Best ways to avoid crowds/long lines?

[Dancergirlmelody]

Okay so I get anxious in big crowds and am mildly claustrophobic when waiting in really long lines. Literally had a panic attack in the Slinky Dog Dash line a few years ago, 10/10 do not recommend. We're planning another Disney trip right now and are probably only going to do one or two park days (otherwise spending time at the resorts and elsewhere in Orlando). I wondered if anyone had any suggestions for the best ways to avoid the worst crowding. We're going April 27-May 3. Are there any days that any park is usually less crowded? Hollywood Studio and Magic Kingdom are both doing an After Hours event while we're there. How crowded does that event get? Is it worth it to just go to AH instead of going during regular park hours? I know we can pay for the lightning lane stuff, but it's so expensive...

Thanks!

 

[bdrex28]

I'm sorry you experience that, my 17 yr old son has always had those same experiences and it sucks. As an FYI your dates are listed on Touring Plans assome of the better in April.

April 27th: 5 (MK is lowest at a 4)
April 28th: 5 (MK is a 4 and AK is 5, Epcot 7, HS 6)
April 29th: 5 (MK 4, AK 4, EP 6, HS 6)
April 30th: 5 (MK 4, EP 6, HS 6, AK 5)
May 1: 5 (MK 3, everything else a 6)
May 2: 5 (MK 4, EP 6, HS 7, AK 6)
May 3: 6 (MK 4, EP 6, HS 7, AK 7)

The After Hours are awesome. They have crowds but it's not crazy and the last 2 hours of the event it always feels the crowds lesson. So many start the party at the earliest time they can get in and with the younger kids they seem to get out and leave with about 2 hrs left. At least that's our experience. You can pretty much ride any ride you want with very little wait time. Another thing is the park with the after hours is usually lower during the day.

 

[Kooks and Bay Bay]

If your main problem is feeling "trapped" in the longer lines then I'd recommend purchasing Lightning Lane.

Avoid crowds in general is hard.
Even if the lines are not that long there's still gonna be lots of people in the parks.

After Hour events are of course less crowded than regular park hours but they come at quite a cost and are limited hours.
If it were me I'd say your money is better spent purchasing Lightning Lane and having minimal wait times for more hours of park time.

 

[lanejudy]

I know we can pay for the lightning lane stuff, but it's so expensive...

After Hours is a hard-ticket event, and those tickets cost much more than lightning lane. You can probably buy a week's worth of LLMP for the whole week for less than the 2 AH events.

I don't know if you are staying at a Deluxe WDW resort, but there should be free Extended Evening Hours at MK one night that week. I don't know if EEH is offered at DHS.

 

[jennab]

Okay so I get anxious in big crowds and am mildly claustrophobic when waiting in really long lines. Literally had a panic attack in the Slinky Dog Dash line a few years ago, 10/10 do not recommend. We're planning another Disney trip right now and are probably only going to do one or two park days (otherwise spending time at the resorts and elsewhere in Orlando). I wondered if anyone had any suggestions for the best ways to avoid the worst crowding. We're going April 27-May 3. Are there any days that any park is usually less crowded? Hollywood Studio and Magic Kingdom are both doing an After Hours event while we're there. How crowded does that event get? Is it worth it to just go to AH instead of going during regular park hours? I know we can pay for the lightning lane stuff, but it's so expensive...

Thanks!

I have the same problems! What has worked for us is we planning trips during lower crowd dates (which hopefully yours will be), going to early hours in the morning (the 30min before regular opening), and doing rides right after park open. We find it much less busy in the early hours until probably 10-11am. We normally get LL for a bigger ride so we don’t have to rush with the masses to those (like do space mountain instead of 7DMT). We do buy the LLs because honestly it’s worth it for me not to have a panic attack or need to be on medication the whole trip.

Late evening hours are also less busy, go on the rides they have longer waits during the last hour the park is open. Or I’ve heard paid after hours are less busy (we haven’t been), or if you are staying deluxe that at least at MK the deluxe after hours is good and can get ok some rides with minimal wait then too.

Worst case, you could have your party wait in standby while you wait outside the queue, then meet them at the merge point (they call when at merge and you enter through LL to meet them). Talk to the CM before entering the queue if you want to do this.