Checked out early - Parks too crowded.

[beaprn]

I think the point is that one could do crafts at home, without paying thousands of dollars and using hard-earned vacation time for the privilege. We've left vacations early before, albeit not a Disney vacation, but it's not out of the question. If the party is miserable, why continue to spend money (hotel, food, etc.) to do things you could do at home? Crafts may be fun in a vacuum, but not when you're paying thousands of dollars to make a $0.50 friendship bracelet.

OP, I totally get where you're coming from. It's your vacation, and if you are not enjoying it, why force yourself to stay? Hope the next trip turns out better for you.

I totally agree, the Bay Towers are not inexpensive so if you are in WDW for the parks it is ridiculous to continue paying that night rate when the main reason you're there is for the parks and you cannot enjoy the parks because Disney allows the pat parks to become packed before they do anything about crowd control. For the folks that say do crafts, watch a DVD or swim at the pool, that makes for some very expensive crafts and movies. The same can be said for doing other things around the resort or the area- they did not come for these things they came for the parks. I noticed that a lot of the people making these suggestions are from folks that seem to have several WDW trips a year so for them it is totally alien that you cannot have fun just because they are at "The Happiest Place in the World"! News flash- not everyone is that fortunate and aren't drinking the same koolaide.
As far as what Disney can do about it, they can but won't close the park for incoming before it gets so bad you cannot walk, extend the hours during these times to 1am/2am so the crowds could spread out (day people vs night people)
and have signs up before the packing island that it is going be overcrowded and perhaps you might want to visit another one of their parks. That the people know going in how bad it will be, Busch Gardens in Va does this during especially crowded times and the will close the park before it gets unbearable. Some of the crowds I have seen lately make fear for people should a fire or any type of emergency break out when the parks are allow to get elbow to elbow and you cannot even walk for the crowds. God help them, it would be a stampede. Disney especially needs to stop running incentives and specials during times that are already too crowded, but they are not going to do this because it is all about the money not the guest experience these days! I get that it is a business and they are in it to make money but there is a difference between profit and greed.
Let me finish by saying I am a Disney fan, I have lost count of how many times I have been over the years but the trend I have been seeking with Disney makes me sad. I have been a pass holder several times over the years but I think that will end when my pass expires in Dec it is just too much work to try and plan when to go and what I want to ride or eat months in advance which probably will not be available anyway, IMO the fast pass is one of the most colossal mistakes Disney has ever come up with. Again all of this is just my opinion but in support of the OP.

 

[Dentam]

For those talking about the bus service - it absolutely takes a large chunk of time to get anywhere on the buses. I think some of the budget resorts have better busing. For us, we waited on average 30 minutes for every bus on our last trip. A couple of times 45 minutes or more. You definitely have to take that into account when planning, especially when trying to reach a destination for an ADR.

 

[dlavender]

For those talking about the bus service - it absolutely takes a large chunk of time to get anywhere on the buses. I think some of the budget resorts have better busing. For us, we waited on average 30 minutes for every bus on our last trip. A couple of times 45 minutes or more. You definitely have to take that into account when planning, especially when trying to reach a destination for an ADR.

I know its a little OT, but why do they allow this to happen? It's seems ridiculous that they can't get a handle on this and ensure that no one waits more than 15 minutes for a bus. It's not like they don't know occupancy rates, or how long it takes to get from point A to B. They have plenty of buses, enough even to start a whole premium bus service. This problem baffles me.

 

[SCSteve]

Yesterday we checked out of Bay Lake Towers and left Walt Disney World a day early. The hotel was great but my family of four could no longer take the crowds in the Parks.

I get that it is Spring Break, we have Florida Resident Annual Passes, but having school-age kids means we can only visit during vacations and weekends (we only take our kids out of school for Emergencies). We do plan hotel, dinner and FastPass reservations months in advance; so please do not judge.

On Wednesday evening March 15, Space Mountain had a Stand By time of 215 Minutes before it broke down just after the 9PM Fireworks. Sorry, but 30 minutes is my limit for any ride; I wanted to come back in Fall to try Pandora but now we are not going to bother and let our Passes lapse in November.

Can anybody comment on having a similar experience wanting to check out early?

Yesterday we checked out of Bay Lake Towers and left Walt Disney World a day early. The hotel was great but my family of four could no longer take the crowds in the Parks.

