Park entry crowd anxiety.

Friendly Frog

DIS veteran with a mouse on her back.
Joined
Jul 31, 2005
I have haveing a lot of anxiety over park crowds. Going solo is my only choice to get to go, but without my husband to help wilt navigating the crowds ( will be using a ECV) I am already having anxiety attacks. Just the though of the crowds at park entry time have me concerned, as much or maybe more than in the parks as there will be little to distract me. and no where to go. I hate to miss any time in the parks, and use to be a rope drop girl, but not sure I can handle it anymore so I need to ask, What time would be the earliest to go into the parks, but still miss most of the entry line crowds?

Now for Hollywood Studios, which will be a different issue. Like most everyone else, RotR is a a top of the list to do attraction, ( and I will only be in that park one day- no hopper) I am concerned because the tranportation from the parks does not run very early and there is a high risk of not getting to HS on time due to limits on the number of spaces for ECV's on the bus. As late as the buses start, if very many people are waiting for ECV spots, I may have no way of getting there on time. Why don't they allow more time or open the skyliner earlier for those who need to get there?

If I am lucky and get to be in line first for a bus, that means a long wait in a mass of people. ?
I am going to try to focus on a game on my phone or try to look down through an open area, if possible. I know I can not stay focused on reading. Any tips from others with social anxiety/crowd issues to help me get through an HS RotR park entry alone?

Thanks.
 
All the parks let’s you in before rope drop I would get to the parks 30-45 minutes early MK an hour ( for none EMH). Hang back some and let the crowds go first waiting 2-4 minutes sometimes less makes a huge difference for HS I would go in and find a quiet ( or as quiet place as you can.) to get a boarding group.
 
As fair as things to do while you wait for park opening playing a game on your phone is a good idea I check this page Facebook and Twitter. If I am really lucky someone close to me wil talk to me I normally do not start the conversation but sometimes I will for me this is a huge step but it is one thing that seems to make the time go faster. I also try and be on one of the most outer lines so at lest one side of me dose not having anyone standing there. I use noise canceling headphones or listen to music I will use a hoodie or Cooling towel to cover my head when things get really bad. Having something in my hands ( silly pudy some type of stress ball ) helps. Also for me eating something crunchy helps
Hope some of this helps

I have hard they are only running buss from Skyliner resorts to HS EPCOT once an hour so I think the Skyliner runs earlier now
 
As previous poster said, try to stay to an outside line. That way you only have the mass of people on one side of you.

I have generalized anxiety, and I can usually manage, albeit with some difficulty. The line for getting into DHS was super challenging for me. Like you, I tend to distract myself on my phone. I also have a mantra that I say to myself while focusing on my breathing We then went right to the Starbucks line and got our boarding group while waiting for coffee.

I will say that Rise of the Resistance was worth the morning struggles, so much so that I agreed to do the whole process a second day.

Good luck!
 
Have you thought about using a Minnie Van for your DHS day? You need to call them directly (not use the Lyft app) to get the special van that can take the ECV. Perhaps give them a call now before you go just to ask how early they start running before park opening, etc. This *may* be a way to let you get there without dealing with the bus and any crowds on the bus. It's expensive but sounds like it could be worth it for you on your DHS day for sure (like $25-30 I think). I'm fairly sure they start running before park opening but I'd give them a call. Minnie Vans are super nice and I think in your situation this is what I would try to do. When you call you need to explain you're calling about the MV that picks up ECV's.
 
I’m with you totally on the anxiety and I’m with my dh!
Our first day last November we caught up in the horde at dhs.
dh really wanted to ride smugglers run but I couldn’t stay in the ‘line’ any longer and we had to exit to toy story land.
which was rather hilarious at the time as soooo many cast members kept telling us we couldn’t return to galaxy’s edge.
I was like..., I have no desire whatsoever to return there!!
And we rode aliens, toy story mania and slinky😀
We returned the next day-about 10 minutes after park opening and it was so much better.
 
