OMG ... It was seriously packed today!

[austinelsa]

We just got back last week for the first time in 6 years and I will sum it up this way. If it wasn’t for Genie plus, rope dropping and reading the tips from this board, it very well could have been our last trip. I can’t even fathom going to Disney and not taking advantage of those three things.
Last week went so well, I would totally consider coming back in the dead of summer or at Christmas time when I otherwise would have never considered it.

Same here. Our trip last week was so amazing! We never waited for long, did everything we wanted, saw all the characters we wanted to see, and brought home some amazing stories and souvenirs. Our hearts are full after 2 years of waiting for this. Those 3 things made it all possible.

 

[SOCALMouseMommy]

We just got back last week for the first time in 6 years and I will sum it up this way. If it wasn’t for Genie plus, rope dropping and reading the tips from this board, it very well could have been our last trip. I can’t even fathom going to Disney and not taking advantage of those three things.
Last week went so well, I would totally consider coming back in the dead of summer or at Christmas time when I otherwise would have never considered it.

I think you might be pleasantly surprised coming in the dead of summer. It can be much more pleasant than spring break.

 

[Tinkaboo]

I think you might be pleasantly surprised coming in the dead of summer. It can be much more pleasant than spring break.

I’m counting on you, I think July will be perfect!

 

[upritbass]

Tip of the day: Use the VGC points calendar to estimate crowd conditions.
https://cdn2.parksmedia.wdprapps.di...s/dvc-resorts/FINAL_2022_DVC_GCAL_Pt_Chts.pdf

 

[DLRExpert]

Odd the would close Pirates and Toontown during this time of the year.

 

[pokee99]

I think you might be pleasantly surprised coming in the dead of summer. It can be much more pleasant than spring break.

Not this summer. 2022 is the year of the "re-dos" for everyone that's canceled trips in the past two years. My guess is that it will be close to capacity for the foreseeable future. I feel lucky to have gone on the weekend when it wasn't too crowded.

 

[pokee99]

Odd the would close Pirates and Toontown during this time of the year.

I thought the same about Pirates! I got to ride in the last day it was open. One thing I noticed on the first day it was closed is that crowds flowed better through New Orleans Square. That ride creates such a bottleneck!

 

[SOCALMouseMommy]

Not this summer. 2022 is the year of the "re-dos" for everyone that's canceled trips in the past two years. My guess is that it will be close to capacity for the foreseeable future. I feel lucky to have gone on the weekend when it wasn't too crowded.

It will be busier for this reason but summer spreads the visitors out over many months compared to Halloween and Spring Break, so it often feels less crazy. And having a lot of pass holders blocked out for summer always makes a difference. Plus with all the evening entertainment back (can we dare to hope for daytime parades?) and hopefully the parks better staffed come summer, I’m hoping it will be a good summer. Fingers crossed!

 

[Steven G]

I agree that overall it won't be too crazy in summer time (but still pretty packed), but the only negative is that it can get hot. Since it barely rains, there is usually not much relief to the heat if you are outside.

 

[pokee99]

I agree that overall it won't be too crazy in summer time (but still pretty packed), but the only negative is that it can get hot. Since it barely rains, there is usually not much relief to the heat if you are outside.

Yeah, very true. Our best day was this past Sunday March 13 when it was sunny and cool, with moderate crowds. Still warm enough for Splash in the afternoon, though!

 

[DLgal]

Not this summer. 2022 is the year of the "re-dos" for everyone that's canceled trips in the past two years. My guess is that it will be close to capacity for the foreseeable future. I feel lucky to have gone on the weekend when it wasn't too crowded.

That's what they said about summer 2021. It didn't pan out. In fact, it was so UNbusy that Disneyland frantically rolled out the magic key program much earlier than they had planned. And remember summer 2019, when Galaxy's Edge opened and everyone said it would be a packed nightmare? That didn't pan out either. It was comically slow that whole summer.

I've been a local passholder for 22 years now. Summer is NEVER that busy here. People overestimate how many people from out of state come here in the summer. This is not Orlando.

The beaches are crowded in summer. The theme parks...not so much. Locals tend to leave town in the summer and go on their own vacations, and the 2 tiers of passholders who are blocked out ALL SUMMER removes a huge portion of guests from the parks.

Seriously, if July ends up being more crowded than literally any other month in the previous year, I'll come back here and eat crow.

 

[DLgal]

I agree that overall it won't be too crazy in summer time (but still pretty packed), but the only negative is that it can get hot. Since it barely rains, there is usually not much relief to the heat if you are outside.

The relief comes when the sun goes down, unlike in Florida. Nights are cool in the summer here.

Add a UV blocking umbrella to your park gear. Game changer.

 

[jordan13402]

The relief comes when the sun goes down, unlike in Florida. Nights are cool in the summer here.

Add a UV blocking umbrella to your park gear. Game changer.

after spending a week at WDW in july last summer, I'll NEVER complain abaout anaheim weather again...holy sweaty weather! how do peopl live in Orlando?

