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.

 

[maxiesmom]

What works for me is telling myself that if I got in a line, I can get out. And I have done so more than once. Lifting up a chain, or unhooking it is really no big deal. Or walking back out saying Excuse Me loudly and often. I've walked back out of Pirates and out the the Little Mermaid ride line in the Magic Kingdom.

 

[Bete]

Be open minded on rides and do the ones that are less crowded; pay attention to the wait times. We don't have to do every thrill ride. See more shows, parades, and fireworks. Late hours are the best for less crowds.

Cut back in other ways and do the lightning lanes.

Can you qualify for DAS?

 

[gap2368]

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!

ˆlove the after hours event the rides lines are 10 minute for the popular rides and walk on for the other free snacks drinks what more could you want.

 

[gap2368]

Can you qualify for DAS?

Disney is getting very strict on the approval for the DAS not saying to try just giving you ( the OP) a heads up.

 

[Dancergirlmelody]

This is helpful, thanks everyone! I think we're going to try to do one of the AH events and otherwise just try to take the day slowly and not force ourselves to do anything (I'm bad about that, I get excited and want to do all the things and then the adrenaline causes more anxiety lol, working on it!). We may also buy a single LL for any big "must-dos". I would try to utilize rider switch or the meet up at the merge point thing, but it's just my husband and I, so I don't want us to have the be split up for that long.

In regards to DAS...I'm confused. From what I've read, I *may* have qualified in the past, but probably wouldn't now? I also certainly don't want to abuse the system and am prideful enough that I don't like admitting that I need help in such a public way...so not sure if I will make the effort to even try applying.

 

[WLWildlife]

I recommend rope dropping your parks. DD and I did this last trip and we're able to get a lot done every morning. We took a room break in the afternoon and went back for the evening and closed the park. So much fun. Completely different atmosphere in those hours. It gave us plenty of time to just slow down and enjoy the stuff we normally skipped or missed. And there are plenty of quiet spots to be found in each park to relax and regroup.

 

[elvispursley]

In regards to DAS...I'm confused. From what I've read, I *may* have qualified in the past, but probably wouldn't now? I also certainly don't want to abuse the system and am prideful enough that I don't like admitting that I need help in such a public way...so not sure if I will make the effort to even try applying.

This was my situation as well. I used DAS many times in the past but I was extremely doubtful I’d be approved. I didn’t bother even attempting to apply for my trip last Aug/Sep. I was beyond anxious so we just decided to bite the bullet and get LLMP for half of the trip. It worked out great and I think the time of year we went helped with wait times as well.