Opinions Needed! Shake up my plan to avoid Labor Day Crowd??

[rznhal]

Hello!
We are all set to leave for Disney World on August 31!!!! We are staying at Animal Kingdom for one night and then moving to POP for 5 nights! We are doing one day in the parks and a Halloween party. We are "paying as we go", so we won't have access to our tickets (fast passes) until after payday this week.


I have been thinking (hah gets me in trouble every time!!!).....my original plan was to enjoy AKL wednesday and thursday, move to POP thursday afternoon, halloween party friday, saturday and sunday outlet shopping and disney springs, monday (labor day) parks, tuesday head home. Am i crazy for opting out of a low crowd day (thursday) in exchange for a super busy day (labor day)?? Here are my thoughts:

CONS-if we do our park day thursday, we will be missing out on the extra time at AKL, and we will be doing back to back parks(kind of, even though we won't go to MK until friday afternoon for the party), which could be tiring and make the rest of our trip less exciting.

PROS-avoiding Labor Day crowds, especially since we won't have FP access until the week before our trip....i hate crowds but the rest of my family doesn't seem horribly bothered by them...we went on Martin Luther King JR. day a couple years ago and survived.

So i guess my question is.....are the crowd levels different enough the Thursday before Labor day versus Labor Day to merit a trip shake up?

All opinons appreciated!!!!!!!! Thanks!!!!!=)

 

[richmo]

Honestly, I think Labor Day is the one Monday holiday during the year that just doesn't see the crowds. I'd hardly take it into account with your planning. I took a quick peek at the crowd calendar in easyWdw and they have it as a 3...less than the rest of the weekend.

 

[drdrowsy]

i was going to say the same thing-- labor day has tended to be not so busy in the past.

 

[rznhal]

ok that makes me feel better...i was so looking forward to reading my book down at the lobby fireplace our morning at AKL

Thank you for the responses!!!!!

 

[wdw4rfam]

Sunday is the busy day of Labor Day weekend. Labor days isn't usually bad.

 

[disneymom0104]

I agree- crowds peak on Sunday and then lessen by Monday afternoon for sure.

 

[tinkerbella16]

Sunday is the busy day of Labor Day weekend. Labor days isn't usually bad.

I noticed this when planning our days. Sunday, 9/4 is the highest crowd level prediction, than the actual holiday and rest of our days. Of course that just so happens to be our first full day and MK day. They already extended MK hours to midnight that day, so I am expecting it the most crowded day that we will likely experience all week.

 

[tessiesevin]

We go Labor Day week every year. It's my favorite time of the year. I follow touringplans crowd level. The highest is Labor Day at a level 4. This year it is a level 9 at Animal Kingdom !!!!! We spent two weeks in Disney this summer. I just can't imagine it being that busy but I can't wait to see.

 

[Jadyreen1282]

We're there every labor day. Crowds have never affected us.

 

[rznhal]

We go Labor Day week every year. It's my favorite time of the year. I follow touringplans crowd level. The highest is Labor Day at a level 4. This year it is a level 9 at Animal Kingdom !!!!! We spent two weeks in Disney this summer. I just can't imagine it being that busy but I can't wait to see.

why do you think they have it so high at animal kingdom?

 

[PeasandCarrots]

I was there from Thursday - Tuesday last year over Labor Day and while there were a few more people on Sat-Mon it still wasn't very crowded compared to almost any other time of the year.

 

[brockash]

Hello!
We are all set to leave for Disney World on August 31!!!! We are staying at Animal Kingdom for one night and then moving to POP for 5 nights! We are doing one day in the parks and a Halloween party. We are "paying as we go", so we won't have access to our tickets (fast passes) until after payday this week.


I have been thinking (hah gets me in trouble every time!!!).....my original plan was to enjoy AKL wednesday and thursday, move to POP thursday afternoon, halloween party friday, saturday and sunday outlet shopping and disney springs, monday (labor day) parks, tuesday head home. Am i crazy for opting out of a low crowd day (thursday) in exchange for a super busy day (labor day)?? Here are my thoughts:

CONS-if we do our park day thursday, we will be missing out on the extra time at AKL, and we will be doing back to back parks(kind of, even though we won't go to MK until friday afternoon for the party), which could be tiring and make the rest of our trip less exciting.

