When do crowds let up?

[puck292]

After much debate (and seeing the deals on hotels), we decided to take the kids out of school for a few days for a much needed impromptu family getaway from chilly Buffalo to the Beach Club. We are arriving May 5th.

However, after reading the recent posts about crowd size I was thinking of cancelling and banking the money on southwest.

Have not gone in May in years. anyone have any information on crowd projections for early May or recent experience.

input much appreciated!

john

[BrerSchultzy]

You should be fine! The biggest crowds are usually there the week before Easter...and the week after Easter is usually a little better. Two weeks after Easter (when you're arriving) will be rather light, I imagine. I did see something about "Bats Days" (aka "Goth Days") being May 6th to the 8th this year...they don't add to the crowd numbers very much, but there will be more people in black clothing and black makeup than usual (and, despite what you may think, they are usually very friendly, and EXTREMELY knowledgeable about all things Disney...especially Tim Burton's involvement with the company).

[BugeyedMuggy]

Early May is our 2nd favorite time of the year to go. The weather & crowds are fine. If you did not pull the kids out of school and went during a holiday or school vacation it would be much more crowded. I would never recommend anyone cancel a family Disney vacation :mickey:

[Strmchsr]

I can't speak about prior to May 2009, but crowds are definitely significantly larger in early May than they used to be. Disney did the buy 4 get 3 free promotion that year and it seems a lot of folks discovered early May so that year and 2010 folks who had been prior to 2009 told me that crowds were much larger than they used to be. So, expect crowds, but they aren't horrible. It's all doable, but don't expect everything to be walk-on either.

[pamickeys]

don't forget, May 6-7 are Grad nites

[#1donaldfan]

It is going to increasingly get busier from here on till after Summer.....actaully, there are no real "dead times" anymore....we were there in mid Jan, just a couple months ago and it was busy !!! We go back spring break ...... I'm sure it will be very busy !! ....anyway, good luck to you and you should go !!:mickey:

[wiltsan]

Last year we visited the last week of the Flowerfest and were so plesantly surprised that the crowds were on the lighter side. I agree with other posters, there doesn't seem to be a down time any more and so it was great that we actually were able to walk around the world showcase without being swarmed. We are also from the Northeast and found it to be VERY hot. Spent many days at the Y&B pool, which my daughter loved but I kept saying - we can swim at home, let's get to the parks! Enjoy!

[sgdisney]

We went last year the first week of May and found what I would call moderate crowds. It was busier than I expected but not unmanageable. And the weather was much hotter than I anticipated. It was in the low 90's every day and humid, much like late August. But this was unseasonably warm. All in all it was a great trip and great time to go.

[Strmchsr]

We are also from the Northeast and found it to be VERY hot.


And the weather was much hotter than I anticipated. It was in the low 90's every day and humid, much like late August. But this was unseasonably warm.

The weather in 2009 and 2010 was about 10 degrees above normal in early May. This is in large part due to a lingering drought. Florida depends on tropical storms to keep the water supply up and those haven't hit in a few years now. So, Florida is getting pretty dry, which means above normal temps. I would expect this May will be above normal, too. But, again, these are abnormalities. Normally May will be low to mid 80s.

[EJS-Houston]

I'm a big fan of "The Unofficial Guide to Walt Disney World." Among many other invaluable nuggets of information, the guide tells you what times of year to go to encounter the lightest crowds.

[CanadaLovesDisney]

don't forget, May 6-7 are Grad nites


Oh Gosh I would NOT want to be there during Grad Nights! Seriously take this into consideration!!!!!!

[Melanie]

I find it hard to make any kind of predictions anymore about crowds, with levels being so much higher the past 6-9 months than they have been at the same times in previous years. Truly, there don't seem to be down times anymore.

[Strmchsr]

I'm a big fan of "The Unofficial Guide to Walt Disney World." Among many other invaluable nuggets of information, the guide tells you what times of year to go to encounter the lightest crowds.

I'm agreeing with Mel. I don't think these predictions are very accurate any more. Often this guide drastically alters their "projections" just before time, which makes it useless for a long term planning tool. It used to be you could know what time of the year crowds would be larger, but now I think you just always have to go expecting crowds and deal with it.

[puck292]

Not going to mk....will grad nites really be an issue? I thought limited to mk.

[Strmchsr]

Not going to mk....will grad nites really be an issue? I thought limited to mk.

Grad nights are at MK, but it does impact the rest of the parks. When MK shuts down, all those folks go to another park, which increases the crowds in the other 3.

[EJS-Houston]

I'm agreeing with Mel. I don't think these predictions are very accurate any more. Often this guide drastically alters their "projections" just before time, which makes it useless for a long term planning tool. It used to be you could know what time of the year crowds would be larger, but now I think you just always have to go expecting crowds and deal with it.

