New AP info I heard today!!

[Sherry E]

Stroller nazi. I had to have six stitches put in from one of those wonderful things.(2005) The Dad was screaming at me along with Mom because it was my fault. Security help them out of the park.
All I wanted is to talk to the Dad by myself.

Jack

Yikes! Six stitches? How did they come up with the idea that it was your fault that you got cut up by a stroller? I like Stroller Nazi too, but I like Stroller Ninja better, because it conjures up an amusing image in my mind of someone using stealth, sharp ninja moves to navigate their stroller around!

I like the payment plan. I would never be able to afford an AP, much less a premium, without it. When we go, we just go for a few hours at a time.

Yes, the payment plan for the Premiums or even the Deluxe is a great idea, and very understandable. I think it is just the payment plan for the lowest level of SoCal AP is what some of us are questioning, because that price is already low and it is allowing masses and masses of people in the park.

I wish those "pushers" would just be a bit courteous and not charge thru the crowds hell bent for leather. For some reason some feel that every must clear a path for them and if they do not bump, bump they go. They wound up paying a $1200 bill for my stay in the ER. Should have sent them a bill for my time. A day later I wound up in an altercation will with a foul mouth drunk. Back to the Anaheim PD. Was not the best visit.

Jack

Good grief, Jack! Your run-in with the stroller and the episode with the drunk were all in the same DLR trip? Your trips are much more 'eventful' than mine, I must say - and not in a good way!! Was this all on your trip last August, or was it another time?

I agree with you, however, some people probably think they are going for a magical vacation destination that will be fun and relaxing -- and it's anything but sometimes. Also, some people just do not want to plan that far in depth or ahead of time. I think that my friends thinking is that if they have to plan that hard just to take a vacation, they'd rather go someplace relaxing and not have to deal with it.
I agree with you too. It's almost impossible to plan that far ahead and know who's on break when, how many APs are going to decide to just drop in after work, etc. 3 of the families I mentioned are teachers, so they couldn't leave school unless they were already on break, in which case, millions of other students are on break at the same time too.

I could be mistaken, but I don't think that's accurate. When Sherry went DAP holders were still allowed in. DAPs were blocked out from Dec 23, 2009, IIRC. Yes, it would have been extremely busy anyway...

Right, exactly! I neglected to mention that earlier. The DAPs were not blocked out on my day. In fact, my friend's husband had a DAP and he got in on my day. Yes, it would have been crowded to a degree on that weekend anyway, but as stated earlier, having gone on the Saturday of that exact same weekend for 3 years in a row, I could definitely see an obvious difference in crowds on this last trip. I don't ever recall seeing a crazy line like that for POTC in 2008 or 2007, and the line for HMH was not nearly as long so early in the day in '08 or '07. 2009 was definitely a whole different level of 'crowded' that surpassed the previous two years, which would make sense given what we have now heard about this past holiday season being the busiest one in a decade.

And, again, I agree about the planning thing too. Yes, we all know about the wonderful planning tools to be utilized and the wealth of knowledge available here on the DIS and other sites, but you are 100% right, DisneySuiteFreak - many folks are not going to take the time to plan everything to the letter because that requires too much work. Whether or not that is a wise decision that will have repercussions is beside the point. That is simply the way a lot of people travel - they don't plan everything and they want to just kind of fly by the seats of their pants when they arrive at their destination. I think my friends who were just as WDW over the New Year holiday did not plan anything out, agenda-wise. They never do. They are way too busy to spend a lot of time planning. They barely even have time to breathe! So they just get there and go with the flow, but they still notice if it is substantially more crowded than it has been on previous trips.

Could you be more specific about what months/days you think are "normal?" I think the normal days are gone. Now you have to pick a time when it is "less super-crowded". I know the weekdays in the '90s (before APs) when I would go to the park in February and ride on POTC, get off and walk right back on are OVER but I have been amazed at the crowd levels when I have gone lately and am prepared for my trip in two weeks to be insane. I hope I'm wrong, but you can't bank on low crowds anymore. THe old formula of avoiding holidays and going on weekdays doesn't ensure low numbers or wait times.

