Crowds
- Thread starter SteveyJC
- Start date
diberry
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- May 5, 2004
This is an excerpt from my trip report from Sunday 12th December last year:
"The park was extremely busy. We expected to be able to get on Its a Small World without too much of a wait but even that was 60 minutes so we decided not to bother. We then decided it would be less busy in Adventureland so headed across to Pirates of the Caribbean wrong again!!! Even though it has an extremely long queuing area inside and its a quick loader people were queuing outside!!! We decided to go and look at the information boards in Main Street which said that every single ride had a wait of at least an hour and all the Fastpasses had long since been taken. The Liberty and Discovery arcades are usually pretty empty but even these were full to bursting with people sitting on the floor to eat their food as all the tables and chairs were occupied!!!
By 2.30 we thought wed be able to get a meal but we were proved wrong yet again!!! The arcades were still heaving and all the restaurants we tried were impossible to get into with huge long queues inside and out and absolutely no free tables or chairs anywhere. After looking everywhere we eventually found a table in Colonel Hathis Pizza Outpost and finally got to eat at 3.30!!
We resigned ourselves to not being able to get on any rides so left the park where they were already queuing 7 or 8 deep for the Christmas Parade. We went back to the village to have a look round the shops there, which were, predictably, bursting at the seams!! We decided that we werent going to be able to get on any rides or get anything to eat so went back to our hotel."
However the good news is that the following day, a Monday, the park was much much quieter and we were able to get on rides and find somewhere to eat without any trouble. But the Christmas season is so wonderful in the park - I think we were just totally unprepared for the sheer volume of people - lots of locals go at the weekends before Christmas - but if you know what it'll be like it probably won't be such a shock - anyway, some people like the atmosphere that you get with crowds of people. Have fun!!
"The park was extremely busy. We expected to be able to get on Its a Small World without too much of a wait but even that was 60 minutes so we decided not to bother. We then decided it would be less busy in Adventureland so headed across to Pirates of the Caribbean wrong again!!! Even though it has an extremely long queuing area inside and its a quick loader people were queuing outside!!! We decided to go and look at the information boards in Main Street which said that every single ride had a wait of at least an hour and all the Fastpasses had long since been taken. The Liberty and Discovery arcades are usually pretty empty but even these were full to bursting with people sitting on the floor to eat their food as all the tables and chairs were occupied!!!
By 2.30 we thought wed be able to get a meal but we were proved wrong yet again!!! The arcades were still heaving and all the restaurants we tried were impossible to get into with huge long queues inside and out and absolutely no free tables or chairs anywhere. After looking everywhere we eventually found a table in Colonel Hathis Pizza Outpost and finally got to eat at 3.30!!
We resigned ourselves to not being able to get on any rides so left the park where they were already queuing 7 or 8 deep for the Christmas Parade. We went back to the village to have a look round the shops there, which were, predictably, bursting at the seams!! We decided that we werent going to be able to get on any rides or get anything to eat so went back to our hotel."
However the good news is that the following day, a Monday, the park was much much quieter and we were able to get on rides and find somewhere to eat without any trouble. But the Christmas season is so wonderful in the park - I think we were just totally unprepared for the sheer volume of people - lots of locals go at the weekends before Christmas - but if you know what it'll be like it probably won't be such a shock - anyway, some people like the atmosphere that you get with crowds of people. Have fun!!
Thanks for that diberry. The reason I chose those dates was because its just before Christmas, and I think the spirit and atmosphere would be great.
I'm hoping that in everyones panic and rush just before Xmas - getting presents sorted, seeing the family etc etc they will stay away from the park.
Perhaps I should visit Paris on the Sunday, and leave Disneyland for the Monday and Tuesday?
Arghhh,
Steven
I'm hoping that in everyones panic and rush just before Xmas - getting presents sorted, seeing the family etc etc they will stay away from the park.
Perhaps I should visit Paris on the Sunday, and leave Disneyland for the Monday and Tuesday?
Arghhh,
Steven
Steven, I would strongly recommend that you visit Paris on the Sunday and leave DLP to the Mon. I think that it will be EXTREMELY busy on the weekend. It is generally busy on weekends regardless of when you go but IMHO just before CHristmas weekends will probably be much busier than usual. Hopefully if you go on the Monday it won't be just as busy 
diberry
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- May 5, 2004
I absolutely agree with Nicola. I didn't want to put a total dampener on it for you but it will be bedlam in the parks on the last weekend before Christmas and, in my opinion, if you can't get on any rides or even get something to eat it really spoils it even though you still get the Christmas atmosphere - but you won't be able to move!!! If you go to Paris on the Sunday I'm sure you'll find the parks much quieter during the week and you can enjoy all the Christmassy things so much more.nicola said:Steven, I would strongly recommend that you visit Paris on the Sunday and leave DLP to the Mon. I think that it will be EXTREMELY busy on the weekend. It is generally busy on weekends regardless of when you go but IMHO just before CHristmas weekends will probably be much busier than usual. Hopefully if you go on the Monday it won't be just as busy
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