How to deal with crowds as late risers?

[DisneyGlutton]

Most tips to avoid crowds start with "get to the park at opening" but we loathe waking up early (and doing so is antithetical to enjoying our vacation). So given the fact that we usually don't hit the parks till 11 or noon, do any of you have tips about how best to avoid crowds, plan efficiently, etc? If it matters, we are going to be in the world next week (May 2-9); since we usually go in May, we don't know how to deal with crowds, lol. Thanks! :mickey:

[BluewaterBrad]

Good luck!!:mickey:

[Friend of Figment]

For Animal Kingdom:

Make a lunch reservation for Tusker House or Yak and Yeti. Before lunch, get a fast pass for the safari. When you've had lunch and gone on the safari, it will be parade time. Most people leave when the parade ends, so you can then tour at leisure.

At Epcot:

World Showcase is no problem of course becasue it opens at 10 am.

For Future world, check out the things that remain open after 7pm and work them in then. The other things don't seem to have long lines.

Holywood Studios:

The only big problem here is Toy Story Mania. Fast Passes seem to run out between 11 and 12. I would make a bee line there to try to get a fast pass and then tour as seems best.

Magic Kingdom;

At this park, early arrival is the most helpful, but later is workable. Divide into 2 days if you can. Then you can focus your fast passes for each day without crisscrossing the park endlessly.

[MaxPower]

Animal Kingdom is THE park to start at late. Everyone gets there early for no reason- they have completed most attractions and shows by 2pm--and there is a mass exodus in the early afternoon- which is a great time to arrive and experience fewer crowds.

[WVParkfan]

I gotta agree with MaxPower.

Animal Kingdom is our favorite park and we park-hop every day. On the days when we arrive at the AK late, it usually clears out after the parade. You practically have the park to yourself.

For Epcot, you can pretty much forget about getting FastPasses for Soarin' or Test Track if you arrive late. But, that shouldn't keep you from enjoying World Showcase.

DHS and the MK seem to be parks that are packed all day. I don't have any advice for those parks because we always try to arrive at rope drop. When either of these parks are our "evening" park, then we just plan 1 or 2 things that are priorities and get them done.

[KatrinaJ91]

My best advice is to just relax....get to the parks when it is good for you, head for the rides you like the most that you need fastpasses for, and then just go with the flow! Enjoy yourself and don't stress....we always go in around 11 or 12 and have never had any problems getting to ride everything before day's end. (and we go in the summer!) We just go with the idea of enjoying the day no matter what it brings!! That's the magic of Disney! :tink:

[SBETigg]

Plan ahead and avoid parks that have morning EMH. Do hit parks that had evening EMH the night before- and decide if you want to take advantage of later evening EMH hours. If you do, don't go to that evening EMH park until closer to regular closing time. Having the park hopper will give you the most opportunities to avoid crowds and make the most of parks. You will miss out on lower crowds in the early morning hours, but you can still make the best of it, get things done, and have a great time.

[Mousemates]

I'd consider trading in "sleeping in late", for an afternoon siesta...that way you can still have some quality "bed wallowing time" and still get in plenty of "non-peak crowd" riding in as well.

[Gator]

I'd consider trading in "sleeping in late", for an afternoon siesta...that way you can still have some quality "bed wallowing time" and still get in plenty of "non-peak crowd" riding in as well.

There is nothing that could convince me that riding the bus two more times during the day is a good idea. I'd rather sleep in and avoid the anger of cramming onto a bus.

[BigRedDad]

Its a vacation and you should enjoy it as you see fit. For me, vacation is getting away from work and I can always find a way to sleep more when I get home. This is my opinion and it may not be the same for you.

For late risers, I recommend taking it slow and hitting attractions with the shortest lines. The way I would take this evaluation is that I could sleep in 2-hours more and spend 4-hours more hitting attractions. It is my experience that I can hit most attractions early enough in the morning to enjoy the sights in the afternoon. One sight I really enjoy is watching people stand in a 1-hour line for a ride I walked on to in the morning.

Take it easy, enjoy your trip, hit the attractions you want, use FastPass. That is about all I think I can offer.

[Daddy Mouse]

If you are following a touring plan skip the first four or five attractions then follow the plan accordingly. I'm not sure the exact number but there is a time element involved if you want to get into the shortest possible lines and where your touring should begin. It is something like 15-20 minutes per attraction. So if you arrive at the park 15 minutes after opening go to step 2. If you arrive 60 minutes after the park opens go to step 4 (15 min./attraction)

[mindyjoh]

Since we are talking about arriving to Animal Kingdom late....does the late time in the day affect the activity level of the animals? Are you more likely to see them active in the morning?

