Sunday busy?

[brooker]

Is Sunday(1st week of May) traditionally as busy as a Saturday? For those that have been there, what is the average wait times by noon in the regular lines?

 

[lovetheparks]

Is Sunday(1st week of May) traditionally as busy as a Saturday? For those that have been there, what is the average wait times by noon in the regular lines?

I can't speak to the wait times but generally that week is a fantastic week to go since the Mardi Gras/Spring Break crowds are no longer. I'll actually be there the 5-7.

I love going on Sundays - especially Sunday mornings. If you can, go early and I assure you, you will have gotten so much done by noon.

 

[brooker]

I can't speak to the wait times but generally that week is a fantastic week to go since the Mardi Gras/Spring Break crowds are no longer. I'll actually be there the 5-7.

I love going on Sundays - especially Sunday mornings. If you can, go early and I assure you, you will have gotten so much done by noon.

We are going there 4th,5th and 6th. We are suppose to be staying at RPh but the extra cost is really making me rethink it. I just found the Rodeway Inn for about $150 compared to RPh for $497 plus the upgrade of another $100 to the annual pass. I just don't if staying on site, even though its a weekend, is worth all the extra money.

 

[lovetheparks]

I totally understand your logic and that's alot of money.

For us, it's worth it because we are bringing the doggies and they can stay at the HRH with us and we'll never be gone too long to leave them in the room. It's our own little family vacation.

I just looked at my dates again and the nights we are actually staying are 4-5 and leaving on the 6th.

 

[yaytezIOA]

It is extra money, but in my opinion it is worth it. For you it doesnt matter how long the lines are because you have the free express. And while everyone else is filing into the parking lot and walking you are either walking from your hotel room or you are riding the boats over. Then when everyone else is trying to get out you are already back at your room. I would check to see if you could get a better rate....maybe go ahead and buy your AP's....and see what the AP rate is.
The hotels are superb, and the rodeway inn is kinda ................... not good.

 

[brooker]

It is extra money, but in my opinion it is worth it. For you it doesnt matter how long the lines are because you have the free express. And while everyone else is filing into the parking lot and walking you are either walking from your hotel room or you are riding the boats over. Then when everyone else is trying to get out you are already back at your room. I would check to see if you could get a better rate....maybe go ahead and buy your AP's....and see what the AP rate is.
The hotels are superb, and the rodeway inn is kinda ................... not good.

I have checked out the rates...the best with the AP was $147 per night. Worked out to $497 all taxes in. Plus I had to upgrade from the $86 ticket to AP...another $100. I read a lot of reviews and although its no 4 star it got decent reviews on tripadvisor.com.....and the rate was down to 45$ per night. Even if the 3 of us get a Express pass, we still be way ahead cost wise...the Ep is only $20 for our dates. And really we will only spend from around 12 hours a day at the Rodeway and its only for 3 nights. I personally love the idea of FOTL...but with our high costs as it already is I just couldn't justify another $450.

 

[macraven]

brooker, if the express passes are $20 on the days you want to go, that is an indication of lower crowds.

don't buy them until you are there to see if you really need them.

if it were me, i would bite the bullet and stay on site with that $147 rate.

if all of you got the ex pass, what would it add up to for the entire time you were there? if you stayed on site, consider that extra charge a bonus of what you are saving. subtract the numbers from the hotel charge and if you are only behind $30, then stay on site.


or you can have the best of both worlds. stay the last night on site and you will have fotl perks for two full days. the day you spend the night and the day you check out all in your party will have fotl on check out day.

 

[brooker]

brooker, if the express passes are $20 on the days you want to go, that is an indication of lower crowds.

don't buy them until you are there to see if you really need them.

if it were me, i would bite the bullet and stay on site with that $147 rate.

if all of you got the ex pass, what would it add up to for the entire time you were there? if you stayed on site, consider that extra charge a bonus of what you are saving. subtract the numbers from the hotel charge and if you are only behind $30, then stay on site.


or you can have the best of both worlds. stay the last night on site and you will have fotl perks for two full days. the day you spend the night and the day you check out all in your party will have fotl on check out day.

