Crowds today

[asbyrneva]

While Kenny the pirate doesn't show numbers his crowd calendar showed that while overall crowds should be relatively light, MK was supposed to have moderate crowds today. Like others have said its an estimate and could be wrong. Looking at all the crowd calendars you might get a better feel for expectations. Touring plan was tweeting out pics yesterday about how deserted Epcot was. So I guess it all depends on where you are.

 

[NicholeB630]

Im nervous about our Sept trip still. I just don't know what sites to go by. I typically trust Josh at Easy but who knows who is more accurate now. I always pick the days that are most recommend that are not EMH. I don't chose those parks like some people say to. We always do RD and get there super early. Like I said back in Dec 2014 we had a great trip and did everything we wanted to. That was the second week of December. I hope that Sept is similar if not lower crowds. We will be going right when most people are going back to school. I think I will plan to start my FP's after 11:30 and try and ride as much as possible before that time. I wish they wouldn't try and get as much money as possible from people and cram the parks all year long. Its going to not be so magical very soon. I don't get why the people in charge don't understand that.

 

[TippeeCanoe]

While Kenny the pirate doesn't show numbers his crowd calendar showed that while overall crowds should be relatively light, MK was supposed to have moderate crowds today. Like others have said its an estimate and could be wrong. Looking at all the crowd calendars you might get a better feel for expectations. Touring plan was tweeting out pics yesterday about how deserted Epcot was. So I guess it all depends on where you are.

I think MK will be crowded (7-8 on a daily basis) every day for the next couple years.

 

[redsbe]

I wonder if the expectation of visitors when they see crowd calendar predictions under 5 and assume little or no waits for all attractions all day long (the so called "walk on" situation) is now invalid. Perhaps the under 5 of today (seeing waits 30+ minutes at times during the day) is not the same as the under 5 of the past (little or no waits)? A reflection of total increase of WDW visitors year around including during previous "slow" periods.

 

[mickeymom629]

We were in AK in the yesterday, opening until 1ish, then in HS and saw the fireworks, then walked swiftly to Epcot to see Illuminations and SE before leaving. We experienced very low crowds, so everyone must have been in MK.

 

[NicholeB630]

We were in AK in the yesterday, opening until 1ish, then in HS and saw the fireworks, then walked swiftly to Epcot to see Illuminations and SE before leaving. We experienced very low crowds, so everyone must have been in MK.

Maybe that is the key now is just to really use park hoppers. We never have in the past but I plan on it this next trip so maybe I need to look more into them and how to utilize my days.

 

[mickeymom629]

Maybe that is the key now is just to really use park hoppers. We never have in the past but I plan on it this next trip so maybe I need to look more into them and how to utilize my days.

We don't usually have hoppers, but this trip I got them at a silent auction. We decided to try to get the most out of them yesterday. I wouldn't spend the extra money otherwise.

 

[JimmyV]

I just checked, and at 2:20 pm, not a single ride in MK was over an hour wait except Mine Train. That doesn't sound that crowded to me. When I see Space, BTMRR, Splash, and Peter Pan at over 100 minutes, and several others like Pirates, HM, Jungle Cruise, etc at 60-90 minutes, then I start to think the crowds are pretty big.

It's all relative. There is "crowded" and there is "more crowded than I would have expected". I think the OP is referring to the latter. 50 minute waits are manageable, and may even be desirable in July. But for January 26? That's crowded. Especially if you have been going to WDW for years at that time and have been experiencing 5-15 minute waits for most things.

 

[fbb]

I wish they wouldn't try and get as much money as possible from people and cram the parks all year long. Its going to not be so magical very soon. I don't get why the people in charge don't understand that.

I'm not sure I understand your complaint here, either. You'd like it to be both less expensive and less crowded?

 

[okilydokily]

We don't usually have hoppers, but this trip I got them at a silent auction. We decided to try to get the most out of them yesterday. I wouldn't spend the extra money otherwise.

I love having the ability to hop. Many times our planned park was more crowded than expected and we just changed plans and had a better experience because of it.

 

[asbyrneva]

I think MK will be crowded (7-8 on a daily basis) every day for the next couple years.

Well its an hour after opening today and SDMT is posted 30 minutes space is 7 minutes (which is walkon) and so it doesnt sound like an 8 to me. So maybe the guests all come later and people should expect a 7-8 after noon but I wouldnt say the day as a whole is a 7-8.

And its an EMH so not usually recommended especially with regular hours only till 8. Compressed time will get crowds to feel bigger cause they arent spread out over a longer day.

 

[okilydokily]

Well its an hour after opening today and SDMT is posted 30 minutes space is 7 minutes (which is walkon) and so it doesnt sound like an 8 to me. So maybe the guests all come later and people should expect a 7-8 after noon but I wouldnt say the day as a whole is a 7-8.

It is, and has been, raining pretty bad today. So I would expect crowds to be pretty low for most of the day since the forecast is for rain all day. It isn't a normal FL shower, this is covering the whole area and consistently coming down. At least it warmed up a bit. If I wasn't at work, I would head to the park.

 

[TippeeCanoe]

Well its an hour after opening today and SDMT is posted 30 minutes space is 7 minutes (which is walkon) and so it doesnt sound like an 8 to me. So maybe the guests all come later and people should expect a 7-8 after noon but I wouldnt say the day as a whole is a 7-8.

And its an EMH so not usually recommended especially with regular hours only till 8. Compressed time will get crowds to feel bigger cause they arent spread out over a longer day.

It is also pouring in Orlando today.

 

[TXHauntedMansionFan]

I think MK will be crowded (7-8 on a daily basis) every day for the next couple years.

I completely agree with this statement until they get all the Avatar/SW Land etc up and running, I think it's the new norm. Once most of the new attractions get set up at AK/DHS plus the new Soarin film..I think that things calm down some at MK.

 

[asbyrneva]

It is also pouring in Orlando today.

But it wouldn't have had the same impact if all the rides were open in other parks?? Of course pouring rain is going to lower crowds - no matter the real crowd level.

I find it hard to believe that the same number of people are in the parks this week in january as there are the week of June 19. I thought the point of the thread was that 1 crowd calendar had an error. And yes maybe the days of "no crowds" are gone but I don't believe that means they are all 7-8 days, as some posters believe.

In my previous post and in this one I think those of us on the boards know more than the average guest and therefore know to take more than 1 data point into consideration. Whether that is understanding compressed hours (impacting capacity) because of lower crowds, weather, using more than 1 crowd calendar, how EMH may be used to avoid crowds etc.