With the utmost respect for your experience, while I do agree with you that the crowds are larger even during "off season"...I've been going to WDW at the same time of year
(the 1st week of November) every other year for going on 8 years now based on recommendations from the Unofficial Guide (which updates annually)...and remembering what the crowds were like in the years I visited in the Summer there's no comparison. It's still worthwhile to aim for "off season," and I do think the Unofficial Guide is a good tool to gauge when those "off season" periods are. Anyway, that's my story and I'm stickin' to it. :cheers:

[javamama]

I think Stmchsr and I go around the same week the past few years, and last year I got there the 2nd of May. It was crowded on the Monday, by Tuesday it was less crowded, Weds we walked on Space Mtn 5 times, BTM, Splash, no issues at all w/MK. AK was fine except FP w/Kali were gone quickly since it was 90+ everyday. Of course TSM was same ole same ole, and Soarin is always a hot FP. We've always been there for Grad Nights, and honestly that night we're usually at Epcot since it's open til midnight, it's crowded but we still have fun drinking around the world, and my kids love illuminations.
It's a nice time to go we like so we go back this time every year for the last 3. We arrive the 5th this year too see ya there!

[mamamarie]

Lived up in Buffalo for the first 27 years of my life and I agree- you are probably needing a nice break from the winter that never ends up there! I would think the beginning of May would be a good time to go (I did not really read all the above posts so I am not really sure what everyone else has said.) If you go in May none of the schools have gotten out yet. Down here in the south the kids don't get out of school until the third or fourth week of May and up north you know they don't get out until late June so I would think the parks would be pretty nice at that time of year before the chaos of the summer!! Good luck. We are leaving tomorrow morning to go!!

[DANAM]

May favorite time of the year to go. We have been this same week several times. The weather is wonderful and crowds are moderate. We didn't even realize it was grad night when we were there. We head out to the parks very early and I am guessing most kids wouldn't be up that early. I would defiantly suggest going that week.

[MarkC]

Your best week to go is the week after we go. Crowds always let up the week after we're there.

The other posters are correct about the other sites not predicting well. Last year they made huge changes to their predictions the week prior to our trip, so what good is it? But there are still good times to go and times where its going to be really busy. I would never say there is a bad to be at Disney.

[cruzrmomma]

We always go 2nd week of May-LOVE it! This year-last week in April, not realizing it was just after Easter-so it will be more crowded. Grad night stuff isn't until end of May, and it's only at MK I beleive-after midnight-it won't impact you guys. We have kids 14-22 and have taken them out of school every year to beat the crowds-two are in college-all good!

[Strmchsr]

We always go 2nd week of May-LOVE it! This year-last week in April, not realizing it was just after Easter-so it will be more crowded. Grad night stuff isn't until end of May, and it's only at MK I beleive-after midnight-it won't impact you guys. We have kids 14-22 and have taken them out of school every year to beat the crowds-two are in college-all good!

A couple of corrections - Grad Nights are earlier May, but this is the last year they are happening ad they start at 7 pm so MK closes early.

[AXOAlum]

Your best week to go is the week after we go. Crowds always let up the week after we're there.

OMGosh - us too! We must go the same week ;)

I think the Unofficial Guide is nice for the info, but they do change their times drastically - but they kind of have to do this in order to be more accurate. I say get a smart phone with the Lines App and that will be your best tool in knowing where to be and when!

My favorite book out of all of them is The Complete WDW 2011 (or whatever year - they update it annually) by Julie & Mike Neal. I think they offer the best advice about when to go and how to plan your day accordingly (the FP return times guide is great).

Don't cancel your trip - there will always be people (that's part of the magic!) - enjoy yourselves and enjoy the warm weather :mickey:

[Hog]

I went in May of last year the 7-14 it was pretty much dead in my opinion the longest wait we had was 30 minutes at TSM. It was the best experience I have had in all 4 of my trips there. I am only hoping that i have the same luck when I go in October this year.

[Magic Smiles]

Oh Gosh I would NOT want to be there during Grad Nights! Seriously take this into consideration!!!!!!

We have been 4 times while Grad Nights were held and other than MK closing early, never even noticed them. Much prefer going during Grad Nights than during the cheerleader events. We just go to another park on Grad Nights.

We love early May as the weather is pretty much perfect for us. Having not been since 2008 I do expect larger crowds than we have experienced before.

We leave for WDW in 10 days 8 hours:mickey:

[johnO]

Im with the "Off Season" crowd. I've been to WDW during peak season times and it aint pretty. It is so much nicer in the off season.