Who's experienced the least crowded trip to WDW??

[DepCor0311]

We went the week after Thanksgiving 2003 (end of Nov. beginning of Dec.) and after the weekend the place seemed like a ghost town. We stayed at the AKL and had a great time. At every restaurant that we had a PS at, we walked right in (Ohana, 50's, Boma to name a few). We took a bus to Pleasure Island one night and were the only ones on the bus! My DGF is a huge fan of Tower of Terror so on our last day we returned to ride it again. We ended up riding three consecutive times with no wait at all. We loved that timeframe so much that we are returning during the same time this year!

 

[bz8bls]

We plan on being at the World from 9-1 thru 9-10 then on to Vero Beach for two days; I've been watching boards with references to September stays, and it seems like it is becoming a popular time for those who don't have concerns of children being in school

 

[AladdinsPrincess]

My husband and I were up early on New Year's Day at the parks and I remember looking around Epcot and not seeing another person! Of course, people filled in as the day went on, but it really never got that crowded - even at MK!

 

[Autumngirl]

Originally posted by DepCor0311
We went the week after Thanksgiving 2003 (end of Nov. beginning of Dec.) and after the weekend the place seemed like a ghost town.

OK... we were there from Nov 28th, 2003 to December 6th and the place was the most MOBBED that we have ever seen!!!!

We were there the weekend of July 17th 2003 and it was empty compared to the week after Thanksgiving 2003! In fact we left MK one day because it was so mobbed you couldn't walk! We specifically went that week because everyone told us how "quiet" the parks were....we were lied to! We waited 25 minutes for Test Track...IN THE FASTPASS lane....the standby was 105 minutes.

We like 3rd week of May... after Mother's day but before Memorial Day weekend. Quiet, but rains every day. And Mid to late October. October is great! Perfect weather...low crowds.

 

[PatriciaH]

First week of September and first week of December-0 waits!

We were there in September 1999 when they closed the parks for the hurricane too!

 

[Skatermom23]

We Love the first week in January, after New Year's. We went for the first time in 1988 and the weather was really nice. Also, the first week in September is great, although warmer.
We are going to try the last week in August and the first week in December this year..Wish us luck!

 

[sartello]

We were there September 11, 2001. Two days after that - the 13th, we went to MK and until about noon we saw maybe 30 people. We walked onto every ride, no waits.

This I'm sure was unusual. It was a combination of 9/11 and the incoming tropical storm (which started about 3:00) that afternoon. Even before that though, we had light crowds early in the morning for that trip.

We are heading down the second week of December this year. I'm hoping it is slow like Sept.

Shelly

 

[catsrule]

We went the week after 9/11.....no waits. We rode splash mountain and had the entire log to ourselves.

 

[wendyl]

Originally posted by Autumngirl
OK... we were there from Nov 28th, 2003 to December 6th and the place was the most MOBBED that we have ever seen!!!!

.

Now I'm confused because your report is so different fromt he post above you. Was everyday Mobbed? Even the weekdays? Was every park Mobbed--or just Magic Kingdom? Were you at MK for the Christmas party, or just a regular day? Were you there mostly in the middle of the day?Did you go to the park that had the Extra Magic Hour each day?

It just seems so weird how two people there at the same time could have such extremely different views of the crowds.

 

[bctripp]

September is wonderful. We went in 2002 and 2003, and never waited on anything. Just short lines on certain things. I swear we went to every ride/attraction in Magic Kingdom, and we saw the parade too!

I've heard that December is good too, just not too close to Thanksgiving.

 

[trracers]

My DH and I went alone for a few days in September and we rode everything that we ride at the MK and had finished lunch at Pinnochio's by noon and didn't get there until after 9!! We rode:

Space Mountain
Buzz Lightyear
Fantasy Land (all, yes even the carousel)
Thunder Mountain
Pirates
Aladdin
Haunted Mansion

I cannot remember anything else, but I am half

just thinking about going back in 56 DAYS!!! (I hate that my counter isn't working ).

