Crowds this week

[Julie Amber]

 

[Julie Amber]

View attachment 542439

In case anyone was wondering what crowds in the parks looked like today. This is a pretty good representation. Weekdays were pretty dang pleasant. Weekend was NUTS

 

[JulieBeeRN]

Agreed 100%!

 

[Tonberry]

We just got back. More busy than we hoped it would be, but yeah, weekdays were fine. Tough social distancing at times but not bad by any means. Weekends were a joke. Just packed with people. No social distancing going on and you couldn't even if you wanted to. Here's Magic Kingdom at 11:00 am on Saturday.

 

[Meriweather]

We've been here since the 1st.
We have been leaving after lunch. The lines for rides are longer than I am willing to wait in.
The first hour of opening is best

 

[Handykapper]

Seems like crowds have returned for good.

 

[gharter]

Not sure how the rest of the park looked, but that looks like more than 35% capacity.

 

[Disnsyncey]

Not sure how the rest of the park looked, but that looks like more than 35% capacity.

It could very well be less than 35%, disney can only do so much in enticing people to other areas of the park, but people will go where they want to go.....

 

[Thumper99]

Ugh! This looks disappointing. We only have one day park pass and we haven’t been to HS in many years. Have a park ressie for next Tuesday. Is there anyway to see if the park will be full? I don’t understand how if capacity is at 35% why are crowds and lines so big? Is there a way to see if park reservations are not available? For nstance I’m looking at Christmas week and in the MDE app it shows all four parks open for park reservations (but I’m not sure because I only have one day park tickets and that reservation is already taken for next Tuesday so I can proceed further to see if I could ACTUALLY get a PR) would I be able to see if park reservations are gone for a certain park to determine if the park is at full 35%capacity?

 

[figmentfinesse]

Seems like crowds have returned for good.

It's the holiday season though. I could see it re-dropping in Jan.

 

[yulilin3]

Ugh! This looks disappointing. We only have one day park pass and we haven’t been to HS in many years. Have a park ressie for next Tuesday. Is there anyway to see if the park will be full? I don’t understand how if capacity is at 35% why are crowds and lines so big? Is there a way to see if park reservations are not available? For nstance I’m looking at Christmas week and in the MDE app it shows all four parks open for park reservations (but I’m not sure because I only have one day park tickets and that reservation is already taken for next Tuesday so I can proceed further to see if I could ACTUALLY get a PR) would I be able to see if park reservations are gone for a certain park to determine if the park is at full 35%capacity?

to check park availability go here, it is completely full when there are no passes left for any of the 3 tiers
https://disneyworld.disney.go.com/availability-calendar/?segments=tickets,resort,passholder
The lines look long because:
a) social distancing markers make the queues spill on to walkways
b) some attractions themselves are not running at full capacity to allow for social distancing
c) the lack of meet and greets and shows makes for everyone to go to attractions as the only thing to do
d) not all the stores and restaurants are open

Anyone coming now need to have realistic expectations, the park experience is very different of the one pre covid

 

[yulilin3]

We just got back. More busy than we hoped it would be, but yeah, weekdays were fine. Tough social distancing at times but not bad by any means. Weekends were a joke. Just packed with people. No social distancing going on and you couldn't even if you wanted to. Here's Magic Kingdom at 11:00 am on Saturday.
View attachment 542448View attachment 542449

any time from 10am to noon is the usual time most arrive at MK on a weekend. Obviously not ideal but I can guarantee you you take the same angle pic at like 2pm it wouldn't look this way
Again all about the expectations, you cannot expect that the parks, at prime opening time will have no one walking around at the entrance. Now there are some choke points, especially at MK, like around Pirates or PP/IASW these areas do seem to be crowded almost all day but you are never there for more than 5 minutes of you are walking through

 

[jsmla]

The first hour or so after you can enter (NOT official opening) have been great for me.

Saturday (12/5) at DHS 10:00 a.m. opening


9:15


9:30


I left at 10:35



Sunday (12/6) at MK (8:00 a.m. opening)


7:15



7:40


7:50





9:20 (line for Gaston’s)



Monday (12/7) at Epcot (12 p.m. opening)


11:13




12:25

 

[yulilin3]

The first hour or so after you can enter (NOT official opening) have been great for me.

