Crowd Question

[autumnbaby9]

My friend and I made our trip reservations for the beginning of Dec because all of the quide books and websites said this was the least crowded time of year. I have been reading some of the trip reports from last Dec and people have been commenting on how busy the parks were, to the point that they had to close both parks and not let anyone back in after 1 pm or so . Is this normal for Dec or was it just because of the 50th. I have been to DL in Aug when the crowds were umberable but never to the point that they had to close the parks. If there is going to be more people then in Aug I want to be prepared. Any Info would be apprieciated.

 

[hlbtimes2]

They dont typically have to close the park due to capacity. Its most common right around Christmas- This year I would say Dec.22- Jan 1 are going to be the busiest days of the season. Earlier in the month will be a little quieter. You'll be able to tell what kind of crowds to expect when the schedule is posted. If they are open the max hours (8am-12am) then you can expect things to be busy. The shorter hours indicate smaller crowds. The first full weekend in Dec is typically candlelight pro. and will be busier then the days leading up to and following it.

 

[brianroaz]

Hi,

We happened to be at the park the first week of December last year--and it was crazy. Luckily we were going into the parks the next day, because as we were walking over to visit Downtown Disney, they were shutting the doors to Disneyland due to crowds. The next day was crowded for a Sunday, but it was Monday that was really crazy. One of the cast members said it was the busiest Monday she had ever seen in her years working at the park.

That being said, you should not expect this year. Everyone, and I mean everyone, said it was because of the 50th anniversary, so the park was overcrowded since summer 2005 through part of this summer.

We're heading to DL this Friday, so it will be interesting to see what the crowds are like on S, Su, and Monday.

 

[autumnbaby9]

Thanx everyone. That makes me feel better. I would hate to not be able to leave the park mid-day to take a break. We will have small children with us and all day in the park would be hard on them.

 

[Dis Ohana]

We must have been at the park the same weekend as Brianroaz. We were one of the unfortunate people to be turned away to re-entry into the park. We were able to get into DCA but it was uncomfortably crowded so we ended up going to see Narnia. We went the year before on the same week and the park was empty. I am sure it was because of the 50th celebration that the crowds were so bad.