Anyone just back? Crowds? Bugs?

[SnowWhite33]

We leave on Saturday and I was a bit worried over the crowds from some of the other posts I've been reading. I'm also wondering if the skeeters are still bad.

I'm excited about going and just want to GET THERE!!!

 

[Kapp]

want to see an answer to this too!

 

[Keke]

I thought it was fairly crowded last weekend. However the lines for rides were not that bad. Some things like ToT and Mission Space had waits of up to an hour, but by using FP you can avoid that. We got a FP for MS and walked right on the ride. The main problem w/the crowds was trying to navigate your way around the park. Dodging strollers and people gets very tiring. But last weekend was Super Soap, F&Wine, and Jersey Week, so maybe the crowds have died down. We were staying off-site and our hotel had no vacancies.

As far as bugs go, I didn't seem to notice it and I have BAD problems w/mosquitos. When no one else is getting bit, they seem to find me. I did notice 1 bite on my leg, so they must have been around somewhat. But no major problems.

 

[sters]

Yes to both. This is my 4th trip at off-season and by far the most crowded. My trip was November 4-12.

 

[Kapp]

being over on Sunday, no Super Soap or Jersey Week, we are hoping for some manageable crowds for the week before Thanksgiving. Hope springs eternal!

 

[Cruisin]

we were there last Saturday, Sunday and Monday. There seemed to be lots of people around but the ride wait times were reasonable. We had waits of only 10 -25 minutes on all attractions.
We didn't experience any problems with mosquitos when we were there at all.

Robin

 

[Susiesnowflake]

We were there 11/1-11/9. Thought the parks were more congested this year. I agree with Keke... navigation was at times a challenge. However, we did all the early openings and basically walked on or had 10 min waits to most attractions. Wait times definitely increased as afternoon and evening approached. Fast passes helped. The bugs didn't present any problem for us. The mosquitos were loving me only one night at the Poly.

 

[Lesley]

Can't comment on recent crowds..but over Halloween the bugs were still annoying. This is the first year ever I've gotten bitten up badly at WDW....and I have been every visit this year. Seems their pest control system isn't working so well....

 

[tmq2766]

I agree that navigation was the worst part. Wait time were right around 25 minutes so we would get a fast pass get in a line and by the time we got off we could basically walk right on our fast pass ride.
As far as bugs go I do not know what they were but I have 7 bites on my left arm 2 on my legs and one on my shoulder. This coming from someone who NEVER get mosquito bites. All I know is they itch like crazy.

 

[tinaluis]

SK8MOM,
Try a slice of yellow onion on your mosquito bites. Works like a charm everytime. Just make a fresh slice and rub the slice on the bites. I thought this was crazy when I read it in a Natural Health magazine but I tried it and it works. And it doesn't really leave you smelling like an onion like you might think it would.

 

[bjakmom]

If the bugs are still biting, PLEASE take and use bug spray - I just lost one of my family to West Nile Virus from a mosquito bite - completely preventable if you don't get bitten - so please, everyone, protect yourselves - better safe than sorry !

 

[CdnDisneyFan]

I just had to add that I think the only bugs around, are the ones that reside in Tree of Life, lol!!!!

Jules

 

[jwfla422]

I have a feeling those bugs will be heading out of WDW due to a passage of a cold front through the area. Temps will be ducking down into the 50s at night over the next few nights (don't worry it'll still feel warm during the day). This usually kills off those pesky lingering skeeters.

As for the crowds. We were there the week before last. We didn't find it too bad. Waits were not bad either, I had my concerns but didn't think it was bad, but we always do FP whenever we can anyway.

 

[shellybaxter]

Just returned on Monday (11/10/03) and we saw almost no bugs at all. I'd made a big deal to DH about bringing bug spray. He kept saying, "So where are all the bugs?" Not one bite on either of us the whole 8 days

Shelly

 

[disneygeek]

As someone you goes usually 2nd week of Nov, Nov 1-7 was the most crowded I have ever seen WDW in off season. Navigation was harder but not awful. I thought wait times were longer than usual.
I'd like to know how things looked this week.

I was bitten by mosquitos twice. No big deal compared to Alabama.

 

[ravengirl]

We were there from 10/27 to 11/12 and found it a lot more crowded then last year! we found the bugs were not too bad though we did find a huge beetletype bug in our bathtub at POR almost every time we returned from the parks DH would dispose of it over the balcony but it's sibling would return the following day,it was hignly humorous, we thought up names for them each day.
But the most really annoying thing that I find to be worse then usual as the high amount of arrogant, rude, sniping, holier than thou attitudes towards the cast members and everyone else within ten yards of them, we found in A LOT of visitors like this, it is a most unattractive trait.
And a lot of bloody queue jumping, and if I had a nickel for every time I saw a parent being thoroughly unpleasant smacking an over tired child just to get their moneys worth in the parks, I would have about $1.20.
Sorry about my mini vent, on the plus side, apart from fellow visitors everything was wonderful and we had a fabulous time, the cast members we approached were wonderful, the parks though a bit busier, there was always some quiet unpeopled space to find, like at 3 or so in the afternoon when we rode spaceship earth five times in a row as there was no queue and it seemed to us we were the only ones on it and she kept on asking us "Do you want to go around again?", those are the highlights from my trip.

 

[dw123]

We were there for the day on Tuesday 11/11. We were in EPCOT for a couple hours and then the MK in the afternoon.

We got to EPCOT at 11:00, and the guy at the gate said there were a lot of people - it was Veterans day. However, inside the park it wasn't bad. Using the singles line I was able to get right on Mission Space and Test Track. The stand-by lines said 40 minute waits, but was definitely more like 15 minutes. The rest of the park was fine too.

The MK was pretty busy in the afternoon. Had to wait 1 hour 15 minutes with fast pass for Mickey's Philharmagic. The stand-by lines for Space Mountain, Splash Mountain, HM, and Peter Pan were at least 30 minute waits.

The other thing I noticed is Fantasyland had alwasy been crowded between Peter Pan and Small World. Now it's also packed between Philharmagic and the Carousel. Tough to move around Fantasyland in the afternoon, that's for sure.

 

[Teri1]

We were there from Nov. 2 thru the 10th. Did not see one bug. We even walked from MGM to Epcot along the path by the waters edge and did not once get bitten. We had brought bug spray because we heard about people getting bitten. My DH said "So where are the bugs? I've been carrying this spray around for nothing!" Oh well, better safe than sorry I say.

The crowds were not too bad. I agree that Fantasy Land tends to be a bit conjested you need fast pass to ride Pooh and Peter Pan. We walked right on Splash mountain even though there were loads of people standing around. (guess they were waiting on their fast past time?)This was on Sun. even. We walked on Space Mountain also.

 

[TomAndLori]

A big thanks to everyone who responded, it is nice to read this when you are going soon.