Weekends during summer?

[dorchrislen]

I need a Disney fix this July. Would it be less crowded to go on Saturday and Sunday since Southern California residents are blocked? I thought I saw that was the case from some poster article a while back. I’m thinking July 21 and 22. Would it be better to go on a Friday instead of Sunday? Thanks!

 

[theluckyrabbit]

The Saturday looks good. And Saturdays in general have been pretty good since the lower 3 passes have been blocked. Sundays and Fridays have been busier, so take your pick on those days. Since you're planning on July, the park will be equipped for crowds with longer hours and more staffing for either the Fri.-Sat. or Sat.-Sun., so see which dates get you better hotel rates.

 

[Supermavs]

To piggyback off that question, in general is that advisable compared to say tues/wed or wed/thurs? Or a toss up because it’s just plain crowded all the time?

Thanks!

 

[theluckyrabbit]

After the lower passes are blocked for the summer, that will really help any with any crowd concerns. Yes, the parks will still be summer crowded, but they shouldn't be packed unless something special is going on, e.g. the opening day of Pixar Pier (expect more crowds in DCA), July 17th (expect more crowds-but-not-capacity at DL), 4th of July, etc. With good planning and FP/MP skills, almost any day in summer can be a good day. The longer hours, increased staffing, and greater ride capacity (more rides open and more ride vehicles on the tracks) can really help keep the crowds moving.
So make the most of your two days and get to the parks early and stay as long as you can! If at all possible, don't waste precious time on a commute or on traffic.

 

[dorchrislen]

Thanks!!

 

[HydroGuy]

It is so ingrained in my head after 5 decades to avoid weekends at DLR that I could not make myself do it if I also had the option for Tue/Wed/Thurs.

As I am a DAP, I cannot do Saturdays in the summer. So that is out. I know that as a result of Saturday blockouts, Sundays are to be avoided at all costs.

 

[theluckyrabbit]

It is so ingrained in my head after 5 decades to avoid weekends at DLR that I could not make myself do it if I also had the option for Tue/Wed/Thurs.

As I am a DAP, I cannot do Saturdays in the summer. So that is out. I know that as a result of Saturday blockouts, Sundays are to be avoided at all costs.

It is definitely counterintuitive, but Saturdays have evolved to become fairly consistently good days. Weird, isn't it? Since the Royal Swing Ball is Saturday nights, we're at the parks many/most Saturdays. And when the lower 3 passes are blocked, the difference in crowd level is noticeable. I would call it "moderately crowded, but very manageable." And, yes, Sundays have become heavily crowded on a consistent basis.

 

[HydroGuy]

It is definitely counterintuitive, but Saturdays have evolved to become fairly consistently good days. Weird, isn't it? Since the Royal Swing Ball is Saturday nights, we're at the parks many/most Saturdays. And when the lower 3 passes are blocked, the difference in crowd level is noticeable. I would call it "moderately crowded, but very manageable." And, yes, Sundays have become heavily crowded on a consistent basis.

LOL, I believe you. I just don't.

 

[OhStuffandFluff]

It is definitely counterintuitive, but Saturdays have evolved to become fairly consistently good days. Weird, isn't it? Since the Royal Swing Ball is Saturday nights, we're at the parks many/most Saturdays. And when the lower 3 passes are blocked, the difference in crowd level is noticeable. I would call it "moderately crowded, but very manageable." And, yes, Sundays have become heavily crowded on a consistent basis.

I was hoping that Sundays wouldn't be that bad. This will be a first trip to DLR and we are going in July. I was planning our first day to be at DL. My other option is for the first day to be on Monday. If we did that how busy would you expect either USH or Huntington Beach to be on a Sunday? Would those be more crowded than DL? Thanks for your help!

 

[theluckyrabbit]

Mondays at DLR have become crowded days, too, for some reason. But "summer crowded" doesn't have to be a bad thing as long as you are prepared, organized, and have a positive attitude. Remember, during summer, DLR is prepared for crowds, so that means longer hours, more staffing, most/all rides running at full capacity, longer restaurant hours, full entertainment schedule, etc. With good planning and good FP/MP skills, you can still have a great time. Go with either the Sunday or the Monday, depending on the rest of your schedule. You might want to ask about USH in the Southern CA Theme Parks forum.

 

[HydroGuy]

Mondays at DLR have become crowded days, too, for some reason. But "summer crowded" doesn't have to be a bad thing as long as you are prepared, organized, and have a positive attitude. Remember, during summer, DLR is prepared for crowds, so that means longer hours, more staffing, most/all rides running at full capacity, longer restaurant hours, full entertainment schedule, etc. With good planning and good FP/MP skills, you can still have a great time. Go with either the Sunday or the Monday, depending on the rest of your schedule. You might want to ask about USH in the Southern CA Theme Parks forum.

