Anyone who says Jersey week isn't more crowded....

[Cantw8]

Just got back from a brief stay Nov 2-5th. The crowds were far worse than I have ever seen. I usually go in the "off" time, which is what I thought these 4 days would be. The wait times floored me... 45-60 minutes for every major attraction in all parks. The one day, we went to EPCOT for Test Track.....55 minute wait and the Fast Pass return was between 8-9:15pm....this was at 1:00 in the afternoon and then Test Track broke down....go figure!!!

We did have an awesome time, especialy enjoying the Food and Wine fest but Geeesh, never again. I am sure the crowds were nothing compared to summer and holiday crowds, just way more than I expected. We had a "first timer" with us and she did not have the experience that I wish she would have. She says she will never go back. She claims Disney World is an over-priced, over-rated theme park!!!

We missed out on alot of things that I wanted her to see. The crowds were just too much. The monorail broke down everytime we went on it. Not broken, but in a "holding" pattern because the one in front of us couldn't move. My friend said to me, "How can you stand this?"

I am so sad that she did not get to experience what I have experienced for the last 7 years.


So, when people ask, "is it more crowded during Jersey week?." The answer is definatly, "YES."

 

[SharkBruce]

Crowds were much more than advertised. I had no idea that so many people took kids out of school. We visited from 11/6 to 11/11 and there were crowds comparable to mid-summer. Disney has promoted and discounted themselves out of a slow season. Magic Kingdom was very crowded. Long waits for all of the standard Fantasyland attractions. Same with Epcot and MGM. Not sure what is going on there but did that many people get displaced by the Hurricanes? Wow. Time for the guidebooks to re-think October and November as slow.

 

[DisneyFan79]

I definitely agree. We went down for a long weekend Nov 4-7 and I was amazed. Since this trip was short notice I ended up packing RACK RATE for the WL. That was all that was left. The Polynesian was HOPPING Saturday night. I have always gone in May or early December. Those crowd conditions this past weekend made me cringe!!!hahaha I know I will not be going during any kind of school break!!!! Glad I didn't go to any of the parks!!

 

[cruise182]

we were there from 2nd to today (10th) longest line was 35 minutes. we saw every show and almost every ride. A lot of rides we just walked on. We diid go early and late to miss the most crowded times

 

[disneymania]

We went in Nov 2000 when election day, Veterans Day & Jersey Week all fell in same week. I swore I would never go in Jersey week again. It was miserable!!! I am trying end of Jan this yr in hopes of low crowds.

 

[HugsForEeyore]

I just returned and thought things were "medium", not much different than my early May trips, but the weather was just fabulous!! . Of course the big rides had long waits in the middle of the day, but short waits early or later in the evening. Saturday Nov 6th at MK was really crowded, though the second Spectro at 11:00 was pretty deserted!

Funny thing is, all this "Jersey Week" talk and I met no one from Jersey! Everyone I chatted with was from states like Michigan, PA, or NY. Licence plates in the Wilderness Lodge lot were from all over the USA. I think more than just Jerseyans filled the parks last week!

 

[philliplc]

the amount of trips displaced by the hurricanes shouldn't be underestimated. that is almost certainly the primary reason the parks are more crowded than typical now.

 

[Leota]

We were there for Jersey Week in 2000 also & I too swore, never again. There weren't even extended hours to deal with the crowds. I heard this has been addressed lately tho. Were the hours extended to regular or peak season hours this year?

 

[sanibelover]

We also were there during Jersey Week 2000, and it was miserable. Hoping that next week will be a little better. We leave tomorrow!!!

 

[beattyfamily]

I was there October 30 thru November 7 this year...in 2002 we went the week BEFORE Jersey week to enjoy Halloween.

Well, WHAT A DIFFERENCE!!!! In 2002 weather was GREAT and crowds were minimal. Fast forward to last week, weather was GREAT again but the crowds were bad. I went the end of August and I can honestly say this week in Oct/Nov was worse.

I will definitely avoid Jersey week in the furture even if it means not going for Halloween.

This past Sunday, after our DCL cruise, we went back to MK to do Stitch and the wait time for rides was unbelievable by 11:00a. Jungle Cruise was 40 minutes, Peter Pan was 50, Snow White was 30, Pooh was 50. This was before 12:00p. That's just an example. It was like that all week. I normally get a lot accomplished going to a park on EE morning but not this time. By 9:30 - 10:00 it was wall to wall people. Even when I went to a park the day after EE day (went to MK on a Monday) it was packed.

Now, for what it's worth, my comparision is Oct/Nov 2002, Sept 98, Dec 2000, 2001, & 2003 and lastly end of August 2004.

