Average Day at MK- Rope Drop, Crowds, and Wait Times

[Lisa loves Pooh]

Sorry to quote all, but editing on my not-so-smart phone is a pain.

I hope you are wrong about cellular IPs being banned.
I am driving from NY to OR this week and I'd hate to hit spots I can't access the boards for my DIS-fix. Can anyone corroborate? Feel free to PM me.

I use my phone almost religiously to access the disboards. My computer is a desktop, and the phone is just a more portable means. If I cannot access the dis while traveling, then quite likely it is due to poor signal and nothing more. Because I would have the same trouble with my email and accessing other websites.

 

[Lisa loves Pooh]

So with the spirit of this thread in mind I checked some wait times online about thirty minutes ago.

Both Spaceship Earth and The Great Movie Ride had a posted 45 minute wait. Living with the Land was at 40. Tuesday morning, late May.

Does that seem about right?

It is practically midday as you checked at 11:30 eastern. That is a pretty busy time of day with maybe *some* relief as crowds peel off for lunch.

So yes, it seems about right. (SE is notorious for having some ebbing and flowing on wait times it seems).

Per Easy WDW, Epcot is least recommended due to EMH.
Crowd levels are a 7 today.

For DHS, other rides are experiencing very long waits. TSMM has a star so maybe it is down right now? RNR is 60, TOT is 90, GMR is 50, and Star Tours is 40. (as checked on MED at noon eastern) GMR, aside from Toy Story, is the only ride that children other 40 inches can ride, so that might explain the congestion there.

 

[mesaboy2]

So with the spirit of this thread in mind I checked some wait times online about thirty minutes ago.

Both Spaceship Earth and The Great Movie Ride had a posted 45 minute wait. Living with the Land was at 40. Tuesday morning, late May.

Does that seem about right?

Not long ago, those would be unusually long wait times (or posted waited times) for those attractions at most times of day, most days of the year. To be clear, that is unabashedly my personal perceptions and anecdotal experiences at work.

 

[Lisa loves Pooh]

Not long ago, those would be unusually long wait times (or posted waited times) for those attractions at most times of day, most days of the year. To be clear, that is unabashedly my personal perceptions and anecdotal experiences at work.

I agree with 2--GMR has had lengthy waits in the past. I stood in those lines. Anecdotally speaking, of course.

 

[momof2n2]

I use my phone almost religiously to access the disboards. My computer is a desktop, and the phone is just a more portable means. If I cannot access the dis while traveling, then quite likely it is due to poor signal and nothing more. Because I would have the same trouble with my email and accessing other websites.

 

[Lucius Best]

Both Spaceship Earth and The Great Movie Ride had a posted 45 minute wait. Living with the Land was at 40. Tuesday morning, late May.

Does that seem about right?

I would believe those numbers to be accurate. But it certainly isn't "right" that rides such as Living with the Land have 40 minute waits.

On our trip late April, SE and LWTL were the two secondary rides where we noticed that standby lines had increased dramatically compared to what I remember before FP+ (and during similarly not-too-busy crowd times). Spaceship Earth was pretty obvious why the standby line was 30 minutes late morning: hundreds of people were using FP for it (because after choosing between Soarin and Test Track, there isn't much else), so the standby line was moving at a crawl. LWTL also had consistent 30 minute waits late morning, and that one we couldn't figure out. We had never seen lines like that for LWTL before. This was a weekday crowd level 4 on a recommended Epcot day.

 

[Mickey&Mouse]

I would believe those numbers to be accurate. But it certainly isn't "right" that rides such as Living with the Land have 40 minute waits.

On our trip late April, SE and LWTL were the two secondary rides where we noticed that standby lines had increased dramatically compared to what I remember before FP+ (and during similarly not-too-busy crowd times). Spaceship Earth was pretty obvious why the standby line was 30 minutes late morning: hundreds of people were using FP for it (because after choosing between Soarin and Test Track, there isn't much else), so the standby line was moving at a crawl. LWTL also had consistent 30 minute waits late morning, and that one we couldn't figure out. We had never seen lines like that for LWTL before. This was a weekday crowd level 4 on a recommended Epcot day.

We experienced the same thing with SE last week. Never thought we'd have to have a FP for SE in the first place, and felt silly scheduling it at the 60 day mark. But the standby line when we went was posted at 30 mins and at a standstill because there was a steady stream of FP returns coming in. The standby line had filled the entire queue and was out past it as well- so the 30 mins was probably accurate that time. Again, we never waited more than 5 mins in the past for SE. So IMO that's undoubtedly a side effect of FP+.

