Queues - how long are you used to?!

[Tinkjon]

On previous trips we have usually got on rides with a 5 min queue - I considered 20 mins to be a long queue. But we went last week and it was horrific - 45 minutes was the average queue and 60 wasn't uncommon. I had heard people say that March was busy but when we asked the CM on Casey Jnr he said "no, it's like this all the time".

So my question is - is the CM right, are the days of 5-10 minute queues gone and it *is* always tha busy? Or did we just pick a bad week?! I hate the thought of it always being like this!

 

[DLPdaft]

I think if you usually go to DLP midweek in January or September, you can get used to walk-ons and very short queues.
I usually go midweek but not at those times of the year, and typically POTC and IASW are walk-ons, but queues of 5 minutes up to around 15-20 for the other popular rides in the main park. Having said that, I've never walked on Casey Jnr - always had to queue for that one even when the Storyboats right next to it was a walk-on.

You also had a fair few European countries half term holidays last week (including France) so it would have been a lot busier than the rest of March will be midweek.

 

[mommy2ash]

last week is normal when it is the school holidays. when the kids are in school it is much much quieter. casey jr is a low capacity ride so the queues for that when it is open are very long in any case

 

[jillrobinson]

We've had several weekend trips, so i'm used to long queues, longest we've queued for would be Crush's Coaster, almost 2 hours, that was in March 2009, but again it was a weekend.
I've seen queues of 60-90 mins for Fantasyland rides, but personally would never queue for that length of time for any of them, but we've done hour long queues for BTM, Indianna, Buzz and PM.
On the otherhand in January last year, Mon - Fri we walked on everything

 

[Isila]

so if I'm going 13March I should prepare myself for long queues?

 

[DLPdaft]

on weekend days, until after around 6pm, yes, it will be busy in the parks.

 

[Isila]

So, can I hope for not so crowded Monday?

 

[Rachie B]

We've had several weekend trips, so i'm used to long queues, longest we've queued for would be Crush's Coaster, that was in March 2009, but again it was a weekend.
I've seen queues of 60-90 mins for Fantasyland rides, but personally would never queue for that length of time for any of them, but we've done hour long queues for BTM, Indianna, Buzz and PM.
On the otherhand in January last year, Mon - Fri we walked on everything

pretty much the same for us
as we have only been @ wkends or school hols

longest we have queued for was 60 mins I think

i won't queue for longer TBH !

 

[DLPdaft]

So, can I hope for not so crowded Monday?

weekdays when there are no school holidays are usually lovely and quiet .

 

[Carrie_Cat]

Seeing as I can go any time I won't queue for longer than 15 mins

I'll always avoid weekends and Wednesdays (as primary/junior/lower seniors don't have school so often busy). I'm also more bothered about the Zone B holidays than the Zone C as there are more visitors from the North of France than from the Ile de France

I've never seen less than 40 mins for Crush and more than often 90. I've seen 120)

BTM can be anything from walk on (we rode it 4 times back to back one visit) to 90. POTC the same ..walk on to queuing to the outside entrance)

I really feel for people who have to go in the school holidays or on busy weekends as it is awful to queue,queue,queue

 

[jillrobinson]

so if I'm going 13March I should prepare myself for long queues?

We've had several visits around this time of year, as it coincides with our birthdays. As the years have progressed since our 2004 visit the park has got busier during this period, and as you get nearer the 17th the park will fill up in preparation for the St. Patricks Day celebrations, you will notice the amount of Irish accents around.
I don't think you'll be facing anything like the 60 minute waits mentioned above, (maybe in Fantasyland in the afternoon hence why I always think it's a good idea to make the most of EMH for Fantasyland) but you won't get walk-ons either.

 

[mommy2ash]

We've had several visits around this time of year, as it coincides with our birthdays. As the years have progressed since our 2004 visit the park has got busier during this period, and as you get nearer the 17th the park will fill up in preparation for the St. Patricks Day celebrations, you will notice the amount of Irish accents around.
I don't think you'll be facing anything like the 60 minute waits mentioned above, (maybe in Fantasyland in the afternoon hence why I always think it's a good idea to make the most of EMH for Fantasyland) but you won't get walk-ons either.

we went for st patricks day last year and it was busier than i was used to but nowhere near as busy as this week.

 

[jothp]

We have been twice in early June (once in UK half term and once the week after) Rides like BTM, Peter Pan, Dumbo, Buzz generally had queues of about one hour or a bit more. Other rides like the tea cups, IASW, POTC could be done with queues of 10 minutes at most.
Jo

 

[Isila]

weekdays when there are no school holidays are usually lovely and quiet .

Oh, I hope so. DS isn't patient and there's no way he could wait more than half an hour... We'll get good use of magic hours.

We're leaving on 17th, just have time for magic hours, so I guess we'll avoid the crowds

 

[Tinkjon]

Thanks for the replies, everybody! So maybe the CM was talking specifically about Casey Jr, rather than the park as a whole. Good to know that it is still possible to go with minimal queueing then.