How are the crowds right now?

[rkrivas]

Hello --

Is anyone there now, or has anyone just returned with comments on the crowds this past week? We'll be there from 2/13 - 2/18 and we're hoping for light crowds.

Thanks

 

[ElaineHN]

We'll be there 2/11-2/14 for a long weekend trip. I have no idea how crowded the various parks will be, but I know the value resorts are packed full!

The national high school cheerleading competition will be going on. I wonder how much time the teens spend involved in competition related events and how much time they have in the parks? Anyone know? I can just imagine what it's going to be like ... and then my 13 yr. old son

 

[vacanut]

I have ressies 2/11-2/16, tried extending them to 2/9-2/16 last evening, NO LUCK they are booked nothing available, so we are going to Universal for 2 days instead, I'm wondering as well what the crowds will be like if they have NO rooms available.

 

[SuzyQue]

Here is a link to the cheerleading schedule....

http://www.varsity.com/competitions/nationals/nhscc/schedule.htm

 

[Corporal_Radar]

for universal right now, it is marti-gras, have fun... there should not be too long of waites there than disnay at this time...

disney is always crowded....

 

[PatriciaH]

Sorry to break it to you but MK on Monday was the worst I have EVER seen a park! It was more crowded than the summer, Thanksgiving day, Christmas or New Years! Other people around us were saying the same thing. One lady said she comes all the time and this is the worst she had seen it in years. I don't know if it was the Superbowl crowds or dance teams or what. Tuesday at AK was a madhouse as well. I think we will skip the parks until the end of February. We are going to Universal for Mardi Gras on Saturday to see the Go-Go's though!

 

[Wee Annie]

We're going to be there 2/13 through 2/18 too. Thought we'd miss the crowds. hah! Looking at the cheerleading schedule leads me to believe that 2/14 will be a veritable madhouse!!!! Perhaps we should rethink our plan of going to MGM that day!

Since 2/14 is their day off to tour the parks, what park would everyone recommend to go to? Probably Epcot?

 

[rkrivas]

Is the 14th the last day for the cheerleaders? If so, then the crowds might slow a little before the start of the President's Day weekend. A girl can dream, right? Either way, WDW is a lot better than the New Jersey winter and being at work!

 

[Lawshark]

I'll agree that Monday was a bit of a mess at MK...BUT...I have to say that by doing all sorts of research in the UG, here on the forums and especially Tour Guide Mike...well, we still managed to do quite a bit. We made sure to be at the park at opening on Monday, so we were able to ride quite a bit in the morning...especially having grabbed fastpasses for the big rides that we wanted to ride first thing...Buzz, Space Mountain and Philharmagic. We even rode the Tomorrowland cars twice by going there first and doing a baby swap.

BUT...by noon the park was jammed...we had waited too long for lunch...everything was packed...rides and restaurants. So we left. Who needs the aggravation?

Instead, we went back to the WL and took our break a little early...had a nice leisurely lunch...rested...and headed out to Epcot in late afternoon. Great decision...Epcot was NOT very crowded. Heck, Mission:Space was a walk-on by 7:30pm!

So...yeah...MK was a mess on Monday...but not for the first few hours...as long as you have a park hopper you can enjoy the "good" part and then head to another park.

 

[SuzyQue]

"Is the 14th the last day for the cheerleaders?"

Yes, and according to their schedule, they will only be able to attend the "park of their choice" from 9 am to 12 pm on that day.~~

 

[Wee Annie]

I actually didn't read it that way. I read it as they have some sort of college thing for that time period, and then are able to roam freely for the rest of the day. I would love for you to be right. Please tell me you're right! please?

 

[26555]

These are depressing reports for FEBRUARY! Maybe its time to accept there is NO offseason.