PROS-avoiding Labor Day crowds, especially since we won't have FP access until the week before our trip....i hate crowds but the rest of my family doesn't seem horribly bothered by them...we went on Martin Luther King JR. day a couple years ago and survived.

So i guess my question is.....are the crowd levels different enough the Thursday before Labor day versus Labor Day to merit a trip shake up?

All opinons appreciated!!!!!!!! Thanks!!!!!=)

Labor day (Mon.) won't be busy...the weekend before, yes, but actual Labor day won't be. We go that time every year and Labor day is no busier than the Thurs. before. Stick to your original plan.

 

[Malibustyle23]

why do you think they have it so high at animal kingdom?

Is that the last day of the Jungle Book performance?

 

[rznhal]

Is that the last day of the Jungle Book performance?

ahhh maybe......

 

[jlnten17]

We are going to be in the parks over Labor Day as well. I would stick with your original plan, plus Monday MK is open 9-11pm as opposed to 9-9pm the Thursday prior.

 

[Mofang]

Labor Day Monday has been predicted as bad for Animal Kingdom by several sources since long before the Jungle Book end date was known; I'm assuming that the extra magic hours have a lot to do with the prediction. AK also was particularly slammed unexpectedly on Labor Day weekend last year - for no particular reason anyone could figure out - and that may be getting factored into the predictions for this year as well.

http://blog.touringplans.com/2015/09/15/disney-world-crowd-calendar-report-september-6-to-12-2015/ is interesting reading on last year's data and may be helpful. (There's also data on the week prior: http://blog.touringplans.com/2015/0...alendar-report-august-30-to-september-5-2015/ ) So there was a meaningful difference between the two days you're considering in 2015. Keep in mind, though, that Labor Day was much later than usual last year...

Here's hoping the predictions are off and that things are a little calmer this year than last! We have a plan for coping with the highest crowd day on Sunday (hit DHS early in the morning, then retreat from the parks by lunch and enjoy a hard ticket event at our resort in the afternoon)... but we are (perhaps foolishly) planning on AK for Monday, and if that's also bad we might be scheduling an impromptu Disney Springs day and trying again later in the week.

 

[SDSorority]

Yep I wouldn't worry too much about Labor Day crowds. That's a heavy travel day, since people have to work the following day. I would totally hang out and enjoy AKL- that fireplace is so cozy! For Labor Day, arrive close to rope drop if you can and schedule Fastpasses for early in the day, and add as soon as you have scanned your Magic Band for your 3rd one. I would equate the crowds on Labor Day itself to be similar to October/November crowds. You'll be fine!

 

[rznhal]

We are going to be in the parks over Labor Day as well. I would stick with your original plan, plus Monday MK is open 9-11pm as opposed to 9-9pm the Thursday prior.

Great point!!!!!

http://blog.touringplans.com/2015/09/15/disney-world-crowd-calendar-report-september-6-to-12-2015/ is interesting reading on last year's data and may be helpful. (There's also data on the week prior: http://blog.touringplans.com/2015/0...alendar-report-august-30-to-september-5-2015/ ) So there was a meaningful difference between the two days you're considering in 2015. Keep in mind, though, that Labor Day was much later than usual last year...

Here's hoping the predictions are off and that things are a little calmer this year than last! We have a plan for coping with the highest crowd day on Sunday (hit DHS early in the morning, then retreat from the parks by lunch and enjoy a hard ticket event at our resort in the afternoon)... but we are (perhaps foolishly) planning on AK for Monday, and if that's also bad we might be scheduling an impromptu Disney Springs day and trying again later in the week.

Thanks for the articles!!! Now i have lunchtime reading for today!!!!!

 

[tessiesevin]

http://blog.touringplans.com/2015/09/15/disney-world-crowd-calendar-report-september-6-to-12-2015/ is interesting reading on last year's data and may be helpful. (There's also data on the week prior: http://blog.touringplans.com/2015/0...alendar-report-august-30-to-september-5-2015/ ) So there was a meaningful difference between the two days you're considering in 2015. Keep in mind, though, that Labor Day was much later than usual last year...

WOW Thanks! My subscription expired so I couldn't compare the previous years. Now I feel better.

 

[Mammachick]

We are arriving Sept 2 thru Sept 9. Can someone give me more info on Jungle book? Should we hit AK on the 3rd and avoind the proposed Sunday crowd to see it? That is our 1st day of passes.