I get that it is Spring Break, we have Florida Resident Annual Passes, but having school-age kids means we can only visit during vacations and weekends (we only take our kids out of school for Emergencies). We do plan hotel, dinner and FastPass reservations months in advance; so please do not judge.

On Wednesday evening March 15, Space Mountain had a Stand By time of 215 Minutes before it broke down just after the 9PM Fireworks. Sorry, but 30 minutes is my limit for any ride; I wanted to come back in Fall to try Pandora but now we are not going to bother and let our Passes lapse in November.

Can anybody comment on having a similar experience wanting to check out early?

The crowds are worse and worse each year, meanwhile the bean counters ad Disney say Park Attendance is DOWN??!! As for Stand By time of 215 Minutes, in my opinion all these long standby lines IS CAUSED BY THE FAST PASS PLUS SYSTEM!!!!

 

[mousefan73]

Alas, in my experience, that doesn't really help. Almost the opposite.

One trip, the mob scene at the main bus stop of POR was just horrible all week. There was no queue, and buses didn't show. FOR OVER AN HOUR.We missed an hour of EMH and our ADR, because the MK bus just never arrived. we would have been better with out a plan or expectation. when the bus finally arrived, people behaved like animals, pushing and shoving and cutting ahead. It was scary.

A great number of times, my family has been seated 45+ minutes past our ADR, even though we arrived ahead of our ADR. Truly, that pretty much ruins our afternoon/evening plans. It makes for a miserable meal. Young kids fall asleep, blood sugar drops, FP get missed, you lose park hours, everyone starts to fight, and someone says something bad to a CM. Again, planning is part of the problem. You make a plan, you expect WDW to honor an ADR time, ESPECIALLY now that they have added the no-show fee.

Among the places this has happened to us: 1900PF (multiple times), Mama Melrose, Le Cellier, GF Café, Boma (multiple times), Crystal Palace, Kona Café, 'Ohana (multiple times), LTT, and BOG.

30min at Tony's TS, Tusker House, and more.

We've also had problems on the other end- where it took 45+ minutes to get our bill settled from the time we requested it. (really just waiting for our server to come back) Let see: Mama Melrose, Via Napoli, La Hacienda de SA. I'm recalling the Epcot dinners especially because they meant we missed Illuminations.

In none of those cases was it our fault, nor was there any way we could have planned around those.

Back when we used WDW buses, I lost track of how many times we waited over half an hour for WDW transportation (that never arrived): buses, monorails, and boats. The boats shut down if there's a storm- fine enough- but where I get annoyed is when WDW doesn't tell the dock CM's, and the sun is shining, and the boat just doesn't come. Again = missed ADR's, FP, and loads of fun on departure day!


One trip, we stayed at GF. We were not told in advance that the monorail would be down most of the week. It was pretty bad to pay GF prices, and NOT get monorail service, especially as a member of our family had to use a scooter!

Other times, we've had problems with our tickets. If it happens at a bad time, it can easily cost 45minteus or more from your day. For us, ticket problems usually = missing the whole rope drop hour. Which can put quite a damper on your day.


Planning isn't always enough.

Your post made me feel better about Free Dining. I am on the fench about dining for our Sept trip this year.. past 5 years we did Free Dining.. The HOURS and DAYS , WEEKS and MONTHS planning ADRS, then waiting for ACTUAL park hours to come out and then re-do ADRS.... and then the TIME "wasted" for an ADR. Sure we love the TS dining we did, but this year I have BC booked, no meal... In a way I am missing the dining.. as with OOP I am NOT paying 250 for our family's traditional CM's breakfast. I figure the 3 hours at Chef Mickeys we would spend we can use at the parks.

 

[maxiesmom]

The crowds are worse and worse each year, meanwhile the bean counters ad Disney say Park Attendance is DOWN??!! As for Stand By time of 215 Minutes, in my opinion all these long standby lines IS CAUSED BY THE FAST PASS PLUS SYSTEM!!!!

If it is a busy time, that sort of stand by time is not a product of FP+. Lines were like that before FP+ during peak periods. And believe it or not, they get longer.

 

[maxiesmom]

I know its a little OT, but why do they allow this to happen? It's seems ridiculous that they can't get a handle on this and ensure that no one waits more than 15 minutes for a bus. It's not like they don't know occupancy rates, or how long it takes to get from point A to B. They have plenty of buses, enough even to start a whole premium bus service. This problem baffles me.