 

[Jennytoon]

I think that the truth is that a forum such as this is a place to share experiences both good and bad. You can't discount bad experiences just because you don't agree with them or just find them unpleasant. They are reality for the people reporting them just as good experiences are the reality for those reporting them. Forums that allow such open discussion seem to be busier than those that don't and with good reason.

I agree completely. In context of many of the comments made here about how much circumstances can affect touring style / what you can get done, I think that by far the most useful reports for me are the ones where the poster lays a basis for comparison by describing how many people, their past history (if they are making comparisons to those trips), general touring style, etc. It's true that reading about other people's experiences can provide you with valuable insight of how changes will affect your experience. But only if

1) There is good reason to believe that a specific other people's experience will be applicable to you
2) When other people are making comparisons as they report their experiences, they are careful that if they make general statements (such as "this ride was always a walk-on") then those statements are accurate. It is also my belief that it doesn't help others to make sweeping statements about the cause of a particular general trend unless you account for all the factors that might be causing it. Speculating is fine, just don't state it as a fact unless you know it is a fact.

I think it is #2 that OP's thread-starter was aimed at. In my experience, I have seen a lot of posts by people with negative experiences with FP+ claiming that "many rides that used to be a walk-on now had long stand-by lines because of FP+." What I frequently didn't see in these posts (and I am not saying this was true of all) was any attempt to account for any other factors that might have caused the difference in experience, including changes in the OP's own touring style in response to FP+ that might not have made their experience of those attraction times directly comparable to the past.

Sometimes the plural of anecdote is data, but only if many of the individual anecdotes don't contain erroneous or misleading statements.

 

[MikeandReneePlus5]

Not long ago, those would be unusually long wait times (or posted waited times) for those attractions at most times of day, most days of the year. To be clear, that is unabashedly my personal perceptions and anecdotal experiences at work.

agreed. but for each of those FP+ availability is plentiful.

I get that opinions and perception and agendas drive a lot of these "FP+: good or bad?" debates.

For us, we spent last week down there and we rode everything we wanted with no waits beyond one time 45 mins at Test Track. We noted the 40 mins at GMR one day but the kiosk has a FP+ that was 10 mins in the future so we rode it with no wait (that was a 4th FP+). I would say FP+, for us, was a huge success.

We did a day where we slept in and pool lounged until noon. Headed to AK and rode what we wanted there without a wait of more than 15 mins without FP+ (EE and Dinosaur twice each, the Safari and FOTLK). Had dinner at Boma and then went to DHS and used FP+ ressies to ride RNRC and Tot. After that (at about 8pm) we went to the FP kiosk and got some for F! which was really helpful actually because we got great seats in the FP+ section at around 8:30 for a 9pm show. By 8:45 the whole place was basically full.

That day is not possible without FP+.

I post this not to gloat or prove any point but merely to encourage other DIS-ers that the system can really work well for you if you plan a bit. I was impressed with the technology and the helpfulness of the CMs at the kiosks. Man they fly through those kiosk screens using a knuckle or fingernail and get you what you want pronto!!!

We had 7 of us, with 21 pre-booked FP+s over 7 park days, we park-hopped like crazy and spent too much money on food an souvies and there was once, just once, where had a magic band glitch and it was rectified in about 2 mins at the turnstile.

 

[WillAustin]

agreed. but for each of those FP+ availability is plentiful.

Not long ago the idea of needing a FP for those rides was ludicrous at best.

 

[MikeandReneePlus5]

So do you think Disney's primary goal is for me to maximize my personal enjoyment in the parks?

Isn't it possible that Disney's primary goal is to maximize profit?

Isn't it possible that those 2 might sometimes be at odds?

I used to think Disney's primary goal was maximizing profit by maximizing guest enjoyment. I think lately they have changed their approach to merely maximizing profit. If guests maximize their experience along the way, that's great, but I don't think that's their primary goal any longer.

I respectfully disagree.

WDW is not cheap, but for me WDW is in the "you get what you pay for" category.

I was continually blown away by how top notch everything is. The stage shows are just fantastic (the new Frozen thing is a hoot, those Arendelle historians are hysterical. And it snows! lol. FOTLK/F!/Beauty..all excellent). the character interactions are consistently excellent. We watched Voices of America in Epcot and the Philharmonic band in MK and they just give you chills with how talented these folks are! My son is in band and a pretty good trumpeter and he was just blown away.