I agree. While it may not "always" be crowded on every single day of the year at DLR now, the 'norm' has changed, especially in the last year. So if nothing else, even if it is not crazy-crowded every single day, it is, at the very least, unpredictable now. There have been way too many reports of it being exceptionally crowded at times when it used to not be crowded at all, and then some unexpected bright spots where it was not crowded when it was supposed to be, and then still other times where it was expected to be more crowded than normal, but it turned out to be way more crowded than anyone expected - unmanageably so!! So the norm is ever-changing, and I think that 2010 will probably be even more crowded on a whole (not every single day, but just taken as a whole entity) than 2009 was. My feeling is still that it will get worse before it gets better, until the economy evens out a bit and folks can vacation elsewhere - and some folks will be able to deal with the crowds all right, and others will probably avoid going to DLR for a while until things get a little less crazy!

 

[californiamomof4grls]

As a stroller nazi, I gotta say, I never whacked anyone. But I've come close several times. People really do walk around oblivious or they think they can just make a quick dash accross your path, or stop in the middle of a busy walkway. If everyone followed common sense traffic rules - look over your shoulder before you go in someone else's lane, try to be aware of what is around you, don't dash accross paths without looking both ways - people might get bumped into a lot less.

I'm just sayin'.

Tracy

Seriously! I mean a stroller is not like a car it doesn't stop on a dime!!! So I can't just stop when you jog in front of me to get by real quick! Sorry! It does have shocks but that's about it! What should be remembered though is that these are really children in my stroller so it's not just a matter of their being this thing that is in your way this thing does contain children in it. And you will feel horrible when you hurt my children leaping over them. If you were to smile at me nicely then I will stop and let you go by! I swear this Stroller Nazi is pretty nice! But I do wish my stroller came with blinkers! Safety First friends!

 

[Mugglemama]

I know the weekdays in the '90s (before APs) when I would go to the park in February and ride on POTC, get off and walk right back on are OVER but I have been amazed at the crowd levels when I have gone lately and am prepared for my trip in two weeks to be insane. I hope I'm wrong, but you can't bank on low crowds anymore. THe old formula of avoiding holidays and going on weekdays doesn't ensure low numbers or wait times.

i miss the days when we could walk off POTC and walk right back on, too! one time on these boards i mentioned that our first year of AP's (which we bought less than a month after 9/11) we had many, many nights during january and february when we would get off of POTC and NOS would look totally deserted, it was like we were the only ones there. when i wrote that on the disboards, somebody (CrazyDuck, i think) said something like, "i call B.S.", which i thought was really lame because we did have those kind of nights at DLR during that winter following 9/11. many of them, in fact. they are some of our best family memories ever.

of course, things progressively became more and more crowded, until it didn't feel worth it to renew our AP's anymore. looking back now, i can see that the reason we probably encountered so many seemingly deserted nights at DLR during that first half a year of having AP's was because it was right after 9/11. i have read in the last year that crowds were different after it happened. but i didn't realize back then that it had anything to do with it.

and like you, i get the impression that we can't bank on low crowds anymore, no matter how well we plan. i'm just hoping that our next visit involves less crowding than the last time we were there, but we'll see.

 

[nunzia]

Yep..we went Oct 8 2001..besides having scary gun toting people in the airports the trip was super relaxing at the parks. Way down crowd wise. I love just doing a great ride over and over with no lines and running through the que line. I think the hidden gem visiting wise is early January. We went last year for the ABD and stayed a couple days before it started and everything was pretty much a walk on except for TSM. The ABD people kept giving us special fast passes but we never used any of them..the lines weren't long enough to bother. The rides that tend to have long lines we were escorted on ahead of lines..Indy we came in from backstage, a Pirate led us into Pirates and we got into Nemo easily too. BTW, I would really recommend Backstage Magic ABD to anyone!

 

[GrandBob]

i miss the days when we could walk off POTC and walk right back on, too! one time on these boards i mentioned that our first year of AP's (which we bought less than a month after 9/11) we had many, many nights during january and february when we would get off of POTC and NOS would look totally deserted, it was like we were the only ones there. when i wrote that on the disboards, somebody (CrazyDuck, i think) said something like, "i call B.S.", which i thought was really lame because we did have those kind of nights at DLR during that winter following 9/11. many of them, in fact. they are some of our best family memories ever.

