Magic Kingdom Closes!

[tigger248]

Yes- i have seen 300 minutes for Test Track (5 hours) which is absolutely insane.

I've seen wait times like that before. It's crazy! That was 2 years ago (I think the wait time for TT was like 320 minutes), the week between Christmas and New Years and at the end of my cp. These are the exact reasons why I'll never actually pay to be there the week before or after Christmas. It's just too busy. I like to see/do a lot on my trips, so I stay away from the super busy times of year.

 

[General Grizz]

5 hours for 5 minute ride. . . I don't think I'll ever come to the parks for New Years.

 

[Lokheed]

It was my son's birthday today. We had 4:10 reservations at the Crystal Palace, and were arriving in two groups. When I hit the entrance to the parking lot at 3pm and was informed the park had been closed for capacity, I explained my situation and that my son and the rest of the family were already inside the park. The person at the parking entrance said there was no way they would let me into the park, but I was welcome to talk to security.

So I drove a little further up the line to where the cars were being directed back out of the parking lot, and spoke to security. I again explained the situation, and he very politely said that there was no way they would let me into the park, but that I was welcome to go up to the Ticket and Transportation Center and talk to Guest Services. He let me through into the parking lot while all other cars were being waived around.

I parked and walked up to the TTC, and I did not see anybody blocking guests from proceeding to the monoarail. I walked right up the ramp, got on a monorail, and was swept away to the Magic Kingdom. At the turnstiles there was a trickle of people entering the park, and I was allowed in without questioning.

So basically, in under thirty minutes I went from "no way will you be able to enter the park" to actually entering the park.

My son had a great birthday, by the way. Dinner was excellent, he got his picture taken with Pooh and Piglet, and he got to go on his favorite ride (Snow White). Every cast member I encountered was very polite about the situation, and I have no idea how it is I managed to get in when pretty much nobody else could, but I am grateful I did.

And yeah, the park was just a wee bit crowded...

 

[BenS]

I was leaving the park today at about that time. It took me about 45 minutes to get from Fantasyland to the gate, and at about 2 PM or so the Peter Pan's Flight Fastpasses were for 8:15 PM. I think I got a few pictures of the crowds, including the mess of a line for the Haunted Mansion fastpass machines. On our way to Epcot we rode in the front of the monorail and the monorail pilot told us that the MK parking lot was full, and they had the full monorail fleet running that day.

Nice weather though, much better than it has been the past few days I've been here.

I'll try to get my pics posted tomorrow, when I return home to the tundra.

 

[basas]

Oh I'd like to see the pics(Call me weird, but I love crowd pics )! Thanks!

BTW- any wait times you could tell us?

 

[cherrynegra]

....and at about 2 PM or so the Peter Pan's Flight Fastpasses were for 8:15 PM.

:dazzle: **faints backwards to the ground**

 

[Badger Brent]

I can only imagine the stroller parking outside of Mickey's Philharmagic!! :lol:

 

[Maria]

So if someone wants to spend NYE at Epcot on Friday, what do you suggest them to do? What time should they arrive to the park?

 

[tigger248]

So if someone wants to spend NYE at Epcot on Friday, what do you suggest them to do? What time should they arrive to the park?

I would recommend as early as possible. When I was a cp, I didn't have to work until night and my family was there to pick me up, so we went to MK during the day. It was packed. We got there probably 10'ish (it's been 2 years, so I could be wrong on the time) and the park was already very crowded. That was the same week that we saw TT with a 320 minute wait (and that day wasn't even a holiday). If you want to ride MS or TT, I'd recommend arriving early and grabbing a TT fast pass right away, otherwise you won't get one.

 

[MichelleBelle]

I will be at Disney on New Years day... Do you think the parks will be jammed? If so, which park would be best to do that day? Hopefully the rest of the week won't be so bad :brick:

 

[BenS]

I remember that most E-ticket rides were almost out of fastpasses and had standby waits of over 60 minutes. By the time I saw epcot from the monorail Test Track was out of fastpasses.

 

[Hakunamatata]

Is it this crazy every year during this time, or particullarly, on this specific day? We are going the first week of December 2005. Its not like this all the time during the Christmas holidays is it?

 

[TURKEY]

Is it this crazy every year during this time, or particullarly, on this specific day? We are going the first week of December 2005. Its not like this all the time during the Christmas holidays is it?

Other than the weekends, the first 2 weeks of December are very nice.

It's just the few days before Christmas-New Year's that are that super busy.

 

[Hakunamatata]

Other than the weekends, the first 2 weeks of December are very nice.

It's just the few days before Christmas-New Year's that are that super busy.

Thanks Turkey. We will likely arrive on a Saturday, be in the parks Sunday through Friday, then leave on Saturday, as we are driving from Texas.

Oh BTW, I will be definatley be having a couple of meals consisting of Turkey legs and premium mickey bars......

 

[celticdog]

So if someone wants to spend NYE at Epcot on Friday, what do you suggest them to do? What time should they arrive to the park?

5:00 on thursday. :lol:

 

[casualrdt]

I did xmas in the world last year.... you can do it, you just have to plan things out and be willing to stay after dinner when the parks clear out. LAst xmas i was on Splash at the end of the night and the park was empty. Just about every ride was a walk on. Same wnt for MGM the following day.

 

[Thrawn]

I believe it is about close to around 90,000 (DL's is about 80-85,000)

If DisneyLand is 80,000-85,000, MK can handle WAY WAY more than that. DL is nowhere near the size of MK.

 

[DisneyFan 2000]

But it has more rides, thus more capacity.

 

[crazydaveh]

While the MK has been packed the past two days... here is what it looked like on Christmas eve!

Impressive how the weather can play with the crowds!

Christmas Eve: 55 degrees with drizzle here and there and wind.

 

[MagliteL13]

Crowded Park

Yesterday, was an interesting day. At Pecos, I know we kept on closing our doors to guests (between us and El Pirate we have a capacity of 1107). We closed our doors before the first parade, then again before the second parade, and then finally things started to die down again, but tables were still scarce. I remember hearing around 12 that we were at phase 3 and then at 1, phase 4. I just honestly don't think you can enjoy MK when it's that crowded. I called the operator to find wait times on Big Thunder and Splash and Splash was 90min and Big Thunder was 2 hrs. I remember being told that all fast passes were gone by 2.

MagliteL13