The fireworks are brilliant..Wishes, Illuminations (we had the privilege of seeing Symphony in the Stars and it was just incredible). Fantasyland looks amazing...from the Tangled area through to Pinnochios house it just pops with color and theming. The 7DMT is wonderfully themed and just a whole lot of fun to ride. BOG is wonderful inside...the snow falling outside the windows is mesmerizing and engrossing. You *feel* like you are in a mountain chapeau.

We were at WL this trip and the place is sparkling. The pool design is amazing - I had never realized there are 3 separate pump systems, one for the waterfall, one for the pool, and another for the stream leading out of the pool into Bay Lake. Roaring Forks was reliably good (they added flatbreads since we'd been there last).

We ate at Cali Grill and the service and food were both tip-top. My teens were so impressed and it pleased me so much to treat them to such a fancy dinner.

The new Poly lobby is gorgeous and Trader Sam's is a home run (albeit small).

I could go on and on. I am not meaning to sound like a fanboy but as far as pure entertainment options there really isn't anything that can compare to WDW. They pull out all the stops.

I think they know the model: dazzle them. And they will keep spending and keep coming back. It works!

 

[MikeandReneePlus5]

Not long ago the idea of needing a FP for those rides was ludicrous at best.

yes I know....but so what? the idea is to experience attractions with minimal waits right? It is still really easy to do that.

 

[Lucius Best]

We did a day where we slept in and pool lounged until noon. Headed to AK and rode what we wanted there without a wait of more than 15 mins without FP+ (EE and Dinosaur twice each, the Safari and FOTLK). Had dinner at Boma and then went to DHS and used FP+ ressies to ride RNRC and Tot. After that (at about 8pm) we went to the FP kiosk and got some for F! which was really helpful actually because we got great seats in the FP+ section at around 8:30 for a 9pm show. By 8:45 the whole place was basically full.

That day is not possible without FP+.

15 minute wait for Everest/Dinosaur/Safari after noon? That sounds like a pretty low crowd day, and usually isn't possible unless you're hitting those rides right before park closing. It also has nothing to do with FP+. With old paper FP, you could have used FP at AK and gotten more rides in with less waiting.

But I totally agree about the advantage of FP+ being able to hop into a park like HS late with FP+ in hand and do a bunch of rides. On our last trip, we visited HS on arrival day, getting there from the airport around 1pm. We had FP+ reserved for 1pm/2pm/3pm then early dinner. Since it was a slow day, we were able to get a 4th FP for after dinner. We would never have tried to do that before FP+. So yes, you can certainly adjust your touring plan to use the FP+ system to your advantage.

FP+ is also great for when the park is really not busy. We had a MK day that rained all morning. During the afternoon, we got maybe 12-15 additional FP at kiosks, all had return times only 5 to 20 minutes in the future, which was not possible with old paper FP. But on the busier days, we often could not get as many additional FP as we used to during similarly crowded times.

 

[momof2n2]

I respectfully disagree.

WDW is not cheap, but for me WDW is in the "you get what you pay for" category.

I was continually blown away by how top notch everything is. The stage shows are just fantastic (the new Frozen thing is a hoot, those Arendelle historians are hysterical. And it snows! lol. FOTLK/F!/Beauty..all excellent). the character interactions are consistently excellent. We watched Voices of America in Epcot and the Philharmonic band in MK and they just give you chills with how talented these folks are! My son is in band and a pretty good trumpeter and he was just blown away.

The fireworks are brilliant..Wishes, Illuminations (we had the privilege of seeing Symphony in the Stars and it was just incredible). Fantasyland looks amazing...from the Tangled area through to Pinnochios house it just pops with color and theming. The 7DMT is wonderfully themed and just a whole lot of fun to ride. BOG is wonderful inside...the snow falling outside the windows is mesmerizing and engrossing. You *feel* like you are in a mountain chapeau.

We were at WL this trip and the place is sparkling. The pool design is amazing - I had never realized there are 3 separate pump systems, one for the waterfall, one for the pool, and another for the stream leading out of the pool into Bay Lake. Roaring Forks was reliably good (they added flatbreads since we'd been there last).

We ate at Cali Grill and the service and food were both tip-top. My teens were so impressed and it pleased me so much to treat them to such a fancy dinner.

The new Poly lobby is gorgeous and Trader Sam's is a home run (albeit small).

I could go on and on. I am not meaning to sound like a fanboy but as far as pure entertainment options there really isn't anything that can compare to WDW. They pull out all the stops.

I think they know the model: dazzle them. And they will keep spending and keep coming back. It works!

Except we DIDNT go back ladt year. When we realized ride rationing was in effect and our days of riding TSMM, EE, Soarin' x 3 w/little wait (using legacy FP) we DIDNT go. No amount of Frozen make-overs will do for us. Multiple rides on headliners used to be possible. Now they are rationed.

