Crowds REALLY large right now?

[hllb]

I was there last week too. That pink group was staying in my building at Pop Century. The crowds were pretty heavy in the parks. I was able to get everything on my list done but I still hit a wall Thursday afternoon where I was ready to swear off Disney for years and years. Of course when I got home yesterday I started planning my next trip which looks like 2020.

Where were you Thursday? Were in Epcot which was our lowest crowd day.

 

[disneydreamer1980]

My sister was there 1/21-1/28 and all of the pics she took have groups of people in yellow shirts in the background. She said they always ended up near them, but they weren’t bothered by them much. She also said that FoP had a three hour wait within an hour of the park opening, and she walked right on Navi, then walked right on EE.

 

[patrokls]

Where were you Thursday? Were in Epcot which was our lowest crowd day.

Magic Kingdom. It was the day I learned I didn’t need to always stay for the fireworks. I left the park around five went to the Poly and had a drink. While there I made a last minute reservation for Jiko. It was a good decision. Friday at AK was even more crowded. I got to the bus stop at 7:00am and had to take the fourth bus that came to the stop. At that point I just stopped fighting it. I had fast passes and reservations for everything I wanted to do so I stopped worrying.

 

[theone74733]

Magic Kingdom. It was the day I learned I didn’t need to always stay for the fireworks. I left the park around five went to the Poly and had a drink. While there I made a last minute reservation for Jiko. It was a good decision. Friday at AK was even more crowded. I got to the bus stop at 7:00am and had to take the fourth bus that came to the stop. At that point I just stopped fighting it. I had fast passes and reservations for everything I wanted to do so I stopped worrying.

I guess last Friday was busy at all parks because we were at MK and it was Summer like crowds. Worst day of the week. Even rope drop didn't work as well as everything started to get busy at 9:30 am. Funny thing is MK was less busy last Wednesday with the PM EMH.

 

[mamamelody2]

15 FP's on a CL 8 day is a rare occurrence. Was there this past friday, park was rammed. Had my 3 FP's done by 11:30. Next avail FP not until 4pm.

Last week was busy, especially for MK & AK

So did you take that 4pm FP, then try to modify it to an earlier time? That is what I did and it worked every time. Mind you, it might take a few minutes of constant refreshing, but it would work.

 

[DebbieB]

When I see a posted 35 minute wait right now (5pm) for Small World - on an off-peak month like this is - I can't help but wonder if we are doomed this July.

Crowds were lower last summer. Fall seemed to be busier. I hoping, going June 28 to July 4.

 

[lisa cameron]

We just returned yesterday from a 1 week trip. I was used to empty parks (crowd levels on previous trips were typically 2’s and 3’s). I picked this week because it was supposed to be 2 to 5 crowd levels, with the average being 3. I hate crowds and get cranky pretty easily. Instead of 2 to 5, we saw 4 to 8 crowds, with the average being 5 to 6. As it turned out, the crowd levels were fine. We got to do almost everything we wanted (we dropped a few unimportant things, which probably had more to do with over planning rather than crowds). We did our favorites multiple times and generally didn’t wait more than 15 minutes for anything (waited 39 minutes for ToT once, I think because they had problems- the posted wait was 20 minutes and the Lines app said 13 minutes).

The only time we really felt the crowds was walking around in AK. It was an 8 day, and the walkways were a bit difficult to navigate.

Here’s what we accomplished as a family of 5:

Arrival Day:
Wander around Poly w friends
Disney Springs for T-Rex dinner
Illuminations Cruise

MK Day 1, CL 5:
Welcome Show
PP (RD)
7DMT (FP)
BTM (FP)
SM (FP)
Buzz (standby)
Small World (standby)
Magic Carpets (standby)
Jungle Cruise (FP)
Pirates (FP)
Tomorrowland Speedway (standby)
Tea cups (standby)
Dumbo (standby)
Haunted Mansion (FP)
HEA dessert party
Lunch @ BOG
Dinner @ Skippers Canteen

MK Day 2, CL 6:
PPO breakfast at BOG
7DMT (FP)
BTM (twice, standby and FP)
SM (4 times I think, all FPs)
Tomorrowland Speedway (FP for just 2 in our party while the other 3 hit SM)
Barnstormer (standby)
Buzz (3 times, combo standby and FP)
Pirates (FP)
Jungle Cruise (FP)
Under the Sea (standby)
Philhatmagic (standby)
Dessert only at BOG to meet Beast
Sorcerers of the MK for maybe 40 minutes
Left the park maybe 5 or so
California Grill dinner @ 7:40 (this ended up being too late for my 7 year old)

AK, CL 8:
Navi (RD)
FoP (FP)
Everest (3 times, FP and standby)
Dinosaur (FP)
Tough to be bug (standby)
Safari (standby)
Lion King show (standby)
Nemo show (standby)
Tusker House late breakfast
Satuli Canteen for dinner
Met Flik (happened upon him and no wait)
Primeval whirl (once for whole group, one addtl ride for 2 while rest went on Everest, both FP)
ROL show (dining package)
Didn’t end up doing the two walking trails we wanted to hit

HS, CL 5:
Rock coaster (3 times I think, RD, and FP)
TSM (FP, wished we could’ve done it twice but nope)
Star Tours (twice, FP and standby)
Jedi Training
ToT (twice, FP and standby)
Launch Bay theater for movie
Beauty & Beast stage show (FP)
Indiana Jones show (standby)
Muppetvision (Standby)
Kyle Ren meet (Disney Visa)
Sci Fi Dine in for lunch
Fantasmic dessert party

Epcot, CL 4, EMH morning:
FEA (RD)
Soarin’ (twice, once standby once FP)
Test Track (3 times, all FP I think)
Baymax meet (standby)
Mexico CS lunch
World showcase (didn’t do a lot here, stopped in Germany, Mexico, China, Japan, ate snack at Festival cart, mainly just walked around the loop)
The Sea w Nemo (standby)
Aquarium
Living w Land (standby)
Spaceship earth (FP)
Mission Space (3 times, standby and FP)
Left park around 5:30 or 6, relaxed at Poly in room for 45 min
Ohana dinner at 7:20 (originally was 8:30 but moved it as 7 yr old had trouble staying up that late)

AK and HS, CLs 8 And 6 respectively:
This day was about experiences, not touring
Ohana breakfast @ 7:30
AK around 9 on EMH day
FoP (FP)
Dinosaur (FP)
Everest (FP)
Pandora snack
Wild Africa Trek (3 hr experience w snack)
Back to Poly for late lunch @ capt cooks
Arrive at HS at 6
Rock coaster (FP)
Star Wars dessert party
Meet BB8
Meet Chewie
Star Wars fireworks

We also did a ton of photos with the Disney photographers, including magic shots.

Nice work! By what time were you done with your 3rd fast pass at MK each day?

 

[hllb]

Nice work! By what time were you done with your 3rd fast pass at MK each day?

First day by probably 12:30 or so. Second day around noon.