MK at Stage 3.5 Closing, which is a new concept

[rf53]

Not how I read it. It says resort guests ARE being allowed entry, regardless of ticket type or length.

I thought so to it it seemed a little unclear. Allowing resort guests and those already inside the parking lots entry has been the policy in the past. Nevertheless, its going to be a six attraction day for most... if you have FP+'s locked in. Not much fun if you ask me. I hope things have slowed down by tomorrow when my family, and the rain arrive.

 

[AmyB2006]

I thought so to it it seemed a little unclear. Allowing resort guests and those already inside the parking lots entry has been the policy in the past. Nevertheless, its going to be a six attraction day for most... if you have FP+'s locked in. Not much fun if you ask me. I hope things have slowed down by tomorrow when my family, and the rain arrive.

A phase 3 closing typically allowed people who had pre purchased 1 day MK tickets, into the MK.

With this new advisory, those people are being turned away, unless they are a resort guest.

That's the 1/2 I think for 3 1/2. LOL

 

[marthachick]

I can't imagine that Epcot will close. It hasn't in years and a 210 wait time for Soarin', while long is not entirely unheard of. My daughter worked there for several years and one NYE Soarin' had a 6 hour wait!

We were there this morning...just got back and it is busy but there is still alot of room to pack people into that park. Lot's of available parking too. In our lot they only parked one row of cars in each row leaving the spots behind open presumably to fill later.

Liz

I can't imagine willingly standing in line for 6 hours for Soarin'. And I LOVE Soarin'. The only way would be if Johnny Depp was going to ride with me. lol

 

[squirrel4569]

Soarin was at 250 minutes earlier in the day. Crazy stuff.

I've been having this discussion with friends in a facebook group who went in August. I'll gladly battle heat and humidity instead of the crowds and waits. Like it was mentioned in the thread about Elsa and Anna being a 5 hour wait, time is money at Disney. If you take a $5000 vacation for 7 days at 10 hours a day in the park that's over $70/hour to stand in line.

And the lines and times we're hearing about don't include character wait lines, CS waits and table availability, monorail and bus wait times, etc.

We went at Thanksgiving in 2012 and while it was definitely heavier than the late summer/early fall crowds it was still manageable. We had some tense moments waiting on the monorail to get to ADRs, but we were able to see most things during our week. I think in order to do all that my family would want to in a Disney trip we'd have to go for longer over the Christmas break and include Christmas day in the trip. Today would likely be a resort/rest day.

I loved the decorations and parades and Christmas festivities we saw during the Thanksgiving week. The Osborne lights are some of my favorite things in the whole world but my wife and I just wouldn't be able to cope with the crowds today. The bigger the crowds the ruder the people, the more tense the CMs, the harder it is to get pictures, the longer the lines, the crankier the kids and adults get. No thanks. I'll pass.

 

[CaptHomer]

When the line for Stitch is at 70 minutes it's time to call it a day!

 

[roomthreeseventeen]

When the line for Stitch is at 70 minutes it's time to call it a day!

There's a bar somewhere. LOL.

 

[wisblue]

Well, I mean, the nerve! Wanting to do the two major headliners in the park your at? Especially if you didn't buy a park hopper! Or have ADRs that you might be charged for missing if you can't get back?

I am at WDW now and if you wanted to do both TT and Soarin, and didn't get to the park at opening frankly, you deserve what you get.

I understand the desire that a lot of posters have to bash FP+ at every opportunity! but under the old FP system, if you arrived at Epcot at 11 AM you would be lucky to get a FP for one of those attractions, much less both.

Meanwhile, we will be enjoying our FP+ reservations at DHS tonight because they will get us 3 attractions we couldn't have done otherwise. We didn't need FPs to do the Safari, Dinosaur, and EE (twice with single rider) this morning. We could have ridden EE nonstop for over an hour with single rider if we had been so inclined.

 

[maxiesmom]

Well, I mean, the nerve! Wanting to do the two major headliners in the park your at? Especially if you didn't buy a park hopper! Or have ADRs that you might be charged for missing if you can't get back?

Get there at open an you can do those two major headliners with little wait, no problem. If you have an ADR, then you go to the park and stay there. The rules are pretty darned clear on how that works.

 

[btk2333]

I am at WDW now and if you wanted to do both TT and Soarin, and didn't get to the park at opening frankly, you deserve what you get.

I understand the desire that a lot of posters have to bash FP+ at every opportunity! but under the old FP system, if you arrived at Epcot at 11 AM you would be lucky to get a FP for one of those attractions, much less both.

Meanwhile, we will be enjoying our FP+ reservations at DHS tonight because they will get us 3 attractions we couldn't have done otherwise. We didn't need FPs to do the Safari, Dinosaur, and EE (twice with single rider) this morning. We could have ridden EE nonstop for over an hour with single rider if we had been so inclined.

agreed- under the old system if you'd showed up at 11 legacy FP would have been gone and neither ride would have been rideable without a long line. FP+ isn't to blame for everything. Near capacity crowds will make it nearly impossible to avoid lines whether there is legacy FP or FP+

 

[V4dice]

Just got back a little while ago from the MK and trying to get the kids to take a rest before tonight (just celebrating at Port Orleans). Our plan this week is early mornings and fastpass plus (which has been great!!). Got to MK at 7:15am and left by 2pm when the crowds were crazy but we managed to do Small World, Barnstormer 2x, Haunted Mansion, Pirates, Jingle Cruise, Space Mountain, People Mover, lunch at BOG (fastpass), Speedway, Buzz, and Big Thunder. Although we are not usually the family that gets to the park at rope drop and usually our big trips to WDW are in late August (a lot less crowded) we are finding that with planning, fastpass plus and getting to the parks early we are still enjoying the week here.

