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Crowds and Calendars

bmdq89

Earning My Ears
Joined
Mar 8, 2020
The crowd calendars say crowds are "low" right now. How accurate is that? Are crowds right now similar to previous January/February trips?
 
Here now and went in mid August last year. Didn’t notice that much of a difference and ride wait times are the same. Also went in early august last year and definitely more packed then. But wouldn’t say right now is not busy. Just a different crowd. A lot more international travelers.
 
I've heard 2 different vloggers comment on how high the crowds are now compared to the past at this time. Today is supposed to be a 2/10 in MK. Still posted around an hour for the mountains and Peter Pan and Jungle Cruise and 7dmt is 90 minutes. It's not Christmas crowds but it's still long wait times!
 


We just returned from a trip 1/10 - 1/17 & we felt it was one of the more crowded trips we've had. We were able to manage but there were definitely some long lines. My wife struck up a conversation with someone on the flight home & she said that they go that week every year and this was by far the busiest she had ever experienced for that week.
 


Don’t believe the low crowds predictions for January/ February. We were there that time frame the last few pre-Covid years & crowds weren’t low. We were at POR one year & the food court was packed every morning. There were people walking around looking for tables every morning we were there. These weren’t groups but families. I hadn’t seen crowds like that even when we were there in August.
 
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We just got back. Crowds were insane for this time of the year. Stayed at the Boardwalk and had a great time but Genie+ was a pain. Couldn’t get LL for RoR and waited over 2 hours. I have back and knee issues so this was a painful trip. Next time I would get a wheelchair. Favorite ride was Flight of the Avatar.
 
It was busy when we were there (12th-19th). Not Christmas busy but it was crowded as the day went on. We usually left in the late morning/early afternoon and headed to the resort and then came back in the evening. The Festival was also busy at Epcot. Seems like a lot of people wanted to come but skipped the holiday time when they expected really full parks.
 
With the need to have park reservations, are they limiting attendance? Or is the purpose of reservations to benefit planning for staffing levels? I’m curious because one would think that reservation requirements suggest limited capacity. But it sounds like I’m wrong
 
It lets them manage capacity and staffing. They know how many people will be in that park that day for the most part. Doesn't necessarily mean they are lowering overall capacity too much though and depending on what rides are going, lines can still be quite long.
 
Monday at MK was a legit level 10. But with the rain and early 4:30 closing yesterday, it was a 1. The crowds hit the other parks. But overall, this is the busiest it's ever felt to me for the end of January.
 
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Predicting crowd levels right now is like predicting the weather.

Just assume there will be crowds and you are going to wait in lines. If there are small crowds and short lines, well sweet.
 
If you see a park closing early (like MK did at 4:30 yesterday), definitely avoid it the day before and the day after the early close, and definitely go there the day it closes early. You will get more done in half a day there then you would on another full day.
 

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