Yikes! The parks look packed (on the app)!

[Whistlebee]

I mean, I wouldn't cancel, and I've been to DL in crazy crowds quite a bit. The "shoulder to shoulder" thing you keep bringing up is really situational and depends where you are in the park, when, so I don't know if anyone's responses will be helpful for you.

An example to illustrate what I mean: One day I was over by the Alice in Wonderland bathrooms and saw on Instagram that a friend of mine was in the park. I texted her about it and she responded, "OMG, can you believe these crowds?" I looked around, surprised - didn't look crazy where I was; hadn't been crazy in the hour I'd been in the park. So I texted back, "???" and she sent me her view, over by Pirates - looked slammed! Nuts. Wall-to-wall people. Later on that day, I walked over by Pirates - looked fine! Not at all like her picture from a couple of hours earlier.

So we're both in DL at the exact same time, on the exact same day, but we'd have told you something very different about the crowd levels. All sorts of things affect how the crowds feel.

Anyway, if you're a seasoned park-goer who can rope drop and use Maxpass efficiently, you can still accomplish a ton, and you'll also know where to go to escape if things get too congested.

Thanks for this and it makes a ton of sense and I have even noticed this on my trips where someone will post how crazy busy it is, but I didn’t feel like it was busy at all, so I totally know what you’re talking about. I feel like a total pro on regular crowd days! I’ve just never ever been during Christmas or during high spring break crowds like this before. If it was just me and my kids I wouldn’t be so concerned but I’m going with my sister-in-law who hates crowds and would rather be at the beach than Disney. I think we’ll be ok though. We’re planning on spending the afternoons in our room or by the pool and mostly just want some quality time with our kids. I think we can manage that!

 

[Whistlebee]

I just wanted to say thank you to everyone who responded! I really appreciate all of the input, even from the posters who see the glass as half empty (hey, I can relate)! It helps having a realistic view of what these crowds will “look” like.

 

[Whistlebee]

How crowded the park feels depends a lot more on perception than actual number of people in the park, I think.

Things like: what time you are in the park, what you are trying to accomplish, and what your expectations are really make a big difference.

When I'm in the park early, it often feels like I'm "ahead of the crowd" not just for the first couple hours, but even later in the day. That is, I find that often I'm moving the opposite direction of most people - while that can be a little annoying to navigate, it means that "the crowd" is going somewhere else!

Even when the park is crowded it's usually very manageable. I can see how someone who is stuck with the crowd all day could get discouraged, but there's never a situation when every square foot of the park is packed shoulder to shoulder with people.

There's no reason to stress, but it's kind of good in a way to expect the worst, that way you're more likely to end up pleasantly surprised, than disappointed.

Thank you for describing more of what the crowds look and feel like. I appreciate it!

 

[katyringo]

I always like to chime in on these posts because the only times my family can go are crowded times. (Teacher). Our very first trip was the week between Christmas and New Years. Then we went thanksgiving. We are planning on spring break/ Easter weekend next time.

I strongly feel that it’s all about attitude. I knew Christmas week was going to be slammed. So I went in with an attitude of a few must do things. I fell in love with Disneyland that trip. Yes. Days the park closed for capacity were days I was falling head over heels for Disneyland.

Get there early. Have a basic plan. Go with the flow and a great attitude and your trip will be great!

 

[briggscreek]

Wow, sounds like you guys did pretty good considering the crazy crowds! In the evening were you in a mass crowd as you’re walking around (shoulder to shoulder), in both parks? Your post gives me a bit of hope at least!

It was better than I expected, nothing like crowds during fireworks or parades. Mid afternoon is definitely the worst.