Crowds in Mid-May

[gmi3804]

My park days at TDL/TDS are 12-14 May. According to the crowd chart below, those are days with light crowds (Green, Blue, Blue).

My next question, from the same website. How do I read this chart?

 

[Ebiten]

Where did you get this chart from?

Well, if I'm reading this right, and I like to think I am, this is probably what it means. SB Max means how long the standby wait is max during that time period; for example, the Pooh ride is a 60-90 minute wait time for standby at any time during the day, max. Continuing with the Pooh ride, if you get a fastpass for it at 9 am (left most column) then you can expect a return time at 10 am. If you get a fastpass for it at 10 am then expect a return time of 3 pm (15:00). If you get a fastpass 11 am then expect a return time of 6 pm (18:00) and so on and so forth. As you can see, there is nothing across getting a fastpass at 1 pm (13:00) because it most likely ran out by that time. These are all estimates but you can still use it.

 

[gmi3804]

Where did you get this chart from?

Well, if I'm reading this right, and I like to think I am, this is probably what it means. SB Max means how long the standby wait is max during that time period; for example, the Pooh ride is a 60-90 minute wait time for standby at any time during the day, max. Continuing with the Pooh ride, if you get a fastpass for it at 9 am (left most column) then you can expect a return time at 10 am. If you get a fastpass for it at 10 am then expect a return time of 3 pm (15:00). If you get a fastpass 11 am then expect a return time of 6 pm (18:00) and so on and so forth. As you can see, there is nothing across getting a fastpass at 1 pm (13:00) because it most likely ran out by that time. These are all estimates but you can still use it.

Thanks.

I got the chart from the TDL crowd estimator website. This is the "translation" using Google Chrome.

http://www15.plala.or.jp/gcap/disney/

So are FP rules the same as WDW/DLR legacy Fps, i.e., one FP at a time until the return time opens or two hours passes, whichever happens first?

 

[Ebiten]

So are FP rules the same as WDW/DLR legacy Fps, i.e., one FP at a time until the return time opens or two hours passes, whichever happens first?

Yep, same rules and assuming they are available when you are going depending on the season. Though I would hit up the more popular rides FP first in case they run out later in the day. For TDS my usual is Toy Story first due to popularity (followed by walking to 20,000 Leagues as it's easily a walk on ride), then Journey, Indiana, ToT. Afterward I just get FP for whatever I feel like riding again. Though for Toy Story you might want to go in the standby line at least once at the beginning of the park when lines are less as the standby line makes you walk through what I can only say is "jaw-dropping" when I first saw it.

TDR it would be BTMR (followed by a walk to Pooh), Haunted Mansion, Monster, and more BTMR. I really like BTMR and not so much other FP rides at TDR so I do standby for them if I pass by and see the wait time isn't too long.

 

[DreamSweetsLove]

My park days at TDL/TDS are 12-14 May. According to the crowd chart below, those are days with light crowds (Green, Blue, Blue).

My next question, from the same website. How do I read this chart?

For the chart it's
Monsters Inc, Pooh, Splash, Buzz, Big Thunder, Space, Haunted Mansion

The times represent what time your FP will likely be for at different points during the day and when FP is likely to end for each attraction.

 

[voleball]

I'll be there May 13 ~ 15! May see you around!

 

[planningjollyholiday]

Hooray, my family and I will be there as well from
May 12-16. We went around this time 5 years ago and one of the days it drizzled a bit causing It to be pretty quiet, so I'm hoping it will be the same this year. I'm a little sad that astro blasters will be down, but I guess we can always ride it in California. If you see us say hi, I'm sure we will be the only blonde haired people in the park

 

[gmi3804]

Is it safe to assume that the first hour or two in each park will have relatively light crowds (especially in mid-May, a "slow" time) where you can hit some headliners at rope drop with little to no wait? I know TSMM will fill up quickly because it's a slow-loader and extremely popular, but what about fast loaders like BTMM and Splash? How quickly do the TDS-only rides load? 20,000, Journey, etc?

