The most reliable crowd predictor

[Pluto777]

I want to plan a strategy with certain parks on certain days, but naturally want to avoid excessive crowds (we go in August, a pretty busy time). I have seen crowd prediction calendars on different websites (Undercover, Keyy's etc). Anyone have an opinion on which is the very best one?

 

[Capang]

I know lots of people swear by Touring Plans. Given that the busy times seemed to have shifted and new lands opened the last two years the data now seems to be skewed. I don't know how accurate any crowd calendar is anymore. You are better off just planning your trip and maybe adding hoppers. That way if it is too busy you can just hop. I don't think August is as busy as it used to be.

 

[Klayfish]

None.

Really.

 

[CAS239]

EasyWDW but their currently not doing them.

Don't put much behind crowd calendars

 

[Upatnoon]

I want to plan a strategy with certain parks on certain days, but naturally want to avoid excessive crowds (we go in August, a pretty busy time). I have seen crowd prediction calendars on different websites (Undercover, Keyy's etc). Anyone have an opinion on which is the very best one?

It's best to plan what you really want to do instead of worrying about crowds.

For maximum rides, rope drop and fast pass plus are your friends.

I avoid parks with extra magic hours unless I can rope drop and park hop.

Have fun!

 

[Pluto777]

I know lots of people swear by Touring Plans. Given that the busy times seemed to have shifted and new lands opened the last two years the data now seems to be skewed. I don't know how accurate any crowd calendar is anymore. You are better off just planning your trip and maybe adding hoppers. That way if it is too busy you can just hop. I don't think August is as busy as it used to be.

Thanks. When you say IF they are too busy you can just hop, how will you KNOW? Is there some post that happens when you are in the parks or at a Disney resort the SAME DAY that lets you know what crowds are like, or do you mean just go to a park, see what it's like and THEN hop? The problem with that I think would be that it would mean you would have to drag yourself around a lot from one park to the next - probably wasting even MORE time...

 

[disneydreamer1980]

I always plan for 10 crowds, and if they are any lower, that’s a bonus. We Just avoid Epcot on weekends and MK on Mondays.

 

[Micharlotte]

Thanks. When you say IF they are too busy you can just hop, how will you KNOW? Is there some post that happens when you are in the parks or at a Disney resort the SAME DAY that lets you know what crowds are like, or do you mean just go to a park, see what it's like and THEN hop? The problem with that I think would be that it would mean you would have to drag yourself around a lot from one park to the next - probably wasting even MORE time...

On the days that I don’t have specific plans we just check the wait times on the app. It kind of gives you an idea of which park is super busy. Or we make fast passes for one park that we really want to do and then hop if it’s too busy. We go in September and the crowd calendars and crowds have been way off for the past 3 years.

 

[AFwifelife]

I like TPs for making a rough plan of what we can accomplish but I don’t look at any of the crowd calendars as a “we must go this day because it’s a (low number day)/recommended park”. I check out the park hours and morning EMH availability. If we can go EMH, we go to the morning ones and then park hop after an afternoon break to a park that doesn’t have evening EMH or just had an EMH the previous day. Then I’ll make other adjustments as we get closer when park hours are changed, how easy it is to get fast passes we want, and other news that comes out.

 

[OneinThree]

Strategy? Crowd calendar? This one:

Disney is always busy these day, and ridiculous during holiday periods. The one relevant factor I have noticed might be the impact of EMH days, but you don't need a subscription to find that info. Also, because it's always busy, the difference between "6" crowds and "9" crowds is almost a useless metric. Either way, you're generally not walking on many attractions and will be tripping over people in common areas regardless. If you're planning on August, take it from someone relatively local that the end of August through September is the "best of the worst" in terms of crowds now.

 

[Capang]

Thanks. When you say IF they are too busy you can just hop, how will you KNOW? Is there some post that happens when you are in the parks or at a Disney resort the SAME DAY that lets you know what crowds are like, or do you mean just go to a park, see what it's like and THEN hop? The problem with that I think would be that it would mean you would have to drag yourself around a lot from one park to the next - probably wasting even MORE time...

Plan your day as usual. Make FP for early on in that particular park. If after your FP you find it too crowded, check the app, make a FP for your next park, then hop. It doesn't take too much time, although when express transportation was offered it was much, much less time. You can always check the app day if as well. Line times will give you a good idea. Disney is always busy now, although we found crowds to be much worse during our October trip than our June trip.

 

[Upatnoon]

Thanks. When you say IF they are too busy you can just hop, how will you KNOW? Is there some post that happens when you are in the parks or at a Disney resort the SAME DAY that lets you know what crowds are like, or do you mean just go to a park, see what it's like and THEN hop? The problem with that I think would be that it would mean you would have to drag yourself around a lot from one park to the next - probably wasting even MORE time...

I look on easywdw to see all the wait times in all the parks. If rides are all busy, I might to to epcot and do world showcase or go to Hollywood and watch some shows. Or I may go to the resort and enjoy the pool for a while and go out again at night.

I would rather stroll around world showcase than stand in line for 120 minutes for space mountain.


I would like to point out that I've already been to Disneyworld many times, so I don't feel any pressure to go on any particular attraction.

 

[ITALIANNYC]

Everyone says try to avoid during EMH, but since everyone knows to that information, it just makes me think that it doesn't matter. In the end the EMH park would be less crowded since everyone is avoiding it ;]

In the end, I don't trust those calendars cause they failed me in the past. I just go expecting it to be crowded. Get your fast passes for the hardest rides, and then you should be fine either way.

Its not like its Christmas or major holidays.

 

[disneydreamer1980]

Get FPs for your must dos, make ADRs for your must eats, and make a touring plan for each park (I still use these after 30 years of visits because they work and drastically cut down on time waiting in lines) and you should be ok. Hoppers help too, you can take advantage of EMH at MK, then hop to AK when crowds pick up, etc. if you have a good plan, crowds aren’t as important.

 

[OneinThree]

Everyone says try to avoid during EMH, but since everyone knows to that information, it just makes me think that it doesn't matter. In the end the EMH park would be less crowded since everyone is avoiding it ;

You might think so, but it just doesn't pan out that way, especially on the days EMH is in the morning. We often do day trips to the parks when our life schedules allow. More often than not, EMH days are ridiculous, at least in our experience.

 

[TheSixOfUs]

With the exception of avoiding EMH, we're simply doing the parks in the order we want. With 5 days, we're starting and ending with MK and doing the other 3 parks in between.

 

[Bill McKinley]

I always plan for 10 crowds, and if they are any lower, that’s a bonus. We Just avoid Epcot on weekends and MK on Mondays.

I've heard this a few times about avoiding Mondays at MK. Can someone explain to me why this is the case?

 

[ITALIANNYC]

You might think so, but it just doesn't pan out that way, especially on the days EMH is in the morning. We often do day trips to the parks when our life schedules allow. More often than not, EMH days are ridiculous, at least in our experience.

The day I’m planning to go are extra magic hours at night from like 10-12 magic kingdom.

I’m hoping the families will be well into their beds by then lol

 

[Upatnoon]

The day I’m planning to go are extra magic hours at night from like 10-12 magic kingdom.

I’m hoping the families will be well into their beds by then lol

The issue isn't the 10-12, the issue will be the rest of the day when the park is jammed with all those families who "think" they can make it until midnight.

 

[Klayfish]

I've heard this a few times about avoiding Mondays at MK. Can someone explain to me why this is the case?

Theory is that people vacation Sunday to Saturday, so their first park day is Monday and they all go into MK.

Only WDW has the actual numbers to document it, but personally I don't buy into it...at all.