Anyone know why it's so busy right now?

[N Shah]

I think that’s on par with normal FOP wait times.

This ride is the only reason Im planning on visiting AK at all. Im really surprised that the crowds are okay with waiting 2+ hours for the ride.

Debating if I should skip AK this time around and book a disney hotel around June. With the 60 day window, I may have better chances of scoring a FP to the ride.

 

[hllb]

Keep refreshing the app and more FP will show up.
120 minutes for Avatar is not bad, certainly not crazy busy.

I agree. 2 hours for FoP is on the shorter side. But, TP's published tables don't actually use FoP as a gauge of park crowd level, likely because they don't yet have enough historical data.

 

[hllb]

This ride is the only reason Im planning on visiting AK at all. Im really surprised that the crowds are okay with waiting 2+ hours for the ride.

Debating if I should skip AK this time around and book a disney hotel around June. With the 60 day window, I may have better chances of scoring a FP to the ride.

Wait times on busy days have approached 5 hours. I seriously would NEVER wait that...for anything that wasn't life-saving LOL.

 

[nco91590]

I am going Feb 1-4.
Impossible to get FP to either Frozen (Epcot) or Avatar FOP (Animal King). I have been checking every day at least 5x a day. Completely sold out.

Frozen FP is available 30 days out - even then, only at 5PM+.

Crazy packed this month/Feb, when historically, this is the slowest time of the year.

Hmmm....well, 2 years ago in early Feb, we had a really low crowd level start to our trip and then there was a giant cheerleading competition toward the end of the week. But even then, the crowds got bad in the afternoons (maybe when they got done with competition??).

 

[Disneylovingmomof2]

This ride is the only reason Im planning on visiting AK at all. Im really surprised that the crowds are okay with waiting 2+ hours for the ride.

Debating if I should skip AK this time around and book a disney hotel around June. With the 60 day window, I may have better chances of scoring a FP to the ride.

When are you going? Like pp said try refreshing a lot - as people change plans they may become available. There are also threads about strategies for riding first thing when the park opens. I’m going on two weeks and had no trouble getting a FP for 60+5 but we’re going for nine days and I have two AK days planned which I know helped me with getting one.

 

[N Shah]

Hmmm....well, 2 years ago in early Feb, we had a really low crowd level start to our trip and then there was a giant cheerleading competition toward the end of the week. But even then, the crowds got bad in the afternoons (maybe when they got done with competition??).

I had that happen a few years ago as well. The good news was that the cheerleaders all have to leave around 5-6PM, so the last 3 hours were rather quiet.
this year, THE ALL OUT SCHOOL CHAMPIONSHIP is happening Feb 2-4 (time Im going). However, this one is much smaller than some of the others. Hoping for the best.

 

[mamamelody2]

Wait time for Avatar FOP is 120+ minutes. All FP+ are sold out for major rides. Its crazy busy.

I think 120 is pretty low for FoP. It was usually 240 when we were there in November.
There's FP for Safaris only 20 minutes out.
That's a pretty low day.
Also, if no headliners show up at first, keep refreshing, they will show up. FoP and FEA are pretty rare, but the rest should show up with some dedicated app refreshing.

 

[nco91590]

I used to feel like this all the time. But what I learned is it’s not about chasing the elusive lower crowds, it helps to just plan for it to be crowded. Some weeks are better that others, but it always feels crowded now b/c of how WDW structures staff & hours. It probably took me about 8 trips to come to terms with this, but I enjoy my trips more.

I know exactly what you mean. Looking back on the trip, I was like "Wow! We got quite a bit done!" and my kids loved it and that's all that really matters. I guess I was just upset that the line at La Cava was like, 30 minutes long lololol

 

[hllb]

I am going Feb 1-4.
Impossible to get FP to either Frozen (Epcot) or Avatar FOP (Animal King). I have been checking every day at least 5x a day. Completely sold out.

Frozen FP is available 30 days out - even then, only at 5PM+.

Crazy packed this month/Feb, when historically, this is the slowest time of the year.

It is not at all unusual that you can't get FEA and FoP just 2 weeks out. I'd be shocked if you could. You may be able to get them the day of though, so keep looking. You're right that January, so far, has been far more crowded than expected. We don't yet know if that will continue this week and next, or if it will carry over into February. What I've seen today, and very rudimentally, it seems to have lightened up a bit. We'll see the numbers tomorrow morning and see. Even if it is more crowded than all of us will like, we can still have a good time. I'm going to try to pack my patience.

 

[N Shah]

I think 120 is pretty low for FoP. It was usually 240 when we were there in November.
There's FP for Safaris only 20 minutes out.
That's a pretty low day.
Also, if no headliners show up at first, keep refreshing, they will show up. FoP and FEA are pretty rare, but the rest should show up with some dedicated app refreshing.

