24 Hour Event - A Late Night Mess!

[Boost]

Our family attended the 24 Hour MK event last night and we will never go again.

We were aware that the park was open from 6AM on Friday (yesterday) until 6AM today (Saturday). We are in town for the entire Memorial Day weekend and yes, we are aware that the crowds are heavy for this weekend from attending at this time of the year in the past.

That said, here is what we experienced when we arrived last night:

We arrived at MK and parked at about 10:45PM. The crowds seemed large but not unlike what we had seen in the past. We got into the park and started walking up Main Street and we got to Casey's Corner and then we were directed by CM's to go backstage to the left near the first aid/baby station. As we got backstage, we were directed back towards the front of the park by the fire station! Throughout the process, we explained to CM's that we were not trying to exit the park, but they didn't care. They just told everyone to keep moving. This took an hour to get from the gates to Casey's and back to where we started. At this point, we looked at the crowds on Main Street and they were even larger.

There were so many guests packed into the park that no one was able to move. Had there been an emergency situation, any first responders would have had great difficulty attending to such a situation. At this point, our family gave up on trying to get into the park. It was the first time in my 43 years of going to WDW that we literally were not able to get into the park because it was overcrowded.

Upon exiting through the front of MK, there were many upset guests voicing their frustrations at CMs. They were telling them basically that they had just experienced perhaps one of the worst trips ever to MK. One CM was heard replying back to guests, "I just work on the Monorail! What do you want me to do?" Upon hearing this, I was very surprised, because guest service has always been so good at these parks. I cannot recall any CM EVER telling our family or another guest that essentially, "That is not my problem."

This entire event experience, from our family's point of view, demonstrated to us that whomever planned and/or promoted the 24 Hour event has a fundamental lack of understanding that you simply cannot herd an infinite amount of people into a theme park and expect them to enjoy themselves. I was thinking that it was almost as if WDW was trying to go for a world record of people in a theme park at one time.

Did anyone else have the same experience?

[John]

Unfortunately, I had a feeling this might happened given my experience at New Years in Epcot a number of years back.

Can't say I'd ever go again when the parks are at capacity. There is no joy to be found then...

[Melanie]

Wow! That stinks. Well, I can say that is definitely different than what we experienced last year during the 24 hour event. It was crowded, but we had no issues getting in. I do recall they detoured us backstage in Town Square by Tony's and we came out by the Plaza Restaurant. But other than that, it was fine. By 1 or 2am, the place was pretty empty. I think the difference might have been that last year's event was during the week and not on a holiday weekend.

I saw that there were parking issues last night, and I think it was right around the time you said you arrived. We had some INTERCOTees there, and she said it was indeed quite crowded early on, but again, the park cleared out by 2am or so.

Was it just the Main St. area that was so crowded? That's sad, but not entirely surprising, the response you got from the CMs. Well, at least you can say you've done it. :unsure:

If they do it again, they should definitely have at least 2 parks open, like they did in California this year.

[Ian]

I was watching the live feed last night around 10PM and I was actually thinking it didn't look that crowded.

I will say, though, that in recent trips I've been really amazed at just how POORLY Disney does handling crowds anymore. Even at times when it's just moderately crowded getting out of the park after parade and fireworks has become an absolute nightmare.

[PirateLover]

I watched a lot of the live feed around that time, and had friends and family there. Main Street was still pretty jam-packed with people leaving after the parade and fireworks, and people waiting to see the next Celebrate the Magic show. I screen capped my in-laws at 11:15 and Main St. was wall to wall. It stinks about being redirected the wrong way, and I can imagine how frustrated you felt. Apparently once you got past Main St. it got better. I think you just arrived at the worst possible time :(
I haven't talked about any specifics with my in-laws but I know they didn't leave until sometime between 4-5, so I'd imagine that they were having a good time.

[buzznwoodysmom]

My sister in law was there with her mother, her 3 year old daughter, and her 1 year old son. She said it was horrible and she would never, ever do it again. At one point they took shelter in the baby care center because it was so crowded, you could hardly move, and people were jumping over her strollers scaring her kids. Once her kiddos started crying they took cover in the care center until they decided to leave th park. Nothing fun about that!!!

[Dixie Springs]

Thanks for the post. Taking that event off the ol' bucket list.

[justice11]

does Disney have a live feed at all times in any of the worlds? It would be fun next week for us to wave to our family back here in Missouri.:cloud9:

[big blue and hairy]

Even the first time they did it, I looked at DW and said, I have absolutely no interest in this event. We have been in Epcot and MK on NYE, and it was no fun. I don't mind a normally crowded day at WDW but not the super-crowded. :confused:

:sulley:

[Melanie]

Even the first time they did it, I looked at DW and said, I have absolutely no interest in this event.

But it was not that crowded last year. :shrug:

I'm anxious for Cindy and Christine to chime in on this thread.

[CanadianWDWFan]

Unfortunately, I had a feeling this might happened given my experience at New Years in Epcot a number of years back.

