Park Crowds on a 4, 5 or 6 day???

[Porsche4]

I have always visited the parks previously on a 2 or 3 crowd level day. This time round the only time we can visit is when the crowd levels are predicted to be 4,5 & 6. Obviously I realise that means a lot more people but can anyone give me an idea of wait times on a day like this. At a crowd level of 2 or 3 we could just about walk onto anything we wanted bar the real biggies. I am planning on buying G+ for a few of the days we are there but as my daughter and I don't cope well in big crowds some insight as to what we can expect would be great. Thanks

 

[dieumeye]

Don't put too much faith in crowd calendars at Disneyland. They are notoriously inaccurate, and now with the reservations system, all bets are off. To see what wait times look like, download the app and check throughout the day. You can get a feel for AM vs PM, weekdays vs weekends, etc.

The best advice for crowds is: plan for it to be crowded, and you'll never be disappointed!

 

[jason417]

I agree with dieumeye. I’ve learned to base my visits on when works best for me, not on crowd calendars. It’s a real bummer when a crowd calendar predicts low crowds and then it’s not if that was the reason you chose those dates, especially since that will often mean the operating hours are less.
But to answer your question, you can go to TouringPlans’ website and see how their crowd numbers are defined for Disneyland. As an example, a 2-3 crowd day yields a 29-34 minute wait for Space Mountain while a 4-6 crowd day is 38-47 minutes. In general, a 6 doesn’t mean it’s twice as busy as a 3.

 

[dieumeye]

Another thing that crowd calendars don't necessarily reflect is that staffing has a lot to do with how crowded the park feels. A "low crowd" day can still feel crowded if park hours are short, attractions aren't running at full capacity, dining locations open later, etc. And a "high crowd" day can feel easier to manage if the park has longer hours, attractions are operating at full capacity, dining locations are fully staffed, entertainment is running frequently, etc.

 

[jason417]

The above is definitely true. I tend to enjoy our trips more overall on what are supposedly higher crowd days, except for shows (when those are a thing), because of those reasons.

 

[Wilcojoe]

Yesterday they extended park hours for the week of 3/7 (when were there) from 8-9 to 8-10. I am guessing they are expecting bigger crowds.

 

[avalon451]

Yes, those crowd calendars really mean nothing. Especially since the pandemic; they can't predict accurately at all. Your best bet is to keep an eye on the app, especially in the week before you go; see what a Tuesday looks like vs. a Thursday, etc.

 

[PlutoIsHere]

I never understood crowd predictors beyond the obvious holidays and weekend stuff. Everyone's definition of busy and crowded is so different that trying to identify the difference between a 2 and a 4 seems impossible to me. Regardless, nowadays most things I read on here point to most days being crowded. If you're sensitive to large crowds probably best to prepare for the worst and be happy if its less busy.

 

[Guy in Fargo]

I haven't thought much of crowd trackers for almost a decade.

There are general guidelines in terms of day of the week, week of the year, school breaks, weather.

As noted, busier days typically have longer hours, more staff, more to do.

I pick days based on my family's availability and then hope that it rains.