Too crowded for me...any time of year

[kathyo6]

I LOVE Disney, as do my kids. Been about five times in my 47 years. I have gone at every time of year, even when it was supposed to be slower (but as a Disney bus driver told me on our last visit, there is no such thing as a slow time). I guess, to most, this just sounds like complaining, but please let me explain. We have a local amusement park, nothing extravagent, but it does the trick. There are slow times. And slow days. In fact, my kids ask to go when they don't have to wait in line, and don't want to go when they know it is too crowded. I have been consdering another trip to Disney, but I cringe at the idea of spending over $5000 to spend half of my time waiting in line for a ride, waiting half an hour in a line just to eat, swimming pools with people elbow to elbow, and fighting throught the mass crowds in the shops. And I figured it out. It is only going to get worse. I don't know why this hit me, but there is only one Disney World with everything. Sure, I could go to California, but I want my Epcot and Animal Kingdom. Every year, the population grows, but still only one Disney. So it will always get more crowded than the year before. Why hasn't Disney considered doing another full blow four park location? Spread that crowd out a bit. To tell you the truth, I would even pay twice for everything if they would just limit the amount of people in the parks. I honestly don't think I could do it again.

 

[Hoosier37]

So you sign up and this is your very first post? Sounds suspiciously troll-like to me.

But as far as it being too crowded and your local amusement park being just fine for you...then stay home and don't go to Disney .

And why post it here? Again, my trolldar is picking up some very suspicious behavior.

 

[vacationer1954]

Well, that may be, but it seems like reasonable thinking. I disagree with it, but I can see the truth of it in other things. Friends of mine go on about how much better the live stadium experience is, but I find that I prefer watching television so I can avoid many of the same things, crowds, waiting in line, being elbow to elbow in the seats.

 

[maxiesmom]

I'd like to know when you were at the parks. I have a friend who was there very recently, and she posted pics of how empty the parks are.

I think you are either going during a very busy time of year, or don't have an idea of how to tour to maximize your time. Even during Spring Break this year we only were in a 30 minute line one time. So I don't understand how you can have to wait in line for so long for every ride, unless you are only trying to tour in the middle of the day when the parks are packed. And are not using Fast Pass.

If you are expecting to walk right onto every ride with no wait, then WDW is not for you.

I also don't understand why someone would join a Disney message board and have their first post be on how they don't like WDW and have no desire to return.

 

[mesaboy2]

First, the Rule:

I LOVE Disney, as do my kids. Been about five times in my 47 years. I have gone at every time of year, even when it was supposed to be slower (but as a Disney bus driver told me on our last visit, there is no such thing as a slow time). I guess, to most, this just sounds like complaining, but please let me explain. We have a local amusement park, nothing extravagent, but it does the trick. There are slow times. And slow days. In fact, my kids ask to go when they don't have to wait in line, and don't want to go when they know it is too crowded. I have been consdering another trip to Disney, but I cringe at the idea of spending over $5000 to spend half of my time waiting in line for a ride, waiting half an hour in a line just to eat, swimming pools with people elbow to elbow, and fighting throught the mass crowds in the shops. And I figured it out. It is only going to get worse. I don't know why this hit me, but there is only one Disney World with everything. Sure, I could go to California, but I want my Epcot and Animal Kingdom. Every year, the population grows, but still only one Disney. So it will always get more crowded than the year before. Why hasn't Disney considered doing another full blow four park location? Spread that crowd out a bit. To tell you the truth, I would even pay twice for everything if they would just limit the amount of people in the parks. I honestly don't think I could do it again.

Now on to business.

I'd like to know when you were at the parks. I have a friend who was there very recently, and she posted pics of how empty the parks are.

I think you are either going during a very busy time of year, or don't have an idea of how to tour to maximize your time. Even during Spring Break this year we only were in a 30 minute line one time. So I don't understand how you can have to wait in line for so long for every ride, unless you are only trying to tour in the middle of the day when the parks are packed. And are not using Fast Pass.

If you are expecting to walk right onto every ride with no wait, then WDW is not for you.

I also don't understand why someone would join a Disney message board and have their first post be on how they don't like WDW and have no desire to return.

I was at Disney on Sunday and it was dead. Soarin' standby at 10 minutes middle of the day, Space at 15 (5-10 actual) at noon. If those times are a turn-off, then I do not think it possible to enjoy WDW. This is among the quietest times of year.

 

[J3nn78]

I smell a troll.
And you certainly haven't been at all times of the year if you have been only 5 times. Heck yu haven't even been there fr half of the months f the year.

