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Magic Kingdom phase 4 closing

Posted: Jan Thu 01, 2009 10:35 am
by JimB
Wow, the Magic Kingdom at WDW hit a phase 4 (NOBODY can enter) closing yesterday afternoon (New Year's Eve) due to the park reaching maximum guest capacity. This has only happened a few times over the past few years and never at New Years to the best of my knowledge. People were talking about 15-20 minute lines for the BATHROOMS!!!

Posted: Jan Thu 01, 2009 11:18 am
by horizons1
Wow, that is crazy. I was just wondering how busy it was there last night.

Happy New Year!

Posted: Jan Thu 01, 2009 11:46 am
by agingerbugg
I have been to the Magic Kingdom a few times when they should have closed it due to capacity. I remember the last evening of the MSELP, it was so crowded you couldn't move. They had to take us behind scenes in order to leave the park. It took me forty-five minutes to walk from the turnstile to the castle and into Fantasyland.

Posted: Jan Thu 01, 2009 11:47 am
by spodie
Who would want to be there during that?? I couldn't even imagine...

Re: Magic Kingdom phase 4 closing

Posted: Jan Thu 01, 2009 3:38 pm
by aparadissis
JimB wrote:People were talking about 15-20 minute lines for the BATHROOMS!!!
Maybe they should put a fastpass in for them :P

Posted: Jan Thu 01, 2009 4:41 pm
by packwingfn
Yeah I was in EPCOT Last year working on NYE...it was insane but at least World Showcase has a lot of more space than Magic Kingdom. I couldn't imagine being on Main Street trying to exit the park...even with the backstage areas open in order to help guest flow.

Posted: Jan Thu 01, 2009 5:29 pm
by DisBeamer
spodie wrote:Who would want to be there during that?? I couldn't even imagine...
I actually would, if I could get in early enough to stake out a good spot to sit and just ... sit. Y'know? Like I didn't want to go on any rides, or do much of anything other than people watch and see the fireworks, with the benefit of having a bench that we could loaf on, and 'save' while going to the bathroom/get things to eat/stretching legs in shifts.

I can't imagine wanting to go and expecting to do anything other than be in bumper to bumper foot traffic, though. Or taking little kids in.

Posted: Jan Thu 01, 2009 7:09 pm
by packwingfn
Yeah sitting wouldn't be so bad, but even them I'm sure a lot of benches were taken. In Italy Pavillion, people were actually lying down on their blankets relaxing, reading a book on NYE

Posted: Jan Thu 01, 2009 7:12 pm
by spodie
DisBeamer wrote:I actually would, if I could get in early enough to stake out a good spot to sit and just ... sit. Y'know? Like I didn't want to go on any rides, or do much of anything other than people watch and see the fireworks, with the benefit of having a bench that we could loaf on, and 'save' while going to the bathroom/get things to eat/stretching legs in shifts.

I can't imagine wanting to go and expecting to do anything other than be in bumper to bumper foot traffic, though. Or taking little kids in.
I'm definately not a people-watcher. I have tried it because so many people love doing it, but I just can't sit in one place and watch people (especially in Disney!). I guess that's why I wouldn't want to be there during a Phase 4 closing, but I can definately see why yesterday would be a people-watcher paradise.

Posted: Jan Thu 01, 2009 7:37 pm
by MadEye
packwingfn wrote:Yeah I was in EPCOT Last year working on NYE...it was insane but at least World Showcase has a lot of more space than Magic Kingdom. I couldn't imagine being on Main Street trying to exit the park...even with the backstage areas open in order to help guest flow.
Heck, I hate being on Main Street after Wishes or Spectro. I can only imagine what it would be like with 90,000 - 100,000 people...

Posted: Jan Thu 01, 2009 10:36 pm
by Len90
I have been there when the park was at a phase 3 and everyone was exiting after Spectro and then wishes whileI stayed on Main Street for the late Spectro parade. It was scary how many people were on Main Street, I would DEFINITELY not want to be in the Magic Kingdom for a phase 4.

Does anyone know the status of the other parks?

Re: Magic Kingdom phase 4 closing

Posted: Jan Thu 01, 2009 11:21 pm
by Soarin08
aparadissis wrote:
JimB wrote:People were talking about 15-20 minute lines for the BATHROOMS!!!
Maybe they should put a fastpass in for them :P
LMAO!!! :lol: Good one!

Posted: Jan Fri 02, 2009 8:28 am
by Nz58cl
I am sure it was a crowded mess; and I would have loved to have been there!!! :donald:

Posted: Jan Fri 02, 2009 10:26 am
by MadEye
Len90 wrote:Does anyone know the status of the other parks?
I heard that at Epcot, they were parking guests on the grass. And that park has the biggest parking lot of the 4 (if you haven't heard, you could fit Magic Kingdom in that lot!).

Posted: Jan Fri 02, 2009 11:11 am
by boilerbabe
Does anyone know what the capacity is at MK?!

I like the Fast Pass idea for the bathrooms, LOL