Do Better Crowds make up for Shorter Hours?

[LikeSeriously]

Im debating two schedules based on Easy WDW's calendar. I would like opinions on smaller crowds vs. longer hours. Which do you feel work better for you? Or do you even think that's how it goes? I mean, what if a ton of people follow EasyWDW's advice? Wouldn't it backfire then? lol

Schedule 1 is nearly all most-recommended parks of the day I think. With maybe one or two that were just highly recommended. But we lose two hours at MK one day and three hours at HS. With the second schedule, we get those back, plus some. We also would gain another half day at MK as we would be doing two full days there plus MNSSHP on a different night. With the first schedule, MNSSHP would be on the same day as one of our two MK days and we would probably lose some time going back to the hotel for a rest mid-day if I have my way. :0) - Schedule 2 also allows us to see the Electric Parade and Wishes, which we cannot do with Schedule 1.

Schedule 2 definitely allows for more time and more activities but I'm concerned about HS and AK. If those are not recommended parks that day, will they just be too crowded for us to enjoy ourselves and get what we want to get done? Are we better off with the shorter hours on less crowded days? I know I don't need a lot of time at AK at all, so I wouldn't be worried about the regular 9-5 hours there, just hoping we can still get out of there on a heavier crowd day in time to rest at the resort before going to MNSSHP.

Also, consider that we will definitely have one TS meal each day and no park hoppers. I should also mention, we will have our (then) nearly 8 year old and will likely not be doing any thrill rides. Shows, kid rides and a few characters. The Fairies, Ariel and Agent P's Adventure are "musts" at this point and I have no idea how long those type of things will take. Thanks for any advice!

Schedule 1 (Low Crowds - Short Hours)
10/6: MK 9-7
10/7: EP 9-9
10/8: HS 9-6
10/9: AK 9-5
10/10: EP 9-9
10/11: MK/MNSSHP 9-12am

Schedule 2 (Heavier Crowds - Longer Hours)
10/6: HS 9-10 (least recommended park for this day)
10/7: EP 9-9 (no change from above)
10/8: MK 9-9 (recommended but not most favorable)
10/9: MK 9-9 (recommended but not most favorable)
10/10: EP 9-9 (no change from above)
10/11: AK/MNSSHP (AK is not recommended for the day)

 

[wookiebeck]

There was a stat in the unofficial guide that said something like 'the number of guests planning ahead and following a plan accounts for 1 to 2% of attendance.' So even if everyone on easyWDW followed, it would not impact crowd levels.

Speaking for my family, we could never do full-day open-to-close for more than two days out of 6. So total posted park hours is a moot variable to consider.

My vote is for your plan #1.

 

[bgg319]

Longer hours if you plan a break midday....shorter if no break.

 

[LikeSeriously]

There was a stat in the unofficial guide that said something like 'the number of guests planning ahead and following a plan accounts for 1 to 2% of attendance.' So even if everyone on easyWDW followed, it would not impact crowd levels.

Speaking for my family, we could never do full-day open-to-close for more than two days out of 6. So total posted park hours is a moot variable to consider.

My vote is for your plan #1.

Wow yes, that makes a big difference in my thinking if it's only 2% of people at best!

I don't think we could do all those days open to close either. We would probably not stay at AK until close, even on their regular hours. And we will not stay until close at EP either day. There's an awful lot we'd like to do there so that's why I chose two days.

MK and HS would be my two choices for open to close and my second MK day, in Schedule 2, would include a long mid-day break from the park. Does that make a difference in you choice? That's the big thing I don't like about #1, that MK and HS are cut short.

 

[LikeSeriously]

Longer hours if you plan a break midday....shorter if no break.

Yes, we would take some breaks when needed. My question though is if having higher crowds with schedule #2 on some days will complete cancel out the fact that we will have more hours. Does that make sense?

 

[DisneyFive]

That is a very slow week. Both schedules look fine for crowds. The only one that might a tad busier is the AK day on your second option.

I like having more hours, in case you want them. Plus with MK closing at 7 with option 1, you won't have a chance to see Wishes, or Fantasmic at HS since it closes at 6.

Dan

 

[LikeSeriously]

That is a very slow week. Both schedules look fine for crowds. The only one that might a tad busier is the AK day on your second option.

I like having more hours, in case you want them. Plus with MK closing at 7 with option 1, you won't have a chance to see Wishes, or Fantasmic at HS since it closes at 6.

Dan

Hanks for your thoughts! Yes, I was bummed about Wishes and Electric Parade. Not sure if we are going to do Fantasmic yet but it's good to have the option if we go with #2.

 

[mkulp98]

This was a question I had

We will be there 8/25-9/1
I'm thinking we should do longer hours because we will need a break from the heat.
But it might be more crowded so should follow easy wdw.
Decisions, decisions.
What would the experts do??

