touringplans.com/undercovertourist.com, etc.

[KelseyLaPerle]

We are going to WDW Aug. 10-17. Both sites list this week as having super high crowd levels. What do they base their estimations on? Are they based on historical crowd levels or actual ticket sales and/or room reservations? I'm hoping the week we're there will be bearable because it's right before free dining starts. We've only ever been (with kids) in the super slow season, so I'm a bit worried about crowds...especially since I got lost at WDW as a child.

Thoughts?

 

[doconeill]

I believe TP bases it on expected wait times at attractions. They did change recently how they use the crowd level numbers, which I believe now are a "percentile" type system. The top 10% of all park crowd days are "10 out of 10", the next 10% are 9 out of 10, etc. So, there are about 36 days each a year that are 10/10, 9/10, etc.

I'm not sure what data UT uses.

 

[SLM]

I looked at easywdw.com (we will be there 8/12-19) and he has that week listed as 7s. We have traveled the same week twice (2004 and 2009) and we had a great time. We were at the parks before opening and headed back to the resort after lunch. You can get so much done in those first couple of hours. We broke that schedule up with a late morning sleeping in at least twice so we didn't burn out. My daughter and her husband did a late night (MK) and were able to do alot of the rides. It will be hot, but if you plan a little you will have a good week!

 

[sharadoc]

We'll be there too and I'm curious about the crowd levels vs. the park hours. At a 9 or 10, you would expect Disney to keep MK open until 11, with two electrical parades. Looks like it's 10 for closing all week and only one parade. Doesn't make sense with the expected crowd levels.

I'm hoping that it won't be that bad. If the numbers are based on past history, free dining has traditionally started by the 14th or 15th, approximately. Since folks have to wait until the 24th this year for the GP free dining, my hope is they are all staying away until then and the crowd numbers are over-estimated.

 

[viajeromagico]

I like Josh from easywdw

 

[utlegaleagle]

After looking through all of "the usual suspects," it is obvious that the consensus is that it will be one of the 4-7 most crowded weeks of the year.

That certainly makes sense, being right before many American children begin the school year.

 

[mountdew1]

Any of the crowd estimates are just that, estimates. Disney doesn't release any real information on crowds or attendance levels. The sites may use past historical data they have gathered, knowledge of any given events going on at WDW or in the Orlando area, knowledge of what states/regions have vacations at a given time. The closest thing to any official data, would be the seasons for the hotels. Higher priced hotel rooms, Disney themselves expects a bigger crowd. Lower priced rooms, a smaller crowd. That can be a good starting point for any crowd estimate.