Super low wait times?!

[minniegirl19]

what gives? it's summer time and I just checked the app for 3pm on a Saturday and it's currently not raining there. Soarin is 35. TOT is 30 RNR is 50. Both kilamanjaro and Everest are at 20. Pirates is 10 big thunder 25 and other rides at mk are low. That's just crazy to me for it being peak summer time and such low wait times. Hope everyone down there is taking advantage of it

 

[Shanti]

what gives? it's summer time and I just checked the app for 3pm on a Saturday and it's currently not raining there. Soarin is 35. TOT is 30 RNR is 50. Both kilamanjaro and Everest are at 20. Pirates is 10 big thunder 25 and other rides at mk are low. That's just crazy to me for it being peak summer time and such low wait times.

Summer is no longer peak season at WDW. Fall is peak season now.

 

[soniam]

I suspect everything in AK is dead compared to Pandora. Although, I think Navi River Journey is still down. However, Flights of Passage is supposed to be back up, and that sucks up the crowds like a black hole. Soarin' has been a lot better since they added the 3rd theater. TOT doesn't always get a long wait; Not everyone is willing to ride it. Those are pretty low wait times for Pirates and BTMRR. I wonder if the other parks are seeing lower crowds with Pandora pulling people in. Also, is Father's Day weekend usually a slower weekend than the rest of the summer?

 

[Cinderella94]

We have friends who have been down there since Monday and have said the same thing all week. CMs are saying it's all because of Pandora.

 

[bluezy]

I've seen speculation that the lower wait times in general are due to AP Blockout dates which started at the beginning of June.

 

[abnihon]

Hope this lasts through our late July trip!

 

[msk]

I hope it lasts thru next week!

 

[TJDisneymama]

Is it usually crazy crowded this early in June? Many schools aren't even out yet here (MA). Our last day was yesterday but our town gets out early, I know a lot of the surrounding towns still have another week to go.

 

[Micca]

CMs are saying it's all because of Pandora.

Well this makes me like Pandora a LOT!

 

[BuckeyeBama]

Posted wait times seem to be pretty much in line with predictions in the Lines app.

 

[mousehockey37]

We have friends who have been down there since Monday and have said the same thing all week. CMs are saying it's all because of Pandora.

This was my thought.

AK is pulling the weight of the crowd with the "new" attractions. Enjoy the other parks with minimal wait while you can!

 

[mamamelody2]

Didn't the same thing happen last summer?? Everybody posting about unusually low crowds?

 

[Farro]

Since when is the beginning of June insanely crowded though? We went second week of June and it was not empty, but not really crowded either.

 

[twoplustwins]

We went early June one year back when they had Star Wars Weekends and all the parks that week were packed. There was even a tropical storm that week!

 

[JennyDrake]

I am just back and I would encourage you to not focus too heavily on the wait time apps. MK had waits of 25 min (IASSW) to 110 (splash & space) just yesterday. Sunday JiYI was 25 min (yes, I'm serious) and I was in line, and yes, it was 25 min BUT overall the parks were MUCH less crowded than spring or fall. FWIW I did not go toAK

 

[anneboleyn]

I wonder if the longer park hours come in to play here. If the parks are open until 11 PM or even 1 AM, I imagine a good number of people go to the parks later, which leads to lower crowds in the morning/afternoon. And by the time the night owls arrive, the morning/afternoon people may have left. When the parks close early, like 9 PM, in the fall, more people are staying longer to close down the parks. I wish they would keep the parks open later in the fall because I do think it would have a better effect on the crowds.

I have no idea if any of what I said makes sense lol

 

[Blue32]

I don't think it's all related to Pandora. Summer crowds just are not what they once were. If it weren't for the weather, summer would be my choice for travel time.

 

[Mickey's Best Girl]

Didn't the same thing happen last summer?? Everybody posting about unusually low crowds?

Yes.

I think they all waited until October. When we went.

 

[jtowntoflorida]

We are just back. Pandora is NOT eating crowds...I will be interested in how reported attendance at AK is for this quaryer and next quarter. FoP had waits from anywhere from 60-125 minutes when we were there, which isn't that bad for a slow loading, low capacity brand new ride. The kids liked the ride enough after we rode it the first time with a FP that we decided to brave the 125 minute posted wait time. We were on the ride in 90 minutes, and that included the ride going down for a bit while we were in line. The thing about Pandora is...there is really nothing to keep you there hanging out in the land if you don't want to wait in line for the ride. There are no shows and no places to sit and chill. CMs are policing the Satu'li canteen seating area, both inside and out, and won't let you sit there if you haven't purchased something. There were no lines to get into Pandora, the land wasn't crowded at all, and the standby queue for FoP was nowhere near full. I just don't think Pandora is this huge draw, and I suspect that people who see 2 hour posted wait times on the app just avoid Pandora altogether if they're not willing to wait in line.

We really didn't experience big crowds anywhere last week. I'm not sure why, but I suspect it's due to a combination of things rather than one big thing. Peak summer pricing, AP blackouts, and the weather all probably contributed to low crowds last week. Orlando is getting an unusual amount of rain this summer and it definitely had an impact on crowds. While we were happy to don our ponchos and stay in the parks, many days the rain lasted for hours and hours and after experiencing this for 6 days in a row, we were tired of it. While a quick shower here or there is tolerable and can even be fun, hours of rain for days on end can cause anyone to just want to go back to the hotel and chill.

Also, I think international attendance is down. This is the only summer visit i've ever had where I saw zero large tour groups all week (I did see one smallish group yesterday at Universal).

I guess we'll see what the rest of the summer brings.

 

[capegirl]

Hope this lasts through our late July trip!

Me too!!!!