Despite all the reports of horrendous crowds, those days are not completely gone. DW & I took DGD6 to DLR right after Thanksgiving. No, we didn't walk off POTC and right back on. We simply stayed on, with the permission of the CM, since there was nobody in line!

-Bob

 

[blackjackdelta]

i miss the days when we could walk off POTC and walk right back on, too! one time on these boards i mentioned that our first year of AP's (which we bought less than a month after 9/11) we had many, many nights during january and february when we would get off of POTC and NOS would look totally deserted, it was like we were the only ones there. when i wrote that on the disboards, somebody (CrazyDuck, i think) said something like, "i call B.S.", which i thought was really lame because we did have those kind of nights at DLR during that winter following 9/11. many of them, in fact. they are some of our best family memories ever.

of course, things progressively became more and more crowded, until it didn't feel worth it to renew our AP's anymore. looking back now, i can see that the reason we probably encountered so many seemingly deserted nights at DLR during that first half a year of having AP's was because it was right after 9/11. i have read in the last year that crowds were different after it happened. but i didn't realize back then that it had anything to do with it.

and like you, i get the impression that we can't bank on low crowds anymore, no matter how well we plan. i'm just hoping that our next visit involves less crowding than the last time we were there, but we'll see.

August 2007 on a Sunday we walked on POTC, there was only one other couple on the ride and they were way ahead of us. Did this 3 times in a row. Those were the days.

Jack

 

[CrazyDuck]

i miss the days when we could walk off POTC and walk right back on, too! one time on these boards i mentioned that our first year of AP's (which we bought less than a month after 9/11) we had many, many nights during january and february when we would get off of POTC and NOS would look totally deserted, it was like we were the only ones there. when i wrote that on the disboards, somebody (CrazyDuck, i think) said something like, "i call B.S.", which i thought was really lame because we did have those kind of nights at DLR during that winter following 9/11. many of them, in fact. they are some of our best family memories ever.

I found the post you were talking about: http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?p=27456038&highlight=B.S.#post27456038 I was calling B.S. you you walking around the park when it was empty. It is never empty especially, Fantasyland!

 

[Mugglemama]

August 2007 on a Sunday we walked on POTC, there was only one other couple on the ride and they were way ahead of us. Did this 3 times in a row. Those were the days.

Jack

wow! i wish we could have encountered days like that as late as 2007. once we moved out of state (2003) and couldn't go on chilly winter weeknights anymore, we obviously started missing out on all the super slow times at DLR. i imagine there is still the occasional winter weeknight when lucky guests encounter this type of scenario...i wish i was one of them, lol.

 

[Leofoenget]

Despite all the reports of horrendous crowds, those days are not completely gone. DW & I took DGD6 to DLR right after Thanksgiving. No, we didn't walk off POTC and right back on. We simply stayed on, with the permission of the CM, since there was nobody in line!

-Bob

I was at DL Dec 10-13 and we were able to ride Splash over and over without getting out because it was so empty. (during the week not on the weekend)

 

[happykell]

we just got back from 9 days at dl. we were in the park from the 7th through the 15th. it was so awesomely not crowded for the majority of the time. like several have said, friday night was crazy crowded...to the point that we could barely move through the crowds. we talked about how we wouldn't want to be there for a vacation that was normally that crowded. that said, it was really just the evening that seemed so busy. HM had been closed up until that morning and we rode it 3 times in a row with barely a wait each time (like not even enough time to enjoy the stuff in the yard or hallways), and that was around 10. the day before, thursday, we literally walked onto just about everything with no waiting, our longest wait being Peter Pan and maybe 10-15 minutes. just wanted to say...there are still some low-crowd days left

 

[Sherry E]

It probably will not be too crowded most of this week at DLR. It is supposed to rain all week long, through the weekend (one El Nino storm after another).

