um...CROWD pictures?

[carmiedog]

what does "very crowded" look like? what does "not too bad" look like? we just had a really cool empty parks pic thread, but what i REALLY want to see is pics of crowd levels so i don't experience shock on my trip. anyone?

 

[Dan Murphy]

I have lots of low/no crowd pictures, but having never really been in a crowded park (or left as soon as it was crowded) I really have none of the crowded ones.

 

[Befferk]

Good thread, I would like to see that too if anyone has some

Beth

 

[FINFAN]

Just picture Times Square on NYE....O.K. maybe not THAT bad, but there are times when it is positively claustrophobic.


Pam

 

[AmyBWV99]

I don't have many crowd pictures, but here is a sampling. It's crowded in these, but we've been at WDW when it's been more crowded than this.

 

[Befferk]

When were your pics taken?

Beth

 

[AmyBWV99]

When were your pics taken?

Beth

Various times. We tend to go on busier times (this year we did Spring Break, the 4th of July, October for F&WF, Christmas and NYE).

I believe most of these pictures were taken over the 4th of July and Christmas 2006 and the 4th of July 2005. I wish I would have taken pictures on December 27 2006 when 3 of the park closed at the same time (all but Epcot). We were at MGM and it was a nightmare. I also wich I'd taken a picture of the crowds at Epcot on a Saturday afternoon during the F&WF. It was completely jammed.

 

[stargrazer]

I wish I would have taken pictures on December 27 2006 when 3 of the park closed at the same time (all but Epcot). We were at MGM and it was a nightmare.

I was at MK on Dec 27 and I WISH I had a camera that day. I have never, ever, ever been at a more crowded place in my LIFE and that's saying a lot. I have been to sold out concerts, theme parks during busy times and other venues that hold many people at once and I have never seen anything the way MK was that day. It was beyond crowded and they waited too long to close the gates IMO...I saw some bad things that day but I don't want to appear to be a basher so I'll keep it to myself. Suffice it to say we left within one hour of arriving.

 

[AmyBWV99]

I saw some bad things that day but I don't want to appear to be a basher so I'll keep it to myself. Suffice it to say we left within one hour of arriving.

Go ahead and talk! I, for one, am interested. On NYE at Epcot there were some very 'un-Disney' things going on...

 

[stargrazer]

Go ahead and talk! I, for one, am interested. On NYE at Epcot there were some very 'un-Disney' things going on...

Basically it was just overcrowded. We saw a man having a heart attack but it was so crowded he basically just had to collapse against the bridge...no one could move so we were stuck, I felt really bad for the family. I was also incredibly worried about being crushed. (I am not kidding. We literally got smushed shoulder to shoulder at one point and basically got swept away with the crowd...a people tsunami, if you will...) At one point we were trying to go from Big Thunder Mountain area to another part of the park and they had made 'roads' with tape on the pavement/over the bridge area, but because of crowds you had to walk single file... ...

Honestly, I believe they went over their maximum attendance allowance. Disney didn't do anything else wrong per say..and I ultimately blame us for trying to go when we knew it would be crowded. If you're from out of town on vacation, then that's one thing, but we're local and should know better!!

I'll get slammed for this, but I'm not sure they should let local passholders in when it gets this crowded....

 

[Blondie]

We usually go at typically uncrowded times of year, but here are a few crowd scenes, dates are in the lower right hand corner.

As you can see, there's a big difference between February and May. Both of these were taken on a Friday:

 

[DisneyWorldWisher]

I don't have many crowd pictures, but here is a sampling. It's crowded in these, but we've been at WDW when it's been more crowded than this.

You know, it looked that crowded when we went to MGM but the strange thing is, there were no lines.

Sunset Boulevard was extremely crowded (lots of lovebugs too) yet RnRC, TOT and such had no lines. Shame we're not thrill ride people.

 

[mickeystoontown]

We've been to WDW 11 times in the last 9 years. We've been in mid-May, May, June, September and November (Thanksgiving week). I can tell you that the parks were crowded but not as crowded as the pictures shown above. I think those show the parks at their most crowded.

 

[Susan555]

OMG. I'm about to have a panic attack after seing the May 5th photo. We're going to be at Disney April 26th - May 6th - and if it looks like THAT at the parks we'll just be staying at the resort pool the whole week. My kids and I have mild crowd phobia, and I'm literally trembling from looking at that photo and imagining being there.

Perhaps this trip IS a bad idea. Ugh.