Saturday (12/5) at DHS 10:00 a.m. opening

View attachment 542801
9:15

View attachment 542817

9:30

View attachment 542802
I left at 10:35



Sunday (12/6) at MK (8:00 a.m. opening)

View attachment 542803
7:15


View attachment 542814
7:40

View attachment 542812
7:50




View attachment 542826
9:20 (line for Gaston’s)



Monday (12/7) at Epcot (12 p.m. opening)

View attachment 542810
11:13


View attachment 542811

12:25

you cannot beat rope drop. Last year I roped dropped MK on Dec 25th and did all of FL and half of TL in the first 2 hours, no fp

 

[gharter]

As crowded as RD used to be, I find it interesting that there seem to be less people doing it now.
It makes even less sense with shortened hours, and the parks opening later than previously.

 

[Heather07438]

The first hour or so after you can enter (NOT official opening) have been great for me.

Saturday (12/5) at DHS 10:00 a.m. opening

View attachment 542801
9:15

View attachment 542817
9:30

View attachment 542802
I left at 10:35



Sunday (12/6) at MK (8:00 a.m. opening)

View attachment 542803
7:15


View attachment 542814
7:40

View attachment 542812
7:50




View attachment 542826
9:20 (line for Gaston’s)



Monday (12/7) at Epcot (12 p.m. opening)

View attachment 542810
11:13


View attachment 542811

12:25

Thank you for sharing all of those pics. Very informative!

May I ask how you got to the parks each morning?

 

[jsmla]

My personal COVID precautions (including avoiding spending more than 15 minutes inside anywhere) mean that I’m skipping many of the headliners but I’ve had really good luck this week with arriving super early, doing the rides and leaving when it gets busy.

At DHS I was able to ride Runaway Railway, Slinky Dog and Toy Story before 10:30 when the parked officially opened at 10:00. At MK I did Mine Train, Peter Pan, Big Thunder, Haunted Mansion, Winnie the Pooh, Buzz Lightyear and AstroOrbiter before 9:00 a.m. My Epcot morning was a bit of a fail. I opted to head to Soarin’ first thing but it didn’t begin operations until almost 11:45. The wait times at attractions other than Test Track and Frozen weren’t too bad after I left Soarin’ at noon but I was over lines at that point.

I went back to the MK and DHS in the evenings for strolling, snacking and people watching. Epcot was too cold for me yesterday

 

[jsmla]

Thank you for sharing all of those pics. Very informative!

May I ask how you got to the parks each morning?

I’m at Pop

DHS
I had a 7:50 ADR at Trattoria al Forno, I drove to the Boardwalk and walked to DHS after breakfast. I was seated closer to 7:30.

MK
I took the first bus. I got to the stop at 6:30 and was the third party in line. The bus came at 6:45.

Epcot
I took the Skyliner to DHS 9:50(ish) and walked from the Studios.

 

[Heather07438]

I’m at Pop

DHS
I had a 7:50 ADR at Trattoria al Forno, I drove to the Boardwalk and walked to DHS after breakfast. I was seated closer to 7:30.

MK
I took the first bus. I got to the stop at 6:30 and was the third party in line. The bus came at 6:45.

Epcot
I took the Skyliner to DHS 9:50(ish) and walked from the Studios.

Thanks

We'll have a car too for our trip next month. Usually we always drive to the parks but might try WDW transport for some days. Your input helps. Enjoy the rest of your stay!

 

[jsmla]

Thanks

We'll have a car too for our trip next month. Usually we always drive to the parks but might try WDW transport for some days. Your input helps. Enjoy the rest of your stay!

I’m hiding out from the cold this morning!


We drove everywhere but the MK (open air boat) when we were here at Thanksgiving with the grandbaby. It worked well for us. Frozen was an absolute must do so we did the breakfast at Trattoria with her. We walked to Epcot and walked straight onto Frozen around 10:30. By the time we got off the line was all the way to the bridge near China.