Never again T-Giving week...and my camera is MIA :(

[todzwife]

We just returned from a 4 day trip (well 10 w/ traveling and a day at Knotts)

I will never again go during T-Giving week. I knew to expect crowds but Monday was so bad we could barely move. Wed. was actually better until noon as was Friday. I'm glad we had so much time to get stuff done.

I am SO sore. Next time, as much as I love Hojo's, we may pay extra for Park Vue so we don't have to walk so far.

And my little Canon powershot camera disappeared somewhere between Dumbo and Space Mountain. I think it may have fallen out on Dumbo. It's not a L&F yet...I doubt it will get returned.

Overall it was a good time. My older kids had a ball, my baby was a trooper.
It's just hard to find the Disney Magic when crowds are so bad you can barely breathe.

 

[DizMe]

Oh man, I feel for you. I've had that experience and it really, really messed with the magic to have crowds so bad you couldn't move. In fact, we just packed it in and left when that happened to us as it just wasn't fun.

I'm glad you have a good attitude about it and I sure hope your camera turns up! Don't give up on it--my dd lost her brand-new Minnie Mouse ears on BTMRR during one of the Trick or Treat parties in Oct. She filed a report at L&F, never thinking she'd see them again. Guess what? A few weeks later, she got a package in the mail from Disney with a brand-new set of ears!!

Hope you get to go back when it's not such a madhouse! Glad your kids enjoyed it and you didn't let it ruin your trip.

 

[Sherry E]

I've heard that about the crowds pre-Thanksgiving being crazy. At least a couple of people on the DIS have reported that crowds in the last couple of years didn't begin to thin out until after Thanksgiving weekend was over (like, for example, beginning tomorrow this year), but that leading up to the holiday the parks were packed. I guess that many people are taking off work/school for the entire week of Thanksgiving now? Also, more people have AP's of all levels now than before. More people are coming to DLR for the holiday season in general than they used to in the past (last year was the busiest holiday season as a whole - from November through early January - in 10 years).

I remember when it used to be - many years ago - that the days pre-Thanksgiving were virtually empty, but Thanksgiving weekend itself was a madhouse. Now it seems the 'best' time with the lightest crowds is somewhere in that narrow window after Thanksgiving weekend is over and before mid-December hits. Once mid-December kicks in, the parks start getting busier and busier. So there are really just a couple of golden weeks now that are supposedly not crowded.

I was at DLR on 11/13 (Saturday), 2 weeks ago, and in certain places the crowds were so heavy and the lines were so long that it might as well have been a mid-December day.

Also, the day that I was at DLR last year - 12/19 - was, in my opinion, crazy busy. I can understand that 'not being able to move' dilemma you spoke of. Maybe others might not have felt it was oppressively busy and maybe the crowds shifted throughout the day so it was not as bad at certain tiimes. But I found it to be - just like you described - so crowded we could barely breathe or move. I wasn't expecting it. I was expecting the same level of crowds I had encountered in 2008 and 2007. I had no idea that it would be so packed that I couldn't even get into New Orleans Square. It was too crowded for me to enjoy taking any photos, looking in shops, etc. Some lines were 45 minutes long before 11:00 a.m. When it gets to that level of crowds, it is hard to put on a smile and take it in stride. I know some people who are very relaxed about it and they just go with the flow. But it's hard to not get frustrated when you can't move around because of all the people.

I hope your camera turns up somewhere! I have heard some really miraculous stories of returned items that people never expected to see again, so don't lose hope!!

 

[PinkBudgie]

That is exactly how it was when we went on New Year's Day. That area between the two parks was entirely filled in with a sea of people all day long. And even things like The Blue Sky Cellar had a long line of people to get in! Just walking anywhere took forever because all you could do was shuffle along. We always have to go during crowded times but just some year I'd like to try the week after the holidays when the crowds go away.

So sad about your camera. I have one like that too and would hate to loose it. Not to mention the pictures on it. I hope you get it back.

 

[kylie71]

I'm home too... it was a Madhouse!
Thursday ( Thanksgiving ) was the best day.
Yesterday, ( Sat ) was Horrible!! It was cold, and sooooooo crowded by noon you couldn't move.

 

[disneygal2007]

Thank you for posting this. We have been talking about going next year for Turkey day and now NOOO way...

 

[silence]

I will never again go during T-Giving week. I knew to expect crowds but Monday was so bad we could barely move.

We were there on Monday. I totally agree with you on the crowds. Sat. and Sunday before the holiday were wonderful and Monday was just CRAZY. I said to my mom several times that if I was a first time visitor to the park, I might be scared away and never go back.

