Is Disney more crowded, or less?

[hllb]

I've been curious about this for a while. Every day, we see on this site that "there is no slow time at Disney anymore". Yet, at the same time, we see frequent reports of attendance being down at Disney overall. How can both be true? If there's no slow time, wouldn't that mean attendance must be up overall?

Just curious because I see so much conflicting information.

 

[Alesia]

The crowds have been spread out: times that used to be insanely busy (such as summer) are not quite as busy, but times that used to be slow (such as fall) are considerably busier than they used to be.

 

[mom2rtk]

Crowds are only minimally down. My belief is that crowds have shifted from the previously peak times into the previously moderate and low times, making it harder to find a true low crowd time.

Additionally, Disney uses information from MM+ to anticipate lower crowds, allowing them to staff down, so even lower crowd times feel more crowded now.

 

[Capang]

I don't believe Disney releases specific numbers however the "slow times" definitely are no longer slow, say from October to May. The summer months historically are the busy months. It seems that at least last year many of those normally summer visitors came during the historically slow times. I can tell you on my trip in early June crowds were minimal for summer. In October it was unlike anything I've ever experienced in summer.

 

[PSUGuy]

We're Food&Wine fans and this and other special events have tended to make for fewer slow times as the Disney Suits no doubt planned. Before switching to the Fall we regularly went early March when my university breaks for Spring so those 2 times are our frame of reference, both having what I'd call 'Moderate' crowd levels. Our only other visit was the first 8 days in Jan 2005, that was truly a slow time. I just checked the Disney site and there seems to be plenty of resort room availability so perhaps this is still a slow time.

Bill From PA

 

[hllb]

I do agree that crowds have shifted. I guess I'll find out how "slow" the slow times are in a few weeks LOL.

 

[DOOM1001]

People eventually realized summer at Disney is very,very hot and there's not much going on.The fall and spring are starting to get really busy and with many events like F&W.Winter is awesome as well as long as its not as cold as it is this week.

 

[Klayfish]

Personally, I never think the crowds are all that bad. I suppose maybe it's because I walk in expecting to have to deal with a lot of people, I never expect to walk in and be nearly alone in the park. The only time, just in my subjective feeling, that's I've experienced that I'd call truly "busy" is the week between Xmas and New Years. But summer, before Thanksgiving and Xmas, February, October didn't seem busy to me.

I do completely agree that I think the crowd is spread out more. I've got nothing to quantify that with, but it makes sense. People start to look for those "slow" weeks and plan their trips then. When enough people start doing that, those slow weeks are no longer slow.

 

[Sarahlynn34]

Sometimes people base how "crowded" parks are based on wait times. But Disney has been known to staff down during "slow" times and to run rides at reduced capacity, therefore the wait times are "high" even though there may not be as many ppl in the park. Dumbo and Space Mtn are examples of this. There are two "tracks" for Dumbo, but we've been there in Oct when only one is operating - not due to mechanical issues either. Also at parks like Epcot and HS where attractions are closing and new ones have not opened up yet...wait times at other attractions naturally go up.

 

[DebbieB]

I think summer is down. I'm planning a trip end of June into July 4, Boardwalk Villas had studios in all 3 views at 7 months for DVC, very rare for Standard view. I changed my reservation to Polynesian, also available.

 

[MrInfinity]

There is always a perception that things used to be less crowded, since people have said since forever that the slow season is gone. It makes you wonder if there ever was a slow season, and the simple answer is no. Because we like Disney World, we look back on past trips with adoration so it seems like it was better then. If you're in line, now, it will feel busier than when you went on a ride several years ago. I remember when we were kids we'd wait an hour for Space Mountain... but in the last 10 years I don't think we've waited over 20 min to ride it.

2016 - There are no longer slow times
https://www.disboards.com/threads/trips-during-early-may.3588144/#post-57280015

2012 - Any previous slow time no longer slow
https://www.disboards.com/threads/too-crowded-for-me-any-time-of-year.2990732/#post-46119277

2010 - There are no longer slow seasons
https://www.disboards.com/threads/y...things-about-wdw.2588965/page-2#post-38830006

2008 - You would be amazed at how much of the year is no longer slow
https://www.disboards.com/threads/help-crowd-calender.1776133/#post-24190582

2006 - The slow seasons are rapidly decreasing
https://www.disboards.com/threads/please-help-me-find-the-oh-so-slow-season.1163652/#post-13476860

2004 - It's no longer slow like it used to be
https://www.disboards.com/threads/dec-resort-discounts.597199/#post-5891220

 

[holden]

When we first took DD15 to Disney she was 2yo. We went in September. The crowds were non-existent. I mean no one was there. We look at the pictures from that trip and laugh about how there’s maybe 2 other people in the background.

