My days at Walt Disney World throughout the peak week of spring break went surprisingly effectively. As lined within the first installment of this two-part sequence, I used to be pleasantly shocked by the general expertise and the way a lot I used to be capable of accomplish regardless of 9/10 or 10/10 crowd ranges on many days.
With that mentioned, it was not all excellent and magical. Some of these items have been or will probably be recurring points throughout busier dates all through 2023 at Walt Disney World, so I need to tackle them right here so you may plan accordingly. As all the time, being ready for a specific drawback earlier than it arises can result in a lot better outcomes within the parks.
That’s significantly true right here, as most of the points I encountered could possibly be averted or minimized–it simply took recognizing them and pivoting to completely different technique. This meant doing issues at completely different occasions of day, altering course, and even not spending more money on strategies for beating the crowds. Anyway, let’s dig in and try how issues went “wrong” throughout my spring break at Walt Disney World…
Weekday Daytime Crowds – Again, this go to was throughout spring break for Central Florida and different faculty districts across the nation. Our Spring Break 2023 Crowd Calendar for Walt Disney World forecast this to be the worst week of March or April 2023 at Walt Disney World. Although that caught some followers unexpectedly who count on Easter to be worse, this was backed by precedent. Last 12 months, crowd ranges have been 10/10 and the typical wait time was 51 minutes throughout this identical week.
Accordingly, it’s not solely truthful to say that crowd ranges have been one thing going “wrong.” To the opposite, this went virtually precisely as anticipated, it simply was not excellent. I knew what I used to be getting myself into, as did nearly anybody else who opted to do Walt Disney World throughout this specific week. If something, general crowds have been higher than anticipated, with a median wait time of “only” 48 minutes and degree of 9/10. That’s higher than final 12 months!
However, these numbers are skewed. The early morning and late night time wait occasions have been really a lot decrease than anticipated, as have been Saturday and Sunday. Honestly, it’s arduous to complain about both of these issues–particularly provided that my plan all alongside was to go arduous throughout the starting and finish of every day, and knock out “easier” points of interest throughout the center of the day. Nevertheless, a number of the very lengthy daytime strains and excessive wait occasions have been a bit jarring. I’m simply blissful that I didn’t have to attend in them, for probably the most half.
Dining Lines & Seating – The exception to “for that most part” continuously got here at eating places. This is nothing new, however it’s nonetheless notable for rare guests. It doesn’t matter in the event you’re doing Mobile Order, both. Many counter service eating places in parks that aren’t EPCOT have lengthy strains at each the money registers and for Mobile Order pickup. And maybe that is simply my private impression, however that is arguably worse than points of interest since this isn’t neatly organized into queues–it’s extra of an anxiety-inducing free for all.
It’s usually not a lot better after getting your meals, as discovering a desk may be extremely troublesome. (Probably much less of an issue for bigger events, as you may ship somebody to seize one–I didn’t have that luxurious.) At Magic Kingdom, I noticed tons of visitors awkwardly consuming on steps, balancing trays on planters, or doing rubbish can eating. And they weren’t even bloggers!
All of that is exacerbated by the crowds. When standby strains are longer, individuals are extra doubtless to surrender and hunt down a spot to get off their toes and crash. You see lots of people with out meals, and their heads on tables or enjoying on their telephones. The preliminary impulse, in the event you’re wandering aimlessly with a tray of hot-ish meals that’s cooling by the second, is to be annoyed at your fellow visitors for selfishly hoarding tables regardless of having no meals.
This impulse is wrong. It’s like getting mad at different passengers on a flight for “hogging” overhead bin house, reclining seats, or dashing to board. In each circumstances, it’s the firm that created this drawback and has the means to unravel it. Being mad at your fellow visitors is misplaced–you’re each coping with completely different signs of the identical underlying drawback.
As has been the case for some time, Disney must open extra eating places and add extra seating. There’s completely no excuse for Tomorrowland Terrace and Aunt Polly’s being closed proper now, or Be Our Guest Restaurant not doing its extra environment friendly lunch and breakfast companies. Animal Kingdom ought to have all of its kiosks open, and Disney’s Hollywood Studios ought to have constructed 3 new eating venues within the time it took to assemble Toy Story Roundup Rodeo BBQ.
