Crowd Predictions

[Callas]

I would expect to hit a low in the crowds this week, followed by slight increase in crowds for the week of the 13th, increaseing crowds the 20th, and a good size crowds (not summer but the high side for the low season) the last week in September.

Prediction (BTMRR average waits no rope drop)
Walk on this week to 10 minute waits (schools just started for everyone)
10-20 minute waits for the week of the13th
25-30 minute waits for the week of the 20th (some fall breaks here???)
40 minute waits for the the week of the 27th (combination FWW and free dining)

Hotel booking/non-avalibility increase throughout the month of September peaking the last week.

 

[jenga1030]

Hmmm...Touringplans.com says kind of the opposite of this. 7s and 5s this week, going down to 6s and 4s for the next two weeks and then 5s and 4s the following week. People claim he's pretty accurate. I think crowds will stay pretty low for a few weeks. We've always gone right after labor day and it is pretty empty, but the following week is even emptier in our experience. I guess we shall see!

 

[Disney's Fab 4]

not sure... but in another thread... there are more than one poster who has family or friends there right now and say that everything is a walk on...

Can't wait!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[williamson_ja]

I heard that there were some Georgia schools that are out starting the 20th and that the crowds were going to go up that week significantly. Hope not though. We'll still be there that week.

 

[earthiejen]

The week of the 20th is a fall break for a ton of GA schools, but not all. Everyone we know that is going somewhere is going to Disney that week. WISHED we were going!!! Trying my best to pick a time for us to come again.

 

[PIRATEGIRL007]

Hmmm...Touringplans.com says kind of the opposite of this. 7s and 5s this week, going down to 6s and 4s for the next two weeks and then 5s and 4s the following week. People claim he's pretty accurate. I think crowds will stay pretty low for a few weeks. We've always gone right after labor day and it is pretty empty, but the following week is even emptier in our experience. I guess we shall see!

We have used touring plans calendar for every trip since 04 and they have never been off for us. Last week you could consider them 'off' if you take into account everything was less than they predicated. I for one do not consider less of a wait than expected a bad thing! More important than crowd predictions for us are the best parks. We are true 100% beleivers now after this last trip and will never ever stray from their beloved recommendations again.

 

[NJRA]

The week of the 20th is a fall break for a ton of GA schools, but not all. Everyone we know that is going somewhere is going to Disney that week. WISHED we were going!!! Trying my best to pick a time for us to come again.

GREAT....... That is the week we are going I could have picked ANY week in September and just my luck I pick the BUSY one

 

[DawnM]

I agree....I think any week in Sept. is a good week.

This is our last day here and it has just been incredible. Today we were at Epcot and they literally didn't even have the trams running there were so few cars! Even at 6pm when we left!

We walked on everything, including Test Track. I believe I saw the line at TT get up to 30 min. but we weren't going back on anyway. We did everything today, even things we don't normally do or haven't done in a long time. No crowds at all.

We would have gone later in Sept if we could have, but DH's work schedule didn't allow it.

Dawn

 

[Bagheera23608]

I'm curious why some people think crowds will go up next week (the 13th)? There is nothing special going on and almost all schools are in session. Free dining is already in effect so I don't see that making a huge difference. I'd love to hear why crowds would be worse next week than this week? Thanks!

 

[jenga1030]

The crowds will be low! We go every year at this time and most things are a walk on or very minimal wait most of the day. I live in Georgia and looked at the school calendar for the counties and I counted 6 counties off-3 the week of the 13th and 3 the week of the 20th. I don't think you'll be feeling much impact from that!

We usually go Labor Day week and the days following Labor Day are always very quiet. But the week after has always seemed emptier than the week before. Now free diners have even more time to go since they extended it until December. So they will spread out over months instead of a few weeks like usual. I think the crowds will stay pretty low for awhile.

 

[Callas]

OK no to 10 minute waits this week is very very very low.

This is what everyone is seeing so spot on.....

13th
10 to 20 minute mid day waits is a very very low.
I do expect a !!!slight!!! increase this week.
Pretty much get what you want at resorts.

20th
25-30 minute mid day wait is very low
I do expect a mild increase this week!!! Some resorts have limited offerings.

27th
40 minute mid day wait is low
I do expect a bigger jump. Lots of resorts are sold out with very limited offerings.

Lots of people are arriving for September 25th for a weekend say for free dining and Food and Wine at EPCOT.

Needless to say this seems this will be a low attended low season even with free dining.

 

[hunter1211]

The week of the 20th is a fall break for a ton of GA schools, but not all. Everyone we know that is going somewhere is going to Disney that week. WISHED we were going!!! Trying my best to pick a time for us to come again.