 

[phisigprincess]

I was also incredibly worried about being crushed. (I am not kidding. We literally got smushed shoulder to shoulder at one point and basically got swept away with the crowd...a people tsunami, if you will...) At one point we were trying to go from Big Thunder Mountain area to another part of the park and they had made 'roads' with tape on the pavement/over the bridge area, but because of crowds you had to walk single file... ...

I know EXACTLY what you mean. I was there Dec. 27, 2005 and that was the first time I was actually scared in the Magic Kingdom. There were so many people in Frontierland after the afternoon parade I kept thinking "if I fall, I'm going to get trampled." The only difference is that they couldn't even make a tape road when we were there. It was nuts.

I'm glad to say that is the only time i have ever found the crowds to be almost unmanagable and I am a vet of 7 summer trips to the World.

 

[Lileigh]

OMG. I'm about to have a panic attack after seing the May 5th photo. We're going to be at Disney April 26th - May 6th - and if it looks like THAT at the parks we'll just be staying at the resort pool the whole week. My kids and I have mild crowd phobia, and I'm literally trembling from looking at that photo and imagining being there.

Perhaps this trip IS a bad idea. Ugh.

Try not to worry too much. I have been to the parks when it appears crowded, but the lines are more than manageable with waits of 20 minutes or less. Saturday's ofcourse will be the busiest I have witness, but otherwise you should be ok. Also, you will have more crowds during late morning/early afternoon as people are arriving to the parks. As they disperse to the different areas, it really isn't so bad.

Never been during a major Holiday, as I just don't want to deal with the bottlenecks.

 

[AimKo]

OMG. I'm about to have a panic attack after seing the May 5th photo. We're going to be at Disney April 26th - May 6th - and if it looks like THAT at the parks we'll just be staying at the resort pool the whole week. My kids and I have mild crowd phobia, and I'm literally trembling from looking at that photo and imagining being there.

Perhaps this trip IS a bad idea. Ugh.

That's when we went last year and it was great!!! Very managable and the weather was amazing! Have a great trip!

Aimee

 

[Sleeping Becca]

In April or May it really depends on when Easter is and when colleges take their spring breaks. You can go the same week in consecutive years and have a completely different experience.

We tour exclusively in the summer months (never July 4th week) and I have felt the parks are very crowded at times but still managable. I have never feared for my or my children's safety. I've never had a problem pushing a stroller or getting from one place to another.

I'm from the New Orleans area and have been to Bourbon Street for Mardi Gras and have been lifted off of my feet and carried by the crowd (never again) it was very scary. So I can relate to being fearful in a crowd.

 

[AStamm]

I was at MK on Dec 27 and I WISH I had a camera that day. I have never, ever, ever been at a more crowded place in my LIFE and that's saying a lot. I have been to sold out concerts, theme parks during busy times and other venues that hold many people at once and I have never seen anything the way MK was that day. It was beyond crowded and they waited too long to close the gates IMO...I saw some bad things that day but I don't want to appear to be a basher so I'll keep it to myself. Suffice it to say we left within one hour of arriving.

After reading the first few posts I wondered where we were on December 27--sure enough it was MK. I personally didn't think the crowds were all that awful, especially if you maximized the use of FP. We were at the park when it opened at 7:00 am--DS even got to wake up Tinkerbell. Later that morning we even participated in the Family Fun Day parade. Before heading over to Epcot for dinner at Coral Reef, DS was also chosen to play "Forte" at Belle's Storytime.

I think as long as you plan on getting to the parks when they open, eating early lunches and dinners, and heading to shows very early, the crowds can be very manageable at any time of year. We've been there over Christmas week twice as well as 4th of July, June, and August trips and had a fantastic time on every trip.

 

[laceemouse]

OMG. I'm about to have a panic attack after seing the May 5th photo. We're going to be at Disney April 26th - May 6th - and if it looks like THAT at the parks we'll just be staying at the resort pool the whole week. My kids and I have mild crowd phobia, and I'm literally trembling from looking at that photo and imagining being there.

Perhaps this trip IS a bad idea. Ugh.

Try not to worry too much please! Funny, but someone else said it and I agree, we have been many times when it was VERY crowded walking around but then the lines for rides were manageable (20 minutes tops!) And other times when it didn't seem too bad walking around but then some of the lines were really loooonnnngggg! We saw both situations when we were there last month. I always say don't give up and leave too early, often times things look worse than they really are! You may go into a 25 minute show, and then when you come out the crowds are very different than when you went in.