Can't say I'd ever go again when the parks are at capacity. There is no joy to be found then...
I agree, We did July 4th one year as well as New Year's Eve a few years back and vowed to never again go when parks are at capacity. We just didn't enjoy it one bit. If I am spending my hard earned vacation money to go I don't want to be miserable.

[Christine]

I was there last night and last year (leap day) & while it was crowded (especially at parade time) we just sat off to the side and let it fizzle out.

Sorry you had a bad experience. We really had a good time, did what we could, sat and chilled out when we couldn't. I was pleased with how much they had available for food and entertainment.

I'd do it again.

I also don't mind New Years and July 4th. The key is to not expect to do attractions. And not expect to be in the front row. We pop into Epcot on NYE around 11:30 and we hang at the edges. It's so much less stressful for us.

Again, really sorry about your bad experience.
Hope you enjoy the rest of your weekend!

[DizneyFreak2002]

I am surprised at people saying it wasn't crowded... The live cam sure made it look like it was wall to wall people... And a friend was there yesterday, and she said it was packed...

[cuteduck223]

I think events like this are great for AP's, locals and frequent disney travelers. The same as NYE and July 4th...for first timers who are clueless, or once-in-a-lifetime visitor it probably is an awful experience...even with research, etc. I would have LOVED it. But, I would have known more what to expect (you'll usually find me enjoying the sights and sounds of animal kingdom on NYE and at the Poly beach on the 4th)

[PirateLover]

I just heard from my sister-in-law. They stayed until 5 and had a good time overall. The only negatives were the crowds did not thin out as much as they expected (they've done EMH before where the park was open until 3am), and rides were closing down in a rotation (Ex: "Peter Pan is closed but will open again at 4am") but as Christine said, I think the key to these events is just enjoying the atmosphere of the event, like the dance party, character spots etc. I would love to do it once and just enjoy the experience.

[PirateLover]

I think events like this are great for AP's, locals and frequent disney travelers. The same as NYE and July 4th...for first timers who are clueless, or once-in-a-lifetime visitor it probably is an awful experience...even with research, etc. I would have LOVED it. But, I would have known more what to expect (you'll usually find me enjoying the sights and sounds of animal kingdom on NYE and at the Poly beach on the 4th)

I was thinking this same thing... if you don't know what to expect or plan to try to get on rides and get overwhelmed by the crowds, you will probably be miserable at such an event.

[Melanie]

I am surprised at people saying it wasn't crowded... The live cam sure made it look like it was wall to wall people... And a friend was there yesterday, and she said it was packed...

Well, I can see where Christine is coming from, being local. But I can see where someone on vacation would think the opposite.

ETA: Didn't refresh and respond before Maryanne and cuteduck responded. My thoughts exactly. I can't even recall doing many rides last year when we were there. :confused: It was all about BEING there.

[AgentC]

I'm going to brief for now ( and yes to those who knew me I can be brief occasionally :) )

We are at Downtown Disney right now. I will post more later today.

We arrived around 9:15-9:30. The first parade has ended. Crowds were gathered for Celebrate the Magic and Wishes. Yeah Main Street was one huge traffic jam but I have seen at that bad before on a non event night so maybe I was not as surprised as some.

Once we got to Tomorrowland crowds were heavy but doable.

At midnight we got front row seats for the final castle show without a problem. By 2ish it really started to thin out.

I will post later with my thoughts about the madhouse from 9-11.

[justice11]

how come only about 6 posts come up on my new posts, I was wondering if there are ever any live feeds running from the worlds

[disney obsessed]

Justice11, they do not have them anymore. The one that was up yesterday used to be up year round but they stopped it in the early 2000's.

[Boost]

Thanks, guys....glad it wasn't just our family with this negative experience.

[justice11]

Thanks, that was so fun watching that last night.

[Pirate Granny]

We were there on Friday morning and expected a zoo...was pleasantly surprised that we arrived at 11am, and did Dumbo, Philharmonic, under the sea and Winnie the Pooh and had lunch at Cosmic Rays and were on our way out of the park by 2pm for a swim at BLT...we had a ME bus for 3:20. I was not sure what to expect on that last day since there was the 24 hr event...did get DGS a shirt (a bit big) since he WAS in the park for the 24 hr...just didn't stay that long! He's almost 4 yrs old. The park didn't seem busy in the AM.

[Tekneek]

I peeked at the live feed every now and then. Main Street looked like a mass of people most of the time, while the plaza area around the flagpole looked nice and calm.

I'm not surprised that Disney failed in the little things around this event. When it comes to good customer service, a "not my problem" kind of response never comes out. I can remember times when CMs amazed me with the positive way they handled themselves and the situations in front of them. I have to say that beginning with my 2006 trip to WDW, I've been more amazed by the shockingly negative things I've witnessed from CMs.

[Main Street Jim]

If they do it again, they should definitely have at least 2 parks open, like they did in California this year.Wasn't Studios and EPCOT open for the 24-hour deal as well?

