Just back yesterday- could not believe the crowds

[NewRVLady]

I not read most of the posts

As to crowds year round...

We ALWAYS do NOT do early entry day-or whatever they call it now

That and we follow the which day which park strategy -this is REALLY important for MK

Most people start trip on Sunday or Monday and go to MK first...also Saturday is busy at MK

 

[giginator]

Not going to touch the stroller issue, but wondering if home schooling has had an impact on slow times at the parks. 1.7 million kids are now home schooled. Their parents can be flexible and vacation during slow times just about anywhere.

Homeschoolers here! We love the flexibility of planning our vacations when most everyone else is in school!

 

[OnSpaceshipEarth]

We went Sept 6-13, it was pretty slow everywhere for us. All wait times were around 10 minutes for rides, except Mine Train! Of course. I did notice around Thursday & Friday of that week that the crowds got heavier and the "smaller" kid ride lines got longer. Fantasyland was always packed. Winnie the Pooh, the Carrousel, and Peter Pan got up to 30 min wait times.

I think families with very small children probably do take advantage of this time of year, not yet having kids in school. Frozen weekends were also extended to the end of Sept (when I was there), so that could have drawn people during the weekend. We checked out on a Saturday, and the resort was packed full of people checking in.

Perhaps the Frozen extension could of made an impact.

@Princess_Nikki

What Resort were you at when it seemed like the check-in was packed?

 

[puffinp51]

We were there the 12th - 19th and chose this based on several calendars saying this was a low crowd time even though it would be hot and humid, which it was !

Crowd level was higher than we anticipated. The first few days were good but then it really picked up. We did RD, hopped a lot (2-3 parks each day), and took early afternoons off, but were expecting crowd levels of a 2 or 3, they were more like a 5 or 6. Most late afternoons we were in MK (almost daily) the wait for Pirates was 35-50 min., Peter Pan 50-60, and the Mountains 50-75 min. Talked to a few CM's and they said the week right after Labor Day was so slow. One said many southern schools now have a fall break in late September (and by many of these posts sounds like there are schools with this break) which is why the crowds were higher when we were there - according to the CM from 22,000 in MK to over 40,000 in MK from that week to when we were there. Still a great time to go (if you don't mind heat or humidity) but just make sure you have a plan!

Even with all the people we still had a great time and got to do everything we wanted to, but we don't ride the mountains or many of the big rides so can see where some would be frustrated. But no matter what, you're in Disney and it's still magical!

 

[CutlerP]

We got back yesterday, we were there from Sun (9/14) to Fri (9/19). Crowds, to me, seemed pretty high, at least higher than I expected based on some recent trip reports. We managed okay using FP+ for the stuff we REALLY wanted to do, but there were some things we wanted to do again and just didn't want to wait if FP+ was unavailable. We had previously visited in mid-October (2001, so just after 9/11) and early December (in 2003) ..... truly a different world from those visits.

What really surprised us, was number of guests from out-of-country. When listening to those around us, there were many times where we felt in the minority as English-speakers! I truly don't mean it in a bad way - not complaining about tour groups or anything like that. I only mention it because I felt like it was more of a factor than school vacations in the south. I saw WAYYYYY more school age kids that were foreigners than not.

Anyhow, we had a GREAT time, just H and I!

 

[tim123]

We got back yesterday, we were there from Sun (9/14) to Fri (9/19). Crowds, to me, seemed pretty high, at least higher than I expected based on some recent trip reports. We managed okay using FP+ for the stuff we REALLY wanted to do, but there were some things we wanted to do again and just didn't want to wait if FP+ was unavailable. We had previously visited in mid-October (2001, so just after 9/11) and early December (in 2003) ..... truly a different world from those visits.

What really surprised us, was number of guests from out-of-country. When listening to those around us, there were many times where we felt in the minority as English-speakers! I truly don't mean it in a bad way - not complaining about tour groups or anything like that. I only mention it because I felt like it was more of a factor than school vacations in the south. I saw WAYYYYY more school age kids that were foreigners than not.

Anyhow, we had a GREAT time, just H and I!

