So...How Were the Jersey Week Crowds Last Week?

[tardin1964]

Was it very crowded by the end of the week?

 

[jakezmom]

I just got back yesterday and found the crowds to be low compared to when we went last July. The weather was pretty good too. We got to the parks early and had very close parking. We walked on all of the main attractions(the most was 10 min wait) when we arrived at 9 am. By 11:00 a.m the park started to get crowded.

I definatly would do Jersey week again!

We are nuts and are thinking about Spring break 2008 now. I know the crowds will be bad but we can't do Jersey week in 2008.

 

[SnwflkCts]

Just as Jakezmom said. Very managable in the morning ... started to really get very crowded in the afternoon. We were there for a short trip.

The two FULL days, we left MK and AK at 3 PM.

Epcot the evening we arrived (11/8) was pretty crowded in World Showcase for F&W but otherwise, pretty good. We got Fast Passes for Test Track ... but didn't bother to go near Soarin' so I am not sure what that was like. Walked on Mission Space. Rode Nemo twice and walk on to Figment and HISTK. PS ... if you haven't played in the area after Figment with the photos and morphing them and stuff ... I highly recommend it!

At MK (11/9), we took advantage of Extra Magic Hours (morning) and had no problem getting onto rides. We did FP Thunder Mountain and lucked out on Space Mountain since it had just reopened after a problem.

Was at AK for rope drop (11/10)... it was wild at that moment. Of course DH and I were in the throngs headed towards EE. We did get fast passes for EE and then went elsewhere. Later got fast passes for the Safari. Kali (we don't ride) was out of Fast Passes by 11:00. All other rides were walk ons though I think we fast passed Dinosaur too.

So ... all in all Jersey Week was fine. People were very nice ... no problems ... CMs were all smiling. We had a great time! We would go again at this time with no qualms.

 

[Laurycurr]

We were there from Saturday 11-4 to Friday 11-10 The crowds were very managebale, as always mornings were the best also found the extra evening hours helpful, Friday we were at Magic Kingdom and it was very crowded but it also was the start of Super Soap Weekend, we were there last year at the same time and it seemed a little less crowded this year.

 

[followme2disney]

There were a lot of people walking around but the lines were very manageable.

 

[tripplanner]

It felt pretty crowded to me during the entire week. There were some rides that had small waits, but here are some of the wait times we encountered:

45 minutes Nemo
60 & 75 minutes Soarin
50 minutes Test Track
45 minutes Kilmanjaro Safari
20 minutes Haunted Mansion

We did the extra magic hours and found that we could pretty much walk on or at most wait 10/15 minutes for everything during those times. It was a great time to go. The weather was wonderful and the majority of the people were nice. We experienced a couple of line breakers (party of more than 12) and encountered a woman who loudly talked throughout the entire Sounds Dangerous show because she didn't realize it would be dark. Other than that it was a great time to go.

 

[lucky1]

We just returned last night. We were a bit worried before the trip because this is the first time we would ever do a complete Jersey week, generally we would just hit the beginning or the end of Jersey week with our normal vacation times. The crowds were very managable and the bus crowds were okay. Everyone we met from New Jersey, were extremely nice and helpful. Giving up seats in the bus for children and elders, letting our DD squeeze in with their families while watching parades on the curbs and just overall making it enjoyable while waiting in line.

Most of the long rides we encountered were about 20 minutes. We avoided anything that had listed long waits 120 for Soaring at some points, but we did this with Fastpass or during EE with less than a 10 minute wait. Other than most ADR taken during the week... the crowds were very manageable. Just stay away from MGM on SuperSoap weekend. It was packed even the Friday before with some of the pre-events and the busses on Saturday and Sunday were packed.

 

[luvdiz]

We were at MK on 11/5 and it was crowded. Lines were 40 - 60 minutes. The waits in the Fast Pass lines were 20 minutes which I had not seen before. At one point, the fast pass line for Peter Pan was out the ropes about 30 poeple. Of course this was mid-day, it was probably better early morning.

 

[Mystry62]

Went tothe last day of F&W @ EPCOT yesterday, and it wasn't too bad. I expected it to be much worse for it being the last day. The only long waits were for TT (20 minutes) and Soarin (quoted as a 55min wait, but was only about 20).

 

[mom22boys]

There were a lot of people walking around but the lines were very manageable.

That was our assessment after Jersey Week 2005 too.

