Understanding AP Blockouts and Impact on Crowds

There are just so many variables here. High season or low season? Priority of Fantasyland vs. other entertainment like Fantasmic and fireworks?

If Fantasyland is a priority and if you plan to be in line at the gates at least 20 minutes before park opening then if you have flexibility in choosing days I would choose a non-MM day which means Mon/Wed/Fri. Of those Wed is the best, then Monday, then Friday.

However, if you are going off-season then entertainment is reduced on weekdays and if you want to see Fantasmic or fireworks, etc., then Friday is probably you best bet. It will be non-MM and will have evening entertainment.

As for FP, Space Mtn is the most popular FP at DL. Then Indy or Splash depending on how hot it is that day. :)

We're talking first week of June. We're flexible on Fantasmic, but I DO want to see/photograph the fireworks.

And YES, we would be in line at least 30 minutes prior to park opening. With only one day, we'd be making the most of it.

I'm really big on the FL stuff. Want to do it all if possible: PP, Dumbo, Alice, Teacups, Storybook boats, Matterhorn.

Our biggest constraint for this trip is time. We're heading through the southwest and possibly up the CA coast for the first time. But maybe I need to consider a second park day so we can hit the park at opening the day we head out of town mid-day. More to think on...
 
Hi all. I'm in a position similar to mom2dzb back in post #51 (see http://www.disboards.com/showpost.php?p=35435019&postcount=51), but my schedule is a little more flexible.

We were initially going to arrive on 6/21 and stay through 6/26 (not going to any of the parks on 6/26,) but there is no reason why we couldn't arrive on 6/23 and stay through 6/28. The latter would put us there on all blackout days (although it would incl. 2 weekend days.)

This is our first time going to DLR, so we're pretty clueless. Any advice from any experts about which one of these 2 scenarios would be better would definitely be appreciated :) Thanks in advance.
 
Hi all. I'm in a position similar to mom2dzb back in post #51 (see http://www.disboards.com/showpost.php?p=35435019&postcount=51), but my schedule is a little more flexible.

We were initially going to arrive on 6/21 and stay through 6/26 (not going to any of the parks on 6/26,) but there is no reason why we couldn't arrive on 6/23 and stay through 6/28. The latter would put us there on all blackout days (although it would incl. 2 weekend days.)

This is our first time going to DLR, so we're pretty clueless. Any advice from any experts about which one of these 2 scenarios would be better would definitely be appreciated :) Thanks in advance.

Just an educated guess, but I'm predicting that June 21st and 22nd might close due to capacity because of the extreme crowds that will be coming in that day. The combination of no AP blackout dates (meaning everybody is able to get in) and World of Color means that tons of people will want to flock to the parks to see the show "before their pass gets blocked out". After Monday and Tuesday, the crowds should decrease slightly, but there will still be an enormous amount of people wanting to see the show.
 
I know this is an old thread, but it feels like the right thread.

Am I to understand that because next Thursday is the last day the SoCal Annual Passport can be used until August, there will be extra crowds of SoCal people getting their last chance before their dry spell? Are these kids out of school showing up early, or locals showing up after work? Are they likely to target the headliners only? Or did they get it all out of their system Sunday? Does EMH influence their choice of parks?

Or am I worrying too much?
 


I know this is an old thread, but it feels like the right thread.

Am I to understand that because next Thursday is the last day the SoCal Annual Passport can be used until August, there will be extra crowds of SoCal people getting their last chance before their dry spell? Are these kids out of school showing up early, or locals showing up after work? Are they likely to target the headliners only? Or did they get it all out of their system Sunday? Does EMH influence their choice of parks?

Or am I worrying too much?
EMH does not matter at all.

There will likely be somewhat inflated crowds the last few days their passes are valid, but it's just one level of APs, and the last day won't necessarily be worse than any other day that week.

As for demographics, it's people of all types. Families, after-work crowd, etc.
 
I know this is an old thread, but it feels like the right thread.

Am I to understand that because next Thursday is the last day the SoCal Annual Passport can be used until August, there will be extra crowds of SoCal people getting their last chance before their dry spell? Are these kids out of school showing up early, or locals showing up after work? Are they likely to target the headliners only? Or did they get it all out of their system Sunday? Does EMH influence their choice of parks?

Or am I worrying too much?

I was there earlier this month. I noticed right away the AP days were more crowded than the blockout days. The SoCal Selects were expiring that week. This was true beginning right at the open. The nights were ok. Also for what its worth the other days were Grad nights which had fewer crowds in the morning and midday, the only hitch being the evening times did not drop off at DCA which was high.
So I would expect busy last days of SoCal Annual Passport people coming in right at the beginning of the day. It didn't seem like any particular demographic stood out from those passports. Most if not all rides were affected. I didn't go on a passport allowed non emh day to DL, but the emh day with passports was busier than the non emh day without passports in the morning at DL.
 
Here today. I believe APs are blacked out. Crowds are practically non-existent by my standards. We've walked on to many rides, fast passes are available late into the night, and I think the longest I waited today was maybe 20 minutes.
 


I know this is an old thread, but it feels like the right thread.

Am I to understand that because next Thursday is the last day the SoCal Annual Passport can be used until August, there will be extra crowds of SoCal people getting their last chance before their dry spell? Are these kids out of school showing up early, or locals showing up after work? Are they likely to target the headliners only? Or did they get it all out of their system Sunday? Does EMH influence their choice of parks?

Or am I worrying too much?
EMH does not matter at all.

There will likely be somewhat inflated crowds the last few days their passes are valid, but it's just one level of APs, and the last day won't necessarily be worse than any other day that week.

As for demographics, it's people of all types. Families, after-work crowd, etc.
OP here. I think @Skyegirl1999 is on the mark.

:wizard:
 
Today was a perfect example.....all lower tier APs were blocked. Prime summertime day, yes it was a Wednesday but still, its summer time. Lines were consistently short. Many non-headliners were walk on. Walkways were open and manageable. Sometimes even the headliners dipped to 25-35minutes. This was the least crowded day I've seen in quite a while.
 
I was trying to figure out why I was posting about a June trip then realized this is a 2010 thread. FYI, crowds for that trip were pretty reasonable. But then we purposely scheduled to just just miss the opening of World of Color. Crowds were not overwhelming as I have seen on many occasions since then.
 
Today was a perfect example.....all lower tier APs were blocked. Prime summertime day, yes it was a Wednesday but still, its summer time. Lines were consistently short. Many non-headliners were walk on. Walkways were open and manageable. Sometimes even the headliners dipped to 25-35minutes. This was the least crowded day I've seen in quite a while.

Watch the app starting Sunday through Thursday, the park is going to be a zoo next week.
 
Watch the app starting Sunday through Thursday, the park is going to be a zoo next week.


I was definitely worried that the crowds from the last few days of the So Cal AP days before summer blockouts would be a madhouse, but DH and I were very pleasantly surprised. Especially since the weather was so perfect (mid- to high 70's all week). The only wait time I noticed being ridiculously high was GotG on the very last night before the blackouts. And Fastpasses ran out a little faster yesterday.

Other than that, I found crowds to be present but quite manageable. Wait times for most rides were pretty typical. We had no problem finding spots to watch shows. Our wait for the Cove Bar at lunchtime was about 20 minutes yesterday.

Maybe the So Cal Select APs result in more crowding?
 

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