Just Back (10/10 - 10/15): Hanging up my Disney Ears

[DisneyFive]

I'm guessing they just got back and the counter reset. Has happened to me before.

Yeah, you're probably right. Didn't think of that.

@lilaclily ~ When you have time, please add the date of your trip to the title of your "Just Back" post. Thanks!

Capacity is something Disney CAN control. They could:

Properly staff the park so it is running all services, rides and attractions at peak performance.

Build new attractions to pick up the crowds...and build things that eat a lot of people like omnimovers or large theaters, rather than the ridiculously slow loading boat rides like Frozen.

Heck even limiting attendance (will NEVER happen).

Even Disney knows that a 60 minute long line is 60 minutes worth of people not spending money.

...or they could use the most widely used supply/demand tool to limit consumption/visitors: raise prices... Something I think VERY few of us would like to see happen.

and not directed to anyone in particular... FWIW, our crowd levels were remarkably low the first week of August this year. Much lower than expected. Like 3's versus the predicted 7-10's.

Dan

 

[iheartglaciers]

Capacity is something Disney CAN control. They could:

Properly staff the park so it is running all services, rides and attractions at peak performance.

Build new attractions to pick up the crowds...and build things that eat a lot of people like omnimovers or large theaters, rather than the ridiculously slow loading boat rides like Frozen.

Yeah even though attendance has been down, Disney has been lowering staffing and ride capacity.

 

[prprincess]

Maybe you just need a break? I felt the same way about 2-3 years ago and thought we wouldn't return any time in the near future. Then earlier this year we did a long weekend trip to Orlando and my boys had to do MK. I obliged, the Disney craving returned, and we just got back from a trip in late August that was probably one of our best. So you never know! In the meantime, it's definitely a good opportunity to try new places and experiences!

 

[Minnesota!]

there's a boat from Hard Rock and Portofino and a bus from Cabana Bay to Citywalk. But there is no real need as all of them are fairly easy walking distance
There's also a Universal forum here on the boards

Sorry - I should have been more clear - transportation to the resort from the airport. We are spoiled by DME. I am having a hard time swallowing $100 for a 24 mile/roundtrip drive.

I have been stalking the Uni boards here...still so in the dark about things.

 

[yulilin3]

Sorry - I should have been more clear - transportation to the resort from the airport. We are spoiled by DME. I am having a hard time swallowing $100 for a 24 mile/roundtrip drive.

I have been stalking the Uni boards here...still so in the dark about things.

gotcha
Universal is a more relaxed destination, as long as you get there early and hit the most popular attractions first you will be fine. My son works there so we get free tickets and never buy their Express, but since you will be staying on property you will have access to that
Feel free to ask any questions via private message and I will do mu best to help you out

 

[goofyintoronto]

@lilaclily I agree with you. I just came back from Disney...stayed Oct.12-17 inclusive...and quite honestly, I could not believe the crowds. it was INSANE. Last year I was in Disney the last week of October, and it was equally crazy. Although maybe this time around was a little busier than last year....just a smidge. Attendance is down I heard? Well, not in October! Honestly, it makes me laugh. The only time I saw low crowds was at AK around 8pm (I arrived just before 8pm). All other parks were absolutely CRAZY packed.

Cruising is phenominal. DCL is amazing. You should definitely give it a try. You'll be hooked! Its a totally different experience. Way more relaxed.

 

[js]

We tried it twice, and have family and friends that have cruised on multiple boats, and nobody walked away with a great experience compared to other cruise lines like Celebrity and Princess.

I do realize that alot of these cruise lines are owned by the same parent, but for us there was a huge distinction in (a) cleanliness, (b) quality of staff and (c) clientle. Please don't treat these comments as bashing anything you've done or any positive experiences you may have hopefully had.

Hi. I cruise often and not brand loyal.
What CCL ships did you sail that you would give your comment not to try them, I'm just honestly curious.
I've sailed CCL Sensation, Dream, Breeze (which was amazing) and have the Vista booked in a Havana Cabana.
I sail DCL (just last year on the Dream), RCCL and have a couple of cruises booked on NCL. My Dream and Breeze cruises on CCL are
actually very high on my "great experience" list and I sail at least once a year, next year twice.

To the OP, that is great you will try cruising. NCL freestyle where you don't have to get dressed up for dinner, even in specialties is wonderful.
Go to cruisecritic.com They are like the disboards but for cruising.

Enjoy!

 

[mmbrad02]

I almost felt like I could have written this same post. DH and I went together for the first time in 2006 and the day we left, I was scheming to figure out how to come back. We returned in 2008 and again, left ready to return. Didn't make it back till 2011, and and then in 2014. Was so much looking forward to this trip, but DH and I both said it will be a while before we return.

