Getting nervous about crowds!

[mom2rtk]

Thanks for sharing. Those are great pictures. Makes me wish I was visiting during the holidays.

Thanks. It's really quite magical sitting there under the lights watching the Christmas parade go by. Daytime is good too, but seeing it in the dark it's just a little bit more magical.

 

[buttercup3]

Because Disneyland is a for profit business and they want as many people in the park as often as they can get them.

Yes, obviously! But (based on trip reports) it seems to be more crowded lately than in past years that I have gone. What I want to know is have they opened up more weekends for APs that were previously blocked? Or are the crowds just because of the 60th anniversary and all the new stuff?

I think the OP is looking for reasons why it might be worse now than on her last trip, and maybe look for some coping strategies.

Yes, this! Thank you!!

Don't worry. The week AFTER Thanksgiving will be a ghost town, for the most part. I was at DCA yesterday with my son who had a random day off for parent conferences. We arrived at about 9:15 (9:00 opening). By 10:30 we had done Toy Story, Silly Swings, Goofy's Sky School, Jumping Jellyfish, Little Mermaid, and Radiator Springs Racers. Soarin was closed for some kind of testing. Luigi's was down. CA Screamin had a 5 min wait, ToT had a 10 min wait. Monsters had a 5 min wait. Grizzly River Run had probably the longest like at 25 min (tied with Mater's). We had lunch at 11, then went to Bug's Land and rode Heimlich and Flik's Flyers (both were walk ins), had an icee to cool down and left by noon. It was HOT and my son was ready to go since we had done everything he wanted so quickly. So, mid week days while school is in session for everyone are still really slow! My son's elementary school had a day off but the rest of the district did not, nor did any neighboring districts.

As for entertainment, there won't be a parade at night the week after Thanksgiving, will there? Paint the Night is gone for now and fireworks are only on weekends. No Fantasmic until next year and World of Color is all that is left, I thought.

Thank you! That is super helpful and very encouraging! We are going when there are no breaks in any district, and doing Tues-Fri in the parks. So far the schedule is showing fireworks every night while we're there, but if not, we'll catch them Friday. I'm fully expecting crowds on Friday but hopefully by then we'll have already hit all of our must-do items!

Thanks everyone for the responses!

 

[SMD]

Yes, obviously! But (based on trip reports) it seems to be more crowded lately than in past years that I have gone. What I want to know is have they opened up more weekends for APs that were previously blocked? Or are the crowds just because of the 60th anniversary and all the new stuff?

It's just more crowded because more people are going. Disney is running promotions get more people in the parks all the time. You can't compare a random week in February 3 1/2 years ago to a week in November and you can't compare it to the same random week in February next year. There are just more people there and they won't be going away. Don't focus on why, focus on the fact that they'll always be there.

 

[miamimi]

I'm right there with the OP, I want to know if there is a reason the parks are so full on some days. Perhaps I can change my plans to avoid a level 10 day.

Yes, I'm prepared for the worst, but I'm hoping that I have the same experience as DLgal. I'm visiting next Thursday and I'm hoping for walk-ons. Who doesn't?

 

[SMD]

I'm right there with the OP, I want to know if there is a reason the parks are so full on some days. Perhaps I can change my plans to avoid a level 10 day.

Yes, I'm prepared for the worst, but I'm hoping that I have the same experience as DLgal. I'm visiting next Thursday and I'm hoping for walk-ons. Who doesn't?

It's because it's a popular place where people want to be and Disney is running promotions and holding events to get them there. There's a vast difference between walk on, which isn't going to happen and 10 out of 10, which is going to be major holidays. There really is no answer to how to get 30 minute waits and avoid 1 hour waits the other except there are more people at Disneyland every day than there were on the same days 2, 3, or 10 years ago. In any given week there will be days that have longer and shorter waits, and in addition to crowds it will depend on the capacity at which Disney runs the rides and if certain attractions are open or how many times a show is showing, if at all. You cant say that Tuesday will be better than Wednesday or Saturday will be better than Sunday in any given week. Crowd levels and wait times will also fluctuate throughout the day. The only thing you can do is be flexible and plan to divide priorities over a multiday trip.

 

[Angrose]

I'm right there with the OP, I want to know if there is a reason the parks are so full on some days. Perhaps I can change my plans to avoid a level 10 day.

