Why so busy this week?

[cheshirecat.star]

I tried to time our vacation to the park for low attendance days. Tomorrow is our last day here and everyday has been packed this week! Even the day it rained.

Am I missing something? Did I plan wrong?

 

[Skyegirl1999]

I think you’re experiencing the “people trying to avoid crowds create new crowds” phenomenon that has been pretty well documented lately.

“Expected” low crowd times just aren’t panning out for the past couple of years.

This is a large part of why I tell my tourist friends to come on a Saturday in July. They don’t believe me, but at least the crowds are predictable, the hours are long, the staffing is high, and the refurbs are nonexistent.

I hope you’ve been having fun in spite of the crowds! And for the record, the crowds this week are NOTHING compared to last week.

 

[cheshirecat.star]

Thanks! We've had a fabulous time - I just wasn't expecting the long wait times for rides and churros

So the general consensus is - there really isn't any "slow" days anymore at Disney?

 

[SOCALMouseMommy]

It was way busier today than I expected. I wonder how much is crowd levels and how much is so many rides down so all the others are absorbing everything leading to big wait times. Doesn't help when rides go down. Alice was down off and on all day, Buzz was down, Little Mermaid broke down while we were on it.... it happens but it's harder when so many rides are already down for refurb.

 

[katyringo]

I’m a Disneyland newbie with only one trip under our belt...

But... we went during the days after Christmas. Capacity days. But everything was open. Staffing was maxed out. All the shows happening.

From what I’m learning there aren’t really slow days anymore. I think I might actually be more a fan of the busy time.

 

[Skyegirl1999]

Thanks! We've had a fabulous time - I just wasn't expecting the long wait times for rides and churros

So the general consensus is - there really isn't any "slow" days anymore at Disney?

There are slow days. They’re rare, but they happen. They just aren’t predictable! Friday, July 14 was EMPTY last summer. Bizarrely, walk-onto-rides-with-no-wait empty at 2pm. Thursday, December 14 was pretty empty until about 2-3:00 (and then it got crazy because it was the last day for lower APs before Christmas). But, those aren’t dates anyone could have pointed to in advance and said, “ah-ha, those will be low crowd days!”

Conversely, the times advertised as “low-crowd” times are now usually full of people.

 

[cheshirecat.star]

It was way busier today than I expected. I wonder how much is crowd levels and how much is so many rides down so all the others are absorbing everything leading to big wait times. Doesn't help when rides go down. Alice was down off and on all day, Buzz was down, Little Mermaid broke down while we were on it.... it happens but it's harder when so many rides are already down for refurb.

You are right, matterhorn, Indiana, big thunder, cars, and toy story, all went down off/on. I didn't think about that.

 

[sherilaine]

It's a trade off that isn't really a trade off anymore - less hours and refurbishments and low crowds vs. long hours and everything up and running and busy - now you almost get busy as well as the downsides of low hours and things being renovated. Disney is becoming the weather though - very hard to predict - we have been there on weekends when we've had much lower waits than a Tuesday in early March and it's often because fewer hours have people there all day rather than taking breaks and rides are often closed to half capacity (only one side of Screamin open for example). That adds to peoples confusion because they will look around and think it's not packed in here why are ride lines so long and anytime things are blocked off with walls, it always makes it feel more congested.

That being said, if the middle of January, with colder weather and people all rushing back after their holidays, is busy then there really is no off season anymore!!

Also consider that much of what you see being down right now - the pier and main street and some of the rides - they will all likely still be a mess come Spring Break - sure hours are longer but crowds are much higher and people will still have to deal with the refurbishments.

 

[tarheelalum]

Its always crowded.

 

[Malcon10t]

Also, many Nor Cal schools are still out. We are heading down tonight to get a last couple days in before school starts back on Tues.

 

[DLgal]

They also started up the so cal ticket offer. So, yeah...

 

[Geemo]

So the general consensus is - there really isn't any "slow" days anymore at Disney?

This is exactly what many have been saying for the past year or so.

While there use to be slow times in the parks, it is a thing of the past.

 

[Marcus A. Jordan]

There are unexpected slow days on a day in the middle of the week. I have also seen a slower than expected Sunday.

However, I would say the park gets full around 4:00 on these slow days. It's like people get word of the slow day at Disney and rush there!

But yea, it's always busy.

 

[sherilaine]

I think the slow times in the park is prior to Carsland - it seems once Carsland opened, the place has been busy all year round. The revamp of the pier to Pixar Pier and StarWars Land will take it to an even higher level no doubt.

 

[katyringo]

I think the slow times in the park is prior to Carsland - it seems once Carsland opened, the place has been busy all year round. The revamp of the pier to Pixar Pier and StarWars Land will take it to an even higher level no doubt.

I think carsland was the turn from a locals park to a destination. Just from personal expirence we picked Disneyland over world because of cars land. Don’t under estimate 5 year olds love of cars lol.

 

[monorailrabbit]

I don't want to see this! We arrive on Monday and after our insanely crowded October trip (which I wasn't prepared at all for as far as crowds) I was really hoping for a more relaxed, emptier park. Shoot! Oh well, Disneyland is still better than being at work and Nebraska weather!

 

[audrey2580]

July 14 was empty because it was the D23 convention. People say it will be packed - but honestly its the BEST weekend to go to the Parks.

 

[Skyegirl1999]

July 14 was empty because it was the D23 convention. People say it will be packed - but honestly its the BEST weekend to go to the Parks.

That was part of it, but it was really a combination of factors (weather, when Fantasmic!! got scheduled to come back, some non-Disney events like the OC Fair starting). There are days like that where it makes sense in hindsight, but they’re awfully hard to predict and plan for...

 

[SOCALMouseMommy]

I don't want to see this! We arrive on Monday and after our insanely crowded October trip (which I wasn't prepared at all for as far as crowds) I was really hoping for a more relaxed, emptier park. Shoot! Oh well, Disneyland is still better than being at work and Nebraska weather!

Really hopeful that next week will be less busy (not Monday thought due to the holiday... that will be crazy).

 

[Laurawill]

I don't want to see this! We arrive on Monday and after our insanely crowded October trip (which I wasn't prepared at all for as far as crowds) I was really hoping for a more relaxed, emptier park. Shoot! Oh well, Disneyland is still better than being at work and Nebraska weather!

Pray for rain. Monday and Tuesday were a little rainy and when we were in the park opposite early opening it was bearable. Yesterday and today we have been going to the park with the early entry and the weather has been perfect... thus two plus hour waits and tons of crowds for everything.