For us, it could be the age of our child. Our trip in 2014, when she was four, was pure magic. This time, not as much. Also, in 2014 we went in September and it was not near as crowded (2008 was also September and even less crowded). But we just returned from almost the exact same dates (October 9-15) and felt like everything seemed packed. We are now confined to school schedules, and that is just part of life. We felt like we just did a lot of walking to long lines, and with a small child, sometimes it is hard to commit to those lines. We did utilize crowd predictors and fast passes to the best of our ability.

For us, it's like a little bit of the magic just evaporated. I'm not saying we won't be back. But that yearning we once had isn't there. We cruised last year and enjoyed that pace, so thinking now we may save for a Disney cruise (Last year was Carnival and we all enjoyed it, but we have nothing to compare it to).

 

[disneykelly]

Disney HAS increased prices (most assume to get crowds a bit more manageable). The tiered pricing depending on when you go is proof.
Disney also increases the costs for staying in their resorts every single year.

As others have mentioned, they could spread people out while getting in more people by opening a fifth gate. It is obviously needed.

One thing that doesn't help the fall crowds that are seen lately is the large number of rides being down for refurb, combined with HS being cut in half. Add to that the food and wine festival, and you have a perfect storm for long ride lines.

I am not too comfortable for my upcoming end of November/early December trip seeing as how almost every resort is totally sold out.

I will hopefully not let long lines affect my enjoyment though.

btw, as a side note, I personally feel that fast pass has only served to make larger lines. Prior to fast pass being a thing, there were lines, and they could be long, but they moved a heck of a lot faster.
Fastpass is essentially a line cutting tool, and it tends to make those without fastpass wait that much longer.

I for one would not mind seeing it go away. Yes, I am probably in the ultra minority on that.

 

[Ensusieasm]

Hanging up my Disney Ears for now. The over crowding is crazy.

I have been a Disney nerd since the first time I visited WDW, more years than I care to say.

However, I have realized that its time to find other ways to vacation. Went 10/10 to 10/15th. Skipped the weekend but did not help.
The over crowding is just playing ridiculous. All you can really do is walk back and forth, back and forth, eat and shop.

Even with the Fast pass, we never got to ride Soaring. We went during the week with plenty of time and planned ahead. It did not help.

We are now looking into cruising. Did it last time with NCL and it was fun. Maybe in the future WDW might be an option, but I give up trying to justify the cost. Not impressed with Hollywood Studios Star wars new "show" either.

I hope in the future they will come to their senses and stop this crazy over crowding. We end up going only to the oldies ride.

Please tell us why you didn't get to ride Soarin' ?

 

[Menagerie]

We just got back last night. Stayed at Coronado Springs 10-10/10-15 before moving to Universal for two days. It was extremely crowded. I was there the same week last year and this was much worse. I think it was a combination of people pushing their trips back a week because of the hurricane and so many more schools having fall breaks now. There was a 210 minute wait on Seven Dwarves at one point. Still had a good time but we took advantage of early mornings and late (2 am) nights to ride the ones we really wanted.

 

[DrunkJam]

You know, I kind if feel a bit like disney is cultish. You have to immerse yourself. You have to be planning and organising and researching. So, you have to really immerse yourself in the experience before you are even there. Then, it's a bubble. And, for a while, that's lovely.
And then it isn't.
It's a hard come down.

 

[mgpan]

Hanging up my Disney Ears for now. The over crowding is crazy.

I have been a Disney nerd since the first time I visited WDW, more years than I care to say.

However, I have realized that its time to find other ways to vacation. Went 10/10 to 10/15th. Skipped the weekend but did not help.
The over crowding is just playing ridiculous. All you can really do is walk back and forth, back and forth, eat and shop.

Even with the Fast pass, we never got to ride Soaring. We went during the week with plenty of time and planned ahead. It did not help.

We are now looking into cruising. Did it last time with NCL and it was fun. Maybe in the future WDW might be an option, but I give up trying to justify the cost. Not impressed with Hollywood Studios Star wars new "show" either.

I hope in the future they will come to their senses and stop this crazy over crowding. We end up going only to the oldies ride.

