Most recommended days

[be1985]

Claudette - where can I see historical wait times?

[Guest]

Originally Posted by be1985

Claudette - where can I see historical wait times?

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In the menu on the right, there is an option called “Wait times- History”. I use it quite a bit when deciding when to go.

[Nimbus]

Originally Posted by Simon & Suzann

Apologies if this has been asked before.

Planning what days to go to the parks with the busy day guide. So obviously we pick the most recommended for that day.

But surely that's everyone else's plan and therefore that day would surely then become the busiest day?

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You're assuming a couple of things.

First, you're assuming that either everyone looks at the same busy day guide or that every busy day guide or crowd calendar recommends the same park each day. Neither of those are true. There are many busy day guides and crowd calendars out there. And you'll find that, for example, TouringPlans may recommend a different park to the DIBB because they use different data or different rules (or both). The vast majority of people visiting WDW will not be using the DIBB's guide.

Second, you're assuming that the majority of people look at online busy day guides and religiously follow them. They don't. A lot of people won't even know what a "busy day guide" is, let alone be using one. Many people don't use the internet to plan their holiday like DIBBers do. Even people who know that these guides and calendars exist don't often follow them. They'll choose to visit MK on their first park day whatever, or do whatever people in the family want to do, or head to the park with EMH because they are onsite.

Finally, you're assuming there's some meaning behind "busiest park" or "busiest day". What I mean by this is that, for example, Magic Kingdom is always the busiest park. On average it has nearly twice as many visitors each day than the other parks. Therefore, based on how busy the park is, MK would never be recommended. Yet it is, every Thursday. And you can't measure, and will never actually know, how busy parks are. Sure, a park might "seem" busier to you but it's all subjective. I've seen some people in the same park on the same day have completely different opinions on how busy or not it is. No one can honestly tell you how accurate their guide is and none of the guides will be 100% accurate even if they could determine how accurate they were.

Put those things together and, no, the DIBB's recommended park won't necessarily become the "busiest" park for that day because it was recommended. And you'll never know whether the recommendation affected the crowd level anyway.

I'm a DIBB regular, I know about the DIBB's busy day guide, and sometimes I use it. But even I don't follow it religiously. I'll choose where I want to go based on a number of different factors.

[Simon & Suzann]

Originally Posted by Nimbus

You're assuming a couple of things.

First, you're assuming that either everyone looks at the same busy day guide or that every busy day guide or crowd calendar recommends the same park each day. Neither of those are true. There are many busy day guides and crowd calendars out there. And you'll find that, for example, TouringPlans may recommend a different park to the DIBB because they use different data or different rules (or both). The vast majority of people visiting WDW will not be using the DIBB's guide.

Second, you're assuming that the majority of people look at online busy day guides and religiously follow them. They don't. A lot of people won't even know what a "busy day guide" is, let alone be using one. Many people don't use the internet to plan their holiday like DIBBers do. Even people who know that these guides and calendars exist don't often follow them. They'll choose to visit MK on their first park day whatever, or do whatever people in the family want to do, or head to the park with EMH because they are onsite.

Finally, you're assuming there's some meaning behind "busiest park" or "busiest day". What I mean by this is that, for example, Magic Kingdom is always the busiest park. On average it has nearly twice as many visitors each day than the other parks. Therefore, based on how busy the park is, MK would never be recommended. Yet it is, every Thursday. And you can't measure, and will never actually know, how busy parks are. Sure, a park might "seem" busier to you but it's all subjective. I've seen some people in the same park on the same day have completely different opinions on how busy or not it is. No one can honestly tell you how accurate their guide is and none of the guides will be 100% accurate even if they could determine how accurate they were.

Put those things together and, no, the DIBB's recommended park won't necessarily become the "busiest" park for that day because it was recommended. And you'll never know whether the recommendation affected the crowd level anyway.

I'm a DIBB regular, I know about the DIBB's busy day guide, and sometimes I use it. But even I don't follow it religiously. I'll choose where I want to go based on a number of different factors.

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Cheers for that. I didn't realise how much assuming i had done

Can see what you mean that the DIBB and its users are just small dot in the bigger picture of the Disney bubble.

Think our plan of attack will be the EMH and see how it pans out through the day with how busy the parks feel to us then maybe hop to another.

[Nimbus]

Originally Posted by Simon & Suzann

Cheers for that. I didn't realise how much assuming i had done

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Apologies. Reading back my comment it could sound pretentious and accusatory. Sorry.

I do wonder as more and more people use the internet to plan things - and therefore possibly use busy day guides more - that it might be having a bit of an effect on crowds. But it's difficult to know how much effect these things have because it's so tricky to measure.

TBH, when you look at the DIBB's busy day guide it doesn't really use previous recent years wait time levels to predict the best days/parks but instead uses a series of rules - such as not recommending parks with EMH and recommending parks that had EMH the day before. Although in theory that's a good idea, in practice I'm not sure how good a predictor it is. I suppose, one could argue with the lack of true good data it's as good a guess as anything else.

[Gemini157]

Nimbus, I think you were just stating the facts (and very well)
The OP didn't take offence, so all is well

Brits in general and those who use Busy Days Guides don't make enough of a percentage of visitors to change things.
I do use Busy Days Guides and it seems to work well for us.

[Simon & Suzann]

No offence was taken at all. My reply was tongue in cheek and appreciated your great reply.

It's a minefield all the busy days, adr's, fastpass, which rides to go to first, which way to go around the park etc etc.

First time we went was 2008 and naively we didn't have any real planning. Kids were really young so we let them dictate when to eat, when to go home. We did know there were certain rides and shows to do and did manage to do most things. Maybe more luck that we went in Sep so really quiet.

Best holiday ever and i think we're still trying to unsuccessfully relive it but planning has taken over the natural fun if u get me.

We have been dithering with the TS v QS as on site but this week we have finally decided 98% to do QS as we want to slow down and just go with the flow rather than saying nope we can't go back to pool cos we got ADR at 5pm. And no u can't have an ice cream cos u won't eat your ADR at 1pm. Now speed up cos we gotta rush around to get to our 8am ADR.