[gregc]

Every family has a vacation planner and a vacation whatever-er. I'm the planner and my DW might ask what park we're going to today at breakfast.

I've read 2 guidebooks and reviewed websites like Deb's terrific AllEars. Everyone seems to stress super-early well before opening park arrival and lining up for the 'Dash to Splash (Mountain)', 'Race for Space (Mountain)' or the 'Mission (Space) Marathon'.

We visited WDW in 2000 and used FastPass for all the ETicket headliners. It seemed so straight forward. Get a FastPass, enjoy the scenery, experience the attraction. Get another FastPass, ride a low line attraction, return to the FastPass attraction. Get another FastPass, see a show, return to the FastPass attraction... We never understood why people stood in the long lines we walked by!

I've read it's now possible to acquire another FastPass before using your current pass because it will have a time printed on it when you can get another FastPass. This seems like it would make FastPass even better.

There seem to be these 'caveats' about FastPass: 1. It's possible for all FastPasses for a popular attraction to be issued for the day long before the day is over. 2. The longer after the attraction opens you wait to get a FastPass, the more likely you are to get a FastPass return time that is long after your issue time, perhaps after the time you planned to leave that section of the park or that park entirely.

Now, I like the idea of trying to knock off a few top attractions while the amateur's are still snoozing or eating the same scrambled eggs they can get back in Cincinnati but besides that, isn't FastPass the way to go?

[15 mins to wdw]

well that is true about the time printed on the fastpass when another will be availble, generally you will be on the ride about that time anyhow. however you might be able to go and get another fastpass then do the orginal fastpass ride.

and yes it is possible to run out of fastpasses, for example on christmas day they ran out of fastpasses at 11am for test track and the park was open till 9:30 that night. although that park was packed that day.

[wdwspider]

I just want to add a comment about Mission: Space. I am hearing that Test Track is the one to get the Pass for and that M: S is usually not a long wait in line.

[Dana]

If you get to the parks at rope drop, you can almost get every single headliner in before the crowds get to big (cept on holidays and really peak time). The year I went on Easter and the parks were INSANE, I did the EE and if I wanted to go on that paticular attraction again, I grabbed up a FP. Also, I will pick two rides near each other, grab a FP for one and wait in line for the other. Sometimes this works out sometimes not. I am not a patient waiter, so I go in the "off-off season" and don't even utilize FP anymore. I think the Easter trip turned me off peak times forever.

[iluvwdw]

Originally posted by Dana
so I go in the "off-off season" and don't even utilize FP anymore. I think the Easter trip turned me off peak times forever.

Dana, I totally agree. We always go in the summer, ALWAYS peak time and since my Christmas trip this year, I vowed to NEVER go in the summer again...we never even saw a FP machine open, and we literally walked on EVERY SINGLE RIDE AND ATTRACTION. It totally turned me off going in peak season....

[Dana]

Originally posted by iluvwdw
Dana, I totally agree. We always go in the summer, ALWAYS peak time and since my Christmas trip this year, I vowed to NEVER go in the summer again...we never even saw a FP machine open, and we literally walked on EVERY SINGLE RIDE AND ATTRACTION. It totally turned me off going in peak season....

i find this way more relaxing. I don't feel as stressed and the "sardine syndrome" only kicks in at the big shows and parades. You don't need extended park hours becasue you can eaisly see everything. You get to end your days early and relax a bit and get up bright and early and do it again. I will never go at peak time again...no way.

[CowboyMickey]

Originally posted by Dana
i find this way more relaxing. I don't feel as stressed and the "sardine syndrome" only kicks in at the big shows and parades. You don't need extended park hours becasue you can eaisly see everything. You get to end your days early and relax a bit and get up bright and early and do it again. I will never go at peak time again...no way.

The first time we did TT and M:S on our last holiday (I think the 15th Dec) both were practically a walk on...one week later we were back in the afternoon and both were 2hrs wait, with all FPs gone for the day. We only used FP for Philharmagic and Indy Jones whilst we were there, and they were great. We usually go in September when everything is a walk on, but this year in Dec we had to resort to the FPs.

