What do you do when the Crowd Calendars collide?

[modmama]

Just 3 months out from our trip!

We're going with CS & we don't have any ADRs, so I'm just now trying to figure out which park for which day, and I'm confused. The various crowd calendars have nearly opposite recommendations. Not sure who I should trust, or if I should just say "whatever" and go with what works when we're there (though as a planner/obsessor, that seems like a horrible idea!).

Which calendar do you go with? And should we avoid parks on the weekends as a rule?

Soooooooo confused! (But don't worry too much, I find when it comes to WDW I'm easily confused!)

 

[Minnesota!]

the crowd calendars/recommended parks for easywdw.com have always been spot on for me. I use Josh's recommendations exclusively now.

 

[tallen429]

Ever since TP changed their "system" I have found them less reliable. Comparing them with easywdw during recent trips I have consistently found easy to be more accurate. I still look at TP, but if there is a major conflict I go with what easy says now.

 

[minnie mum]

It seems like it's not that uncommon for some of the crowd calendars to conflict. I'm not sure which ones you've been looking at. I generally look at touringplans and easywdw. The last couple of times I've ended up using touringplans touring plans (that just looks weird when you type it out) and easywdws park recommendations. The reason is because I can read the reasons behind these recommendations and base my decisions based on them. I don't always go to the MOST recommended park, but I almost never go to the LEAST recommended park.

The good news is that you are going in Oct. when the crowds (and temps) will be lower. Will you have park hoppers? Will you be going to EMHs? I find that the answers to those questions will have the biggest impact on your park days choices.

 

[Lynn57]

Not sure if this is part of it, but lot of the time I've noticed that EMH parks are considered the worst choice. That is a fair statement if you are not going to indulge in EMHs. If the park I want to go to has EMH, I usually still go, especially because I always have park hoppers.

What day of the week is this conflict? What calendars are you using?

 

[modmama]

Thanks for the advice!

The calendars I've been switching between are easywdw, touringplans and undercovertourist.

An example is Wednesday, Oct 17, when two of the calendars have AK as the best park, and the third has it as the park to avoid.

We do have hoppers, thank goodness.

I am thinking right now that Sunday Oct 14 will be our Magic Kingdom day, as everyone recommends that park for that day. But going to MK on a Sunday scares me - shouldn't it be busier? But I guess there's a Halloween party that night so maybe the people don't arrive until we're leaving anyway...

SO. MANY. VARIABLES!

 

[hmmemom]

We almost always go to MK on Sunday and have never had a problem. We try to avoid it on Saturday though. We usually go in early December, but have also been in February and March. We always do morning EMH parks and rope drops though.

 

[canopynut66]

we have gone for years and used touring plans and edw but find if we just stay out of MK on weekends and Mondays we do fine other wise. think a lot of Florida residents come up thowse days and so is busier. or if we head to a park and the entrances just lined up for baggage check we will just go to another park. you --cannot--- always tell this way I agree but been there 65 trips of two weeks or more and not messing with the crowd control predictions any more. we go down for maybe four or five days in between but do not count those. and when Food and Wine goign on is always busy at Epcot WS side so we just stay away from all that.

 

[kddisney502]

undercovertourist seams to conflict with the other 2 (touring plans & easywdw) often throughout the year. During our last trip we found undercovertourist was off, but touring plans was more on target.

 

[kaligal]

I have not spent a bunch of time hopping from one park to another and comparing my opinion of the crowds in each to the various site recommendations to know which of them is (IMO) more accurate.

I also don't care that much. As even the UG peeps will tell you, a good plan is way more important than this "best park" stuff.

EMH parks will always be more crowded, so it is wise to avoid those unless you want to use the EMH and then hop.

Otherwise, this "best park" stuff is way overrated. And the advice on it can change as things change.

Don't worry too much.

All that said, I use the UG and touringplans.com. They've been serving me well for many, many years. They have a fantstic and cheap site that is easy to use...and I see no reason to change.

 

[gr8leg8]

best advice I ever got:

Go to the park that had emh the night before.

Disney uses emh to lead the crowd and control their staffing schedules.

When the the crowd goes right, go left.

 

[kddisney502]

best advice I ever got:

Go to the park that had emh the night before.

Disney uses emh to lead the crowd and control their staffing schedules.

When the the crowd goes right, go left.

I think that is one of the factors used to determine some of the crowd calendars

 

[stamot]

easywdw has always been correct for me. I used to use TP but it wasnt that reliable