Some help please!!

[DisneyFanatic0921]

Hi everyone i am new to Dis boards i always lurk and read all your amazing posts:good vibes but anyway i had a few questions! So me and my family have been going to Disneyland at least once a year since my children were younger and could get the full effect of disney! Our last trip was last august we stayed for a few days and had a amazing time crowds weren't too bad we went august 10-17 but it was crowded but manageable. Now this is were i need the help i have been reading a lot of posts and seen a lot of pictures and i am super worried cause from what i hear the park's are like really full right now! I am taking my family from August 7-11 and the crowds in the pictures scare me cause i have been to disneyland during christmas and summer but these crowds just look scary to me. Is it really that bad i mean we go ever august for some reason this year i have a bad feeling about the crowd levels maybe cause i am bringing my nephew for his first trip. So i just want to know how will the crowds be August 7-11 will we still have fun even with these big crowds? Is it like shoulder to shoulder traffic that will be a downer on the trip were your just not enjoying your self i was praying lol that the crowds would dye down around the time we are going and with less than 4 days before we leave i don't wanna cancel the trip! Any tips would be helpful sorry for the long post thanks ahead of time

 

[HydroGuy]

I wwas at DLR in late June and will be there again the week of August 15 and one thing I have learned is that crowds are often a matter of perception.

There are many people who stay at DLR thru the heat of the day and that is the worst time. Others take afternoon breaks (which IMO is the best plan during summer) and so they see little of the crowds. Two people. Same day. One says crowds were terrible. The other say crowds were not too bad.

Further, DCA seems much more crowded than normal because of the construction walls and reduced pathways to move around. That was obvious to me in June - and it will get worse before getting better next year.

With all of that I see some reports from people like BlackJackDelta who goes every August and when he says it seems more crowded than usual then he has a good reference point and I pay attention to that.

I have never heard summer being crowded like Christmas holidays and I doubt it is that bad.

That is my two cents.

 

[DisneyFanatic0921]

Thanks for the reply Hydro i guess your right everyone see's the crowds differently so i will just have to get there and see for my self i just wanted this trip to be extra special and magical for my nephew's first ever trip. And would be very worried if the crowds were too much for all of us to handle and would sadden our trip! But i am hoping we can make the best of it a!

 

[MyYearWithTheMouse]

I totally understand your concern, and crowd levels have varied this summer. But I would say you have a couple things going for you--one is that you'll be here for an extended period of time, and two is that you've already been here. I don't know what tickets you're getting (4-day park hoppers?) but over the course of a couple of days, you generally can do pretty much anything you want to. And since you're experienced DLR-ers, and you know your nephew, you already know which attractions will appeal to him the most. I would recommend drafting a list of "must do"s based on your prior experiences and what you think your nephew would like, and then make sure you hit those in particular. Good luck, and have a great visit!

 

[Hound 109]

Welcome to the Disboards Fanatic.

I agree with HG & YearwithMouse in that you need to use your knowledge of the parks (& the many tips here) to avoid the MOST crowded times & bottlenecks. If Jack says it's "a little more crowded" than last year....then it's a little more crowded. Makes it even more important to follow proven strategies to improve touring & avoid crowds & lines.....such as:

- Get to the parks at ropedrop (or MM) each day.
- Do the slow loaders first.
- Know how to collect & use FP.
- Avoid bottleneck areas (in front of ST/BLAB, Adventureland)....especially in the mid or late afternoon.
- Bail on DL (or bail on both parks & head back to your room for a nap or swim) in the mid afternoon when it gets the most crowded.
- Hop to DCA if it gets too crowded at DL. (each day)
- Come back each early evening with 4-5 FPs in your pocket.

Have a great time at Walt's park.

 

[skiingfast]

With all of that I see some reports from people like BlackJackDelta who goes every August and when he says it seems more crowded than usual then he has a good reference point and I pay attention to that.

I have never heard summer being crowded like Christmas holidays and I doubt it is that bad.

I agree with HG & YearwithMouse in that you need to use your knowledge of the parks (& the many tips here) to avoid the MOST crowded times & bottlenecks. If Jack says it's "a little more crowded" than last year....then it's a little more crowded.

I think when Jack and others have been talking about the huge crowds it's due to two irregular things.

In DL, the entrance to Tomorrowland is a mess because of all the people in line and wandering around Star Tours. It seems to be catching people off guard that CMs are directing people to only walk on the right. And with these two thick lines of people moving in one direction and the other it's hard for people to cross, so they get stuck in groups at the edges and middle. But this problem is only about Just keep in mind that this problem only exists on 200 feet of miles of DL pathways.

In DCA, the far majority of people going into the park are not going to ToT, they are going to Soarin, LAUA, TSMM and Screemin. But because of the wall blocking traffic on one side of GRR, the wider path too, everyone is going on the thinner path, which takes you by Soarin and the WoC Showpass distribution. It's not horrible in Condor Flats but when you enter the Golden State you really feel the pinch.

Other than those things it seems to be close to last summer.

 

[HydroGuy]

I think when Jack and others have been talking about the huge crowds it's due to two irregular things.

In DL, the entrance to Tomorrowland is a mess because of all the people in line and wandering around Star Tours. It seems to be catching people off guard that CMs are directing people to only walk on the right. And with these two thick lines of people moving in one direction and the other it's hard for people to cross, so they get stuck in groups at the edges and middle. But this problem is only about Just keep in mind that this problem only exists on 200 feet of miles of DL pathways.

In DCA, the far majority of people going into the park are not going to ToT, they are going to Soarin, LAUA, TSMM and Screemin. But because of the wall blocking traffic on one side of GRR, the wider path too, everyone is going on the thinner path, which takes you by Soarin and the WoC Showpass distribution. It's not horrible in Condor Flats but when you enter the Golden State you really feel the pinch.

Other than those things it seems to be close to last summer.

I noticed this too in June. In general June crowds seemed light (our days all were AP blockout days) but near GRR and DL's TL it was very crowded.