Wed 8th April Magic Kingdom closure (Updated: phase 3 as of 12pm)

[nibblesandbits]

Some friends of our are heading down on Sunday (Easter). They came up with a great question that I didn't know the answer to so I thought I'd post it and see if the "experts" knew:

This is purely hypothetical. Say you have an ADR for CRT. That's a prepaid meal. If the gates are at Phase 4 and you are trying to get to your CRT meal that you've already prepaid, what's going to happen? Will they let you in? Will they refund your money? Will they reschedule you?

I don't think this will be a problem for our friends next week. I don't think they even have CRT reserved. Plus, next week is a black-out week on the 4/3 deal so maybe the crowds won't be as horrendous.

Thanks, y'all!

Ok...next week is the black out week for the 7 for 4? Strange...I would have thought it would have been the two weeks surrounding Easter...not just the week after. Hmmm....

 

[GrumpyFan]

This is purely hypothetical. Say you have an ADR for CRT. That's a prepaid meal. If the gates are at Phase 4 and you are trying to get to your CRT meal that you've already prepaid, what's going to happen? Will they let you in? Will they refund your money? Will they reschedule you?

Good question. I'm not sure of the answer, but if it were me, I would head for the park as soon as it opens, that way you're in before it's closed, and you don't have to go thru the hassle of trying to convince half a dozen CMs and showing your confirmation to let you pass.

 

[hokielutz]

I want to see a play-by-play version of someone who is in the park all day's itinerary. I wonder how many attractions you can get into the day, when all the lines (even for FOOD!) are that long

I like your idea.... might try it in May.... open a thread for a full day's tour and post to it as the day goes along..... I might end up wearing out my iPhone's battery though.

 

[GrumpyFan]

Ok...next week is the black out week for the 7 for 4? Strange...I would have thought it would have been the two weeks surrounding Easter...not just the week after. Hmmm....

Makes me wonder if it wasn't a screw-up on the offer. Logic would reason that this week should've been blacked out. However, they run computer-based forecast models that tell them exactly how many people will be there. So, they probably just expected the model to be true, and then made the offer to include this week, because the computer said it would be slow. After all, computers are never wrong! :lol:

 

[hokielutz]

I have found this to be true with every passing trip.
We go in January and it used to be a piece of cake but it seems like the Marathon draws more and more crowds and vacationing marathon runners.
It's definitely not as quiet as it used to be at that time.

Same thing I thought of when we visited this past January. Also the tour groups compounded the crowded situations.

 

[DisneyJoe]

This is purely hypothetical. Say you have an ADR for CRT. That's a prepaid meal. If the gates are at Phase 4 and you are trying to get to your CRT meal that you've already prepaid, what's going to happen? Will they let you in? Will they refund your money? Will they reschedule you?

They will NOT let you in.

I am not sure about the refunds, etc.

 

[coasterphil]

Some friends of our are heading down on Sunday (Easter). They came up with a great question that I didn't know the answer to so I thought I'd post it and see if the "experts" knew:

This is purely hypothetical. Say you have an ADR for CRT. That's a prepaid meal. If the gates are at Phase 4 and you are trying to get to your CRT meal that you've already prepaid, what's going to happen? Will they let you in? Will they refund your money? Will they reschedule you?

I don't think this will be a problem for our friends next week. I don't think they even have CRT reserved. Plus, next week is a black-out week on the 4/3 deal so maybe the crowds won't be as horrendous.

Thanks, y'all!

You absolutely will not be let into the park, almost certainly won't be rebooked, and will likely receive a refund for prepaid deposit/meal.

 

[FigmentPrincess]

Which is exactly the reason they have police all around the place when they are forced to tell guests no.

I need to head over there to work on a project I was at Epcot for yesterday....it better reopen to everyone at some point this evening! If I can get over there, I'll post some wait times later.

