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Beware Of Mardi Gras in Feb
- Thread starter Pan
- Start date
http://forums.wdwmagic.com/showthread.php?t=43634&highlight=2005+group+season
For those of you still thinking about making a trip in the next month.
For those of you still thinking about making a trip in the next month.
Debbie
Well-Known Member
TURKEY said:
At least we wore clothes for Mardi Gras in WDW! Here, it might have been a different story.
I have to admit I was one of those in Purple, with a sequined jester headband, handing out beads last Tuesday. We had a nice time, and I thought the lines weren't bad at all in Magic Kingdom for Mardi Gras Day. I noticed the cheerleader groups on Friday, Feb.11. It really was too crowded for the kids to want to wait, but they might have gotten spoiled by the relative ease they experienced on Tuesday. My boys have waited in longer lines. By Friday though, everyone was pooped.
Let me clarify. As I said twice in my original post, we had a great time. As far as the vacationers from Louisiana, I don't blame them one bit for being there. If I lived in New Orleans and the kids had a week off school, I'd choose that week to go to Disney as well.
But the crowd levels were a bummer. MK was swamped on Monday and EMH on Wed night had minimum 30 min waits on most rides in Fantasyland. We like to go in late Jan or early Feb to get away from the long Minnesota winter, and because this is a slower time of year in the parks. Bob Sehlinger's Unofficial Guide called for crowd levels of 3 (out of 10), meaning light crowd conditions for this week. I also didn't see any discussion on these boards about the increase in crowds at Mardi Gras, but I may have missed it.
If Mardi Gras falls in late Feb or early March, the effect on crowds probably won't be noticed, since it's busy then anyway. But in early Feb, it probably doubled the attendance in the parks.
In the future, if you're deciding between late Jan and early Feb, and Mardi Gras is involved, I again would say beware Mardi Gras week, and go in Jan. I will.
But the crowd levels were a bummer. MK was swamped on Monday and EMH on Wed night had minimum 30 min waits on most rides in Fantasyland. We like to go in late Jan or early Feb to get away from the long Minnesota winter, and because this is a slower time of year in the parks. Bob Sehlinger's Unofficial Guide called for crowd levels of 3 (out of 10), meaning light crowd conditions for this week. I also didn't see any discussion on these boards about the increase in crowds at Mardi Gras, but I may have missed it.
If Mardi Gras falls in late Feb or early March, the effect on crowds probably won't be noticed, since it's busy then anyway. But in early Feb, it probably doubled the attendance in the parks.
In the future, if you're deciding between late Jan and early Feb, and Mardi Gras is involved, I again would say beware Mardi Gras week, and go in Jan. I will.
shoppingnut
Active Member
How is it that when I read the original post, I understood it perfectly to mean that when the books say it's not crowded at that time of year and then you get there to find out it is because the holiday fell in a different part of the calendar that year, you were just surprised by how many folks were escaping LA Mardi Gras. It had nothing to do with the people of LA. It was just that had you known it was going to be that crowded no matter where the crowd may have been from, you would have planned a different time to go when it is less crowded. And, yes, you did have a good time even though it was more crowded than expected.
RebeccaQ
New Member
I really think the OP was just trying to be helpful in reminding everyone that there is another week on the calendar to be aware of for when large groups of people tend to vacation. And Mardi Gras week changes every year, so it is easier for those not involved to forget about it. People have discussed other regional holidays and their impact on WDW crowds during otherwise quiet times of the year - I think this was the same intent - just a heads up for those who don't want to be surprised by "extra" crowds during down times at the parks.
BTW, I am a New Orleans native and I took no offense to the post. In fact, my family went down at the end of January instead of Mardi Gras week for the same reason - we wanted smaller crowds.
Edited to add - I guess it was a surprise to see the Mardi Gras crowds because it usually falls so much later and probably just blends in with the increase in crowds that comes in the spring time anyway - so it is just more noticeable when it falls during an otherwise slower time at WDW.
BTW, I am a New Orleans native and I took no offense to the post. In fact, my family went down at the end of January instead of Mardi Gras week for the same reason - we wanted smaller crowds.
Edited to add - I guess it was a surprise to see the Mardi Gras crowds because it usually falls so much later and probably just blends in with the increase in crowds that comes in the spring time anyway - so it is just more noticeable when it falls during an otherwise slower time at WDW.
FastMovingAngel
New Member
Yes. I was there and i thought it very crowded for Feb too. I wish WDW would stop trying to get these special groups such as cheerleaders, etc.. Shouldnt the cheerleaders be in school, anyway??
DispatchInhibit
Member
another thing adding to crowds that week was the SuperBowl it was in Jacksonville this year as you all may very well know and the day after was EXTREMELY busy and the majority of guests I spoke to were extedning their trip that they came down to see the big game. Mardi Gras is a factor as well as cheer groups and don't forget this weekend Feb 18-20th and the entire week will be crazy busy because of Daytona 500 speed weekend and President's Day which makes for a busy week...and ESPN weekend.
longfamily
New Member
FastMovingAngel said:
We are being a little unfair to the kid groups, I think. I was once a part of one of those groups when I was younger and I'm sure that many on this board had a similar experience with Disney during their teen years. Realize that for many of these kids, this may be the only time that they can enjoy Disney as children. Many times, these kids go without their families with the monatary aid of school money or fundraiser money. In some instances their families would never have been able to take them there otherwise
because of the price demands of vacationing at Disney with a family unit.The biggest problem that we face with these kids, at Disney and elsewhere, is that adults will no longer intervine when kids are behaving badly. As recent as 15 years ago, it was still exceptable to correct a chld that was not your own when the parent was not present. Today it seems that the attitude is different. People do not want to interfere because #1, Kids are a bit more disrespectful than years past, and #2, lawsuits have greatly diminished the adult privalage to interfere with another family.
I am still of the mindset that it takes a village to raise a child
. Most kids were raised correctly and tend to lose sight when they are not under mom and Dad's radar. As an adult, you can politely ask a teen to behave. If you are tactful enough to do it in a respectful way, the teen will gladly listen.