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babytmakes5
08-13-2006, 07:15 AM
We have planned our DLR vacation for November 13-18 this year. I've read here and there that Veteran's Day has really big crowds. Since Vets Day is on Saturday, will we avoid the big crowds since we are arriving on Monday? Please don't tell me every kid in California has Monday off :eek: ! We kind of thought that the week after Vets Day and week before Thanksgiving would be quiet at the parks...What do you all think?

Wendi
08-13-2006, 08:05 AM
It was Friday last year that was extremely packed. Disneyland was at capacity and closed to new arrivals sometime between 10am and noon. It was busier than I'd seen Disneyland ever and I was there on 05/05/05 for the 50th kickoff day. We didn't stay until Monday, so I don't know what to tell you about that day, but I would assume it will have larger crowds than a typical Monday simply because people tend to extend their holiday weekends by taking an extra day off.

LytNnBug
08-13-2006, 08:25 AM
Wendi, was it bad all weekend last year?

We're thinking about a quick trip for the weekend because we've heard Christmas decorations are up and we've never been during the holidays.

Rhiannon8404
08-13-2006, 09:30 AM
Wendi, was it bad all weekend last year?

We're thinking about a quick trip for the weekend because we've heard Christmas decorations are up and we've never been during the holidays.
I thought it was pretty crowded. We were there that Saturday through Tuesday. Sat and Sun were very crowded for that time of year. Not as bad as summer, but pretty darn crowded. Mon was busy, but lighter. Tuesday was not bad at all.

disnymom
08-13-2006, 11:16 AM
we are going on the 6th of november for 5 days. Any ideas on what the hours will be for the parks, we are hoping for few crowds our selves, if such a thing is possible at disneyland anymore

Leslie21
08-13-2006, 12:54 PM
I go every year on Veteran's day and it is really crowded, I was actually at Dland on July 28th and there were less people than there are on Veteran's Day :eek: :) Also, ^ you should check the calendar on disneyland.com, although last time I checked the hours, etc. weren't available for November.

I Heart Disneyland!
08-13-2006, 12:56 PM
We will also be there during that week. I won't even care if it's crowded, I am just glad I'll be there at all!!!! :)

TP2000
08-13-2006, 01:42 PM
Veterans Day Weekend is always one of the busiest weekends of the year. The crowds are always insane, and last year they had to close the turnstiles and stop letting people in a couple days in a row that weekend because the Park was over capacity.

The Christmas decorations are all unveiled that weekend, Small World Holiday opens for the season that weekend, the Christmas fireworks begin that weekend, etc., etc. There are 600,000+ Annual Passholders who know this, and many of them rush the park trying to get a jump start on the Christmas season and see it all first. That only worsens an already busy holiday weekend when many SoCal schools are out, and it causes the extreme overcrowding and turnstile closures.

Veterans Day weekend is to be avoided like the plague, and the weekdays following it are less crowded but still very busy for off-season weekdays.

Monte Cristo
08-13-2006, 01:45 PM
I've gone the week after Veteran's day weekend a number of times and I haven't seen the crowds you guys are talking about. I imagine that Fri - Sunday are pretty bad, but by Monday the herd is usually thinned out considerably. People tend to take off that Friday as the extra 'squeeze day", and leave Monday. The following days, most of the rides are walk on for most of the day. The park does tend to get more crowded at night, however.

kristie73
08-14-2006, 10:22 AM
We plan to go Veteran's Day weekend. I know it will be packed, but I'm expecting that. It's my son's 4th birthday so I just had to pick that weekend. It'll be his first trip to DL. We also have to fly into LAX. I know we're crazy, but hopefully we'll manage to still have a good time.

disneyochem
08-14-2006, 11:14 AM
We will be there Nov. 12-18. Keep in mind that a lot of school districts and government agencies have Friday, November 10 as the official day for Veteran's Day.

That being said--yes, it will be crowded on the weekend. We are arriving on Sunday (not going to the parks but having dinner at Goofy's Kitchen), going to Sea World on Monday and then hitting the parks the rest of the week. Hopefully, the crowds will be manageable by then. We are staying to Saturday in order to see the Holiday Parade.

lauramaynot
08-14-2006, 12:33 PM
We were there last year also. We started our trip on Wednesday and then went through friday since we wanted to catch the 50th fireworks. Wed & Thurs. were cake. Busier than regular off season but not bad (not much of an off season last year though). Friday was CRAZY! It started out pretty calm but by the afternoon the crowds really got out of hand. I know that they had closed the gates about 4:00. I sat for our fireworks spot at about 5:30 and they also announced a third showing of Fantasmic! After we watched the fireworks we stayed put for at least half and hour just to let the majority of the crowd clear the hub and mainstreet. Then we sat at coke corner and had hot coco and hotdogs to allow time for the tram lines to chill out, but we still had to wait 3 loads before we could board. I think that is normally a busy day at the park but I also think that the combo of the 50th AND the Holidays (decorations and the snow effect added to the already amazing fireworks show) really packed 'em in. I don't think it will be as bad this year.

babytmakes5
08-15-2006, 05:16 AM
We are staying to Saturday in order to see the Holiday Parade.

We are still deciding if we should fly out on Saturday morning or upgrade to a 6-day park hopper pass and fly out that night. There will be a Holiday Parade on the 18th? If there is, then we may just stay another day...

disneyochem
08-15-2006, 06:14 AM
Yep. The Holiday Parade starts on that Friday, November 18th. Good time to see it before the weekend crowds!:)

tinksmommy
08-15-2006, 09:43 AM
We were there that week last year and it wasn't bad at all during the weekdays. Probably the biggest thing I would advise you to be aware of is the wind related fireworks cancellations. We were travelling with a group and we came up with a schedule and Tuesday was our "Fireworks" night -- yeah. Well, that works if there are fireworks! We sat there in a prime spot again on Wednesday -- no go again. Finally, on Thursday they showed them after a delay!!

Having said all that, I will say that the park is very crowded on Friday for the first running of the Holiday parade. If you want to see it, plan accordingly and get your spot reasonably early. This works great if you are in a big group -- we sent dads with the kids to go on more rides and we moms just got some sitting time! Then the dads/kids brought dinner back for us.

disneychick
08-15-2006, 11:59 AM
Ack - you guys are freaking me out!! :eek: We are flying down on points, and the best dates we could manage are Nov 10-18....we arrive at around midnight on the 10th, and while I was expecting Saturday/Sunday to be pretty busy, everything I've heard indicated that, starting Monday and for the rest of the week, things would be pretty quiet. I also didn't expect Sat/Sun to be *quite* so busy that it would exceed summer capacity - wowza.

We're traveling with an insulin-dependent 3 year old, and really hoped that (barring the weekend), we had chosen a time to go when lines and crowds wouldn't be too crazy- timing is a big thing for us, as DS needs to eat at certain times, get injections at certain times, etc. Is there a consensus opinion on what the rest of that week should be like? We've already planned that Sat/Sun will mostly be spent in DCA...the plan is to focus on DL starting Monday.

sandiegorob
08-15-2006, 12:37 PM
I was there last year and I vowed to never go again during that weekend. The most frightening part for me was leaving DCA that Friday around 1:00pm and having a difficult time leaving the park because people were being turned away from DL and sent to DCA. Oh the carnage. We decided not to go back to the parks that evening.
About that vow. I'm an idiot, see you all on the 10th.