Did I hear right the Magic Kingdom was turning guests away?

DAR · Post by **DAR** » Apr Mon 13, 2009 9:12 am

I've been seeing reports that the Magic Kingdom had to close down last week because it was at capacity. Can anyone else confirm this?

packwingfn · Post by **packwingfn** » Apr Mon 13, 2009 9:39 am

I don't have the confirmation in front of me but it usually fills to capacity around the holidays. They have 4 phase closings that they go through, where the 4th phase is when they allow noone else in the park at the time. The other phases only allow guests staying in the hotel or something like that. I'm sure there are others who can give you more details.

spodie · Post by **spodie** » Apr Mon 13, 2009 1:19 pm

I believe these are the phases:

Phase I: The parking lot shuts down.

Phase II: Only Disney resort guests may enter if they arrive on Disney transportation.

Phase III: Only Annual Passholders may enter if they arrive on Disney transportation.

Phase IV: Park reaches capacity, no one allowed to enter.

packwingfn · Post by **packwingfn** » Apr Mon 13, 2009 1:25 pm

spodie wrote:I believe these are the phases:

Phase I: The parking lot shuts down.

Phase II: Only Disney resort guests may enter if they arrive on Disney transportation.

Phase III: Only Annual Passholders may enter if they arrive on Disney transportation.

Phase IV: Park reaches capacity, no one allowed to enter.

That sounds correct. That usually happens in MK because the capacity isn't that big compared to EPCOT. DHS and DAK aren't so big either but DAK hardly ever reaches capacity.

DaRkNeSs · Post by **DaRkNeSs** » Apr Mon 13, 2009 2:18 pm

Yes Disney had to refuse guest at MK! Last week! now you all know why to avoid Easter/Spring break holiday at Disney!! Park was filled by 11am! WOW! thats alot of people!

theBIGyowski · Post by **theBIGyowski** » Apr Mon 13, 2009 3:29 pm

I was at DHS (MGM back then) for New Years 2001-2002 and all parks had reached phase IV capacity by 11:00 AM on New Years Eve. It was very weird...hearing from a CM that if we left the park we were in that we wouldn't be able to get back in it or any other park. So we decided to just stay there and watch the midnight fireworks show there instead of Epcot or MK. It wasn't so bad...it was just crowded...especially in restaurants and the thrill ride lines.

Lion Sleeps Tonight · Post by **Lion Sleeps Tonight** » Apr Mon 13, 2009 5:13 pm

Yes, I think last Tues and Wed, MK was at level 4 closings. Last time they did that, it was in July I believe.

Jacca5660 · Post by **Jacca5660** » Apr Mon 13, 2009 5:27 pm

They just laid off over 1000 people at WDW sighting low attendance? What's up with that? I do expect all the Disney corporate defenders to answer.

Post by **js3901** » Apr Mon 13, 2009 6:16 pm

Jacca5660 wrote:They just laid off over 1000 people at WDW sighting low attendance? What's up with that? I do expect all the Disney corporate defenders to answer.

During the holidays (or the peak times) is different from every other day of the year. So, while they may be at capacity within the parks for a few days/weeks, the rest of the time (until the next peak time) will be fairly quiet. It's those slow times that cost them more money to keep the staff.

emnbensdad · Post by **emnbensdad** » Apr Mon 13, 2009 7:25 pm

When I checked in last Thursday night at CBR, I asked the CM checking me in about the closings. She tried to be vague but realized I knew more than the average guest. She did say that a couple of parks did reach capacity last week and had to limit guest entry. How's that for a PC explanation?

We were there on Friday and while it was crowded, we didn't have unusually long waits anywhere.

Post by **Len90** » Apr Mon 13, 2009 8:28 pm

Lion Sleeps Tonight wrote:Yes, I think last Tues and Wed, MK was at level 4 closings. Last time they did that, it was in July I believe.

I know it may have hit it last year on Independence day. I know it was in one of the phases, but I am not sure which one. Also, there was a phase 4 over the holidays. I believe this past New Years.

Future Guy · Post by **Future Guy** » Apr Tue 14, 2009 6:29 am

Jacca5660 wrote:They just laid off over 1000 people at WDW sighting low attendance? What's up with that? I do expect all the Disney corporate defenders to answer.

There's an interesting article on that very subject here. Basically, it says that Disney slashed R&D and Maintenance budgets to the bone to maximize profits back when the economy was booming, so now that things have slowed down they have to cut workers to maintain their profit margins. A very interesting article (although it may cause you to want to throw rocks at your computer screen).

Jacca5660 · Post by **Jacca5660** » Apr Tue 14, 2009 9:32 am

OK, I understand your, "It may cause you to throw rocks at the computer" Line!! My DW is concern I might have Terets! It's just amazing that with all the Disney Fan Based sites that they don't have a clue? Ask any other company on the planet what they would do with the volumes of on line real people info Disney has and I believe a CEO and board would have an OR***M!

It unbelievable how Disney squanders the on line resources it has. I feel they still suffer from the days of Eisner when profit was king! By the way Disney's stock was at best stagnate during the Eisner's "Burnt Earth" regime! Have they learned nothing?

I have a life long friend who has been a maintenance tech at WDW for almost 20 years. They sometimes can't replace light bulbs because the computer said they only needed so many and they went over! How many people say to their wives that "Honey we can't replace the kitchen light because we've used to many this quarter?"

In the last few weeks the staff at EPCOT has gotten a lot more done. Maximo, Disney computerized maintenance system has been off line. So instead of the computer telling them what needs done, they've been doing what really needs done.

I'm very annoyed with the Disney defenders!! There are a few of us here that have a grasp of the profit at all coast Disney attitude! Please pull you heads out and see what's going on here!

I'm sorry if I'm ranting! ;+> This is just IMHO

Future Guy · Post by **Future Guy** » Apr Tue 14, 2009 10:43 am

Dilbert creator Scott Adams once explained corporate stupidity this way: individually, we're all silly and illogical beings. For the most part, we recognize this and we're quite tolerant of weirdness and irrationality in others (our family members, for example). Corporations are basically just a big group of irrational, illogical human beings, yet for some reason we expect them to behave logically and we get upset when they don't.

Captain Schnemo · Post by **Captain Schnemo** » Apr Tue 14, 2009 1:34 pm

I think it's because we're indoctrinated with this nonsense about how capitalism is this magical force that streamlines companies and leads to the best of all possible financial choices through a clean evolutionary process.

This is of course demonstrably false, in nearly every sense, but every time there's another example of this, it gets treated as an anomaly.

You could blame the media for not pointing out the obvious, but then they're corporations too and they know high concept "Is Capitalism All We've Been Told It Is?" stories aren't as interesting as specific stories about specific individuals doing stupid things. Hell, we're lucky when we get that much coverage.

Usually the economy is treated as if it's the weather. "Dow is up 10 points, 20% chance of showers today, etc."