So the problem is obviously widespread.  To update from here, I'm now 2 days in and still no news or activity.  I sent a support ticket in yesterday and got an automated response about 12 hours later.  The response basically said we are going to respond when we get around to it.

  While I believe it unlikely I will lose them, until I get my 5 BTC back, I am going to worry about this, as will many others.  There is a problem much bigger than than this, though.  If they continue to keep us in the dark, and make people afraid to use them, news will continue to spread.  Mt. Gox is, according to the media, the #1 exchange for BTC.  If there is perception they can't be trusted or (worse yet) media coverage to this effect, it can cause another crash in the price of BTC.  "If you can't trust Mt. Gox, how can you trust BTC?"

  If anyone out there has any more direct lines to them, I know we would all appreciate being told what is happening.  System issues come up, and people will be much more forgiving is they are kept in the loop.  By not offering any explanation they are running the risk of losing their entire client base, and, as I said, shaking the entire economy of the community.  If they would just come forward with an explanation and a time frame, they could minimize the damage.  What they are doing now (seemingly NOTHING) is the worst thing for all of us, whether we have BTC tied up or not.

 Keep posting, people...

Rob