Thanks for the recommendation... Ill keep trying and being hopeful

On to the next problem: Weather was a nice 65-75 degrees and cloudy last week. Now it is showing 40% chance of thunderstorms on Friday May need to adjust themepark schedule.

 

[N Shah]

It is not at all unusual that you can't get FEA and FoP just 2 weeks out. I'd be shocked if you could. You may be able to get them the day of though, so keep looking. You're right that January, so far, has been far more crowded than expected. We don't yet know if that will continue this week and next, or if it will carry over into February. What I've seen today, and very rudimentally, it seems to have lightened up a bit. We'll see the numbers tomorrow morning and see. Even if it is more crowded than all of us will like, we can still have a good time. I'm going to try to pack my patience.

I really thought Feb 2-4 would be very light due to superbowl too.... I think youre right, it will start getting better.

 

[IvyWinter]

Little bummed by the crowds/waits too. My friend just got there today, I'll be joining him Thursday, and he said its the most crowded he's seen in January in recent years. I mean, I'm still going to have a good time, but part of the reason we often go in January is minimal waits. Ah well.

 

[LSUmiss]

We went over Labor Day last year and I would not consider that a "slow" weekend by any stretch... it was the opening of F&W so it was pretty darn busy! We did get a nice rate on our hotel room though it was SO hot and sticky I'm not sure we'd go at that time again. If it is going to be that hot I'd rather go in Summer before the hurricane season and when the hours are longer.

Yeah I think it was related to the hurricane threat the yr I went.

 

[Wubar]

Wait time for Avatar FOP is 120+ minutes. All FP+ are sold out for major rides. Its crazy busy.

Could you possibly rope drop FoP? This past Friday, we arrived at the Gates at 8:15am for a 9am park open. They opened the turnstiles soon after we arrived, we were led to a waiting area just in front of Pandora, where we waited a bit longer before they let us start funneling into the standby line. Now, had we NOT had a technical issue with one of the bikes, and therefore had to get off and wait for the next turn, we would have been off FoP by 9:10am. As it turns out, they have us an anytime FP for the trouble, which we promptly used on Navi after our FoP turn (NRJ was already at 80 min wait by then), and then jumped back onto FoP for our second ride using our FP for 9:45am. So if you can get to the park early, you can definitely rope drop FoP with less wait than 2 hours.

 

[N Shah]

Could you possibly rope drop FoP? This past Friday, we arrived at the Gates at 8:15am for a 9am park open. They opened the turnstiles soon after we arrived, we were led to a waiting area just in front of Pandora, where we waited a bit longer before they let us start funneling into the standby line. Now, had we NOT had a technical issue with one of the bikes, and therefore had to get off and wait for the next turn, we would have been off FoP by 9:10am. As it turns out, they have us an anytime FP for the trouble, which we promptly used on Navi after our FoP turn (NRJ was already at 80 min wait by then), and then jumped back onto FoP for our second ride using our FP for 9:45am. So if you can get to the park early, you can definitely rope drop FoP with less wait than 2 hours.

Thanks for the advice. I just learned about Rope Drop an hour ago. We were planning on going on a day with Extra Magic Hrs, which would defeat the purpose. I think Ill change AK to Saturday (No extra magic hrs) and try getting there for Rope drop. Since its me, wife, and baby - we also need to do rider swap. Going in the AM is the only way we will be able to do this ride.

Right now, I have FP for Na'vi River and Kilamanjaro Safari.

 

[mamamelody2]

Actually I have been to MK on a CL 1 day. It was a Wed in May 2016 with all day significant rain. It was dead. We walked onto everything with no line. Very few people about. Most everyone hiding inside somewhere. It felt very empty. 7DMT was a 20 min wait at 9:45 (rain took it off line at about 11). My DH even said - this must be what a CL1 day looks like. It was fun in the morning when it was just light drizzle but the all out rain that started around 11 quickly wore on us and we eventually headed back to the resort.

But it seems like they’re going to need to revise the numbers again if there are that many 10s and that few 1s.

Sounds like that day was a negative 2. LOL.
I agree they should probably revise the numbers again.

 

[mamamelody2]

Here is a picture of the carousel area on Saturday night at 7:08pm. And one between PP and IASW. Pretty heavy crowds!

View attachment 297275 View attachment 297274

Holy monkeys!!

 

[TropicalDIS]

I wonder if some of this is still residual hurricane cancellations. Not everyone would have been able to reschedule last-minute for the fall and might have opted for early this year to avoid hurricane season next year.

I think that is a very good point.

 

[IvyWinter]

Friend just texted me a photo of the people mover line and, welp, its terrifying. "There is no more slow season" was his message.

 

[fiasco32]

Waited 35 minutes in the TSMM FP+ line today. That’s saying something.