What bothers you the most about busy times/large crowds?

[Farro]

Is it long lines?
Crowded walkways?
Cranky people?

Do you consider it crowded if lines are long, but parks don't feel that bad walking around?
Crowded restaurants/hotels?
Do you feel it most when waiting for parades/fireworks? - what if you don't watch the fireworks, but go on rides?

Thanks!

 

[stinkpickle]

Yes, yes, and yes.

Actually, crowded walkways are the worst, but those can pop up even when crowd levels are low.

 

[Disneylover99]

I don't mind crowded walkways or crowds at resorts/restaurants or waiting for fireworks/parades.
I actually like being around hoards of people, cranky or not. It doesn't bother me at all.

I won't wait in a long line if I can help it though. I can't stand long lines for food, rides, buses, checking into the resort, etc...

 

[PollyannaMom]

We are pretty much locked into the school calendar, so I guess it's crowded when I go - but since I don't know any better, I still have a great time! What bothers me is that the flights are more expensive because the airlines know we all have to go then.

 

[mickeyfanachey1999]

These two things happen no matter what the crowd levels but more so when it's busy: People walking full speed and then coming to an abrupt complete stop and the family of 12 that decides that right in the center of the walkway is a good place to stop, open their map and try to figure out whether to go to It's a Small World or Jungle Cruise while blocking 80% of an already crowded walkway

 

[lugnut33]

Sorry, and I don't mean to offend anybody, but people who stop in the middle of the walkways and wide strollers.

 

[Klayfish]

We take a different view than many here in that big crowds at WDW don't truly bother us. We'll go into any park on any day. However, sure, there are annoying things.

Probably my biggest annoyance is what lugnut33 said...people who stop in the middle of the walkway. Wide strollers don't bother me, we used them, but the stopping thing is a challenge. Lest I throw stones...I have unquestionably been guilty of doing the sudden stop myself. And when I caused someone to bump into me, I feel like a dope and am immediately apologetic. Had a laugh with one guest when I stopped right in front of him on our last trip. He said "No worries, been there, done that"

 

[loves to dive]

They really don't bother me and we don't mind waiting in line. I don't like rude people who cut in front of you or shove but that can happen in crowded or non-crowded places. It bothers my honey big time and he won't go anywhere there are crowds, which is why I go to WDW solo or with my son. He used to be semi-o.k. with crowds but after a while he wouldn't even go to UGA football games. My son is a tad claustrophobic but he puts up with it.

 

[Mal6586]

Honestly, if I know it's going to be busy, and I can mentally prepare for it, I don't mind a big crowd. What I do mind is other people not paying attention to their surroundings and either stopping abruptly in a moving crowd or walking straight at me with their eyes pointed anywhere but in front of them. Sometimes I feel like a literal magnet at Disney. If a stranger is going to look away and keep walking, they are going to walk straight into me. It never fails.

 

[BrianL]

I'd say the worst thing about high crowds are definitely the lines, but I think the worst is actually long lines for food, as opposed to rides. If it's so busy that there is a 45 minute wait for a hot dog, that's when I say it's too busy for me to be there!

 

[acwsmom]

Personally, I just hate trying to navigate around so many people to get to where I want to go. Then again, we're not slow-walking, go with the flow people. I always have a plan in mind and know where I'm headed.

 

[disneyvoice]

People walking full speed and then coming to an abrupt complete stop and the family of 12 that decides that right in the center of the walkway is a good place to stop, open their map and try to figure out whether to go to It's a Small World or Jungle Cruise while blocking 80% of an already crowded walkway

Sing it!! 100% yes!! We experienced this more on our trip last week than other previous trip. There were SO MANY family groups of 8 or more people and for some reason they seem to fan out side by side in a single line that blocks ANYONE from getting around them. And they walk at a snail's pace completely oblivious that anyone else is in the park. It's not that they are purposely being rude, they just seem completely clueless about anything happening around them.

We also experienced MANY people who like to walk while they look to the far side or behind them and then end up crashing into you because they aren't looking where they are walking. When it's crowded you often can't get out of their way fast enough. Luckily every time this happened the person was very apologetic but still!

 

[NMAmy]

I don't mind waiting in line for things like rides but I won't do more than 30 minutes. It's when you have to wait in line for the restroom that I get really irritated and realize it's too busy for me to enjoy myself.

