Wanted to hit AK on the morning of our departure day, so would be there for 8am EMH and leaving by noon. However, the predicted Crowd Level is a 10! (Saturday, 12/8) I certainly don’t want our last experience to be stressful! If we’re just going for the morning, using our FP and leisurely exploring the beautiful park, will the crowd feel that bad?
No. 80% of the crowd at Rope Drop goes to Pandora and FOP. That leaves the rest of the part to enjoy. If you are there at 8:00 AM, even on a 10 CL day, you should have at least a 4 hour window of moderate crowds. Get your rides in early, and then FP as much as you can. You can then plan ADR’s during times when the crowds get high.
3 Likes
The majority of people at RD will hit Pandora. You should have the rest of the park with very low crowds until about 10. If it were me, I would RD and do any rides and leisurely explore until 1030, and have my FPP at 930, 1030, and 1130 to tap in at 1030, 1100, and 1130 including FOP. As you are leaving at noon, it will seem like a CL10 and I bet your fam will say I’m so glad we missed that craziness due to wonderful planning!
3 Likes
I agree with the above comments, everyone’s always running towards Pandora and some are going to Everest. You should be able to enjoy the morning 
1 Like
Apparently, our AK day was a CL8 and we didn’t arrive until just after lunch. Honestly, I didn’t think it was that bad. We had our FPs, saw some characters and animals, saw FOTLK, had dinner and got extra FPs to EE. AK always feels crowded to me in some areas and it felt pretty much the same in those areas from our other trips that were lower CLs. Expect a lot of people and be pleasantly surprised if the crowds are lower. I think you will be fine with your plan.
1 Like