POTC Official Re-opening - LONG lines this morning

[Darkbeer]

Stopped by the DLR to check on the amount of folks that wanted to ride POTC this morning.

Got there around 7:20 AM and there were a few hundred folks waiting for the official 8 AM opening, but it was also an Early Entry day, and thanks to a friend, got in thru the EE process.

Folks started to line up at 7 AM (actually earlier at the turnstiles) at the entrance to Frontierland to be the first to ride. By 7:40 AM (regular gates still closed) the line reached to almost City Hall. Around 7:45, the front of the line was allowed to move up to the Golden Horseshoe entrance, where a few entertainers kept the front of the line folks entertained until 8 AM, when the line was allowed to enter the queue. A group of TV stations were placed across from the POTC entrance along the edge of the Rivers of America.

Around 9 AM, the line was still started at City Hall, but now the entire queue and Frontierland was also being used, over a 2 hour wait.

Around 10:20 AM the line did get shorter (but not sure if they added additional switchbacks in the queue), now it was at the north end of Main Street near the Wait Board and was posted as an 105 minute wait.

Photos to come later....

[Experiment626]

Re: POTC Official Re-opening - LONG lines this morning

Bring it on! I'm game for the wait!

[Morrigoon]

Re: POTC Official Re-opening - LONG lines this morning

Thanks for the update. I fear there will be another influx when the after-work crowd (like myself) get there. We're meeting at 7:30, so I'm guessing it'll be much later by the time we get into Pirates.

Then again, with any luck, most people who care that much will have gone this morning?

[disneytim]

Re: POTC Official Re-opening - LONG lines this morning

Great report DB. Thanks!

DAYUM!!

[FigmentJedi]

Re: POTC Official Re-opening - LONG lines this morning

Apparently the rumored JII update at Epcot's a go if the Pirates update is successful enough and I think that we might be seeing it at this point!

[JulieNMM]

Re: POTC Official Re-opening - LONG lines this morning

Hmmmm, any thoughts on what the queue will be like in 2 weeks (when I go)?? Do you think everyone will have ridden it and got it out of their system and the queue will only be 10 minutes????? (I can wish, can't I??)

JULIE
Going to DLR 7/10-14

[disneytim]

Re: POTC Official Re-opening - LONG lines this morning

I'll be there 7/15 - 7/18. Don't care how long the line is, I'M GOING!!! :captain:

[mrfantasmic]

Re: POTC Official Re-opening - LONG lines this morning

Of course, they said 3 hours yesterday, but people were reporting less than an hour. Does anyone have an idea of the actual queue time?

[mikoyle]

Re: POTC Official Re-opening - LONG lines this morning

Today, Monday, is not blocked out for any annual passholders, including SoCal Select. Tonight will be insane, with the afterwork crowds.

[Disneykat]

Re: POTC Official Re-opening - LONG lines this morning

i'm on my way in a few. i'd be happy to call in with an update, if someone wants to post

[Experiment626]

Re: POTC Official Re-opening - LONG lines this morning

I don't mind waiting in line...I just hope I don't have to park on Minnie again and having to walk up six flights of stairs. (The escalator for up was down, I didn't want to use the elevator to wait over 10 minutes with all the stroller users and I didn't think of using a lower level escalator and then going up the stairs the rest. Needless to say...my calves hurt!)

[Morrigoon]

Re: POTC Official Re-opening - LONG lines this morning

626: Just take the highest escalator you can get on. With the exception of Minnie, if your up escalator's down, you can always hop on the next higher level and walk DOWN stairs instead of up.

(and if you're going down and there are too many people on your escalator, you can always slip down to the next floor on the stairs and take an uncrowded one)

[Experiment626]

Re: POTC Official Re-opening - LONG lines this morning

626: Just take the highest escalator you can get on. With the exception of Minnie, if your up escalator's down, you can always hop on the next higher level and walk DOWN stairs instead of up.

(and if you're going down and there are too many people on your escalator, you can always slip down to the next floor on the stairs and take an uncrowded one)

Yeah I thought of that too when I was walking up those stairs. Oh well...my almost nonexistant calves needed the workout LOL :lol:

[Trekkie Dad]

Re: POTC Official Re-opening - LONG lines this morning

I'll be there 7/15 - 7/18. Don't care how long the line is, I'M GOING!!! :captain:

That's when Jimmie and I are going, except we are blocked out on the 15th. We have other plans for that date.

[Darkbeer]

Re: POTC Official Re-opening - LONG lines this morning

One note, both the SoCal and SoCal Select AP holders can enter the park Today and Tomorrow before being blocked out for the summer. (August 20th is the next non-blockout date).

So I presume the crowds will die down on Wednesday...

But there was a typo in the last Backstage Pass (AP newsletter), so regular SoCal AP's might be allowed into the park all this week (thru Friday).

[aerinpegadrak]

Re: POTC Official Re-opening - LONG lines this morning

A friend who works near the park e-mailed me this morning with that same information, with the subject line "Don't go today." Luckily, I rode it enough during the cast previews to be happy to wait until the line dies down to a reasonable size. )

[Darkbeer]

Re: POTC Official Re-opening - LONG lines this morning

^Hey, nice having lunch with you yesterday.....

My crazy girlfriend wants to go after work today, so looks like I am going back for more photos... But like aerinpegadrak, we got to ride a few times during previews, so if the line is a 2 hour wait, we will take photos and ride the Mark Twain instead...

Heck, I got swept up in the crowds this morning while taking my photos and got to ride with only a few minutes wait (got on about 8:10 AM). Really didn't plan to ride, but with the traffic only going one way, it was the easiest thing to do.

[Hyperbole]

Re: POTC Official Re-opening - LONG lines this morning

Any feel for how busy the rest of the park is today? I'm just wondering if there might be capacity crowds, or if the bulk of the patronage is on the West Side.

[wolfy]

Re: POTC Official Re-opening - LONG lines this morning

Are the screen and bleachers down yet? Makes a big difference getting around NOS!

[luckyamber]

Re: POTC Official Re-opening - LONG lines this morning

Apparently the rumored JII update at Epcot's a go if the Pirates update is successful enough and I think that we might be seeing it at this point!

Journey Into Imagination? What's one have to do with the other?