Never again. Luckily we know what we're doing and utilized Fastpass.

 

[n2mm]

We were there late oct also and noticed at the end of our stay Oct. 31 the crowds were coming in. The resort parking lot was filling up. As I plan for my fall trip next year, could someone please tell me when Jersey week is for 2005. I thought I read that it was a little later in November than this week. during our October trip, we had very little crowds and very little wait, and wonderful weather. The crowds did pick up during the weekends.

I found my answer:

2005 Thursday, November 10
Friday, November 11
Saturday, November 12

2006 Thursday, November 9
Friday, November 10
Saturday, November 11

BTW: I do find this strange that they have this during Veterans Day Holiday, making it double trouble for the parks. I made my ressie for Oct. 26-Nov. 5.

 

[Luigi's Girl]

maybe because i'm from jersey i have a different opinion of "jersey week". i just spent 10/30 thru 11/7 at VWL (my filthy conversion van with jersey plates was in the lodge parking lot). i have been there numerous times during this particular week and i can't understand how people say never again because of the crowds. maybe it's because they're used to going at slower times or maybe they don't have much experience going to the parks and it's a little harder to manage. we were at the parks when they opened even on some EE days (15 of us) we rode and saw everything in every park some multiple times and if any ride had a wait of 30 minutes or more we used fast pass so we never had any waits at all. the only rides we ever had to use fast pass for were TT in epcot (i was there on 11/3 when it broke down too) we walked right on Mission Space, Rockin Rollercoaster and TOT one time before getting a fast pass later in the day, and after riding SM on 10/31 we got a FP for that ride later in the day. i really believe if you plan your day and have a system the crowds(which IMHO were non existent) won't bother you. all day everyday all my family kept saying was "wow i can't believe how it's not crowded here". GO FIGURE!

 

[gogoofygo]

We were also surprised by the crowds!! MK was open till 11 pm on saturday the 6th--the crowds were awful--I know that it does get far more crowded in the peak vacation times but I can not understand how people go then and have a good time!! The crowds packing main street for the fireworks at 10 pm was unreal!!-- next time I will try early october Also--those strollers are dangerous--I was nearly run down several times!!

 

[beattyfamily]

Originally posted by Luigi's Girl
maybe it's because they're used to going at slower times or maybe they don't have much experience going to the parks and it's a little harder to manage.

Well, that's not the case with us..we've gone 7 times now and my last trip was the end of August. Last week, IMHO, was worse then the end of August.

We still had a great time as we utilized Fastpass but it was very crowded. I've never had to experience waits of over 30 minutes before except a couple of days in August but by then we were either using a Fastpass or leaving the park. Last week many rides were 40 - 60 minutes by 12:00P.

I was a bit surprised as I thought the end of Oct - beginning of Nov would be less crowded than it was. Oh well, it didn't ruin our trip at all.

 

[chyam]

Originally posted by philliplc
the amount of trips displaced by the hurricanes shouldn't be underestimated. that is almost certainly the primary reason the parks are more crowded than typical now.

I really think this was the reason for the crowds, also with the Food and Wine Festival being extended, it is becoming a popular time to visit.

 

[Disney Ella]

We always go off-season and were there October 30 - November 7. This was our most crowded trip so far. Even Animal Kingdom was busier than we had ever seen it. It wasn't wall to wall people, but we had never seen the walkways so full of people before. We were at MK on Nov 1 and Nov 3 and by 12 p.m., it was so crowded that it was hard to walk from one place to the other. I'm sure it wouldn't seem crowded to people who regularly visit during Christmas or the summer, but it was a little more crowded than we like.

 

[Jestocost]

This thread is a perfect example of the fact that YMMV. We were there last week (Nov. 3-7) and, for the most part, were very pleased with the crowds. If you managed your time right, there should have been no problems doing everything you wanted.

We stayed away from EMH parks and went at opening. The middle of the day tended to get crowded and Friday-Saturday were worse than the other days (no surprise). However, we arrived on Wednesday morning and hit the MK in the afternoon. We walked into the preview of Stitch, did Space Mountain twice in a row with no line and waited 10 minutes for Buzz Lightyear, Splash Mountain, Haunted Mansion and BTMR. The longest posted wait we saw was at Peter Pan!

Even on Friday, the MK was wide open for at least the first two hours of the day. We did Space Mountain with a 15 minute wait and then did an FP for less than an hour later. After that, we went through Fantasyland and you could have shot a cannon through without much risk of hitting anyone. We walked right into Philharmagic, Winnie the Pooh, Peter Pan and Snow White, then did the Teacups with a five minute wait. All of that before a 10:30 a.m. PS at Crystal Palace. By midday Fantasyland was packed and there were fairly long waits at the major rides, but we did the Tiki Room and Pirates with no waiting.

