Electricsoup
Well-Known Member
Remember too that “slow times” were also a thing Post 9/11 when tourism tanked. Every year since more and more people attend. The slow time is basically now almost never.
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Too crowded
- Thread starter Tony1419
- Start date
Remember too that “slow times” were also a thing Post 9/11 when tourism tanked. Every year since more and more people attend. The slow time is basically now almost never.
kvillegas
Member
Anecdotal evidence is worth barely anything. Give me hard data or get out of here about how BUSY EVERYTHING IS.
And even if it is SUPER DUPER BUSY, guess what? If you like something enough to go on vacation 8 times to a place, there are probably thousands and thousands of people who think and feel the same way you do. Being angry at them for doing the same thing you are doing is nuts.
Enjoy your time in LBV. The real world will come knocking soon enough.
And even if it is SUPER DUPER BUSY, guess what? If you like something enough to go on vacation 8 times to a place, there are probably thousands and thousands of people who think and feel the same way you do. Being angry at them for doing the same thing you are doing is nuts.
Enjoy your time in LBV. The real world will come knocking soon enough.
We were there at the end of Jan/beginning of February and while busy, it was very manageable and easy to do all the things we wanted. We were just back again the second week of October and oh my goodness, the crowds!!! It was the busiest I have ever seen it for us - we always try and hit the off-season/value windows. I think the opening of Pandora, the Free Dining offer, the Food & Wine festival, and all of the rescheduled hurricane travelers just caused a huge crowd surge. A lot of TAs I spoke with said that a good number of hurricane people rebooked for October. The wait times were over an hour for almost everything. It took over 40 minutes to get on the Mad Tea Party teacups! The Fast Passes ran out so we couldn't snag much after we had used our initial three. It definitely made the day more exhausting.
With all of the offers and upcoming openings, I think we are going to see it much busier over the next few years. As regular visitors, we are just prioritizing what we want each trip and accepting that we won't be able to hit everything like we used to do. It is an adjustment, but if you balance your expectations, it can still be magical. I do really feel for the once-in-a-lifetime travelers where this is their only trip or one of just a few times there. I would hate to miss things and know I couldn't come back soon.
With all of the offers and upcoming openings, I think we are going to see it much busier over the next few years. As regular visitors, we are just prioritizing what we want each trip and accepting that we won't be able to hit everything like we used to do. It is an adjustment, but if you balance your expectations, it can still be magical. I do really feel for the once-in-a-lifetime travelers where this is their only trip or one of just a few times there. I would hate to miss things and know I couldn't come back soon.
drp4video
Well-Known Member
After 911 it slowed way down and there were times you could walk on the rides with no wait. Now, WDW is always crowded, but there are times when it is less crowded. That is when I go now. I stopped going every Christmas ten years ago, or during Spring Breaks about 7 years ago, and in summer about 5 years ago. I no longer have school age children so I am able to seek out those times that are less crowded. Even that is not a guarantee depending on what offers WDW has going at the time.
miltimo5
Member
since now wdw has so many "special events" almost crossing over each other, the crowds are always there. I thought October was supposed to be light crowds also, but then you have a lot of people coming for the food & wine festival, the MNSSHP is starting earlier and earlier, then Christmas crowds. I have been to wdw in every month, and once Disney gives something during that time frame, from the marathons-food & wine festival - and now the flower & garden festival has included some of the drink/food too, you cant keep up. also I don't see it getting any better in the near future. now with Pandora, and the coming up of Toy Story land and star wars...I hate to say ib but I am imagining capacity crowds for the next few years. ps went once many years ago not checking ahead of time--it was a star wars weekjend.... wow talk about crowds...
Kelley Davis
New Member
October is no longer a Slow month. I am friends with a Disney travel agent and she told me back a couple months ago she had several people needing to rescheduled their trips due to the hurricanes Florida had, and when looking for availability in October she could literally find none. We went to years ago in October and have been going in October for years and the crowds or most definitely up then More and more schools give a fall break now.
WondersOfLife
Blink, blink. Breathe, breathe. Day in, day out.
To give you an idea, the queue line for 3 Caballeros during Saturday before Columbus Day went almost outside of the main lobby of the Mexico pavilion.
