Crowds are crazy !!!

[LSUfan4444]

For those curious, Touring Plans lists alot of the holidays and/or events and how/if it impacts WDW.

https://touringplans.com/walt-disney-world/crowd-levels

 

[aprincessatlast]

Mardi Gras is an international observance, that is observed by multiple major religions, and two states celebrate it as a state holiday, as such, it is going to have an impact on WDW crowds. That's the important part.

I just typed, "Spring holidays USA 2017" into my search engine, and up popped a complete list of every observance and holiday day in the USA -by state. It took me all of 2 seconds.

I daresay, we would all do well to spend more time thinking outside of our own personal bubbles.

Meh..Me I am a fan of the personal bubble burst but honestly after having close friends (no not just 3 or 4 lol) from Africa, Europe to South America there is one thing I have learned. People like their bubble no matter where they live. Often they might pop it only to form another bubble.

So yeah I get not knowing that mardi gras is a thing outside of New Orleans. It might explain it a bit but I highly doubt it explains the real reasons for the crowds. I personally think it is because WDW has managed to figure out the way to reduce staff, reduce number of rides on tracks, inflate numbers on wait times to push people into those lovely new wide open spaces in NFL and the hub and most importantly into the shops!! All while getting the guests to say man it is so crowded here.....is there a bounce back I can book?

 

[LSUfan4444]

I highly doubt it explains the real reasons for the crowds

Mardi Gras is the reason. It is the reason every year during Mardi Gras week when these exact threads pop up.

 

[LSUfan4444]

LSUfan, or anyone who may know, for those school districts that have time off for Mardi Gras/lent, do they have just that first week off??? That can't have all of lent off.

Almost all have off the entire week and return to school on Monday to the crowds really start to drop on Saturday. Traditionally the Louisiana schools get Mardi Gras week off, then easter week off for spring break.

 

[eeyoresmom]

I'll try again....for those school districts that have mardi gras/ lent off, is it just the first week of lent? Touring plans warns of mardi gras that falls with another holiday which seems to have happened this year.February school vacation week and Mardi gras . I know spring break crowds will be there all of March and April but I'm wondering if that week was/ is especially crowded and it may ease a tiny bit after this weekend. edited to add: thanks, you answered as I was typing

 

[LSUfan4444]

Touring plans warns of mardi gras that falls with another holiday which seems to have happened this year.

I've read some people who believe that the combo between the princess half marathon last weekend, daytona 500 and mardi gras created a perfect storm of unsuspected crowds but mardi gras is busy every year and the waits this week have been about what they are every mardi gras. The parks and resorts often look more crowded and it "feels crowded" but the waits have been about the same.

 

[RADOPT]

Or do people consider it crowded if it is hard to just walk to places?

For us, it is crowded if it is difficult to walk around when everyone is trying to move - not when a large % of others decide to become stautes in the middle of a walk way .

My family goes every year the week after Thanksgiving

How is the crowd the week after Thanksgiving? We were there at that time but it has been a few years.

 

[LSUfan4444]

How is the crowd the week after Thanksgiving?

very low. one of the slowest weeks of the year.

 

[DaisyJ]

Except I wasn't responding to an interpretation, I was responding directly to what a pp poster said.

I think you are making the same mistake that the pp was making. It doesn't matter if you or I personally celebrate it or not. The subject of this thread is WDW crowds.

Mardi Gras is an international observance, that is observed by multiple major religions, and two states celebrate it as a state holiday, as such, it is going to have an impact on WDW crowds. That's the important part.

I just typed, "Spring holidays USA 2017" into my search engine, and up popped a complete list of every observance and holiday day in the USA -by state. It took me all of 2 seconds.

I daresay, we would all do well to spend more time thinking outside of our own personal bubbles.

Dude, really, it's ok that not everyone celebrates or even thinks about mardi gras. Yes, it impacts crowds, but some of us obviously aren't as cosmopolitan as you to consider it into our planning.

 

[dreiwhit]

very low. one of the slowest weeks of the year.

FWIW, we found the week after Thanksgiving 2016 busier than the week of late Feb - early March 2016 (when Mardi Gras ISN'T the same week.) Epcot was much busier (thanks to Candlelight Processional), MK about the same, and HS about the same or a little busier. However, we don't go during Christmas, the summer, or other times when its busy, so if you are used to going at that time, it would be much less busy.

 

[RADOPT]

very low. one of the slowest weeks of the year.

FWIW, we found the week after Thanksgiving 2016 busier than the week of late Feb - early March 2016

Thanks for replying. It will be busier than the first time we went after Thanksgiving. It was 2001, there were so few people there that they closed our hotel (POFQ) and moved us to another. The weather was great so would like to go again at that time - not to hot or cold.

 

[eeyoresmom]

I've read some people who believe that the combo between the princess half marathon last weekend, daytona 500 and mardi gras created a perfect storm of unsuspected crowds but mardi gras is busy every year and the waits this week have been about what they are every mardi gras. The parks and resorts often look more crowded and it "feels crowded" but the waits have been about the same.

Last week was also February vacation week for most school districts in New England.

 

[dreiwhit]

Thanks for replying. It will be busier than the first time we went after Thanksgiving. It was 2001, there were so few people there that they closed our hotel (POFQ) and moved us to another. The weather was great so would like to go again at that time - not to hot or cold.

