Have made about 30 trips in the past 20 years to WDW. Visited over the 4th of July a couple of times and Thanksgiving several times. Never have I seen such crowds and lines. We were anticipating crowds as we were unable to get rooms on property for this trip and the only reason for this trip was we just came off a cruise and were so close that to not visit would be a sin. ON Saturday February 13 as we were driving up Buena Vista Drive the traffic was backed up like I have never seen it for entrance to Hollywood Studios.We went to the Magic Kingdom first and were in total shock of the lines just to buy Park Tickets. It took us almost an hour to renew our annual passes and to be totally honest if we din't have our 4 year old grandson with us who only wanted to ride the Monorail and my sister in law who has never been to WDW before I would have turned around and headed home to Pa.
The lines and wait times were very inconsistent at the MK. Splash was closed, BTM was 5 hours on the FastPass and 70 minutes standby. Space was 90 minutes and It's a Small World was 60 minutes! HM was 70 minutes also. The lines for Cosmic Ray's Starland Cafe were out the door almost a 100 feet. Lunch at the Pinocchio Village Haus took over an hour.
We did get to do Buzz Light Year, Monster's Inc, TTA and Tomorrowland Speedway, Country Bears, Mickey's Toontown Fair and the WDW Railroad.
It was also very cold and sit down dining wasn't available anywhere at the MK that day. We were going to settle for Hot Dogs at Casey's Corner. My wife got in line at Casey's (it was outside into Main Street). I left her and the family and left the MK to go to our van and get coats an blankets for the fireworks and SpectroMagic. Now I left the MK, took the Monorail to the TTC. Walked out to my van in the Minnie Parking lot. Moved the Van up to the first row in the Minnie section got our coats and walked to the TTC, road the Monorail back to the MK, went through security and met my wife back at Casey's. There were still 10 people in front of her. I traded places with her and was still in line another 20 minutes. May I say the hot dogs were devine.
Was the MK understaffed, maybe. Were the rude people out, definitely.
Sunday February 14. Happy Valentines Day. Took the family to Pop Century for them to see the Decor`. My sister in law (50) was in awe of it all. The place was packed but we had breakfast anyway. Not as bad as I though it would be.
Going to Hollywood Studios, but again the traffic was backed up on Buena Vista Blvd was unbelievable and after setting in traffic and not seeing even Disney Buses moving we opted for the Animal Kingdom instead. Yes it was crowded, but our only dismay was we didn't get to ride Expedition Everest. The lines were over 70 minutes 1 hour before closing and it was our fault as we could have got FastPasses earlier and forgot to. My first stop after entering the park was to get FastPasses for the Safari. A CM was working the FastPass machine and just asked me how many I needed and didn't even make me put our tickets into the machine. I could have went strait to Everest but lost that train of thought meeting up with the family. My mistake.
Again the lines to get food were out the doors. Taking over an hour to get through Pizzafari. As crowded as the park was we never seemed to be waiting more than 15 minutes for a show or ride. Our timing was rather good or just plain lucky. Couldn't get a sit down restaurant for dinner so we went to Olive Garden near the Cross Roads Shopping center for Valentines Dinner.
Monday February 15, Hollywood Studios.
The lines today were backed up only to the entrance along Lake Buena Vista Blvd. At 11 am the FastPass's for RNR and TOT were for 5:30 to 6:30 returns and the standby lines were both 70 minutes. Pixar Place was elbow to elbow and for the rest it wasn't to bad Star Tours was maybe 40 minutes, but overall the crowds were not too bad. Probably due to the fact that "Fantasmic" wasn't being shown tonight.
I left the Studios after the Block Party Bash to go back to the AK to get a jacket I saw the day before and didn't purchase (I know better). The Ak lot was packed, but the park didn't seem to be nearly as packed as the day before. The FastPass for the Safari was closed and the standby was only 10 minutes. Went to Everest hoping I would be as lucky, but it was a 60 minute wait and the jacket I wanted was sold out in my size. They only had Small's and XXX's. As cold as it has been the past 3 days Disney was selling every coat they had available.
Went back to the Studios for the remainder of the day with the Family. Dinner a the Studio Commissary was ok. Didn't seem as cold tonight.
Tuesday February 15, Epcot
A beautiful clear day. Sunshine and not a cloud in the sky, but windy and cold. Soarin was 70 minutes standby at 10:00 am and our FastPass was for 5:45 to 6:45. Mission Space was 40 minute Green and 50 minute Orange standby's. Test Track was at 150 minutes later in the day and FastPass was gone around Noon.
The World Showcase was packed. The line to the pastry shop at Norway was outside the door 50 feet and the entrance to Maelstrom was packed elbow to elbow. I was surprise to see the theater for Reflections of China almost filled along with the American Adventure. The line at the pastry shop for France was out the door like Norway but moved rather quickly. The Seas with Nemo and Friends along with Turtle Talk with Crush were 15 to 20 minutes along with most other shows. The longest line of the day was to get hot chocolate before Illuminations. About 40 minutes to get a hot chocolate!
