How Bad are the Crowds, Really?

[sleepymouse]

we just got back and it was insane. everyone from Louisianan was at Disney and strollers caused so many issues. Disney really needs to ban strollers.

They obviously will not ban strollers. That is completely unrealistic. I have heard that they are not doing a good job though enforcing size limits on them. They need to strictly enforce these as well as the ban on wagons (if not doing so).

 

[CastAStone]

They obviously will not ban strollers. That is completely unrealistic. I have heard that they are not doing a good job though enforcing size limits on them. They need to strictly enforce these as well as the ban on wagons (if not doing so).

The size allowed is still quite large. My gigantic double stroller is just 1 inch over the front-to-back limit.
The ban I think was targeted at some of obscene (and unwieldy) rental strollers that had popped up in recent years.

 

[Remy is Up]

Strollers and ecvs arent the issue. Rude people who do t care about anyone else when operating them are the problem. The issue is that's a large percentage of the users.

 

[Albytaps]

The crowds are BAD! I’m here right now and it’s ridiculous. We came thinking this might be a good time to go. The only positive thing is the weather, it’s nice and cool... maybe a little too cool but nothing a little warm clothes can’t fix.

The crowds are so bad it ruins morale. People are angry. You can see it on their faces and feel the bad vibes. The prices go up and the experience goes down. Disney doesn’t make up for the higher prices, quality is suffering. Park hours are shorter and the Extra Magic Hours aren’t so magical anymore. Now you have to pay for After Hours events to have less crowds.

One small example happened to us tonight in MK. We had a FP for Aladdin’s magic carpets at 8:40 or so. We used the FP and went into the queue. Where the FP line and the Standby line meet, there was no CM to direct us so we just had to merge. Of course the standby line didn’t like it and the people behind us started saying we cut the line. I told them we had a FP as nicely as I could because we didn’t like the way it went either. When we reached the CM that directed us to our number, I told him that there was no one at the merge and people were getting upset. He aggressively said he knows and thank you for letting him know.

I get it. It sucks to be short staffed. It’s not his fault.

Long story short. Crowds are bad. Expenses are high. It’s still a good time here though it used to be better. As someone already said, at some point the bubble will burst. Sad

Good luck! Maybe going through an agency like Dreams Unlimited will help you find the right time to go.

 

[trubgerg]

"bad" is subjective. I went to visit my parents at Chrismas time a couple months ago. The mornings were fine and by mid-day there were cast members in Magic Kingdom standing in the middle of walkways holding signs that said "Keep Right".

 

[midnight star]

"bad" is subjective. I went to visit my parents at Chrismas time a couple months ago. The mornings were fine and by mid-day there were cast members in Magic Kingdom standing in the middle of walkways holding signs that said "Keep Right".

Part of the problem from reading these posts is that staffing isn't as good. During Christmas when they know capacity will be reached, they staff accordingly. Right now it seems they aren't doing that which is also contributing to the monster crowds.

 

[Disneylover99]

"bad" is subjective. I went to visit my parents at Chrismas time a couple months ago. The mornings were fine and by mid-day there were cast members in Magic Kingdom standing in the middle of walkways holding signs that said "Keep Right".

Christmas crowds are often more manageable due longer park hours, everything running at full capacity, resort buses running more frequently to move the crowds around and additional staffing.

Christmas week might be the new slow time. Lol.

 

[here757]

With all the newer attractions it’s very hard to find a “slow” time.
Our last trip was when animal kingdom opened Avatar and that river ride, I tried for a month to get fast passes with no luck. Lines were always more then 240 minutes, with smaller kids we just skipped it.
Last year I was I the middle of planning, I discovered that StarWars was opening. I just stopped planning. I just knew that was gonna be the worst,crowd wise.
Second big reason why normally less crowded days are now packed. Everyone caught on!
Seems like everyone goes off season now. With Disney now doing seasonal prices, it will only get worse

 

[Miffy]

no kids but you have parents who run into people walking and they take up so much sidewalks. disney should have a number of strollers to rent a day and once they're gone they're gone.

Seriously? So you want people with little kids to, what? Carry them everywhere? Do you want them to limit wheelchairs and ECVs as well so that people with disabilities would get to the front gate and be turned away? I can't believe I'm reading this on the DIS.

 

[Dizzy-Wizard]

Maybe going through an agency like Dreams Unlimited will help you find the right time to go.

Our agent indicated that the week we chose should help with crowd management and weather. We’re scheduled to go the week before Halloween.

 

[Mainsail Minnie]

I would love much stricter limits on strollers at WDW. What's going on now is ridiculous. And yes, I'm a mom.

 

[Dizzy-Wizard]

I think it's absolutely ridiculous to expect a straight up ban on strollers. Restrictions on size? Sure, but a limit on how many can enter the park, or a ban? No way. And I say that as a non parent who wouldn't be affected either way by a ban or a limit. I do believe another gate would help disperse crowds. But there's also the thought that a 5th gate would just bring more people so who knows? Certainly not me. Our 2020 trip is going to determine whether or not we bother coming again in the future.
We plan on doing what we can to keep it as leisurely as possible. What are some tips? A lot of videos I see recommend going early mornings and staying later, since the parks see their peak numbers late morning and mid day.
Is there any truth to that?

