OK only six more days to before we get to WDW on Monday May 13th. Anyone visited WDW this week or last and can give an update on crowds? Not weekends but weekdays. I know it has been very hot 90F +++ but for us the key factor to a successful trip is how busy the parks are. We planned mid May as the best choice for when I could get off work, climate in Florida and to avoid huge crowds. We are carefully planning our visit and although staying off site, have done some organizing with our 6 year old to try and get to the parks when they open and take the e-rides first. But still would be nice if crowds were not too huge and we could truely enjoy ourselves.
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May crowds?
- Thread starter redsbe
- Start date
I just got back Sunday night. Crowds were much bigger than I expected last week. Not terrible on the weekdays (the weekends were VERY crowded, however). The least busy day in the Magic Kingdom was Tuesday-- we were able to walk onto everything, including Space Mountain, Pirates, Buzz Lightyear, and Jungle Cruise. Only Dumbo seemed to have a wait that day. Here were my obervations:
Saturday (4/27): VERY crowded
Sunday: Less than Saturday, but still busy. Average wait times for popular rides 20-30 minutes
Monday: average wait times 15 minutes
Tues: no waits
Wed. average 15 minutes
Thursday: 15-20 minutes
Friday: 25-35 minutes
Saturday: 25-60 minutes
Sunday (5/5): 25-60
Hope that helps!
Saturday (4/27): VERY crowded
Sunday: Less than Saturday, but still busy. Average wait times for popular rides 20-30 minutes
Monday: average wait times 15 minutes
Tues: no waits
Wed. average 15 minutes
Thursday: 15-20 minutes
Friday: 25-35 minutes
Saturday: 25-60 minutes
Sunday (5/5): 25-60
Hope that helps!
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swordsman_24
Member
May 20 - May 22
We are going to Animal Kingdom and Pleasure Island during a trip to Orlando 5-18 through 5-22. Anyone have any suggestions on the best weekday to go to AK? I am looking for the lowest volume day possible. I was thinking Monday or Tuesday, but our plans are wide open so anything will work. We are taking two friends who have never been to AK before. (Can't wait to see their reaction to Bugs Life!!!)
We are going to Animal Kingdom and Pleasure Island during a trip to Orlando 5-18 through 5-22. Anyone have any suggestions on the best weekday to go to AK? I am looking for the lowest volume day possible. I was thinking Monday or Tuesday, but our plans are wide open so anything will work. We are taking two friends who have never been to AK before. (Can't wait to see their reaction to Bugs Life!!!)
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here are our plans: staying off site, using 5 day parkhopper passes, getting into the parks at opening each day, 2 adults and 2 kids (6 years, 5 months):
MK Tuesday
EP Wednesday
MGM Thursday
AG Friday
with the heat and two young kids in tow I suspect we will only last 1/2 day in EP, MGM and AG (and all that we really need to experience attractions 6 year old is interested in)... no need to see it all and experience a "death march" each day, quality over quantity I say! So we have planned our visits to hit a few e-rides first, fastpass a couple, walking onto to a few smaller attractions, and with breaks. Spend afternoon back at hotel or waterpark for a swim. We can then return to EP or MGM in the evenings. Also plan for a second 1/2 day visit to MK on Saturday. This trip is really for the kids as wife and I have been to WDW before, and although we would like to get on some more of the e-rides and newer attractions it is just not going to be possible our focus is to enjoy the trip and maximize the fun for the kids - epecially the 6 year old.
MK Tuesday
EP Wednesday
MGM Thursday
AG Friday
with the heat and two young kids in tow I suspect we will only last 1/2 day in EP, MGM and AG (and all that we really need to experience attractions 6 year old is interested in)... no need to see it all and experience a "death march" each day, quality over quantity I say! So we have planned our visits to hit a few e-rides first, fastpass a couple, walking onto to a few smaller attractions, and with breaks. Spend afternoon back at hotel or waterpark for a swim. We can then return to EP or MGM in the evenings. Also plan for a second 1/2 day visit to MK on Saturday. This trip is really for the kids as wife and I have been to WDW before, and although we would like to get on some more of the e-rides and newer attractions it is just not going to be possible our focus is to enjoy the trip and maximize the fun for the kids - epecially the 6 year old.
