facing the castle directly. If the projections are not a priority for you, areas like New Fantasyland is an option. If Main Street viewing is a must for you, then hanging back afterward is a pretty good strategy.
dieboy
Active Member
One of the years, mark my words, fireworks will be a ticketed event.
Yes, leaving is a mess. I have some gopro video on my youtube channel. Its about a 20 second clip from the end of mainstreet by the castle. All you can see is heads, as far as the eye can see. One of these days, all it will take is something small to set off the crowd, and there will be serious injuries. I seriously doubt WDW has enough staff on hand, or could even do anything about 40K people all stampeding for ... well One exit.
Yes, leaving is a mess. I have some gopro video on my youtube channel. Its about a 20 second clip from the end of mainstreet by the castle. All you can see is heads, as far as the eye can see. One of these days, all it will take is something small to set off the crowd, and there will be serious injuries. I seriously doubt WDW has enough staff on hand, or could even do anything about 40K people all stampeding for ... well One exit.
Sirwalterraleigh
Premium Member
I gotta ask...where ya been these last 10 or so years?
...hereās the problem: they stopped what was called āstrategic planningā 20 or so years ago. It was deemed unnecessary. The problem with that is there was no mechanism for adjusting to crowd fluctuation in the future. That was handled through capital projects and attraction additions.
Which havenāt happened until recently and they are on the snails pace.
And here we are...and itās going to get worse.
CaptainAmerica
Premium Member
*Sigh*
No.
The (financial) purpose of the nighttime shows is to keep people in the parks later than they would normally stay, spending money on merchandise, food, and beverage. Take away the incentive to stick around and people will start filing out of the parks at 5:30 and heading to TGI Fridays.
Sirwalterraleigh
Premium Member
Itās actually not as much as it traditionally was. And August is a ādownā month as school calendars in many areas of the country arenāt designed around Labor Day anymore.
CaptainAmerica
Premium Member
No, summer is nothing like Christmas. Not even close.
In the summer, everyone is out of school but they're spreading their vacations out over 10-12 weeks. At Christmas, everyone is out of school the exact same two weeks. The reason to avoid summer is the weather, not the crowds.
JohnD
Well-Known Member
Ah, the old conundrum. Like highways, they're jam-packed. So they need to expand, until they fill up. The cycle continues. . .
wdwfan757
Well-Known Member
Agreed, I went the 2nd week of july this year and it was less crowded than any december/january/may/september trip i've taken in the last 8 years. Everyone I talked to said "oh, i'd never go in july, it's so hot". I guess a LOT of people feel that way because I was absolutely shocked at how short the lines were. Outside of one night when one of the MK ferries was down, it was about as easy going as I can remember this decade.
Sirwalterraleigh
Premium Member
*sigh*
They are already monetizing regular hours. Itās happening.
While I agree that fireworks on a cover charge is far fetched...more designed āpremiumā things are coming. And soon.
That ākeep you in the parks to buy stuffā mantra has been disregarded. Because part of that model was incentivizing park tickets for multiday benefits and expanding hours with those tickets for more foot flow. And also limiting food costs to encourage more daily expenditures. Thatās over...itās blue ocean now. Thatās how you kiss stock vulture butt when you are looking to skydive at any minute.
Sirwalterraleigh
Premium Member
The problem with that is you need to visualize what the road will look like 10 years before itās built or you are screwed.
Sirwalterraleigh
Premium Member
Iāve found crowds to be more tolerable in June, July and spring break than in āoff weeksā of January, February, May and November over the last 10 or so years...
No joke.
CaptainAmerica
Premium Member
Except that the last major project, "Animal Kingdom Full Day," aka Project Morpho, was done for exactly this reason. The wheels were turning (slowly) to get DAK to nighttime hours before they even knew it would be Avatar.