 

[todzwife]

I've been to Disney probably 100 times and have NEVER seen it like that. Of course, we've always tried to avoid the crowds but when you can't move from Splash mountain all the way to the entrance, you know it's crowded.

What bugged me was that the cast members I talked to said there was probably 65k people there and that they don't close it for capacity until around 75-80k. I understand Disney wants to make money, but when people can barely move I don't think its fair to continue to allow MORE people in to make it more congested.

We left by 8 every night, even the nights we went back during the day for a nap. It was just so crowded and I was afraid of losing my kids in the dark.

This is 2 times now that we've been since TSMM opened and I have yet to go on it.

 

[jlmarr]

We were there Wednesday 8am to 3:30pm and it was nice in the early AM but the handwriting was on the wall when we got a Space Mtn FP at 11am with a return time of 7pm. With California's budget problems a lot of schools now take Thanksgiving week as furlough time, which impacts DLR big time.

 

[lillybug]

Sorry about your camera!

We also just returned and we've decided to cross Thanksgiving week off our list of future trips as well. Luckily we were able to avoid most of the crushing crowds by getting everything done in the morning, but it really got crazy at times. We never even attempted to see the fireworks.
A lot more time was spent at the hotel this trip just to get away from all the people.

 

[Carrie in AZ]

We just returned home today as well. We were in the Parks on Thanksgiving, Fri and last night, Saturday, until after midnight. We thought it was extremely busy, too, and will never return again over Thanksgiving. I was hoping the AP blockout would help to keep the crowd levels down to a more manageable level, but that was not the case. It rained pretty hard last night around 8:30 and that helped clear out the crowds, we were able to walk on a lot of rides closer to closing. We did rope drop on all of the days and that helped, too. But, like everyone else, it is NO FUN when you cannot even walk with your family. I felt so sorry for the folks trying to navigate with strollers through NOS, what an absolute nightmare.

Last year we were there the second week of October and it was packed with all of us from Arizona (school Fall Break) and we won't be going back during that timeframe either......

Overall, we had a very good time filled with many magical moments. We are dead tired and sore, though, that is for sure! LOL!

 

[munchkinsmom]

I remember when it used to be - many years ago - that the days pre-Thanksgiving were virtually empty, but Thanksgiving weekend itself was a madhouse.

I totally agree...we'd been going to Disneyland the few days prior to Thanksgiving for the past several years (it's been a "family tradition") and it has gradually gotten busier with each passing year. This year was the worst we've ever seen it and we're now thinking of passing it up for next year...

 

[ttig34]

Maybe if everybody who went this year, decides not to go next year, then it won't be so busy.

 

[Tink91]

http://www.ifoundyourcamera.net/

keep checking back on this website, you never know

 

[skiingfast]

I hope you find your camera. I lost my wallet at DHS when I was there for a spring break. It was a real bummer to not have an ID on Spring Break let me tell you. But after getting back to school a couple days later I bought my replacement student ID and got home there was my wallet in the mail from WDW. Good luck at having your camera return to you!

 

[FourOrchards]

Oh I am sorry your time at Disney wasn't the greatest. That's a bummer.
I hope your camera will be turned in. That is my worst fear is loosing my camera. I would like to think someone would turn it in but my sister in law last her's years ago and it never surfaced.

 

[todzwife]

I'm honestly not expecting it to be turned in. Thankfully I only had the pictures from this particular visit, and my husband had the video camera and my SIL took some on hers so it's not like we don't have ANYTHING from the trip.

But yeah...I'm already starting to plan another trip. A do-over.

 

[dcaprio]

We returned after spending the week there and I don't think we will do that again! While we did have fun, the crowds were ridiculous.

 

[Mikes:)Mom]

Hi from Oregon! My son's high school is out for Thanksgiving week. They started doing that last year. I'm sure there was some Oregonians in that crowd. I'm going for NYE because my mom has always wanted to go then, but I'm terrified of what the crowds will be.

 

[Goofy_Mom]

I, too have just returned from DL. I found the crowds large, but manageable. On Tuesday I was hoping that the threat of rain would have kept some people away, no dice. Alice, Peter Pan, and Storybook constantly had waits over an hour. I didn't even attempt to get Rupunzels picture cause her line was horrendous, too.

Sorry about your camera. My cell phone feel out of my pocket on BTMRR. I felt it hit my foot when it fell. I did file a L&F report and it's not a smartphone, just a basic camera phone. It does have insurance but I'm hoping Disney finds it. I've tried to call a few times to see if they found it but after being on hold for more than 10 minutes I start to lose patience and if they say they didn't find it after being on hold that long I'ld probably loose it.

Crowds on Tuesday 22nd around 1pm NOS