um...CROWD pictures?

[A M&Asmom]

Those June pictures make me feel less nervous, that is if I can push through the heat!

You know...I was 7 month pregnant at the time, & I am terrible with the heat. I have passed out too many times to count from the heat. I was not looking forward to having to deal with it. BUT...I never once was bothered by it. We would just plan inside things every so often or make sure we walked in the shade and since we had little kids with us, we just played it by ear and went swimming if we started to get hot or cranky. You'll be fine!

 

[SheenaXena21]

Anybody got any pics of the first week of December? Pop Warner kids?

 

[js]

Is the first week that bad with the Pop Warner kids? I thought just the hotels were bad (we always stay in our t/s at OLCC). We have been the week after Thanksgiving but this is our first time staying the first week in December. I use TGM and never have problems with crowds but we also never go when any "groups" are going. I will be there Dec. 2 -9. Thank you.

 

[HockeyDad]

Bump.

 

[dqpowell]

I haven't read through the entire thread yet, so I apologize if this has already been mentioned. These are very misleading comparison photos. The Feb pic was taken with a much shorter focal length lens than the May pic (or a shorter focal length on a zoom lens), and from a different position. Consequently, the telephoto compression effect gives the May pic a much more crowded look than it would have if it were taken at the same focal length as the Feb pic (and from the same position). And vice-versa. The Feb pic would look quite a bit more crowded if it were taken from the same position and at the same focal length as the May pic.

What I'm saying is that nobody should draw any conclusions from these comparison photos. The differences in forced perspective are quite misleading. This is most obvious if you look at the buildings -- they seem much more crowded together in the May pic. I know crowd levels can vary from season to season and from day to day, but the buildings aren't multiplying or moving around.

David

We usually go at typically uncrowded times of year, but here are a few crowd scenes, dates are in the lower right hand corner.

As you can see, there's a big difference between February and May. Both of these were taken on a Friday:

 

[dqpowell]

Okay, now that I have read through everything I just want to make a couple general comments about the photography itself, and how it can influence perceptions of crowds.

For the purposes of comparison, all photos would have to be taken at the same equivalent focal length (identical angles of view) and from the same position. With a long enough focal length and the right shooting position, I can make a park on the slowest day in September, early December or January/February look absolutely jam-packed with people. Conversely, with a very short focal length and a different shooting position, I can make a park on the busiest day in Christmas week, Spring break, June or July look nearly empty, or at least in such a way that most people looking at the photos would say, "Hey! Those crowds don't look too bad at all!"

I'm not saying the pics on this thread aren't interesting or fun. But whatever value they might have, they are not a good way to get an accurate comparison from time to time or photo to photo.

David

 

[CaptainH00k]

Thanks for posting those August 2006 pics! I feel a bit better about what we're getting into now. Great thread everyone.

 

[blue_eyes5212]

We have gone the week after labor day 2 times now (2003 and 2005). They were both extremely empty. Check the empty park pictures thread. This is good and bad - if you want some of the street performer action, then you probably won't find it. If you want a zero wait time (literally) for Space mountain, then this is a good time to go. When we went in 2005, the CMs inside space mountain were just standing there with cars lined up ready to go with 0 (that's zero) guests waiting. It was awesome!

Have fun !

Thank you,Thank You, Thank You, Thank You!!!!! That's the week I'm going and I've been so nervous!!! I'm going to check out that thread right now!!!

 

[Marc A.]

AK entrance October 16th 2005 around 8:45 am

NOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!
You had to ruin it with an October pic didn't you??????
Just kidding..

 

[Mom2Evie]

OMG. I'm about to have a panic attack after seing the May 5th photo. We're going to be at Disney April 26th - May 6th - and if it looks like THAT at the parks we'll just be staying at the resort pool the whole week. My kids and I have mild crowd phobia, and I'm literally trembling from looking at that photo and imagining being there.

Perhaps this trip IS a bad idea. Ugh.

I think the week you picked is a good time to go. The end of April & first part of May is a slow time. Most schools are in session, having finished Spring Break and aren't out for the summer yet. We've been in December, April (Easter week) and are going this September. The weeks in APril we go are usually the week before o\and after Easter, so things are usually packed. However, never so much that I've been concerned about safety.
A good indicator of crowd size is Disney's rates or seasons. If you're paying less for a room, then you're "off-peak" and the crowds are typically less.

