Labor Day which park?

[roopster]

Hi everyone,

We are planning our first trip to WDW from the 9/3 to the 9/8.
We are planning out which days to do at which park so we can book our ADR's on Tuesday.

The Sunday (9/3) when we arrive in the afternoon looks like the busiest day so we are not going to stress too much and take it easy at MK (staying at BLT).

However, we are not sure what to do on Labor Day (9/4). There is the extra early hour at Animal Kingdom, but the crowd prediction is a 5. Do you think we will be OK, or would a better strategy be to do Magic Kingdom on Labor Day (crowd prediction of 3) and do AK on the next day where the crowd prediction is a 2 (and MK is still a 3).

We are planning to be at the parks from first thing to lunchtime them go back to the hotel (BLT) for a break in the afternoon heat - so does the fact that AK is busier because of the early opening not really a big deal, and taking advantage of the extra hour is useful? Or is the overall crowd prediction more important for planning than any benefit of the extra hour?

Thanks for your help!

 

[maryj11]

I do not think the crowd calendars are going to be right this year. They have made so many changes and with Pandora at AK opening I think it is going to be higher crowds. We did go to Epcot on Memorial day 2 years ago and it wasn't bad at all crowdwise MK is usually most crowded on holidays.

 

[anniemae]

I also think you can throw the crowd calendars away. I think it is going to be busier than years past with Pandora opening. I would probably go to MK due to the AK crowds for Pandora. Crowds will drop off right after LD since everyone is back in school. It's probably the slowest week of the year. I also think some locals will go for the long weekend, but be gone by Monday night.

 

[bethbuchall]

I've been trying to figure this out, too. Fortunately, we have already decided that we're not doing too many ADRs this time. I do want a BOG lunch one day.

 

[roopster]

Thanks for you input! I think we are planning to do as much as possible from Tuesday to Friday when it will hopefully be quieter. But the Monday is still 25% of our full days so need to work out the best park to go to! If MK is traditionally busy on holidays (and the crowd calendars are wrong) would Epcot be a better bet? Although it's Food and Wine?

 

[maryj11]

Thanks for you input! I think we are planning to do as much as possible from Tuesday to Friday when it will hopefully be quieter. But the Monday is still 25% of our full days so need to work out the best park to go to! If MK is traditionally busy on holidays (and the crowd calendars are wrong) would Epcot be a better bet? Although it's Food and Wine?

Oh I forgot about food and wine during that time. Now that makes it even tougher to decide. Maybe if someone who has gone this past year could answer that would be great.

 

[bethbuchall]

Thanks for you input! I think we are planning to do as much as possible from Tuesday to Friday when it will hopefully be quieter. But the Monday is still 25% of our full days so need to work out the best park to go to! If MK is traditionally busy on holidays (and the crowd calendars are wrong) would Epcot be a better bet? Although it's Food and Wine?

That's where I'm going back and forth, too. One crowd calendar that I found said that best park for the day was Epcot, but I don't think it's taking into consideration that Food and Wine is starting earlier this year. I think that Epcot may be crazy on Labor Day.

 

[imthegoose]

If your goal is to go to the park with the least crowds on Labor day, then your best bet is probably HS. MK on labor day will be a zoo. Epcot with Food and Wine will be a zoo. HS had EMH the day before. I'm going to be there from 8/27-9/4 and I'm going to HS on 9/4.

 

[roopster]

If your goal is to go to the park with the least crowds on Labor day, then your best bet is probably HS. MK on labor day will be a zoo. Epcot with Food and Wine will be a zoo. HS had EMH the day before. I'm going to be there from 8/27-9/4 and I'm going to HS on 9/4.

Yes, that's basically our goal (and much more simply explained than I put it!)
I guess this is where the predicted crowd calendars are throwing me as they say that HS is the busiest of all the parks with a level of 6.
It would be great to hear from anyone that has been on Labor Day before?

 

[Mrspeaks]

We are going to have a break day on Labor Day!

 

[tinkerbella16]

We went that week in 2016 and we did DHS on Labor Day. It actually wasn't bad at all, we got a lot done and the crowds weren't as bad as I thought. We're going that same week again this year and we are basically sticking with the same plans, doing DHS on Labor Day. We like to avoid MK on any holiday and especially since this one is on a Monday. Monday is typically the busiest day of the week for MK on a normal day, let alone a holiday.