On the 25th, we used an FP to get into Philharmagic...the only problem was that the area between the Carousel and Philharmagic was a serious bottleneck (stroller parking for both attractions was overflowing, it was getting truely impossible to move.) My ankles were getting mashed by strollers and it looked like the queuing area for Philharmagic (standby was now >75mins) was working it's way back to the castle. The entrance to the FP queue was not apparent at all in the crush...eventually Celtia Cat spotted the sign (it's at waist height...duh!) and we squeezed thru and finally got in. It was after this we decided enough was enough and headed back out the park. The guys operating the launches back to the WL were warning people that it was very unlikely that they would not get into the MK... a lot of dissapointed kids on those boat docks! I believe that they stopped park admittance some time around 1pm that day.

CM
PS - here's a snap I took to remind me of "what happens when a queue gets out of control..."

[tinkerbell]

Omy goodness what a crowd!!! that is unbelieveable .. it reminds me of the one year we went in late june .. we stood for over 2 hours to ride POC ..that was before FP's

[disneydana]

CowboyMickey--what date did you take this picture? That area does get bottlenecked but that sure is a lot of people!:nooo:

[Dana]

AHHHH!!!!!! Flashback from Easter!

I would have went back to the resort too Cowboy. My god! Too many people. I get nervous looking at it.

[CowboyMickey]

Originally posted by disneydana
CowboyMickey--what date did you take this picture? That area does get bottlenecked but that sure is a lot of people!:nooo:

DisneyDana, the pic was taken at 11.28 on the 25th...admittedly probably one of the most busiest days of the year. It was literally a ruck...and too many instances of parents using their strollers as a battering ram to clear a path:devil. If we'd tried, I reckon it would have taken us at least 20 mins to get from that point to the entrance to the Haunted Mansion (the queue for which was now at the Liberty Belle entrance). It wasn't long after that they stopped admittance to the MK, even for Resort Guests.

As we made our way back up the walkway from the boat at the WL, we overheard one father going to the boat as his son which rides he wanted to do at MK...felt sorry coz that kid was going to be very dissapointed when he got there, even if they let them into the park. The queue for the Swiss Family Treehouse, normally one of the more quiet attractions, was stretched back as far as the Jungle Cruise:dazed.

Yup, definitely time for the pool...

CM

[disneydana]

Thanks, I just wanted to know what day/week to avoid. I am determined to make a trip in December. I definitely will be going early in Dec. rather than later!:)

[gregc]

These reports make it sound like Disney does little or nothing to address giant crowds - except count the money.

Can you imagine making a reservation, setting a 'countdown clock', traveling to Orlando, paying to stay 'on property', getting up Christmas morning and walking your excited D-whatevers down to the boat dock only to be "warned" about possibly not getting into the park.

You'd have to be a Disney stockholder to find that experience to be 'magical'.

[CowboyMickey]

This was the one and only time I saw a queuing area get out of hand. All in one area were strollers and queues for 2 different attractions (carousel and Philharmagic), as well as thru-traffic. As I say, it's probably one of the busiest times of the year and day...so as long as you know what to expect if you go on one of these days you shouldn't be dissapointed by the crowds. If you plan and get FPs for the stuff you really want to do, I don't think you'd have any problems...we got an FP for Philharmagic that morning, and we got in to the first showing we turned up for.

Disney did end up closing admittance to the Parks, and the CMs operating the transport were warning boarders that they may not get in by the time they got to the park. They also seemed to be putting on a lot more shows, and have a lot more characters out, in order to perhaps draw people away from the big name attractions.

I had expected this kind of crowd level, so was not too phased by it all. IMHO, what really could help lessen the bottlenecks is for parents to have a good think about whether or not their kids really need a stroller...as far as I could see, they appeared to be more of a nuisance to the parents than anything else, especially in those crowd levels.

But that's a whole other discussion.;)

CM

[tinkerbell]

Originally posted by CowboyMickey


I had expected this kind of crowd level, so was not too phased by it all. IMHO, what really could help lessen the bottlenecks is for parents to have a good think about whether or not their kids really need a stroller...as far as I could see, they appeared to be more of a nuisance to the parents than anything else, especially in those crowd levels.

But that's a whole other discussion.;)

CM

lol I agree its a whole other discussion ..but as a former stroller pusher .. in a crowd like that parents might feel they have more control over the whereabouts of thier child when they have them in a stroller .. think about having your child by the hand only to have them pulled away and get sucked up in to a crowd and not be able to locate them!!!!!