Question about Crowd Calendars...

[OhanaMomma]

I subscribed to Touring Plans' Crowd Calendar and booked all my dining based on low crowd levels. One of my Epcot nights (11/13) states it's a low crowd day. But this got me thinking- isn't that the last night of F&W festival? So, does Touring Plans take special events into consideration when making their crowd level predictions?
This may seem like an obvious "yes" to more seasoned members- but I am still getting the hang of this and am just seeking confirmation.
Any input is appreciated.

 

[Chippy4]

If you look at that day on the Touring Plans crowd calendar, this is what it says under Epcot:

• NOTE: These estimates are only based on wait times. The crowd estimates do NOT factor in the Food & Wine Festival.

 

[Elizabeth Smith]

With touring plans, they are updated every several weeks/months, and the crowd level reports will update throughout the day. Plus, like Chippy says, it's more of a wait time calendar than a true crowd calendar. In some ways F&W will affect lines, but it could also possibly pull folks out of the queues to enjoy the festival itself.

 

[OhanaMomma]

If you look at that day on the Touring Plans crowd calendar, this is what it says under Epcot:

• NOTE: These estimates are only based on wait times. The crowd estimates do NOT factor in the Food & Wine Festival.

D'oh! Totally missed that!!!

 

[notrub98]

I was there on the last day last year and it was packed! I would avoid it.

 

[cigar95]

The quoted text on F&W can be a bit misleading.
To the extent that F&W brings more people that will make wait times longer, it is included. What Fred and gang are saying is that the extra crowds around Epcot that make the place feel like a zoo are not part of the crowd level determination. It's only to the extent that they impact the wait times. F&W is an unusual situation because there are more than the usual number who are in the park and taking up space, but *not* in attraction lines. There are "wait times" at the food booths that aren't regular attractions and aren't included.
If I recall, TP crowd calendar calculations includes about 200-250 different data points. Special events are part of that calculus.