FEBRUARY Never Again!!!!!!!!!

[jloucks]

The only reliably "slow" times at WDW that I have experienced have been in April and October (except Halloween of course). I'm sorry you had such a rough time. I once visited WDW at the tail end of September, and while the crowds weren't too bad, man, the heat was. And the humidity! In September! I'd be walking through the park and find that the heat was fairly bearable and then suddenly hit like this wall of wet air. I'd pass through it and find myself drenched in sweat. Florida is weird that way. The others here are right, you DO have to be aware of school groups and special events and so on if you want a relatively relaxed visit at any Disney park these days. I hope that the next time you go to WDW you have a better time. Just plan, plan, plan first!

We have done April, October, and early November and all three times it was tolerable. Well... except for Epcot and the last weekend of the Food and Wine festival. That was no bueno.

 

[SuzGM84]

Not sure if this was said yet or not, but that was school vacation week here in MA (as well as other North East states) so it makes sense that it was crowded with families because the kids actually weren't missing school.

 

[Jess G]

Just wondering, when was this picture taken?

This picture was taken in April 2016

 

[Tony the Tigger]

I think the AP blockout may have helped some, but it's definitely like that a lot. I'm at MK several times a month and see it myself very often.

Thank God for the AP blockout or I would be broke LOL.

 

[marni1971]

View attachment 191703

Thank god for FP+

The system originally instigated by Paul Pressler specifically to have guests spend less time in attractions and more times on the walkways?

 

[mergatroid]

SO MAYBE THOSE OF US WHO AVOID RUSH TIMES CAN ENJOY THE PARKS WE PAY OVER 100.00 A DAY FOR WITHOUT BEING BUMPED PUSHED AND HAVING TO WAIT BEHIND EVERY OTHER FAMILY IN THE USA. Is that too much to ask?

How do you know all those other people there weren't trying to do the same thing as you? And if they were, you realise that you were in fact ruining their vacation by your selfish attitude of going in February with your family. I'd sit down and have a long, hard think about what you did if I were you. Shame on you and your family, you, you vacation spoiler you!!!!

 

[WDW_Emily]

I was there February 19th-25th and I completely agree, it was packed. I used to be a cast member at animal kingdom and never remembered the parks being so busy in February except for Presidents' Day. So I stopped and wondered why it might be so packed and remembered why I was traveling that week:

1. I am a teacher in Massachusetts and I was off from school. It's really the only time I have a full week off besides April and the summer (and we all know about Disney in the summer months).
2. I decided to run the princess 10K and 5K this year. The reason? Let's go back to number 1, I was off school and the timing worked this year.
3. It was a long weekend. People might have taken their kids out of school for 1-2 more days after Presidents' Day.
4. Last days of international arts festival and first days of flower and garden. This wouldn't bring in a huge crowd but you might have some added locals at EPCOT.
5. Rivers of light premiering. Again, might not make people book a whole trip but I know for a fact locals and cast members have been spending the day at Animal Kingdom to see Rivers of Light.

I will also like to add there was defiantly a problem with the fastpass system last week. Every fast pass line was huge and the kiosk would say nothing was available but if you went back 5 minutes later you could get every time possible for mine train. Towards the end of our trip I remember being in magic kingdom and saying "the park doesn't feel busy but the lines are crazy." Meaning we could walk around and breathe and weren't tripping over people but every attraction had a huge line.

 

[SyracuseDisneyFan]

I live in the Syracuse, NY areas. Area schools that week had a February break.

 

[larryz]

I think the real focus should be the time spent together. A family can be ripped apart in a heartbeat. Crowds or not you were still together and it's what you make it.

"Honey, remember that time we were in line for Space Mountain for four hours..."

 

[Goofyernmost]

I was there February 19th-25th and I completely agree, it was packed. I used to be a cast member at animal kingdom and never remembered the parks being so busy in February except for Presidents' Day. So I stopped and wondered why it might be so packed and remembered why I was traveling that week:

I was there the week before and it was perfect. There were enough people to make it seem vibrant, but, few enough to make it easy walkin'. In life... timing is everything. Sometimes we can control it, sometimes we can't. We play the cards we are dealt.

 

[RustySpork]

"Honey, remember that time we were in line for Space Mountain for four hours..."

Making your own magic.

 

[Goofyernmost]

"Honey, remember that time we were in line for Space Mountain for four hours..."

To be fair that never happened until the advent of FP. The reason was two fold. First the lines (just one) kept moving as long as the attraction was on line. The long lines that did occur where usually when a new attraction came into existence or was more popular. Like Space Mtn., for example. At rope drop there used to be a mad sprint directly to the right and directly to SM. The wiser people, meaning me, went to the left and by the time we circled, clockwise, getting back to SM the time was manageable.
Second, before FP, you simply didn't get in a line that was that long. You'd walk past it an come back later. With FP, it created a situation where, if you wanted to see a specific attraction you HAD to stand in line, no matter how long it was because it was never again a reasonable length of time that could be seen where it was quicker, so you grudgingly, angrily, stood in line.