[DizneyFreak2002]

Wasn't Studios and EPCOT open for the 24-hour deal as well?

No... Only MK...

I was confused as well, since their blog said 3 parks... The other two were DL and DCA... Only MK in WDW...

[Melanie]

I was confused as well, since their blog said 3 parks... The other two were DL and DCA... Only MK in WDW...

And that hopefully remedied the crowd issues they had last year. So hopefully WDW will take note. I'd kill to spend those wee hours at Epcot.

[DizneyFreak2002]

And that hopefully remedied the crowd issues they had last year. So hopefully WDW will take note. I'd kill to spend those wee hours at Epcot.

I thought they would learn from last year and open a second park all night... But alas... No one said there was any oxygen going to the brains of WDW management LOL...

if they do something like this next year, Epcot should be the second park they keep open all night...

[AgentC]

I will still try to write up a report but I have a little more time to talk about the crowd situation now. Last year when Melanie and I went to OMDD, I think we got there shortly after 8 but it was super slow getting it. I think the Castle show was starting which we watched and then had went the back stage way up to Tomorrowland. It really wasn't bad at all.

This year I was at Pop and took the bus. We were later than I would have liked so we got to MK around 9:15. The parking lot was back up to the pay plaza. In retrospect, it was Memorial Day weekend and all night events are really popular with locals. I am sure there are lots of people like me who worked, ate dinner and decided to head over between 8 & 10.

When we got in the Castle show was about to start. The middle of Main Street was packed but the sidewalks were moving slowly. I didn't notice if the back stage area open. Since my son could not see anything , I made a bad decision to go to Tomorrowland to find a spot for the fireworks. A little before the Ice Cream Parlor , it became almost impossible to move. We were stuck there until the end of the Castle show and it was not pleasant.

When we finally made our way around the corner, it it was packed until the Plaza. There were two cast members directing people right to go back stage to leave and straight to Tomorrowland. While we were stuck, the lights had been off for the Castle show. It could be the cast members weren't letting anyone by at that time because once you made it past there, it was clear.

Of course you also had the problem of people going two different directions and refusing to give way to each other. We had a situation a few years ago where we got stuck on the small bridge near the Crystal Palace after a parade. No one would let anyone through and we started directing traffic ourselves. I think they really need more cast members out before these situations occur but they never seem to do it.

I will say special event crowd control isn't just a Disney problem. I had friends go to Halloween Horrors at Universal last year on a very busy night who had a horrible crowd experience.
I went to the new Christmastown party at Busch Gardens last year and sat in my car for over an hour because traffic was jammed getting into the parking lot and on all the streets surrounding Busch. I think we lost at least an hour and a half of our 5 hour event.

In my case with both events, I go to these things a lot and I should know better, but I don't think it is fair to expect the average park goer to know better. Crowd control is something all parks need to do better.

Now after all that I have to say once I got past Main Street, it really wasn't any worse than any busy day. By midnight, some things still had substantial waits but getting around the park was not a problem. By 2 or 3, I did not find it busy at all.

[MOJoe]

I had a very similar experience.
We left the Boardwalk around 9 and encountered massive traffic into MK. Many local people must have decided to attend the all-niter. At about this point MK parking lot was closed. We arrived just in time to see the Castle show and then Wishes.

After that, we were hungry and made the fateful decision to go to Pecos Bills. We went through Casey's, moving inches at a time. And as we exited we were caught up in what i can only describe as pandemonium. The CM's were doing their best, but clearly overwhelmed and unclear who was going where. I also was nearly directed out of the park, but realized that was a mistake. I got out of that line and into another. Very slowly we made it away from that area. All in all it took over 45 minutes to go from the Train Station to the walkway to Adventureland.

There were just WAY too many people moving in opposite directions through a confined area at the same time. People were shouting, trying to keep there party together. Trying to move, and confused which way to go. It was Nuts.

That said, after dinner, we began to have a good time. Monsters Inc. was being shown on a movie screen in Tomorrowland. There was a Rockin dance party in front of the Castle till 5:30. And the lines for rides were no worse than any other busy day. I am glad i went, but hopefully have learned from my mistake.
Don't fight the Wishes crowds!

[Aurora]

And as we exited we were caught up in what i can only describe as pandemonium. The CM's were doing their best, but clearly overwhelmed and unclear who was going where. I also was nearly directed out of the park, but realized that was a mistake. I got out of that line and into another. Very slowly we made it away from that area. All in all it took over 45 minutes to go from the Train Station to the walkway to Adventureland.

There were just WAY too many people moving in opposite directions through a confined area at the same time. People were shouting, trying to keep there party together. Trying to move, and confused which way to go. It was Nuts.

I have been in crowds like that before -- not at Disney, but at other events -- where people are packed together, funneled from one area to another but are trying to go in different directions. It's extremely scary. All it takes is one person to panic, start a fight, or start pushing to create a human disaster.

From the reports I've read on this event, they are lucky, and I do mean just lucky, that no one was injured or worse. I hope they learned some lessons and have a better crowd-flow plan next time.