Brief park report - crowds at security, I have maps + park pics!

[WonkaKid]

Folks, as many of you may know, today DL opened at 9:00 rather than its usual Sunday opening time of 8:00. Consequently, when I arrived at security around 8:00, the line was by far the worst I've ever seen (see pic below). Then when I arrived at the park gates, the line was well past the Monorail tracks -- more than halfway to DCA. Despite all of this, park crowds weren't too bad. It was definitely busier than it's been in recent weeks but still not horrible.

We were first in line for PP. However, when we got to the queue entrance, there wasn't a CM to guide guests as there usually is. Also, the chains were still up so it was unclear which way we were expected to go. I went halfway down one path only to realize that it was a dead end. Because other guests were swarming towards the queue entrance, I turned around abruptly to head back the way I came. But I turned too sharply and slammed into another chain and fell over. It hurt but mostly it was embarrassing. One nice woman stopped and helped me gather my things but, as I said, it was more embarrassing than anything. Anyway, we still managed to be first and then headed to Dumbo which was, for the third time in my life, a walk-on.

Buzz scoring worked fine for the most part but there were problems with a number of targets inside. For my last ride of the day, three of the triangles weren't working, which made it hard to earn a decent score. However, I was able to break 2M at one point, which was at least something. I broke it several times on Wednesday but those scores never came through.

We began our ride of Haunted Mansion around 11:45 but the moment we stepped out of the Stretching Room/elevator, the line was backed up nearly the entire way to the elevator exit. There was a problem with the ride and after about ten minutes, we decided to leave rather than wait any longer. So we got to exit through the back stairs that emerge, ultimately, by the mausoleum (where the goofball names of the deceased are listed on the wall near the entrance queue. I'd never been that way so it was kind of cool to see. Not a thrill, exactly, but still neat .

I have maps for anyone that would like a set. Simply DM me your preferred mailing address. Domestic only, please.

Pics:

It's never easy to judge crowds based solely on pictures but lines to get through security this morning would have made even Walt demand to know what the heck was going on.










Backstage at the Haunted Mansion.


Exiting the HM via it's (barely) secret passage.

 

[coldbeaver]

It doesn’t look too bad. And with a Walt being dead and all I’m not sure I’d worry about what his thoughts are

 

[azdisneylover]

Lovely pictures, as usual! ((Big hugs)) Sorry for your tumble this morning. Glad to read you were not seriously hurt.

 

[gottalovepluto]

Did it look like they’d cut back on security staffing?

 

[WonkaKid]

Did it look like they’d cut back on security staffing?

Wouldn’t surprise me. I’ve heard that bigger cutbacks are coming soon.

 

[BGinCali]

Thanks for the picture from the parking structure security lines...I went yesterday and we had similar lines, was wondering if today was better. I kept hope that they’d open more lines, but did not happen - definitely was the end of the low crowd impact for me as far as efficiency in reaching the parks (security lines and lines to enter garage were longest of summer for me).

 

[theluckyrabbit]

Glad you weren't hurt! As for security, someone here posted recently that a woman in front of him at security was caught with a gun in her bag. So maybe the long lines are partly due to increased vigilance? If so, I'll take it -- better safe, than sorry.

 

[midnight star]

I brought 3 friends yesterday with the promo tickets and I made them get there at 6:45 and sleep in the garage in the car so we wouldn't be stuck in a crazy line lol At first they thought I was crazy, but when we parkhopped mid-morning they saw the crazy lines, and then thanked me lol.
As the day went on, the crowds decreased which was nice.

 

[cruisehopeful]

I was there yesterday from about 3:30pm-10:30pm. Stayed in DL the whole time and loved the extra elbow room. I've read a few posts saying that it's crowded again - it sure wasn't crowded when I was there.

Didn't realized that they cut back the hours as much as they did. I was surprised that they said CA was closing at 9:00pm, but it didn't matter to us since we didn't go there. I'm used to summer having really long hours.

BTW, I don't like the new security/transportation area. Hopefully, they are just working out the bugs, but even with only a few people ahead of us in line, it took a very long time to get through security. The couple in front of us carried a lot of stuff and the guy going through it wanted to see literally every item including every lunch item they had and even had the guy open his glasses case. I almost switched lines because I saw the line next to me going so much faster. Oddly, he didn't spend as much time going through our stuff. Maybe because we didn't bring any food.

When returning on the tram at the end of the day, the trams were backed up (they were empty, but taking up all the space) and we had to sit double parked for a while. When the empty trams finally moved, two other trams that loaded after us came into the area and got to unload first. It was very unorganized.