 

[disneynanacat]

Im debating two schedules based on Easy WDW's calendar. I would like opinions on smaller crowds vs. longer hours. Which do you feel work better for you? Or do you even think that's how it goes? I mean, what if a ton of people follow EasyWDW's advice? Wouldn't it backfire then? lol

Schedule 1 is nearly all most-recommended parks of the day I think. With maybe one or two that were just highly recommended. But we lose two hours at MK one day and three hours at HS. With the second schedule, we get those back, plus some. We also would gain another half day at MK as we would be doing two full days there plus MNSSHP on a different night. With the first schedule, MNSSHP would be on the same day as one of our two MK days and we would probably lose some time going back to the hotel for a rest mid-day if I have my way. :0) - Schedule 2 also allows us to see the Electric Parade and Wishes, which we cannot do with Schedule 1.

Schedule 2 definitely allows for more time and more activities but I'm concerned about HS and AK. If those are not recommended parks that day, will they just be too crowded for us to enjoy ourselves and get what we want to get done? Are we better off with the shorter hours on less crowded days? I know I don't need a lot of time at AK at all, so I wouldn't be worried about the regular 9-5 hours there, just hoping we can still get out of there on a heavier crowd day in time to rest at the resort before going to MNSSHP.

Also, consider that we will definitely have one TS meal each day and no park hoppers. I should also mention, we will have our (then) nearly 8 year old and will likely not be doing any thrill rides. Shows, kid rides and a few characters. The Fairies, Ariel and Agent P's Adventure are "musts" at this point and I have no idea how long those type of things will take. Thanks for any advice!

Schedule 1 (Low Crowds - Short Hours)
10/6: MK 9-7
10/7: EP 9-9
10/8: HS 9-6
10/9: AK 9-5
10/10: EP 9-9 10/11: MK/MNSSHP 9-12am

Schedule 2 (Heavier Crowds - Longer Hours)
10/6: HS 9-10 (least recommended park for this day)
10/7: EP 9-9 (no change from above)
10/8: MK 9-9 (recommended but not most favorable)
10/9: MK 9-9 (recommended but not most favorable)
10/10: EP 9-9 (no change from above)
10/11: AK/MNSSHP (AK is not recommended for the day)

We will be there same time as you. 10/6 - 10/13

My schedule looks almost like yours except doing mnsshp on Thursday night. We have

10/6. MK till 4 or so then dinner ohana
10/7 Epcot all day dinner late trepan edo
10/8 dhs till 5 then dinner il mulino
10/9. MK. All day w pool break
10/10 pool day till mnsshp
10/11 sleep in parasailing and mouseboats. Afternoon tea. Also switch resorts. Cirque du soliel
10/12 ak till we finish
10/13 drive home

I chose shorter hours because 5 or 6 is enough for us

 

[LikeSeriously]

This was a question I had

We will be there 8/25-9/1
I'm thinking we should do longer hours because we will need a break from the heat.
But it might be more crowded so should follow easy wdw.
Decisions, decisions.
What would the experts do??

The experts go several times a year and don't have to cram. lol - Wish that could be me!

 

[LikeSeriously]

We will be there same time as you. 10/6 - 10/13

My schedule looks almost like yours except doing mnsshp on Thursday night. We have

10/6. MK till 4 or so then dinner ohana
10/7 Epcot all day dinner late trepan edo
10/8 dhs till 5 then dinner il mulino
10/9. MK. All day w pool break
10/10 pool day till mnsshp
10/11 sleep in parasailing and mouseboats. Afternoon tea. Also switch resorts. Cirque du soliel
10/12 ak till we finish
10/13 drive home

I chose shorter hours because 5 or 6 is enough for us

It's good to know I seem to not be too far off of a decent path that others are taking! I just still can't decide.

 

[ohiopugmom]

hi! I chose the lower hours/lower crowds option for our upcoming trip. If you are doing TS, you can try to "extend" the hours of what you are doing.

ie. book breakfast at CP first reservation. Get in before park opens, doing waste any park time eating your TS meal.... or do what we are doing on the early close MK night. Book a reservation at 'ohana, go down to beach after to watch the MNSSHP fireworks etc.

Either way, I am sure it will be a great trip!!

 

[LikeSeriously]

hi! I chose the lower hours/lower crowds option for our upcoming trip. If you are doing TS, you can try to "extend" the hours of what you are doing.

ie. book breakfast at CP first reservation. Get in before park opens, doing waste any park time eating your TS meal.... or do what we are doing on the early close MK night. Book a reservation at 'ohana, go down to beach after to watch the MNSSHP fireworks etc.

Either way, I am sure it will be a great trip!!

Thanks! I think the TS reservations is what really threw me. I got up at 5:00 this morning (it's my 180 out mark) and wasn't able to get any early breakfasts. I was kind of okay with schedule 1 until that happened. :0( - I have a 9:25 and a 9:35. :0/

Oh and dinners are all around 5:30 or 6:30. Couldn't get anything later.

 

[RyMickey]

Doesn't seem like this is on your agenda, but just a reminder at that time of year to stay away from Epcot on the weekends as Food and Wine can cause World Showcase to become a zoo.

Like someone else said, though, especially with young ones, if you go the longer hours route, be sure to allow yourself time to head back to the hotel for a rest.