 

[Minnie0107]

OMG! These pcis really freak me out. I must be really spoiled! We have been twice, one in nov and once in dec and I have never seen any crowds at all. We are going Sept 21-26 for free dining and i am a little worried. I am scared we will not have fun if there are way more crowds then we are used to.

 

[HockeyDad]

bump.

 

[A_NY_Outlaw]

I think the week you picked is a good time to go. The end of April & first part of May is a slow time. Most schools are in session, having finished Spring Break and aren't out for the summer yet. We've been in December, April (Easter week) and are going this September. The weeks in APril we go are usually the week before o\and after Easter, so things are usually packed. However, never so much that I've been concerned about safety.
A good indicator of crowd size is Disney's rates or seasons. If you're paying less for a room, then you're "off-peak" and the crowds are typically less.

I'd have to disagree with this. We went in April (the last week) this year. Every park was an absolute madhouse. Granted it might not be "as busy" as it would in say the height of summer or during Christmas, but we were thinking this was a slower time. It didn't turn out to be the case at all. The only relief from the crowds (somewhat) was at UO and SW. I vowed never to go back in April again.

 

[PrincessTiffany]

OMG! These pcis really freak me out. I must be really spoiled! We have been twice, one in nov and once in dec and I have never seen any crowds at all. We are going Sept 21-26 for free dining and i am a little worried. I am scared we will not have fun if there are way more crowds then we are used to.

We went this past Sept. from 9/14 - 9/22.p. Now, don't get me wrong, we did have a great time. Afterall, it is Disney World and we are Disney fanatics, but we will never (and I mean never) go in September again. It was very crowded and very hot (I don't mean a little hot. I mean sweltering. When you came out of an air-conditioned ride and walked out in the heat it would take your breath way hot). I live in Alabama, I know what hot is and it was hot, hot hot. Did I mention it was hot?

I am a faithful fan of the UG and if it weren't for knowing about their touring plans and knowing how to utilize the Fastpasss system the lines would not have been manageable. There was the occasion that you walked up to something in the late afternoon and there was only a 10 or 15 minute wait, but most of the headliners kept 30 minute or more waits. At MK yesterday Space Mountain had a 75 minute wait at 3:30 p.m! Those might not sound like long waits to you Christmas/Easter week crowd people, but when we booked this trip we thought it would be a slow time. It was not.

When we left we had every intention of booking the Free Diningbounceback for next September that they were offering, but after the terrible heat and crowds my husband said he would happily pay the $1300 we saved on this trip and put it towards a slower, cooler time to visit.

We have previously been at the end of January into the first part of February and have also been end of November into first of December and those are the times we will be planning our future WDW vacations.

God Bless you people who have survived those Christmas Crowd weeks. I just don't think I could do it.

 

[jamstew]

OMG. I'm about to have a panic attack after seing the May 5th photo. We're going to be at Disney April 26th - May 6th - and if it looks like THAT at the parks we'll just be staying at the resort pool the whole week. My kids and I have mild crowd phobia, and I'm literally trembling from looking at that photo and imagining being there.

EGADS! It was nowhere near that crowded when we were there in May 2005 (and that was over Memorial Day weekend) I'll be there 5/4-13, and hopefully it won't be as bad as this photo makes it look.

 

[Jorge Lomeli]

on christmas season 2005.

An this one on february-March this year

Jorge Lomeli
Monterrey, Mexico

 

[dqpowell]

EGADS! It was nowhere near that crowded when we were there in May 2005 (and that was over Memorial Day weekend) I'll be there 5/4-13, and hopefully it won't be as bad as this photo makes it look.

It won't be. See my previous postings about how misleading that pair of photos is... click the "view post" button (the little 'greater than' sign after dqpowell):

-

David

 

[TSMAMI]

 

[jamstew]

It won't be. See my previous postings about how misleading that pair of photos is... click the "view post" button (the little 'greater than' sign after dqpowell):

David

Thanks, David I saw your reply after I had already posted, and it makes a lot of sense. Thinking back about May 2005, the only big crowd I remember was on a Star Wars weekend, and that was mostly in the area of Star Tours itself. The park was definitely crowded, but not unmanageable.

 

[A_NY_Outlaw]

here's mine from the last week of April @ AK