How were the crowds this past week (3/24 to 4/1)

[RyanD]

We originally were planning on going to WDW next year over Spring break, but are also considering DL since we can do more activities in Southern Cal AND because we like the smaller footprint of the park.

2 questions:

1) I know it's packed in WDW over spring break and I would assume it's the same with DL, so how were the crowds this past week? Our spring break is the same week next year.

2) Does MaxPass make things quite a bit easier to manage the crowds?

Thanks,

Ryan

 

[longtimedisneylurker]

We originally were planning on going to WDW next year over Spring break, but are also considering DL since we can do more activities in Southern Cal AND because we like the smaller footprint of the park.

2 questions:

1) I know it's packed in WDW over spring break and I would assume it's the same with DL, so how were the crowds this past week? Our spring break is the same week next year.

This is a pretty subjective question. I find that if you ask 3 people who were there this question, you get 3 somewhat different answers, but I'll make the first attempt anyway. Last Sunday was fantastic with regard to crowds. It was an anomalous Sunday block out day for deluxe annual passholders though, so I think that made a difference. I feel like weekdays are almost worse than weekends during peak periods these days. Even without the Sunday block out, we tend to find Sunday mornings fairly pleasant, and then the crowds build through the afternoon. The weekdays last week were to me very crowded. Examples of afternoon wait times include 120 and 150 minutes on Racers during some afternoon periods, not unusual during busy times, 75-90 minutes on Guardians and I saw 120 at least once, 120 minutes for Space occasionally. I think I only noticed Peter Pan at 60 once or twice when I looked. There were some odd things like Thunder hitting 90 minutes or more once in a while, and I saw a 60 minute wait listed for Mansion once which is more common during the holiday season. The Mark Twain boat went around one afternoon and looked really packed on all three levels. There were two days that I went into the MaxPass app late afternoon (around 3 or 4 PM) and saw that there were literally no fastpasses left on offer for any ride. Some Grizzly ones showed up again that evening when people presumably canceled and perhaps some others occasionally got lucky and found something canceled, but regular fastpass distribution for the day had ended for all rides on definitely one day last week before 5 PM. And there were just lots and lots of people walking around both parks. I would say crowds were heavier than a typical summer day. We were at the parks for Thanksgiving week and a few days right after New Year's too, so I would put the crowds on par with those time periods. No gate closures though like between Christmas and New Year's.

2) Does MaxPass make things quite a bit easier to manage the crowds?

YES! No running back and forth through the masses getting fastpasses plus the ability to get fastpasses more frequently and even sometimes to snap up fastpasses for a time period not at that time on offer from the machines due to canceled/returned fastpasses that will show up only in the app.

 

[midnight star]

I was there yesterday morning from 8-11:30. The first two hours were very nice. About 10:30, I noticed the crowds starting to pick up, but I still felt it was manageable.

 

[OneThree]

We were there 3/25 to 3/30 with M-TH park days. We had EMH so hit many of the big rides early but in my opinion the parks were great until about 12:00 PM each day and then the crowds really picked up. We found crowds to be most noticeable in the area of New Orleans Square where the queue for Pirates snaked down towards HM, HM snaked back towards the French Market and Indy often stretched back past the narrow walkway between Tarzan's Treehouse.

We used MaxPass each of the four days and it was great to not have to crisscross the parks to get FPs for various rides we went on. It was also helpful because we could pull up the app and see what rides had FP availability and at what time. This helped us plan our time in the parks to where we could grab a FP and then go grab something to eat before the window opened or do something else. FPs ran out on some of the most popular rides such as Radiator Springs Racers each day we were there.

 

[LadyBJ]

I’ve been here at DL since yesterday and surprisingly it’s not that busy at all. I can walk to pretty much anywhere and the crowds are manageable. There were times when POTC was a 15 min wait. The busier attractions are in Tomorrow Land but rarely did I ever see anything more than 1 hour except maybe the Matterhorn bobsleds.

We’ll see if it’s any different today. I’m used to crazy Christmas break crowds so I was expecting the same for Easter but it’s been alright so far.

 

[smartlabelprint]

3/25 was calm and relaxed. Really enjoyed ourselves.

Dh and were also there alone from 8-11 pm Sunday. We got a ton done. 4 maxpass rides, 1 other ride, dinner & watched fireworks at end of big thunder.

3/26 was *he11*. Total and complete *he11*. The wait for security was halfway to Harbor at the same time we’d left all the days before that. People said spring break was crazy and we were there 3/20-26. It wasn’t bad til 3/26.

 

[Skyegirl1999]

I was there twice during the past week. Monday (3/26) was packed. Very packed. All of the DCA FPs were gone besides Grizzly by mid-afternoon. Today (4/1) was much better - a busy day, but not crazy by any means. People were still getting RSR FPs at like 2:00.

Today was quite a bit busier than Easter last year, though, which I attribute to Easter being so late last year - I think that more Spring Break schedules surround a 4/1 Easter than a 4/16 or whatever Easter. Easter last year was a true low-crowd day.

 

[Katiebird]

We were there 3/26 (noon-10) and 3/27 (8-8).

Both days were very crowded, but not as bad as the first day in January when APs were first unblocked (I think that may have been close to capacity). There were some minor bathroom lines, RSR FP ran out around noon both days, etc. On 3/27 RSR went up to 3 hour standby wait at one point, and SM was over 2 hours.

That said, we were able to walk up to WOC without fastpass at 9:50 and get decent viewing. We used single rider and MP and rode 8 rides 3/26 and 19 3/27 (being there early made a huge difference), and even though we waltzed up to security at 8:05 on 3/27, we were in the parks by 8:30.

It was very crowded but not insane, if one used FP/MP and/or single rider.

 

[Brenda1966dis]

We were in the parks Tuesday through Saturday. Tuesday Wednesday and Thursday were the worst. Crowds seem to let up a bit Friday and Saturday. Max pass is a must buy for spring break IMO.

 

[cruisehopeful]

I was there on Easter Sunday. It was what I'd consider manageable crowds. Not anywhere near the the crowds I am used to, but still long waits for all the rides.

 

[DLgal]

We go every year ON Easter.

I agree yesterday was busier than last Easter but we still got a ton accomplished with MaxPass (and a DAS).

What was notable, though, was that even though there were lots of people walking around (more so at DCA than DL due to the festival), at lunchtime, we hit two restaurants and neither was crowded at ALL. This was right at noon. Pizza Port was practically empty. Rancho del Zocalo as well. There are usually long lines at these places at peak mealtimes. Also, bathrooms didn't have lines either. We also got on the train around 11am with no line either. All in all, was a pleasant day.

I also went last Thursday 3/29 and it was WAY more crowded that day