The crowd for Illuminations didn't seem to be as large as normal, but considering how cold it was I think it drove many people away.
I know I have complained a lot about the lines for getting food, but honestly I have never seen it like this even on the 4th of July. I don't know if it was the size of the crowds or WDW being understaffed. It did seem that even in the shops there weren't enough CM's to take our money!
Again, I know better than to make a trip to WDW over a holiday weekend.
Joe
The lines and wait times were very inconsistent at the MK. Splash was closed, BTM was 5 hours on the FastPass and 70 minutes standby. Space was 90 minutes and It's a Small World was 60 minutes! HM was 70 minutes also. The lines for Cosmic Ray's Starland Cafe were out the door almost a 100 feet. Lunch at the Pinocchio Village Haus took over an hour.
We did get to do Buzz Light Year, Monster's Inc, TTA and Tomorrowland Speedway, Country Bears, Mickey's Toontown Fair and the WDW Railroad.
It was also very cold and sit down dining wasn't available anywhere at the MK that day. We were going to settle for Hot Dogs at Casey's Corner. My wife got in line at Casey's (it was outside into Main Street). I left her and the family and left the MK to go to our van and get coats an blankets for the fireworks and SpectroMagic. Now I left the MK, took the Monorail to the TTC. Walked out to my van in the Minnie Parking lot. Moved the Van up to the first row in the Minnie section got our coats and walked to the TTC, road the Monorail back to the MK, went through security and met my wife back at Casey's. There were still 10 people in front of her. I traded places with her and was still in line another 20 minutes. May I say the hot dogs were devine.
Was the MK understaffed, maybe. Were the rude people out, definitely.
Sunday February 14. Happy Valentines Day. Took the family to Pop Century for them to see the Decor`. My sister in law (50) was in awe of it all. The place was packed but we had breakfast anyway. Not as bad as I though it would be.
Going to Hollywood Studios, but again the traffic was backed up on Buena Vista Blvd was unbelievable and after setting in traffic and not seeing even Disney Buses moving we opted for the Animal Kingdom instead. Yes it was crowded, but our only dismay was we didn't get to ride Expedition Everest. The lines were over 70 minutes 1 hour before closing and it was our fault as we could have got FastPasses earlier and forgot to. My first stop after entering the park was to get FastPasses for the Safari. A CM was working the FastPass machine and just asked me how many I needed and didn't even make me put our tickets into the machine. I could have went strait to Everest but lost that train of thought meeting up with the family. My mistake.
Again the lines to get food were out the doors. Taking over an hour to get through Pizzafari. As crowded as the park was we never seemed to be waiting more than 15 minutes for a show or ride. Our timing was rather good or just plain lucky. Couldn't get a sit down restaurant for dinner so we went to Olive Garden near the Cross Roads Shopping center for Valentines Dinner.
Monday February 15, Hollywood Studios.
The lines today were backed up only to the entrance along Lake Buena Vista Blvd. At 11 am the FastPass's for RNR and TOT were for 5:30 to 6:30 returns and the standby lines were both 70 minutes. Pixar Place was elbow to elbow and for the rest it wasn't to bad Star Tours was maybe 40 minutes, but overall the crowds were not too bad. Probably due to the fact that "Fantasmic" wasn't being shown tonight.
I left the Studios after the Block Party Bash to go back to the AK to get a jacket I saw the day before and didn't purchase (I know better). The Ak lot was packed, but the park didn't seem to be nearly as packed as the day before. The FastPass for the Safari was closed and the standby was only 10 minutes. Went to Everest hoping I would be as lucky, but it was a 60 minute wait and the jacket I wanted was sold out in my size. They only had Small's and XXX's. As cold as it has been the past 3 days Disney was selling every coat they had available.
Went back to the Studios for the remainder of the day with the Family. Dinner a the Studio Commissary was ok. Didn't seem as cold tonight.
Tuesday February 15, Epcot
A beautiful clear day. Sunshine and not a cloud in the sky, but windy and cold. Soarin was 70 minutes standby at 10:00 am and our FastPass was for 5:45 to 6:45. Mission Space was 40 minute Green and 50 minute Orange standby's. Test Track was at 150 minutes later in the day and FastPass was gone around Noon.
The World Showcase was packed. The line to the pastry shop at Norway was outside the door 50 feet and the entrance to Maelstrom was packed elbow to elbow. I was surprise to see the theater for Reflections of China almost filled along with the American Adventure. The line at the pastry shop for France was out the door like Norway but moved rather quickly. The Seas with Nemo and Friends along with Turtle Talk with Crush were 15 to 20 minutes along with most other shows. The longest line of the day was to get hot chocolate before Illuminations. About 40 minutes to get a hot chocolate!
The crowd for Illuminations didn't seem to be as large as normal, but considering how cold it was I think it drove many people away.
I know I have complained a lot about the lines for getting food, but honestly I have never seen it like this even on the 4th of July. I don't know if it was the size of the crowds or WDW being understaffed. It did seem that even in the shops there weren't enough CM's to take our money!
Again, I know better than to make a trip to WDW over a holiday weekend.
Joe
