Need Your Tips: How to avoid the crowds?

[SandraC]

Hi All ~ Only 40 days to WDW. How do we get around the crowds? Thanks! Sandra

 

[mickey mumm]

Good question. I know we are certainly try and use the extra magic hours. And as we are going next week I heard its a quieter time (I hope). I'm sure gonna watch for more replies to pick up some tips too.

 

[stitchluva22]

extra magic hour is well worth it. it is a good idea to get to the park early to ride the popular rides and when the park is gettin ready to close. during parades and fireworks it is usually quieter. Have Fun!!!

 

[ZoZo]

Can't stress it enough: Go when the park opens (or a little before!).

 

[Taqwus]

Hi All ~ Only 40 days to WDW. How do we get around the crowds? Thanks! Sandra

Lets see
First go to the left hand side lines or the left side the park first, most people go into the right.
If you are going to see Fantasmic go at the very last show use the other 2 times everyone else goes to see other items
To watch the Illuminations plan to find a spot near the lagoon about 2 hours before it starts, 1 person can hold it while the others go get some food for ya
Use fast pass smartly. Here are some rides that fill up fast
Soarin (run here first) (fast pass will be used up by noon)
Test Track (fast pass will be used up by noon)
Maelstorm
Mission to Mars (fast pass will be used up by noon)
Winne the Pooh
Peter Pan
Haunted Mansion
Pirates of the Caribean
Buzz lightyear
Stiches greatest escape (beware of the corndog though)

Extra magic hours does help greatly

 

[SandraC]

Thanks! I have read that when a park has extra hours that it's the busiest day for that park. So is using extra hours before and after regular hours worth it? Thanks! Sandra

 

[1000th happy haunt]

Use fast pass smartly. Here are some rides that fill up fast
Soarin (run here first) (fast pass will be used up by noon)
Test Track (fast pass will be used up by noon)
Maelstorm
Mission to Mars (fast pass will be used up by noon)
Winne the Pooh
Peter Pan
Haunted Mansion
Pirates of the Caribean
Buzz lightyear
Stiches greatest escape (beware of the corndog though)

The Haunted Mansion and Pirates don't use FastPass. HM used to, but I haven't seen the FP machines in operation for quite some time now. And Mission to Mars (at Epcot) is called Mission: SPACE.

 

[Taqwus]

The Haunted Mansion and Pirates don't use FastPass. HM used to, but I haven't seen the FP machines in operation for quite some time now. And Mission to Mars (at Epcot) is called Mission: SPACE.

I couldnt think of the name it was that or I would have put the spinning thing that almost made me sick

 

[disyady]

Thanks! I have read that when a park has extra hours that it's the busiest day for that park. So is using extra hours before and after regular hours worth it? Thanks! Sandra

Do you have Park Hoppers, Sandra? If you do, the EMH a.m. at any park is great, then you can just leave and hop to another park. If you can't park hop, then you're best to avoid the EMH park depending on the crowd levels when you're there. The new MYW tickets changed things a bit with regards to EMH because now there are a lot of people who can't leave the park they start their day at, so you're right to think that avoiding EMH's if you can't hop might be your safest bet. Have fun!

 

[Mad4Dizne]

We were there 2 weeks ago--it was packed. We used fastpasses when we could--loved to be able to wait and not have to stand in a line for the posted wait time--we'd get a snack, put our feet up and relax and then head to the ride--This worked great for Soarin!!!!

 

[airtime]

It looks like your time there will be fairly high crowds , so get to the parks early. If you can use AM EMH, do it, then get out of that park to one without it. Take advantage of your evening EMH (although that may be crowded too).

Find things you don't have to wait for to do during the afternoon, when there will be very long waits for popular attractions.

Tim, who is going to challenge the family with a June WDW vacation. We're used to January!

 

[Lagoongirl]

First of all, get to the parks early. My next suggestion is to spend the early non crowded period riding non-FP rides and collecting FPs for later. Not everyone knows this, but you don't HAVE to use your FPs during the one hour time they give you. As long as its AFTER the first hour, you can use your FP any time after that, and you can collect a new FP anytime after the first hour too.

I will give you as an example what I did when I was in California Adventure last fall. I arrived at opening and went straight to Soarin and got a FP for 10:20-11:20. Then I went and rode the Sun Wheel. By the time I was done with the Sun Wheel, it was 10:25, my FP time for Soarin, so I dropped by Mulholland Madness and picked up another FP with a time of 10:35-11:35. I rode some other rides in the Paradise Pier section until about 10:40 when I went to Grizzly River Rapids and picked up a FP for 10:55-11:55. I then got in the regular line for GRR because it was only a five minute wait. After that, I went to Soarin and used my FP, picking up another FP for Soarin before doing so with a return time of 11:35-12:35. I kept doing this-riding non-FP rides and picking up new FPs as time permitted. THEN, in the afternoon when the crowds were bad, I used all those FPs I'd spent all morning collecting.

Most people go directly to Space or Splash Mountain early in the morning which is great, but fail to realize that later when the non-FP attractions are busy they will have no choice but to wait in their long lines. Go on non-FP rides early in the morning and then spend all afternoon going on FP attractions.

I hope this makes sense. I was able to ride Soarin 6 times in one day, GRR two times, and MM 3 times doing this, never waiting more than 10 minutes each time, plus all the other non-FP rides I wanted to.

 

[Karnak]

I will be at WDW at the same time y'all are there, but for a shorter time in my case - March 17 - 20, and mainly to see a couple of baseball spring training games. (Solo trip for me this time). But I will visit all four parks also, using personal itinerary's I made for each day These plans allow plenty of time between attractions, and include only those things I really enjoy the most. I have made dinner reservations ahead of time as well. Plan well ahead of time, and make use of the extra magic hours and the fastpass too.

It helps to use personal experience, park maps, times schedules, park hours and the Unofficial Guide book as a guide to creating such personal itinearies.

Enjoy.

___________________________________________

PEOPLE HAVE MORE FUN THAN ANYBODY
___________________________________________

1994 Sept. - Port Orleans - French Quarter
1996 Nov. - Disney Institute
1997 Nov. - Port Orleans - Riverside
1998 Dec. - Boardwalk
1999 Nov. - Port Orleans - French Quarter
2001 July - Contemporary
2002 May - Boardwalk
2002 Dec. - Polynesian (concierge)
2003 May - Animal Kingdom
2004 June - Port Orleans - French Quarter
2005 April - Port Orleans - French Quarter
2005 Dec. - Port Orleans - French Quarter
2006 March - Port Orleans - French Quarter (upcoming)
2006 Dec. - Resort undecided (planning stage)