 

[TiggerStac]

It is very busy right now!!! We were at MK and Epcot on Monday and they were both busy. You could walk onto/small wait for some rides at epcot (figment, spaceship earth) but the rest were busy!! Test Track was almost an hour wait...single riders was a 20 minute wait. We went to get fast passes, but we wouldn't be able to use them for over 3 hours!! We went to MGM yesterday and it was busy, we got there about 1ish. But, for some reason..hubby was able to walk onto RNR. We had to wait about 20 - 25 min for great movie ride. Had to wait about the same amount of times for all characters. Then we went to MK for extra magic hours...and it was packed. I think it was as busy as monday during the day. We waited about 20-25 min for POC. Only a few minutes for HM (which is what we had waited on Monday). Didn't bother with SM..as I didn't want to get wet :0)
We have been down here several times before this week and it hasn't been this busy!!

 

[SuzyQue]

Oh poo, now that I look at it again I think you're right. Well, they have their big party the night before (2/13) at MGM from 9:30pm to 1:00am, so maybe that is the park we want to go to on the 14th. ~~

 

[rcraw45425]

We were at MK one week ago, walked onto pretty much everything we wanted before lunch, then the clouds broke a little and the crowds moved in. We went over to EPCOT and waited about 15 minutes for Test Track. AK wasn't bad that afternoon either. Friday was COLD! Left the room atYC and walked to the boat landing, turned around and went back to the room for a while. Rode TOT three times before 3 PM. Satuday, back to MK, morning was fine, SM, Buzz, virtually no lines. At 11:30 a WALL OF PEOPLE, I KID YOU NOT were coming up main street. We left and went back to EPCOT, it was quite busy too. Ate lunch in WS then got a FP for Test Track, it was for between 5 & 6! Back over to MGM, stood in line for 30 minutes to do TOT again. Crowds were mostly dance/cheer kids.

 

[isis81]

My grandmother and I are going tomorrow with the plan of Epcot on Saturday, MK Sunday, MGM Monday and MK Tuesday. It's her first time going (and her birthday on Saturday), so I was really hoping for no crowds. Hopefully, the cheerleaders won't be too bad.

 

[saffymom]

I just returned yesterday from a week long stay at POP. Crowds were awful!! Went to MK on Friday and it was absolutely packed. By mid afternoon waits for Pooh and Peter Pan were over an hour. My brother in law and his family waited 90 minutes for a bus after Wishes. And we wnt to EMH night at Epcot on Tuesday, and waits for Test Track and Mission Space were over an hour!

 

[Pegret]

I was at MK Friday 2/4 in the morning and walked on to all of the rides. MGM in the afternoon was the same way. It was GREAT!

 

[lllovell]

Sorry to break it to you but MK on Monday was the worst I have EVER seen a park! It was more crowded than the summer, Thanksgiving day, Christmas or New Years! Other people around us were saying the same thing. One lady said she comes all the time and this is the worst she had seen it in years. I don't know if it was the Superbowl crowds or dance teams or what. Tuesday at AK was a madhouse as well. I think we will skip the parks until the end of February. We are going to Universal for Mardi Gras on Saturday to see the Go-Go's though!

Ugh - I was there alone with my two sons on Monday (hubby was a HUGE heating and air convention which may have brought some families down as well). It was the worst I have ever seen (although, I skip summers). At least it was not hot. We used fastpass and got through it all just fine though but didn't get a chance to spend much time in Fantasyland. It was a NIGHTMARE! With IASW and Dumbo down for refurb and Phillharmagic was broken for a while, there were over an hour wait for most rides there. Ack! We got a fast pass for Peter Pan (for 4 hours later I might add) and ran away! lol As I said before, it was tollerable because it was not hot. I don't know how people do it in the summer.

We have been many times before this time of year and it was not so bad. I dont know what caused it, but I hope I dont get stuck like that again!

 

[tasassy]

We're also going to be there, the 14-18th. The 14th is a down day i.e. DTD, tues we're doing MK, W- Epcot, TH- AK (have to do that on Thurs, so we're back in the hotel for Survivor, plus we'll leave early, so we're rested on the 19th. DS made it to District for Pinewood Derby, and that's going to be a long day, after the 9-10 hr. drive home.