Unanswered questions July 4th Weekend

[fastpass7300]

There are a few items that are usually covered by now regarding this weekend that have been unsaid this year.

Due to the busy holiday, I seem to recall a phazed closing for MK last year. Any theory on this happening despite the slow June crowds so far?

Are they going to be holding people at the TTC in the morning before sending them to the park?

Do we know if they will be rerouting traffic away from the bridges for the fireworks again and exiting people through the Emporium/Behind Main Street?

Are they opening the backstage fireworks viewing area?

Are they opening the Noodle Station/Diamond Horseshoe/Adventureland Veranda for eating?

Are they going to use the "get your food to get a table" plan?

Any insight?

 

[AEfx]

No one can really answer those until the need arises - any/all of those things may happen based on the circumstances that day.

I would count on phase closings, though - it is pretty much a given because in spite of June crowd levels it's ALWAYS one of the absolute BUSIEST days of the year.

I wouldn't be caught dead there - but for those that go you can expect crowds, crowds, and more crowds.

 

[Figment1986]

Due to the busy holiday, I seem to recall a phased closing for MK last year. Any theory on this happening despite the slow June crowds so far?

If the crowds reach that level it will feature a phase closing.

Are they going to be holding people at the TTC in the morning before sending them to the park?

If thats what they have been doing before, I have never been to MK early enough for rope drop before.

Do we know if they will be rerouting traffic away from the bridges for the fireworks again and exiting people through the Emporium/Behind Main Street?

Most liklely they will encourage park guests to not be near the bridges and such when the fireworks are going on as the park becomes a stand still and a couple hundred people not moving sort of beat the 10 CMs with light sticks... :lookaroun

Are they opening the backstage fireworks viewing area?

I am unaware they did this in the past, do you have more information on this?

Are they opening the Noodle Station/Diamond Horseshoe/Adventureland Veranda for eating?

Noodle station is already open for the busier season doing burgers and such for lunch and Asian flair for dinner. Adventure land Veranda might open, I did not go past it this week to know for sure. Diamond horseshoe is open for dinner so it might be open for lunch as well.

Are they going to use the "get your food to get a table" plan?

At the major restaurants (ok just about every quick service restaurant) they are doing crowd control flow directing people to order and get your food first, then find a table. They have every table possible available including the inside / outside balcony at Pinocchio.

I wouldn't be caught dead there - but for those that go you can expect crowds, crowds, and more crowds.

I completely expect crowds on the 3rd and 4th.... which is why on the 4th I may go to Epcot or no park at all while I'm planning MK on the 3rd.

 

[monkeysammich]

Yesterday at MK was very empty... I was completely shocked. Maybe its just because it was the Friday -before- the 4th of july weekend. I'm expecting bigger crowds today... especially since its not too terribly hot... a bit rainy and overcast.

We're avoiding magic kingdom today and tomorrow though... Epcot and Animal Kingdom. (AK on the 4th since it doesn't have fireworks... hopefully that means most people will avoid it )

But yeah... yesterday... 15 minute wait for splash Mountain at 6pm. 25 minute wait for Space Mountain at 11:45 am. It was nuts.

EDIT: Also, they were using the "food for table" method at Pinoccio's Village Haus yesterday... of course my wife had a double stroller with an infant and a toddler. She begged to go sit down at a table, since we had 8. They picked an empty bench for her.

 

[marni1971]

Expect phased closing at all parks. Normally it begins mid morning, and usually either gets better or holds by late afternoon. Depending on crowds, you may or may not be able to move around behind Main St.

There arn`t any `backstage` fireworks viewing areas, unless you happen to be behind Main St during the display. Even then, you arn`t encouraged to pause.

 

[peter11435]

There arn`t any `backstage` fireworks viewing areas, unless you happen to be behind Main St during the display. Even then, you arn`t encouraged to pause.

Actually last New Years Eve they set up rows of benches and speakers backstage in the parking lot behind the east side of Main Street. Guests were encouraged to view the show from there to relieve stress on other areas of the park.

 

[GrumpyFan]

Could we possibly see slightly lower crowds this weekend due to Harry Potter?

 

[peter11435]

Could we possibly see slightly lower crowds this weekend due to Harry Potter?

Doubtful...

 

[marni1971]

Actually last New Years Eve they set up rows of benches and speakers backstage in the parking lot behind the east side of Main Street. Guests were encouraged to view the show from there to relieve stress on other areas of the park.

I stand corrected.

 

[rct247]

New Year's Eve is the busiest day of the year, so backstage fireworks make sense, but for 4th of July I doubt it.