Also, if I'm reading those charts correctly, after the first FP return window opens, every FP after that will give me a two-hour return window, right?

 

[Ebiten]

Is it safe to assume that the first hour or two in each park will have relatively light crowds (especially in mid-May, a "slow" time) where you can hit some headliners at rope drop with little to no wait? I know TSMM will fill up quickly because it's a slow-loader and extremely popular, but what about fast loaders like BTMM and Splash? How quickly do the TDS-only rides load? 20,000, Journey, etc?

Also, if I'm reading those charts correctly, after the first FP return window opens, every FP after that will give me a two-hour return window, right?

It's hard to assume but as it is slow season you can expect being able to walk around freely without bumping into anyone and rides won't have as much of a wait time. Though you would be able to hit up the more popular rides pretty quickly, especially if they are near each other and you aren't traveling from one side to the other. BTMM and Splash should load pretty fast in the beginning since most might hit up Monsters Inc. Pooh is fast at rope drop but gets busier during the day. If you're riding Space, bring the music along that they play at Disneyland! They don't play it in TDR so it lowers the "quality" of it in my opinion. Everything else should be easy (though Star Tours has its ups and downs).

20,000 is super fast at rope drop and Journey shouldn't have that long a wait. I would hit up the Gondola's before the water shows start as I usually forget about it then it's too late to ride. Toy Story is slow as you know since everyone goes there first. Storm rider should be a breeze to get on since it's a high capacity crowd ride and you are going during slow season. Most everything else shouldn't be much of a line during the first couple hours.

 

[gmi3804]

Excellent info, Ebiten.

Is the above chart a good barometer to figure out order to pull FPs? Clearly, the one with the one hour retune time should be first? Then the most popular ones after that? Or not?

 

[TipsyTraveler]

Hi everyone! I don't have anything helpful to add, just wanted to say I'll be there with you guys May 11 - 16.

 

[voleball]

I think that list is a good indicator of FP priorities.

Not sure if you've seen it, but on the same website, they provide the past attendence/wait times for the last few years.

http://www15.plala.or.jp/gcap/disney/jam.htm

If you go down the page a bit, it shows the real wait time at 3:30pm for each day of that month. That'll give you the idea which ones are popular so you should hit them first thing in the morning, and which ones are anytime filler.

I'm not familar with DL, but I've been to WDW a few times. First 2 hours of Magic Kingdom is diffinitely different from TDL. Even the busiest time of the year, MK is pretty easy to tour in the first couple of hours, but TDL is not that easy. I think it won't be as easy but you'll probably do fine because Mid May is a slower season. The key difference between them is most people in TDL know how to take advantage of FPs and early hours.

Well, you mentioned that you will be staying at a Disney hotel, so the 15 minute early entry to the both parks will help you quite a bit for touring.

 

[voleball]

Wow, it looks like the mid May is a popular season.

 

[gmi3804]

I think that list is a good indicator of FP priorities.

Not sure if you've seen it, but on the same website, they provide the past attendence/wait times for the last few years.

http://www15.plala.or.jp/gcap/disney/jam.htm

If you go down the page a bit, it shows the real wait time at 3:30pm for each day of that month. That'll give you the idea which ones are popular so you should hit them first thing in the morning, and which ones are anytime filler.

I'm not familar with DL, but I've been to WDW a few times. First 2 hours of Magic Kingdom is diffinitely different from TDL. Even the busiest time of the year, MK is pretty easy to tour in the first couple of hours, but TDL is not that easy. I think it won't be as easy but you'll probably do fine because Mid May is a slower season. The key difference between them is most people in TDL know how to take advantage of FPs and early hours.

Well, you mentioned that you will be staying at a Disney hotel, so the 15 minute early entry to the both parks will help you quite a bit for touring.

Love the historical data, but not sure how to interpret them. I mean I can see that there are wait times, but I can't interpret any of the attraction names, even after English translation.

Signed,

The Ugly American

 

[Ebiten]

Love the historical data, but not sure how to interpret them. I mean I can see that there are wait times, but I can't interpret any of the attraction names, even after English translation.