Yes, I'm prepared for the worst, but I'm hoping that I have the same experience as DLgal. I'm visiting next Thursday and I'm hoping for walk-ons. Who doesn't?

If you go right at rope drop then some rides will be walk-ons, even on the busiest of days. The headliners will only we walk-ons if you are in the first group to arrive at the ride when it opens for the day. Other rides like BTMRR, Pirates, BLAB are usually walk-ons even an hour after the park opens. However, next Thursday is an 8am MM/ 9am rope drop. Those later opening times are much easier for guests to make than the 7am MM/8am rope drops. My favorite day is Sunday 8am rope drop since EMH is at DCA and no one wants to get up early on a Sunday!

 

[kollerbear]

The key was to start at rope drop (be there 30 minutes before) and take a mid-day break and manage your fp.

I visited for the first time last week and was awestruck by the crowds. I'm a WDW veteran and honestly the things I was seeing were what I'd expect at WDW on Christmas. I think a big part of that is the layout of Disneyland--it seems to get congested easily with narrow streets and a lot of winding outdoor lines. I will say, I was shocked how navigable the crowds were. Fellow guests were considerate, moved with traffic, were cheerful and polite-- I really got the sense that a majority there knew what they were doing and weren't too concerned about doing everything the way that you can feel at WDW (I assume because there are more locals/day trippers at DL).

Anyway, the point wasn't to bore you with my observation, but to say each of the two days that I went around opening (I think I was there 20 minutes prior) the security/admissions lines on the East side of the park ended up taking 45 minutes one morning and 50 minutes the other, start to finish. A lot of locals around me were commenting that it's new that they're putting everyone through the metal detectors as opposed to random screening, so a LOT of people were running behind schedule. If you REALLY want to be in the door first thing, if it were me and I could redo it all, I would definitely have been there 1 hour prior to park opening. Overkill? Sure, but that time in the morning was so empty compared to the rest of the day and I wish I'd had more of an opportunity to take advantage of it. I'm not sure where that sweet spot honestly would be between an hour and 30 minutes prior to make sure you're with the hoards to get through at opening, but the security line was hardly believable. I think they had like, 6 metal detectors running for literally everyone coming in on the East side entrance. Perhaps the other side is a lot faster, but I just want to warn folks.

 

[mich311e]

We're going the week after Thanksgiving and I'm concerned that we need to adjust our plan of attack to be able to see all the entertainment! !

When my son was younger we always went the week after Thanksgiving and it was great! I'm sure you'll be fine. Get there early and plan your fast passes. Have fun!

 

[GatorChris]

My personal opinion on why it's always crowded: Disney discussion and tip boards. For real! You look at some of these posts and they have hundreds of views in just a few hours. Some posts from a few months back tens of thousands of views. So if all these people who love Disney and want to go to DL come here and to other sites and read the posts or the tips of a self-professed Disney expert, they suddenly become "experts". Instead of doing DL in June or at Spring Break like they had in the past, now they're coming up with cool excuses to get the kids out of school and heading there in October and February and all the other "light crowd days".

Of course, summer and vacation days will always be more crowded than other times, but a lot of those folks now come during the off-season. If you look at the DL app, you can check it in July or in October and Space Mt and the other E-tickets are close to the same. Back in 2015, I went in June twice and then again in mid-November. There wasn't too much difference I felt in street crowds and lines. It's all starting to equalize. And the reason? People like you and I coming here for tips that used to be insider secrets. We created our own demise.

 

[DLgal]

I visited for the first time last week and was awestruck by the crowds. I'm a WDW veteran and honestly the things I was seeing were what I'd expect at WDW on Christmas. I think a big part of that is the layout of Disneyland--it seems to get congested easily with narrow streets and a lot of winding outdoor lines. I will say, I was shocked how navigable the crowds were. Fellow guests were considerate, moved with traffic, were cheerful and polite-- I really got the sense that a majority there knew what they were doing and weren't too concerned about doing everything the way that you can feel at WDW (I assume because there are more locals/day trippers at DL).

