After our last trip, considering cancelling our Christmas 2018...

[minnieralyks]

Yeah, this week seems to be "the week". We went this week last year and mama mia was it busy. HM 150 minutes, Pirates at least an hour, Indy 120, etc. etc. It's not always that crowded. I felt bad for people this past week, since they got both the wildfire bad air and the major crowds.

 

[katyringo]

There are over a million AP holders. On any given day, I would guess at least 50% of the crowd is AP holders. Taking away a huge chunk of AP holders brings down the overall crowd level. There simply aren't that many "day guests" or multi day vacationers at any given time.

I have a Signature Pass and go frequently. It is definitely less crowded when more AP blackouts are in effect. Saturdays when AP SoCal and Deluxe AP holders are blocked out are practically empty compared to days where there are NO blackouts.

To illustrate this point, between Christmas and New Years last year (first year of the more strict blackouts), the parks NEVER reached capacity. The DAY the blackouts were lifted and the following 3 days, the parks hit capacity every day. I believe this was Jan 2-5, 2017. It seems counterintuitive, but the numbers don't lie.

I was reading about this! We are going the week between and this made me feel better about going. It was just last year the did that.

 

[lcp9]

There are over a million AP holders. On any given day, I would guess at least 50% of the crowd is AP holders. Taking away a huge chunk of AP holders brings down the overall crowd level. There simply aren't that many "day guests" or multi day vacationers at any given time.

I have a Signature Pass and go frequently. It is definitely less crowded when more AP blackouts are in effect. Saturdays when AP SoCal and Deluxe AP holders are blocked out are practically empty compared to days where there are NO blackouts.

To illustrate this point, between Christmas and New Years last year (first year of the more strict blackouts), the parks NEVER reached capacity. The DAY the blackouts were lifted and the following 3 days, the parks hit capacity every day. I believe this was Jan 2-5, 2017. It seems counterintuitive, but the numbers don't lie.

interesting! Maybe we'll get up the nerve to try it sometime

 

[tarheelalum]

I totally agree with this BUT I've never been on board with going when APs are blacked out - because, isn't it blacked out b/c it's a holiday and they expect big crowds? We have the advantage of only little kids, so we can pull out of school, flexible work schedules - we have always found september/early november/february not around a holiday to be pretty quiet (so basically, right after big school breaks.) I'm afraid to go in the summer/around holidays when APs are blocked. haha.

The majority of the crowds are due to pass holders so in summer months, when most of the passes are blocked, its actually become the slowest time of the year. October through the first couple of days of January are the most crowded.

 

[az4boys]

We were in the parks yesterday and today. We also went in July and bought Deluxe APs then. I think October has been much worse than July for crowds. The only reason evenings have been bearable is Maxpass. We would leave the parks after lunch and come back in the evenings with fast passes lined up. I was always afraid of "peak" summer time, but it was so much better. I think the 2 So-cal passes make a big difference on crowds.

 

[gottalovepluto]

I love DL but if the crowds ruined your trip I don't know that I would try the first couple weeks of Dec. What used to be a quiet time in the parks is now the last chance APs have to see all the Christmas stuff & crowds are bigger than they used to be. DL is especially magical at Christmas but WDW has a lot to offer as well and that way you don't have to worry about crowds ruining your trip. (Huh, surprised myself with this recommendation. As I said LOVE DL- but the crowds this weekend looked horrible, AWFUL tbh I would have miserable fwiw & I was there happy as a clam just a couple weeks ago... I really wish there was an AP count released somewhere! That would tell us if locals were the prob (more likely early Dec will be crazy) or out of state people on vacay (Columbus holiday, and Gay days? Idk if they coincide often, was the prob).

Can you plan for both right now? Refundable deposits on each option (if you're at that stage) and then make a call after you see reports from early Dec 2017?

 

[gottalovepluto]

@monorailrabbit "when the app was working" OMG YES. It went down from 2pm to 7pm the Sat I was there in Sept- it kinda worked super intermittently. No wonder they can't raise the price yet. Felt so bad for CMs, people were upset, wanted refunds and had to be reminded refunds aren't a thing on MP. I feel like CMs should have a sign at each service location "even if MP is inaccessible, no refunds will be issued as per the terms and conditions" just to help keep the badgering of the CMs down to a minimum- it's not like they can fix it!

 

[wendow]

We are planning a 2018 trip and are fairly flexible on timing. Reading on this part of the board recently has led me to consider moving to more of a summer trip. How do you find out when AP's are blocked?

Thanks!

 

[dina444444]

We are planning a 2018 trip and are fairly flexible on timing. Reading on this part of the board recently has led me to consider moving to more of a summer trip. How do you find out when AP's are blocked?

Thanks!

https://disneyland.disney.go.com/passes/blockout-dates/

 

[Kender]

I may be thinking of parking lot capacity. I recall seeing that on Twitter multiple days that week...

Yeah, it was parking lot issues the other days (and really just M&F). I had no issues at TS, but I heard about the M&F issues from others that tried to park there. But definitely no park capacity closures except for the 4th that I witnessed that week.

I believe both SoCal and SoCal Select became unblocked that day?

 

[cruisehopeful]

If we go in December is it like this? How do you guys enjoy yourselves with a park this packed?

