Just Back...Crowd Levels

[BigTiggerGuy]

Hi all! Just got back last night from a 5 night trip(Oct. 1-6th). I know everyone has been worrying about the crowd levels so here you go.......I walked on EVERYTHING! The only fast pass I used was for Soarin'. Monday at the Magic Kingdom was insane with very long waits so we went back on Tuesday and walked onto everything(most rides averaged at most a 20 min. wait-it actually ended up being closer to 10) Rode TOT 3 times in a row! Remember- this was also during F&W and free dining! I will post a full trip report later today covering various topics(crowds, dining, unruly children and their abusive parents, scooters, strollers and a few other topics I feel like venting about Enjoy!

 

[travelin' tigger]

The crowd levels were great considering the F&W, MNSSHP, free dining, etc. We covered 4 parks in 3 days and got done all the things we wanted. Rode Soarin' 3 times in one day, but get your FPs early - when we got back at 5:30pm all FPs were gone.

 

[DeirdreTours]

We were there 9/23-10/2 and had a little different experience. We found the weekend days to be very crowded (90 minute wait posted for PeterPan, 170 minute wait posted for the coaster at Norway). We really had to arrive right at opening and plan well to be able to ride without long waits.

The weekdays were less crowded, but still more that we had expected given the time of year. We usually go in the first 2 weeks of December and walk on to most rides.

Of course, "crowded" is a relative term, so maybe those who typically visit during Holidays or high summer would find it to be
"uncrowded".

 

[MonkeyPants]

I hope its walk on for me all this week

 

[BibbidyBobbidyBoo]

We were there 9/29 (arrived very early morning 9/29 because of delayed 9/28 evening flight) thru Oct 3rd. Crowd levels were VERY nice on Thurs/Fri... Saturday we didn't go to the parks but Sunday.... at MGM... oh my! It was so crowded!!!! We were at that park the longest of any park because it took so long to do everything we wanted. And we'd planned on leaving midday and going back for evening EMH but decided to stay since it was so packed. It got even WORSE after the first Fantasmic... we left at 9:30pm because it was so crowded that evening EMH wasn't worth it! And we're the type that usually stay until closing at evening EMH park! Even with a HUGE long line for the bus- we still left... it was ridiculous how busy it was. Usually we stay until close because we have found the last hour or so is really dead and we can get in a lot of our favorite rides (over and over) that last hour. However, at 9:30pm there were still huge lines for people to GET wristbands! So we figured it wasn't going to be slowing down by 11pm (MGM closed at 11pm with EMH -not midnight like MK/Epcot did) if people were still getting wristbands at 9:30pm it was highly unlikely they'd be leaving anytime soon! LOL

Kinda crowded for some rides at TL on Monday also.. we figured the crowd levels picked up because of the weekend and some schools out starting Monday for Jewish holidays? I was glad we'd went when we did... if our trip had started over that weekend or Monday our experience might have been very different indeed. I was glad we did parks on Thurs/Fri when it wasn't that crowded!

 

[polixeny]

Hi,

Just came back the other day. The first part of our trip there was no waiting walk on all the rides.... Then Saturday through Monday really long waits (over an hour) Tuesday it seemed to slow down a bit. The halloween party on friday the 30th was great. The park was empty and we walked onto everything.

 

[madge]

Hi all! Just got back last night from a 5 night trip(Oct. 1-6th). I know everyone has been worrying about the crowd levels so here you go.......I walked on EVERYTHING! The only fast pass I used was for Soarin'. Monday at the Magic Kingdom was insane with very long waits so we went back on Tuesday and walked onto everything(most rides averaged at most a 20 min. wait-it actually ended up being closer to 10) Rode TOT 3 times in a row! Remember- this was also during F&W and free dining! I will post a full trip report later today covering various topics(crowds, dining, unruly children and their abusive parents, scooters, strollers and a few other topics I feel like venting about Enjoy!

We did not have the same experience.

on 9/30 (Friday) we went to Epcot, expecting it to be busy, and it was. Crowded? Not exactly....but definitely busy. It was the opening day of the Food & Wine Festival, though. There were many lines for the wine tastings and other special events.

Saturday morning we went to the Magic Kingdom and stayed through lunchtime. As we were leaving, the crowds were heavy and people were streaming in like crazy. We went back to our resort to swim and hit MGM that afternoon. It was MUCH quieter there. We got a spot on the curb for the parade with no trouble.

We found the MNSSHP on Sunday night to be very manageable. Loved that.

Monday was just as the OP described. Madness at MGM and Epcot. Heat and rain did nothing to thin things out.

Tuesday was nice--we went to the Animal Kingdom, and while it was busy, we had no trouble doing what we wanted. It was the same at the Magic Kingdom. We rode Buzz Lightyear 3 times in a row during the parade

Wednesday was VERY busy at the Magic Kingdom, from park opening on....I can't imagine what it was like as they day wore on. We had a PS at the castle at 10:20am and left soon after. MGM & Epcot were both busy as well, but not quite as bad as it was on Monday.

Yesterday (Thursday) was fantastic at the Magic Kingdom. Very short waits...very October-like, LOL. Epcot wasn't bad either. The weather was icky in the evening, but that didn't deter the crowds.

We found the crowds to be heavier than year's past.

