Just Back, Any Questions?

[kapeppy]

Hi! I just got back yesterday from a week at WDW and would be happy to answer any questions. Here's a little of where we stayed, what we did and where we ate:

*Fort Wilderness Cabins (Awesome!)
*FITS and Wishes
*KTTK Tour
*MNSSHP
*Mission: Space and Mickey's Philharmagic
*Alien Encounter
*COP and Timekeeper
*Fantasmic
*Share A Dream Come True Parade
*Off Kilter (don't miss them!)
*Ate at Trail's End (breakfast and lunch), 50's Prime Time Cafe (twice!) and Flame Tree BBQ
*Dole Whip and Beaver Tail

That's the highlights! I have to say that this was the most crowded I have ever seen the parks and it made my trip a little less magical than usual. The wait for TOT was 2 1/2 hours and all the fastpasses were gone by noon for the entire day! The wait for IASW was 40 minutes ! We never got on Test Track since the waits were over an hour and all the fastpasses were gone there as well! We spent the majority of our trip waiting in lines! I know I am spoiled since I usually go in September, November or February when the waits are usually no more than 20 to 30 minutes but this was crazy! I would also mention that Disney transportation is a reliable way to get from one place to another but it was SLOW! It took over an hour to get from FW to MGM! After that, we drove to the parks more often than not.

All in all, I had a great time and a bad day at Disney is better than a great day at work, but if I had to do it over again I wouldn't go in October.

Feel free to ask away!

 

[nativetxn]

Welcome back. Sorry the crowds disappointed you.

 

[Mouselvr]

Hi Welcome back.....I'm so amazed by the difference in the crowds. We were there from 9-25 to 10-2 and the only crowd we experienced was at MK on Saturday which we expected. TOT was a 40 minute wait but one side was down at the time. We walked on Splash and Space Mtn., Test Track, etc. It's really unbelievable especially when you are used to the summer crowds. My boys are grown so we don't have to worry about school any longer.
We did get to experience Philharmagic and loved it but missed Wishes. What did you think of Wishes?

Thanks,
Mouselvr

 

[Disney4MyGirls]

Were you there over the Columbus Day Weekend? Could that have added to the crowds while youwere there?

 

[p-nut]

We were there from the 14 -18th and the longest wait we had was 40 minutes. We got on Test track in fifteen. The sign said forty but we made it on in fifteen. I guess not too many fastpass people came on at that time. Got lucky. Buzz lightyear is the only one we waited forty minutes for. Haunted mansion was a walk on.
Fantasy land was really crowdedbut, we just came back later and it thinned out quite a bit. I guess it is all in the timing. It definetly was not as crowded as it is in the summer time. Or Spring break for that matter.

 

[kapeppy]

Mouselvr,
Wishes was amazing! I love FIS but Wishes takes the cake! It was drizzling during the show but it was ok since I didn't have to explain the droplets trickling off my cheeks when the show was over!

As far as the crowds, we made due but I really wish I had known in advance that it was going to be so busy! A friend of mine was there a week and a half before me and assured me that the crowds were small so I assumed it would stay that way. We did go over the Columbus Day weekend but planned accordingly - we did Tomorrowland and Fireworks only on Saturday (had to see AE one last time before it closed for good!), MGM on Sunday from opening until noon (had to get on TOT before it closed for refurbishment) and then left the parks and did some grocery shopping, and then spent Monday doing my KTTK tour followed by outlet shopping. I had hoped that it would thin out a bit by Tuesday so we could do some "Commando" park-hopping but it didn't. I spoke to a couple of people who were down there that were also surprised by the crowds but they were there because their kids were on a fall break. Way up here in NY, there is no such thing as a fall break as kids just started school in early September. Anyways, as I said, I was just surprised at the size of the crowds. I am spoiled since I am used to travelling off season and just assumed that this trip was going to be like all the others. Oh well! I can't say anything else bad about our trip. I encountered amazing CM's who went out of their way for us (including my KTTK tourguide, the waitstaff of 50's Primetime Cafe, and a couple of CM's from DTD as well as on various rides) and found the parks to be in good shape. Not to mention that I LOVED my little cabin in FW!

I wish I was back there right now!

 

[cyndilou01]

We also just got back, the crowds were terrible, I found out that schools were out up north for last week and the local schools were out thurs. and Frid... If I had known that I would have changed my weekend trip.. the worst I have seen the crowd in years...

How can we check and see if schools are out or in????