With all this 'crowd calendar' chit chat ....

[WedgieSock]

When they say its a '9' is it just a 9 in the park to avoid, or is it a 9 for WDW as a whole, and most of those '9'ers' will be in the the park to avoid?

Is a '9' in high season the same as a '9' in low season?

How and what numbers do they base this on?

Do you honestly see the difference between, lets say, a 7 & a 9?

I don't actually use crowd calendars and it works fine for me, I'm just really curious as a lot of people seem to plan their vacays around them.

 

[Robo]

When they say its a '9' is it just a 9 in the park to avoid, or is it a 9 for WDW as a whole, and most of those '9'ers' will be in the the park to avoid?

Is a '9' in high season the same as a '9' in low season?

How and what numbers do they base this on?

Do you honestly see the difference between, lets say, a 7 & a 9?

I don't actually use crowd calendars and it works fine for me, I'm just really curious as a lot of people seem to plan their vacays around them.

Many of the numbers are based on attraction wait times, so it means the same thing in high season and low season.

 

[WedgieSock]

Many of the numbers are based on attraction wait times, so it means the same thing in high season and low season.

So if its based on wait times, then the '9' (for instance) applies to the park to avoid then and not all parks

 

[Robo]

So if its based on wait times, then the '9' (for instance) applies to the park to avoid then and not all parks

It depends on what info you are reading.

It can be for an individual park or an "average" of all.

Regardless, anything offered is just an estimate.

 

[Forensicmom]

If you're using Touring Plans, it's just a 9 in MK, the other parks are a 2, I think. We have looked at Touringplans (which we used last year and liked it), Easy WDW, and Dad's something'er other. After looking at all 3 and reading as much as we could, we decided to just go for it and tough out any crowds.

One person wrote that the crowds will more then likely be mostly in the new Fantasyland, which will not be open to the public. We're hoping for the best and decided NOT to change our original plans.

We are planning to go to MK on Wed (11-14) for a good part of the day and then again on Friday. We considered switching things around and going to MVMCP on Friday but the cost of $386 was more then we wanted to spend, so we're just hoping for the best.

 

[WedgieSock]

It depends on what info you are reading.

It can be for an individual park or an "average" of all.

Regardless, anything offered is just an estimate.

Thanks for your input Robo - always appreciated

So, what I'm understanding so far is I'm really not missing out by not using them then My method is avoid school holidays, other than that I really have no control.

 

[WedgieSock]

If you're using Touring Plans, it's just a 9 in MK, the other parks are a 2, I think. We have looked at Touringplans (which we used last year and liked it), Easy WDW, and Dad's something'er other. After looking at all 3 and reading as much as we could, we decided to just go for it and tough out any crowds.

One person wrote that the crowds will more then likely be mostly in the new Fantasyland, which will not be open to the public. We're hoping for the best and decided NOT to change our original plans.

We are planning to go to MK on Wed (11-14) for a good part of the day and then again on Friday. We considered switching things around and going to MVMCP on Friday but the cost of $386 was more then we wanted to spend, so we're just hoping for the best.

Ah, thats what I was wondering - I have looked at TP & easyWDW.

When I first heard about crowd calendars I had a look and I came down with the common "over-planning" illness that so many DISers get so I decided to ditch them completely. We go off-season and I always figure its either going to be crowded or really crowded - thats about as scientific as I get and we just roll with it.

Thanks for your input

 

[mesaboy2]

Ah, thats what I was wondering - I have looked at TP & easyWDW.

When I first heard about crowd calendars I had a look and I came down with the common "over-planning" illness that so many DISers get so I decided to ditch them completely. We go off-season and I always figure its either going to be crowded or really crowded - thats about as scientific as I get and we just roll with it.

Thanks for your input

I completely agree. You sound easy-going.

 

[Carbonfiber07]

As much as I would agree that there is not much control you will have over crowd levels, I would seriously look at easyWDWs recommended park information. He had a blog a while back regarding the same overall crowd levels on two consecutive days, but different park recommendations based on other factors and the pictures he took showed a much reduced crowd level at the recommended park. In other words, while the park levels were crowd level "5" he went to Magic Kingdom two days in a row, with the first day being a "not recommended" based on EMH and other factors, while the very next day Magic Kingdom was a "recommended" park for various other factors (EMHs at other parks, parades and special events at other parks, etc.). The difference was palpable.

 

[MrsDuck]

I always figure its either going to be crowded or really crowded - thats about as scientific as I get and we just roll with it.

Exactly what we do as well. I don't pay much attention to the crowd calendars and I'm always surprised at how much value people put in them. Just different touring styles, I guess!

 

[mking624]

Exactly what we do as well. I don't pay much attention to the crowd calendars and I'm always surprised at how much value people put in them. Just different touring styles, I guess!

Same here. In all my trips to Disney, I have never even looked at the crowd calendar. I am going to hit the park I want to, regardless of what the predictors say.

