Plitvice Lakes - define "crowded"
 

There are lots of threads about the Plitvice Lakes - how wonderful they are and also how terribly crowded. Now they have instituted a system for pre buying tickets online ahead of a visit. So they apparently are limiting the number of visitors (sounds like a good idea) but it sounds like it will still be pretty crowded. I know that you have to walk on boardwalks so your 'view' will not have a ton of people in it, even though you may be shoulder to shoulder with other people. I really would like to see (and photograph) them, but all the massive crowds stories are making me re-think the decision to go. We plan to arrive about 4pm and see it for a few hours, spend the night (hotel is booked) and go in again in the morning. But it will be a Saturday in July.

Those of you who have visited in summer during the last few years - was it worth it?

I don't know how entry works anymore, but I would try to get into the park at 7AM (opening) if you can, the second morning, to avoid the crowds. Last time I was there was May 2015, and I did get in by 7:30 (it was so uncrowded that I had to wait 10 minutes for the boat to cross below entrance 2 (below the hotels) because I was the ONLY one on the boat waiting to cross! Finally they just took me across alone.

By 10-11am it was pretty busy but not crazy mobbed in May. I'm sure it's much worse in the summer.