Lightning Lane Lines – A pair months in the past, I began noticing improved Lightning Lane availability at Disney’s Hollywood Studios and EPCOT. (Magic Kingdom and Animal Kingdom have been good to start with, so no adjustments there.) Initially, I wrote this off as occurring throughout the slower winter low season months.
When it continued throughout Presidents’ Day and Mardi Gras, there needed to be another clarification. It couldn’t have been that fewer individuals have been buying the Genie+ service as a result of this occurred even on days it bought out. Only Yogi Berra can clarify one thing being each in decrease and better demand concurrently, in order that wasn’t it. My different concept was that Walt Disney World had improved capability and the assorted tweaks made to Genie+ have been lastly paying off.
That charitable assumption now appears naive. Throughout my days each utilizing Genie+ and standby strains, I skilled and noticed the most certainly offender: longer Lightning Lanes. The returns for a lot of points of interest had overflow queues and Cast Members outdoors with “Lightning Lane Starts Here” indicators. To make sure, this has occurred previously. But I’ve by no means seen it at this many points of interest or with this diploma of regularity.
I’ve finished dozens of Genie+ exams because it launched, and the one attraction the place this beforehand occurred with regularity was Peter Pan’s Flight. It was an occasional prevalence elsewhere, significantly on busy days or as rides returned from downtime. During spring break, I’d estimate that between half and three-quarters of Lightning Lanes for in style points of interest (the one ones for which I exploit Genie+) had non-negligible strains outdoors their return tapstiles.
For probably the most half, this didn’t end in vital delays with the Lightning Lane. On common, my waits have been solely 5-10 minutes from arrival on the Lightning Lane to the merge level. Some points of interest have been a tad longer, with a number of reaching 15-20 minutes. On points of interest with triple-digit posted standby wait occasions, that is nonetheless a substantial time financial savings. So what’s the difficulty?
In giant half, the issue is the trigger of the backup, which is extra Lightning Lanes being distributed. If Genie+ is providing extra Lightning Lane choices, that results in a minor logjam on the return tapstiles and, extra importantly, a serious one on the merge level. To alleviate this, the ratio of Lightning Lane to standby visitors (which is all the time variable, and has been for the reason that FastPass days) essentially adjustments to accommodate extra Lightning Lane visitors.
The brunt of that is borne by standby visitors, who wait in longer and/or slower shifting strains to be able to preserve the Lightning Lanes shifting at an “acceptable” tempo. This is the way you get a posted wait time of 120 minutes for Peter Pan’s Flight with solely a small portion of the standby queue in use and only a few individuals coming into the road.
As somebody who prides myself on leveraging savvy technique, I additionally discovered this put a major damper on the worth I derived from Lightning Lanes. This is not going to be a difficulty for the typical Genie+ purchaser, as they may use paid FastPass throughout the coronary heart of park working hours and, indisputably, come out forward as in comparison with ready in lengthy standby strains.
However, an enormous a part of my analysis is to find out what’s objectively the most effective methodology for saving time in every park, whether or not that be Lightning Lanes, Early Entry, Extended Evening Hours, rope drop, or previous couple of hours, park closing, and so forth. With this, I can acknowledge that I’m most positively an outlier as in comparison with the typical visitor…however so are you in the event you’re following the recommendation right here!
Point being, there have been exceedingly few situations the place Genie+ was the most effective methodology for minimizing wait occasions. With virtually each attraction that I examined, there was a superior technique. About the one exceptions that come to thoughts are Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind and Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance, and I’m merely making assumptions with these since I didn’t (and won’t) buy Individual Lightning Lanes. Even then, I waited lower than half-hour for each by way of standby or digital queue on a number of events.
With Seven Dwarfs Mine Train, Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure, Peter Pan’s Flight, Frozen Ever After, Slinky Dog Dash, Jungle Cruise, and loads of others, there have been various approaches with roughly the identical wait (or much less). Granted, these required being up early or out late, however it’s all the time been the case that the early chook and night time owl will get the worm (or mice, satirically, within the case of owls) at Walt Disney World.
