Just got back

[bear22]

I was there from the 18th-21st. Let me just say...O M G!!!! AK on Saturday and MK on Sunday were ridiciously packed. I have never seen so many people on my life. I was talking to many people who normally come down around the same time and they were saying the same thing. Groups and groups of teens, music, sports, tourists at the parks . Where is the heads up on all these groups going to WDW. There is none. Topping it all off...it was Northeast week. Boston fans galore and people from the north were all there. I stayed at ASMU and by 8am the food court was crazy packed. Also packed during the dinner time. There is no slow time anymore. If there is..I would love to know when. These groups of kids just pop out of nowhere. Just my observation. Oh....Big Thunder and Splash had wait times of 120 minutes by 11am. You know its packed when there is a line down stairs for the people mover!

 

[spiceycat]

sept is slow time - why do you think that free dinning is necessary.

so it was more crowded than you excepted.

did you do anything in the flower/garden festavial?

 

[DisneyFan32WI]

This is disappointing news. I have heard horror stories about the food courts, so I think we won't even bother going to eat there. I leave in 8 days......hoping the crowds thin out a bit!!!

 

[gardenia]

In Florida we have another name for April: SPRING BREAK! I'm never surprised at crowds in April. But I bet you had great weather!

 

[bear22]

The weather was great. Not too hot during the day and cool and crisp at nite. I hope for everybodys sake that the crowds thin out. What caught me off guard was all the groups of teens. I asked if they were on spring break and they said no. They're were tons of groups. There were long lines in the fast pass que. I didnt get to EPCOT this time. This was just a short trip.

 

[spiceycat]

yea they use to come in Sept, too - local schools groups and not so local school groups - but they generally do some educational - like Epcot.

 

[#1_Grumpy_Fan]

Last week was vacation week for Rhode Island schools. We always try never to go during school vacations. By the way, this week is school vacation for Massachuessets.

 

[Redbudlover]

I was there from the 18th-21st. Let me just say...O M G!!!! AK on Saturday and MK on Sunday were ridiciously packed. I have never seen so many people on my life. I was talking to many people who normally come down around the same time and they were saying the same thing. Groups and groups of teens, music, sports, tourists at the parks . Where is the heads up on all these groups going to WDW. There is none. Topping it all off...it was Northeast week. Boston fans galore and people from the north were all there. I stayed at ASMU and by 8am the food court was crazy packed. Also packed during the dinner time. There is no slow time anymore. If there is..I would love to know when. These groups of kids just pop out of nowhere. Just my observation. Oh....Big Thunder and Splash had wait times of 120 minutes by 11am. You know its packed when there is a line down stairs for the people mover!

I was really curious to see what Tour Guide Mike said about those days in those parks and so, having a handy dandy subscription, I looked it up. I have used him a lot for my last few trips and always found him right on. He said of the four parks on Saturday, that AK was a third place yellow - meaning if you can go somewhere else you should, but if you have to go that day, to go early for rope drop and grab FPs! And do not go if you can't get there early.

Then I looked at MK for Sunday and he gave it the reddest of the very red colors - which I have never seen him do except at Christmas. He said avoid it at all costs - and gave his very practical reasons for doing so - which I am not at liberty to provide. But he said Do Not Go! He said all the other three parks would be fine....

WOW - even more reason now for me to use his advice. Sorry you had to buck the crowds...

 

[jackskellingtonsgirl]

It's Passover, too. I know kids who were off starting Wednesday of last week, and they are off this whole week.

 

[MrsBlovesDisney]

We're in Disney right now....we're from the Northeast...our vacation week is actually this week, but we pulled out the kids last Tuesday figuring the crowds would get worse come the weekend. It was also GradNite both Friday and Saturday.....MK closed at 7PM both nites....that would explain why you saw tons and tons of teens. Hubby and I were at MK last night...left at 7:30...it was just too crazy for us!! We try to get to the parks first thing in the morning and stay for no more than 3 hours...then head back to the resort pool, etc. DD and I were at AK just this morning (standing room only on the bus BTW), and we were awarded Fastpasses!! We held onto them and now DH and DD are heading to AK to use them!! Sadly, the park closes at 8PM....too bad, EE is great at night!!!!
Anyway, not sure when there's a good time to come...especially if you have kids. I really don't want to keep taking them out of school every year. Can't wait for them to be at college.....then DH and i can sneak down anytime we want! Heehee!!

