Free-spending US tourists shrugged off economic worries to overwhelm
Disney World and other top Florida theme parks this week, forcing them
to temporarily shut the gates, local officials said Thursday.
Some visitors to Legoland, the Wizarding World of Harry Potter, and
three Disney destinations found parking lots and entryways shut for
short periods Wednesday and Thursday as the Orlando area enjoys record
numbers of tourists for the Christmas-New Year holiday.
“We are having yet again another very busy day,” Legoland spokeswoman
Jackie Wallace said as she explained why the park had to limit
entrances for the second day running.
Just two months old, Legoland has been a huge hit even though
it started up amid worries that the US economy was not recovering from
the 2008-2009 recession.
Three of Disney’s four Orlando parks, the Magic Kingdom, Hollywood
Studios and Animal Kingdom, all had to freeze entry for around 90
minutes on Wednesday to “ensure guests had a memorable experience,”
according to a Disney official.