This really returns to a concept talked about within the first installment of this spring break report. Genie+ and Lightning Lanes have concurrently created a false sense of safety amongst visitors who use them, and a defeatist angle amongst those that don’t. It’s as if paid line-skipping is considered as the silver bullet for beating wait occasions. That’s merely not true, however individuals assume it’s the most effective, and plenty of don’t hassle with various ways because of this. What is correct is that Genie+ is finest for beating crowds throughout the coronary heart of the day, making it a super choice for these visiting the parks between (roughly) the hours of 10 am and 6 pm.
The Mandalorian – For a web site that prides itself in pictures, this weblog has a disturbing lack of Mandalorian and Baby Yoda images. That’s as a result of circumstances have by no means been “perfect” once we’ve seen them at Disneyland. In a super world, I’d use a 70-200mm f/2.8 lens from a fantastic distance, or an extended prime lenses able to buttery bokeh. These lenses are heavy, and as I grow old, I’m normally too lazy to hold them. Even if I did have them, there are normally a number of individuals across the characters, so I’ll simply get good images later, I inform myself.
Well, that “later” definitely didn’t arrive on any of my days in Disney’s Hollywood Studios. I assumed I’d have a aggressive benefit as a result of I knew the place the Mandalorian and Baby Yoda seem on stage, however I used to be very mistaken. The crowds camped out even quarter-hour earlier than Mando and Grogu present up made something I’ve ever encountered appear to be small potatoes. The Batuu East model of those characters have Swifties-caliber fan followings, making their California counterparts appear like Smash Mouth groupies.
The duo have been constantly mobbed by hordes of visitors, successfully stopping the characters from really wandering greater than 20 toes into Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge. It was pure chaos, and in no way the natural encounters I’ve come to count on from free-roaming characters (together with the Star Wars ones) at Disneyland.
But you recognize what? Guests completely find it irresistible. The feedback I overheard have been a far cry from my curmudgeonly inner monologue. Everyone in my neighborhood was visibly and audibly excited to even get a peek on the Mandalorian and Grogu. The sentiment was overwhelmingly and unanimously constructive. I haven’t heard come what may, however I’d think about visitor satisfaction for this character encounter is totally off the charts.
It thus could be “wrong” of me to categorize this as one thing going mistaken. Nevertheless, I believe there must be a greater solution to do crowd management for these characters. Reactions have been resoundingly constructive amongst those that received images with them, however that’s no less than partially attributable to choice bias. It’s additionally true that solely a really small fraction of visitors noticed the duo as a result of they by no means made it into the principle arteries of Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge. While demand and crowds are excessive, placing the Mandalorian and Baby Yoda in a floor degree space with some separation from visitors can be excellent. Avengers Campus does this with sure characters, and it really works effectively with permitting ‘clean’ selfies and interactions–however stopping the heroes from being overwhelmed.
Early Entry at Magic Kingdom – Being a blogger requires rolling with the punches, and taking the nice with the unhealthy for the sake of “research.” It could also be absurd to even name it that (not like that is hard-hitting investigative journalism), or complain about visiting Magic Kingdom–however that’s precisely the place I’m at with Early Entry at Magic Kingdom. I don’t get pleasure from doing this, and would solely proceed to take action for the sake of dawn images if it weren’t a subject of curiosity to Walt Disney World trip planners.
I’ve recognized the issue with Early Entry at Magic Kingdom previously. To recap, it begins too late and is, by far, the park individuals prioritize for Early Entry. This means it has the one-two punch of demand and accessibility. It additionally doesn’t assist that solely two lands are open, and there are solely 3 actually in style rides between the 2 lands.
I did Early Entry at Magic Kingdom on what ended up being the least busy day of the week, and it was nonetheless chaotic. Sensing considerably decrease crowds, I opted to do the SDMT Shuffle. This was towards my higher judgment, however once more, that is for the sake of analysis and Seven Dwarfs Mine Train is the attraction most individuals need to do throughout Early Entry.
The couple behind me received into an argument about their “poor” place in line, which is notable not as a result of grownup meltdowns ensuing from this are unusual (they’re fairly widespread), however as a result of they have been mistaken. It was each a rousing success from the standpoint of line placement and the easy proven fact that Seven Dwarfs Mine Train didn’t have a delayed opening. Vibes-wise, they have been completely proper, however that will’ve been true virtually any day throughout Early Entry at Magic Kingdom.
