A question for regular DL visitors????

[Bob O]

I just got back from DL and was wondering how busy is the park usually. We had a great time but the park was busier than i ever found wdw to be at this time of year and this past sunday (12/8) and the park was very busy with at least 90 minute waits for Splash Mountian/HM by 1100am. It was also busy i thought on weekdays as compared to wdw but very manageable. So is this park just that much busier than WDW, it was as busy on sunday as i ever found wdw in summer when i went.

 

[Rajah]

If I'm not mistaken, this weekend was also the first Candlelight Processional?

From what I've heard, DLR is just typically more crowded during the holidays than WDW, especially if you go during a weekend that something has just opened.

 

[Señor Ferrari]

I've had an annual pass at DL for the past 4 years, and it seems to me that the park has been getting busier and busier during the time between Thanksgiving and Christmas. I'd say it's now as busy as a summer day in July during most of December.

 

[supercarrie]

In recent years, the park seems to have become more and more crowded each year. I know the number of APers increases each year. I was surprised this year at the amount of crowds - we went several weekdays in October and November and the crowds seemed to be a lot higher than last year at this time. Yesterday didn't seem that different from a normal weekend during the Christmas season - with the amount of APers, weekends are always busy, especially around the holidays.

 

[hookedup]

I don't know the official stats but someone here probably does. I will say that I have found over the years that DL is always busy on the weekends and during holiday season even more so. Things have continued to rebound after the 9/11 decline - it will be interesting to see how things are after the holidays are over. I am planning a trip late January.
I went a few weekends ago (Veterans Day weekend) on a Sunday and I think it was the busiest I have ever seen the park! I have never been on NYD or day after Xmas but I hear those days are insanely crowded.

 

[Bob O]

Having never been to the park i was surprised how busy it was when i read so many comments that it should be slow on week days and not that bad on weekends this time of year as compared to summer crowds. If this is how it is in summer i wouldnt want to be at the park at all!!!!!. The park seemed alot busier than wdw was at this time of year and the crowds on sunday rivlaed any i have seen at wdw in summer!!! I guess size of crowds is relative considering what parks you go too.

 

[Mortimer Mouse]

So Bob O,
tell about your trip. What were your highlights?
What did you think of DLR?
Where did you stay?

 

[Bob O]

Mortimer Mouse- I had a great time at DL/DCA!!!!! We stayed at the Desert Inn and Suites which is across the street. The hotel was ok and i would stay there again because of its convience, but if i spent alot of time in the room i would stay elsewhere but its a good place to sleep.(now if disney had EE i would stay on site!!!)
My highlight of the trip would have to be the Indiana Jones attraction!!!!!! I rode it at least 10 times and LOVED it every time and thought TOT wasthe best disney attraction till i rode this ride!!! I also loved the Haunted Mansion and really enjoyed Its A small world but it was weird to see that ride have longer lines than any other ride in the park!!!
I would say though from going to WDW alot of times the park seemed too small and the castle WAY too small. And it was odd seeing Space mountian and Matterhorn from across the street and i can see why Walt bought all the land that he did in FLA.
DCA was better than i thought it would be but it is need of several E type attractions. Soarin was great but Calif Screamin was a major letdown and not as good as Space Mountain IMHO. The animation tour was also great.
But overall we had a great time and i hope to come back in the future!!!

 

[Mortimer Mouse]

Bob O,
I'm glad you had a good time.
I know you were anticipating this trip for awhile.
I know you must've had castle shock walking down the middle of main street usa.

 

[WebmasterMaryJo]

<font face="Comic Sans MS"><font color=#006400>Bob,

Enjoyed reading your impressions about the DLR.

As for busy... lately, there never seems to be a down time. I remember when we went to WDW in June/July '99, the kids and I were ecstatic that the lines were only 20 minutes long - that was short to us.

Now that we have been to DLR so many times, if there are long lines, we don't bother w/the attractions unless we're there w/someone else... and if it's another So Californian, we're more likely to play hookey from work & school to avoid all those lines.

 

[SmileyJoyz]

Does anyone have any guesses as to how busy it will be in mid-January then?

 

[WebmasterMaryJo]

<font face="Comic Sans MS"><font color=#006400>I would say that during the week, the crowds will be very light, and on the weekends there will be moderate crowds. Even if it rains, people go to DL.... Still, you'll have a lot of fun there.

 

[Bob O]

Mary Jo I guess i was expecting wdw type of crowds and was very surprised that the park seemed alot busier, escpecially when they closed at 600pm. But the Sunday i went 12-8 the park was PACKED with 90 minutewaits by 1100am for HM/Indiana Jones/Splash Mountain and i spoke to a lady in the single riders line for Indy and she said Saturday was far worse and she was a local. But i really did enjoy my time their and also thought the Aladddin show at DCA was excellant but was also surprised that the show we went to 615Pm was only a little over half full.
Also ine other observation was that i thought the guests were more pushy when trying to invade your picked out spots for the x-mas parade, we had severaL people try to move us down and also plop their strollers in front of us as if they were going to sneak in front of us. One disney CM complimented us on holding our ground as we were right at the beginning of the parade near IASW and he said it gets very ruff their!!

 

[TheLionKing]

Hey Bob......

I am glad to hear that overall you had a good time.

I was commenting that you really planned out a very nice trip to Southern California and was glad that you had a good time!!

Give your wife a hug for me.

She is truly a sweetie!!!!!

 

[Bob O]

Lion King-Overall we had a great time at the parks!!!!
And part of our great time was being able to meet The Lion King in person!!!! And i will give her a hug for you!!!
I hope next time we come down we will see more but being a theme park enthusiast that will probably not happen.
All i know is i wouldnt want to be in the parks when its busy if this is a slow time as compared to summer.

 

[roymccoy]

I think the crowds are up at DL because of the AP'ers. DLR has been offering a great AP price for a couple of years. You can get a two-park pass for a little over a hundred bucks. It will be interesting to see how many people keep their AP's after DLR raises prices to the $279-399 that they wanted to charge for them in the first place. Remember, an AP to just DL used to cost $199! (for a premium pass) My bet will be that DL will do well with AP'ers for a couple of years and then price increases and the "been there done that" will bring the number of them down considerably. Maybe by then, DCA will be holding it's own a little better and the economy would have improved a little.

Roy

 

[Bob O]

I dont doubt that you are right Roy and if prices do increase substantially in AP's that will have an affect on attendance.
Speaking of DCA it was better than what i had heard about it and i liked the park much better than i thought it would. Hopefully with time and money it will be raised to the standards of other disney theme parks.