[c&d]

Enjoy your vacation how you want and don't worry about getting to the parks early.

If you hate getting up early I don't think you'll enjoy yourselves at the parks. If you're like us you'll be cranky having to get up early on your vacation. I don't think we've ever gotten to a park early. We are all for :sleepin: in.

We take full advantage of EMH night hours. We are usually heading into the parks around 2:30ish sometimes even later. We've never had a problem getting on the rides we want. When we were there last week at DHS for the night EMH's, Toy Story was a 20 min wait.

[SBETigg]

Since we are talking about arriving to Animal Kingdom late....does the late time in the day affect the activity level of the animals? Are you more likely to see them active in the morning?

Some would say yes, but I've done Kilimanjaro Safari at all times of day and have seen a great deal of activity at any given time. Some say they're most active at around 3. Some say morning. Some say in the rain. I wouldn't schedule around it. As long as the attraction is open, there's always the potential to see the animals out and about.

[DANAM]

We are early risers (Disney only) but I don't see why you couldn't follow the same plan as someone who gets up early. Just pick up at the time you get there. The Unofficial guide has a section in the back where it tells you what time of the day to do certain rides. Not the touring plans but it is in that same section. I would hit those rides/attractions first and grab FP for all the big ticket rides. I mean it is a vacation, right? It's a shame we well like we have to get up early to get things done.

I agree with others that if you are not going early avoid EMH morning parks at all cost. They are normally packed by noon.

[MickeyandTink]

There is nothing that could convince me that riding the bus two more times during the day is a good idea. I'd rather sleep in and avoid the anger of cramming onto a bus.

:ditto:

Between waiting for the bus, the bus ride itself, getting back the room, quick nap, getting us and two young kids ready again, waiting for the bus (again), the bus ride (again), we would kill (at least) 3-4 hours for a 45 minute- 1 hour rest. I could see MAYBE doing it if you stayed at a monorail resort or had your own car, otherwise I think the better route is just to plan on seeing some shows or taking a leisurely snack/lunch break.

[diz_girl]

You should be able to enjoy more rides while everyone else is eating lunch or dinner. So have a late breakfast, get to the parks at 11, do the rides during lunchtime, then take a late lunch (maybe 2 or 3) and then do more rides during dinner and have a late dinner.

I also agree about AK emptying after the parade. During our most recent trip we were able to walk on EE at 5 p.m. I was shocked. It was a Tuesday during the first week of this past December.

[AmandaChan]

DH and I have always considered ourselves late risers (although when Disney we try REALLY REALLY hard to get up at a decent hour) and we usually make it okay in the parks and do everything we want. We usually get the parks around 10 or 11, stay until 3 or 4 and go to another park for a while. The only real advice I have is to use the FP to your best advantage. There are some rides that are busy super early but pan off during the mid day. Spaceship Earth being one of those. It's the first attraction that everyone sees when they come into Epcot and therefore it's always the busiest in the AM. At MK first thing we do right off the bat is go get a FP for BTMR or something like that. Then we go hit up the Swiss tree or Tiki room, or Tom's island, etc. Then as soon as it's time to get another FP we get another one before we get on our attraction. We have a method.

HOWEVER, AK is the one park we always wake up early for. It only stays open so late and all the best experiences are in the AM there. Such as the Safari -- all the animals come out in the AM before it gets too hot!!

[hauntedmansiongirl]

Aah- we have found a kindred spirit! We never get up early in Disney- it's a vacation!! A big piece of advice- bring a fan or something for white noise in your room. Between 7am and 8:30am the noise at the resorts is crazy. Parents yelling at their kids and excited kids running and screaming through the halls... not great for sleeping in. We found the noise was less at POR than POP- maybe the walls are thicker?

We typically get up around 10-11am, and either eat at the resort or head straight to the parks for an early lunch. Once we arrive at the parks we grab a fastpass for the "big ride" there (TSM or RnRC at DHS; SM, BTMR or PP at MK; Soarin or TT at Epcot; KS or EE at AK). Then we eat an early lunch and head to whichever big ride we didn't get a fastpass for. During the parade we do another big ride (ride lines are very small during parades!). After the big rides are done, we go on everything else. Dinner is always a TS res. We always stay for evening EMH. It seems like the parks are dead after 10pm.