Hi! We are from Canton also! We went for fall break last year, but sadly can't afford it this year for all of us. When we went down last year we ran into several people from the kids school and our neighborhood. lol

 

[zackiedawg]

All of Disney's promotions are starting to muck up those 'quiet' times at Disney parks - they never seem quite as dead the past year or two as they used to be going back over the past decade or two (Late 90s, I stayed in an empty wing of the Poly in the first week of February, had an empty Monorail to the parks, an empty boat in POTC, and rode BTMRR 4 times in a row without having to get out, since noone else was waiting to get on!).

But that said, late January, early February, and most of September are still some of the best times overall to go to the parks crowd-wise. Even if Disney's promotions bring 10% more people than previous years, the attendance is down more than 50% from peak...so it doesn't exactly make the place crowded. Here's last September, 2:30pm, coming into Epcot:

That day was more crowded than in the past for September!

 

[Ktharee]

The crowds will be low! We go every year at this time and most things are a walk on or very minimal wait most of the day. I live in Georgia and looked at the school calendar for the counties and I counted 6 counties off-3 the week of the 13th and 3 the week of the 20th. I don't think you'll be feeling much impact from that!

We usually go Labor Day week and the days following Labor Day are always very quiet. But the week after has always seemed emptier than the week before. Now free diners have even more time to go since they extended it until December. So they will spread out over months instead of a few weeks like usual. I think the crowds will stay pretty low for awhile.

Thank you for posting this. It drives me nuts when people overreact and post misinformation like "ALL Georgia schools are out that week and they are ALL going to WDW!" lol So I really appreciate someone with accurate information chiming in to calm the panic. Sometimes these boards are worse than the media hype!

 

[jenga1030]

Thank you for posting this. It drives me nuts when people overreact and post misinformation like "ALL Georgia schools are out that week and they are ALL going to WDW!" lol So I really appreciate someone with accurate information chiming in to calm the panic. Sometimes these boards are worse than the media hype!

You're welcome!

 

[jenga1030]

OK no to 10 minute waits this week is very very very low.

This is what everyone is seeing so spot on.....

13th
10 to 20 minute mid day waits is a very very low.
I do expect a !!!slight!!! increase this week.
Pretty much get what you want at resorts.

20th
25-30 minute mid day wait is very low
I do expect a mild increase this week!!! Some resorts have limited offerings.

27th
40 minute mid day wait is low
I do expect a bigger jump. Lots of resorts are sold out with very limited offerings.

Lots of people are arriving for September 25th for a weekend say for free dining and Food and Wine at EPCOT.

Needless to say this seems this will be a low attended low season even with free dining.

What do you mean spot on? You posted your "predictions" about this week yesterday after we've all been reading about low waits all week.

I wonder where touringplans is getting their info then. Their trend in crowds is going the opposite of yours. I thought they took hotel bookings and stuff into consideration when they do their calendar.

The lowest week in terms of crowd numbers for them is the week of 9/27 when it's mostly 5s and 4s, compared to the 7s and 5s they had predicted for this week. They seem to have predicted high this week because it doesn't sound like there were any 7s at all! I guess we'll see if they were only off on this particular week and the crowds will go up from here or if they have predicted too high on all of these weeks, but their trend is correct. I'm hoping their trend is correct!

 

[aurora23]

The lowest week in terms of crowd numbers for them is the week of 9/27 when it's mostly 5s and 4s, compared to the 7s and 5s they had predicted for this week. They seem to have predicted high this week because it doesn't sound like there were any 7s at all! I guess we'll see if they were only off on this particular week and the crowds will go up from here or if they have predicted too high on all of these weeks, but their trend is correct. I'm hoping their trend is correct! [/QUOTE]

Me too! I could have picked any week in September for our Honeymoon and I picked the 18th through the 27th. It makes me nervous when people say it will be crowded.

 

[tine413]

going on sunday and i hope the crowds are not bad


ps.. everyone say a special prayer for those lives that were lost on 9/11 and their love ones.

 

[jenga1030]

The lowest week in terms of crowd numbers for them is the week of 9/27 when it's mostly 5s and 4s, compared to the 7s and 5s they had predicted for this week. They seem to have predicted high this week because it doesn't sound like there were any 7s at all! I guess we'll see if they were only off on this particular week and the crowds will go up from here or if they have predicted too high on all of these weeks, but their trend is correct. I'm hoping their trend is correct!

Me too! I could have picked any week in September for our Honeymoon and I picked the 18th through the 27th. It makes me nervous when people say it will be crowded.[/QUOTE]

Don't worry! We may be questioning 10 minute waits vs walkons vs 20 minute waits but it will NOT be crowded by any stretch of the imagination! Have a great honeymoon!

 

[mom2rtk]

Be careful about making park traffic predictions based on availability of resort rooms. On-site Disney guests area only PART of the whole picture. And if you were going during free dining, you would be much more likely to stay on-site to get the free dining.

My guess is that off-site locations suffer greatly during this time.