I don't like the morning crush of people, so I sleep in, or hang out at the resort, and go later in the morning. The buses are usually mostly empty by then and the lines are much shorter to get into the parks. You don't have the thousands of people all bunched together waiting for rope drop. I don't ride as many rides but I am very much OK with that. I am really just happy to be there and the main goal of my trips is to have a relaxing time.
 


Have you thought about using a Minnie Van for your DHS day?

Yes, as much as I hate the idea of having to pay for transportation, when I strongly feel Disney should be providing it earlier, I did consider calling a Minnie van, however it has been reported on another thread that the ECV Minnie vans do not start their runs earlier enough for the HS early opening days.

I use noise canceling headphones or listen to music I will use a hoodie or Cooling towel to cover my head when things get really bad. Having something in my hands ( silly pudy some type of stress ball ) helps. Also for me eating something crunchy helps
Hope some of this helps

I have hard they are only running buss from Skyliner resorts to HS EPCOT once an hour so I think the Skyliner runs earlier now

Reports on one of the RotR threads are saying the skyliner is still not running early enough for HS early opening, (really disappointing, that would be so nice! ) but I will check again when I get there. I will have my phone and headphones and will be listenig to Disney music which helps me on the plane. I will be sure to take something crunch and give that a try too. Thanks.
 
Reports on one of the RotR threads are saying the skyliner is still not running early enough for HS early opening
That is my understanding as well. Whether it changes for the future is any one’s guess. Be sure to check the transportation schedule at your resort if staying at a Skyliner resort. Buses should run a “normal” park-opening schedule until Skyliner opens for the day, then it will be one bus per hour until the Skyliner closes.

Enjoy your vacation!
 
I don't like the morning crush of people, so I sleep in, or hang out at the resort, and go later in the morning. The buses are usually mostly empty by then and the lines are much shorter to get into the parks. You don't have the thousands of people all bunched together waiting for rope drop. I don't ride as many rides but I am very much OK with that. I am really just happy to be there and the main goal of my trips is to have a relaxing time.

This is a really great strategy that unfortunately won't get you a Boarding Group for RotR though. While it will work for the rest of the parks, and for the rest of HS even, the way Galaxy's Edge is being organized is requiring guests be in the park at rope drop to get access to a boarding group for RotR.
 
I caught the first bus from AoA to HS the morning I went (end of Dec.) and the bus was nearly empty. It also left 30 minutes before "an hour before park opening" although why they would run a bus so early before posted hours is beyond me. If you are staying at CBR I would suggest going to the first bus stop if you want the best chance of getting to the park before opening since you have an ECV. I'm guessing that it is still Martinique but I haven't been there since Riveria and the Skyliner opened so maybe the bus route has changed again. Odds are still good of getting on at Old Port Royale/Main Building (the second stop) but sometimes the bus arrives already full or there is a line of WCs/ECVs. I don't like gambling, can you tell? It is another reason why I love the PoP and AoA...one bus stop, one HC line.

I don't follow too closely but I haven't read where people aren't able to get on busses to get to HS in time to get a boarding pass which is why I'm guessing the Skyliner isn't operating earlier. Arriving really early makes bag check a breeze and a choice in lines...including an end spot. I've gotten the impression that CMs are moving people through quickly enough so those who do arrive near park-opening are able to get through in time to get a boarding pass.

I have a brain injury that makes crowds, noise, and lights at times overwhelming so I have a baggie in my backpack with earplugs, a Mobii (small fidget toy), a Koosh ball (another fidget toy) as well as some smartphone distractions I can use. A hat and sunglasses also helps, sort of like horse blinders. I also keep a few audiobooks on my phone that I know by heart and are soothing so I can listen but not have to worry about focusing on 100% in order not to miss anything...similar to music but that is normally too much input for my brain.
 
This is a really great strategy that unfortunately won't get you a Boarding Group for RotR though. While it will work for the rest of the parks, and for the rest of HS even, the way Galaxy's Edge is being organized is requiring guests be in the park at rope drop to get access to a boarding group for RotR.

True, but I would either suck it up if I wanted to go on that ride, or just wait for another visit when it calms down. 1 ride is not worth the stress.
 
