Rosebud
01-05-2004, 12:32 PM
We got back late last night. This was the 3rd year in a row to visit for Christmas/New Year's. This was by far the busiest year of the last 3. Crowds were everywhere you went anywhere near Orlando. I've also been during the past many summers (both pre and post 9/11) and for Easter pre 9/11 and have never seen so many people. I really think the weather had a lot to do with it.
BECAUSE, The weather was also the BEST weather I have EVER had there regardless of the time of year. Not a drop of rain and 70s during the day with a little cooler at night. The past two years we had some 70 days but also some 30-40 days where we had winter coats, hats and gloves (Disney even sold out of their supply of gloves one year). Last NYE we were literally standing in ankle deep water watching midnight Illuminations.
I honestly think some people looked at the weather last minute and saw what a beautiful week it was going to be and figured since the kids were out of school, lets go to Florida and hopped in the car and went. Obviously many people drove because it took us forever getting out of FL driving on the highways at 30-40 mph for much of the way.
At least one day MK reached Level 4 (I think that is the level), meaning no one gets in even if you are staying on property. AK closed at least one day - more often MK is the park to close. They were parking cars on the grass in both MK and EPCOT (those are the ones I saw), don't know of the other parks. As of 2:00 on NYE at EPCOT the crowds were at 60,000 - Val's CM friend started work at 2:00 and that is what they were told.
I was at Sea World for a few days getting the last use out of my pass and they were recommending getting to the shows 30 mins early because they were filling up.
We spent NYE in EPCOT and it was packed to the brim. I honestly think they expanded their counts to keep the park open because by 9:00 am the park was packed. At about 8:00 am Test Track had over an hour wait and single rider was 60 mins. Later in the Day Test Track was a 4 hour wait. I know MS had at least a 3 hour wait at one point, but didn't get close enough to really check it out. SE had a 2 hour wait, and even El Rio de Tempo had a line that went out of the building down the steps. The CM said it was only a 20 minute wait though. We rode that at 12:30 with no wait although at 12:30 SE still had quite a long line. I felt sorry for the people that had never been there before and judging from some conversations there were quite a few of them. About 9:00 am we got PS for a late lunch and if you didn't have PS that day you had to eat Fast Food. I don't think any sit down place had any space left at all. We saw people just sitting down to eat in China at 12:30 after Illuminations.
And yes next year if I'm still working at the same place I will be in Orlando again for that week. We shut down that week so I don't use up any vacation time. Hopefully though I will have enough vacation days that I can get there a bit early like last year before the regular crowds and go another MVMCP and then stay a few days after the New Year when the crowds thin out again.
Now I just have to get going on a trip report.
BECAUSE, The weather was also the BEST weather I have EVER had there regardless of the time of year. Not a drop of rain and 70s during the day with a little cooler at night. The past two years we had some 70 days but also some 30-40 days where we had winter coats, hats and gloves (Disney even sold out of their supply of gloves one year). Last NYE we were literally standing in ankle deep water watching midnight Illuminations.
I honestly think some people looked at the weather last minute and saw what a beautiful week it was going to be and figured since the kids were out of school, lets go to Florida and hopped in the car and went. Obviously many people drove because it took us forever getting out of FL driving on the highways at 30-40 mph for much of the way.
At least one day MK reached Level 4 (I think that is the level), meaning no one gets in even if you are staying on property. AK closed at least one day - more often MK is the park to close. They were parking cars on the grass in both MK and EPCOT (those are the ones I saw), don't know of the other parks. As of 2:00 on NYE at EPCOT the crowds were at 60,000 - Val's CM friend started work at 2:00 and that is what they were told.
I was at Sea World for a few days getting the last use out of my pass and they were recommending getting to the shows 30 mins early because they were filling up.
We spent NYE in EPCOT and it was packed to the brim. I honestly think they expanded their counts to keep the park open because by 9:00 am the park was packed. At about 8:00 am Test Track had over an hour wait and single rider was 60 mins. Later in the Day Test Track was a 4 hour wait. I know MS had at least a 3 hour wait at one point, but didn't get close enough to really check it out. SE had a 2 hour wait, and even El Rio de Tempo had a line that went out of the building down the steps. The CM said it was only a 20 minute wait though. We rode that at 12:30 with no wait although at 12:30 SE still had quite a long line. I felt sorry for the people that had never been there before and judging from some conversations there were quite a few of them. About 9:00 am we got PS for a late lunch and if you didn't have PS that day you had to eat Fast Food. I don't think any sit down place had any space left at all. We saw people just sitting down to eat in China at 12:30 after Illuminations.
And yes next year if I'm still working at the same place I will be in Orlando again for that week. We shut down that week so I don't use up any vacation time. Hopefully though I will have enough vacation days that I can get there a bit early like last year before the regular crowds and go another MVMCP and then stay a few days after the New Year when the crowds thin out again.
Now I just have to get going on a trip report.