Credit: @3BridgesNickIf you are going to Walt Disney World, you likely have been planning your vacation for months or years, and this magical week of travel is a culmination of hard work and excitement, so what happens when you are refused entry into the theme parks?
Walt Disney World in Orlando, Florida, offers a magical and diverse array of experiences for visitors of all ages. From iconic theme parks to world-class dining (Ohana here we come), here’s a glimpse into the enchanting activities that await you at the most magical place on earth.
Begin your adventure at the Magic Kingdom, where classic attractions like Space Mountain and Cinderella Castle create memories that last a lifetime. Explore the futuristic wonders of EPCOT, where you can travel around the world in a day, enjoying international cuisine and cutting-edge technology in attractions like Test Track and Soarin. Best part? You can hop between both via monorail!
For an immersive Hollywood experience, Disney’s Hollywood Studios transports you to the heart of the entertainment industry. Don’t miss the thrilling Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance and the enchanting Toy Story Land when you visit. Of course, dropping in on Tower of Terror is a must, as is Fantasmic!
Meanwhile, at Disney’s Animal Kingdom, embark on a safari adventure in Pandora – The World of Avatar or face the Yeti on Expedition Everest.
Beyond the parks, indulge in world-class dining at Disney Springs, offering a diverse range of culinary delights. Whether you’re craving gourmet cuisine, classic comfort food, or trendy treats, Disney Springs has something for every palate from Chef Art Smith’s Homecomin’ to Boathouse.
Make the most of your stay by exploring the on-site resorts, each with its unique theme and amenities. From the luxurious Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort to the adventurous Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge, there’s a resort to suit every taste and budget.
Even though there are multiple budget options, visiting Walt Disney World has become more and more costly overtime. The old FastPass which used to be free is now Disney Genie+ and Lightning Lane, a paid for addition for you and your family. Hotel costs can easily soar to $900 per night for just two queen beds, ticket prices are nearly $180 per person per day at times (with after hour events like Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party costing $200), and all food and drink prices have gone up countless times over the past few years.
Even the price of merchandise makes it impossible for some families to leave World of Disney with a souvenir. Because of this, every minute at Walt Disney World counts for guests on vacation.
Lately, we have shared that guests have been having a tougher time entering the parks due to rule enforcement, and there have been two big ones.
Upon the reopening of both Disney World and Disneyland Resort in the aftermath of the pandemic, several adjustments were implemented. One notable change involved the introduction of Disney Park Passes and the somewhat controversial reservation system.
Traditionally, Disney patrons were accustomed to a straightforward process: purchasing their park tickets and freely entering the park of their choice without encountering any restrictions. However, post-pandemic, in a move to reduce capacity for safety measures, Disney instituted a new step that was novel for all visitors.
Under this updated protocol, guests were now required to access the My Disney Experience app or the Disneyland app, where they had to link their tickets and designate their chosen park for the day. This departure from the familiar “no restrictions” entry method marked a notable shift.
In the initial months of reduced park capacities, Park Pass availability dwindled weeks in advance, posing a challenge for guests. Consequently, families who had procured their park tickets but overlooked making a reservation, a common oversight, found themselves being denied entry to the park on their planned date.
On top of that, Disney has been strictly enforcing their theme park rules, which include dress code violations and restricting certain filming equipment. Now, guests who are dressed inappropriately are instantly turned away, and guests bringing in filming equipment that Disney deems is for commercial use must return the items to their car, they are no longer allowed to store those items in a locker.
Now, guests are being refused entry into the Disney World parks for an entirely different reason. One guest took to the internet to try to crack the code as to why this has been happening on their vacation.
They said, “After crossing the security checkpoint to scanning my magic band to enter Disney World MK, took us 67 minutes yesterday. It was bottlenecked because of a lack of open gates. We were all packed together baking in the sun with unhappy kids everywhere. It was not a magical moment. In dozens of Disney park visits, I have never seen Disney fail at moving a crowd into a park like that before. Is this becoming common on busier days?”
To wait 67 minutes just to scan into Magic Kingdom after the park is already open is quite a long time, even on the busiest of days. So why did this happen?
They were not the only ones, others shared their experience, “it’s the bottle neck that’s really the issue I totally get it. I was there last week and was thinking the same thing…. with the traffic from the busses, monorail and the ferry’s racing in at once, you’d think they’d open a few more gates during peak hours.. i couldn’t believe how many gates were actually closed at 8am.”
Many other Disney fans and guests were shocked, saying, “I was there last year 3 days before Christmas Eve and it was not like that at all. I’ve never seen or experienced that. I wonder if something else was going on.”
Some believe that Disney has not been prepared with enough staff, saying, “Lack of workers? We’ve been in FL for the past couple of weeks, and people are sick everywhere. Covid, flu, and RSV are going around.”
Another guessed that it was due to technical issues, “There were reports on the Facebook annual passholders group that there were some issues with annual passholders that pay monthly having invalid passes due to issues with the billing company. Maybe that was causing the slowdown at the gates.”
One other reason was brought up by another, “Crowd control; it’s better to have the horde outside the park than on Main Street”. Crowd control is something that Disney actively enforces, so this likely is playing some part in the long entry times.
Overall, it was likely a combination of the three reasons listed above, as well as the excess crowds here for Thanksgiving week.
If you are visiting Walt Disney World Resort through the end of the year, be sure to arrive at the theme park of your choice with amble time incase delays are being enforced. If you are staying at a Disney resort, bus lines will also tend to grow during the morning hours, and can delay your park arrival as well.
Have you ever had to wait extensive hours to enter a Disney park?