Help me work around Gay Days crowds!!

[Bec3b1g]

Let me start by saying that dh dislikes going to DL. He hates the crowds, the lines, and the money flying out of his pocket faster then he can track. LOL!

Southwest has amazing rates during October, which is the only reason dh agreed to book a vacation. I took a look at Mousesavers and it said that October was a great time to go and GayDays didn't really impact the crowds. So I booked our airfare (nonrefundable) and we are all set to arrive on 10/2, staying through 10/6.

After reading the dis, it looks like the Gay Day crowds are terrible. Uggh!! We'll be arriving on Tuesday. Gay Days starts on Saturday, the day we are leaving.

So please help me figure out how to make this a great trip for dh and the kids. I can't cancel since the tickets are non-refundable. If the trip is miserable with huge crowds, it is unlikely dh will agree to ever go back.

We arrive on Tuesday in the Ontario airport @ 1:30pm. I figure that we can be at the DL gates around 4:00 and take advantage of 4 hours of low crowds before the parks close. I'm assuming DL will close at 8:00. We will have to do counter service dinner in the park to save time. Does that seem possible? Initially, I was going to have this just be a travel day and rest at the hotel, but I think we need to be in the park without the crowds in case it is unbearable later in the week.

Wednesday should be another low crowd day. I figure that we'll hit DL hard, with an ADR at Goofy's Kitchen. We should be able to get a full day in. The kids will also want to ride ToT, and a couple of their favorite rides in DCA so we'll need to park hop at some point.

I think Thursday is going to be an iffy day for crowds. We'll use the EE option on our tickets this day and focus mostly on DL. ADR at Blue Bayou in the evening. Park Hopping to DCA for ToT and a couple of rides. What do you think about the crowds on Thursday?

I expect Friday to be a big day for crowds. We start with DL 1st thing in the morning and switch over to DCA around 11:00. ADR at Ariel's Grotto in the evening. If Friday is really crowded, we may have to return to the hotel in the afternoon and get dinner somewhere else. Will the crowds be horrible?

Saturday--the gay days website schedule shows DL for Saturday and DCA for Sunday. What do you think the crowds will look like first thing in the morning. Should we just plan to head straight to DCA? Do those that come for gay days even adhere to the schedule? Our flight doesn't leave until 4:00. I was thinking we could visit one of the parks first thing in the morning, go back to the hotel around 10:30am and check-out, and then go to lunch at the Rainforest Cafe in DTD around 11:00. Spend time in DTD until we need to leave for the airport. Should we just avoid the parks entirely on Saturday?

I would love for you to tell me that the crowds will be fine....no worries. I really wish I would have booked the trip at another time. *Sigh* Any thoughts on what we can do to avoid the crowds?

 

[Blackunicorn]

I'm sure there are other people more qualified to answer this, but I wanted to reassure you.

It's been a couple of years since I was at DL, and probably three years since I encountered Gay Days. You're going at a normally slow time anyway, so relax on that account. Typically, we would encounter low crowds and normally no more than 20 minute lines on the attractions, with slightly more time for the lines on more popular rides like Splash Mountain or Space Mountain during the week. On Friday, the crowds would be heavier, but nowhere near as bad as peak season. The wait times would increase but judicious use of Fast Passes and some careful time management should alleviate this. Saturday is the day you would probably worry about, but I always checked out Saturday morning so I can't give you any insight into this.

I *hate* crowds, and get claustrophobic in the Peter Pan line something fierce, and this is why we travel in off-season. Crowds were so low in 2002 that the CMs laughed at us for trying to use FP's, and they've been slowly getting heavier every year. But I recently saw a picture of Main Street during July, and rest assured, you're going at the right time. Gay Days shouldn't impact you too much, as most of the participants don't seem to check into the hotels until Friday evening--so you won't be seeing the bulk of them until Saturday.

 

[MATTERHORN]

I have also been twice during gay days and it's crowded, but not impossible! I do think that you should plan on doing mostly DCA on that Saturday though, that will be your busiest day!!

Andrea

 

[LeftCoaster]

You're totally over reacting. The crowds won't be bad.
Most of the week will be extremely slow. You will see an uptick in the crowds on Friday and the crowded day will be on Saturday.
If you want to hit the parks first thing on Saturday, you will be able to get a lot done. A lot of the crowd will be on gay time and an early arrival at Disneyland just is not going to happen.

