Here now and it is packed :(

[DebbieB]

I was at AK today, not crowded at all. Dinosaur had a 10 minute standby at around 1:00. I didn't notice the times for Safari or EE, since I had FP+ but didn't look crowded. I used my FP+ for EE, got off and was back on in a couple minutes through single rider.

Was at DHS yesterday, ToT was about 10 min wait at around noon, I rode again after using my FP+.

I would expect MK to be crowded today since there is not a party tonight.

 

[lugnut33]

I'm not doubting the OP, it probably does feel packed at HS.

Just checked the UG Lines app and it says Space Mountain is 5 minutes and Splash is 4 minutes.

 

[DisneyGolfer]

We are here now and MK was not bad at all today. Didn't need FP most lines have been 10-20 min. Headliners a bit more. Yesterday at MK was def more crowded.

 

[dres40]

OP go to easywdw.com and find the Nov 2013 crowd calendar on the right hand side of the screen. This will tell you what parks are best to visit each day. Josh who runs the site is awesome!

 

[Peaseblossom]

Right now, the wait times app is reporting Jungle cruise at 40, POTC at 35 and Space at 15!! Is the app on crack? That's weird.

 

[MakiraMarlena]

Maybe not...Jungle Cruise has been high all week possibly because of the Jingle Cruise "overlay" which technically isn't an overlay at all (they just changed some of the jokes.)

 

[SoarinSC]

OP go to easywdw.com and find the Nov 2013 crowd calendar on the right hand side of the screen. This will tell you what parks are best to visit each day. Josh who runs the site is awesome!

Just checked out the site...I'm amazed at the level of detail he provides. A report for each day months in advance.

 

[g-dad66]

We usually go in Sept. the weather is great but it is packed everywhere

Compared to September, most any other time of year could seem packed. September is the best month for low crowds.

 

[mesaboy2]

Compared to September, most any other time of year could seem packed. September is the best month for low crowds.

 

[Mousemommy1]

This thread illustrates exactly how perception is purely subjective and a good reminder to take all reviews/reports with a grain of salt.

OP, sorry you are experiencing higher crowds than what you are used to. I hope your trip turns around for you!

 

[disneyerin]

According to MDE, the current (1:15 EST) wait times at DHS for the main attractions are:

TSMM 45 min
RNRC 20 min
TOT 20 min
ST 10 min

These are very similar to the wait times we saw at DHS last Wednesday.

Either these times are wrong, or the park is definitely not packed, or even remotely crowded.

Y'know......it's OK to just believe the posts about it being super crowded with long waits. They really aren't making it up or mistaken. Other posts about the crowds being low are correct as well, they were obviously in a different part of the parks or in another park, or there at another time.

Obviously the wait times posted are wrong for the times the OP was there. Obviously the parks were packed for the people who were in the packed areas at the packed times.

You don't need to show evidence to disprove the OP. They are the ones who would know, they were there.

OK, done with my "rant"

 

[jmrothermel]

I'm here now too, and although it can be packed the rides have been manageable. At MK yesterday we rode Splash Mtn 3 times, BTMR 2x, Space 3 times. Today at HS we rode TSMM 3x, ToT 2x, and RnR 2x. We actually had unused FP+ for ToT and RnR as well.

 

[RMoneyTheHBomb]

Here now.

Mk yesterday started out feeling light and near mid day, felt busier but not packed.
Epcot today feel like the 4 touring plans predicted. However, it is effing cold today!!!

Magic bands (premiere passes linked/Dave's DVD rental okw linked) have worked great thus far..
Only 3 times they didn't work. Once when I went to pay, once when my daughter tried to get into Epcot today, and upon return at test track. I got a green, wife/ kid didn't. Cm checked and said they had no reservation. Now I think I may have screwed it up as I was moving things around earlier on the app, but later the kiosk said they were booked on it. So I dunno. The cast member was very firm with not letting them in unless we wanted to get rid of our next fp. We said screw it and left as we had just ridden test track with paper fast passes that we double dipped. On that note, double dipping is in fact working right now with our premiere pass cards. ( feel free to judge on the double dipping, I'm ok with it )

As has been noted all over the place, fp+ kills the return line efficiency every once in a while. It also slows the main gate. Pretty much anytime a guest has to scan it. Maybe over time, people will get used to it. Or maybe they can increase the sensitivity of the readers?

Lastly, the payment readers seem to need a Mickey to Mickey match of the icons. If Mickey is not lined up ( as you can do with room key and fp return) it doesn't light up. This might not be news! But was to me as I don't read all of the fp+ threads here.

Lastly, it's sooooo cold!!!!

 

[2bliss]

I agree, I am here now and I have never seen the parks this crowded!! We normally travel to WDW in the summer so we don't have to pull the kids out of school. This year we decided to pull them out thinking the parks would be less crowded, but we were wrong! The crowds are more manageable in the summer months. I was thinking this would be a good week because F&W would be over, and Jersey week ended. Live and learn

 

[Magpie]

Y'know......it's OK to just believe the posts about it being super crowded with long waits. They really aren't making it up or mistaken. Other posts about the crowds being low are correct as well, they were obviously in a different part of the parks or in another park, or there at another time.

Obviously the wait times posted are wrong for the times the OP was there. Obviously the parks were packed for the people who were in the packed areas at the packed times.

You don't need to show evidence to disprove the OP. They are the ones who would know, they were there.

OK, done with my "rant"

Or the "it wasn't busy" folks could have been there in the exact same location and exact same time. Two people's perceptions can be wildly different, especially if one has only travelled in September, while the other has experienced Christmas crowds.

Also, the OP is quite measurably wrong, in terms of pure numbers. While it may have felt crowded to the OP, there simply aren't as many people in the parks this time of the year, as there are at other times. Disney's own historical crowd levels prove that, and it's highly unlikely we had a bizarre crowd surge these past two days that's turned everything on its head. We'd have been hearing about it, if there was!

I sincerely hope the OP checks out Josh's crowd calendars, in order to make the most of their remaining trip.

 

[Magpie]

I agree, I am here now and I have never seen the parks this crowded!! We normally travel to WDW in the summer so we don't have to pull the kids out of school. This year we decided to pull them out thinking the parks would be less crowded, but we were wrong! The crowds are more manageable in the summer months. I was thinking this would be a good week because F&W would be over, and Jersey week ended. Live and learn

One thing to remember about the low season is that shorter lines for rides mean more people wandering around on the streets and packing into shops and restaurants. These are people who would normally be trapped, standing in the lines.

So it can "feel crowded" despite the actual numbers of guests being much lower.

Also, the number of people in any one park can fluctuate a lot more dramatically in the low season, due to the limited hours and nighttime entertainment. Basically, everyone ends up flocking to the same park, leading to localized crowds.

 

[jmrothermel]

One thing to remember about the low season is that shorter lines for rides mean more people wandering around on the streets and packing into shops and restaurants. These are people who would normally be trapped, standing in the lines. So it can "feel crowded" despite the actual numbers of guests being much lower. Also, the number of people in any one park can fluctuate a lot more dramatically in the low season, due to the limited hours and nighttime entertainment. Basically, everyone ends up flocking to the same park, leading to localized crowds.

I do have to agree with this. I think it has a VERY crowded feel at times, I was sure that waits we're going to be crazy and FP gone for all the popular attractions. I was quite surprised that I could pull paper FP for Space Mtn until 8:45 last night, and 20 mins or so wait for BTMR and Splash.

 

[bdcp]

We're here now. AK on Monday and waits were short. DHS yesterday and the shortest wait for TSM was 60 minutes and paper FP were all gone by about 10 am. Everything else was a pretty short wait. MK today and all waits were really short. Space M, Splash M, Jungle Cruise, Tiki Room, POC, Buzz, and a few others were walk on before 1 pm. It was cold and windy and it really cut down on crowds. I think it kept the locals away. Going to Epcot again tomorrow (we were there part of yesterday and waits were pretty short too). Once the F&W were over, it made a huge difference in crowds.

 

[canoe86]

I agree, I am here now and I have never seen the parks this crowded!! We normally travel to WDW in the summer so we don't have to pull the kids out of school. This year we decided to pull them out thinking the parks would be less crowded, but we were wrong! The crowds are more manageable in the summer months. I was thinking this would be a good week because F&W would be over, and Jersey week ended. Live and learn

We are here now, and just giving our perspective, we feel the crowds are about the same as normal for this time of year.

We really only travel at this time of year because of work. So our last 7 trips consisted of 1 late Sept, 1 mid October, and FIVE November, but NEVER during Thanksgiving.

The FP+ may be making some lines longer for the crowd level though. I'm thinking Pirates for instance. In the past, there were TWO lines, now there is ONE line and one FP+ line. So, I think it made the stand by line longer than it would have been in the past. Just a theory, but I have a feeling FP+ will be taken off during slow times of the year for some rides. We have used some fast passes for rides with little to no lines for the reason that they are testing the system. That is my theory on the situation.

 

[mmhoward76]

I agree, I am here now and I have never seen the parks this crowded!! We normally travel to WDW in the summer so we don't have to pull the kids out of school. This year we decided to pull them out thinking the parks would be less crowded, but we were wrong! The crowds are more manageable in the summer months. I was thinking this would be a good week because F&W would be over, and Jersey week ended. Live and learn

Thank you!!!!!