Here Now & Just Back WDW Reopening Experiences Including Park Hopping

[fatmanatee]

It’s been selling out at lower prices.

Update: it’s selling out at this price too.

https://blogmickey.com/2023/12/geni...lls-out-before-any-individual-park-sells-out/

 

[jrsharp21]

Got to WDW last night. We have MK reservations today. Plan on heading over this morning until around 2. Then heading back to the room for some rest and then headed back around 6pm. We bought the park hopper G+ for today just in case. Got up this morning and got a VQ for Tron, LL+ for Seven Dwarfs, LL+ for Tron, and LL for Haunted Mansion. Now just need to remind the crew to have patience today.

 

[fbarker]

Just check Genie+ today: Multiple Parks: $39, MK: $39, EPCOT: $32, HS: $35 AK $29

 

[Punkrockbebop]

We were at MK last night and were shocked how moderate the crowds were. From everything I’ve read, I heard that Mk was wall to wall on the 30th and people lined up for fireworks super early? I’ve seen way crazier crowds before. The lines were posted at high wait times but I didn’t see insane lines or crazy lines for food or restrooms. We left at 8:00, maybe the crowds came after?

Crossing my fingers for Epcot, tonight. It was impossible to get a VQ this morning and I’m always able to get one in low boarding time groups. There were plenty of $LL available though, and I kept refreshing and bought a slot for the first time since we have guests who haven’t ridden. We’ve never been during NYE, it’s our first time.

 

[gottalovepluto]

We were at MK last night and were shocked how moderate the crowds were. From everything I’ve read, I heard that Mk was wall to wall on the 30th and people lined up for fireworks super early? I’ve seen way crazier crowds before. The lines were posted at high wait times but I didn’t see insane lines or crazy lines for food or restrooms. We left at 8:00, maybe the crowds came after?

Crossing my fingers for Epcot, tonight. It was impossible to get a VQ this morning and I’m always able to get one in low boarding time groups. There were plenty of $LL available though, and I kept refreshing and bought a slot for the first time since we have guests who haven’t ridden. We’ve never been during NYE, it’s our first time.

Did you notice if the posted wait times were accurate?

 

[jrsharp21]

We hit MK this morning at 8am and it has been a pleasant day. We have done Pirates, Haunted Mansion (LL), Tron (VQ), Seven Dwarfs (LL+), Tron (LL+), Carousel of Progress and People Mover by 2pm. The crowds in the walkways are very manageable. The ride lines do seem long, but overall the park does not seem over crowded. I have been here over the summer when it was much more crowded. We have four LL passes lined up for the evening and about to book one more.

When we were headed back to our resort around 3pm for a rest, there were only about 10 people on our boat back to TTC. There were maybe 15 people waiting for the boat to go to MK. The tram to the parking lot had maybe 10 people on it. Hoping this a sign of things to come this evening.

 

[DisneyTarheel]

Animal kingdom was pretty crazy today. FoP was over 230mins, Safari over 135 at points. Most people I've seen in animal kingdom.

We got stuck on Safari for 20 minutes or so in the early afternoon waiting for some animals to cross. I can‘t imagine that helped with the line. LL was past Tusker House to the bridge when we finally got off.

 

[DisneyTarheel]

We were at MK last night and were shocked how moderate the crowds were. From everything I’ve read, I heard that Mk was wall to wall on the 30th and people lined up for fireworks super early? I’ve seen way crazier crowds before. The lines were posted at high wait times but I didn’t see insane lines or crazy lines for food or restrooms. We left at 8:00, maybe the crowds came after?

Crossing my fingers for Epcot, tonight. It was impossible to get a VQ this morning and I’m always able to get one in low boarding time groups. There were plenty of $LL available though, and I kept refreshing and bought a slot for the first time since we have guests who haven’t ridden. We’ve never been during NYE, it’s our first time.

I think a lot of folks cleared out after the early fireworks at 6:30.

 

[jrsharp21]

Wow, I have never seen Disney Springs so crowded before. We had dinner reservations tonight and ended up canceling them seeing how crowded it was. It feels like trying to exit MK after fireworks. There even long lines for the men’s bathrooms. Finally made our way down to the Christmas shop area and just found a bench to set up camp. Told the people in the party to go out on their own to find food and shop and then meet back to base. It was too hard trying to navigate through the crowds with a party of 6.

 

[DL1WDW2]

I went to the AMC Disney Springs this morning for a 10:45 movie and it was very busy and packed 2 hours later when we were leaving. We walked down to se that the Cirque gift shop was Opened …I have never seen that Open and the ticket office also. I guess there was a performance .
Walking back to Starbucks the new Summer House was packed and Starbucks was packed too .
Weird so many people were out & about early in the morn after NYE this morn ! Looked like the Coca Cola Bar was crowded too And lots of people entering thru Orange Parking Garage Security.
Glad we left!