 

[LaurenT]

I've been during "slow times" and during President's week, and during Easter.
I have never waited 30 minutes in a line for food.
I have RARELY waited more than 20 minutes for a ride.
I suggest getting to the parks before 11 am, and not eating lunch at 12:30 on a Saturday in MK at the most visible CS....
If you've really visited 5 times during different seasons, and you're always waiting on long lines for everything, you're doing something wrong!
But maybe your local park is your best bet. After all, you k ow when the slow times are there, and you don't have to spend a fortune getting there.
For me...well, I'd rather have root canal than go to my local park, I do it occasionally out of love for my DD.

 

[jreed1920]

I can see having that perspective if it is crowded when you go but it is certainly not crowded now.

As somebody already mentioned Epcot on Sunday was great it felt empty.

Yesterday we did MK and DHS. The mountains were posted at 20 min standby but took less. Went to TSMM at about 8 pm and there was no line. OK technically there was a line but you couldn't even see it until you got to the top of the stairs. Definitely no fastpasses required.

To me that is not at all crowded.

 

[mom2rtk]

The folks in Disney marketing have been working very hard to make any previously slow time no longer slow. It's as simple as that.

OP.... if you want a slow time.... go the week after Labor Day.

And if you can't stand crowds at all but like the local amusement park.... then why not save your $5K?

And BTW.... there are ways to do Disney for less than $5K, especially during those slower times.

 

[Allison]

Hmmmm...Lets see-I have been during the busiest week of the year and did not wait in line 30 minutes for food, did not spend half my time waiting in line and was not elbow to elbow with people in the pool.

 

[Texas Barbie]

We just got back after 6 days there. Almost everything was a walk-on. It was a piece of cake to get food, find good parade spots, etc. If you can't handle lines, go Labor Day week.

 

[nooneshome]

troll

 

[BYC]

I have been to Disney World 6 times in my lifetime, and I never once experienced what you describe. Are you trying to tell me that you have taken winter trips, and were elbow to elbow in the pool?? We were the ONLY people in the pool! I think you probably have no idea what you are talking about, and are just trying to see the reaction of real Disney loving folks.

 

[mieshie75]

My family and I went last year in the third week of July. The waits were not bad at all and we did everything we wanted and had time left over. I just don't see what you are talking about. Unless of course you are going there with no plan in mind and think that you are just gonna wing it. That doesnt work even when it is the slowest. Also you talk about the money. We spent 8,ooo dollars for 10 people to go. You obviously are not planing that either. We stayed on property at a moderate and had the diniing plan for 5 days. Something tells me i need to agree with the others you are a troll.

 

[avasdad]

We leave on Monday
2 adults, 1 child.
moderate resort, dining plan (free)
7 day park ticket.
flights from NY(jetBlue)
rental car.
$2600.00 for the week.
lets say $400 spending money.
so total of $3,000.
$1,000 per person for a full weeks vacation with entertainment and food included.

There will be almost no waits ANYWHERE.

As for just build another Disney with 4 parks. It is not that easy. What is Disney world now took 41 years to build.

for us it is still the best value, most fun vacation we can have. It is not perfect but pretty close.

So next week when i am waiting a horrible 10 minutes to ride soarin, and my daughter is smiling ear to ear when she meets Merida I will be having a great vacation.



and the reason my vacation will be so enjoyable is the wonderful people on DIS that have shared great information.




Disney is like most things in life. It is what YOU make it.

 

[GeorgeG]

In the 26 years we've been going to WDW we have noticed some changes in patterns. What used to be very predictable isn't necessarily so predictable now. Yes, you can have slow days, but more people are taking kids out of school to go to WDW and there seem to be more folks from other countries where vacation/holiday schedules don't always coincide with what we're used to here. I also think promotions like free dining have at least some affect on attendance patterns, which is exactly what they're supposed to do. As we get older, the rides aren't as important to us as the atmosphere so that kind of gives us an advantage over first-timers. When we do encounter a slow day, more by chance than by design, we go on some of our favorite rides. Otherwise, a shady bench and popcorn makes for an enjoyable day.

 

[GillianP1301]

The only time I remember crowds like the OP describes was my first trip which was the July 4th week, but then that is completely expected. I do have to admit that my last week in August was a little busier than I was expecting, but other than a couple of exceptions, I did not feel like I was waiting too long anywhere or that the crowds negatively impacted my experience.