 

[MikeandReneePlus5]

15 minute wait for Everest/Dinosaur/Safari after noon? That sounds like a pretty low crowd day, and usually isn't possible unless you're hitting those rides right before park closing. It also has nothing to do with FP+. With old paper FP, you could have used FP at AK and gotten more rides in with less waiting.

But I totally agree about the advantage of FP+ being able to hop into a park like HS late with FP+ in hand and do a bunch of rides. On our last trip, we visited HS on arrival day, getting there from the airport around 1pm. We had FP+ reserved for 1pm/2pm/3pm then early dinner. Since it was a slow day, we were able to get a 4th FP for after dinner. We would never have tried to do that before FP+. So yes, you can certainly adjust your touring plan to use the FP+ system to your advantage.

FP+ is also great for when the park is really not busy. We had a MK day that rained all morning. During the afternoon, we got maybe 12-15 additional FP at kiosks, all had return times only 5 to 20 minutes in the future, which was not possible with old paper FP. But on the busier days, we often could not get as many additional FP as we used to during similarly crowded times.

yes pretty much agree across the board.

On AK...first we met Russell and Dug then we did 1pm FOTLK. After that we went to Safari and the line was listed at 20 mins but we waited 15. After that we meandered over to EE and by this time it was almost 3pm and the line said 20 but we waited 15. Then rode it again because the line now said 10 and it more like 5. We walked over to Dinosaur and it said 30 mins....but it was zero. Like...zero, as in as long as it took to walk to the time travel vehicle...that's it. So we rode twice. At that point we weren't interested in riding anything else...but we could have ridden both of them again and again...it's not likes lines were getting any longer at 4pm. Park close was 6 that day. Crowd calendar had an overall 5 or 6 I think, with AK recommended by EasyWDW.

I would have walked Pagnani trail after Safari instead of getting ice cream and chilling in Africa but I was overruled. Oh well, lol.

Oh we met Pocohantas too on our way out. She met at 4:30 and the line was less than 10 mins.

Again...all of this to help other DIS-ers plan. As EasyWDW points out, AK is an excellent park to do a late arrival.

 

[MikeandReneePlus5]

Except we DIDNT go back ladt year. When we realized ride rationing was in effect and our days of riding TSMM, EE, Soarin' x 3 w/little wait (using legacy FP) we DIDNT go. No amount of Frozen make-overs will do for us. Multiple rides on headliners used to be possible. Now they are rationed.

Our experience was that this changed when they started enforcing the legacy FP return times.

After that, I found it harder to ride TSMM, Soarin and TT 3X with no wait (just those 3 rides). Twice is easy to do, but that third time can be tricky. But I didn't find that FP+ changed that for the better or worse.

 

[Lisa loves Pooh]

Except we DIDNT go back ladt year. When we realized ride rationing was in effect and our days of riding TSMM, EE, Soarin' x 3 w/little wait (using legacy FP) we DIDNT go. No amount of Frozen make-overs will do for us. Multiple rides on headliners used to be possible. Now they are rationed.

They may be rationed as you put it, but it remains possible with EE, Kali, RNR, TOT, ST, Splash, Space, BTMRR, and maybe even Test Track if you time it right and/or can take advantage of single rider.

To date, without rider swap (just to be clear), we have expereinced multiple same day rides on all but Test Track. For Test Track, we had and evening fast pass. But storms forecasted. So the family opted for single rider--posted wait was about 30 minutes, maybe? Not walk on, but not bad for 5 people. They could have ridden a second time but weather indeed caused the ride to close.

I share not to tell you this is always the case. But to let you know that it is possible though individual results can certainly vary.

 

[SaraJR]

so i read page 1 and skipped to here have average waits for november been discussed?

 

[Angel Ariel]

so i read page 1 and skipped to here have average waits for november been discussed?

No..hasn't really been that kind of a discussion.

When in November is your trip? We were there in November 2014..happy to help answer and questions I can.

 

[Angel Ariel]

Again...all of this to help other DIS-ers plan. As EasyWDW points out, AK is an excellent park to do a late arrival.

Ita with this. Both with legacy and fp+, we found AK to be a great late day park. It really seems to empty after appx 3 (used to be 3 b/c people would stay til the parade and then leave, but no parade any more). We felt like we had the park to ourselves in 2013. We were there at appx 730p on our Nov 2014 trip, and we felt like the only people in the park. It closed at 8, granted, but AK is especially amazing after dark! EE at night is a totally different experience!