 

[nibblesandbits]

Makes me wonder if it wasn't a screw-up on the offer. Logic would reason that this week should've been blacked out. However, they run computer-based forecast models that tell them exactly how many people will be there. So, they probably just expected the model to be true, and then made the offer to include this week, because the computer said it would be slow. After all, computers are never wrong! :lol:

Yeah...exactly. Becuase I know when I was in school, my spring break was always either a few weeks before Easter or the week before. I never had spring break after Easter. I would think a lot of schools would follow these two models. Matter of fact, before I joined here, I'd never heard of anyone having spring break after Easter.

I would guess the computers made a big boo-boo...especially once Disney learned a few weeks ago that the park hours needed tweaking...and if it wasn't the computers, something else major failed in their predictions. (Although, maybe failed isn't the right word...the parks are packed...but the question is, are the spending anything???)

 

[sweetpee_1993]

Same thing I thought of when we visited this past January. Also the tour groups compounded the crowded situations.

Uh! Yeah! I'm right with you. As the years have gone by the crowds have gotten bigger and bigger. Hubby and I have been discussing if we *really* want to continue doing this. If the crowds are only getting worse maybe it's a good time to start traveling to other places. Perhaps someday the ever-inflating balloon will burst and we'll be good to go again. :shrug:

 

[Matpez]

Picture provided by Brian Sikorski via twitter: (@wonderfultime)

http://twitpic.com/309ty

 

[DisneyJoe]

I would guess the computers made a big boo-boo...especially once Disney learned a few weeks ago that the park hours needed tweaking...and if it wasn't the computers, something else major failed in their predictions. (Although, maybe failed isn't the right word...the parks are packed...but the question is, are the spending anything???)

My guess is that last minute drive traffic is WAY up...and that is difficult to work into the forecasting models.

 

[hokielutz]

Uh! Yeah! I'm right with you. As the years have gone by the crowds have gotten bigger and bigger. Hubby and I have been discussing if we *really* want to continue doing this. If the crowds are only getting worse maybe it's a good time to start traveling to other places. Perhaps someday the ever-inflating balloon will burst and we'll be good to go again. :shrug:

Nope... won't burst..... the balloon will just have to grow another ear..

5th gate talk..... (Screams of horror!!)

(groans)

 

[hokielutz]

My guess is that last minute drive traffic is WAY up...and that is difficult to work into the forecasting models.

Well.... isn't that a picture of busy bustling.... good luck getting granny and her motorized wheelchair up that street today.

 

[jt04]

Nope... won't burst..... the balloon will just have to grow another ear..

5th gate talk..... (Screams of horror!!)

(groans)

They simply need to expand the current parks including capacities. Mysterious Island Land would help. New E-ticket in WS would too. Carsland or something similar at DHS would be good and the MI coaster. Etc etc etc.

 

[BSikor]

Picture provided by Brian Sikorski via twitter: (@wonderfultime)

http://twitpic.com/309ty

Thanks Mat for posting the pic for me! I just got home from the Magic Kingdom. Crowd wasn't too bad at 8am. Got on Space Mountain with a posted 40 minute wait but was only 20. Then by 9:30 the place started getting busier and busier. By 11 the line for Small World reached around to loops and around to Pinnochio's. Speaking of Pinnochio's, they were at controled access meaning that you could only enter through certain doors and were led to a cash register to order. You were not permitted to get a table and hold it waiting on people you must have food and your party to sit. The photo that Mat posted was from about 12:30. Here's two of the wait times posted at the tip board.

 

[PhilharMagician]

This is one of the few times I will say that I am probably happier being in upstate NY in the cold.

 

[SirGoofy]

For it being Phase anything, the wait times aren't that bad.:shrug:

 

[BSikor]

Here's more pics. These are of the cars on World Drive being told at the plaza that the Magic Kingdom is closed and not accepting guests. As they went through the plaza cars were directed back on to World Drive. The only was to access the Magic Kingdom was either from another park or resort.

 

[wdwmagic]

MK now out of phased close and reopen to all guests, but still obnviously VERY busy.