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Post by zulaya on Sept 24, 2023 13:55:26 GMT -5
We're at WDW Dec 2-9.
TouringPlans is showing DHS crowd levels at 8 and 9 the whole week.
I get that Jollywood Nights happening on Dec 4 and 6 might be causing some people to visit DHS on different days that week, but this seems really high.
Am I missing some other event(s) that I should be aware of?
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Post by helenabear on Sept 24, 2023 15:26:21 GMT -5
They've had DHS listed as higher than most parks most of the times I've been. I honestly think all crowd levels are crap shoots based on real life experiences now.
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Post by Adelard of Bath on Sept 24, 2023 17:14:07 GMT -5
I just wish I could go someday and see these "low crowds" that people talk about.
Even when we went post-covid, we must have just missed those "low crowds" because it was as packed as always.
(sarcasm alert: I HAVE seen low crowds. It just doesn't seem to happen in the last 5-6-7 years.)
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Post by brp on Sept 24, 2023 17:24:25 GMT -5
I just wish I could go someday and see these "low crowds" that people talk about. Even when we went post-covid, we must have just missed those "low crowds" because it was as packed as always. (sarcasm alert: I HAVE seen low crowds. It just doesn't seem to happen in the last 5-6-7 years.) When we were there a few weeks ago, things were somewhat light. We had arrived on the Tuesday after Labor Say, so that helped. One evening we went to DHS maybe an hour or so before closing. RotR was about 10 minutes. SDD was more like 30, but not too bad.
At Epcot, Soarin' was 15-20 minutes. Test Track was longer, but we always do single rider, so it's fast.
Cheers.
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Post by helenabear on Sept 24, 2023 17:47:45 GMT -5
I just wish I could go someday and see these "low crowds" that people talk about. Even when we went post-covid, we must have just missed those "low crowds" because it was as packed as always. (sarcasm alert: I HAVE seen low crowds. It just doesn't seem to happen in the last 5-6-7 years.) Weirdly spring break was worse than any other year for us. Summer was much much lower. I'll let you know what it's like in a couple of weeks but only time I saw it lower (since to the slump in the earlier 2000s) during covid when masks were required indoors |
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Post by disney54us on Sept 24, 2023 19:30:25 GMT -5
I just wish I could go someday and see these "low crowds" that people talk about. Even when we went post-covid, we must have just missed those "low crowds" because it was as packed as always. (sarcasm alert: I HAVE seen low crowds. It just doesn't seem to happen in the last 5-6-7 years.) We went post Covid March 2021, we walked into Epcot a bit after 11am and it was empty. I couldn’t believe it. To be honest, since I’m a non planner and the whole reservation system was new, confusing and ridiculous to me. I usually buy my passes days before arrival. We know they knew to shut down MK on Xmas day or NYE, so they could control how many were in a park. With my usual very lax attitude. There was nothing open for parks when I finally checked. We were fine with it. It was a quick getaway before we were to move in a couple of months. When we arrived at MCO and we’re waiting for ME. I checked UT and poof there was Epcot, or so I thought. I quickly bought the passes. Well when we showed up that day, the passes didn’t work, the CM calls the supervisor over, they try…. Seems in my haste, it was for the following Saturday!  . For those who can work off your phones, you really have a special talent. I can’t. They sent us inside and the CM was lovely, switched our passes for the day we were there even adjusted a credit because the following week was more. Which was very nice, I was just thankful we were able to enter Epcot for the day but that was the day it was empty, wish I knew how to post pics of how empty. So that’s also why I am of the belief the reservation system, was not rational after the first few months of reopening. We don’t do Genie genie+ what ever those pay to ride passes are but we were able to get on most we wanted without a long wait. Test track we have GM employee card so that’s usually never an issue. We have been since, a few times granted October with F&W can be a bit busy but I haven’t been where I thought oh geez, this is crazy. We don’t go during high crowd times (though I think wdw has made so many events) there isn’t a slow time. I don’t do Summer, spring break, Jersey week. Basically the time kids are off from school, when you will have higher crowds. Never did that when they were in school, they can miss a few days…. But that was just me. I will go in ‘winter’ months too where if you are going to get warm and balmy depends on Mother Nature. Most of the time we have lucked out with beautiful mornings warming up throughout the day that even some pool time and sun bathing was possible. But it’s a chance one takes and there are no guarantees. Of course living in NE even a ‘cold’ February in Disney is better than the cold we have home. Maybe the reservation system and not being able to park hop till after 2 made parks more crowded. Whereas someone like me may go to one park in the morning then decide to head over to another by noon or 1:00 the whole reservation system hasn’t allowed that. I don’t know but just a thought. It has been documented attendance is down, but tourism all over is seeing a decline this summer season at the Delmarva beaches, Daytona beach reported a decline so it’s all over not just at the world. |
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Post by Adelard of Bath on Sept 24, 2023 21:11:59 GMT -5
We went post Covid March 2021, we walked into Epcot a bit after 11am and it was empty. See, I just keep missing it. This is why I put "low crowds" in quotes, or preface it with the word "mythical". My records indicate we were there March 5 - March 21, 2021. I seem to recall it being pretty busy. I remember telling my wife, somewhat incredulously, "Everybody kept saying Disney was a ghost town...I guess we should have come in October." I guess I should also remember that these bloggers, they clearly have APs and attend in the first hour and the last hour. Apparently I am cursed. I saw 5-minute waits back in 2010, though! |
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Post by disney54us on Sept 24, 2023 22:14:26 GMT -5
We were only there for a four five day, so jealous of your extended stay, nice.. But we did over lap and were there from 3/18/21 through. 4 days? But we were in the empty Epcot on 3/20/21 when there were no reservations available, but there were no people.