At Epcot on Saturday we did all the major rides (TT twice) before heading back to the hotel for a lunch/swim break. WS was crowded Saturday night, mostly it seems with Food & Wine Festival goers. MGM on Sunday was a breeze.

All in all it was MUCH less crowded than July or Thanksgiving weekend, the last two times we went, so we were very pleased. It's all what you're used to, really.

 

[laceemouse]

I have decided to use reverse psychology when planning my next trip. It seems that most people avoid summer and such now because they THINK it will be crowded. Most people go during school, adding to a short break or just pulling the kids out as they see fit. I also think too many people read those guide books and go when they think the crowds will be low. I honestly can't see how schools closing for a few days in one little state can make such a big difference. Of course, Disney wants to make as much money as possible so they will always be trying to get folks to come during the "slower" times. I don't think there are any guarantees of slow times any more!

 

[llij]

I'm sorry that your friend didn't enjoy it as much as you had hoped! It is tough when you go and hope for a slower time and you are suprised with crowds.

We've been to Disney more times than I can count and during various times of the year. In 2002, we went during "Jersey week" and I thought it was as crowded as when we went during Florida's spring break in 2001. In 2002, our schools were out for a few days, so there were many folks from Northern Virginia heading down to the World! Heck, I kept running in people from our neighborhood and from our church all over the parks! Even though we had fun, we did say "never again" during "Jersey week". Nothing against New Jersey or anything!!

 

[sharonk]

We were there Nov 5 -7 and while the crowds were not horrible, they were greater than I expected. Still, with Fastpass and careful planning, we din't have to wait for more than 40 minuites for any ride.

We arrived around Noon on Friday and went to MK. I was expecting a madhouse, but it wasn't too bad. We got fastpasses for space Mtn and then rode Buzz with a 20 minute wait. By the time we got off Buzz, the stand-by line at Space mtn was 10 minutes, so we rode that! Next, we did Carousel of progress and the carousel in Fantasyland. Then, we rode space mtn again using our fastpasses and by then it was 3:00 so we watched the parade and returned to our hotel.

Friday night, we went to Epcot around 7:00 and in the 2 hours before Illuminations, we saw the American Adventure and the Norway ride with no wait. We staked out a spot for Illuminations around 8:40.

Sat morning, we went to MGM for Early Entry. We got a fast pass for Rocking Roller coaster, then rode Tower of terror twice and ROckin Roller coaster once while waiting for the RR fastpass time. Then we walked over to StarTours and rode that with a 10 minute wait. We let the kids play on the Honey I shrunk the kids playground and then walked back to our Hotel (Dolphin) for a late breakfast around 10:00.

WHile I took my pre-schooler to the pool, my DH took our boys to Epcot. They got a test track fast pass, rode Mission Space with a 20 minute wait, then used their TT fast pass. They were back to the hotel around 1:00.

We relaxed by the pool all afternoon and returned to the MK around 5:00. It was packed, but we got fast passes for Space Mtn (and for Pooh for myself and daugther) and then went on Haunted Mansion and Pirates with about a 10 minute wait for each. Fantasyland was mobbed and it was still about 30 minutes til our fastpass times. My daughter really, really wanted to ride Dumbo she and I waited for that while my DH took the boys to Big Thunder mtn railroad. Both of these rides had 50 minute wait times posted, but we all got on in about 40 minutes. Before we used our Pooh and Space Mtn Fastpasses, we were able to get fastpasses for Philharmagic. SO after Pooh/Space mtn, we did Philharmagic with no wait. By then it was about 8:30 and the crowds for the 9:00 parade were unreal! People were pouring into the park for the parade, so we decided to leave. (We had seen Spectromagic in June anyway.)

On Sunday, we went to AK at opening. In 2 hours, we rode Dinosaur twice, Primeval whirl twice and Triceratops spin 3x. Then , we returned to our hotel to check out by noon.

Our flight home wasn't until 8:00, so we asked the kids where they wanted to spend the afternoon. They picked Epcot (we were shocked) so we went back there and did Mission Space (20 min wait) Spaceship Earth, HOney I shunk the audience and Figment's Imagination ride (all with no wait.) The Test Track wait was over and hour and the fastpass return times were too late for us.

We were at Disney the first week of June and I'd say the crowds were slightly worse in June, but not by much. We did manage to see most of what we wanted to see with very little waiting. I must say it helps a lot if you visit often, because that makes it a lot easier to convince your kids to skip a crowded ride!

Sharon