Signed,

The Ugly American

Google translate sort of messes up the name of the rides at the top of the chart so you will have to hover your mouse over the rides names to see what it's actually called (with the actual name or close to it). I'm using Chrome to do this. For example, after the weather and temperature in the 2nd and 3rd column is the Omnibus in the 4th column followed by Pirates of the Caribbean in the 5th column.

 

[gmi3804]

Google translate sort of messes up the name of the rides at the top of the chart so you will have to hover your mouse over the rides names to see what it's actually called (with the actual name or close to it). I'm using Chrome to do this. For example, after the weather and temperature in the 2nd and 3rd column is the Omnibus in the 4th column followed by Pirates of the Caribbean in the 5th column.

Thanks! I'll have to try that.

 

[voleball]

Oh, sorry, I thought the translation feature might be able to give you enough hints for the rides.

Here are the orders of rides. (left to right) It'll be a pain to map them, but i hope this helps.

TDL:
- Weather
- Temp
- Omnibus
- Pirates of the Caribbean
- Jungle Cruise
- Western River Railroad
- Swiss Family Treehouse
- Tiki room
- Westernland Shootin' Gallery
- Country Bear
- Mark Twain Riverboat
- Big Thunder
- Tom Sawyer Island Rafts
- Splash Mountain
- Beaver Brothers Explorer Canoes
- Peter Pan
- Snow White
- Cinderella's Fairy Tale hall
- PhilharMagic
- Pinocchio's
- Dumbo
- Castel Carrousel
- Haunted Mansion
- Small World
- Alice's tea Party
- Pooh's Hunny Hunt
- Roger Rabbit's car Toon Spin
- Minnie's House
- Chip 'n Dale's Treehouse
- Gadget's Go Coaster
- Donald's Boat
- Monsters, Inc
- Star Tours
- Space Mountain
- Buz
- Captain EO
- StarJet
- Grand Circuit Raceway
- Meet Mickey
- Average waiting time

TDS:
- Weather
- Temp
- Transit Steamer Line Leaving Meditenranean Harbor
- Gondolas
- Fortress
- TOT
- TSM
- Big City Vehicle
- Electric Railway leaving American Waterfront
- Turtle talk
- Transit Steamer Line Leaving American Waterfront
- StormRider
- Aquatopia
- Electric Railway leaving Port Discovery
- Indiana Jones
- Raging Spirits
- Transit Steamer Line Leaving Lost River Delta
- Jasmine's Flying Carpets
- Sinbad's Storybook Voyage
- Magic Lump
- Caravan Carousel
- Flounder's FFCoaster
- Scuttle's Scooters
- Marmaid Lagoon Theater
- Jumpin' Jellyfish
- Balloon Race
- The Wirlpool
- Journey to the Center
- 20K
- Duffy Greeting
- Mickey Greeting
- Minnie Greeting
- Goofy Greeting
- Saludos amigos
- Ariel greeting
- average wait time

 

[gmi3804]

Wow - that really helps. Thanks!

There seems to be a big dichotomy between the historical data you linked and the projected wait times on the same site. Or am I just imagining this? In any event, the data from last May is encouraging with regards to actual wait times. One of my biggest fears about TDLR is the oppressive number of people. I think our mid-May choice of dates will turn out to be a good decision.

 

[voleball]

So, to add more complications to the planning, here is one more data point.

Realtime Wait time

This shows the actual wait times + real FP distribution time table in a 30 minute increment for the day you clicked on. If you click on a ride name, you can see the realtime data by 30 minute increment for the whole month to compare. Very powerful tool.

Yep, right before and right after the Golden Week is always a great time to go!

 

[gmi3804]

So, to add more complications to the planning, here is one more data point.

Realtime Wait time

This shows the actual wait times + real FP distribution time table in a 30 minute increment for the day you clicked on. If you click on a ride name, you can see the realtime data by 30 minute increment for the whole month to compare. Very powerful tool.

Yep, right before and right after the Golden Week is always a great time to go!

That's great!