Going during the Super Bowl

[MICKEYFIL]

Did all my planning, found the best rates, secured the hotel and booked off the time, hit the button and presto. I BOOKED ON SUPERBOWL WEEKEND!!! Just me, dad of the year and two kids DD7 and DS5.

Oh well, not the end of the world. Doubt the Seahawks will make it anyways. So now that I have calmed down I now wonder what the crowds will be like. One person says not busy another says busy. I wonder how many staff members call in sick because they want to watch the game, etc. I mean at the end of the day more than a 100 million Americans watch the game and I would think that this would impact other activities. Anyone have any experience of going to the park during that weekend in previous years?

 

[figment_jii]

I think might depend somewhat on who is playing, but in general, most reports seem to indicate that it's been crowded in the parks on Superbowl Sunday. Now, how much of that is because it's a Sunday and how much is due to the Superbowl is less clear (Sundays just tend to be busy any time of year). There really weren't many threads discussing how crowds were this year.

Here is a thread from 2014: http://www.disboards.com/threads/superbowl-crowds.3230845/
Here is a thread disucssing the Superbowl: http://www.disboards.com/threads/why-so-crowded-on-superbowl-sunday.3373479/
Here's a link to Touring Plans Crowd Predictor Comparison (take it with a grain of salt): http://blog.touringplans.com/2015/02/10/disneyland-crowd-calendar-report-february-1-7-2015/

 

[tarheelalum]

Its crowded but just the regular crowded. Reports of it being dead are false.

 

[MICKEYFIL]

This year it is being played in Santa Clara. I wonder if that will impact it at all either.

 

[SMD]

I've been on during the Super Bowl 5-6 but not in the last 5 years. It used to be pretty dead, but it's slowly gotten more crowded to the point that it's noticeable more crowded than other Sundays. Anyone who says they went and it wasn't crowded hasn't been in the last 7-8 years or so. The Super Bowl is also firmly in February now and probably runs into more school breaks than it did when it was the last weekend in January.

 

[SMD]

This year it is being played in Santa Clara. I wonder if that will impact it at all either.

It means the victory parade will in DLR instead of WDW.

 

[GatorChris]

DL is different. Lots of people come locally on the weekend. On a trip to WDW back in 2004, we went to the Studios along with about 800 other people. It was so empty it was weird. Hardly anyone at the Indy Stunt show. Walk-ons to rides that normally have 45-60 minute lines on a weekend. But WDW is a place that depends on long term planning, and planners don't plan a trip on Super Bowl weekend. They have parties at their house. That's why I say DL is different.

Still, I can't imagine it being any worse than a normal Sunday. I would think it would be slightly better.

 

[RemainSeatedPlease]

Funny, I just posted about my experience with this in another thread. I went on a Superbowl Sunday sometime between 2008-2010 (I honestly can't remember which one) and I found the parks to be remarkably empty. I actually hadn't realized it was Superbowl Sunday, and we were pleasantly confused about the lack of crowds (we finally realized it when we heard people in line shouting "what's the score??"). It was also a slightly rainy day, so that probably helped deter crowds as well. In CA the Superbowl airs in the afternoon rather than evening, so we found that crowds were very light until the game ended in the evening. Then it seemed like all of the locals showed up at once! But by that time we had already experienced so much that we weren't bothered.

I haven't been on a Superbowl Sunday since then, so possibly things are different now. As someone else mentioned, they happen further into February then they ever used to. I think the year I went it was in January.

 

[Purrkins]

20 years ago, it was dead tumbleweed town. My friend would drive down from Santa Barbara, I would drive up from San Diego and we'd spend all day walking on rides. It's been a while but lately the parks are empty at opening, get busy late morning to a normal sense of "busy". Around kickoff time the crowds seem to lessen slightly but not by much. Remember, Southern CA hasn't had a team in the superbowl for ages so plenty of APs in the park.

 

[theluckyrabbit]

With the 60th still going on, I would expect normal Sunday crowds. The area around the ESPN Zone will be crowded with people (and many smokers, if this is an issue) watching the big screens. And crowds can lighten a bit during the game, but will increase again after the game is over.