 

[pixiewings71]

Well I don't know about down there but it's pouring up here right now...It's crazy wet out there and yes, it's supposed to last all week for us.......crazy!!!

 

[Sherry E]

Well I don't know about down there but it's pouring up here right now...It's crazy wet out there and yes, it's supposed to last all week for us.......crazy!!!

Yep! I assume you also get the dramatic weather people on your local news who delight in telling you that "we are all on Storm Watch," OR they debut their new "Storm Track" graphics. And then, during the worst part of the rain, they send some silly, even more dramatic, anchor person out into the elements in Gorton's Fisherman rain gear to stand there and try to talk into the microphone while being pounded in the face by horizontal rain - JUST so they can let you know exactly "how bad it is out there"!! Hilarious!!! I secretly always hope that some wayward palm from a tree will come swooping down to knock them over!!

So anyone who doesn't mind being in the rain at DLR at all, this is going to be the week for you! Now that the dreaded El Nino has come a-knockin', we will see lots of rain!!

 

[bumbershoot]

And then, during the worst part of the rain, they send some silly, even more dramatic, anchor person out into the elements in Gorton's Fisherman rain gear to stand there and try to talk into the microphone while being pounded in the face by horizontal rain - JUST so they can let you know exactly "how bad it is out there"!! Hilarious!!!

There are two people in the Seattle news shows who always get to stand outside in the horrible weather. Every time there's something cold or hot or windy or whatevery, I know if I watch the news, they'll be out there in their slickers (and the female newsperson with her outback-style Outdoor Research hat on)!

 

[LavenderPeach]

Yep! I assume you also get the dramatic weather people on your local news who delight in telling you that "we are all on Storm Watch," OR they debut their new "Storm Track" graphics. And then, during the worst part of the rain, they send some silly, even more dramatic, anchor person out into the elements in Gorton's Fisherman rain gear to stand there and try to talk into the microphone while being pounded in the face by horizontal rain - JUST so they can let you know exactly "how bad it is out there"!! Hilarious!!! I secretly always hope that some wayward palm from a tree will come swooping down to knock them over!!

So anyone who doesn't mind being in the rain at DLR at all, this is going to be the week for you! Now that the dreaded El Nino has come a-knockin', we will see lots of rain!!

That's hilarious! I'm sure the news people are getting geared up for tonight when they debut (cue dramatic music....) Storm Watch 2010!

 

[Kayla's Mom]

That's hilarious! I'm sure the news people are getting geared up for tonight when they debut (cue dramatic music....) Storm Watch 2010!

We always joke about Storm Watch and the dramatic music they play on the news out here in AZ.

 

[Disney Dreams]

We always joke about Storm Watch and the dramatic music they play on the news out here in AZ.

Okay, but today.... it's pouring! I don't pay to live in So. Cal. for no reason.

 

[LavenderPeach]

Okay, but today.... it's pouring! I don't pay to live in So. Cal. for no reason.

Yes, but it has to rain sometimes so that the news can take a break from reporting about the drought in order to report about the mudslides.

 

[Disney Dreams]

Yes, but it has to rain sometimes so that the news can take a break from reporting about the drought in order to report about the mudslides.

Very true.

Some of you may know the comedian Lewis Black. He has a joke DH and I love.

"The easiest job in the world is the weatherman in San Diego, CA. 'What's the weather like today?' 'Nice, back to you.' " ahahahaha! So true. Except about 15-20 days a year. And then it feels like the sky is falling!

 

[Sherry E]

That's hilarious! I'm sure the news people are getting geared up for tonight when they debut (cue dramatic music....) Storm Watch 2010!

Oh yes! The rain has been very heavy in the last hour or so, as I am sure you have seen, so it gives those silly news people something to play with for a while. It is hard to work the viewers up into a feverish frenzy about the weather when it is merely sprinkling outside. This kind of downpour and blustery wind is what they are praying for! I have already seen pieces of the very, very tall palm tree across the way go flying to the ground as the tree sways back and forth. That is the sort of footage they like to show on...(cue the urgent music again) Storm Watch!!! And then they use the high tech "Storm Track" system to monitor the next few storms that are due to pummel us this week!!