Week after Thanksgiving 2016 also had free dining. My wife overheard several people say that they only reason they came to Epcot that day was to watch the Candlelight Processional.

We were surprised, as several of our friends had been that week in the past and said the parks were "dead."

Also, except for one day, it was hot and humid that week in 2016. One day they had record temps in the 80s! On our last park day (Friday) it finally got cooler and drier!

 

[anniemae]

Except I wasn't responding to an interpretation, I was responding directly to what a pp poster said.

I think you are making the same mistake that the pp was making. It doesn't matter if you or I personally celebrate it or not. The subject of this thread is WDW crowds.

Mardi Gras is an international observance, that is observed by multiple major religions, and two states celebrate it as a state holiday, as such, it is going to have an impact on WDW crowds. That's the important part.

I just typed, "Spring holidays USA 2017" into my search engine, and up popped a complete list of every observance and holiday day in the USA -by state. It took me all of 2 seconds.

I daresay, we would all do well to spend more time thinking outside of our own personal bubbles.

I don't think anyone was making a mistake. If I was traveling this week, I probably would have realized it was Mardi Gras because I would be researching and checking out calendars. I am not at Disney this week so I had no reason to look up holidays that fall end of Feb/beginning of March. I don't think that means I live in a bubble because I didn't know the exact dates of an event that I don't celebrate or take part in.

 

[momto2js]

I wonder how much the tiered pricing approach has impacted the time when people travel?? When did that go into effect? It may have been just the ticket to redistribute the bodies to less popular travel times and take the pressure off of the traditionally busy times. For example this week is a value week and the first week of March is a regular week. Then peak prices start mid March. It may be that the value times will be a good indicator that it is going to be busier than in past years.

 

[North of Mouse]

What tiered pricing? Haven't really been paying a lot of attention and hadn't heard this before??

 

[momto2js]

Single day tickets are now tiered. There is a different price value, regular, and peak. MK only is slightly more expensive than the other parks. The total price difference appears to be about $17 value to peak, but Disney has told people through this approach when they think the crowd will arrive. They are attracting people to traditionally less busy weeks.

 

[wishicouldgomoreofte]

Thanks for replying. It will be busier than the first time we went after Thanksgiving. It was 2001, there were so few people there that they closed our hotel (POFQ) and moved us to another. The weather was great so would like to go again at that time - not to hot or cold.

The week after Thanksgiving 2001 would have been about 9 weeks after 9/11, the biggest terrorist event in the US that traumatized and changed the US forever in so many ways. Many people cancelled travel plans for awhile. It seemed wrong, frivolous to go to WDW at such a time, when the country was in shock and thousands were mourning. It was like a national depression settled over the US for months and months. It was very sobering.
You really can't compare that time to any time since.

 

[Southernswthrt]

I am from New Orleans here right now and def not feeling the love from this thread. Here's my 2 cents. This is the busiest Mardi Gras I have ever seen and I have been coming almost every year for the last several years (not when overlapping with Presidents Day). I have been at many of the "best times" each year including the beloved week after Thanksgiving. And as others have said that is getting much busier as well.

That said, I was absolutely unprepared for the crowds this trip. There is no way that Mardi Gras is the ONLY reason for the crowds. Usually we run into many people we know and this time we ran into only 2 people and we have been here for 7 days. We also got stuck in the massive traffic jam due to the Marathon on Sunday and missed our ADR and all fast passes for the day (like everyone else). Not the best way to start a vacation! We expected the crowds to lessen on Tuesday after the marathoners and Pres day crowds left, but that didnt happen. As others have said we also experienced lots of malfunctions both on rides and the monrail. We stayed at a monorail resort and several times had to walk or figure out another way to our destination. That said we made the best of this trip even though it was not as magical as we had hoped. May be a while before we are back so thats one less family in the line for the rest of you! All in all we had a decent time.

 

[anniemae]

I am from New Orleans here right now and def not feeling the love from this thread. Here's my 2 cents. This is the busiest Mardi Gras I have ever seen and I have been coming almost every year for the last several years (not when overlapping with Presidents Day). I have been at many of the "best times" each year including the beloved week after Thanksgiving. And as others have said that is getting much busier as well.

That said, I was absolutely unprepared for the crowds this trip. There is no way that Mardi Gras is the ONLY reason for the crowds. Usually we run into many people we know and this time we ran into only 2 people and we have been here for 7 days. We also got stuck in the massive traffic jam due to the Marathon on Sunday and missed our ADR and all fast passes for the day (like everyone else). Not the best way to start a vacation! We expected the crowds to lessen on Tuesday after the marathoners and Pres day crowds left, but that didnt happen. As others have said we also experienced lots of malfunctions both on rides and the monrail. We stayed at a monorail resort and several times had to walk or figure out another way to our destination. That said we made the best of this trip even though it was not as magical as we had hoped. May be a while before we are back so thats one less family in the line for the rest of you! All in all we had a decent time.

That's stinks. Crowds can really put a damper on trips, especially if you are not prepared for them. I still feel like this week was just a perfect storm. A bunch of things overlapped and fell during the same time. Someone upthread said they saw lots of Mardi Gras folks, but I don't think anyone felt it was the only reason for crowds. Schools were on break up north, Flower festival started, marathon weekend etc. How long are you there for? Hopefully the crowds will thin out a bit, but I think with pandora opening up soon crowds will be heavy.