Crowds during CP?

[bethwc101]

We are debating going down this weekend. what are the crowds like this weekend? If we avoid DLP during the ceremony will we be okay? Is it just miserable this last week? We will be there for Saturday only

 

[DL_Forever]

We went during CP weekend about 5 years ago. It was miserable all day long. You couldn't even walk down Main Street.

 

[SUNNYVEE]

How does this apply to DCA?? Husband and I have a 1 day non hopper pass and were going to spend the day there instead of Disneyland. I figured even though it's an EMH, an 8 am opening is still too early for most people. We were going to attempt to maximize the morning with Maxpass and then be able to hang out in the evening. Do many people head over to DCA in the afternoon/evening to avoid CP???

 

[cmwade77]

I strongly recommend avoiding both parks during CP. Crowds are so insane that it can take over an hour to simply cross Main Street. Disneyland will fill to capacity and the overflow will go to DCA.

There is a huge UNLESS here and that is if it rains early in the morning and I mean a real rain, not just a light mist, then it can drive away the crowds.

 

[SUNNYVEE]

Well, I simply cannot avoid the parks because I'm heading out there Thursday! Lol! We have a hopper for Thursday, Friday is only DL and Sunday is DCA. It is what it is and we shall make the best of it! Thanks for the insight.

 

[Niltiac]

I went two years ago during CP and I remember it being manageable except for on Main Street, and even there they had CM's keeping the foot traffic moving so it was still pretty quick to get in and out of the park. I agree that it was very difficult to maneuver around Main Street if you were trying to do anything other than enter or leave the park, but other than that I don't remember a crowd problem. In fact I remember most FL rides being walk on shortly after CP and Pirates was walk on toward the end of the night. I don't remember what other lines were like, but it can't have been too bad because we kept riding, and I have a low tolerance for lines. I also don't think it fills to capacity, or if it does the closure doesn't last long, because I have distinct memories of entering DL during the CP one of the nights.

 

[ashley0139]

I went two years ago during CP and I remember it being manageable except for on Main Street, and even there they had CM's keeping the foot traffic moving so it was still pretty quick to get in and out of the park. I agree that it was very difficult to maneuver around Main Street if you were trying to do anything other than enter or leave the park, but other than that I don't remember a crowd problem. In fact I remember most FL rides being walk on shortly after CP and Pirates was walk on toward the end of the night. I don't remember what other lines were like, but it can't have been too bad because we kept riding, and I have a low tolerance for lines. I also don't think it fills to capacity, or if it does the closure doesn't last long, because I have distinct memories of entering DL during the CP one of the nights.

Yeah, I've never heard of DL closing for the CP and I've been there for it multiple times.

 

[Niltiac]

Thinking back on when I went two years ago, I also remember having dinner at Plaza Inn right after CP and the place was empty - there were maybe one or two other groups eating and I remember it being almost uncomfortably quiet. Then right after dinner we went to FL and saw that most of the rides were walk on. So again, that's not proof that crowds were manageable, but it reinforces my memory that it wasn't too bad.

 

[Lesley Wake]

The crowds really congregate in Main Street. In the few hours before the CP, Main Street is ridiculous! Before that, the other lands can also be bad, with the families of people who have staked out spots hitting rides and whatnot. Once those people head back to their spots, you should absolutely avoid Main Street-take the back walkways behind the castle. I think last year it was especially hard because the back fantasy-Frontierland walkway was under construction. At least that is open now.

 

[NewbieMouse]

What about DCA?

 

[CalgaryTroy]

Accckkk! "CP" ???
Christmas Parade?
College Program?
I'm googling like crazy trying to figure this one out, checking the Disneyland schedule, I got nuthin'
Please tell me

 

[NewbieMouse]

Accckkk! "CP" ???
Christmas Parade?
College Program?
I'm googling like crazy trying to figure this one out, checking the Disneyland schedule, I got nuthin'
Please tell me

Candlelight Processional.

 

[CalgaryTroy]

Thank you
Thank you
Thank you

 

[Malcon10t]

I strongly recommend avoiding both parks during CP. Crowds are so insane that it can take over an hour to simply cross Main Street. Disneyland will fill to capacity and the overflow will go to DCA.

This is not true. Disneyland has never hit capacity during Candlelight (at least in the last 8 years I have been attending.) Main St is very crowded, but once you get off Main St to the Lands, it is very manageable.

Last year, due to the heavy congestion with Candlelight set up, when the 2nd the parade was getting out, and the Candlelight guests were lining up, they did hold the turnstiles for about 10 mins, simply to allow crowd flow. They restrict traffic to a one way flow. They open the back stage area for entering and exiting the parks. But if you head to Tomorrowland, Frontierland, or anywhere other than Main St, the park is normal. (Last year wait before Candlelight started was 10-15 mins for Star Tours and Space Mountain.

 

[NewbieMouse]

This is not true. Disneyland has never hit capacity during Candlelight (at least in the last 8 years I have been attending.) Main St is very crowded, but once you get off Main St to the Lands, it is very manageable.

Last year, due to the heavy congestion with Candlelight set up, when the 2nd the parade was getting out, and the Candlelight guests were lining up, they did hold the turnstiles for about 10 mins, simply to allow crowd flow. They restrict traffic to a one way flow. They open the back stage area for entering and exiting the parks. But if you head to Tomorrowland, Frontierland, or anywhere other than Main St, the park is normal. (Last year wait before Candlelight started was 10-15 mins for Star Tours and Space Mountain.

Would you reccommend DCA on a CP evening? Or is it a nightmare because everyone is trying to avoid the crowds at DL?

 

[theluckyrabbit]

Would you reccommend DCA on a CP evening? Or is it a nightmare because everyone is trying to avoid the crowds at DL?

You'll certainly have fun at DCA on a CP night, but there really isn't a need to totally avoid DL. Just stay away from the TS and MS areas and head back into the further reaches of the park. If you want, take the monorail into DL to avoid the front entrance area all together.

 

[Niltiac]

Would you reccommend DCA on a CP evening? Or is it a nightmare because everyone is trying to avoid the crowds at DL?

I agree with the above. We hopped back and forth and I don't remember running into unusual crowds at either park other than trying to navigate on main street itself (we were trying to meet up with friends and the one-way traffic meant they had to loop around a couple times before they found us). I don't remember specifically how crowded DCA was that day but I know we went there for the afternoon and first part of the evening and we were fine. I don't expect there will be low crowds (it's still a weekend during holiday time), but I don't think CP alone will make a big difference, based on my limited experience.

 

[lurpee]

We went during CP weekend about 5 years ago. It was miserable all day long. You couldn't even walk down Main Street.

We went five years ago and with the exception of the crowd at Main Street I didn't find it that bad. But that year it went many days so we could have had very different experiences.

 

[DL_Forever]

We went five years ago and with the exception of the crowd at Main Street I didn't find it that bad. But that year it went many days so we could have had very different experiences.

I had a six week old baby at the time so everything may have seemed worse.......I was crazy to go with a baby that young!

 

[RainyDayPixie]

From what time to what time should main street be avoided? Remind me when CP starts? We plan to be in the park sunday, but will just avoid the area.