Disney aims for 20 minutes, but even they don't control the traffic. It is just bus service.

By the way, Disney recommends allowing 90 minutes to make it to any ADR using their transportation.

 

[mousefan73]

I want to comment on the "craft thing" as well. I think that it is possible to look at that like making pot holders during the summer at the park, but is it? I remember when my DGD was younger we spent time with her in the pool area while she joined other children and a CM making things. She had a blast! FOr my family, giving her the time to relax and enjoy time with other kids was just as important than the time we were in the parks.

I think that the suggestion was made to allow for alternate ways to enjoy a vacation in order to avoid packing up and leaving, and should not have recieved the derogatory comments that followed. I know we all spend a lot of money on DIsney trips, but if the parks are just too hot, too crowded, isn't it nice that there are other activities that a family can enjoy?

My DD did this last year at the BC,,,was a great moment the pool party,, the fun, the Disney feeling.. aways from the Parks and then Hey little girl let's make a tie die t-shirt.. for 20 dollars!!! so mom here was a bit po'd I am sitting at the pool while paying for parks and over priced resort and to be crafty I need pay money.

 

[dlavender]

Disney aims for 20 minutes, but even they don't control the traffic. It is just bus service.

By the way, Disney recommends allowing 90 minutes to make it to any ADR using their transportation.

I get that they aren't going to hit their target every time. But when I see stories that people waited more than 45 minutes for a whole week, it's a little baffling. Once I get, maybe twice, but more than that and I think its inexcusable. Throw another bus or two out there if you are running behind. I just get the impression some times that they feel like they are offering you some kind of free service that you should be grateful for. Like you didn't pay a premium or something.....

 

[starjazz]

One thing that just popped into my mind reading this....

DLR

 

[Dentam]

I get that they aren't going to hit their target every time. But when I see stories that people waited more than 45 minutes for a whole week, it's a little baffling. Once I get, maybe twice, but more than that and I think its inexcusable. Throw another bus or two out there if you are running behind. I just get the impression some times that they feel like they are offering you some kind of free service that you should be grateful for. Like you didn't pay a premium or something.....

Some of the bus stops had CM's stationed at them who were monitoring wait times and were able to call their bus center if things were getting backed up. Unfortunately, we never saw them at the BC where we were staying and those wait times were usually the longest.

 

[maxiesmom]

I get that they aren't going to hit their target every time. But when I see stories that people waited more than 45 minutes for a whole week, it's a little baffling. Once I get, maybe twice, but more than that and I think its inexcusable. Throw another bus or two out there if you are running behind. I just get the impression some times that they feel like they are offering you some kind of free service that you should be grateful for. Like you didn't pay a premium or something.....

Even that poster didn't say it was the whole week. It was "a couple of times". And it really isn't as simple as adding a bus or two. You either have to pull those buses from another route, or get more bus drivers in to work and get them going. Not a quick process.

 

[mousehockey37]

Yesterday we checked out of Bay Lake Towers and left Walt Disney World a day early. The hotel was great but my family of four could no longer take the crowds in the Parks.

I get that it is Spring Break, we have Florida Resident Annual Passes, but having school-age kids means we can only visit during vacations and weekends (we only take our kids out of school for Emergencies). We do plan hotel, dinner and FastPass reservations months in advance; so please do not judge.

On Wednesday evening March 15, Space Mountain had a Stand By time of 215 Minutes before it broke down just after the 9PM Fireworks. Sorry, but 30 minutes is my limit for any ride; I wanted to come back in Fall to try Pandora but now we are not going to bother and let our Passes lapse in November.

Can anybody comment on having a similar experience wanting to check out early?

I haven't read through the 18 pages of responses, so excuse me if this has been said..

If your limit is waiting 30 minutes for a ride, you're not gonna ride much. Sure there's the handful of things that are normally walk-on's but most people probably plan for at least a 30 minute stand-by line (I mean, there are rides that if the stand-by is less than an hour, people run for it, lol).

 

[mom2rtk]

One thing that just popped into my mind reading this....

DLR

How so? It gets really crowded there too.