 

[DiscussDisney]

We found 9/30 at the Magic Kingdom very good. Walked on most rides. After that, all the parks were crowded. We utilized fastpass, so it made things easier. But after 9/30, we found most waits to range from 10 minutes to 120 minutes (Soarin on 10/3). Much more crowded than expected.

 

[Shasta]

That is good News! I hope someone give a similar report closer to my trip in 29 days.

 

[marcyinPA]

Hi,

Just came back the other day. The first part of our trip there was no waiting walk on all the rides.... Then Saturday through Monday really long waits (over an hour) Tuesday it seemed to slow down a bit. The halloween party on friday the 30th was great. The park was empty and we walked onto everything.

We were there from 9/28-10/4, and we had the same experience. Wed-Fri were perfect...no lines, no waiting....walked on everything! Even Dumbo!! LOL Saturday through Monday were a different story...unbelievably crowded and fast passes gone very early in the day.

 

[madge]

We were there from 9/28-10/4, and we had the same experience. Wed-Fri were perfect...no lines, no waiting....walked on everything! Even Dumbo!! LOL Saturday through Monday were a different story...unbelievably crowded and fast passes gone very early in the day.

I sat on a bench in Toontown on Saturday (I think? It might have been Monday) and listened to a woman express the same sentiments. They arrived on 9/28 and had no crowds...until Friday. She said it was like the gates opened and she couldn't figure out where the people came from.

 

[GC&S]

We were also there 9/28 - 10/4 and could not believe the crowds from the weekend on. Monday we went to MK, took forever to get through security and the front gates, and then once in it was a sea of people. We got a bottle of water and left the park. We've never seen anything like it! Glad the crowds are decreasing.

 

[jackskellingtonsgirl]

Yikes! This October stuff is far more perilous that I realized!

Hmm. Monday, October 3 was a Jewish holiday. The little ones I nanny are Jewish and they were out of school Mon-Wed this week. Next week Monday is Columbus Day, and Wednesday and Thursday my young friends are out for another Jewish holiday. They are actually out at least two days every week the entire month of October. I guess lots of schools also have Fall break at some point this month. We don't have one. (OK, we're going to WDW but it is not a sanctioned Fall break!)

I don't know what to think about crowds. I think I might be surprised, and I think it will be in a bad way!

 

[kkmauch]

I was there October 2-October 6th. I had a mostly positive experience with crowds. I will say that Monday the 3rd was INSANE at Magic Kingdom and Epcot was not much better. MGM was the least crowded, but each time I visited Magic Kingdom I saw long posted wait times. Even Small World had a 20 minute wait. TTA even had a wait. At any rate, it wasn't terrible, but I much prefer the walk on experience of early December. Also, mod resorts were OVER CROWDED.

 

[byoung]

Going in 14 days hope the crowds remain low.

 

[MOMOFMNM]

Monday the 3rd was VERY crowded!! We were leaving that day and rode the monorail and we could not figure out where and why they were all there@@@

The 28 thru the 2 were not bad at all we did not get all we wanted to get done at MGM and EPCOT (mgm 10-01 epcot 9-30) but that was because my kids LOVED the facilities at EPCOT and would not leave the imagination stations!!!! they said EPCOT was the favorite and they want to go back, we missed a lot!!!
We missed a lot at MGM too but we got there late and my dh refused to go on a touring plan, he was determined to walk around the map and do everything in order!! A disney planners worst nightmare@@@@!!!!

Actually EMH on Wed the 28 was walk ons mostly except DUMBO..15 MIN wait but at least we got all the MK done except for Hall of presidents (which I really like) and Pooh... and that was in just one day and 2 EMH hours

AK on Sunday was a bit busier and we missed some stuff there too, again got there late(my dh INSISTED this WAS infact a vacation URGHHH) and they close at 5 of course...we did manage Festival of the Lion King and the safari (standby during the parade was about 20 mins)

several things we did walk on to like space mt and small world and even POC...

We definitely need to get back and see what we missed...

 

[blestmom]

Nothing new to report...pretty similar to what everyone else is saying. We just got back from a September 21-October 5 trip. Everything was GREAT until 10/1...then everything picked up. It was like the people just came from nowhere! We had already gotten everything done we wanted to, so we didn't stay at the parks long. I would have been disappointed if my whole trip was like that, though.

 

[aimb]

We just got back today! We were there from 9/30-10/7 and were surprised at the crowd level. The weekend was nice, and even Monday was ok - busy but not "crowded." Wednesday was a madhouse at the MK! We couldn't believe the number of people there. Waits for rides were much longer than we are used to (we usually go in early December and walk right on everything). We still had a fabulous time, though!

 

[DVCJEN]

We are still at WDW. We arrived Sunday and found everything to be MUCH busier that they have been in past years! The weather has been very warm and it has rained nearly every afternoon.

 

[BibbidyBobbidyBoo]

Nothing new to report...pretty similar to what everyone else is saying. We just got back from a September 21-October 5 trip. Everything was GREAT until 10/1...then everything picked up. It was like the people just came from nowhere! We had already gotten everything done we wanted to, so we didn't stay at the parks long. I would have been disappointed if my whole trip was like that, though.

Ditto.
I'm telling you... Monday morning even at the resort was packed busier than it was when we went mid June! I couldn't BELIEVE how packed it was- we had to wait quite awhile for a table to even eat... that didn't happen in June. The pool was so packed I was glad we were leaving that evening otherwise the kids would have asked to swim and I really don't see how they'd swim in that mass of swimmers in the pool!