I hear you, I loved when 11 month booking window was nothing, you didn’t need to use it. When the first week after NY’s you could easily book but know with whatever run Disney marathon they have, forget it.
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Post by john2247 on Sept 25, 2023 6:42:10 GMT -5
I think "Low" crowds are a thing of the distant past. The crowds may have dipped slightly for a couple of years after the 2008 recession and a little more during the pandemic, but low crowds today are only wishful thinking. Which means you have to do more and better planning.
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Post by tomandrobin on Sept 25, 2023 12:30:22 GMT -5
We're at WDW Dec 2-9. TouringPlans is showing DHS crowd levels at 8 and 9 the whole week. I get that Jollywood Nights happening on Dec 4 and 6 might be causing some people to visit DHS on different days that week, but this seems really high. Am I missing some other event(s) that I should be aware of? Well, for starters there are four MVMCP dates for your dates (Dec 3,5,7,8) which will alter normal park crowds. People will avoid MK party days because it closes early, DHS will be the default park.
Then you add Jollywood Nights at DHS (Dec 4&6)
That is pretty much all your days and why DHS will be busier than normal because crowd pressures.
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Post by tomandrobin on Sept 25, 2023 12:32:10 GMT -5
I think "Low" crowds are a thing of the distant past. The crowds may have dipped slightly for a couple of years after the 2008 recession and a little more during the pandemic, but low crowds today are only wishful thinking. Which means you have to do more and better planning. The crowds this summer and over Labor Day were not that bad. In fact we were surprised on July 4th and over Labor Day how short a lot of ride queues were at the parks. |
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Post by tomandrobin on Sept 25, 2023 12:39:36 GMT -5
We have been going to WDW long enough to see all levels of crowds. Post 9/11 tourism was way down for years. Things picked up and got busy until the 2008 recession kicked in. And again, crowds were spares for a few years. Then from 2012(ish) the crowds kept building each year til we reached 2020 and covid. The first year after reopening, summer of 2020, to summer of 2021, crowds were light....but crowds were controlled. Then the pandemic was declared over and we had 2 years of pent-up travel that has been nuts. Now we are starting to see a softening of crowds, maybe a touch of normalcy of crowds. 2024 will be fun to watch.....so much uncertainty.
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Post by nickys on Sept 26, 2023 4:55:58 GMT -5
Disney can manipulate things so that even if the number of visitors are down, they will reduce some rides to only one track, or cut staffing so that the ride wait times are just the same as when the visitor numbers are higher.
Touring Plans use ride wait times between 11am & 4pm to determine their crowd levels, it isn’t a prediction of how many people will be in the park (for the reason above). it’s too early for them to have adjusted for this December, so those are based on last year’s actual figures, ie: wait times. I think it’s about 6-8 weeks out that they will start to adjust them That’s when it’s handy to have a subscription so you can be notified of changes as they happen.
They base their crowd levels on ride wait times between 11am & 4pm.
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Post by nickys on Sept 26, 2023 5:04:17 GMT -5
We have been going to WDW long enough to see all levels of crowds. Post 9/11 tourism was way down for years. Things picked up and got busy until the 2008 recession kicked in. And again, crowds were spares for a few years. Then from 2012(ish) the crowds kept building each year til we reached 2020 and covid. The first year after reopening, summer of 2020, to summer of 2021, crowds were light....but crowds were controlled. Then the pandemic was declared over and we had 2 years of pent-up travel that has been nuts. Now we are starting to see a softening of crowds, maybe a touch of normalcy of crowds. 2024 will be fun to watch.....so much uncertainty. I don’t watch a lot of real-time TV these days, I tend to record or watch on one of the streaming or catch-up services. But WDW have been going overboard with their advertising here. Any day now I expect the ads to start begging us to visit.  I can only assume that the numbers coming from the U.K. just haven’t recovered. But with our cost of living crisis it’ll be a long time until many people will book. Up until this year I think most of those that have gone have been delayed Covid trips, and I think they’re now seeing the impact of higher air fares and higher Disney costs. |
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Post by zulaya on Sept 26, 2023 8:32:21 GMT -5
We're at WDW Dec 2-9. TouringPlans is showing DHS crowd levels at 8 and 9 the whole week. I get that Jollywood Nights happening on Dec 4 and 6 might be causing some people to visit DHS on different days that week, but this seems really high. Am I missing some other event(s) that I should be aware of? Well, for starters there are four MVMCP dates for your dates (Dec 3,5,7,8) which will alter normal park crowds. People will avoid MK party days because it closes early, DHS will be the default park.
Then you add Jollywood Nights at DHS (Dec 4&6)
That is pretty much all your days and why DHS will be busier than normal because crowd pressures.
Yeah, I knew that MVMCP was happening those dates, but my brain didn't register that might be the reasons people are drifting to DHS. Makes sense. |
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. For those who can work off your phones, you really have a special talent. I can’t. They sent us inside and the CM was lovely, switched our passes for the day we were there even adjusted a credit because the following week was more. Which was very nice, I was just thankful we were able to enter Epcot for the day but that was the day it was empty, wish I knew how to post pics of how empty. So that’s also why I am of the belief the reservation system, was not rational after the first few months of reopening.