I agree with you, we will be skipping several years at least until new attractions open and then lose their new attraction appeal, and hopefully something changes. We encountered higher crowds than going during pre-Christmas or our spring break on most days the same time you were going. The best times were of course one to three hours after opening, but after that forget it. Late night was ok i'm sure, but with a young one, the nap during the afternoon and then stay out late leads to disaster for us the next day. There is a recent post on another popular site that said "October Crowds Return With a Vengeance", and this sums it up perfectly. We also noticed things we haven't before, panel flapping while ride underway on Star Tours, were evacuated from the Land when an old chiller caught fire, CMs throwing plants in garbage on Land ride, "chasing" scene on Pirates broken the entire 5 days, etc., running attractions at half capacity even with large crowds, things that can break anytime but seemed more at once than in the past. The new Fastpass+ system requires SDFP and/or constant refresh on phones so that you stare at the screen instead of taking in the small details, if you are there for rides. Also seemed like it took longer to get food at both counter and table service, catch transportation and of course the extra security requirements. We would go during January or September but our trip times, like many families, are dictated by school breaks which seem to be more at the exact same weeks than in the past. We go to the theme parks for rides, as other resort locations or cruises can offer better dining, lodging, etc. than WDW, and can provide new experiences instead of just another trip to Disney.

We loved our stay, and WDW still has the "magic" for us, but seemed we had to look harder to find it, and just felt rushed the entire time, running from ADR to FP+ to trying to avoid crowds, etc. FP+ i think is one of the major issues, and waiting 20 minutes with limited fastpasses does not seem "fast" to me. Seaworld at the beginning of the week was pretty busy as well, but seemed more calm and with quick queue we were able to take in the small details more. Universal on-site providing front-of-line access also helps eliminate the rushing aspect even when their parks are full. If you are able to go during one of the few lower crowd weeks left on the schedule you will be fine, but when you wait in line just to get a cup of water, there is a long queue for the peoplemover and carousel, you or can't get down a walkway because of sheer numbers, it does affect your enjoyment. And yes WDW is a business and can go after maximum revenue, and good for them, but when I feel like I am getting less for much more my vacation dollars tend to go elsewhere.

 

[DisneyDad2015]

Capacity is something Disney CAN control. They could:


Build new attractions to pick up the crowds...and build things that eat a lot of people like omnimovers or large theaters, rather than the ridiculously slow loading boat rides like Frozen.

Like Avatarland, Star Wars Land, and Toy Story Land? Check.

And if rumors are correct new additions coming in place of some dated rides at Epcot. Seriously, I think WDW has the new stuff covered for now, it just takes a while to build these things.

But I can promise you having all these new rides won't thin the crowds, it will only serve to bring more people into the parks. I expect AK and DHS to both be mad houses for a while once the new lands open up.

 

[kydisneyfans]

Our last trip to Disney using DVC points was gasp....a trip with no parks. We just chilled at the resort(Kidani). We hit the pool, toured other resorts, went to Disney Springs, watched the animals and attended various talks, etc. With cheap flights to Orlando, free transport to the resort, points for the room, all we paid for was food. Staples were delivered by Amazon, we then ate at various spots in the resorts. It was beyond relaxing, and easy on the pocketbook.

With that being said, we had a great park trip last October by averaging the free crowd calendars. Others reported busy, we wondered where everyone was at. The only busy we saw was Epcot on Wednesday night, and it had become a drunk fest. We had planned on doing Illiminations but ended up leaving at 6:45.

 

[mom2rtk]

Ah, that I can understand, and certainly easily correctable.

But Disney would have to want to correct it.

 

[mgpan]

...or they could use the most widely used supply/demand tool to limit consumption/visitors: raise prices... Something I think VERY few of us would like to see happen.

and not directed to anyone in particular... FWIW, our crowd levels were remarkably low the first week of August this year. Much lower than expected. Like 3's versus the predicted 7-10's.

Dan

You are exactly right, however, even though i would not want a raise in prices, I don't think I got the value for my money from this last trip due to the crowds (our time would usually be a 3 and we got the 7-9's you were expecting). If a 10%-15 increase would reduce crowds i'd be for it and maybe feel the value again.

Unfortunately, WDW would not stop at that but would do what their shareholders expect them to do, and not only increase prices but implement any initiatives (festivals, marathons, etc.) that they thought would increase attendance at the higher price point. You only have to look at the evolution of MNSSHP's over the years; prices have gone up steadily and the number of tickets sold has increased meaning higher prices and larger crowds. Wonder if crowds will be up in August next year because of people avoiding October! Although, hopefully for those going soon, last week was just a combination of factors coming together at the same time.

 

[maxiesmom]

Yeah even though attendance has been down, Disney has been lowering staffing and ride capacity.

I didn't notice that during my trip 2 weeks ago. Where is this supposed lack of staffing?

 

[FastPasser]

.

 

[Satchmo128]

For everyone who feels like they have lot the magic when visiting WDW, I would really encourage you to change things up and go to Disneyland/Cal Adventure. And you can do many other things in SoCali to make the trip even more West Coast fun!