 

[danceintherain]

There was a stat in the unofficial guide that said something like 'the number of guests planning ahead and following a plan accounts for 1 to 2% of attendance.' So even if everyone on easyWDW followed, it would not impact crowd levels.

Speaking for my family, we could never do full-day open-to-close for more than two days out of 6. So total posted park hours is a moot variable to consider.

My vote is for your plan #1.

Of course, a good number of the people who arrive at Rope Drop will have planned with one calendar or another, but the people who arrive later, probably not.

I did alter one of my days in favor of longer hours, but we're only getting 4 days in the parks total, and we're doing 2 days in the Magic Kingdom, so I put Epcot and Animal Kingdom on the same day. Since Soarin is our single high priority at Epcot, it doesn't make sense to go there only in the evening, so I wanted the extra hour at the Animal Kingdom in the evening. We may hop somewhere else after, but probably not, because I'm trying to keep to DS's sleep schedule as much as possible.

For that reason, extended hours tend to be moot for us as well. I actually kind of wish that the hours were shorter on some days during our trip, because then we could avoid the crowds in that manner.

I read on Easywdw a few days ago (I was looking for detailed information and stumbled across an old post) that he actually believes that going to the most recommended park is MORE important during less crowded times. I wish I had a link directly to the post for you, because he made some good points, but it has something to do with the number of resort guests vs. the number of non-resort guests and a few other things.

The thing that bothers me about your plan is that not only are you not planning on DHS on the most recommended day, but it's flat out the LEAST recommended. DHS has always been the most convoluted park for me, and even when I have longer hours, I have a hard time fitting everything in, so I would probably lean towards choosing the most recommended park there specifically.

Also, the lower crowds are probably due to the shorter hours, more than the shorter hours are due to the lower crowds, which is where the recommendations come from.

For a little perspective, he did a post back in 2011 (so slightly outdated) comparing 2 days at the Magic Kingdom - one most recommended and one least recommended. To find it, do a google search for "easywdw tale of two magic kingdoms"

 

[danceintherain]

Thanks! I think the TS reservations is what really threw me. I got up at 5:00 this morning (it's my 180 out mark) and wasn't able to get any early breakfasts. I was kind of okay with schedule 1 until that happened. :0( - I have a 9:25 and a 9:35. :0/

Oh and dinners are all around 5:30 or 6:30. Couldn't get anything later.

For breakfast, I would try to get something later. No matter which park you're at, if you're going to get to the park that early, you want to be touring between 9 and 10. I know it's frustrating to wait to eat until then, but if you want to maximize touring time, then you need to make the most of the first hour after the park opens.

 

[RedfromNL]

There was a stat in the unofficial guide that said something like 'the number of guests planning ahead and following a plan accounts for 1 to 2% of attendance.' So even if everyone on easyWDW followed, it would not impact crowd levels.

Speaking for my family, we could never do full-day open-to-close for more than two days out of 6. So total posted park hours is a moot variable to consider.

My vote is for your plan #1.

Agreed, plan 1 would get my vote too.
You can probably do the same amount of things in those shorter hours because of the lighter crowds, plus it feel nicer too.

 

[grimley1968]

Keep in mind that that week is Fall Break for many school systems, including ours, which is why we hope to be there then, as well. We've gone several years during that week or the week before due to Fall Break. It's more crowded than it used to be.

Another factor that could lead to higher crowds, in EPCOT, is the Food & Wine Festival. It's not that the crowds are terrible, but rather the F&W carts tend to be along the walkways in World Showcase, creating bottlenecks along the way, where those pathways in other times of year are much easier to navigate. In our experience, though, this has little effect on the Future World section of EPCOT.

A final factor I'd watch out for is Columbus Day weekend, toward the end of your trip. That always kicks the crowds up a notch, especially in MK. You might want to consider a different park than MK on that Saturday of the Columbus Day weekend.

 

[Suellen]

We prefer to be out late and not up early. So for me... longer hours are better if that means they run later at night.

 

[LikeSeriously]

Keep in mind that that week is Fall Break for many school systems, including ours, which is why we hope to be there then, as well. We've gone several years during that week or the week before due to Fall Break. It's more crowded than it used to be.

Another factor that could lead to higher crowds, in EPCOT, is the Food & Wine Festival. It's not that the crowds are terrible, but rather the F&W carts tend to be along the walkways in World Showcase, creating bottlenecks along the way, where those pathways in other times of year are much easier to navigate. In our experience, though, this has little effect on the Future World section of EPCOT.

A final factor I'd watch out for is Columbus Day weekend, toward the end of your trip. That always kicks the crowds up a notch, especially in MK. You might want to consider a different park than MK on that Saturday of the Columbus Day weekend.

The days I have for EP on both schedules are supposed to be the best days to go. And we don't have anything scheduled for Columbus Day weekend. MK/MNSSHP is on Friday night. If anything, we may go do DTD before we leave Saturday but no parks.

I'm not concerned about the Fall Break crowd level. It will still be minimal compared to busy times. I have a feel for what the average crowd will be for that week, I'm just less secure in knowing how much time I need in parks and if the difference on low/high crowd days for each park that week will really matter that much.