Update: for 2019 it looks like the park did not close.

For Christmas day 2018, Walt Disney World’s Magic Kingdom did not reach capacity. The NavFile team did not spot any postings from Walt Disney World or any other source indicating that the Magic Kingdom had been closed due to the park reaching maximum guest capacity. Last year (2017), the Magic Kingdom did reach capacity and was temporarily closed to new guests from 12:30 PM to 1:20 PM.

Review of Past Holiday Closures

On holidays, the Magic Kingdom frequently reaches capacity which requires Walt Disney World to stop admitting new guests. Christmas and New Year’s Eve are two of the main holidays where the park receives significant demand. This effectively closes the park to new guests. In the past, Walt Disney World tickets were good for entry to any of the four theme parks and guests were directed to attend one of the other parks instead of the Magic Kingdom. Now that the Magic Kingdom has its own price tier, The Walt Disney Company may allow refunds to persons who are not able to enter the Magic Kingdom due to a capacity closure of the park.

Signs of New Guest Traffic Trends

By not having to close the park on Christmas Day, this could indicate that the park was not as busy as it was in the past. In addition, this could be a sign that Winter Holiday guest traffic was not as high as last year. Right now we will have to see how New Year’s Eve performs for the company to get a better read guest traffic at the park.