They aren’t cast members, but Chris Reid and Deanna Wicks’ Disney-inspired costumes drew plenty of attention from park guests during the 24-hour event Friday and Saturday at Magic Kingdom Park.
Dressed as Carl Fredricksen and Russell from Disney’s “Up,” Reid and Wicks received compliments from visitors and Disney employees all day for their detailed getups.
“I was just trying to think of fun things that would be sort of practical,” Wicks, 28, said. “Since Russell has a backpack, we can put stuff in it all day. And there’s two of us, so it’s adorable.”
Deemed the “Coolest Summer Ever” kick-off party, the annual Memorial Day weekend 24-hour event at Magic Kingdom kicked off at 6 a.m. Friday and came to a close at 6 a.m. Saturday with a fond farewell from Mickey and the gang. The pair of friends were there for beginning and end.
“We did take a little break in the middle of the day,” said Reid, 27, who came to visit Wicks from Ireland and was roped into attending and dressing up for the event. “Overall, it’s been pretty awesome.”
“It was neat seeing the sunrise at the castle,” Wicks said. “That’s not something you usually get to see.”
They were just two of many sleep-deprived guests who brought new meaning to spending a day at a theme park.
Many others came in costume, some subtle, some elaborate. From Wreck-It Ralph to completely random, non-Disney characters like Sailor Moon and Santa Claus. Still, there was no shortage of creativity and enthusiasm.
Wyatt Porter and Elizabeth Deaton came dressed as Han Solo and Princess Leia from the “Star Wars” saga, which now technically qualifies as Disney characters. Walt Disney Co. owns rights to the franchise.
“We had the weekend off and heard it was the 24-hour event, so we wanted to dress up and come see what it was all about,” Porter said.
It was the couple’s second time visiting Disney World, but first 24-hour event. They made it the full 24 hours, while also making stops at Epcot and, fittingly, Hollywood Studios for Star Wars Weekends.
“We were at the bus stop at 5:45 in the morning,” Deaton said.
As delirium set in for some guests, dance parties at Cinderella Castle Stage and Frontierland turned Magic Kingdom into a non-alcohol-induced night club of sorts. Guests danced with pajama-clad Disney characters to current and old school hits spun by DJs.
“The experience is fun, but it can be exhausting,” Porter said.
Some complained on Twitter about The Seven Dwarfs Mine Train being shut down several times. Popular rides like Space Mountain and the Mine Train – a Fantasyland roller coaster that opened last summer – saw standby wait times of more than an hour and a half at times and rain dampened the evening for about an hour before midnight.
But overall, the crowded yet well-organized 24-hour event went smoothly.
The same couldn’t be said on the other coast. Guests were turned away at Disneyland’s 24-hour Diamond Celebration kick-off event starting around 4 p.m. PT because the park had reached full capacity.
Victoria Ellis, 25, of Los Angeles, arrived at the park at 6:15 a.m. with her husband.
“When we walked from California Adventure Park to get back into Disneyland at 4 p.m., they stopped letting people in,” Ellis said.
Only those who entered before 1 p.m. were allowed to re-enter, but Disneyland was later forced to even turn away returning guests.
“Many people were irate because they had items in lockers and other family in the park, Ellis said. “We decided to cut our loses and leave. I feel terrible for those who took the time away from work and paid the money for a Disney vacation. It was not a magical day.”
While those in Anaheim were frustrated, most guests at Magic Kingdom were just exhausted from a long day at the theme park. Some guests crashed on park benches for impromptu naps, while one family made a makeshift bedroom out of a nook near Sleepy Hollow Inn in Liberty Square.
“The crowds and the heat were kind of hard in the middle of the day, which is one of the reasons we took the break,” Wicks said. “But it’s Florida and it’s Disney World, so you kind of come expecting that.”