Last year, 4th of July was pretty light from what I heard. At least at Hollywood Studios, it was just another typical Fantasmic day, about the same as Memorial Day weekend or the beginning of the Thanksgiving week.

 

[OnWithTheShow]

Noodle Station and Diamond Horseshoe were open for lunch and dinner yesterday. Didnt notice Adventureland Verenda.

 

[Figment4Ever]

Magic Kingdom felt EMPTY to me today. I came down expecting wall to wall crowds and I never felt crowded at all. The rain (which ranged anywhere from a comfortable drizzle to a downpour) helped clear some people out, but when we left the Magic Kingdom to head back to the Poly for the fireworks at 8 (because we figured the beach here would be much more tolerable than the crowds at Magic Kingdom) there was still almost no one on main street.

I didn't ride many rides but the ones I looked at didn't have long wait times, either.

 

[DisneyJoe]

Are they opening the Noodle Station/Diamond Horseshoe/Adventureland Veranda for eating?

http://tweetphoto.com/30578602

 

[monkeysammich]

Magic Kingdom felt EMPTY to me today. I came down expecting wall to wall crowds and I never felt crowded at all. The rain (which ranged anywhere from a comfortable drizzle to a downpour) helped clear some people out, but when we left the Magic Kingdom to head back to the Poly for the fireworks at 8 (because we figured the beach here would be much more tolerable than the crowds at Magic Kingdom) there was still almost no one on main street.

I didn't ride many rides but the ones I looked at didn't have long wait times, either.

Epcot was the same way today... the longest I saw Soarin' was at 60 mins. When we got there at 10:30, the standby was only 35. I have never seen it that low!

Other than a problem with a few tour groups of a certain south american persuasion... we had -no- problems. We kind of spent a liiiitttle too long in the biergarten, so we missed half the countries for my toddler's passport. Guess we'll just have to go back again! (darn!)

Tomorrow.... Animal kingdom!

 

[wdwmagic]

Actually last New Years Eve they set up rows of benches and speakers backstage in the parking lot behind the east side of Main Street. Guests were encouraged to view the show from there to relieve stress on other areas of the park.

I had heard they had done that for cast, but I hadn't heard that guests wre viewing fro back there.

 

[wdwmagic]

Word from the parks today is that it pretty much rained all day, and the forecast is not pretty for the 4th either. I expect a lot of Floridians may not make the trip. Expect potentially lower crowds than normal.

 

[monkeysammich]

Word from the parks today is that it pretty much rained all day, and the forecast is not pretty for the 4th either. I expect a lot of Floridians may not make the trip. Expect potentially lower crowds than normal.

This is correct... we actually bought a *gasp* poncho. For my daughter.

It's been very overcast, a few light drizzles... one mid afternoon shower. Actually very pleasant weather.

 

[marypoppins68]

Actually last New Years Eve they set up rows of benches and speakers backstage in the parking lot behind the east side of Main Street. Guests were encouraged to view the show from there to relieve stress on other areas of the park.

I can confirm that these were set up tonight. I watched the fireworks tonight from the bridge going from the hub to Tomorrowland. Right under where Tink normally flies. We got to the park around 5 pm and expected big crowds but, (maybe because of the rain?) the park seemed like any other Saturday night in the summer. POTC was a 5 minute wait. Big Thunder was 20 min. We had no problem ordering or finding a table at Pecos Bill's. Small World was 7 minutes. Peter Pan was listed as 70 minutes, but there's always a line for that. It was much less crowded than when we were there in December before Christmas.

When the fireworks were over they routed us back into Tomorrowland, behind Buzz into the parking lot, where we saw the benches and speakers set up. Great view of the castle from back there, by the way. Then, we came out by the hat shop and Tony's, on Main Street. Then out the Exit. People were also coming in the opposite direction, from Main Street I suppose. We made the first ferry boat that came in, and only had to wait for one tram before we got on. Definitely a lot less people than we expected. It really turned out to be a great evening, rain and all.

 

[Neverland]

Are they opening the Noodle Station/Diamond Horseshoe/Adventureland Veranda for eating?

All of those are gonna be open, as well as Friar's Nook, which has been open off and on for the last few days. Adventureland Veranda is going to have hand-carved sandwiches, apparently.

We got to the park around 5 pm and expected big crowds but, (maybe because of the rain?) the park seemed like any other Saturday night in the summer.

I got there at 5 to do extra crowd control for the fireworks over by the teacups... There really was no need! I had people telling me that there were more crowd control CMs than guests. :lol: