Here Now & Just Back - A Place To Share Your Recent Experiences

[ellbell]

How do the Universal crowds these days compare to Disney?

They weren't to bad. We didn't stand in any lines over 20 minutes and that included Hagrids. Velocicoaster was a 40 minute wait but we didn't actually check the time on it because my one son is a big guy and didn't fit and the other wouldn't ride alone. We did a leisurely stroll around both parks on 2 seperate days and had done basically everything we wanted to do by mid afternoon in both parks. Yesterday we were at Volcano Bay and never even needed the Tapu Tapu because everything was ride now all day long.

 

[smitty0705]

These crowd level reports sound amazing! Hoping it stays this way through the next two weeks for our trip!

For those who are there now, how have the crowds been for the fireworks, especially at Epcot?

I haven’t been at Epcot fireworks but Sunday MK fireworks were crowded. That being said we were still able to get a great viewing spot 20 mins before it started so still not as crowded as it would be normally.

 

[Dave006]

I arrive at Disney from Universal tomorrow. First park day is Thursday. I'm hoping the crowds stay this low for the 10 days I'm there.

Just a warning guest counts will go up starting on Friday due to Labor day weekend and then it should drop again by Wednesday.

Dave

 

[smwisc]

As someone who was there from 8/6-8/14 (right before things starting slowing down) I am both happy for you and hate you

I was there 7/27 - 8/5, so it was even worse! I can relate to the mixed feelings.

Although truth be told, we would have cancelled if we'd known the COVID rates were going to spike that quickly, so we wouldn't be there for the low crowds regardless. Which makes my jealousy at reading these reports somewhat irrational.

 

[Gary Stocker]

I was there 7/27 - 8/5, so it was even worse! I can relate to the mixed feelings.

Although truth be told, we would have cancelled if we'd known the COVID rates were going to spike that quickly, so we wouldn't be there for the low crowds regardless. Which makes my jealousy at reading these reports somewhat irrational.

We rented points so we were also a little hamstrung with the ability to cancel. However it was a nice trip regardless...there was the mask mandate which gave us a sense of comfort despite many who blatantly disregarded..but in the end..and despite my wife basically chasing down my son trying to get on the Keister coaster at Boardwalk..that was pretty fun...despite waking up hungover for a RotR boarding group only to have iit break 4 times...really jealous of those getting BGs without a park pass!? we got to do most of what we wanted.. the kids tested negative..it was a great trip.

 

[Haley R]

We went back to AK at around 4 pm. Rode Navi, Everest x2, and triceratops x2. All of them were walk ons and lots of empty walkways. Our Ds is 16 months and actually had room to run/walk without running into people. We leave tomorrow after a breakfast at topolinos. It’s been fantastic!

 

[honeymo78]

Just a warning guest counts will go up starting on Friday due to Labor day weekend and then it should drop again by Wednesday.

Dave

Fingers crossed that it drops again after the Labor Day bump. We arrive 9/11 and are hoping for the super low crowds, but even normal mid-Sept crowds wouldn't be bad.

 

[burberryplaid]

Day 2 - Wole up at 6:45 and got BG 34 For ROTR. It did not come up until 10 which pushed our return time back. Got on the boat from Boardwalk at 8:15 and into the Studios by 8:45 which was allowing guests through.

Rode ToT twice then got breakfast at Woody's. Rode Slinky, TSMM, and MMRT, Our group got called at 11:45 and the ride broke down just as we got to check-in. Rode Star Tours and watched MV3D to kill time. ROTR came up at 12:45 and we successfully rode it.

Back to Boardwalk by 2 and grabbed pretzels for a snack. On the boat I made a reservation at the Boathouse for dinner.

We swam for a while then went to DS. I have never seen DS that empty!

Dinner at the Boathouse was fabulous! Since we were close by we decided to see what the wait at Gideon's was. It was 10 minutes so we got 4 cookies to sample. Walked to the Basin and bought bath bombs. Back in our room by 8 and resting up for MK tomorrow.

Still feeling good and safe. I only saw 1 idiot in line at TSMM who was not wearing his mask properly - I was glad he was not on our vehicle!

Hoping tomorrow is a good one at MK!

 

[Dentam]

Hopefully Boo Bash is good tonight, my husband keeps joking that the event might be the highest crowds I see if the whole trip.

I was kind of thinking the same thing! Not sure if our Boo Bash tickets will be worth it in mid-Sept but I'd rather feel that way and have super low crowds during our trip!

 

[JFDIS]

Can anyone who has been there recently confirm that Boo Bash tickets are still being offered day of on sold out nights? I saw multiple reports of this on opening night and am curious if that is still happening.

 

[aalan]

Hahahahaha…

 

[kboo]

Will report more when I’m home but the crowds are so low compared to any time I’ve ever been in the past. Mask compliance generally decent except for the adult couple in front of us who pulled down their masks for their takeoff on RRC and so now DD and I don’t have a picture. Grrr.
But - confirming that virtually everything is a walk on or close to it. Amazing.

 

[blrem]

Can anyone who has been there recently confirm that Boo Bash tickets are still being offered day of on sold out nights? I saw multiple reports of this on opening night and am curious if that is still happening.

wondering the same...

 

[mousefan73]

These crowd level reports sound amazing! Hoping it stays this way through the next two weeks for our trip!

For those who are there now, how have the crowds been for the fireworks, especially at Epcot?

When we were there last week, it was " dead" no real crowds. most crowded was the bridge over by France. But there was even space. We were tired so left to beat the crowds.. even though it wasnt pack, if everyone leaves at once its crowded... my experience from last week, MK was the only exception where it was packed. and the post fireworks there was insance as usually getting out.

 

[ffugitive]

We are on day 5 of our 9-day trip and dramatically changed our plan of attack due to low crowds. Instead of getting to parks early, we are just sleeping in, having relaxed mornings and getting to the parks around 11 or so. We are more rested and still have no problem doing everything we want to do several times over. We even did this for HS and just picked up our RoTR boarding group at 1pm (rode at 4:30) without any problem. And man was that ride a trip! Surpassed my lofty expectations. Back to MK today - still haven't gotten my Mickey Bar - might have to happen today.

 

[kittylady1972]

How do the Universal crowds these days compare to Disney?

We did Universal over the weekend (Sat/Sun Aug 28/29) and I can say the crowds were pretty light overall. Saturday was definitely busier than Sunday, both days were hot. However on Sunday we arrived around 11am, did the Bourne Stuntacular first (for the first time...this was AMAZING), and rode MIB, had a snack, rode Gringotts (wait time showed 40 mins I think, looking at lines likely about 30 but we had a one-time use Express pass), then train over to Hogsmeade, grabbed some food, and then rode Velocicoaster twice in a row with wait time listed at 35 and actual wait about 20-25 at most. Hagrids was showing 35 every time I looked but we skipped it having done it a lot on our last trip and wanting to get back to our resort and hit the pool. Most of the waits for rides showed 30 minutes or less though and we definitely felt the crowds were light.

Reading all these reports makes me sad we have made the decision to delay Disney until March of next year. However with lack of FPs and not having APs I will do my best to stay strong in waiting until 2022 for our next Disney visit and even then it sounds like it will be a very different experience with all of these new "things" happening.

 

[lovethattink]

compared to the pre-pandemic days? I'm a DL vet and have only been to WDW once, back in 2017. Have parades and shows returned? I want to go back, but am willing to wait a couple of years until it "gets back to normal" if it ever does. Any tips or suggestions would be appreciated. Thanks.

Moving your post to the Here Now, Just Back thread. You’ll be able to keep up with all the changes by reading most recent posts.

 

[Palaura]

I am having a hard time imagining Food and Wine with current reported crowds. I think it was needing to wait on line that saved me from falling into the lake a few times.

Food and wine was my dieting downfall. The only line was in France. I remember looking at my charges the next morning and being impressed with how much we ate (and drank)!

 

[DisneyFive]

We are on day 5 of our 9-day trip and dramatically changed our plan of attack due to low crowds. Instead of getting to parks early, we are just sleeping in, having relaxed mornings and getting to the parks around 11 or so. We are more rested and still have no problem doing everything we want to do several times over. We even did this for HS and just picked up our RoTR boarding group at 1pm (rode at 4:30) without any problem. And man was that ride a trip! Surpassed my lofty expectations. Back to MK today - still haven't gotten my Mickey Bar - might have to happen today.

Jealous. We miss the days when we could visit during truly low crowd times. We used to go late September. Now that our kids are high school and college age we're forced into summer. Not bad overall, but sounds as though it's night and day versus our crowds (which felt normal) late July, early August. The lack of FP+ was the real downer. We used to be able to handle crowds easily with FP+

Dan

 

[Gary Stocker]

Food and wine was my dieting downfall. The only line was in France. I remember looking at my charges the next morning and being impressed with how much we ate (and drank)!

My downfall started when we first arrived and our room wasn't ready. Boardwalk Joes dole whips and rum x 3 in the blazing sun. From there it was a fait accompli. Diet be damned.