Maverick
Mouseketeer
- Joined
- Aug 27, 1999
- Messages
- 247
Please keep in mind that this was my 20th trip to WDW and our 4th year in a row going the same week of the year.
Overall...... Crowds were up SOME, but not to the extent that it was very difficult for us to get around and we didn't wait for much. We generally started early each day and backed off of the parks as we got closer to Thanksgiving.
Thursday - November 18 - MK EMH - We arrived about 35 minutes before the 8:00 AM opening. Crowds were fine until 11:00. Virtually no waits.
Thursday evening - November 18 - MGM - Virtually no waits.
Friday - November 19 - MK - Again we arrived about 30 minutes before opening and crowds were lighter today than yesterday. Virtually no waits.
Friday evening - Epcot - Used FP for Test Track and didn't ride 'Living with the Land' as it had a long wait. (What's up with that?) Anyway.... No waits for anything else in Future World including Mission Space.
Saturday - November 20 - AK - Arrived 30 minutes early. Virtually no waits.
Saturday evening - Epcot - Did World Showcase, Crowds were light.
Sunday - November 21 - No parks in AM
Sunday evening - MGM - Virtually no waits except for RnRC (25 minutes) and Tower of Terror (20 minutes)
Monday - November 22 - Islands of Adventure - Arrived early. No waits. We did use Universal Express to ride Hulk one last time around 11:30 AM.
Monday afternoon - Universal Studios - We bought Universal Express plus passes to not wait in any lines. The posted waits were about 30 minutes for most attractions (on average).
Monday NIGHT - MK - A ZOO from 7:00 PM (when we arrived) until about 9:00 PM. Virtually everything was a walk on after that except for Space and Buzz.
From 8:30 PM to 12:00, we saw Hall of Presidents, rode Big Thunder (FP), PotC, Jungle Cruise, stopped in Fantasyland to see wishes, rode Splash, Haunted Mansion, Snow White, Winnie the Pooh, TTA, Buzz, Stitch and Space (11:58 PM!). My newphew and I were walking really fast to accomplish all this, but wanted to prove that late nights at the MK can be REALLY empty.
Tuesday - November 23 - No parks in AM, Walked through Epcot in the early afternoon and WS was pretty much empty. Maelstrom had a 15 minute wait. Future World had waits for Test Track (25), Mission Space (35) and Living with the Land (80 minutes??? What's up with THAT????). All other Future World attractions had 0 wait on the sign.
Tuesday evening - MK - It was a ZOO again until Wishes. After Wishes ended at 10:15, we rode Splash, Big Thunder, Haunted Mansion, Dumbo and Space Mountain.
Wednesday - November 24 - No parks in AM
Wednesday evening - The Disney Miracle Mile (Almost!): And yes, we were running!
6:30 Fantasmic at MGM
Used FP for RnRc at 7:10 (55 minutes standby)
Took Cab to Epcot
Used FP on Test Track (25 minute standby)
Mission Space - (No wait)
Illuminations (in the rain)
First Monorail to TTC
First Express Monorail to MK
Wishes at 10:00 in Fantasyland again
Rode Haunted Mansion (No wait)
Rode Splash Mountain (No wait)
Rode Big Thunder (No wait)
Spectro got cancelled because of weather (Ack! Miracle Mile Almost!)
Mad Tea Party (No wait)
TTA (No wait)
Rode Space Mountain (5 minute wait)
We were there for the 11:00 Spectro, but it didn't run because of weather, so technically we didn't complete the Miracle Mile, but we madea ll the connections, saw the shows we were supposed to and rode the rides we were supposed to, so I'm calling it a victory!
One thing to note.... We gathered fastpasses during the week for the times we thought we'd need them later in the week. Disney never looks at the date printed on the fastpass. They only make sure the time is OK and they usually only make sure you are not too early. They really don't mind if you are too late.
I'd say the crowds were perfect until Tuesday. Since we did not go to the parks during the day much on Tuesday and Wednesday, I cannot speak to the crowds, but the parking lots were MUCH more full than any other days we were there.
Hope this helps those for future planning!
Mav
Overall...... Crowds were up SOME, but not to the extent that it was very difficult for us to get around and we didn't wait for much. We generally started early each day and backed off of the parks as we got closer to Thanksgiving.