I will say though, that the OP is correct in the assessment of WDW not really able to handle the increase in population. My DH and I talked about this on our last trip and when were comparing WDW now to say 25 or 30 years ago, the biggest difference is that WDW was never built to accommodate the level of crowds they get there now. Sure, they can build more hotels for people to sleep, but you can't make the walkways in the parks wider, you can't quadruple the seating area in the restaurants, etc... It's also why the monorail breaks down so frequently, that thing is 40 years old and was not designed to move the number of people it does today. For whatever reason, the plans for the parks did not adequately take into consideration future growth and you do see the evidence of that now. And I have to say, it does concern me a bit for the future, like 20 - 30 years from now.

 

[FloridaDreaming]

If you've only been 5 times, you haven't been there at all times of the year. If you've been in January, right after the holidays, or in September, when all the kids are back in school and right before MNSSHP and Food & Wine starts, and you're still not happy with waiting the 5-10 minutes for an attraction... then theme parks are probably just not your thing.
I, personally, would never want to see a WDW clone put up somewhere else. I like that all the Disney parks are different from one another.
I've seen so many pictures of empty WDW this week, I'll be excited to see if it's still that way when we arrive on Saturday. But either way, I won't mind the mild waits that are always there this time of the year.

 

[Mad-Jasper]

I LOVE Disney, as do my kids. Been about five times in my 47 years. I have gone at every time of year, even when it was supposed to be slower (but as a Disney bus driver told me on our last visit, there is no such thing as a slow time). I guess, to most, this just sounds like complaining, but please let me explain. We have a local amusement park, nothing extravagent, but it does the trick. There are slow times. And slow days. In fact, my kids ask to go when they don't have to wait in line, and don't want to go when they know it is too crowded. I have been consdering another trip to Disney, but I cringe at the idea of spending over $5000 to spend half of my time waiting in line for a ride, waiting half an hour in a line just to eat, swimming pools with people elbow to elbow, and fighting throught the mass crowds in the shops. And I figured it out. It is only going to get worse. I don't know why this hit me, but there is only one Disney World with everything. Sure, I could go to California, but I want my Epcot and Animal Kingdom. Every year, the population grows, but still only one Disney. So it will always get more crowded than the year before. Why hasn't Disney considered doing another full blow four park location? Spread that crowd out a bit. To tell you the truth, I would even pay twice for everything if they would just limit the amount of people in the parks. I honestly don't think I could do it again.

I do understand what you are saying. Every year since 2005, the slower times are getting busier and busier. DVCs are going up left and right. It "seems" Disney's strategy in to pack the parks as much as possible to maximize profits while disregarding the experience. Corporate America. I do make a conscious effort to protect my DD from the reality of what a Disney trip truly costs.

I was watching a documentary on Walt Disney World a few weeks ago. One of the retired imagineers was asked what would Walt Disney say about Disney World today. His reply was, "What took you so long"? I don't believe that. I believe Walt Disney would be disappointed in the corporate machine is has become today.

 

[Praying Colonel]

I LOVE Disney, as do my kids. Been about five times in my 47 years. I have gone at every time of year, even when it was supposed to be slower (but as a Disney bus driver told me on our last visit, there is no such thing as a slow time). I guess, to most, this just sounds like complaining, but please let me explain. We have a local amusement park, nothing extravagent, but it does the trick. There are slow times. And slow days. In fact, my kids ask to go when they don't have to wait in line, and don't want to go when they know it is too crowded. I have been consdering another trip to Disney, but I cringe at the idea of spending over $5000 to spend half of my time waiting in line for a ride, waiting half an hour in a line just to eat, swimming pools with people elbow to elbow, and fighting throught the mass crowds in the shops. And I figured it out. It is only going to get worse. I don't know why this hit me, but there is only one Disney World with everything. Sure, I could go to California, but I want my Epcot and Animal Kingdom. Every year, the population grows, but still only one Disney. So it will always get more crowded than the year before. Why hasn't Disney considered doing another full blow four park location? Spread that crowd out a bit. To tell you the truth, I would even pay twice for everything if they would just limit the amount of people in the parks. I honestly don't think I could do it again.

I've been during busy times. I've been in the summer on multiple occasions and been during Thanksgiving Week. I don't think I've ever experienced the things highlighted in bold, above, even when we've been at its busiest. Some basic planning gets you a little more than that for $5000.

My guess is that Disney would see the incredible capital layout of a 5th gate as cost prohibitive at this point. And personally, I'd rather see them put that $ into improving things at the existing parks.