I went early December last year and part of that time I was solo. Being solo made it completely manageable. Super easy to get a great place for parades. Easy to get on rides that have solo lines. It was very packed, but I was able to enjoy to myself. With that said, I am not sure if I will go at that time again because it is a very crowded time. It was very crowded, but less crowded than Gay Days in October.

I have an AP and only live 90 minutes away. Usually, I just do a visit for several hours and once in a while, I will stay a night or two. Because of that, I still manage to have fun, even on crowded days because I know I can try again another time. If I was traveling far for a vacation, I don't think I'd visit Disneyland unless it was during the slower times, which as stated many times already in this thread, is when most of the APs are blocked. If you can go later in December, such as the week before Christmas, that will be your best bet.

If you do go in early December, stay onsite if possible. The early entry makes a world of difference. Even the first hour of normal park hours is usually extremely easy to navigate. Make dining reservations and always carry water and snacks with you. When the crowds get overwhelming later in the day, leave the park for a few hours. Or, go have food and drink in DCA where things are spread out better. You can usually get around okay again after the fireworks, since many people leave right after that.

 

[V.I.N.CENT.]

Hate to say this but the current state of crowds at the parks requires a new mindset I was bummed for several years about it as well, we always went the first week of October, then shifted to the first week of December, then to before/after Thanksgiving. Each year progressively worse for crowds that were in the past far lower for us. At the same time, there have been more activities/attractions added to the park so that helps a lot. Also helps that my daughter is getting older, we enjoy lunch/dinner reservations more and sticking around for anything special that may be happening in the park. We always stay for 5 to 6 days and I can recall actually becoming a bit bored with some of the rides when it was not pack by the end of day 5. My wife and I bemoan the fact that the ghost town days are practically over, but at the same time we now appreciate taking it slow and soaking up some of the new things added over the years.

 

[YukonMommy]

I agree with the above poster. You just have to change your mind set as the crowds are not going to change any time soon! For my family and I its a chance to be together (uninterrupted by schedules, work, etc), to feel the sun on our faces (we come from VERY Northern Canada where -40 is not unusual), to soak up the happiness and magic that is Disney. We ignore the rudeness and spread the kindness (simple thank you's and a smile go a long way). I guess for me somebody else's crappy attitude is not going to ruin my day. Crowds are not going to ruin my day. Its Disney!!

 

[NewbieMouse]

So summers are better than December? We may switch to that then; as my kids get older pulling them out of school is tougher and tougher. We couldn't do August, but I never really considered July.

 

[mom2rtk]

I totally agree with this BUT I've never been on board with going when APs are blacked out - because, isn't it blacked out b/c it's a holiday and they expect big crowds? We have the advantage of only little kids, so we can pull out of school, flexible work schedules - we have always found september/early november/february not around a holiday to be pretty quiet (so basically, right after big school breaks.) I'm afraid to go in the summer/around holidays when APs are blocked. haha.

I used to struggle with this piece of the equation. Recently though I've become a convert. The local AP's have definitely tipped the scale. Go when they're blocked if you can.

To me the biggest factor is when those blackouts begin and end. We ended up in the park on a Saturday in mid-December that was the last weekend those APs were open to come before the holidays. Holy cow! I've never seen anything like it. So dates right before a lengthy blackout are no-go, as are the first few days after a lengthy blackout.

 

[DLgal]

So summers are better than December? We may switch to that then; as my kids get older pulling them out of school is tougher and tougher. We couldn't do August, but I never really considered July.

Summer is hot, but absolutely less crowded than any time when Southern California AP holders are allowed in the parks. I believe this is the largest "AP group" that exists, from my unscientific observations. It would do wonders for crowd control if Disney eliminated those two tiers of passes.

 

[SteveMP]

I was there Monday, i didn't think it was that bad. And with the recent renovation to adventurland by Bengal BBq that bottleneck is a lot better than before. I had a blast until the fire, then i left a bit early cause I was scared of hitting a freeway closure. I guess its mostly attitude amd expectations. /shrug

 

[mom2rtk]

I was there Monday, i didn't think it was that bad. And with the recent renovation to adventurland by Bengal BBq that bottleneck is a lot better than before. I had a blast until the fire, then i left a bit early cause I was scared of hitting a freeway closure. I guess its mostly attitude amd expectations. /shrug

I think the occasional out of town visitor does have different expectations from a local AP holder. They really have to since they can't just pop back in next weekend if they miss doing some things.

 

[SteveMP]

I think the occasional out of town visitor does have different expectations from a local AP holder. They really have to since they can't just pop back in next weekend if they miss doing some things.

Plenty of sites now that have crowd level predictions. Its like not watching the news or weather reports then going to WDW during a hurricane/storm. In fact I would do MORE research if I was an out of towner.

 

[lcp9]

Summer is hot, but absolutely less crowded than any time when Southern California AP holders are allowed in the parks. I believe this is the largest "AP group" that exists, from my unscientific observations. It would do wonders for crowd control if Disney eliminated those two tiers of passes.

I agree - this sounds super elitist and mean, but I feel like they make the lowest tiers of APs too inexpensive - most people living in the area can probably justify $600/person as their recreation/vacation/whatever budget for the year, and people in the area can go as much as they want. Bump up the price (or eliminate the lowest passes) and people think twice about buying an AP and maybe instead visit a few times a year.

Regarding crowds in general, we are from Idaho and come maybe 2x/year, so even when crowds have seemed low to me, maybe it's actually not that low comparatively?