I agree. Summer crowds at DLR are usually a not terrible. Especially if you makes some smart touring decisions.

 

[Blue32]

I agree. Summer crowds at DLR are usually a not terrible. Especially if you makes some smart touring decisions.

I hope we can say the same after SWGE opens. Or at least a year or two later. Sadly, I don’t know if DLR crowds will be the same after that. I still can’t believe they decided to put SWGE in DL Park itself. Maybe they didn’t have the needed room to do it in DCA? DCA is moving away from its California theme anyway....they should have put it there to balance the crowds. Sorry.... off topic I know.

 

[MacMama0930]

I've been on weekends and weekdays in September, October, December, Feb, May and August and nothing has been quite as pleasant as a Saturday in summer. The AP block out days make a huge difference in crowds.

 

[beachdreamr1229]

Saturdays in summer are wonderful. I'm not an AP anymore, but when I was, I always preferred summers in general. It seems strange since it's peak season, but I find it less crowded in general since there are more attractions open, longer hours, and more entertainment. Sundays are always the worst, but otherwise, it's not generally too bad. Better than spring break, Christmas, and Thanksgiving at least.

I hope we can say the same after SWGE opens. Or at least a year or two later. Sadly, I don’t know if DLR crowds will be the same after that. I still can’t believe they decided to put SWGE in DL Park itself. Maybe they didn’t have the needed room to do it in DCA? DCA is moving away from its California theme anyway....they should have put it there to balance the crowds. Sorry.... off topic I know.

I know...I'm actually really excited for SWGE, but I do hope it doesn't mess things up too badly. In theory, it makes more area for people to spread out, but it also increases total capacity and I don't think for a second that means percent of capacity hit on a given day will decrease... I'm trying to figure out when to go next year. I really want to see SWGE and can't afford to go multiple times a year anymore, but I don't want to be in a sardine can either. My choices are summer or Thanksgiving. Thanksgiving will be further out after opening, but will it really make that much of a difference when it'll likely be packed for a couple of years to come?

 

[HydroGuy]

I hope we can say the same after SWGE opens. Or at least a year or two later. Sadly, I don’t know if DLR crowds will be the same after that. I still can’t believe they decided to put SWGE in DL Park itself. Maybe they didn’t have the needed room to do it in DCA? DCA is moving away from its California theme anyway....they should have put it there to balance the crowds. Sorry.... off topic I know.

DL has Star Tours already. DCA is really becoming the Pixar / Marvel park. DL should bite the bullet at some point and move ST into SWL like it will be at WDW. But DL for SWL was the right move. DL has not had a new E-Ticket since Indy in 1995. It desperately needs a new one after all the attention paid to DCA in recent years.

 

[HydroGuy]

I know...I'm actually really excited for SWGE, but I do hope it doesn't mess things up too badly. In theory, it makes more area for people to spread out, but it also increases total capacity and I don't think for a second that means percent of capacity hit on a given day will decrease... I'm trying to figure out when to go next year. I really want to see SWGE and can't afford to go multiple times a year anymore, but I don't want to be in a sardine can either. My choices are summer or Thanksgiving. Thanksgiving will be further out after opening, but will it really make that much of a difference when it'll likely be packed for a couple of years to come?

I do not think the difference between summer and TG for SWGE will be significant. TG could be worse even. I would not wait until with the idea the crowds and interest will have died down. In 2020? Maybe. A little. But not 2019.

 

[Blue32]

DL has Star Tours already. DCA is really becoming the Pixar / Marvel park. DL should bite the bullet at some point and move ST into SWL like it will be at WDW. But DL for SWL was the right move. DL has not had a new E-Ticket since Indy in 1995. It desperately needs a new one after all the attention paid to DCA in recent years.

But ST at WDW is not even going to be in SWGE. Not from my understanding. I feel like they will eventually retheme ST to something else. And if it’s not in SWGE, it very well should be rethemed. I totally agree about DL needing a new attraction. I just can’t imagine larger than Potter size crowds descending upon Walt’s little(by today’s standards) Park.

 

[HydroGuy]

But ST at WDW is not even going to be in SWGE. Not from my understanding. I feel like they will eventually retheme ST to something else. And if it’s not in SWGE, it very well should be rethemed. I totally agree about DL needing a new attraction. I just can’t imagine larger than Potter size crowds descending upon Walt’s little(by today’s standards) Park.

I guess eventually DL would have to say 1) "no more new E-tickets - we are too small" or 2) "we can handle a new E-ticket within our park size" or 3) "we can handle a new E-ticket if we make the park bigger". They did #3 and I think that was their only option. #2 is worse than #3. And #1 essentially says DL is complete and can't grow anymore.

And I thought WDW is building SWGE behind ST there just like they built TSL behind TSMM (and opening next month). That way they could suck ST into SWGE and TSMM into TSL. I guess I would have to go check the maps?