Crowds in April/May 2016

[prmatz]

So in looking forward to a 2017 trip, I did a bit of a comparison of crowds (actual, not forcasted - per Touring Plans) from when we last visited, April/May 2015, to the crowds for essentially the same time period for 2016. You'll see a significant increase in crowds during 2016 for the same time period. Any thoughts on why this happened? Any guess if the 2017 crowds will be similar to 2016, or revert back to 2015 levels?

https://plus.google.com/100464816430625091385/posts/PSJrD6j3X1Q

 

[ConnecticutNonna]

So in looking forward to a 2017 trip, I did a bit of a comparison of crowds (actual, not forcasted - per Touring Plans) from when we last visited, April/May 2015, to the crowds for essentially the same time period for 2016. You'll see a significant increase in crowds during 2016 for the same time period. Any thoughts on why this happened? Any guess if the 2017 crowds will be similar to 2016, or revert back to 2015 levels?

https://plus.google.com/100464816430625091385/posts/PSJrD6j3X1Q

WOW!!!
That is a huge difference!
Don't know the answer, but will be interesting to hear what other Disers have to say.

 

[mom2rtk]

Did you account for the difference in where Easter fell in the calendar?

 

[ConnecticutNonna]

Easter 2015 was April 5, and Easter 2016 was March 27. So there was only a week difference between the 2. Both were much earlier than the end of April beginning of May where crowds really skyrocketed!
It seems that springtime at Disney (or anywhere in Florida) is increasing in popularity...

 

[Taylor Nicole]

I'm guessing it was because of spring break.

 

[lastminutemom]

Passover was very late this year. In fact it began Friday April 22. NYC public schools had spring break that week as did almost all Jewish schools (not that huge a number) across North America. NYC schools have over 1 million students. We were there that week and noticed lots of New Yorkers. Also a fair number of observant Jewish families. Lots of families with preschoolers.

Our child attends a Jewish school and we were hoping for lower attendance, but it sure felt packed to us.

 

[ConnecticutNonna]

Actually you're all correct. I forgot that spring break was not immediately after Easter this year, but was the last week of April.
The students only had Good Friday off in our district and then we're off late April.
I don't remember when spring break was in 2015, but I'll bet it was closer to Easter week, thus kids were back in school late April/early May.

 

[DrivenByDisney]

I don't find the crowd levels to be all that bad during the week right now. We were at EPCOT on Sunday evening and it was not crowded at all. We were able to book FP+ on the way to the park around 3:00 pm for Test Track & Spaceship Earth (which was actually not needed) Spaceship Earth was a walk on around 7:00 pm.

Also, we were hanging around Disney Springs Monday afternoon/evening and it was not crowded at all either until it got closer to dinner time, of course. Loads of walls down there as well and you can see a lot of STK now and other locations around the Town Centre.

 

[prmatz]

I wonder how the timing of Easter 2017, which is April 16, will affect crowds this time of year. Hopefully the buffer week directly after Easter will result in crowd levels consistent with 2015!

 

[jbharr1]

this year it rained on 5/4 so that would account for the 1's. on thursday, it was day after rain and at MK, mine train didn't open until about 10:30 - 11 and space mtn was down all morning. effed up wait times for everything the rest of the day. I think it is hard, especially in the spring, to take a week and compare year over year. Plus doesn't touring plans change their numbering system like every 3 months? what was a 6 in 2015 isn't necessarily a 6 in 2016.

This was my first trip in may. was there 5/3 to 5/8. It only felt really crowded thursday afternoon at MK. It was just me as I set DW up with a spa afternoon. I could find some FP+ it took a lot of refreshing between 2 and 5p and that was for one. not much was under 20 minute wait.

 

[NY Pirate Princess]

Spring break for public schools was impacted by the early easter date on 2016. There are many factors you will have to take into account in planning your dates for 2017. We are in New York and traveled to Disney from April 23 through April 30 for our spring break. Most of the time our break is tied to easter and those 2 weeks are always packed in the world.

