Is one park more crowded than the other?

[PinkMagnolia]

I'm planning a first-time trip (after many trips to WDW), so this question may be dumb... but I'll ask anyway:

Do both parks "seem" to have equal crowds? I get the feeling most people get park-to-park tix (maybe I'm wrong?), so are crowds distributed through both parks somewhat equally?

Is one park "more popular" than the other?

I have a TP subscription, and see that on one day I'll be visiting (end of Aug), one of the parks will be CL 9, while the other is CL 3. That's why I'm asking. I assumed both parks would be close to the same CL.

 

[RMulieri]

Well...Here's the thing..Right now and through next year , Universal Studios park has closed: Twister, Disaster and Beetlejuice to make room for new attractions..Those attractions could accomodate alot of people.At the same time, this summer Islands of adventure is Re-Opening Hulk and Opening KONG..that should make crowds alot heavier in Islands of Adventure

 

[pa. dad]

I don't know I think many of the Universal and islands visitors hop back and forth from park to park as they're right next door to each other. And with so many having the waiting times apps, people will go to the other park if it is showing lesser waiting times.

 

[schumigirl]

We always feel since Diagon Alley opened both parks now have similar crowds.......Studios used to feel a bit quieter than IOA.......

But now, both feel the same when we're there........if one is fairly quiet so is the other, and vice versa with a busy feel.

 

[atricks]

Crowds are fairly well mixed currently. Studios has wider walkways generally, so it can feel less crowded, Islands has smaller walkways, but many more "off the beaten path" highly themed areas to go along the lagoon.

However with Reign of Kong and Hulk reopening, I think this summer Islands is going to be a bit more crowded, but not drastically so. It'll flip back to studios the year after when the new rides there open (And the new waterpark) 2018 and beyond is speculation since we know things are in the pipeline for both, but no idea which order they will be done yet.

 

[PinkMagnolia]

Thanks - I won't worry so much about which park to attend on which day so much then. I'll expect IoA to be a bit busier with Kong and Hulk, but I won't worry about it so much.

With the new Kong ride, would you expect IoA to have EE a bit more once it's opened? I got the feeling that Studios park has been getting EE regularly, and IoA opened for EE only during really busy times? I will be there the week before Labour Day.

Finally, do you expect Kong to be open during EE? Has Universal typically included their newest rides with EE?

 

[SA mom]

I agree with the previous poster, US absorbs crowds better because of the wider sidewalks. During the 5 days we were there, both HP areas were extremely crowded while the rest of the parks were not.