The best kind of crowd update!

[soniam]

I was there the last week in January too. I’m not really buying that explanation either. The parks were very busy & not just because Disney was not staffed appropriately. We stayed at POR. The resort was full. The food court was MOBBED every morning. As in, walk around worth your food tray & look for a table mobbed. I have stayed there in August several times & it was never that busy. We were in the food court anywhere from 8 - 10 am & it was the same no matter what time we were there.

I don’t know how they can say wait times were not related to number of people in the parks unless they stationed someone at the gate to count heads. The parks were full of people! Even the Carousel of Progress was crowded. More crowded than I have seen in any trip before. And we have been going to WDW for 25 years, often making 2, 3 or 4 trips a year.

I also think people are changing their vacation habits. There were no reported school breaks that week, but POR was filled with families with school aged kids. There were also no sports competitions or apparent tour groups there either. Disney has done a good job of spreading crowds out. Low crowds are few & far between. There doesn’t seem to be much need for crowd calendars any more actually. Just plan for busy, busier & busiest & you’ll be about right!

They actually did station people at the gates and at certain attraction exits to count heads. They always do this at various times. They did say that there were more people than the same time the year before. I never care about crowd calendars/levels, so it doesn't really bother me. However, we have been during Spring Break, the week between xmas and NYE, and Memorial Day weekend for Volcano Bay opening at Universal, which was also opening of Pandora at WDW. So, we try to assume that things we will very busy and are pleasantly surprised if they aren't.