True, but I would either suck it up if I wanted to go on that ride, or just wait for another visit when it calms down. 1 ride is not worth the stress.

To be honest, the crowds at rope drop for HS are crazy and even being in the park at opening does not guarantee you will get a boarding group for RotR. We were there recently and in the parks before 6:30. The park opening was 7am and we were on the app trying to get a boarding group but it kept clocking for us. I finally got one (#120) at 7:04 and that let us ride at around 7:45pm. It was crazy. I can't imagine going through that process if I had an anxiety issue. I agree that it is not worth the stress, even though the ride was amazing.
 
To be honest, the crowds at rope drop for HS are crazy and even being in the park at opening does not guarantee you will get a boarding group for RotR. We were there recently and in the parks before 6:30. The park opening was 7am and we were on the app trying to get a boarding group but it kept clocking for us. I finally got one (#120) at 7:04 and that let us ride at around 7:45pm. It was crazy. I can't imagine going through that process if I had an anxiety issue. I agree that it is not worth the stress, even though the ride was amazing.

I agree, it will still be there in a year or two.
 
Any tips from others with social anxiety/crowd issues to help me get through an HS RotR park entry alone?

Thanks.
First ... take a breath. It's okay. Do you treat your anxiety with meds? Disney happens to chill me out on its own but when I'm planning a trip pretty much anywhere else, I talk to my brain wrangler about adjusting my meds to account for the temporary increase of stressors and anxiety I expect over the course of that trip. Usually it's a small bottle of 10mg valium or 1mg klonopin, and often I usually don't even end up taking them. It's calming just to have them if needed. Point is, when you go on a trip you don't manage your anxiety as if it were a normal day.

Now ... getting onto RotR is a trick for anyone. Rope-dropping it is really a must. With as much as the trip is already costing you, an extra $25 for a Minnie Van for one day shouldn't rock things too bad ... get to the gate early and chill out in your own zone. Use the terrain to your advantage, get up close to a wall by the gate and back up your ECV at a bit of an angle so the rear corner of it is nearly touching wall. you've just created a little extra breathing room within the gap between the ECV and the wall. Don't be greedy but taking up just a little extra room here makes a huge difference.

If a CM tries to shuffle you around away from your cozy spot, just tell them you really need to be beside a wall or something within these dense crowds to keep from being jostled. It implies a physical disability that people tend to take more seriously, but it's also more or less true. I've never seen a CM insist on moving my wheelie-assisted friend into the thick of a crowd, though a few have brought the subject up to us.

Again ... remember to breath. It'll work out. You can do it.
 
I have anxiety and use an ECV at Disney so I get where you are coming from. The crowds can be overwhelming, and being lower in the ECV adds to that feeling.

I would say hanging back and staying to the outside would be a great strategy to still do rope drop.

ROTR is going to be tricky, but you can do this!
1. Minnie Van will not work as the accessible ones don't run early enough.
2. I think your best bet is the bus. From what i have seen they are running to HS well before the "hour before the park opens" standard. We are going to have to this do our 2nd HS day on our trip in 2 months, and my plan is to be at the bus stop 2 hours before park opening and be willing to wait for that first bus. I use DH and DD as a buffer zone, but I still think going to an outside lane would work for you here. You should be able to tap in a 6:30 or so an find someplace out of the way to park and wait to get a boarding group. Try to stay calm and if you hit technical difficulties try explaining to the CM what happened and see if they can help you secure a boarding group.
3. a distraction is a good idea. Do you craft at all? When my anxiety was really bad and I had to wait in doctor's offices (NOT my favorite thing) I would bring my crochet as a distraction. No way could i read in that situation, but the repetitive motion was soothing. Anything like that you could bring to do would be a plus.
 
Last edited:

GET A DISNEY VACATION QUOTE

Dreams Unlimited Travel is committed to providing you with the very best vacation planning experience possible. Our Vacation Planners are experts and will share their honest advice to help you have a magical vacation.

Let us help you with your next Disney Vacation!





Top