It’s January!!! This is crazy!!! The crowds are insane. Hi

[ccbloom]

Thursday was a bit more crowded than our usual January trips, but after last year it was expected. We did NOT expect the crowds that we’ve seen since Friday, though. They have been larger than those during Halloween and Food and Wine. It also seems like the staff isn’t ready for the crowds either. Sitting in Misner’s, it’s packed. One bartender, one waitress and they just can’t keep up with the demand. We are willing to throw our money their way, because it’s pouring and there is nothing else to do, but everyone here seems to be waiting for service. Not the waitstaff’s fault. Just poor management.

 

[coasternut22]

I agree. Got here Friday, and Saturday was a mess everywhere. Not just the staffing capciry issue either. There really are a ton of people here. FPs ran out by 4pm at Hollywood.

But rainy days are cool though! Today was a godsend for lines.

 

[Micca]

I'd blame it on the locals, but surely they don't flock to the parks when it's cool and rainy?

 

[ccbloom]

I'd blame it on the locals, but surely they don't flock to the parks when it's cool and rainy?

It’s defintely not the locals in the parks. Possibly some locals in the hotels.

 

[Vysecity]

I have been here since Wednesday and thought crowds were pretty decent. Been able to snag FPs for everything day of including FOP, SDD, FEA and 7DMT. Had to break my group up in groups of 2 and 3 tho

 

[wendlle]

This is our new reality when we travel in September, slowly over the past 15 years we have seen it go from quiet to insane. This is just how the parks are now, I just wish they would open everything as nothing is "seasonal" anymore.

 

[instlouis]

I would guess with the Pro Bowl now being in Orlando, people made a long weekend (or week) out of it and started arriving en masse on Thursday or Friday. No more Hawaii for the Pro Bowl; now it's Orlando the week before the Super Bowl.

 

[TikiBabe]

Blame the Pro Bowl etc.

 

[disneygirlsng]

I agree. Got here Friday, and Saturday was a mess everywhere. Not just the staffing capicitybissue either. There really are a tone of people here. FPs ran out by 4pm at Hollywood.

But rainy days are cool though! Today was a godsend for lines.

Do you mean today at Hollywood? I see lots and lots of FP availability right now, and I've been looking a lot today trying to get an idea for my upcoming trip. Plus FPs are never truly "gone" until the park closes, any day of the year.
Wait times have also looked pretty good to me this weekend/last few days. Though I'm not in the parks, so I don't see the crowding in certain areas.

 

[anomamatt]

Same as last year... I was there this time last year..., lots of threads about it last year.

It’s not locals. Disney world is always crowded these days.

 

[ccbloom]

I don’t think today is a good judge for the parks due to the rain.

We’ve been here during Pro Bowl week in the past, but that was just when they first started having it in Orlando.

Again, we’ve been coming in January for the past 12 years. I know that times have changed and the walk-on days of January of past are gone. I was just not prepared for the “can’t even walk” situations we encountered in Epcot and MK on Friday and Saturday.

And the monorail lounges just couldn’t even handle a full bar/seating areas properly.

We love it here. We understand it’s crowded. We expected it after last January, especially. I’m just kind of surprised that there isn’t more in terms of staffing where people want to spend even more $$.

 

[Vertical]

Plus FPs are never truly "gone" until the park closes, any day of the year.

In regards to your comment that they are never truly gone, I use Touring Plans Lines app. If their app says "Distribution Done" or "Gone" is it possible more can become available later in the day? I've always wondered that.

 

[pooh2001]

maybe because of marathons ?

 

[disneygirlsng]

In regards to your comment that they are never truly gone, I use Touring Plans Lines app. If their app says "Distribution Done" or "Gone" is it possible more can become available later in the day? I've always wondered that.

Yes, people are constantly cancelling and changing FPs. If you go on the app and refresh the FP screen for a park 5 times, you will likely see 5 totally different list of options. (Same goes for when adding a FP and the list shows "distribution done" on MDE itself)

 

[disneygirlsng]

maybe because of marathons ?

There are no races this weekend, or in the previous/future weeks.

 

[anomamatt]

In regards to your comment that they are never truly gone, I use Touring Plans Lines app. If their app says "Distribution Done" or "Gone" is it possible more can become available later in the day? I've always wondered that.

If you keep refreshing, even after it says all FP distribution is over, you’ll see many FPs come up.

 

[ccbloom]

Do you mean today at Hollywood? I see lots and lots of FP availability right now, and I've been looking a lot today trying to get an idea for my upcoming trip. Plus FPs are never truly "gone" until the park closes, any day of the year.
Wait times have also looked pretty good to me this weekend/last few days. Though I'm not in the parks, so I don't see the crowding in certain areas.

Wait times for Mine Train were 150-180 minutes. Just to get into the fast pass line was 5-10 minutes to scan.

Thunder Mountain reached an 80 minute wait time and I believe Haunted Mansion hit an hour plus. That seems pretty high for January. Walking was difficult in both parks.

 

[WIll C]

We originally planned to be there this week but moved it out a month due to other reasons. I hadn't realized the Pro Bowl was there and it sounds like a storm of events this weekend.

 

[Farro]

Hi.

 

[ccbloom]

Hi.

I have no idea how that got into the thread title.