I Was There During a Crowd Level of 10!

[Brucefan28]

Hello everyone-

I recently returned from my Disney World trip. My vacation brought me to Disney World during a period where the crowd rating according to Touring Plans was a 10 (spring break). There seems to be much concern here on DisBoards regarding what being in Disney World during such a busy time would be like, so I thought I would post a brief summary of my trip to give those planning their own vacation some guidance. Here are the main points regarding my trip:

1. The single most important thing one can do to minimize wait times in line is to be at the theme park about 20-30 minutes prior to opening. This will not eliminate wait times, but will certainly reduce the amount of time you will spend waiting in line. For example, at Epcot I was at the park 20 minutes prior to opening. The guests were allowed in slightly before opening and were allowed to walk up to a certain point. Then, at the official park opening time, Disney employees walked the guests to the major attractions. I probably waited 10 minutes (max) for Soarin'. At Hollywood Studios I walked right on Toy Story Mania. These are things that I would not have been able to do had I not been there prior to park opening. Usually, since we would go on one or two major rides relatively quickly, we could then go on some of the smaller attractions.

2. No matter what time of year one goes to Disney World it is important to have Advanced Dining Reservations. This is especially true when traveling there during a busy period. There were several people I saw who were frustrated with the long waits at restaurants. As soon as you know you are going to Disney World, make those dining reservations a priority in your planning.

3. Despite the fact that Disney hotels are expensive (and in my opinion often overpriced), I always prefer to stay on property during a trip to Disney World for a variety of reasons that are too numerous to mention here. When traveling to Disney World during a busy period, staying at a Disney hotel offers you the benefit of easily leaving a park in the late morning/early afternoon when things get very crowded and coming back to the park later in the day. Staying on property is the way to go.

4. Even though visiting DISboards would make you think that every person going to Disney World is busy planning their trip and making an intinerary, that is not the case. The vast majority of people visiting Disney World go there without a plan. Simply having a general plan of what rides and attractions one wants to experience on a given day (along with having those Advanced Dining Reservations) will go a long way to making a trip easier.

Before I went on my trip I was extremely concerned about crowd levels, and while I did find that the parks were extremely busy in the afternoon (at which point I would leave), the key was to be there when the parks opened, have an intinerary that provides a general plan and to just go with the flow. Have fun!

 

[jemgumby]

Thanks for sharing your experience and good info as well!

 

[3prettyprincesses]

Thanks for posting, great points! You might want to try posting this over on the theme park boards too, alot of people ask about crowds over there.

 

[Brucefan28]

Thanks for the replies! I will re-post on the Theme Parks board.

 

[cmp1111]

That's an excellent summary. Those are the WDW rules I live by. Good job! Care to tell us more about where you stayed and what you enjoyed?

 

[Brucefan28]

I stayed at Port Orleans French Quarter. I had never stayed there before but had heard wonderful things about the hotel. I loved it! The look and feel of the hotel was wonderful and the small size of the resort made you feel close to the center of everything. Having been to Disney World several times now, I am amazed at how fresh and exciting the theme parks seem each time I visit. Among the highlights for me on this trip were the main Epcot rides (Soarin', Test Track, Spaceship Earth, etc.) which I absolutely love and being in the Magic Kingdom and Disney's Hollywood Studios at night (there is something about those theme parks in the evening which must be seen to be believed). Of course the shopping at Downtown Disney is always wonderful and the meals we had during our stay were also very good--the Yachtsman Steakhouse and Sci-Fi Dine-In Theater were my favorites. Can't wait to go back in January!