 

[mariezp]

It has been several years since we were there during the Gay Day event. While each year has probably risen in attendance, we were not really too affected by the crowd the year we went. Since it falls on the day you are leaving I would imagine you will have a few great days during the weekdays. I would concentrate most of my time in Disneyland and maybe spend Saturday in CA.
Good luck trying to convince DH that he can have a great time. I guess you could always offer to let him stay in the hotel while you and the kids enjoy yourselves. Bet he would probably change his mind then!
You have got some good plans to avoid some of the crowds by getting priority seating each day. While others are waiting in line you can skip right on in! Taking in some of the shows, the Animation Studio and maybe Innoventions also helps get you in out of the crowds and rest your tootsies. Otherwise, relax, October is a great time to go. Less crowds and less heat. You will have a great time!

 

[Bec3b1g]

Good luck trying to convince DH that he can have a great time. I guess you could always offer to let him stay in the hotel while you and the kids enjoy yourselves. Bet he would probably change his mind then!

LOL! I would love for dh to stay in the hotel while we tour the parks, but he goes for the kids. The crowds and the lines at DL are just part of the experience and it is stressful trying to manage this for him. I've never heard of anyone not enjoying DL. I just don't get it!

 

[Bec3b1g]

You're totally over reacting. The crowds won't be bad.
Most of the week will be extremely slow. You will see an uptick in the crowds on Friday and the crowded day will be on Saturday.
If you want to hit the parks first thing on Saturday, you will be able to get a lot done. A lot of the crowd will be on gay time and an early arrival at Disneyland just is not going to happen.

Good to know. Sounds like if we arrive when the parks open and leave around 10:30 we should be OK. Thanks!

 

[tinkerbelt]

I usually go on the Friday night before GayDays, and it's not bad at all. Saturday and Sunday might be crowded, but bearable. Crowds have been really low this year it seems like.

 

[chrisn]

Hi Becca!

You're going the exact dates we are. We arrive on Tuesday the 2nd and depart on Saturday the 6th. We are not planning to do parks on Saturday though.

I'm not that concerned about the crowds. We are going to concentrate on DL Wed & Thur and CA Friday. We are also doing Mickey's Halloween Treat Friday night. Should be lots of fun.

Don't stress! It will be fine!!!

 

[2GuysSeattle]

I wouldn't worry about big crowds. During the week they will be low. Friday night, there is a big gay day dance party, so you can bet most of the gay day participants will be sleeping in on Saturday morning. So crowds should be managable Saturday morning at either park, with DCA being your best bet.

 

[Bec3b1g]

Hi Becca!

You're going the exact dates we are. We arrive on Tuesday the 2nd and depart on Saturday the 6th. We are not planning to do parks on Saturday though.

I'm not that concerned about the crowds. We are going to concentrate on DL Wed & Thur and CA Friday. We are also doing Mickey's Halloween Treat Friday night. Should be lots of fun.

Don't stress! It will be fine!!!

Didn't know about Mickey's Halloween Treat on Friday night. The kids would love that!! When do tickets go on sale to the GP? Will they be sold out by then?

 

[Bec3b1g]

I wouldn't worry about big crowds. During the week they will be low. Friday night, there is a big gay day dance party, so you can bet most of the gay day participants will be sleeping in on Saturday morning. So crowds should be managable Saturday morning at either park, with DCA being your best bet.

Thanks so much for the info. I am feeling much better about the crowd situation

 

[staley7580]

Hi Becca!

You're going the exact dates we are. We arrive on Tuesday the 2nd and depart on Saturday the 6th. We are not planning to do parks on Saturday though.

I'm not that concerned about the crowds. We are going to concentrate on DL Wed & Thur and CA Friday. We are also doing Mickey's Halloween Treat Friday night. Should be lots of fun.

Don't stress! It will be fine!!!

Ill be there then too! We got an awesome AP rate at the PP, and at the GCH... so we are staying at both. AND we are doing MHT on the 5th! See you there!

 

[chrisn]

Tickets go on sail to the GP on August 1st and I don't think they will be sold out. Cross your fingers. I will be dialing first thing!

 

[Alex2kMommy]

I was also concerned about crowds. We DON'T do crowds, and with Gay Days and Columbus Day weekend, I was concerned. Also with Disney's new Halloween decorations and events, it seems to really be drawing more October attendance than in years past. I'm hoping it won't be too bad.