I had full intentions of biting it...lol. But when I compared the prices...I just couldn't do it. If we got express for us for 2 days it would still only be $120 more. Coming in from Canada we have to factor in the exchange rate as well which is good now I must admit. But just to break it down for you. Our stay at RPH with the AP rate would be approximately $670 Canadian for 3 nights. At the Rodeway...I know its no 4 star...but its only $210 Canadian. If I were to get a Express pass for our 3 days we are planning it would cost us $180 total...plus the 210 which is still only $390....we would still be saving $280. I posted some time ago about splitting or trip up into 3 hotels but most felt it was too much. We have 4 days at Disney and we have 3 for Universal.....We had to get another place for those last 3 nights. If I were to get the RPH for our last night it would still be at $270 Canadian....but we wouldn't get the benifits of 2 days FOTL because we leave very early after our last night.....Next time we ar going to allow for more days....as 7 just isn't enough to do all we wanted to do. MAcreven...have you found that Sunday is as bad as a typical Saturday in early May, or do they start to slow a bit..I thought I read here somewhere that someone was to US during a slower time, and while Saturday was busy Sunday was slow.

 

[lovetheparks]

MAcreven...have you found that Sunday is as bad as a typical Saturday in early May, or do they start to slow a bit..I thought I read here somewhere that someone was to US during a slower time, and while Saturday was busy Sunday was slow.

Not Macraven but yes, Sundays are much slower - especially in the mornings. If you get there early it will definitely pay off.

I live only an hour away and DH and I often go over just until 11-12 when the crowds start rolling in and by then we've almost always done our fair share.

 

[brooker]

Not Macraven but yes, Sundays are much slower - especially in the mornings. If you get there early it will definitely pay off.

I live only an hour away and DH and I often go over just until 11-12 when the crowds start rolling in and by then we've almost always done our fair share.

Thanks for the info. We will have Friday and Saturday for sure....and Sunday if we need it. We are planning on being there before opening.....bteween 8 and 8:30 each day. May 4-6. Like I said if it comes down to it we will get the express pass, I hate the 1 ride limit rule though. But it'll do if we need it.

 

[macraven]

my ears were burning.....here i am..


yes, saturdays have the crowds, sundays are much slower

 

[brooker]

my ears were burning.....here i am..


yes, saturdays have the crowds, sundays are much slower

Just out of curiousity...why is it that Sunday would be much slower? Is it that the locals have better things to do or is one day enough for the local people?

 

[yaytezIOA]

I cant speak for everyone, but I know we hit the parks on Saturdays because we can go and have a good time without having to worry about rushing back home. We can stay out later and not have to worry about getting up early....then again I live about 2 hours away so I'm not exactly local.

 

[macraven]

Just out of curiousity...why is it that Sunday would be much slower? Is it that the locals have better things to do or is one day enough for the local people?

a couple of reasons factor into that.

tourist usually travel on weekends. if they have a long stay, they use the weekends to help extend their trips. arrive on a saturday and the following week leave on the sunday.
many leave on sunday for the airport as they go back to work on monday.

locals have to work the next day and need time to organize for the work week which many do on sunday afternoon, early evening.

if a floridan lives outside the orlando area, they could have an hour or two drive to return home. sundays can be busy if the next day of monday is a holiday. think columbus day weekend or memorial day weekend.
other than that, sundays don't have the crowds that saturday do.

 

[brooker]

a couple of reasons factor into that.

tourist usually travel on weekends. if they have a long stay, they use the weekends to help extend their trips. arrive on a saturday and the following week leave on the sunday.
many leave on sunday for the airport as they go back to work on monday.

locals have to work the next day and need time to organize for the work week which many do on sunday afternoon, early evening.

if a floridan lives outside the orlando area, they could have an hour or two drive to return home. sundays can be busy if the next day of monday is a holiday. think columbus day weekend or memorial day weekend.
other than that, sundays don't have the crowds that saturday do.

Ok..that makes a lot of sense when you think about it. Anyway we decided that we will arrive early Friday morning to IOA spend most the day there hoping to get the main atractions done. Saturday we may get a 2 park express pass ($105 for 3 of us) and get everything done at least once in both parks. Then Sunday if necessary we will go to US for the majority if the day. If we feel we have gotten a lot done of Friday and Saturday we might just take a rest/shopping day or maybe go back to WDW for our last day in Orlando. We have our first 4 days on Disney property so it will nice to see a lillte different scenery for our last 3 days.