My Early Entry experiences at Animal Kingdom, EPCOT, and Hollywood Studios have been all far superior. That goes each for the vibes and for the sense of accomplishment. Suffice to say, in the event you do Early Entry at Magic Kingdom first (as many individuals do) and have a unfavourable expertise (as many individuals do), don’t let that dissuade you from Early Entry on the different parks (because it does for many individuals).
Ride Downtime – These days, everybody appears to assume they skilled atypically unhealthy trip breakdowns. In actuality, that’s as a result of attraction downtime is way greater than its historic common. Disney disputes this, however it’s well-documented (and true).
I’m truthfully unsure whether or not that clarification makes it higher or worse. Misery loves firm, so maybe you are taking solace realizing others are in the identical boat. Or perhaps you’re mad that Disney doesn’t tackle this recognized subject. (Honestly, I don’t know if it’s one thing they even can totally tackle. Remember how we warned of the lack of institutional data with the furloughs and layoffs again in 2020? Well, look no additional than this for the “fruits” of that short-sighted choice, as upkeep departments have been decimated and have far fewer years of tenure.)
Either means, this was a pronounced subject throughout the peak week of spring break. I can’t say conclusively that this was one thing that went “wrong” any worse than it did 2 weeks in the past or 2 months in the past, however it’s positively noticeable relative to 2019 and earlier. Space Mountain has been closed for a number of hours per day with such regularity that a part of me wonders whether or not its breakdowns have been a part of the motivation for TRON Lightcycle Run’s official delicate opening.
Prices – Again, this isn’t a lot one thing going “wrong” as me realizing what I used to be getting myself into and nonetheless voluntarily signing up for it. Still, costs are excessive throughout spring break, in methods large and small. While I used to be proud of my expertise at All Star Sports, the principle purpose I booked that resort was as a result of there have been few offers to be discovered on the rest. (Also, Sarah would most likely favor I save the lavish stays for journeys we do collectively. Just a guess, although!)
Beyond accommodations and ticket costs being predictably excessive, there have been additionally little methods prices add up. Uber and Lyft costs have been considerably greater ($80+ between MCO and WDW!); Genie+ and Lightning Lanes have been at their peak season costs, too. All of that provides up, particularly on prime of upper base costs for the core elements of the package deal.
Ultimately, it is a comparatively brief checklist of points I encountered throughout spring break at Walt Disney World, and only a few of them got here unexpectedly. So in actuality, most of this isn’t “things going wrong” a lot as it’s “predictable problems.” Some of them did catch me unexpectedly, however most likely shouldn’t have.
More importantly, now that you just’re armed with this information, you can also make changes to your upcoming journey throughout spring break or summer time, when the identical sort of points with doubtless come up with regularity. That data coupled with the information from our ‘What Went Right During Spring Break at Walt Disney World‘ put up and upcoming run-throughs of Early Entry and Extended Evening Hours (and so forth.), it is best to be capable of simply strategize, beat the crowds, accomplish lots, and have pleasant experiences at Walt Disney World–even throughout peak season!
Planning a Walt Disney World journey? Learn about accommodations on our Walt Disney World Hotels Reviews web page. For the place to eat, learn our Walt Disney World Restaurant Reviews. To get monetary savings on tickets or decide which sort to purchase, learn our Tips for Saving Money on Walt Disney World Tickets put up. Our What to Pack for Disney Trips put up takes a novel have a look at intelligent objects to take. For what to do and when to do it, our Walt Disney World Ride Guides will assist. For complete recommendation, the most effective place to begin is our Walt Disney World Trip Planning Guide for every thing it’s worthwhile to know!
YOUR THOUGHTS
If you’ve already visited Walt Disney World throughout spring break this 12 months, what was your expertise? If you’ve visited this identical week in prior years, how do you assume this 12 months compares? Thoughts about the rest lined right here? If you’re a frequent customer throughout this timeframe, what’s your tackle crowds, wait occasions, seasonal spirit, climate, and so forth? Agree or disagree with my evaluation of spring break? Any questions we may also help you reply? Hearing your suggestions is each attention-grabbing to us and useful to different readers, so please share your ideas beneath within the feedback!