 

[ScarletFire]

Arrived at the studios early AM; on the train of RnR by 7:55. We had a pleasant morning. Rode all the main attractions once or twice with little wait.

Check in at BWV after the studios; DH and I walked to EPCOT for Starbucks. No wait to enter the park and only a 10 minute wait for our Lattes. EPCOT is crowded; no FPs; pedestrian jam b/t Mexico and China. I'll post a picture soon.

Currently at the resort. ADR @ Cape May and plan to celebrate at EPCOT tonight. My family is all smiles; having fun!

 

[rthib]

Where is the current status posted or where did the first post come from?
Want to check where things are now (3.5 or 4)

 

[rt2dz]

I am at WDW now and if you wanted to do both TT and Soarin, and didn't get to the park at opening frankly, you deserve what you get.

I understand the desire that a lot of posters have to bash FP+ at every opportunity! but under the old FP system, if you arrived at Epcot at 11 AM you would be lucky to get a FP for one of those attractions, much less both.

Meanwhile, we will be enjoying our FP+ reservations at DHS tonight because they will get us 3 attractions we couldn't have done otherwise. We didn't need FPs to do the Safari, Dinosaur, and EE (twice with single rider) this morning. We could have ridden EE nonstop for over an hour with single rider if we had been so inclined.

Get there at open an you can do those two major headliners with little wait, no problem. If you have an ADR, then you go to the park and stay there. The rules are pretty darned clear on how that works.

agreed- under the old system if you'd showed up at 11 legacy FP would have been gone and neither ride would have been rideable without a long line. FP+ isn't to blame for everything. Near capacity crowds will make it nearly impossible to avoid lines whether there is legacy FP or FP+

Oh Good God people!

1) Who said they weren't following the rules? Or that they were ambiguous? Just an observation on why someone would be in a long line.

2) It's hardly bashing FP+. It is very simply how the system works (those rules that were point out). You can only FP+ one of them. The question: Why stand in line? Well, that's why. That's what happens. NOTE: It was also being asked by someone who has stated that we should stand in line and enjoy it. Well, with waits like that maybe that's why we don't like it.

3) Doesn't matter if people were there at RD or arrived at 11 am. If they were in that line, they had to be there earlier than 11 am. Point still is, it's how you end up in a long line if it is a must-do. Some of those people simply could NOT FP it, and might have had other things going on.

 

[tina.tina]

Just got back a little while ago from the MK and trying to get the kids to take a rest before tonight (just celebrating at Port Orleans). Our plan this week is early mornings and fastpass plus (which has been great!!). Got to MK at 7:15am and left by 2pm when the crowds were crazy but we managed to do Small World, Barnstormer 2x, Haunted Mansion, Pirates, Jingle Cruise, Space Mountain, People Mover, lunch at BOG (fastpass), Speedway, Buzz, and Big Thunder. Although we are not usually the family that gets to the park at rope drop and usually our big trips to WDW are in late August (a lot less crowded) we are finding that with planning, fastpass plus and getting to the parks early we are still enjoying the week here.

Thank you for posting this. It is helpful to know that things are still manageable on such a busy day with careful planning.

 

[FlipHipster]

Status 10/6

Soarin' is currently 250 minutes. Where the heck does a 4+hr queue go? I'm sure it has to exit the ride area into Sunshine Seasons. I like Soarin' and all, but holy cow you can fly across the country in a real plane in that amount of time. Space Mtn is showing 180 min SB.

Do people setup tailgate parties in the queue? How do you pass the time in a 3 or 4 hr line?

 

[chartle]

Status 10/6

Soarin' is currently 250 minutes. Where the heck does a 4+hr queue go? I'm sure it has to exit the ride area into Sunshine Seasons. I like Soarin' and all, but holy cow you can fly across the country in a real plane in that amount of time. Space Mtn is showing 180 min SB.

Do people setup tailgate parties in the queue? How do you pass the time in a 3 or 4 hr line?

Met a CM last week and he said one Xmas day he was working at TSM with a 5 hour wait. That has to snake back and forth all through Pixar Place.

 

[Mr. Baloo]

Status 10/6

Soarin' is currently 250 minutes. Where the heck does a 4+hr queue go? I'm sure it has to exit the ride area into Sunshine Seasons. I like Soarin' and all, but holy cow you can fly across the country in a real plane in that amount of time. Space Mtn is showing 180 min SB.

Do people setup tailgate parties in the queue? How do you pass the time in a 3 or 4 hr line?

They send the stand by line down half the fast pass line and tjen they double back n the stand bt side ... it looks crazy... thank uou fast pass

 

[Laketravis]

I'm sorry, I just can't imagine wanting anything bad enough to stand in line for 3 or 4 hours. At least the die-hard Apple fans walk away with something they can use for the next year or two.

But for something that is over in a few minutes? Unbelievable.

 

[kbelle8995]

The last time I went to Epcot on NYE, children and adults were lying close to the walls of the gift shop and on any patch of grass they could get to and sleeping.

I was rode everything that day because I figured what else I was going to do. I don't think Soarin was opened yet.

 

[ScarletFire]

EPCOT @ 3pm



WOW!