5) Long Lines
This is the most obvious symptom of a crowded Disney park. When crowds increase, so do the wait times. In peak seasons and on holidays attractions like Space Mountain can reach up to over 2 hours long, which is considerably longer then the 45 minutes to an hour long wait that is more common during non-peak seasons. The long lines can create frustration among parents and children alike, and as frustrations boil over, the family vacation can become a nightmare. I suggest if you come to a Disney park on a crowded day that you try picking attractions like the Magic Kingdom’s Carousel of Progress, or Disneyland’s Tarzan’s Treehouse. Taking time to enjoy the attractions without long lines might give you and your family the patience to handle the line for attractions like Space Mountain.
4) Full theaters
This is a minor nuisance, but when the parks at crowded it is important for all guests to move to the end of their role when sitting in a theater. This means the more crowded the parks are the more likely you will have a bad seat at a show, even if you were the first to arrive. Cast members deal with guests everyday that think it is their right to sit wherever they want, and don’t have any respect for the cast member’s guidelines. In order to get everyone in and out of the show and enjoy it as efficiently as possible all guests should move down to the end of the row. If the parks are not crowded and the theater isn’t going to be full most cast members will let guests sit wherever they want. This means you don’t have to move all the way to the end of the row with a poor view.
3) Smell
As gross as it is body odor can become a real problem in a crowded Disney park. Southern California and central Florida are hot, and when some guests seemingly forget to wear deodorant or shower, the stench in a crowded Disney park can become a problem. Crowded lines in enclosed spaces with smelly strangers can be one of the unfortunate symptoms of a crowded park. It is important to play your part in keeping the park free from your own body odor. If you sweat profusely, and you realize you have a body odor problem there is no shame in packing some deodorant to apply half way through the day in the bathroom. Beyond body odor the parks smell worse due to the parks being crowded for other reasons like an increase in garbage. I suggest if bad smells bother you, and you know there is a particularly crowded day on your schedule then spend the peak hours of the day, which are typically the smelliest, at the hotel pool instead of the parks.
2) No Seats in Quick Service Restaurants
In many ways the parks don’t seem to be built for heavy crowds. The lack of seating when the parks are full is an obvious problem. Unless you are willing to stand around with your tray of food and look like vultures for a table then you are most likely going to be sitting outside on bench or even on the ground. Even places that are typically less crowded like the Magic Kingdom’s Columbia Harbor House or Disneyland’s Boardwalk Pizza & Pasta can fill up when the parks are crowded.
1) Grumpy Cast Members
Working as a cast member in Walt Disney World or Disneyland is not as easy as it looks. Ideally cast members are welcoming and friendly to all the guests they interact with. That is the idea, but when the parks get crowded and their jobs get more stressful, things can unfortunately fall apart. A good cast member can put on a friendly face in even the worst of times, but sadly other cast members can get irritable and bad-tempered when the parks get crowded. In general cast members do a great job of staying positive and they continue to give great guest service when the parks are crowded, but it only takes one bad cast member interaction to ruin a guest’s day.
