Majority of guests - on site or off site? Opinion

[Gregandmel]

This may not belong in this section, so moderators feel free to move it.

I was wondering if anyone knows if the majority of the crowds stay on site or off site for their Disney visits? I guess there is really no way to really know? I'm trying to strategically plan what park to go to on which day - taking EMH's into consideration. I know they are for Disney resort guests only, but wondered about the non-resort guests and how they plan their park visits. Specifically, going to MK on a Monday, which I know is listed as one of the busiest days of the week....but there is an EMH in the am somewhere else that day, and MK has the EMH the night before on Sunday night. Thought Monday might be good, but non-Disney resort guests might make that their 1st park.

Any thoughts? Thanks!!!!

[jcvalenti]

I'd add my two cents, but I'm exhausted from posting on this topic, so I'll offer a little piece of advice: there is literally dozens of threads on this topic weighing the pros and cons, including one right now that is heavily active ... just search for 'offsite' and they are easily found.

[Ian]

I don't have any stats to back me up on this, but if I had to take a general guess based on observations of crowd levels during EMH vs. at normal times, the number of guests I see going through turnstiles with room keys, etc. I would say that a majority of guests in the park at any one given time are staying on property.

If I had to take a stab at a percentage I'd guess it's somewhere in the 65/36 - 70/30 range.

[SBETigg]

I have gone to the MK on a Monday after a Sunday night MK EMH and have been pleasantly surprised by the low crowds. I think you can find slightly lower crowds by avoiding parks with EMH and to go to a park the day after an evening EMH in that park. I like to park hop so that I can take advantage of EMH when crowds are lower (opening time for Morning, well after regular close for evening) and hop when parks are more crowded.

[jerrywilborn]

I google'd a little... Disney has a total of ~32,000 rooms onsite. Let's use some generally accepted US stats of 3.5 people per family (yes there more, yes there are less).

32000 * 3.5 = 112,000. That's at 100% occupancy. Let's take a more realistic number... 80% (being generous), 89,600 people.

Daily attendance is 44K MK, 27K Epcot, 23K DHS, 22K AK. This means MK gets 38% of visitors. 38% of 89,600 people is 34,000 people.

So... Yes. I'm guessing the majority of people you see at the parks are on site. =)

[TikiGoddess]

I'll tell you what my DH -- an ex-CM -- told me. Mondays are more crowded at the Magic Kingdom because most people arrive at the World (or Orlando) on Sunday. On their first full day of vacation, they want to go to the MK.

We avoid Mondays at all costs. We've had better luck on weekends. (Sunday mornings, a lovely time to be at the MK...)

Kathy

[SBETigg]

I'll tell you what my DH -- an ex-CM -- told me. Mondays are more crowded at the Magic Kingdom because most people arrive at the World (or Orlando) on Sunday. On their first full day of vacation, they want to go to the MK.

We avoid Mondays at all costs. We've had better luck on weekends. (Sunday mornings, a lovely time to be at the MK...)

Kathy

Kathy, this used to be the case, and still is in many guidebooks and advice sites, but with evening EMH at MK on a Sunday night, we've found that Mondays have really changed at the MK. We went on a Monday after evening EMH last trip and the MK was pretty empty, nothing longer than a 30 minute wait (Peter Pan). I used to avoid Mondays at MK but no longer, if there's an evening EMH on the night before (give it a shot!).

[Posterchild]

Good info re: Mondays. I will have to check that out!

[Mushu11756]

We are going in September and plan to hit Mk on Monday as well because of the emh the night before! We use to think like alot of people and hit MK right away when we arrive on Sunday but we decided to try something different this year.

I also have to take into consideration The not so Scary Halloween Party that will close the MK early twice during the week for those who wish not to attend and how that will affect crowds on other days.

[Ian]

Kathy, this used to be the case, and still is in many guidebooks and advice sites, but with evening EMH at MK on a Sunday night, we've found that Mondays have really changed at the MK. We went on a Monday after evening EMH last trip and the MK was pretty empty, nothing longer than a 30 minute wait (Peter Pan). I used to avoid Mondays at MK but no longer, if there's an evening EMH on the night before (give it a shot!).

Or it could also be that it's in all the guidebooks and advice sites to avoid MK on Mondays, so now it's dead.

That's the one problem with guidebooks ... everyone buys them, so the advice is quickly useless.

[crltkcagle]

Someone just asked an imagineer this very question on the monorail. He said about 30 percent of disney guest stay on property while the other 70 percent stay off.

[Imagineer1981]

I would assume the number would be closer to 60 offsite and 40% on property. Think of the areas of "Maingate", "Maingate West", Downtown Disney hotels, and everyone who stays up at Universal/sea world areas. All of those areas are mainly hotels/restraunts, and tourist stores because of the amount of guests that stay off site.

[KAJUNKING]

i also think it depends on what time of year you are talking about, id say in september when its off season and disney runs stuff like free dining the percentage of people staying on site goes up vs the middle of summer when its peak season and disney isnt running any great promos a lot more people stay off site(percentage wise)

[Daddy Mouse]

I really don't know what the guide books have to say about your question. I would say the majority of guests going to the parks are staying onsite. I do not have ant data to back me up on this statement, so it is more of a hypothesis.
Staying off site
If the late EMH is heavily attended, then I would go to that park the next day. I would stay away from parks that have early EMH. I do not think it matters for DHS. Their late EMH are not scheduled as late as the MK or EPCOT.
The question I have would be which of the parks is more heavily attended.