 

[twodogs]

We were there last week, and while we never even considered throwing the towel in and leaving early to go home, I will agree that the combination of the crowds and weather did provide make for a bit of a frustrating week. We planned the best we could and did have expectations for Spring Break crowds, but I think even given the expected crowds this time of the year, last week was more crowded than normal. Unless you were physically there to experience it first hand, please do not assume that people who are reporting the crowds as a bit insane are just being dramatic and should have known better. And the cold weather did not help matters as far as finding other things to do. Physically being outside was not ideal. The forecast had not changed by the time we had left (cruise week before parks) so when we got to WDW the cold front was a surprise for us and we were not super packed for it. I do somewhat sympathize with the OP and understand the frustration part anyways.

I was there last week, and I think we must have also been on your cruise the three days prior to the Spring Break Melee! We also stayed at AKL (which was have done in the past). It was overwhelming, buses were very slow, parks were packed, lines to order at QS were easily 30-45 minutes, and that was at 1:30pm or later (not "prime lunch" time). We had ADRs, FP+ etc, but it was still more challenging than I expected.

Overall, I left there feeling that Disney greed was getting the better of them. I felt that Disney was not at all upset that everything felt out of control to the average, well-planned guest because this chaos would just drive us all to use the upcharge-services.

Don't like how slow the buses are coming: buy upgraded Express Transportation from Disney (or pay for an Uber, which we did, to make sure we made our 1900 PF ADR on time)
Don't like waiting in line: use FP+ and get prepared to possibly pay for that (look at what they are proposing at DLR for monetizing "MaxxPass" which is essentially FP+ while in the parks)
Don't like only having 3 pre-booked FP+ and VERY limited 4th FP: Pay for a VIP group tour or a VIP personal guide to get FP on many/all the rides (we did a personal VIP guide for our family 2 years ago, and did it again this trip for a day; it is very $$$ and I cringe just thinking about it, but we have very limited time in the parks and I am self-employed so time "off" means I make no money, so I have to minimize time away)
Don't like waiting at QS: Make an ADR and pay Disney prices, but guess what, you still have to wait for your "reservation"...
Don't want to wait in long bag check and security lines: buy upgraded Express Transportation and bypass this
Don't like booking FP+ 30 days in advance: book on-site hotels at 4x or more off-site rates and book FP+ at 60 days
Don't like lining up 1-2 hours prior to fireworks or nighttime entertainment to get a good view: buy upgraded viewing via Dessert Parties, or Dining options (we did the Galactic Nights Dessert party this time and LOVED it, but it's a significant upcharge...)

I really feel that the more crowded and crazy it is, the happier Disney execs are because not only are they raking in money on tickets and hotels, the chaos is driving those same guests to spend even more to "upgrade" their experience to something reasonable, and so Disney makes even more money. I feel Disney charges high rates (though supported by the "market" because they keep selling the tickets to thousands, including us) for tickets and then charges high rates to stay onsite. I think the return on that investment to the individual is diminishing, at least for me. If you want the same Disney experience you used to get (and that was at a lower price), you need to pay today's prices and then even more money to "upgrade" your experience to overcome the hurdles that Disney won't manage. Of course, the only way this gets corrected is if people stop spending their hard-earned money and time off at Disney. Then prices would come down or service levels would increase due to lower crowds, and crowds would go back up again! UGH.

I do not expect walk-on rides, buses waiting at my arrival at the bus stop, or no lines for QS. I do expect Disney to use their vast pool of data (they know exactly how many people have entered each park each day, know where you are using your FP, know where you plan to eat your ADR, when you re-entered your resort room) to make things run more smoothly. If they continue to allow so many people into the parks without expanding offerings such as rides/shows/entertainment, it will get worse. Think about how long it has been since EPCOT got a new ride? It literally has about 4 rides that most people want to ride. I understand that there are many other things to do in EPCOT, but the bottom line is most people come to ride at least some rides. And having essentially 4 main rides for the entire park is ludicrous. No wonder the waits were greater than 200+ minutes at times like Spring Break. Where are you going to put all those people if you only have 4 main rides? Yes they are expanding HS and AK, but the pace is glacial. It won't take some of the burden off the existing rides for years, and if crowds increase with the opening of the new lands, we will be back to square one or worse, for lines and crowds.

