Impact of NAMM 2016 on crowds

[tiffjoy]

So I was looking at booking a hotel for DD3's birthday in January, and I was curious why so many are already booked and others are very pricey. Looks like there is NAMM going on right smack at the time we are planning to go- Jan 23-25. We are APers and one reason we got them was to be at DLR for both kids birthdays, so I'm feeling kinda bummed that we will be dealing with not just weekend crowds (which have been insane the couple times we have gone with our APs) but with the conference overflow. Has anyone been during this? Is it like peak summer crowds?

 

[aussiegirls]

I was there during NAMM weekend in 2012. It was pretty busy. Between 2012 and now, generally speaking, Disneyland has been getting busier and busier. It'll probably be pretty insane for NAMM 2016.

 

[figment_jii]

As the PP said, the crowds in the parks have been steadily increasing so it's hard to say what it'll be like in 2016.

That being said, this post mentions that NAAM had a relatively small impact on the parks themselves, but a big impact on the hotels.
http://www.disboards.com/threads/sold-out-fri-jan-24th-whats-going-on-dl.3219312/#post-50442189

 

[Disneyluvr2]

I was looking for a hotel last year, not knowing it was NAAM weekend, and prices were more than double the price. A room at the Carousel Inn was going for over $300.00 a night! By just adjusting our dates one weekend later we got a room for a little over $100.00. Big diffrence!!

 

[tiffjoy]

Thanks for the replies! I can find a hotel that isn't too crazily priced, and that's not my biggest concern really. It was the crowds and how much worse they could possibly be than what they already are! Lol. My DH is now hesitant to go, but I'm pretty determined to celebrate DD3 birthday there like we have been talking to her about.

 

[DizMe]

I used to go every year during the NAMM convention. What I found was that the convention ate up lots of hotel rooms and dining reservations. The restaurants in DTD, the streets, shuttles, taxis, and hotels all are greatly impacted by NAMM. The parks, however, don't see much of a difference in crowd levels from the convention. As mentioned, though, Disneyland has been increasingly busy busy, but it will probably not be due to the convention.

 

[Susie63]

I have been a couple of times and didn't find the parks crowded. The conventioneers are pretty busy doing their own thing.... but yeah the hotels are pricey

 

[theluckyrabbit]

Agree with DizMe. The parks are busy as usual, but we feel the biggest NAMM impact on restaurants and dining reservations.

 

[tiffjoy]

Thanks for the input!! Sounds like we are ok to go (expecting usual 60th crowds), and I will book a hotel today to be sure we have one.

 

[tarheelalum]

Hotels tend to be way overpriced during NAMM.

 

[theluckyrabbit]

One other thing, if you will be driving around the resort area, pedestrian traffic can be NUTS! The major crosswalks (e.g. Katella and Harbor) fill up more than usual, so maybe 1 or 2 cars can turn right per green light. This can add time to your drive, so factor that in if you are trying to make a dinner reservation.