 

[Mainsail Minnie]

I think it's absolutely ridiculous to expect a straight up ban on strollers. Restrictions on size? Sure, but a limit on how many can enter the park, or a ban? No way. And I say that as a non parent who wouldn't be affected either way by a ban or a limit. I do believe another gate would help disperse crowds. But there's also the thought that a 5th gate would just bring more people so who knows? Certainly not me. Our 2020 trip is going to determine whether or not we bother coming again in the future.
We plan on doing what we can to keep it as leisurely as possible. What are some tips? A lot of videos I see recommend going early mornings and staying later, since the parks see their peak numbers late morning and mid day.
Is there any truth to that?

Yes, mid-day is the most crowded time, but you're going at a busy time, late October (your agent was right about the weather being nice then, wrong about the crowds being nice then). Even early morning and late evening will have crowds and significant lines.

As for people getting outraged that someone would dare suggest a stroller ban...Well, yeah, an outright ban wouldn't be practical. But the suggestion for that was born of the frustration created by the excess number of massive strollers at the parks, which often are used as much for storing belongings and pushing elementary-aged kids as for helping toddlers. Limits are needed because the issue has reached nuisance proportions and it's only getting worse.

 

[ClapYourHands]

we just got back and it was insane. everyone from Louisianan was at Disney and strollers caused so many issues. Disney really needs to ban strollers.

Seriously? So you want people with little kids to, what? Carry them everywhere? Do you want them to limit wheelchairs and ECVs as well so that people with disabilities would get to the front gate and be turned away? I can't believe I'm reading this on the DIS.

There is a subset of able-bodied people who act as though people with strollers and ECVs are second class citizens. They will cut in front of them, stop short, etc., and generally contribute to the issue, all the while complaining about how terrible those stroller and ECV users are.

I've seen plenty of people complaining on the Dis about ECV users, especially when it comes to slowing down the buses, and other members of their party being able to board early with them. This is not a new gripe.

Strollers and ecvs arent the issue. Rude people who do t care about anyone else when operating them are the problem. The issue is that's a large percentage of the users.

While I agree that the issue is rude selfish people, I disagree that they are a large percentage of the users. The few who use strollers as battering rams are just the ones people notice.

Inexperience is another factor. Some people are using ECVs for the first time and haven't quite got the hang of steering and, more importantly, stopping. People with slight mobility issues they can compensate for at home might need an ECV when covering the distances necessary at WDW. People who rent those big plastic strollers at Disney are likely to have trouble maneuvering them adroitly in crowds.

Sometimes clumsy looks a lot like rude. When we're tired and hot and stressed, it's harder to give a stranger the benefit of the doubt.

 

[disneydreamer1980]

I remember when January was EMPTY. I mean empty. We would just stay on a ride without getting off and re-ride as many times as we wanted because there were no lines. Sigh, I miss those days. Unfortunately whenever you go now there will be crazy crowds. You just have to have a good plan and you’ll be ok.

 

[Miffy]

I remember when January was EMPTY. I mean empty. We would just stay on a ride without getting off and re-ride as many times as we wanted because there were no lines. Sigh, I miss those days. Unfortunately whenever you go now there will be crazy crowds. You just have to have a good plan and you’ll be ok.

Yeah. Those were the days. I remember once they had to turn Journey into Imagination back on for me because no one had ridden in a while!

 

[FeaturePresentation]

Finally had a positive experience at Epcot today. Manageable crowds, walkways weren't jam packed, and even some standby lines were under 30 minutes.

 

[DadofChristaSonofRay]

I don't get to go to Disney World as often as I would like to, due to financial restraints. The last time I went was 6 years ago for my wife and my honeymoon. (Never will you catch me doing a June/July trip again, I can promise you that.
We love Disney World to the point where there's really only 2 or 3 other travel destinations we would want to check out! But as I watch videos on planning, living vicariously through the people who work and live close enough to go all the time, or can afford to go whenever they want, I notice in their footage how ridiculous the crowds seem to be getting. Lines going on for hours, extending well past their queue, and just shoulder to shoulder crowds of people no matter what time of year.
As someone who doesn't care for crowds (obviously you make exceptions for the most magical place on earth right?) I would hate for that to be the reason that I stop going, or never end up taking my kids when we have them.
So I guess the question is for people who go pretty often. How bad would you generally say the crowds have gotten over the past few years?

I've noticed the crowds have increased quite a bit in the off season especially in the late afternoon and evening. I think all the emphasis on the special events have driven this. Seems like the summer time crowds have actually slightly decreased.

 

[Remy is Up]

I've noticed the crowds have increased quite a bit in the off season especially in the late afternoon and evening. I think all the emphasis on the special events have driven this. Seems like the summer time crowds have actually slightly decreased.

Off season no longer exists. Seems may and september are the slowest months if you can call it that.

 

[LSUmiss]

But the people who go back over and over arent the largest percentage of guests. This is about business and they are making money and the parks are slammed. They are not changing things for 3% who post on message boards. It's best to realize the parks are crowded and plan accordingly because the people complaining are in the large minority

I don’t think that’s true. I think the average inexperienced/new guest would be even more turned off by the current experience. What keeps us 3% coming back is that we have developed a love for it & keep hoping things will get better. If I didn’t have that, it would be much easier to walk away.