Will it be worth it?

[upritbass]

According to the VGC calendar, the week after Thanksgiving through the first two weeks of December is mid-low season. The definition of 'crowded' depends on each person and how their memory works. Is it worse than six months ago? Yes, yes it is. Is it worse than pre-COVID? Not even close. Is it worse than during the recession? Most certainly. ktlm's photos used to indicate a light-to-middling crowd pre-COVID.

We enjoyed our time there at the end of September (which was the beginning of the Halloween crowds), we will enjoy our middle-of-November trip and we will most certainly enjoy our 2nd week of December trip. Staying on-site in December is magical because you are immersed in the Holiday Spirit 24 hours a day!

 

[upritbass]

I'm going the second week of November. How bad can I expect it to be?

VGC indicates mid-low season. I'm hoping most families will be preparing for Thanksgiving instead of going to DL...

 

[upritbass]

I'm feeling better about February now. It seems "insanely crowded" at DL is "pretty normal" at WDW. I'll be fine.

As long as you avoid holiday weekends (MLK, Presidents Day) DL has historically been lightly attended in January and February.

 

[Skyegirl1999]

Is it worse than pre-COVID? Not even close.

I keep seeing this comment. I disagree. As someone who has had an AP since 2004 and visited the parks roughly weekly for the past 6-7 years, the crowd situation so far this October has been about as bad as I can remember. Full stop.

I’m not saying it’s the most people that have ever been within the gates of Disneyland. But it is a LOT of people. Without enough CMs to handle the crowds. Without shows/parades. With a lot of rides breaking down.

I don’t think it’s going to consistently be like this, so I’m not saying that’s what people should expect forever. I’m not really commenting on the subjectivity of what’s “worth it.” And I’m certainly not complaining about my own experience. But it is BONKERS CROWDS right now.

 

[ktlm]

I keep seeing this comment. I disagree. As someone who has had an AP since 2004 and visited the parks roughly weekly for the past 6-7 years, the crowd situation so far this October has been about as bad as I can remember. Full stop.

I’m not saying it’s the most people that have ever been within the gates of Disneyland. But it is a LOT of people. Without enough CMs to handle the crowds. Without shows/parades. With a lot of rides breaking down.

And without fast pass. We have been to WDW between Christmas and New Years in a year when parks were closed to capacity while we were there (pre FP+)--- this was worse. With fast pass, you can navigate around the crowds some and at least still get more done. Our between Christmas and New Years mega crowd trip was fun. This trip we were debating changing flights to come home early. If Genie + had been in place, it would have helped a lot.

 

[serendipityaey]

Is it worse than pre-COVID? Not even close.

Agree completely. Not even close to busier than or as busy as pre-covid - it’s just a different kind of busy and a different kind of structure. Our trip last week was definitely one of our best and I am so grateful for it.

 

[Skyegirl1999]

Agree completely. Not even close to busier than or as busy as pre-covid - it’s just a different kind of busy and a different kind of structure. Our trip last week was definitely one of our best and I am so grateful for it.

First, I am so glad that you had a great trip!

Second, I am genuinely curious when your other trips have been.

 

[vacay77]

And without fast pass. We have been to WDW between Christmas and New Years in a year when parks were closed to capacity while we were there (pre FP+)--- this was worse. With fast pass, you can navigate around the crowds some and at least still get more done. Our between Christmas and New Years mega crowd trip was fun. This trip we were debating changing flights to come home early. If Genie + had been in place, it would have helped a lot.

Same. I could have dealt with the crowds if we had the fastpasses/maxpass/Genie +. My family was also used to Magic Morning and Extra Magic Hour as guests of Disney hotels and with 3 day park hoppers. That extra hour was huge in knocking out some of the more popular rides like Radiator Springs Racer.

 

[vacay77]

I was mainly getting worried because it is Presidents’ Week - which is apparently “ski week” in some Northern California areas and “rodeo week” in Tucson.

But solo with Genie+ I should be fine.

I'm chuckling at rodeo week in Tucson. I live in Tucson and the kids get two days off from school so that's why a lot of families go to Disneyland. As a solo traveler with Genie+, I agree, you'll be fine. They even some of the lines open for single riders, like Radiator Springs Racer.

 

[serendipityaey]

First, I am so glad that you had a great trip!

Second, I am genuinely curious when your other trips have been.

An average of once or so a year from about 2004-5 to 2018. 2019 my brother forced us to go to Disney world and 2020 speaks for itself. All different times, August, June when the new Star Tours opened and the line was 4 hours, whenever the Dead Man’s chest premiere was and Pirates reopened (and we got in line for Pirates in the hub and it wound all the way through frontier land) Many times in October and November, 4th of July, a few times in February, April and I think once the beginning of December. Plus about 3 or 4 times before we started going once a year and when I was a kid. Disney World twice in August and once September.

 

[upritbass]

it’s just a different kind of busy and a different kind of structure.

This. It's the kind of busy that highlights DL being understaffed. Unfortunately that is just the nature of the beast for every company in the service industry right now. You can't hire what isn't there. Hopefully bringing back Max Pass ... errrr ... Genie+ will help.

 

[serendipityaey]

This. It's the kind of busy that highlights DL being understaffed. Unfortunately that is just the nature of the beast for every company in the service industry right now. You can't hire what isn't there. Hopefully bringing back Max Pass ... errrr ... Genie+ will help.