I remember walking into every ride all day long. Those days are certainly over.

 

[sponica]

Personally, I never think the crowds are all that bad. I suppose maybe it's because I walk in expecting to have to deal with a lot of people, I never expect to walk in and be nearly alone in the park. The only time, just in my subjective feeling, that's I've experienced that I'd call truly "busy" is the week between Xmas and New Years. But summer, before Thanksgiving and Xmas, February, October didn't seem busy to me.

I do completely agree that I think the crowd is spread out more. I've got nothing to quantify that with, but it makes sense. People start to look for those "slow" weeks and plan their trips then. When enough people start doing that, those slow weeks are no longer slow.

Yeah my friends and i foolishly went one year from 12.28 through Jan 5. No other time has been as crowded as that trip. The ONLY thing I remember is us saying "it'll get better tomorrow" every day after new years...it never did.

 

[hllb]

When we first took DD15 to Disney she was 2yo. We went in September. The crowds were non-existent. I mean no one was there. We look at the pictures from that trip and laugh about how there’s maybe 2 other people in the background.

I remember walking into every ride all day long. Those days are certainly over.

That was our experience as well in first week of May 2009 and last week of September 2012. In 2012, we rode EE 5 or 6 times in a row standby because it was walk on. Many of the rides were walk on.

Personally, I think crowds have just shifted now. I think weekends seem busier with local visitors but during the week, there are still slow times.

 

[Gentry2004]

We went the 3rd week of Sept in 2014, supposedly a slow week, and have since gone during Spring Break 2016 and just recently the week before Christmas.

I would say the crowd differences of these trips were minimal. So I think maybe the people are just more evenly spread out?

 

[Micca]

I think the WDW are substantial to the point that you'd have to see a drastic reduction in attendance to notice a difference. Go to a game at a stadium that holds 80,000 people but only 70,000 show up. You're still dealing with a sea of humanity.

 

[Alesia]

There is always a perception that things used to be less crowded, since people have said since forever that the slow season is gone. It makes you wonder if there ever was a slow season, and the simple answer is no. Because we like Disney World, we look back on past trips with adoration so it seems like it was better then. If you're in line, now, it will feel busier than when you went on a ride several years ago. I remember when we were kids we'd wait an hour for Space Mountain... but in the last 10 years I don't think we've waited over 20 min to ride it.

2016 - There are no longer slow times
https://www.disboards.com/threads/trips-during-early-may.3588144/#post-57280015

2012 - Any previous slow time no longer slow
https://www.disboards.com/threads/too-crowded-for-me-any-time-of-year.2990732/#post-46119277

2010 - There are no longer slow seasons
https://www.disboards.com/threads/y...things-about-wdw.2588965/page-2#post-38830006

2008 - You would be amazed at how much of the year is no longer slow
https://www.disboards.com/threads/help-crowd-calender.1776133/#post-24190582

2006 - The slow seasons are rapidly decreasing
https://www.disboards.com/threads/please-help-me-find-the-oh-so-slow-season.1163652/#post-13476860

2004 - It's no longer slow like it used to be
https://www.disboards.com/threads/dec-resort-discounts.597199/#post-5891220

It's interesting that you stopped going backwards in 2004.

Just after September 11th, 2001, the parks were beyond slow. Practically ghost towns. They stayed that way for a couple of years and then the crowds started slowly building back up.

People set their baseline around where crowds were on their first visit. People who started going in the 90s (when the economy was good and fastpass didn't exist) have a much higher baseline than those who started going in the early 2000s. And people who started going just a few years ago (when the economy had improved and the crowds were much higher) also have a higher baseline than those who started going in the early 2000s.

 

[cristen72]

We are going on January 27, and from what we’ve read we thought that would be a slower week.

But there’s not a single value room available for that week, which makes me worry about crowds.

 

[mco65]

Our last 2 trips were during the Christmas rush so its hard for me to tell to be honest. I do know that when we first started going regularly back in 2003 up until our most recent (non Christmas time) visits, attendance has steadily gone up each and every trip.

 

[hllb]

We are going on January 27, and from what we’ve read we thought that would be a slower week.

But there’s not a single value room available for that week, which makes me worry about crowds.

We arrive on the 27th as well. It should be a slower time. I'm not worried about the crowds. Disney resorts are usually at or near capacity regardless of the crowds. The crowds are driven more by local visitors and guests staying offsite.