crowds this week??

[disneyobessed]

Could anyone that is there now tell me how the crowds are..? We usually go the 1st week of August when yeah it is crowded but not sure if its as bad as Presidents Day week.. We are booked to go next February!! Cant wait!

 

[disneyobessed]

bump

 

[janeyb]

Hi there,

We're here at the moment staying at AKL and having been during most weeks of the year, including just before Christmas I must say that this has been the worst ever for crowds.

A few days ago we were in Epcot and the wait time for Soaring was at 300 minutes by 11am!! The shows have been a total waste of time as during each show - Nemo, Beauty & The Beast, Lion King etc, we have all been so crammed in that we've only managed to see around 30% of the stage. We arrived for the Nemo show 30 minutes prior to it commencing on Tuesday (as suggested) and by then we were in having to wait with no guaranteed seat for the show. When it came time for the show, we were let in but shown the THE worst seats EVER (known as Bleacher seats I believe), which are on the same level as the seats in front - not raised at all. We couldn't even see 5% of the stage and my DD's aged 5 & 7 years were so upset as they could only hear the show!!! When we stood up by the exit so that we could see, security appeared and asked us to sit down or leave - we left!

We have found trying to make a dinner reservation amost impossible. We had already made one for each day at 90 days out, but with the crowds we haven't always felt like being in busy parks just for a certain reservation. In the past we have had no problems at all in amending them with concierge that morning, but again it's unbelievable. I tried yesterday morning for 40 minutes to try and get an opening ANYWHERE, resort or park between 4.30pm and 8.30pm and the only restaurant available was at the FW Campground which we didn't fancy! We ended up eating offsite.

We may just have been unlucky in the way we have done the parks and at the time of day we got there (although we got to most for opening) and others may have found it Ok, but for us, having spent 15k on this trip and planning for 18 months, the crowds have spoilt it somewhat. I know that others I know of have gone at this time of year last year and not had a problem.

I don't want to appear too negative but I just wanted to answer you honestly. We wouldn't come during this week again. I think I would come to the parks prior to Presidents week and go on a Disney Cruise for this week, as i know the crowds just before were low. We arrived on the 9th September for 3 nights (crowds much smaller), then cruised for 4 nights. The only reason we cruised first was that I wanted to be in DW for my 40th birthday. As it was we stayed out of the parks on that day and headed for Anna Maria Island.

The parks appear to be getting much quieter now, we were in AK earlier this evening and it was lovely, so peaceful but we're off back to the UK tomorrow!

Jane.

Jane.

 

[disneyobessed]

Thank you so much for the reply.. Have a safe trip back to the U.K.!

 

[janeyb]

No problem.

After I posted this, I was down in the lobby and overheard a man on his cell saying to someone who he was obvioulsy meeting up with to; "Be prepared, it's so much busier here than it was last year this place is BUSY"!

Jane.

 

[disneyobessed]

Interesting...I think we may look at 3rd week in April instead..

 

[janeyb]

Thats's when we're looking at next year. I don't think we'd come in Feb again, not just because of the crowds but because of the un-predictable weather. This morning I've been sat by the pool with 4 towels over me because it was so cold!! The pool water is just too cool on a slightly chilly day. Even the lifegueards are down there in pants and coats as I type.

Some days have been perfect, but others like the day we got on the cruise 12th Feb it was in thge 50's with a really icey cold wind. I was shivering! Also when we hit the beach the sea was too cold for even my daughters to swim, bearing in mind we're British, live by the sea and they spend all summer in the sea in wetsuits!

I really don't want to put you off - I know I must be doing such a great job of tha!, and we really have had a fantastic trip, we have just had to do things differently (eat off site more, even with free dining! and also stay away from the parks a little more than usual). I'd rather you knew what you could potentially be in for. It just seems to have been last Friday to now that has been busy, I think it will quieten down a fair bit soon. Although saying that 400 rooms are checking into the AKL today!!

Now, back to the horrible part - packing and checking out!

Jane.

 

[disneyobessed]

This is making my decision so much easier... Thank you so much for your honesty... I would honestly rather go in the summer and deal with the summer crowds and heat than be cold down there... I dont want to even think of wearing pants down there.

 

[redrosesix]

This was our 5th year in a row traveling to WDW at this time of year, and it was by far the most crowded we have seen. Especially the week before Pres. Week, which is usually no crowds at all -- but they had a free dining promotion and lots of room only discounts this year.

And everyone else I talked to said the same thing -- yup -- crowded. We usually ride TSM multiple times during EMH -- we didn't even do it this year. For most of the major rides, if you didn't have a FP and didn't want to wait, you weren't going to be doing it.

 

[disneyobessed]

[

And everyone else I talked to said the same thing -- yup -- crowded. We usually ride TSM multiple times during EMH -- we didn't even do it this year. For most of the major rides, if you didn't have a FP and didn't want to wait, you weren't going to be doing it.[/QUOTE]

What does TSM stand for...?

 

[MikeRx]

We traveled to WDW in 2010 over President's week due to the school schedule of my nephew. We were greeted with the largest crowd I'd ever seen at WDW. I contemplated why this was so...as we knew it would be busy but…
1. President's week is one of the busier weeks for WDW already, think "this would be a great time for a winter break, the kids are off a couple of days anyway"
2. Mardi Gras coincided with #1 (just like 2012)
a. Wouldn’t it be fun to be in WDW for Mardi Gras?
b. Wouldn’t it be even more fun to leave New Orleans and go to WDW? The kids get 2-3 days off already and….
3. The Saints won the Super Bowl just 2 weeks prior….see #1 & 2 above….I want to be like Drew and “go to Disney World”!

So if #1 isn’t enough please look at the schedule for Mardi Gras and make sure you aren’t heading into a perfect storm. You can’t do much about #3 and heck if the Saints ever win again let’m celebrate…

We’ve chosen late April for the next two years because I now have PTSD from the February 2010 trip, so if 2012 was as bad or worse, seek immediate medical attention or schedule a trip when the crowd calendar is less than 5 (see touring plans or easyWDW)

Mike
me DW DS (4) DMIL