We are making our next trip to DLR, and I will see how that goes in comparison. As OP said, it is going to take a while for the buyer's remorse to fade after this trip, for me. I am speaking with my wallet, and I won't pay to have that kind of experience again. Maybe I am a wimp compared to many on these boards who always travel in crowd level 10 and have a stupendous time. It was simply too expensive for the return on investment for me. I don't mind getting stepped on and waiting in tremendous lines when I am at a FREE outdoor concert, for example, because it is FREE. But when I have paid for PH tickets, paid to fly in, paid to stay on-site Deluxe, I have a different expectation of the experience.

On the positive side, our girls did have a great time this trip Pin Trading with CMs. We used some of our time to do this since the rides were nearly impossible, and they enjoyed quite a bit!

 

[twodogs]

Let me add to my post that I have no problem with Disney charging for "upgraded" experiences. I do have a problem with feeling like they are letting the "baseline" experience become eroded/crazy/chaos, leaving people few options other than deal with it or upgrade. And they are charging more for the "baseline" experience every time you turn around.

 

[Westcoastwild]

How so? It gets really crowded there too.

I think that might be the point, lol. Folks complain that the fast pass plus system created the problem but a 30 minute wait limit at DLR generally means you won't be riding much, and no fp+ there. Also I'd rather be in Magic Kingdom on a "9" day than in DLR. more elbow room in MK

I think FL park crowds are actually better because they don't have the heavy local component, but on the other hand they do have the tour groups. So it's more like pick your poison...anyway, point is, that fp+ does make traditional walk ons not walk ons. But those aren't the ones people are there for anyway, and it ALSO makes it possible to ride my favorite headliners without much wait in Florida. I know there are fast passes for stuff like Indiana and Space mountain in CA but I never get those fast passes (because I don't rope drop.)

 

[GPC0321]

We stayed at AKL this time and the bus service took forever as well so it might be safe to just say the the bus service as a whole is not extremely reliable and to take the possible extra time into account when planning.

Yeah, I was reading about the POR debacle with buses and it brought back a memory of our trip last Easter/Spring Break waiting for an MK bus one morning. One bus came through already full, and we were told another was right behind it. Well, we saw at least two AK buses, an Epcot and a HS bus before another FULL MK bus came, this time with an empty MK actually right behind it. By this time the crowd at the bus stop was enormous and, naturally, everyone was waiting on the MK bus. I was there with my 70+ year old parents, and I remember truly fearing that they would get knocked out of the way by the mob surging to the bus. I herded them in front of me and got us into a good position and just gritted my teeth and held our position and would not back down. It never got ugly, but you definitely have to be bold in situations like that. It wasn't exactly a pleasant experience though.
And this was at Coronado Springs, one of the resorts touted for good bus service. But a lot of that flies out the window when you're talking Easter/Spring Break level crowds.

I will say that and a couple of standing bus rides (mostly for my folks, didn't bother me) were the only time the crowds bothered us. But we weren't trying to ride Space Mountain and Soarin' and stuff like that. We were mostly doing the calmer rides and checking out the sights. And heck, the crowds themselves become pretty entertaining at some point! Just sit back and watch the insanity! Some of the things my Mom and I still reminisce and laugh about dealt with irate park guests who cracked us up and watching the mass exodus in the raging thunderstorm from our vantage point inside one of the Main St. shops. Those folks we remember watching and getting tickled at were probably not having very much fun, but we were! LOL!

 

[AngiTN]

I get that they aren't going to hit their target every time. But when I see stories that people waited more than 45 minutes for a whole week, it's a little baffling. Once I get, maybe twice, but more than that and I think its inexcusable. Throw another bus or two out there if you are running behind. I just get the impression some times that they feel like they are offering you some kind of free service that you should be grateful for. Like you didn't pay a premium or something.....

Honestly, I don't believe people who say they wait 45 min for buses all the time. I believe they are embellishing things a bit

Don't like how slow the buses are coming: buy upgraded Express Transportation from Disney (or pay for an Uber, which we did, to make sure we made our 1900 PF ADR on time)

Just for the record, this does not function at the resorts. Parks only. I get that isn't your point but did want to get the fact correct

 

[AngiTN]

We are making our next trip to DLR, and I will see how that goes in comparison.

Will be interesting to see what you think. We've done both and I know what works better for us, even when it's crowded. I felt the old FP system was a very big disadvantage when it's crowded. And the smaller parks feel much more crowded with fewer people. It's fun and special but not "better"