Crowds growing in off season is HS & AK expansions too little too late?

[The Tuna]

Just got back last week and we usually try to squeeze in after food and Wine and before thanksgiving. booked our rooms, then they added a week to food and wine and it was twice as busy as two years ago. we left on the 19th and their was a noticeable drop in wait times at UO and WDW. Transformers was 45 the week before but last week was a walk on. Minions we were on in under 20 as opposed to 60 the week before. At WDW I was shocked to wait 20 minutes for TTA. The big rides always have waits so no complaints with those but some of the wait times were crazy. Osborne was a zoo but it always is due to its awesomeness. spent 4 hours there one night just watching the lights. Going to miss them.

Having said all that Great trip. The only line that was really annoying was at Cosmic Ray's. Insane all day and night. order was wrong both times but I really loved how they just corrected it and apologized. no get back in line and pay 75 cents extra or $8 more when they forgot a whole meal. They just assume they screwed up because you said so which was good.

 

[draybook]

I'm reading that at peak times Tokyo Disneyland has 3 hour waits for the good rides and 2 hour waits for the normal rides. 1 hour wait for popcorn. So consider our selfs lucky.

Yeah, but they also know how to behave themselves.....

 

[WondersOfLife]

Hmmm, I don't go during prime time but it has been weekends so maybe that's the difference. I really can't take the kids out of school for mid week Universal trips. FJ at 15 minutes I have never seen, average time for that was 50-70 minutes every time I have been to Universal. The wait for Transformers is short in the morning but again I have never seen it as a walk on. 5 minutes I consider a walk on.

Kids do limit you in many ways. Nature of the game.

We were just lucky I guess.. Because for us, it was great! :3

 

[Minnesota disney fan]

We went in February, April, and September of this year. If the longest line you waited in was 30 minutes for TGMR, then you either didn't hit the big rides or we need to start going when you go.

Draybook, we are thinking of later Feb, or April. Just how bad is it at that time? Some insight to these times would really help, please. We were in WDW 11/11 to 11/20 and it was super crowded!!!! I blame food and wine, fdr, a marathon too, but who knows?
Thanks,

 

[draybook]

Draybook, we are thinking of later Feb, or April. Just how bad is it at that time? Some insight to these times would really help, please. We were in WDW 11/11 to 11/20 and it was super crowded!!!! I blame food and wine, fdr, a marathon too, but who knows?
Thanks,

It was manageable during April. We were there the day after Easter for about 9 days. Wait times on most things were 30+, but we expected it which made it easier to deal with.

As for February, we went in the early half and it was much more crowded than we expected, but most things were again around 30 minutes or more. This next February we are going from the 23rd until March 3rd, so it's supposed to be lighter. We shall see.

 

[Minnesota disney fan]

It was manageable during April. We were there the day after Easter for about 9 days. Wait times on most things were 30+, but we expected it which made it easier to deal with.

As for February, we went in the early half and it was much more crowded than we expected, but most things were again around 30 minutes or more. This next February we are going from the 23rd until March 3rd, so it's supposed to be lighter. We shall see.

The only thing I worry about in Feb and March is the "tour groups who must not be named" ! Did you have any problems in Feb with them? Thanks!

 

[EngineJoe]

The only thing I worry about in Feb and March is the "tour groups who must not be named" ! Did you have any problems in Feb with them? Thanks!

You'll catch the tail end of the Brazil and Argentina tour groups in the beginning of February. Brazil's summer vacation usually ends between Feb 8-14. Argentina is alittle different in that their summer vacation ends in early March.

Then in March you have spring break for the US kids

Overall I think May and October are the most reasonable months to go now.

 

[draybook]

The only thing I worry about in Feb and March is the "tour groups who must not be named" ! Did you have any problems in Feb with them? Thanks!

No, they weren't that bad and didn't really have too much of an impact on us.

 

[jloucks]

Hey I realize that the days of hitting the Parks during off season and crowd levels being a minimum are long over with. But isn't it getting a little bit crazy. So am I being too sensitive to my personal space or have any of you (my fellow Disney-addicts) begun to feel the same way?

No, it is not you. I am not a huge crowd fan. I am finding it harder to get to WDW during low crowd times. This is the primary reason I am going on two years since my last visit. ...there are other reasons too.

 

[copcarguyp71]

Hey I realize that the days of hitting the Parks during off season and crowd levels being a minimum are long over with. But isn't it getting a little bit crazy. So am I being too sensitive to my personal space or have any of you (my fellow Disney-addicts) begun to feel the same way?

A) - I agree with you
B) - with room additions being added at a blistering pace over molasses in January park expansion....not likely to see it get any better in the near future.
C) - bracing for pixie dust rebuttals!

 

[Duke of Disney]

Ive gone the first week in December with a good experience several times. Hitting the world for a week (1/18/16) and hope people are tired from Christmas and New Years and stay home, leaving the parks to me. #myWishes Im not a fan of 80+ degree FL weather, so my last trip in the summer was a few years ago. No thank you. #tanktopsofDisney

 

[EngineJoe]

Ive gone the first week in December with a good experience several times. Hitting the world for a week (1/18/16) and hope people are tired from Christmas and New Years and stay home, leaving the parks to me. #myWishes Im not a fan of 80+ degree FL weather, so my last trip in the summer was a few years ago. No thank you. #tanktopsofDisney

That's the heart of Brazilian Tour Group Season (People always forget that their summer vacation is in Dec/Jan/Feb) + MLK holiday. Prepare for the worst, hope for the best.