 

[summerw]

I think it is also just more crowded in spring. We went April 2-13 and the crowds hadn't been higher than 7s for those weeks (other than when it fell either side of Easter) and were predicted to be 5-6s. We got A LOT of 10s which made me check 2-3 weeks before Easter in March and they had the same deviation. Honestly though, I could have really done without the crowds at quick services and bag check in MK, but everything else was doable with good planning. I would have preferred it without, but we got to do everything we wanted to do and had an amazing time. Rope drop and late nights are your friend.

 

[Belle83]

Deleted sorry - replied for Disneyland not WDW

 

[Accident]

I saw a lot of competition groups over a couple weeks that included that time period. I think it was 2 straight weeks of cheerleader, dance and marching band sized groups that were competing on property. I also know I jumped in twice while the weather was insanely amazing. I wanted to get another run at AK and Food and Garden before the high humidity, bake you alive summer weather started...

Also lets not forget that was suppose to be the time when AK was opened late at night and I think many might have come down to experience it since it was announced earlier.

To be honest, I think next year is either going to be insanely dead or can't see your feet crowded depending on when pandora actually opens and how far in advance they announce it. We're at that moment that some people are going to push their vacations so the arrive to experience it. But as we see now, disney will pack the place with something else if the parks aren't the draw.

 

[lvcourtneyy]

We were there April 10-20. I expected to find it much more crowded than the times I've gone previously but I didn't think it was bad. Longest we waited was for Joy and Sadness lol. There were A LOT of school groups as a PP stated, seemed like prime time for senior trips.

 

[tlmadden73]

I would gather that crowds would be the MORE:

1) Second year of the expanded (with food) Flower and Garden festival at Epcot.
2) Star Wars Run Disney event will no doubt grow in popularity as more movies come out.
3) Spring break/Easter will fall in the middle of April.
4) First spring with the new attractions: Soaring, Frozen, River of Lights, Nighttime AK, and Disney Springs without construction walls (finally).
(I am sure a lot of people have delayed our skipped going to WDW early this year because of the construction .. I know I haven't been inticed to go again until those open up)
5) Perhaps Pandora open? (LOL)

Perhaps it would be less if Disney raises prices AGAIN early in 2017.

 

[mocame]

We were there 4/30 to 5/10. The first few days we didn't think it was that crowded but by May 4th until the end, the crowds had seemed to increase or maybe we had picked the worst times at the worst parks to be in. It was manageable but annoying sometimes.

During the first part of our trip, we saw a lot of cheerleaders and then later we saw a number of different kids groups. I had heard a lot of negative things about the kids groups touring the parks but most of the groups that I had seen were very well behaved.

 

[sretav]

We are heading home tomorrow. Did 6 park days across our 14 day vacation.

May 1st - MK - It did feel busier than the predicted 5 and it was really hot (34C)
May 2nd - HS - Again really hot but crowds seemed fine. Nothing felt crowded. Did everything you could do between 9 am and 8:30 pm including Jedi Training. Loved the roaming Stormtroopers) and all of the Star Wars stuff. 20 min ToT standby at 7 pm. Really bad lightning storm and heavy downpour at 8:30 pm so missed Fantasmic.
May 5th - AK - Also very manageable crowds and did everything again except Primevil Whirl and Pagani. Did 4 Kali's from 5 to 6 pm walk on (park closed at 6) and weather was a lot more comfortable. Park cleared out by 5 it felt.
May 6th - EP - Only thing we waited for was Joy and Sadness 1st thing in the morning (took about 40 min to get through) and Test Track around 8 pm (about 30 min Standby)
May 8th - MK - Felt about the same as our 1st MK day.
May 9th - MK - Crowds felt extra light. We did pretty much everything you can do from 9 am to 11 pm including 4 Splash Mountains, 4 BTMRs, 4 times on the Speedway. Additional FPs available all day for almost everything right up until closing (probably had 8 total FPs) by end of day. This with 4 girls 8 and under. Caught Wishes from the boardwalk back in Frontierland and as we were leaving ran into the MSEP with a mostly empty park. Longest line for us was A&E (about 45 long minutes around 8 pm).