It seems so NOT crowded!!

[MacMama0930]

I've been checking out the app quite a bit getting ready for my first ever summer trip coming up next month, and I am continuously surprised by the wait time. Right now, there are a lot of 5 - 10 minute waits. Guardians has a 40 minute wait with FP STILL being distributed at 5pm?! RSR still has FPs! It's a Friday in the summer. I mean, I know the So Cal passports make a huge difference in attendance but none of my WEEKDAY, NON SUMMER trips this past year have even remotely seen these kinds of waits. It's seems so strange to me that this is considered peak season. Anything besides the So Cal AP blackouts that could be contributing to this?!

 

[Geemo]

I was wondering the same thing.....
The wait times look real nice! GRR was the only one with a long wait time last I looked.

Geemo

 

[Winnowill]

Yeah. I've been watching the app, wishing I were there now!

 

[Jedi Mouse]

D23 started today. That might be part of it. Hopefully the trend continues tomorrow, I'm headed down for the weekend.

 

[Robinjay]

It was pretty amazing in both parks today. The waits were very low and it just wasn't crowded at all. Even in Tomorrowland. It was really bizarre! No wait at the Mint Julep bar the entire time we ate lunch (at 1:00). No wait at the French Market or Bengal BBQ. We walked by the Tiki Room many times and there was little to no wait for Dole Whips either. I thought maybe I was in the Twilight Zone or something (wait, they took that ride out). Pirates had a 5 minute posted time when we left at 4:00. Great day to be in the parks!

 

[Davin_Felth]

I looked at the app mid afternoon as well and was surprised at the wait times. I wish I was there as well.

I usually wish I was there though.

 

[MacMama0930]

I was thinking D23 as well. Since lower APs are blocked already, I bet a lot of the attendees of D23 have the higher APs...so they weren't there. But still. Don't people vacation there in the summer??

 

[Robinjay]

It was pretty darn hot there today, but summer hot, not can't handle it hot. It did seem more vacationers than APs (the use of FPs and how to scan). We thought the same thing about D23 as well, that people were there and maybe it would pick up in the evenings.

The parking ramps to the structure were closed from the 5 this morning and some of the sections were closed off in Mickey and a Friends. We had to access from Harbor and drive around the park (ugh) and we saw a lot of construction going on over multiple levels in the structure. Thought that was odd for summer crowds but After today I guess I am mistaken!

 

[Jedi Mouse]

I was thinking D23 as well. Since lower APs are blocked already, I bet a lot of the attendees of D23 have the higher APs...so they weren't there. But still. Don't people vacation there in the summer??

Nobody goes there anymore, it's too crowded...

 

[MacMama0930]

Nobody goes there anymore, it's too crowded...

It's funny how that works, eh?

Same concept regarding the ever increasing crowds on Super Bowl Sunday...

 

[VandVsmama]

Hot summer weather + D23 expo

 

[MillauFr]

It's funny how that works, eh?

Same concept regarding the ever increasing crowds on Super Bowl Sunday...

Exactly correct. Go when everyone else thinks it will be crowded. Avoid when others think it will be empty.

 

[StarlitNight05]

This is really making me want to plan a trip during the expo next year (and only go for the parks). But...knowing my luck it'll be packed

 

[jeffbeardreams]

D23 started today. That might be part of it. Hopefully the trend continues tomorrow, I'm headed down for the weekend.

I dunno. We were there for 4 days before D23 and it was pleasantly easy to navigate. Of course, we're used to WDW so ..... yeah

 

[poptart90]

Nope, it's just dead...compared to weekdays through the rest of the year (from our experience the last four years). We traveled to DLR late June last year and experienced the same thing. Kept wondering "where is everybody?". This year we came the first day the So Cal passes were all totally out (both passes) and stayed through the 4th and the rest of the week. Amazing ride times. Walk-on almost everything. FPs for most of the day. It was the best trip ever. We are now rebooking for a quick trip back in August before the So Cal passes are active again. Strolling down Main Street to have a nice sit-down breakfast after knocking out ALL of FL and TL by 9:30am was unbelievable. And Magical!!

 

[GoldeneyezCA]

Friday was phenomenal! I'm a Signature + AP (4th year) and took my girls (4 & 8) with plans to only stay about 3-4 hrs, but the waits were so low that we stayed from noon - 10 pm. No wait for parking, security or gate, and we got immediate-return FP's during the course of the day for Star Tours , Buzz, Haunted Mansion, BTMRR, Roger Rabbit, and walked on to a slew of other rides. Longest waits of the day were Pirates (10 min) and Mickey in his house around 6 pm (30 min, but my little one wanted to wait). We had a leisurely lunch at Cafe Orleans and spent over an hour at Pirate's Lair on Tom Sawyer Island (which we had NEVER done because we're usually racing around the parks like maniacs dodging crowds), got ice cream at Golden Horseshoe, hit several more rides, and found 2nd row spots on Main Street for MSEP at 8 pm before catching the fireworks. (We passed Star Tours on the way to the Main Street at 7 pm and the wait was only 15 min, and Space Min was 30 min - unheard of!).

We haven't had a day like that in YEARS. It was incredible, and my kids actually told me that they didn't want to go to DCA because they were having fun doing so much at DL.
I totally agree that summer blackouts + D23 + heat + weekday = PERFECT. Wish it was like that all the time....

 

[GenGen22]

My friend who is a CM said its because of several factors. The OC Fair opened yesterday with free tickets, the D23 expo, and the block out of passes. Hey whatever happened I had a great day! No complains here with wait times of 15 minutes the entire day.

 

[MacMama0930]

Touring plans had yesterday rated at a 3 for both parks. Interestingly, there are a few other 3s so far this month, particularly on Saturdays. Makes me feel so much better about my trip next month - although I do expect to see an increase in attendance once Fantasmic! and the Railroad are back.

 

[poptart90]

Touring plans had yesterday rated at a 3 for both parks. Interestingly, there are a few other 3s so far this month, particularly on Saturdays. Makes me feel so much better about my trip next month - although I do expect to see an increase in attendance once Fantasmic! and the Railroad are back.

Saturdays have the added benefit of the Deluxe Annual Passes blocked out most Saturdays through the summer. They are allowed back in Saturday August 19th...just ahead of the So Cal passes active on the 21st.

From our experience this summer, Saturday was the BEST day for crowd and ride times.

 

[Robinjay]

My friend who is a CM said its because of several factors. The OC Fair opened yesterday with free tickets, the D23 expo, and the block out of passes. Hey whatever happened I had a great day! No complains here with wait times of 15 minutes the entire day.

Oh, the fair! Coming home from Costco this morning and the 55 South was at a complete standstill at noon, from well past the 22 to at least the fair I imagine (opposite our direction). We were like whaaaaaa? Then it was like oh, the fair started yesterday.

Thanks for the reminder!