 

[Satchmo128]

All I can contribute to this conversation is, don't count the Seahawks out *just* yet! It would be so sweet to go to Superbowl 50 and play in the '9ers stadium!! GO HAWKS!

 

[PoohBearFriends]

I am the lucky person who has spent the last 2 years at the parks closest to the Super Bowl and where the parades were the following day.

2014 WDW. Magic Kingdom was fairly light crowds. I did do Epcot that Monday.

2015 DLR with Super Bowl in AZ. Normal crowds. Walked out of toon town Monday right into the parade. Saw them interviewing the 2 MVPs in Fantasy Faire. It Was fun.

A lot of people were heading to hotels during the game but parks were still Sunday busy.

This year we are going the weekend before. I think we had brought luck to the Seahawks and look how they are doing now that we won't be there.

 

[WebmasterMaryJo]

I've been to Disneyland on Superbowl Sunday, and it was pretty crowded both times I went (in the past three years). The first time I went I was really surprised since everyone was talking about how empty it was.

Having said that, with El Niño coming up, and expectations are that it will be its strongest in January/February ~ plan on a wet weekend, make that soggy weekend. I've been there on such a weekend, and we were completely soaked, but we had a blast. Expect big crowds - expect lots of rain, and if you get anything different it will be an added bonus.

 

[PrincessNurseMRA]

i just discovered the same thing, but we are leaving on Sunday !!! Interested to see what its like Thursday thru Saturday....

 

[NiceOneSimba]

We were there Super Bowl weekend on 2014. We arrived on Thursday. My brother actually said "I know the Seahawks are going to be in the Super Bowl" before the season started and booked a return flight on Saturday afternoon. The rest of us flew home during the game (the on,y time I ever want to be on a plane with screaming!).

We found it to be quite manageable Thursday and Friday. We rode a ton of rides and got almost everything done we wanted to do. In those two days. As to be expected, things were definitely more crowded on Saturday. I'd consider it manageable, though. Busy, but nothing like race weekend two weeks before! We didn't enter the parks on Sunday, so I can't speak to that.

Super Bowl Blue Friday in Disneyland was amazing! So much gear. We only saw one Broncos fan that day, but there was Seahawks stuff all over. It was was awesome!

Go Hawks!

 

[MICKEYFIL]

Thanks for the info. I didn't realize the parade would take place in the park. That changes my park attendance scheduling.

 

[OKW Lover]

Thanks for the info. I didn't realize the parade would take place in the park. That changes my park attendance scheduling.

Where and when the parade occurs depends on the selected MVP. It might be the next day. It might be a day or two afterwards. It also might be at WDW. You won't know until the MVP is announced at the end of the game. Even then, you won't know the specifics of when/where until Disney announces it soon thereafter.

 

[MommyJKM]

ON Superbowl Sunday I would just steer clear of Downtown Disney because they show the game on the TV's outside of ESPNZone and a large crowd gathers there to watch. Standing/sitting outside of the restaurant on the ground. It's chaos.

If your husband wants to watch the game I would recommend parking him at the bar at Cheesecake Factory or McCormick and Schmick's at GardenWalk while you guys tour the park McCormick's always has drink and food specials for the game.

 

[MICKEYFIL]

Where and when the parade occurs depends on the selected MVP. It might be the next day. It might be a day or two afterwards. It also might be at WDW. You won't know until the MVP is announced at the end of the game. Even then, you won't know the specifics of when/where until Disney announces it soon thereafter.

Thank you. I will try to stay updated. I'll have to weigh seeing it versus going for the rides when there might be lower crowds.

 

[NiceOneSimba]

I watched the last 5 minutes of the NFC Championship game this year on some total stranger's phone on the sidewalk in California Adventure. They saw my Seahawks shirt and called me over as I was on my way out of the bathroom. (Honestly, the 12s are so awesome!) So, there's always that option, too. ;-)