Thursday - November 18 - MK EMH - We arrived about 35 minutes before the 8:00 AM opening. Crowds were fine until 11:00. Virtually no waits.
Thursday evening - November 18 - MGM - Virtually no waits.
Friday - November 19 - MK - Again we arrived about 30 minutes before opening and crowds were lighter today than yesterday. Virtually no waits.
Friday evening - Epcot - Used FP for Test Track and didn't ride 'Living with the Land' as it had a long wait. (What's up with that?) Anyway.... No waits for anything else in Future World including Mission Space.
Saturday - November 20 - AK - Arrived 30 minutes early. Virtually no waits.
Saturday evening - Epcot - Did World Showcase, Crowds were light.
Sunday - November 21 - No parks in AM
Sunday evening - MGM - Virtually no waits except for RnRC (25 minutes) and Tower of Terror (20 minutes)
Monday - November 22 - Islands of Adventure - Arrived early. No waits. We did use Universal Express to ride Hulk one last time around 11:30 AM.
Monday afternoon - Universal Studios - We bought Universal Express plus passes to not wait in any lines. The posted waits were about 30 minutes for most attractions (on average).
Monday NIGHT - MK - A ZOO from 7:00 PM (when we arrived) until about 9:00 PM. Virtually everything was a walk on after that except for Space and Buzz.
From 8:30 PM to 12:00, we saw Hall of Presidents, rode Big Thunder (FP), PotC, Jungle Cruise, stopped in Fantasyland to see wishes, rode Splash, Haunted Mansion, Snow White, Winnie the Pooh, TTA, Buzz, Stitch and Space (11:58 PM!). My newphew and I were walking really fast to accomplish all this, but wanted to prove that late nights at the MK can be REALLY empty.
Tuesday - November 23 - No parks in AM, Walked through Epcot in the early afternoon and WS was pretty much empty. Maelstrom had a 15 minute wait. Future World had waits for Test Track (25), Mission Space (35) and Living with the Land (80 minutes??? What's up with THAT????). All other Future World attractions had 0 wait on the sign.
Tuesday evening - MK - It was a ZOO again until Wishes. After Wishes ended at 10:15, we rode Splash, Big Thunder, Haunted Mansion, Dumbo and Space Mountain.
Wednesday - November 24 - No parks in AM
Wednesday evening - The Disney Miracle Mile (Almost!): And yes, we were running!
6:30 Fantasmic at MGM
Used FP for RnRc at 7:10 (55 minutes standby)
Took Cab to Epcot
Used FP on Test Track (25 minute standby)
Mission Space - (No wait)
Illuminations (in the rain)
First Monorail to TTC
First Express Monorail to MK
Wishes at 10:00 in Fantasyland again
Rode Haunted Mansion (No wait)
Rode Splash Mountain (No wait)
Rode Big Thunder (No wait)
Spectro got cancelled because of weather (Ack! Miracle Mile Almost!)
Mad Tea Party (No wait)
TTA (No wait)
Rode Space Mountain (5 minute wait)
We were there for the 11:00 Spectro, but it didn't run because of weather, so technically we didn't complete the Miracle Mile, but we madea ll the connections, saw the shows we were supposed to and rode the rides we were supposed to, so I'm calling it a victory!
One thing to note.... We gathered fastpasses during the week for the times we thought we'd need them later in the week. Disney never looks at the date printed on the fastpass. They only make sure the time is OK and they usually only make sure you are not too early. They really don't mind if you are too late.
I'd say the crowds were perfect until Tuesday. Since we did not go to the parks during the day much on Tuesday and Wednesday, I cannot speak to the crowds, but the parking lots were MUCH more full than any other days we were there.
Hope this helps those for future planning!
Mav
I do know that the ride was closed for awhile but it reopened later on. We always try to hit this ride before the lunch crowds wander in. But that plan didn't work since it broke down. We ended up waiting about 40 minutes on our second try at this attraction because we were with someone who hadn't ridden it before and I wasn't trucking up that mountain (small incline) to visit The Land a third time. (At least it makes me feel like I'm climbing a mountain to get to The Land). 
