With crowds descending on Walt Disney World to ring in the new year, Magic Kingdom began turning guests away just before noon Monday. As of about 11:30 a.m., a message to guests said that no more people would be admitted to The Magic Kingdom, but Hollywood Studios, Epcot and Animal Kingdom were still allowing people to enter.
While this level of crowding on New Year’s Eve is nothing new, those who had to be turned away from Magic Kingdom on Monday afternoon were reportedly offered $50 Disney gift cards they could use elsewhere on property.
This first phase of capacity closure only affects those people with 1-day 1-park tickets who are not staying on Disney property. Anyone with a multi-day ticket, Annual Pass, or those staying at any Disney hotels and most Disney Springs hotels, as well as those with dining reservations, are still permitted to enter.
Those who made it into Magic Kingdom before the closure are enduring long waits for rides, with wait times of more at or near three hours for Space Mountain, Splash Mountain and the Seven Dwarfs Mine Train.
Good !!!!!!!
Its about time this behemoth take the experience of those spending the family fortune
So much for being “the happiest place on Earth”, eh? Disney must be turning over in his cryochamber, thinking “Oh Mickey … All those heartbroken and cash infused children!” Growing up in Anaheim I always thought Knotts Berry Farm was so much better. Especially their restaurant and the chicken dinners. Sorry Walt, but it’s true.
You are so correct many places better than Disneyland and Knotts Berry Farm is one and you are correct about the best Chicken.
how did guest go about receiving the $ 50.00 gift cards ?
I guess that’s the risk you better be willing to take when going this time of year. Personally I will always plan my Disney vacations around the slowest possible days of the year and will never understand the appeal of being there for the holidays when everybody else and their brother is there as well.
Wow how times have changed! My folks took my sister and I to Disney the day after Christmas in 1985 so we were there for the New Year. No special parades, merchandise, kiosks, special ticket items. Just decorations, fireworks and parades. ALl the hotels were sold out so we stayed at what used to be the Buena Vista Palace. On New years eve they left a rose on my mom’s pillow and a small fruit cake on dad’s. No turn away from over capacity. However, we went one year on the 4th of July and this was before EPCOT hotels. We were staying at the Poly and the LINE for the monorail STARTED at the EPCOT exit turn styles. MK was closed due to capacity, they even posted a sign on the roads!
One of the many reasons why I don’t do the holidays at WDW. I did it once Christmas week…
Never never again. Couldn’t even get past the castle at Magic Kingdom. And that was in 2002. Plus people were so rude. I have been to WDW many times and never run to such rude people as I did Christmas week.
Tickets cost over $100, but all they get for “sorry” is a $50 gift certificate?
They could go to another park, just not Magic Kingdom, along with getting the gift card.