Exactly. Actually my family runs a very small theme park so maybe I was just prepared for what it was going to be like after living through the hell of it all summer lol (and desperately needing to be the guest for a change!). Honestly I’m just fully grateful to be alive, to have the family members I still have and that Disneyland and my job didn’t close forever lol.

 

[DontSpamMe]

Prior to being annual pass holders we planned our trips during the offseason. A 10 out of 10 crowd wise is just a miserable experience. If I'm dropping thousands of $$$ it better be a good experience. We were there yesterday and it was not good. Between the heat and the crowds I just wanted to leave. Thank goodness we had lamplight reservations because we hung out there for a good portion of the heat. Our waitress even commented how we just taking it easy and I told her it was awful out there. She had no comment. I've never seen the lines as long as they were yesterday in any of my previous trips. Pirates went all the way to the Haunted mansion queue. The guardians queue went 3/4 the way to Hollywood land. Every big ride was 60+ minutes all day long. Just reconfirmed this is the last time we do annual passes and will opt to do the once a year trip during the offseason of early September and early February.

 

[Dug720]

I'm chuckling at rodeo week in Tucson. I live in Tucson and the kids get two days off from school so that's why a lot of families go to Disneyland. As a solo traveler with Genie+, I agree, you'll be fine. They even some of the lines open for single riders, like Radiator Springs Racer.

I first heard about that on here. There was a thread discussing breaks and someone said it. The dates line up with our February Break (which is the week of Presidents' Day) this year. Whee!! Monday will be my first parks day, but I'm not going to stress it too hard because I've got 4 more days after that. (I did choose to not stress about Sunday afternoon/evening (I arrive around noon) so I'll just get there, settle in, and eat somewhere in Disney Springs or kick things off at Goofy's Kitchen if I can get in.

 

[vacay77]

I first heard about that on here. There was a thread discussing breaks and someone said it. The dates line up with our February Break (which is the week of Presidents' Day) this year. Whee!! Monday will be my first parks day, but I'm not going to stress it too hard because I've got 4 more days after that. (I did choose to not stress about Sunday afternoon/evening (I arrive around noon) so I'll just get there, settle in, and eat somewhere in Disney Springs or kick things off at Goofy's Kitchen if I can get in.

Rodeo Break is on a Thursday and Friday, so you should be good prior to that (other than President's Day). Have a great trip - we went in February one year and the weather was beautiful

 

[OKC Disney Fan]

I've got a solo trip to CA planned at the end of the month, starting with a girls weekend in Palm Springs. No one else wants to go to Disney but I've got 2 full days and a OBB party booked for just me and I am so excited. Everything will be different about this trip but that's ok. I have decided just to go with the flow. I have no agenda, no dining reservations, and no expectations. (Which is a little weird since I'm a planner!)
We're in Oklahoma and have been AP's for years, but not sure I want to upgrade my ticket this time around looking at the reservation calendar challenges.

 

[Dory92130]

The illusion of having AP/MK is that one can actually feel ok about going with the flow instead of packing the day wall-to-wall and end up disappointed during this ramp-up period.

 

[vacay77]

I've got a solo trip to CA planned at the end of the month, starting with a girls weekend in Palm Springs. No one else wants to go to Disney but I've got 2 full days and a OBB party booked for just me and I am so excited. Everything will be different about this trip but that's ok. I have decided just to go with the flow. I have no agenda, no dining reservations, and no expectations. (Which is a little weird since I'm a planner!)
We're in Oklahoma and have been AP's for years, but not sure I want to upgrade my ticket this time around looking at the reservation calendar challenges.

I was an AP holder before the pandemic and was thinking about upgrading to a Magic key during our visit this past week. But after hearing from several friends their difficulty in obtaining reservations, I decided to forego it. We are going back in June but will just pay for the tickets.

 

[Diana ZP]

Our next trip is the first week of December and I hope the crowds do get better. I can handle busy but hope to avoid "insane" crowds. We haven't been since June 2019, which was wonderful crowd wise.

I'm also looking at Jan 22-29 or Jan 20-Feb 5 in case we need to cancel Dec. Hopefully things will be better by then, hard to know what the best "off season" month is, if they really exist anymore.

I am planning mon- thur first week of December, so maybe the crowds will be better as it is before the big Christmas rush...I hope!

 

[Diana ZP]

According to the VGC calendar, the week after Thanksgiving through the first two weeks of December is mid-low season. The definition of 'crowded' depends on each person and how their memory works. Is it worse than six months ago? Yes, yes it is. Is it worse than pre-COVID? Not even close. Is it worse than during the recession? Most certainly. ktlm's photos used to indicate a light-to-middling crowd pre-COVID.

We enjoyed our time there at the end of September (which was the beginning of the Halloween crowds), we will enjoy our middle-of-November trip and we will most certainly enjoy our 2nd week of December trip. Staying on-site in December is magical because you are immersed in the Holiday Spirit 24 hours a day!

I thought about that too- staying on property will get you immersed into the Disney Christmas spirit. I went ahead and made some dining reservations, just in case, and I think I will book the trip this week. First big trip by myself without my husband so it will be a definite change!