 

[CleveRocks]

We were there from Saturday 11-4 to Friday 11-10 The crowds were very managebale, as always mornings were the best also found the extra evening hours helpful, Friday we were at Magic Kingdom and it was very crowded

Hey, did I write this??? Because I could have. This was my exact same experience. Friday morning (11/10) and early afternoon at MK made me glad I was leaving that afternoon, because the crowds were MUCH thicker than day than on previous days. There was actually a 15 minute standby wait for Mickey's PhilharMagic, and you could see people waiting in the queue outside the building -- I've NEVER waited in an actual line to get into that before.

 

[goofygal71]

It had it's good days and bad days last week. I met more people from Jersey than I care to mention. Wed. was by far the best day in the MK, the rest was busy, not summer time busy, but a little congested. I'm an off season kind of gal, so seemed busy to me personally. Animal Kingdom wasn't really bad, we waited 30 min for the safari, but it was about 50 min most of the time for Everest. (Awesome, Awesome ride!) The Fastpasses went super quick. Epcot was fine the whole week, no problems or long waits really. MGM was nice, no real waits there either.

 

[Jim from Jersey]

Everyone we met from New Jersey, were extremely nice and helpful. Giving up seats in the bus for children and elders, letting our DD squeeze in with their families while watching parades on the curbs and just overall making it enjoyable while waiting in line.

It had it's good days and bad days last week. I met more people from Jersey than I care to mention.

This sounds kind of funny....almost like it is assumed NJ comes to Disney and causes havoc for a week. See, we're not mean people! LOL Glad to hear that my fellow "Jerseyans" represented the state well! As my 4 yo grows up, I am sure I will be one of the "Jerseyans" who come down for that dreaded week in Nov. Don't worry though....whether it be Jersey week or any other time of the year, I will always give up my seat on the bus....it's just the way I was brought up - in NJ no less! Jim

(PS Lucky1 & goofygal, I know you meant no disrespect, I'm just being silly!)

 

[tardin1964]

With the amount of activity leading up to Jersey Week here on the Dis Boards it seemed like it might be the busiest Jersey Week yet. I'm glad to hear it wasn't too crazy.

 

[Jennasis]

Perhaps we were always in the wrong place (park) at the wrong time (day) but to me the crowds were REDONKULOUS! Luckily, the nice weather coupled with our park savvy, made it so that we didn't have to wait much for anything. Food lines were outrageous, no walk-up ADR's available (but that's not new is it...), parade routes were jammed. We arrived on Thursday for Fantasmic an HOUR early and it was standing room only (way back in the upper left corner) and even that space was full. Never ahd that happen before. Some examples:

Thursday at MGM:
At park openeing, lines for ToT and RnR were 20 and 30 minutes respectively. Lights Motors Action was packed to capacity as was Indy. There was a 30 minute wait for the backstage tour.

Friday at AK:
At park opening, Everest was 40 minutes. Dino never dipped below a 30 minute wait. Safari was 30.

Saturday at Epcot:
75 minute wait at Soarin...90 at TT!!!! MS wavered between 20 and 45.

Sunday at MK:
Quieter but still crowded. Most waits were listed as 20 or 30 (50 for Peter Pan???)

However, anytime we waited on a line, the wait was never as long as the posted sign. We FP just about everything and were able to finish each park in one day.

 

[MinMouse]

We were there November 4-11. We found Jersey Week to be busy but not unmanageable with the exception of getting an ADR once onsite. It was our first trip with the DDP and we had made all but two of the ADRs we wanted. I planned on doing the others on the fly as we had done in the past . . . impossible. As for the parks, the weekend was busy but the beginning of the week was fine. Then by the end of the week the crowds were really getting thick. But as always you can get a lot done if you get to the park by the opening and then just enjoy the rest of the day. Another factor was that some Florida schools had off on the 10th and we ran into quite a few locals that day. We did go during Jersey week in 2004 and this week seemed much busier . . . wouldn't stop us from going again during the great November weather though. Also my kids had a few days off too so I think it made it a great week for a lot of folks, not just my Jersey neighbors.

 

[tardin1964]

I think Jersey Week will stay a little extra busy when it...Election Day and Veterans Day all fall on the same week. In a few years Veterans Day will start falling the week after Jersey Week so the week should calm down a bit again....

Hey...nothing like planning ahead

 

[STEAMBOAT209]

A work buddy and his family just returned, they were there all last week, he said the crowds were lower than he expected. Ride lines were hardly at all, they only waited at the most 10 min otherwise they walked on the rides.