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Mr. Toad
Active Member
I just got back this afternoon 
. The weather was hot - hotter than I expected (92-95).
As for the crowds - they were a little bigger than I expected in the Magic Kingdom. However, using FastPass we were able to hit everything we really wanted to get on (but we didn't try to do Space Mountain or Splash Mountain). The absolute worse part of the park was by Peter Pan. The wait for the ride was consistently 60 minutes and the number of strollers parked across from it (by It's A Small World) took up about half of the walking path creating horrible congestion.
Animal Kingdom wasn't that bad. Basically walked on to Dinosaur and Triceratop Spin, 15 minutes for the Safari and Primeval Whirl, and 5 minutes for Kali River Rapids.
Didn't really do EPCOT this trip. Just saw the Flower & Garden show and rode SpaceShip Earth. Park wasn't too crowded but I believe Test Track had a 70 minute wait.
MGM was basically dead. Sunday night we walked on to RNRC (my first time
) right around park closing. Went back on Monday afternoon and the park was dead. We rode RNRC two times in a row with no wait at all. I believe the wait for TOT was also minimal as they just had 13 minutes posted but I still haven't gotten up the courage to try it yet.
. The weather was hot - hotter than I expected (92-95). As for the crowds - they were a little bigger than I expected in the Magic Kingdom. However, using FastPass we were able to hit everything we really wanted to get on (but we didn't try to do Space Mountain or Splash Mountain). The absolute worse part of the park was by Peter Pan. The wait for the ride was consistently 60 minutes and the number of strollers parked across from it (by It's A Small World) took up about half of the walking path creating horrible congestion.
Animal Kingdom wasn't that bad. Basically walked on to Dinosaur and Triceratop Spin, 15 minutes for the Safari and Primeval Whirl, and 5 minutes for Kali River Rapids.
Didn't really do EPCOT this trip. Just saw the Flower & Garden show and rode SpaceShip Earth. Park wasn't too crowded but I believe Test Track had a 70 minute wait.
MGM was basically dead. Sunday night we walked on to RNRC (my first time
) right around park closing. Went back on Monday afternoon and the park was dead. We rode RNRC two times in a row with no wait at all. I believe the wait for TOT was also minimal as they just had 13 minutes posted but I still haven't gotten up the courage to try it yet.
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redsbe: your plan sounds good. That's exactly what we did-- at the park at opening at 9, ate lunch early (11-11;30) then back to the hotel for a nap and then swimming in the worst part of the heat in the afernoons. We went back the one night the MK was open late (Saturday) but it was a nightmare-- still hot at night, huge crowds, and the darkness scared us because we were afraid we would get separated. It was so crowded that it was hard to walk. We found that we went to the Magic Kingdom for a half a day (mornings) several times, and to MGM once and to Animal Kingdom once. We went to Epcot for dinner one night (Japan) and were able to walk around a bit before and after that,a nd then stay for the fireworks there. Since there is very little for young children at Epcot, this might work for you, too.
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Liver Lips
New Member
Very dangerous to plan on spending an entire day in any park. Bust butt in the morning in your park of choice then relax at your resort (or any other for that matter) during the afternoon, before heading back to the park. I think the biggest mistake people make is feeling that they "are wasting money by not going going going non stop". Vacation is supposed to be FUN!!! Don't spread this around though, apparently it's a secret (haha)
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that is exactly our plan - to get to parks before they open and stay 1/2 day or little longer if we are surviving! Go back to resort or waterpark for swim and relax then revisit after supper if possible (at least for EP and MSW which are open later during our visit)...only 3 more days to go!!!
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