 

[WonkaKid]

Glad you weren't hurt!

Thank you . I have a small injury on my upper pecs (sore when I worked out this morning - it's from when I fell onto the chain, which did hurt - a lot) but nothing really to complain of.

As for security, someone here posted recently that a woman in front of him at security was caught with a gun in her bag. So maybe the long lines are partly due to increased vigilance? If so, I'll take it -- better safe, than sorry.

Absolutely! Wow -- I hadn't heard this story. Yes, security is of paramount importance - no question. I'll gladly suffer long lines . I can't imagine anyone thinking they'd even need to bring a gun to DL. It's possible, I suppose, that she simply forgot she had it in her bag. Recently my brother and an old friend planned to drive to Canada. I reminded him to be sure that there were no firearms in the car - Canadians take them very seriously... as you'll see. When they were inspected at the border, lo and behold, there was a .45 his friend had forgotten about (so he says) in an obscure hiding place. As a result, they weren't allowed in and, in fact, the friend was banned from Canada for life! Yow!

 

[WonkaKid]

The couple in front of us carried a lot of stuff and the guy going through it wanted to see literally every item including every lunch item they had .... Maybe because we didn't bring any food.

That surprises me. Nearly always I bring my own lunch (yesterday included) and security only ever takes a cursory look. They've never taken anything out or examined anything in detail.

 

[dieumeye]

When the empty trams finally moved, two other trams that loaded after us came into the area and got to unload first. It was very unorganized.

Was also there yesterday. Security lines definitely took a long time, as did ticket booth lines (to buy the AP bring a friend tix). I was there from open until about 4pm, and the park seemed pretty crowded to me in terms of the amount of people walking around, but a lot of ride wait times didn't seem all that bad.

Trams from M&F did seem off yesterday. Maybe they've implmented some changes that are causing confusion? I didn't have problems with tram wait times, but the trams I was on unloaded onto the DTD loading side instead of the usual "unloading" side opposite DTD. It's fine if it's not crowded, but when a full tram unloads into a full waiting area, you get two mobs of people trying to go in opposite directions. Not sure why they would do that.

 

[KPeterso]

We went on Saturday and it did open at 8 AM on Saturday. Security lines were also backed up by the time we got there around 7:15-7:30 AM. I did pick a good line and got through pretty quick. The parks were busy, but with MaxPass it was not too bad overall and we got to see what we wanted to see and left around 2:30-3 PM.

Hope you are feeling better today after your tumble.

 

[WonkaKid]

We went on Saturday and it did open at 8 AM on Saturday. Security lines were also backed up by the time we got there around 7:15-7:30 AM. I did pick a good line and got through pretty quick. The parks were busy, but with MaxPass it was not too bad overall and we got to see what we wanted to see and left around 2:30-3 PM.

Just yesterday a friend and I discussed how Saturdays always seem busier than Sundays. We were there the previous weekend to avoid the CHOC Walk and we noticed that crowds were definitely heavier than on Sundays. Generally speaking, my feeling is that’s always true.

Hope you are feeling better today after your tumble.

I am, yes. Thank you . Noticed that I was a little sore this morning but that’s now mostly gone .

 

[KPeterso]

Just yesterday a friend and I discussed how Saturdays always seem busier than Sundays. We were there the previous weekend to avoid the CHOC Walk and we noticed that crowds were definitely heavier than on Sundays. Generally speaking, my feeling is that’s always true.


I am, yes. Thank you . Noticed that I was a little sore this morning but that’s now mostly gone .

And we have found in years past that Saturdays in the summer tended to be better than Sundays since Deluxes could go on Sundays but not Saturdays. This year though has been a bit more crowded on Saturdays and I can't say for Sundays. I go with my Mom a lot and she cannot always go on Sundays so we do more Saturdays as it just works better schedule wise (and gives me Sunday to really rest before work on Monday mornings). I think last weekend was just a bit off overall with CHOC walk. I went in the park after the walk and while it seemed insanely crowded the lines actually felt short and moved quickly. But I did not stay long (had been up since 3:45 for CHOC walk and already had gotten in plenty of steps) and did use my MaxPass like always.

 

[WonkaKid]

Our experience has always been that people are more willing/accustomed to getting up early to hit the park on a Saturday than they are on a Sunday. Sundays, historically, are days to sleep in. We always see that the park doesn't begin to get busy until at least 10:30 (with an opening time of 8:00). Again, it seems to us that most people don't want to rush around on a Sunday morning. Which works well in our favor ;-).