 

[Elleshoodat]

Is it long lines?
Crowded walkways?
Cranky people?

Do you consider it crowded if lines are long, but parks don't feel that bad walking around?
Crowded restaurants/hotels?
Do you feel it most when waiting for parades/fireworks? - what if you don't watch the fireworks, but go on rides?

Thanks!

All of the above.

But if I have to choose just one, it can feel claustrophobic to me when the walkways/common areas are crowded. I don't necessarily mind waiting in lines for rides and shows ... but waiting in line to get food when I'm hangry? Forget it!

 

[Oneanne]

As others have already mentioned, stopping in the middle without paying attention to what's going on around you bothers me all the time, not just at WDW on busy days. Other than that I'm pretty go-with-the-flow, even if it's hordes of people, and know when I'm starting to get cranky and need a break.

 

[RangerPooh]

Agreed, those who stop mid path need to move to the side and out of the way.

I also become frustrated with cranky park goers who at the end of a long hot day decide to start fights/arguments while waiting for the bus back to he resort. We've been in MANY lines where buses were slow to arrive and too many parents start physically fighting with others over getting onto the bus. Some start cutting in lines and shouting at others in protest. Everyone is cranky at that point, but there doesn't need to be hostility. Just wait and the buses will arrive.

 

[PSUGuy]

Long lines which we can now blunt somewhat by using FP+ selections and hustling a little at RD. Once I actually wished for a bit more of a crowd. In 2005 we arrived the evening of New Year's Day. By our third day there WDW was a ghost town and at the Adventurer's Club one night it would have been more fun with a few more people.

Bill From PA

 

[tlmadden73]

Crowded walkways?

To me it is crowded when you just can't get around and you feel like you are walking shoulder to shoulder just to get from Point A to Point B.
People who stop in the middle of a walkway ... large groups that feel the need to walk 5-6 people wide.

In general, people who aren't really aware of their surroundings make it feel "crowded" to me.

I don't look at wait times as much now thanks to Fast Passes. Skipping some of the longest lines of the day thanks to that service make the other waits (even if longer than the "old days") tolerable.

This past trip I felt that DHS was crowded from morning to noon. The park itself just has SO little walkable space and only 5 attractions with queues, that the park just feels crowded even though it may have significantly less people at it than the other parks. We had to wait 30+ minutes DURING EMH for TSMM ... it "felt" crowded.
We hopped over to MK that same day and it felt a lot less crowded.

My sign on how crowded it is at MK is how easy it is to get through the corridor between Peter Pan and Small World ..

The other indication is the wait times on traditionally "bad" rides. If you have to wait in a line for Country Bear Jamboree or Aladdin's Carpets or Living with the Land or The Seas .. then it is probably way too crowded at those parks .

 

[DisneyPiPhi]

For me, it's just the crowdedness of space in the parks (i.e. walkways) as well as lack of availability of seating in places like benches, CS restaurant eating areas, and buses. I prefer a day where I can walk without being stuck behind people or being bumped into. And doing things like taking transportation, eating lunch, and taking a rest are so much nicer when the space isn't crawling with other people. If I want to grab a seat along a wall to look at my park map and take a drink, I like not to search for five minutes; if I want to walk from Tomorrowland to Adventureland, I like to move at a reasonable pace and not be pinned in by people; and if we get lunch at CHH, I like to be able to find a table (yes, we eat at off hours, and yes, I know it has a second story) without standing around with my tray waiting for others to finish.

As other posters mentioned, I also hate listening to other groups complain and argue amongst themselves. That ruins my mood and does tend to be more noticeable when the weather is hot and the parks crowded.

Long ride lines aren't a huge issue for me because we're fairly good at utilizing FP+ and aren't super picking about needing to get on certain attractions. That said, the last time I went on a VERY busy day was July 4, 2009, and that was when we lived in Celebration and were AP holders, so we were super chill about crowds. Now that we live out of state, we have only been twice since 2012 and have tried picking dates that don't put us in the way of crazy crowds.

 

[DisneyPiPhi]

My sign on how crowded it is at MK is how easy it is to get through the corridor between Peter Pan and Small World ..

YES. If it's shoulder-to-shoulder and barely moving through this corridor, that's when DH and I decide it's time to take DD for ice cream, a pool break, and re-group to return later!