Pandora Opening: Crowd Impact

[Darcy03231]

We're going the end of August as DH specifically wants to see Pandora. Rather than a separate trip we're taking a few days on post-cruise since we'll already be in Florida. I'm expecting long lines and am hoping that I can get fast-passes for both rides, even if we have to do them on separate days. We're staying at AKL so getting there will be pretty easy. We also have park hoppers so once he's seen Pandora we can go do something else if its too crowded.

 

[Zippa D Doodah]

Without tiers I think it will be chaos.
DS even suggested that AK is a park that could actually support 3 tiers.
He broke it out for me and it made sense.
Personally I hope it is tiers so onsite guests don't scoop up all the FP+ for the two rides and ROL.
Especially since the banshee, depending on how many theaters would likely load much slower than Soarin'.

Agreed. What do I know, but tiering seems like a necessity at AK post-Pandora. I can imagine two tiers with the two Pandora rides (or maybe just Banshee), Everest, and RoL at the top. I still think Banshee FPs will be rarer than hen's teeth this summer for all but on-site guests who get them between 31-60 days in advance.

 

[Bullseye]

We arrive June 3rd and were trying to decide between Thursday 6/8 or Friday 6/9 at AK (and MK the other day). I was tempted to do AK on Friday but now with Pandora, I believe local traffic will increase on weekends, therefore I think Thursday *may* be slightly better. Of course, that is all speculation on my part.

We also arrive on June 3rd. We're going to AK on 6/10 because its an AM EMH. I didn't think about additional weekend traffic but at the time I made my plans Pandora wasn't announced yet. Anyway, I think there will be a marked increase in AK attendance over the entire summer. We're just going to go early, use FP, and just deal with the crowds the best we can.

 

[GotLabradors]

It will be interesting to see how Pandora affects the crowds at AK and the number of people choosing to stay at AKL. AKL is not a resort of choice for us because we prefer to spend the majority of our time at MK and EPCOT. The trailer looks beautiful and I would love to go just to see what Disney Imagineers were able to create even though I wasn't blown away by the movie. I do think the waits will be worse than FEA since Pandora is geared to a broader demographic of people.

 

[Grace&Carolinesmom]

FWIW....I have rearranged my itinerary for end of August to include AK on a Thurs AM and then again on a Mon PM. My thought process is as such..

A- I am avoiding Fri, Sat, and Sun for larger resident and weekender guests
B- I want to first see the new land in the daytime to get my bearings before a dark visit
C- If they add tiers, worst case scenario gives me a chance to FP at least 2 out of 3(incl ROL)
D- We always do EE at RD and have no prob riding it back to back so many times we get dizzy. I see the lines stacking up for Avatar to make this even more true.

Not sure why, but we always find AK to be the hottest park even though it is the shadiest. Maybe lack of air flow? I REALLY hope the cues for the new rides have lots of fans or it may be unbearable for long waits. 3 years ago we waited for over 5 hours to get on Gringotts (crazy...IK) because the ride kept breaking down. It was actually not bad because most of the cue was inside with great air conditioning and they would let you leave the line to use the facilities.

 

[ArielSRL]

We also arrive on June 3rd. We're going to AK on 6/10 because its an AM EMH. I didn't think about additional weekend traffic but at the time I made my plans Pandora wasn't announced yet. Anyway, I think there will be a marked increase in AK attendance over the entire summer. We just going to go early, use FP, and just deal with the crowds the best we can.

Honestly, I was already debating about the two days bc of MK AMH being on Friday and wondering if it would cause MK to be too busy....so I had duplicate ADRs for both days. Once Pandora was officially announced, I made my final decision of AK on Thursday and MK on Friday and deleted the duplicate ADRs I didn't need.

Just worked out for me. But yes, it's going to be a madhouse all the days, I think! Lol.

 

[GotLabradors]

What else will be ready to go at opening beside the boat ride and the banshee ride? Will there be any walking trails like in other parts of AK? I assume there will eventually be restaurants and shops, but will those open in May as well?

 

[alex9179]

What else will be ready to go at opening beside the boat ride and the banshee ride? Will there be any walking trails like in other parts of AK? I assume there will eventually be restaurants and shops, but will those open in May as well?

Thoughts on the Rumors & News forum is that the whole area will be open. Rides, shop, and some kind of eatery that hasn't been determined, yet. Given the tests we've seen, meandering around Pandora at night should be immersive.