 

[StormyCA]

after spending a week at WDW in july last summer, I'll NEVER complain abaout anaheim weather again...holy sweaty weather! how do peopl live in Orlando?

They don't. They merely 'exist'. (Sorry, Floridians)

Honestly, I used to live in an area where the summer temps could reach 110+ with o'nite lows in the 90s for days on end, "but it was a dry heat". You went from your AC house to your AC car to your AC workplace and vice versa at the end of the day. Weekends were spent either indoors or near the water (pools or the lake/river). I'm pretty sure Floridians handle the heat in the same way

 

[StormyCA]

Tip of the day: Use the VGC points calendar to estimate crowd conditions.
https://cdn2.parksmedia.wdprapps.di...s/dvc-resorts/FINAL_2022_DVC_GCAL_Pt_Chts.pdf

Never mind, I found the charts. Thanks for that tip!

 

[duckboyone]

We just got back last week for the first time in 6 years and I will sum it up this way. If it wasn’t for Genie plus, rope dropping and reading the tips from this board, it very well could have been our last trip. I can’t even fathom going to Disney and not taking advantage of those three things.
Last week went so well, I would totally consider coming back in the dead of summer or at Christmas time when I otherwise would have never considered it.

Great to hear! We are also going back for the first time in 6 years.

This board has been AMAZING, I have learned a ton from so many helpful people. I really appreciate the willingness of everyone to submit their thoughts and experiences here to help out the rest of us.

 

[kristensideaoffun]

That's what they said about summer 2021. It didn't pan out. In fact, it was so UNbusy that Disneyland frantically rolled out the magic key program much earlier than they had planned. And remember summer 2019, when Galaxy's Edge opened and everyone said it would be a packed nightmare? That didn't pan out either. It was comically slow that whole summer.

I've been a local passholder for 22 years now. Summer is NEVER that busy here. People overestimate how many people from out of state come here in the summer. This is not Orlando.

The beaches are crowded in summer. The theme parks...not so much. Locals tend to leave town in the summer and go on their own vacations, and the 2 tiers of passholders who are blocked out ALL SUMMER removes a huge portion of guests from the parks.

Seriously, if July ends up being more crowded than literally any other month in the previous year, I'll come back here and eat crow.

I completely agree. That last week of August where the majority go APs/Keys are still blocked AND most out of state schools are back in session is the sweet spot. In elementary and middle, my daughter didn't go back to school until after Labor Day so we'd spend the whole week there. Now my daughter's high school starts the first week of August. She also used to get 4 weeks of winter break so she had the first 2 weeks of January off, and the first two weeks of April for spring break. It worked out perfectly for just missing the big crowds. Her new school schedule made Keys not worth it to us.

I guess the bright side is, now that we aren't spending $15,000+ a year visiting DLR, we can now plan two long vacations instead of one plus visit my family who lives out of the country more than once a year.

 

[DLgal]

Odd the would close Pirates and Toontown during this time of the year.

These closures are due to heavy construction work in both areas. They are completely redoing the elevated walkways in front of the Rivers of America to eliminate the step down, creating a smoothing slope instead, from what I've heard. They are also removing the 2 diseased trees from the entrance to POTC and reworking the queue. This is all to prepare for the return of Fantasmic.

Toontown is undergoing its massive refurbishment project to reopen next spring with the new ride and updated play area.

 

[Chickinvic]

I completely agree. That last week of August where the majority go APs/Keys are still blocked AND most out of state schools are back in session is the sweet spot. In elementary and middle, my daughter didn't go back to school until after Labor Day so we'd spend the whole week there. Now my daughter's high school starts the first week of August. She also used to get 4 weeks of winter break so she had the first 2 weeks of January off, and the first two weeks of April for spring break. It worked out perfectly for just missing the big crowds. Her new school schedule made Keys not worth it to us.

I guess the bright side is, now that we aren't spending $15,000+ a year visiting DLR, we can now plan two long vacations instead of one plus visit my family who lives out of the country more than once a year.

The happiest surprise I ever got was the time I took my kid and my sister's two kids during the week before Labour Day. I was so afraid it would be super crowded with summer crowds. It was glorious weather and not crowded at all. All the local kids were back in school that week

 

[DLRExpert]

These closures are due to heavy construction work in both areas. They are completely redoing the elevated walkways in front of the Rivers of America to eliminate the step down, creating a smoothing slope instead, from what I've heard. They are also removing the 2 diseased trees from the entrance to POTC and reworking the queue. This is all to prepare for the return of Fantasmic.

Toontown is undergoing its massive refurbishment project to reopen next spring with the new ride and updated play area.

Work on Pirates and NOS from Jan-Mar then. Just after Holidays and before Spring Break
Toontown, work in phases, For example, Keep Roger open and close/wall up everything else. Then when Spring Break is over close it all.