 

[WedgieSock]

I completely agree. You sound easy-going.

I am, I'm a breeze through life person as opposed to rush through life. It'll be there tomorrow

The difference was palpable.

I'm sure, but (and I have tried) I really can't micro-manage like that.

This is my stance, and I'm sure holes can be picked but it makes perfect sense in my head, I will probably save a good hour or more with all the minutes here and there saved in stand-by times ...... but, I would have spent maybe that time at home working out best days to go to X park, which FPs to get first etc etc when I could have been doing something else .... so I haven't really saved any time at all

Exactly what we do as well. I don't pay much attention to the crowd calendars and I'm always surprised at how much value people put in them. Just different touring styles, I guess!

Same here. In all my trips to Disney, I have never even looked at the crowd calendar. I am going to hit the park I want to, regardless of what the predictors say.

Phew. Its not just me then!

 

[mesaboy2]

I am, I'm a breeze through life person as opposed to rush through life. It'll be there tomorrow

So will I.

 

[kohlby]

What I like about easywdw is that it's so much more than a number. He doesn't break the parks down specifically by number, but does explain why which parks are crowded. This helps us plan MUCH better. For example, one day Epcot was supposed to be avoid and very crowded on the last Sat of F&W - we went anyway and it was low crowds! He didn't get it wrong, but we were focusing on just Future World that day and leaving around dinner time so it worked out perfectly for my family. Just looking at a crowd number without the why's doesn't tell the whole story.

As for crowds, pre-kids we did over Christmas break three times - with the park being filled to capacity. And we still had a great time! We didn't know anything about crowd calendars back then but still managed to not wait in long rides and get a ton done. Being familiar with the parks and the attractions are worth the most in planning. Though I do use crowd calendars now that I have kids!

 

[junebugTN]

This is my stance, and I'm sure holes can be picked but it makes perfect sense in my head, I will probably save a good hour or more with all the minutes here and there saved in stand-by times ...... but, I would have spent maybe that time at home working out best days to go to X park, which FPs to get first etc etc when I could have been doing something else .... so I haven't really saved any time at all

As one of those super-duper-over planners, I see your point. I make these really complex spreadsheets to plan our days, but it is part of the fun for me.

I have to admit though, on our last trip, we carefully scheduled everything during a time when the crowds were predicted to be 2s and 3s - and it kinda threw me for a loop when we wound up surrounded by wall to wall tour groups. If I would have started the vacation with your mindset, I probably would have handled it better.

But a crowded day at Disney was still better than a day in my cubicle at work....haaaa!

 

[WedgieSock]

So will I.

Have a great time

As one of those super-duper-over planners, I see your point. I make these really complex spreadsheets to plan our days, but it is part of the fun for me.

I have to admit though, on our last trip, we carefully scheduled everything during a time when the crowds were predicted to be 2s and 3s - and it kinda threw me for a loop when we wound up surrounded by wall to wall tour groups. If I would have started the vacation with your mindset, I probably would have handled it better.

But a crowded day at Disney was still better than a day in my cubicle at work....haaaa!

Ain't that the truth!

Question for you: had you been to Disney prior to finding this site and if so, how were your vacays different? I often wonder what came first for some - the planning or the DISboards?

Disney was a part of life, then after the DISboards, it became a way of life

 

[stpats317]

We have always looked at crowd calendars as a basic planning guide. We always go at a "lower crowd" time of year (if that really exists anymore). We have never used a touring plan of any kind and we have always seen and done anything and everything we wanted to. I'm not an obsessive planner and we are not always rope drop people (sometimes we are) and if we have crowds and lines, so what, we're at Disney and life is good.

 

[WedgieSock]

My next question then: for those of you who do use crowd calendars, how do you know how accurate they are other than my fool-proof plan of crowded or really crowded.

How the heck do you know it was a '7'? What is a '7'.

Thank you in advance

 

[JessM]

I've been to Disney 15 times over the course of my life and I never even knew about crowd calendars until I planned my firs trip on my own. M family had never consulted them an have always had a great trip. We generally avoid am EMH and then hop over to whichever park is open latest. We just use FP for the big stuff and wait, eat or do the higher volume attractions in between. We almost always take 4 day trips in early Dec w/ park hopper and we never miss anything we want to see. Most years we have hit a waterpark for an afternoon as well. You don't need crowd calendars to have a great vacation!

 

[WedgieSock]

I've been to Disney 15 times over the course of my life and I never even knew about crowd calendars until I planned my firs trip on my own. M family had never consulted them an have always had a great trip. We generally avoid am EMH and then hop over to whichever park is open latest. We just use FP for the big stuff and wait, eat or do the higher volume attractions in between. We almost always take 4 day trips in early Dec w/ park hopper and we never miss anything we want to see. Most years we have hit a waterpark for an afternoon as well. You don't need crowd calendars to have a great vacation!

My thoughts exactly!