Since the GD group plans to do DL on Saturday and DCA Sunday, we'll probably plan the opposite. Perhaps will do DL early on Saturday, and switch over to DCA when it gets to be too crowded for us. Plan B: We might also spend Saturday afternoon at the hotel pool, which will make my boys happy!

If your DH is anything like us:

1. Let him know that there is a GD event on the weekend. Also let him know your plans for maneuvering around the crowds.

2. Be prepared for the weekend. Make dining reservations (if necessary), have plans and back-ups, get fastpasses, know which rides to hit first, which attractions tend to be less busy in the afternoons, etc.

3. Be flexible! Plan meals for off-peak times: Early lunch and early dinner, or have snacks and eat later than the crowds. If your planned approach isn't working and your family isn't happy, go to Plan B! Go to DCA or DTD, or the hotel pool, or offsite altogether. Enjoy yourself!

We'll be there the same timeframe as well. It will be interesting to compare notes afterward!

 

[KAYELIZ]

I know exactly how you feel. Last year, we planned a weekend visit to Disneyland, arriving late on Friday and leaving on Monday. After making all the plans, I found out from this board that Gay Days was planned for that weekend as well as the CHOC walk on the Sunday of our visit and it was Columbus Day that Monday. I was very concerned that after travelling so far that we would be unable to see everything that we had planned or that we would be unable to enjoy ourselves because of the crowds. Thanks to the advice from the people on this board, we had a great time. We printed the calendar of events for Gay Days so that we could avoid the crowds for those events. We arrived when the parks opened and collected as many fast passes as possible to use later in the day. The crowds didn't really get bad until the early afternoon so we were able to go on a lot of rides (especially the most popular ones) until that point and then we went back to the hotel to rest, go in the pool and have lunch. We returned to the parks in the early evening and used our fastpasses for the rest of the night.
We had such a great time that we're going back this year from Oct. 5 - 8. This year we're staying at the Grand Californian with the Gay Days discount. We are also ordering tickets with the Gay Days discount like we did last year - we saved a lot of $$ on these tickets!!
I don't think you'll have a problem with the crowds, especially because you'll have a few days to visit before the weekend. Like your husband, we don't like crowds or waiting in long lines, so we tried to plan our day, be flexible and not stress if things didn't go as planned. That worked for us and we were able to relax and really enjoy the experience!
Good luck and have fun!!!!!

 

[keishashadow]

No flames, just worried about crowd levels = is Gay Days always the weekend before Columbus Day @ DL?

Need to pick a week for next year; school & family obligations necessitate either last week in June, or thru entire month of July/1st few weeks in August or week before or Columbus Day week itself

I had hoped the week prior to Columbus day would be slow; wasn't too bad @ WDW last year; got worse the actual week,

 

[mom2dzb]

My husband and I had a similar itinerary last year. The first few days of our trip were during the week. Crowds on those days were very managable. It was very enjoyable. I don't recall how Friday night was, but I do remember we avoided DTD because that is where Gay Days was to be located. Saturday was miserable -- way too many people and the schedule hadn't been adjusted to accommodate the crowd level. The CMs claimed that they were surprised by the turnout. Hopefully this year Disney will adjust their schedule accordingly.

I agree with previous posters who suggest arriving to DL at opening and then hopping over to CA if the crowds get unbearable on Saturday. Otherwise, except for possibly on Friday evening, you won't notice the event.

 

[mommy2allyandaveri]

We went at this time last year, except we started our vacation on the last day of Gay Days. We didn't have a problem with the crowd AT ALL! Hopefully you won't either. The only day that I could see a crowd issue would be Saturday, but that is because weekends are more crowded anyway.

 

[bumbershoot]

No flames, just worried about crowd levels = is Gay Days always the weekend before Columbus Day @ DL?

Need to pick a week for next year; school & family obligations necessitate either last week in June, or thru entire month of July/1st few weeks in August or week before or Columbus Day week itself

I had hoped the week prior to Columbus day would be slow; wasn't too bad @ WDW last year; got worse the actual week,

If you look on the website under FAQs, they have your answer.

Why is the event the first weekend in October?

While the first weekend in October is sometimes Columbus Day weekend, it is also the month in which Disneyland traditionally sees its lowest attendance, which makes it the ideal time .... the weather in October is generally pleasant and warm.... Technically, we base the event around the first Saturday in October, so the Friday could be in September.