Rule 5: Find out what everyone else is doing - and do the opposite
The crowds do very predictable things. If you don't like large crowds and long lines, do the opposite. Here are some examples:
Most people go to an Expo on Saturdays or on holidays, or on days when children are not in school, or when businesses are closed. So avoid Saturdays and holidays. Go on days when children are in school or on a weekday, when most people are at work.
When other people are on a holiday, sometimes they sleep a little later or it takes a little longer to organize the family, so they arrive at Expo at about 10.30 am. By the time they have bought a ticket and entered the site it might be 11 am. That's when the crowds are getting big. You should do the opposite. Get up early and get there early.
There will be fewer people and shorter lines for the first two hours. That's a good time to see one of the most popular pavilions.
On arrival some people will spend their first 30 minutes waiting in line to buy admission tickets. Do the opposite. Buy your tickets ahead of time.
Most people fight the peak crowds, and peak heat, by attempting to see the most popular attractions between 12 pm and 5 pm. That's exactly when you'll see the maximum crowds at any Expo. Instead, avoid the peak crowds. Go early, stay late (or come back late), but between 12 pm and 5 pm, visit less crowded pavilions. Sit on a bench in the shade and people-watch. Go back to the hotel for a nap and return to the Expo at 5 pm, refreshed.
Because they have been fighting the peak lines in the peak heat, many visitors become exhausted by 5 pm or 6 pm. On the verge of collapsing, they quit going on attractions for the day. They look for a place to have a long dinner, after which they go home or head back to the hotel. So you do the opposite. Take it easy all afternoon and eat a very early dinner (finish it before 6 pm) so you can shift into high gear at about 5 pm, after which you don't have to stop to eat.
Move quickly from pavilion to pavilion all the way until closing time. Because the lines are shorter, you can see two to three times as many of the most popular pavilions between 6 pm and closing time if you hurry. The temperature is lower too, so it is more pleasant.
During the fireworks, the crowds will gravitate to the riverfront to see the show. So you do the opposite. Ignore the fireworks and go in the opposite direction, away from the river. You will find pavilions with shorter lines.