Anyway, we took our DD6 last year and it was the same thing. We started out almost every day in the MK, rode everything that we like, ate lunch and went somewhere else. We had a blast and hope that this year is alot the same, but glad that there are extended hours at the MK in case we went to "hop back"

 

[lulu71]

Originally posted by Autumngirl
OK... we were there from Nov 28th, 2003 to December 6th and the place was the most MOBBED that we have ever seen!!!!

We were there the weekend of July 17th 2003 and it was empty compared to the week after Thanksgiving 2003! In fact we left MK one day because it was so mobbed you couldn't walk! We specifically went that week because everyone told us how "quiet" the parks were....we were lied to! We waited 25 minutes for Test Track...IN THE FASTPASS lane....the standby was 105 minutes.

I sort of agree. I was there that week, and to me it was much more crowded than other early Decembers I have been (this was our third time). I know everyone says that it's empty during that time, but I think that it's an exageration. If anyone is going at that time and expecting to be able to walk-on to the rides, they're going to be disappointed.

 

[redwingsmickey]

Isn't anyone going to say LAST week of September?!? That's when we're going this year and I'm hoping for small crowds.

 

[The Sweetness]

In the mid/ late 90's I was touched by dis. magic. Once during labor day weekend, and once the few days after x-mas + new years eve. The parks were so quiet, I couldnt believe it

 

[NYMomof4]

We were there Dec. 6th-10th, 2003 and absolutely loved it! The weekend was busy at night but on Monday we did 3 parks and rode Thunder Mountain 4 times in a row! I swore that I would never do Disney during crowds again. This year we are going Aug.31-Sept.7th just before school starts here. We don't mind the heat since our weather is cold much of the year.

 

[LoriMistress]

We went in Nov 9-15th and it was wonderful. The best weather ever!!! It was around 70 degrees the entire time. Also it wasn't very crowded at all...the only time it was crowded was on Veteran's Day and showing up at MK on Saturday...it wasn't the worst crowds...around late afternoon the lines would be the longest 30 minutes.

 

[bethzfl]

I went Dec 4th last year and it was like a ghost town! The only ride we didn't walk on was RnRC, Test Track, and ToT. Everything in MK was walk on. I couldn't believe it.

Oh and Le Cellier wouldn't let us in without a PS.

 

[Madi100]

I will NEVER go during peak season. If that means I don't ever go again, I won't ever go again. I don't enjoy the HUGS crowds. The first trip was in September of '99. It was great. No crowds at all. Best trip of my life, except for that nice little hurricane I don't remember really having to wait for anything and since then have been disappointed with the crowds. HOWEVER, it was stinking HOT. Not just warm, but HOT. We live in Iowa around humity, so not much fun.

Second trip was in February. It was great for the first part of the week. The last day was horrid because of the Mardi Gras crowd and Daytona crowd.


This last time we went in January. I thought it was busy, and I was very disappointed. We arrived the weekend of MLK, but we didn't go to the parks til Monday.

This time we're going for December. 3-11. Hoping it will be great.

 

[Pig Pen]

The 1st week of Dec 2001 - dead, weather was perfect - 80 & sunny
The 3rd week of Sept 2002 - dead, hot, humid, rainy
The 1st week of Feb 2004 - dead, cool but sunny

Not so dead but very manageable -

April 2004
May 2004
May 2003 (slower than 2004)

Absolutely never again -

June 2000 - hot, crowded, miserable.

 

[wanna-b-Tink]

The very least crowded was our October 2001 visit.

Otherwise, we always go (except for this year) the first or second week in December. It is a great time. We always experience getting to ride Splash Mountain and BTMRR several times in a row without getting off.

Now that DS is in school, we have to go during breaks. This spring we went Easter week (woah, big crowd), and we are going Fall break in a couple of months.

We really got spoiled with the non-existant crowds of the first couple of weeks of December. And it is the prettiest time to visit the World too. The best of both worlds!