 

[Disneyhanna]

Wow, I have never seen Disney Springs so crowded before. We had dinner reservations tonight and ended up canceling them seeing how crowded it was. It feels like trying to exit MK after fireworks. There even long lines for the men’s bathrooms. Finally made our way down to the Christmas shop area and just found a bench to set up camp. Told the people in the party to go out on their own to find food and shop and then meet back to base. It was too hard trying to navigate through the crowds with a party of 6.

I almost went to DS tonight so I’m glad I didn’t! I just got in this afternoon and went to Epcot and it was surprisingly quiet. I skipped most rides since I didn’t have Genie+ but did Test Track single rider this evening and only waited 15 minutes. World Showcase was surprisingly uncrowded. I was here last year and it was so much worse. Easy to walk, not too many people, short lines for food. Didn’t wait at all for Choze de Margarita and I remember waiting 45 minutes for Katsura Grill last January 1st! People are really quiet here, it must be the end of everyone’s trip and the sadness is setting in. Will be interesting to see how the next couple of days look.

 

[jrsharp21]

Sitting at the car entrance booth for Epcot. Every booth is open and lines are backed up 25+ cars in each booth. Looks like it is going to be a busy day at Epcot.

 

[jrsharp21]

Sitting at the car entrance booth for Epcot. Every booth is open and lines are backed up 25+ cars in each booth. Looks like it is going to be a busy day at Epcot.

Just a heads up, if you are going to Epcot, do not go to the security entrance to the left of Spaceship Earth. Something is definitely wrong with the scanners. It is red flagging all sorts of people. The line for the flagged people is outside the entrance and they are having trouble identifying people being flagged. They literally stopped the line of people coming in because they can’t figure out who is being flagged. We have been waiting 20 minutes inside the gates waiting for our party and the security came and told me my bag was flagged . I was like what? I have been sitting here for 20 minutes and he was like oh, we are trying to find someone with your description who flagged.

 

[IndyToThere]

Wow, I have never seen Disney Springs so crowded before. We had dinner reservations tonight and ended up canceling them seeing how crowded it was. It feels like trying to exit MK after fireworks. There even long lines for the men’s bathrooms. Finally made our way down to the Christmas shop area and just found a bench to set up camp. Told the people in the party to go out on their own to find food and shop and then meet back to base. It was too hard trying to navigate through the crowds with a party of 6.

Wait, you CANCELED dinner reservations at Disney Springs after seeing it was crazy crowded (and telling others to fend for themselves for food). How did that work out?
Seems like the one thing you'd want in a super-crowded Disney Springs is a dinner reservation, otherwise that place is kind of obnoxious and hard to get food.

 

[Punkrockbebop]

Did you notice if the posted wait times were accurate?

We didn’t notice. We weren’t there long and avoided most rides, and just rode the People Mover and went on Carousel of Prigress and viewed early fireworks.

 

[Dedeca]

Hello! I'm going to do Early Entry at DHS and the ride I'm worried about is Tower Of Terror. It's my favorite Disney ride and I plan to ride it at least 2 times. Does anyone know if it opens only when EE starts or a little earlier like Rise? Thank you guys!

 

[Flash_Sloth]

Hello! I'm going to do Early Entry at DHS and the ride I'm worried about is Tower Of Terror. It's my favorite Disney ride and I plan to ride it at least 2 times. Does anyone know if it opens only when EE starts or a little earlier like Rise? Thank you guys!

I've rope dropped ToT during ETPE a few times, and it seems to wait until official ETPE open time. I do recommend getting there early because its line can build, but it is definitely possible to do it multiple times during ETPE. I'm not sure what your travel dates are, but with RnR about to be down for extended maintenance, the ToT line will be longer then.

 

[Dedeca]

I've rope dropped ToT during ETPE a few times, and it seems to wait until official ETPE open time. I do recommend getting there early because its line can build, but it is definitely possible to do it multiple times during ETPE. I'm not sure what your travel dates are, but with RnR about to be down for extended maintenance, the ToT line will be longer then.

RnR will be closed (we are doing 4 parks in 1 one day at the end of January) so we are expecting the line to be longer, but we plan to arrive early Thanks for your reply!

 

[kylenne]

RnR will be closed (we are doing 4 parks in 1 one day at the end of January) so we are expecting the line to be longer, but we plan to arrive early Thanks for your reply!

I always start at ToT during HS EE and I recommend arriving an hour prior to EE start. Even when both rides are up the Tower line tends to build faster and if you want to feasibly do it twice imo you want to be at the front. Especially if they’re only running one side, which can happen from time to time.

 

[Dedeca]

I always start at ToT during HS EE and I recommend arriving an hour prior to EE start. Even when both rides are up the Tower line tends to build faster and if you want to feasibly do it twice imo you want to be at the front. Especially if they’re only running one side, which can happen from time to time.

I guess I'll have to lower my expectations and if I get to ride it twice, it will be an added bonus. Thank you for your reply!