Anyway, the point wasn't to bore you with my observation, but to say each of the two days that I went around opening (I think I was there 20 minutes prior) the security/admissions lines on the East side of the park ended up taking 45 minutes one morning and 50 minutes the other, start to finish. A lot of locals around me were commenting that it's new that they're putting everyone through the metal detectors as opposed to random screening, so a LOT of people were running behind schedule. If you REALLY want to be in the door first thing, if it were me and I could redo it all, I would definitely have been there 1 hour prior to park opening. Overkill? Sure, but that time in the morning was so empty compared to the rest of the day and I wish I'd had more of an opportunity to take advantage of it. I'm not sure where that sweet spot honestly would be between an hour and 30 minutes prior to make sure you're with the hoards to get through at opening, but the security line was hardly believable. I think they had like, 6 metal detectors running for literally everyone coming in on the East side entrance. Perhaps the other side is a lot faster, but I just want to warn folks.

They don't start making everyone go through the Downtown Disney side metal detectors until around noon. I have never had to go through them. We always arrive before noon and always use the DtD side security check.

 

[SMD]

I think there's a social media aspect too. 10-15 years ago we had no clue if people we knew were going to a Disney park and we definitely weren't following their trips in real time. People see pictures of people posing in front of the castle or wearing ears and hugging Mickey and they want to go and recreate the pictures, and add something new. It also changes the crowd dynamics. It's not just people going commando style with rides, they want experiences too. Most APs I know don't post on or read the various boards and haven't heard of them. Especially the younger ones. But even Disney is using various social media sites now to try to encourage crowds.

 

[DLgal]

It's because it's a popular place where people want to be and Disney is running promotions and holding events to get them there. There's a vast difference between walk on, which isn't going to happen and 10 out of 10, which is going to be major holidays. There really is no answer to how to get 30 minute waits and avoid 1 hour waits the other except there are more people at Disneyland every day than there were on the same days 2, 3, or 10 years ago. In any given week there will be days that have longer and shorter waits, and in addition to crowds it will depend on the capacity at which Disney runs the rides and if certain attractions are open or how many times a show is showing, if at all. You cant say that Tuesday will be better than Wednesday or Saturday will be better than Sunday in any given week. Crowd levels and wait times will also fluctuate throughout the day. The only thing you can do is be flexible and plan to divide priorities over a multiday trip.

You're kind of wrong on a few points here. YES there are many days where MANY rides are "walk ons." When I visit Tuesday, Wednesday, or Thursdays during the school year, in the absence of a holiday, those days have low crowds and many walk on (or nearly) rides available. Like yesterday, we walked into 5 rides at DCA... literally walked and didn't stop until we boarded the ride: Silly Symphony Swings, Little Mermaid, Goofy's Sky School,. Heimlich Chew Chew Train, and Flik's Flyers.

As a rule, Friday through Monday, EVERY week, are the busiest days. Saturdays are often less busy than Sundays due to most low level AP blackouts. We don't go on Sundays anymore and go instead on Saturdays when So Cal AP are blocked. Makes a huge difference. I believe Sunday is actually frequently the busiest day at Disneyland, followed by Fridays. This is a consistent pattern.

 

[fsjking]

They do make it hard to plan. They don't even have fireworks times posted past the 17th right now.

Actually they have the Fireworks times listed for the week after Thanksgiving on. Not sure why they aren't showing them leading up to Thanksgiving.

 

[mom2rtk]

Actually they have the Fireworks times listed for the week after Thanksgiving on. Not sure why they aren't showing them leading up to Thanksgiving.

I hadn't looked that far ahead. Isn't that odd! Looks like they were ok setting times during the week but want to keep their options open on weekends.

 

[Tinkerbell19672]

I could tell a big difference in crowds, or lack thereof, during the recession. Also, I lived in Orange County in the 90s and it was never as busy as it has been the past few years. Maybe population is a factor too? I miss the days when it wasn't packed. I don't mind waiting in lines but when you can barely move just walking around, that's no fun.

 

[MacMama0930]

I don't think they intend to run the holiday parade at night. I think they sometimes schedule as late as sunset and it happens to be dark by the time it reaches the other end of the route. That's not the same at PTN which is a night time parade. I highly doubt that not running the holiday parade as late as 5:45 has any impact on whether PTN could be run at 8:45 or later. It might be tight to clear one parade and stage another in 2 hours, but PTN hasn't always run as early as 8pm.

Womp womp...

There's actually a lot of indication that PtN will run more often than what you're claiming.