Takeitforgranite
Active Member
We have been in 7 different months. In the last couple years, the idea of a slow time all smoke and mirrors. We prefer to go in the early summer when everything is running at full steam.
"Slow" time:
- Typical 12 hour window to go to parks (9AM to 9PM)
- Less staff
- Lower attraction capacity
- More scheduled attraction refurbishments concentrates crowds elsewhere
Summer:
- Typical 15-16 hour window to go to parks (8AM to 11-12PM)
- Full Staff
- Full attraction capacity
- Little to no scheduled attraction refurbishments.
- Little to no tour/cheer/sports groups
"Slow" time:
- Typical 12 hour window to go to parks (9AM to 9PM)
- Less staff
- Lower attraction capacity
- More scheduled attraction refurbishments concentrates crowds elsewhere
Summer:
- Typical 15-16 hour window to go to parks (8AM to 11-12PM)
- Full Staff
- Full attraction capacity
- Little to no scheduled attraction refurbishments.
- Little to no tour/cheer/sports groups
Cado603
Member
TOT yesterday was 120 at 9:30 but TSM was Ok and we walked over and went on ST. Early today at EPCOT was ok but changed at 10AM hoards came in. Seem like that is the pattern now they come in later in huge masses.We are here now and have done all the parks and Universal once this week and are finding crowds and wait times pretty good except for pandora and 7DMT. We even did FEA standby with a 20 min wait on Monday
DisneyDoctor
Well-Known Member
I expect more next time, Buddy.
DisneyDoctor
Well-Known Member
I don't think that's too surprising. Food and Wine is going on, it's the weekend, and a holiday. If people wanted less crowds at Epcot, that's a really poor choice of a day to go. Thanks for sharing!
Minnie1976
Well-Known Member
We were there the end of October and was amazed at how crowded it was.
addacollier
Member
We always go in October. I’ve usually found that the MK is always full at anytime and EPCOT, DHS & AK are better. Our main trick is go hit the park about 30 mins before opening. Especially MK as it gives you an hour or 90 mins of relatively queue free rides until the hoards of prams and mobility scooters flood the place. Then we return to our hotel around 2pm when the park is packed and return around 5pm until closing.
DisneyDoctor
Well-Known Member
I love going back to the hotel for a nap/swim/whatever to get away for a bit. I think it does wonders!
EvilQueen-T
Well-Known Member
Everyone told everyone else how slow October was same with early December so they're busy now. People are less worried about pulling their kids out of school or they home school or have alternative schedules than the traditional American school schedules. Disney as a business has become very very good at attracting crowds to what use to be the slow seasons (Jan-early March, late April through the end of May, late Aug-just before Thanksgiving, and early December). Now there's busy but the parks close early so it feel just as crowded as really busy ie spring break, summer, October, and there's totally insane bodies touching you no matter where your turn kill me now for even thinking about seeing the fireworks from the front of the castle busy...Thanksgiving all week now not just Wednesday through the weekend, Christmas through new years. Slow season aka value seasons are long gone and yes I too miss them.
DisneyDoctor
Well-Known Member
I miss them too, but, as you said, it's a business. To us die hard fans, the busy times suck, but to Disney, that equilibrates to more dinero. Good for them, there's a reason they're loved worldwide.
WondersOfLife
Blink, blink. Breathe, breathe. Day in, day out.
Nah fam. I used to go to WDW every time Columbus Day was around. Epcot was my dad's favorite park. It's never been that bad. Even during food & wine. The parks are way more insane during this time than they have been in the past, buttercup.
DisneyDoctor
Well-Known Member
Lol, buttercup. Definitely not arguing with you. Some numbers would still be great. Our only data is from memory, which is horribly unreliable. Ever take a science class, buttercup?
Edit: Nope, you haven't taken a science class, nice YouTube channel, though.
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HkPro
New Member
We've gone at the end of January our last 3 trips. 2010 and 2014 were extremely low crowds, level 2's and 3's. This time Touring Plan said it would be around the same so we went in 2017. It ended up being way more crowded than we expected and Touring Plan updated the crowd levels to 7's and 8's when we arrived. I think the Stay/Play/Dine and other discounts that month have made it more desirable.
