Welcoming the NEW steem with pictures from Pripyat makes for an interesting contrast

Glad that you noticed the contrast :D

I read somewhere that the tourist flow has increased by 40-50% after the HBO series. That said, you still might be able to avoid the crowds if you visit on a winter weekday.

I think you can stay up to several days and even sleep in the exclusion zone. The radiation levels are really not that high.