Like PP mentioned, the Christmas parade, prior to PtN, always tended to have a show starting around 5:45pm, when, quite frankly, it's totally dark by then. While it isn't considered a full on night time parade, they always offered one once it was dark because there are lights and because it's pretty at night. For the holiday, ESPECIALLY, it seems odd to NOT have a parade that takes place once it's dark where all the lights are gleaming. To have your last parade at 4:15 and then not fireworks until 8:40 or 9:30, seems like a large gap in entertainment for Disneyland who goes ALL OUT for holiday time entertainment.

Also like PP mentioned, seems odd they would bring out their most expensive, biggest, most successful parade for essentially a few days. Also, I would hope Disney wouldn't completely screw their vast amount of AP holders by offering the beloved PtN parade when most of them would be blocked out. Seems like they'd get a lot of negative feedback about that.

Everything, of course, is total uncertainty at this point, but I think we're all cautiously optimistic that we'll see PtN for many nights this holiday season!

 

[MacMama0930]

I could tell a big difference in crowds, or lack thereof, during the recession. Also, I lived in Orange County in the 90s and it was never as busy as it has been the past few years. Maybe population is a factor too? I miss the days when it wasn't packed. I don't mind waiting in lines but when you can barely move just walking around, that's no fun.

I think our economy is doing really well right now. Lots more disposable income as compared to the last nearly 10 years. I think that has a lot to do with it!

 

[SMD]

You're kind of wrong on a few points here. YES there are many days where MANY rides are "walk ons." When I visit Tuesday, Wednesday, or Thursdays during the school year, in the absence of a holiday, those days have low crowds and many walk on (or nearly) rides available. Like yesterday, we walked into 5 rides at DCA... literally walked and didn't stop until we boarded the ride: Silly Symphony Swings, Little Mermaid, Goofy's Sky School,. Heimlich Chew Chew Train, and Flik's Flyers.

As a rule, Friday through Monday, EVERY week, are the busiest days. Saturdays are often less busy than Sundays due to most low level AP blackouts. We don't go on Sundays anymore and go instead on Saturdays when So Cal AP are blocked. Makes a huge difference. I believe Sunday is actually frequently the busiest day at Disneyland, followed by Fridays. This is a consistent pattern.

True, I was mostly referring to DL. The Times that DCA has felt crowded the last few years are during F&W, which was mostly due to the reduced walkways and during capacity days like NYE and the 60th kickoff. And even on the 60th kickoff, it wasn't that bad.

Womp womp...

There's actually a lot of indication that PtN will run more often than what you're claiming.

Like PP mentioned, the Christmas parade, prior to PtN, always tended to have a show starting around 5:45pm, when, quite frankly, it's totally dark by then. While it isn't considered a full on night time parade, they always offered one once it was dark because there are lights and because it's pretty at night. For the holiday, ESPECIALLY, it seems odd to NOT have a parade that takes place once it's dark where all the lights are gleaming. To have your last parade at 4:15 and then not fireworks until 8:40 or 9:30, seems like a large gap in entertainment for Disneyland who goes ALL OUT for holiday time entertainment.

Also like PP mentioned, seems odd they would bring out their most expensive, biggest, most successful parade for essentially a few days. Also, I would hope Disney wouldn't completely screw their vast amount of AP holders by offering the beloved PtN parade when most of them would be blocked out. Seems like they'd get a lot of negative feedback about that.

Everything, of course, is total uncertainty at this point, but I think we're all cautiously optimistic that we'll see PtN for many nights this holiday season!

What are you talking about? I go almost every week and I read the printed schedules at the turnstiles and the time of the parade varies greatly. It is not offered that late every day. There are plenty of weeks when the last parade is at 3:30 or 4:15 for 5 days. The timing of the holiday parade isn't going to be the deciding factor. It's if the crowd levels justify paying for a second set of performers. That's up to Disney. I doubt they know for sure right now.

 

[mom2rtk]

Also like PP mentioned, seems odd they would bring out their most expensive, biggest, most successful parade for essentially a few days. Also, I would hope Disney wouldn't completely screw their vast amount of AP holders by offering the beloved PtN parade when most of them would be blocked out. Seems like they'd get a lot of negative feedback about that.

I agree. DLR is very tuned in to their AP base and I doubt they would ever consider doing this to them. It certainly would represent a huge change in their approach.

 

[Tinkerbell19672]

I think our economy is doing really well right now. Lots more disposable income as compared to the last nearly 10 years. I think that has a lot to do with it!

Yep, that's what I meant. Economy is better now, increasing crowds