One of the reasons that we keep going back to Disney is that there is tons to do after hours. Besides the parks, mini-golf, the Boardwalk (Jellyrolls!), Downtown Disney (RIP Adventurer's Club)- are all open until 11pm or later. :mickey:

[DisneyGlutton]

THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH FOR THE GREAT INPUT!! I can better avoid the crowds now, and still sleep in. :mickey:

[Hull-onian]

Most tips to avoid crowds start with "get to the park at opening" but we loathe waking up early (and doing so is antithetical to enjoying our vacation). So given the fact that we usually don't hit the parks till 11 or noon, do any of you have tips about how best to avoid crowds, plan efficiently, etc? If it matters, we are going to be in the world next week (May 2-9); since we usually go in May, we don't know how to deal with crowds, lol. Thanks! :mickey:

We have the same dates. We will be in POFQ at 1:00 p.m. Sunday afternoon with plans of going swimming. Then we leave Saturday May 9th at 3:00 p.m. On the last day we plan to go shopping in DTD. Can't wait!!! Have fun.:mickey:

[Yvette]

Now bear in mind that we have been to WDW a few times and always stay at least 5 days.

We too like to sleep in on vacation (gasp, horror). ;) Mind you I normally am up at 0500 during the week, but on vacation I refuse to turn on the alarm.

We make a point of using fastpasses, especially first thing in the parks and always get park hoppers.

The night before a particular park, discuss the "must sees and dos" and make a point of getting FP's for that, and plan ahead.

I really can't stress enough the importance of planning ahead and scoping out the park map prior to attack. Know where everything is ahead of time and pick and choose what to do based on your families preferences so you don't waste time criss-crossing the park.

Most of all: take your time and have fun!! If you miss something, it gives you a reason to plan another trip!! :D

[thrillme]

We tend to be late risers too. Especially with a 13 year old. I really WISH that Disney would stay open a LOT later.

Focus on staying away from Early Morning Hours. Make a list of the parks that are going to be open late. Go to the park of your choice and start with getting a FP for your favorite ride and then get another FP as soon as you can for the next one. For those rides that have single riders...get in those lines. For lines that you have to wait in. We all have our "DS's" and we play a community game such as Bubbles or Mario Party (you may even find a few others that will "join" your party).

The weird thing (speaking from SUMMER experiences)...around NOON on the parks that have Early Morning Entry. People seem to disapate. They go back for "naps" or swims (wimps :D) because they get HOT between 12 and 2...some lines move faster.

Toy Story you're pretty much out of luck. You MUST be at the kiosk at opening or you'll have a 2 hour wait.

If you want to eat at resturants you MUST make ADR's (I HATE them but they're a MUST these days...the dining plan has GOT to go...I want my "walk up" ability again) You want to eat at Donald's Safari Breakfast...try for 10:30...food is still fresh and less people. They're also starting to get ready for lunch so you can get 2 fer one. Get a couple of fastpasses BEFORE you sit down. For lunch...try whereever around 2-3:00. For dinner...get the late ones after 8:00. Remember to make those blasted ADRs. (if you miss one ADR...The "Electric Umbrella" has really tasty hamburgers and it's counter service)

The cool thing in the summer...MK is open REALLY late and a LOT of people start to peter out fairly early. It's a GREAT time to go for Splash Mountain and Space Mountain. Also you can catch fireworks one day and then perhaps the next...go get in line for splash mt. A lot of people don't get in line before the fireworks so the lines are often shorter.

[ipgfb01]

Plan on staying until close. The last hour is almost as good as the 1st. Also hit the big rides during Fireworks, parades, shows and other evening activites that take alot of people away from rides......

[Imagineer1981]

I am lucky if I can get my DW up by like 10 on vacation so we always go to the parks late. We usually get there around lunch and spend the day or even park hop. Because you are going Early May you should have light crowds. You can easily get to a park later and take your time. Use FP alot and you'll be fine. The lines will be shorter

[MarkC]

I'm also going to add that as the parks get towards closing, or during parade times, many of the major rides have very, very short waits. So avoid the park with EMH and stay until closing. Then you have a good reason to sleep in late. My teenage boys and I hate to get up but we force ourselves to as its worth it to us. My wife will often sleep in and meet us later. Enjoy. Mark