How terrible will the crowd actually be late July early August..

[Brittany Hanks]

This will be my fourth time going to Disney, but this time i'm the one doing all of the planning! I like having a loose itinerary, and we have to have onesince we are only going for 3 days! I'm the crazy person that wants to do a ton because I know I probably won't be back until my boyfriend and I both graduate college.

But.. i also need to be realistic in what I can actually get done in a day


So.. we have the opportunity to go July 31st - August 2nd.. how crazy are the crowds? I've been in peak season, but he hasn't.. not even sure how to prepare him for the wonderful magical madness that is Disney.

 

[Accident]

I can do almost any disney park in half a day and not miss anything I want when there aren't children around. the main trick is lunch to dinner the place is swamped for rides but a great time to enjoy the parades/food/impromptu performances that happen. I generally circle the park about 3 times and don't linger in an area for the rides if there is a crowd but do enjoy the atmosphere. every park has 1 or 2 rides that you either fast pass or wait and no way around it. If I wait, it's the last ride of the night as they are about to close for me.

The only planning I do is a couple fast passes and maybe 1 sit down food reservation but only for the don't want to miss things. I don't make a plan b for food as I have had great luck walking in or getting a reservation from the restaurant earlier in the day. I go for longer than a couple days so usually that planning happens when I wake up and decide what I want to do that day. Generally days 1-3 I know what parks and where i'm eating and the rest is where the day takes me.

not even sure how to prepare him for the wonderful magical madness that is Disney.

It's the entertainments world's version of hurry up and wait. It's also the only place where anyone of any financial situation can experience not getting into a restaurant because its full. The happiest place on earth is marketing for everyone family will get frustrated with each other in public and it's almost a show in itself for some of them. don't assume anything including the trees or flowers you want a picture in front of will be there the next day to get it.

 

[LifeTheDisneyWay14]

It varies a lot, depending on how intense you guys are about collecting fastpasses and scheduling your time in the parks, but I really like just sticking to a one park a day schedule. Ultimately Disney is a lovely vacation and there always is enough in one park to fill a day, so you can enjoy, relax, not worry about rushing from park to park, and get the most out of your experience! That's just my preference, though, so you might enjoy going to a second park in one day

 

[Sytrace]

First, bring an umbrella or rain poncho. You will need one in late afternoons (usually from 3:30 to 5:00 or so you will see some type of rain.
Some folks will choose the rain time to have snacks or lunch, which means all food areas are crowded. I use this time to wait in lines for typically busy attractions. Especially if the parade is just ending and folks are getting away from the crowds to ride again.

Second: Fast passes are your friend, get them for your must do rides and sort of wing the rest based on traffic flow in the area. The standby wait times are not always accurate so don't get discouraged if you see 65 minutes or longer for the mine train. We once got in a line marked 60 minutes and it was 35.

And finally, you could go to both HS and AK in one day by hopping and see the top draws for each. Whichever park you get FP for once you use them all, you can hop to the other park and get them one at time there at the FP kiosk. Sometimes this is tricky depending on what time of day you go, but for the most part it is way easier. Also, RNRC has a nice single rider line that moves pretty well.

Have fun on your impromptu trip