 

[SelfEmployedDebtFree]

sept is slow time - why do you think that free dinning is necessary.

I disagree with that one to a degree. We go a lot throughout the year, and the year before last, the last week of Sept was a ZOO!!! Packed tight. Epcot was packed in like sardines! Millions of Brazillians, rude people everywhere for the first week of the F&WF... people laying half drank glasses of champaign around... I was VERY VERY disappointed. Our last trip in May was far lighter attendance than our 2006 trip in Sept.
In 2007 we went in Sept as well, but earlier in the month, and it was much better, but still about like May.

 

[addsomebling]

I've been to Disney 3 times when the crowds were low. Now that we have kids we have been going during their breaks and it's crazy. We live in UPSTATE NY and our Spring break was last week. The parks are arm & arm people. Thanksgiving week is also very bad. The buses were always full before our stop and we had to wait approx. 1/2 hour each time. I'm not complaining. I expect that when I go during those times. Just have to be patient. Also, Columbus Day week was packed. I believe it's a holiday for another country. Canada come to mind, but I'm really not sure.

The slower weeks: (just from my experience, they may have changed)

2nd week in May - the weather was wonderful and there was no need for crowd control at any of the Orlando parks. We finished most parks in 1/2 day. Also, it only sprinkled one day during our visit. That was in 1997 for our Honeymoon, so things may have changed since.

Week BEFORE & AFTER Thanksgiving Week - I've been all three weeks, before, during and after Thanksgiving week and the weeks before and after are dead. We got right on the rides and we didn't feel like we had to skip over anything. I really enjoyed these times because it wasn't overly hot. The weather was perfect and it didn't rain either week. Very nice.

Hope this helps.

Going again this year the week after Thanksgiving and staying at the POLY. I get butterflies even typing it now!! I can't wait!!!

 

[KatMark]

Can't wait for them to be at college.....then DH and i can sneak down anytime we want! Heehee!!

That is exactly what DH and I did. We have gone the last three years (this year too!) during Free Dining while the boys are at college. IT IS GREAT!!!!!!!!!

 

[Mamiamjo]

It was also GradNite both Friday and Saturday.....MK closed at 7PM both nites....that would explain why you saw tons and tons of teens. Hubby and I were at MK last night...left at 7:30...it was just too crazy for us!!

Yes it was Grad Night this weekend. I was there until Friday morning and they were putting notices in our room about the coming crowds, noise,etc.

I also use TGM for park planning which really helps answer the "when to go where" question.

 

[traci]

I disagree with that one to a degree. We go a lot throughout the year, and the year before last, the last week of Sept was a ZOO!!! Packed tight. Epcot was packed in like sardines! Millions of Brazillians, rude people everywhere for the first week of the F&WF... people laying half drank glasses of champaign around... I was VERY VERY disappointed. Our last trip in May was far lighter attendance than our 2006 trip in Sept.
In 2007 we went in Sept as well, but earlier in the month, and it was much better, but still about like May.

September isn't what it used to be. Hats off to Disney marketing - their free dining to bring people in has worked.

 

[ADP]

In most cases its best to go to the park which had evening EMH the nite before. A lot of folks who were at evening EMH the nite before will not go back to that park the next day, so crowds will be smaller than normal. I'm sure it will still be busy regardless.

I know what you mean about crowds though. Its getting to the point where strategies don't even matter anymore certain times of the year. Its very difficult to walk into one of the four parks in the afternoon and experience attractions; especially the headliner attractions. Fastpass is your only option and you maybe riding later in the evening or the fastpasses will be gone for the day.