 

[englishteacha]

Are Sundays as slow as a weekday in summertime? Are some weekdays busier than others?

 

[macraven]

Ok..that makes a lot of sense when you think about it. Anyway we decided that we will arrive early Friday morning to IOA spend most the day there hoping to get the main atractions done. Saturday we may get a 2 park express pass ($105 for 3 of us) and get everything done at least once in both parks. Then Sunday if necessary we will go to US for the majority if the day. If we feel we have gotten a lot done of Friday and Saturday we might just take a rest/shopping day or maybe go back to WDW for our last day in Orlando. We have our first 4 days on Disney property so it will nice to see a lillte different scenery for our last 3 days.

brooker, sounds like you have a plan.

be at the park early. be at the garage 7:45 and in line to enter and park when it opens at 8.
be at the ticket turnstile at 8:15. gates will open early if there is a line waiting to get in.
not all rides will be open at 8:30 but some will be. do those rides first then move on to the others. when the crowds come at 11ish, you will have seen and done a lot without the crowds.

i know they only sell a certain number of express passes each day.
if you could wait and see what you have left to do at the park, then decide if you want to spend the money on the passes.

if you start at IOA and finish by noon then head to the other park, you might want to buy the express pass for that park if it is crowded.

the express pass is only valid at the park you buy it in.

 

[macraven]

Are Sundays as slow as a weekday in summertime? Are some weekdays busier than others?

sundays are not a slow day compared to the weekdays necessarily.
if a local takes vacation days from work, goes to the park on a sunday, there is not need for that family to leave early

same thing for the tourist that has to fly out on a sunday. they have extended their vacation by utilizing the weekends and usually leave on sunday. this is what i have observed for summer months at the park.

sundays is lighter than saturdays.
i have found that tues,wed, thursdays have been the lightest when i have gone.

the last 4 years i have gone in june and back again in october to UO.
for october, i do a 5 day stay from thursday to monday.
the thursday is a light day for crowds.

i have found that the end of august and month of september the parks do not have crowds. maybe saturday would be the only day where you would encounter them.

once summer is over, the large, wall to wall people crowds are gone.
then on weekends, you will have some crowds on saturdays rather than sundays.


lots of locals and floridians enjoy going to the park on the weekend.
especially if floridian rates are in effect for the on site hotels.

 

[brooker]

brooker, sounds like you have a plan.

be at the park early. be at the garage 7:45 and in line to enter and park when it opens at 8.
be at the ticket turnstile at 8:15. gates will open early if there is a line waiting to get in.
not all rides will be open at 8:30 but some will be. do those rides first then move on to the others. when the crowds come at 11ish, you will have seen and done a lot without the crowds.

i know they only sell a certain number of express passes each day.
if you could wait and see what you have left to do at the park, then decide if you want to spend the money on the passes.

if you start at IOA and finish by noon then head to the other park, you might want to buy the express pass for that park if it is crowded.

the express pass is only valid at the park you buy it in.

Thats why we might get the 2 park\1 day pass if necessary..you can save a little money by doing it that way. We wil be in Orlando April 30th so its about time we got it organized I guess..lol.

 

[macraven]

Thats why we might get the 2 park\1 day pass if necessary..you can save a little money by doing it that way. We wil be in Orlando April 30th so its about time we got it organized I guess..lol.

brooker, i don't think the park should be crowded on the 30th.
i just checked the calendar and it shows both parks closing at 7 pm that date.

usually right after spring break, the crowds are gone and the place is quite empty. first week of may usually is a great time to be in the parks.


i hope you have a great time. be sure to post and let us all know if you ran into any crowds.

be at the park early like i posted before. the secret is to start early and stay ahead of the crowds.
eat at off times. crowds start at 11 if there are going to be any.
eat lunch at 11ish while others are on rides. most park goes eat lunch between noon to 1:30. while they are eating, you will be on the rides.

have a snack or counter service at 4ish or if you can wait, do dinner after the park closes in order to be able to do all the things at the park.


good luck and be sure to come back and let us know about your trip!