OP you do make good points and yes I am the one who suggested eating dinner at 4pm. We skip lunch and then after dinner enjoy the music in the squares. Flexibility is the answer to the winter crowds. We've been here 3 1/2 years and I'm sure other full-timers who have been here longer will agree that this winter's weather has been unusually cold for such a long continuous period which eliminates all the outdoor seating availability at the country clubs and restaurants. Less seating + more people = frustration and longer waits. At least we didn't have to dig our way out to get there.

Not at all.

At the rate The Villages is growing, the " season" will be all year long.

I would venture to say that "anywhere" in the U.S. where folks retire, this time of year is busy (albeit crowded). Been to the gulf coast on a vacation some years back it was that (crowded)...but the traffic was A LOT worse. Also on the Atlantic side on vacation...the same! Been to AZ and Lost Wages as well...crowded and horrible traffic. The boomer's are beginning to retire so get ready for MORE of the same folks. My personal "take" is to tell myself during "the season"...take more time, slow down and keep enjoying what we have. It's a whole lot better then living up north this time of year!

Yes, it can be frustrating at times with the traffic, larger number of people, longer waits to dine.....but for many of us, this isn't new. growing up near Cape Cod, summers were crowded. Living in Southern CA for most of my adult life, crowds were present winter and summer. In the summer, people would flock in from AZ, in the winter, from everywhere else...;)
When living in the areas we came from, we ventured to other towns for restaurants, events....not everything was where we lived. The Villages isn't the only place around for entertainment, dining, fun....we are surrounded by other communities that offer things for us to do.

The Villages is a wonderful place to live, even with the larger population....but it isn't the only source for our dining and entertainment experiences. Venture out, see what's around....ENJOY...and when you get back to our community, appreciate it....it's beautiful, clean, well laid out and home, my home and I love it!

AND today, the birds are singing, the anoles have ventured out from their hiding places and the sun is shining.....ahhhhhhh:a040:

OP -
Anyone who lives in a tourist destination understands your complaints. Hubs and I contend with the same issues all summer long as we live on the Jersey Shore and people come from all over to spend time there - from day-hops to seasonal vacationers. And then we travel to Maine in the fall to enjoy foliage season with other leaf-peepers. And then we come to Florida to escape the frozen wasteland of the Northeast for the winter. People in those tourist locations either learn to live with it or leave it - not a hard decision to make, really! We seem to be the exception in that we live with it AND follow it AND adapt! It's for sure that life is never dull!

It was meant to be comical. Gracie would never intentionally say anything to hurt anyone's feelings or be malicious in her posts. Read some of her posts. She always knows just what to say.

I think we need more southerners to add politeness and the population will be fine.

I am surprised that anyone is surprised that The Villages is so crowded. there was no question in my mind when I first visited The Villages that it was going to be over built. what I didn't anticipate was that the economy would not recover. I believed that when it began getting crowded I would sell and move. However values dropped and I refused to take a financial beating. the summer here began getting crowded two years ago and this crowding will continue as more people move in

The square mileage is small in comparison to population and the infrastructure not updated enough to accommodate traffic. Add to this renters visitors, etc and I feel like a sardine

Feel like a sardine? I'd say this is like sardines:

https://www.talkofthevillages.com/fo...1&d=1391455292

"Commute times doubled or tripled for many motorists, and crashes closed a pair of interstates during peak travel hours. Congested roadways spanned the metro as drivers struggled with limited visibility and treacherous roads.

Between 5 and 10:30 a.m., Minnesota State Patrol troopers were called to 67 crashes in the metro area, seven of which involved injuries not considered serious or life-threatening. Troopers also responded to more than 100 reports of cars spinning out or running off the road, the patrol said.

Southbound Interstate 35 near U.S. 8 in Forest Lake closed for more than an hour shortly after 9 a.m. so authorities could clear a chain-reaction crash, according to the State Patrol.

Minnesota Department of Transportation cameras showed at least a dozen vehicles involved in the pileup, many swerving into ditches to avoid trucks and semis stalled on the road or involved in previous collisions.

About the same time on the west side of the metro, southbound Interstate 494 was closed for about an hour after another multivehicle crash near Bass Lake Road in Maple Grove.

By early Thursday afternoon, 5.2 inches of snowfall was observed in Fridley, 6.2 inches at Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport, 4.2 inches in Lakeville and more than 3 inches in Forest Lake, according to the National Weather Service."
Winter storm brings snow emergencies, traffic mayhem - TwinCities.com

"It was a messy commute Wednesday morning as snow fell throughout the state.
Statewide, the Minnesota State Patrol handled 175 crashes since midnight as of 10:30 a.m. Wednesday. There were also 192 people in the ditch or spun out, and one semi jackknifed. None of the incidents were serious or fatal.

In the Twin Cities metro, troopers handled 137 crashes with 15 injuries.
KSTP Reporter Todd Wilson and Photographer Adam Stevens were driving on Interstate 94 west past the Lowry Tunnel when they came upon a couple of spin-outs – only to get in a crash themselves."

State Patrol Responds to Hundreds of Crashes | KSTP TV - Minneapolis and St. Paul

We only go to restaurants that take reservations or call a heads this time of year. That being said, you need to make your reservation at least a week in advance

ilovetv: :1rotfl: I know I am so biased when it comes to that city, I loved living in the Minneapolis area. Hey I should change my username to ilovemn. It looks cold there but its a dry cold

We are from Southern California, it's seriously congested 100% of the time. The Villages is a delight to us. Drove by Sumter Landing Saturday, I noted the crowd and thought how nice to see folks having a grand time. Golf carts were parked everywhere, people smiling and enjoying the day.

Going to dinner at prime time, not for us. We usually try to eat early to avoid long waits or have friends to our home or theirs.

This place is simply amazing, it truly rocks.:bigbow:

I believe the OPs original intent was to see if anyone had suggestions to make the situation better. Lots of people going on about it's in season, this is like a tourist destination, not as bad as where I can from. But is that any reason to accept the status quo??? I ventured out to Kohl's, Sams, and BofA at Rolling Acres and 441/27 and thought I was going to lose my mind. I hope someone is looking at this situation because it really will be like this and worse once build out occurs. Then you will really see property values drop cause people will only take so much.

JB, just take it more easy. I learned as more I am expecting crowds they will be there, as more calm you react as easier it will be (old Chinese saying: "If you are in rush, take your time").
Yes, it is more crowded in this time of the year, but it will slow down soon, and as long we are not in a working process, we have the time to enjoy THE TIME.