I honestly feel for the price we are paying to experience these attractions we should have the opportunity to walk into a park in the afternoon and be able to experience an attraction without waiting over 45 - 60 minutes. The parks are so crowded in the afternoon (mornings and evenings in some cases) as a guest you are "stalemated" meaning you can't move or do anything because of the crowd levels.

Whether folks want to believe it or not another theme park or large experience is needed somewhere on Disney World property right now. Crowds at the theme parks need to be "thinned out" a bit. We as guests are accepting long wait times at the parks after paying a large amount of money for park tickets. We've grown accustomed to thinking a touring strategy cures most everything in regards to wait times and our overall park experience. A touring plan does help, but we are adjusting our vacation schedules, in some cases drastically, so we can get the experiences we paid heavily for.

If you feel you've had to adjust your vacation schedule, or were not able to enjoy the parks to their fullest you should tell guest relations at Disney World. They need to know you couldn't experience what you wanted to because of crowd levels. Until Guest Relations hears this from guests the park situation at Disney World will be "status quo".

Just my two cents.

 

[SelfEmployedDebtFree]

2nd week in May - the weather was wonderful and there was no need for crowd control at any of the Orlando parks. We finished most parks in 1/2 day. Also, it only sprinkled one day during our visit. That was in 1997 for our Honeymoon, so things may have changed since.

Unfortunately, that one is dead too. We've been on the phone with Disney 3 times today trying to book that exact same week. We were there last year, and it was AWESOME!!! The place was SO vacant!!!
This year... same EXACT dates (4th - 10th) on Disney's websites, they showed the following resorts BOOKED SOLID with no vacancies:
Poly
POP
Wilderness lodge
AKL
Ft Wilderness
and AS Movies
We also tried the following week of May, and same basic thing. There were always one of the AS resorts free, but we're all "All Stard Out!" We've done them too much.
Later that day we got a standard room at POP booked (were told twice on phone that it wasn't available), but due to the closeness of the date, we had to do a deposit, and we didn't want to confirm till we both decided, so we had them hold it till 10PM (the best they could do). We had planned to confirm tomorrow morning, but my wife's mom called and said that my wife's granny was just rushed to the hospital, and it don't look good, so we're going to post-pone this one till Sept.

My point in all this gibber-jabber is that for such a SLOW time of the year (we're usually dead on it as to when is really slow... we over-research) this week and the following are FAR too booked up for it to be a slow week. It still could be a good vacation; and definately better than summer or Christmas, but it won't be dead.

 

[LJERRY]

Hi! We just got back on Sunday from a short 4th birthday trip for our son (got in late Wed. night) and WOW! It was so stinking crowded. I blame myself for not doing my homework, but we were there for New Years, and we just figured that there's NO WAY it will be as bad as that! Well, it wasn't as bad as that, but it was a lot more crowded than our annual Sept. trip!
We are changing our annual trip due to a wedding we have to attend in VA in October. Has anyone been there the second or third week in October? I'm curious as to what the crowd levels might be like? I know some places go on a fall break.
Thanks!

 

[Bibbidi]

The slower weeks: (just from my experience, they may have changed)

2nd week in May - the weather was wonderful and there was no need for crowd control at any of the Orlando parks. We finished most parks in 1/2 day. Also, it only sprinkled one day during our visit.

We have gone three times in the middle of May and found the same to be true as your visit in 1997--very low crowds, wonderful weather, no large groups. It is our favorite time of year at Disney, although with our dds both in school next year, we will probably have to move our trips to June.

 

[Bibbidi]

Hi! We just got back on Sunday from a short 4th birthday trip for our son (got in late Wed. night) and WOW! It was so stinking crowded. I blame myself for not doing my homework, but we were there for New Years, and we just figured that there's NO WAY it will be as bad as that! Well, it wasn't as bad as that, but it was a lot more crowded than our annual Sept. trip!
We are changing our annual trip due to a wedding we have to attend in VA in October. Has anyone been there the second or third week in October? I'm curious as to what the crowd levels might be like? I know some places go on a fall break.
Thanks!

The crowds will probably depend a lot on if your week of vacation falls during Columbus Day and when the F&WF ends. Those things would make it more crowded in October.