Yes yes I noticed that too..A lot of people from South America! Most Ive ever seen before. many were well behaved…some seemed a tad discourteous or maybe that as my interpretation rightly or wrongly..but tons of people from outside the USA.

 

[Mambo Junkie]

Until a few years ago we came every year using my time share, which is the 3rd week of September. I would say around 2/3 of the people there were from Europe, with a large amount from Scotland. We always enjoyed getting to know them very much. Lots of families with kids.

As far as little kids who don't remember the parks, I felt the same way, until I took my son at 3 1/2. True, when he was 5 he didn't remember, but at 3 the whole experience was magical. He really met Mickey; we didn't wait until he was older and meeting some guy in a mouse suit. I remember how nervous and excited he was, and when it was his turn and Mickey turned to him, his expression was pure joy.
My granddaughter is 3, turning 4 in October. Last year, when she was 2 (August) we took her to see Disney Jr. Live at the downtown coliseum. Last night, we were taking her again to see Frozen on Ice, and we were surprising her and wouldn't tell her where we were going. We were about 5 blocks from the parking deck, driving through all the tall buildings and she said, "We're going to the show". We asked her which show and she said "Sofia". We asked her if she remembered it and she said yes, she went to see the show with Princess Sofia and wanted to know if we were going to see Sofia again.
My philosophy is to take the children when they're young and everything is wonderful and magical, not to wait until they're older and jaded from going to amusement parks and don't like Disney because there aren't enough roller coasters.

 

[YawningDodo]

My philosophy is to take the children when they're young and everything is wonderful and magical, not to wait until they're older and jaded from going to amusement parks and don't like Disney because there aren't enough roller coasters.

While I think it's great to bring kids when they're little if you have the money and the mental fortitude, I wouldn't assume older kids are going to be too jaded to enjoy it! My mom brought my brother and me to WDW for the first time when I was 12 and he was 15 and all her coworkers kept telling her she'd waited too long and we wouldn't be into it. Well, joke's on them, both of us were ecstatic to be going to WDW and the three of us had a wonderful week that we still talk about fifteen years later.

 

[ShannonMB]

I believe that picking the "right" day for each park has a lot to do with it, even when crowds are supposedly low. Curious if OP or any other posters who experienced heavy crowds followed the general recommendations of not going to the park with EMH, not going to MK on a Monday, etc. If so, there goes my theory!

 

[Princess_Nikki]

@Princess_Nikki What Resort were you at when it seemed like the check-in was packed?

AsMo. There's was a line nearly 10 cars deep to get through the security gate, too.

 

[Tonopah]

We went from 9/17 to today. We didn't find it crowded at all except a few lines at F&W and the quick service restaurant at our resort this morning (the line still went fast and we found a place to sit, so it wasn't really bad).We got to meet many of the characters. We walked on most of the rides. We went to MK on the 17th, HS and Downtown Disney on the 18th, Food and Wine on the 19th (opening day) and just stayed around the resort today before heading home. We had one bus that was crowded with people standing in the late evening. It also rained the last couple of days - not hard, though. Maybe it dissuaded some people.

 

[dismsn]

I believe that picking the "right" day for each park has a lot to do with it, even when crowds are supposedly low. Curious if OP or any other posters who experienced heavy crowds followed the general recommendations of not going to the park with EMH, not going to MK on a Monday, etc. If so, there goes my theory!

We went to AK on Monday, 9/15 which had EMH. The park was not very crowded although it was more crowded than 9/11 which was the first day we visited.

 

[mousekatool]

We were there 9/13-20, and although lines for some rides were walkon, it did seem more crowded than the planning sites had indicated. I used easywdw recommended days and RD, and it all worked out ok, but it felt like crowds were higher than our past trips in April and January. I would never go in summer or spring break!

 

[pigletgirl]

We arrived the afternoon of September 8th (didn't go to any parks) and left the following week on the 15th. The crowd levels were not a problem until 9/13 in MK. It was insane! Really rude guests. I think it's because they had EMH till 1am that day. I felt like everyone was there! Epcot was great! As were the other two parks. I really cannot complain.