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

[DrunkJam]

Also, you don't get this about any other vacation destination.

We've been to many places, and, while there is the very old saying, "a man who is tired of London is tired of life" there is not the slavish devotion to other locations in the same way there seems to be to Disney.

To me, it was a dream to take my children, it having felt mythological when I was a child and never able to visit. I will have done tat for both of them after our next trip.

We already knew when booking, that we won't ever be back as a family. But, even if we could plan something, it would not be Disney. I am a deeply loyal person, but the world is a big place, and, if I am dropping £13,000 on a family vacation, I don't need the extra stress, worry, massive amounts of additional planning, crowds (yes, all tourist attractions have people, but not all of them have world capital level crowds)

At that price point, *I* want as much fun as the kids, and, planning a Disney vacation is a second job rather than a treat.

There was magic on our last vacation there. But, they will have to really pull it out of the bag to hook me back now

 

[bryanb]

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.

Agree, agree, agree.

The most efficient thing to do is to increase prices. Higher prices reduce demand. As long as you don't increase them above the optimum point, your profits won't start dropping.
You absolutely don't want to limit attendance without increasing prices. If you do that, you create an imbalance of too many people demanding entrance, and constrained supply... which is a very inefficient market. You also leave too much on the table, and make guests very unhappy when they have dollars in hand but no way to spend them.
You should definitely increase capacity, but you must not do this too quickly because it ties up a lot of your cash and it is very risky. Taking the time to increase capacity through selective, slow investment will be the smartest way to do so.

 

[bryanb]

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

This is not new. This has been true since 1955. Attractions are made to operate at different capacities. During peak season, you add all sorts of staff to pump out even higher throughput for each of the rides. You cram more vehicles into the track, you staff extra load/unload positions, you have people who do nothing but manage queues. The reality is that staff has always been variable.

 

[DisneyOma]

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.

Did the OP ever come back to explain why they didn't go on Soarin' with their FP+?

 

[anniemae]

Yeah, it is defiantly more crowded. I think it is the way it will be going forward. People flock to Disney no matter what, and with all the new stuff, it will only increase crowds more. Add to that the ride closures, and staff reductions and even "slower" times feel crowded. It's the way it is now.

 

[carolynwi]

Crowds are down but disney is understaffing making it seem like they are more crowded. Wouldn't be disney if they weren't trying to save every penny they could!

I love it when people say things like that as if it's that simple of a solution... no matter how large of a corporation there is always ALWAYS a budget in place. At the end of the day this is a for-profit company. It's really not quite that easy of a fix. I know because I worked at a company where people constantly complained about staffing and would tell me all the time everything would be magically better if we had more people, but really you have no idea all of the inner workings behind the scenes.

 

[ravenanne]

I was there the same week and didn't find it over crowded, but maybe that's because I have different idea of "crowded". To me, trying to get out of MK after the 9o clock MSEP on 10/9 was CROWDED. The rest of the week? Not bad at all. Easy to navigate even with a baby stroller. I found it comfortable. That's just my opinion.

 

[EKGinNYC]

Did the OP ever come back to explain why they didn't go on Soarin' with their FP+?

I am guessing it had to do with Soarin being shut down. I was at Epcot on 10/10 and I heard that the entire Living with the Land building had issues and was shut down for hours. Friends of ours had to return to Epcot that night in order to use their FP from the afternoon to ride Soarin. They were very frustrated and had to change dinner plans, etc. And of course the FP line was very long at night, considering the ride was closed for a good part of the afternoon.

 

[wdw4rfam]

We felt that way after our 2014 trip, and glad we didn't give up. We had our best 2 trips ever in 2015& 2016. Of course we did more research since crowds shift so we had to adjust when we went. October was predicted to be crowded. We used to go late September, and it has since picked up so we shifted to the first week- it was slow. There's still slower times if you look, but sorry October isn't one of them.

 

[totallytigger]

I actually thought it was fairly uncrowded when we were there in September, and most reports of the summer were far less crowds than expected...but I get what you are saying. After our quickie trip in December we are taking a break from the mouse and doing SeaWorld, Discovery Cove, Busch Gardens and Universal for the next two years. Disney needs time to complete some construction on things to relieve congestion and frankly to figure out what the heck the company is doing. It feels like they've lost their way a bit )particularly in the identity-less park that is Epcot).

We own DVC so that's quite a thing for us to break from. We will use our DVC points for our hotel room but spend our money outside the bubble and expand our horizons! Plus there is always Vero Beach and Hilton Head. Cruising isn't an option for us due to our jobs.

We were there 9/21-9/30 and the crowds were awful at times. We went to the MNSSHP 9/25 and the crowds were crazy up until 10:30-11:00!! The ride lines and candy lines were very long and you couldn't move around the hub. We are headed back 12/4-12/9 and have decided to skip MVMCP--too expensive to justify dealing with the crowds.

 

[Jennasis]

We were there 9/21-9/30 and the crowds were awful at times. We went to the MNSSHP 9/25 and the crowds were crazy up until 10:30-11:00!! The ride lines and candy lines were very long and you couldn't move around the hub. We are headed back 12/4-12/9 and have decided to skip MVMCP--too expensive to justify dealing with the crowds.

We were there during that magic week in September right after labor day...prior to F&W starting. Ahh....bliss!

 

[TXAKDisneyFan]

Also, you don't get this about any other vacation destination.

We've been to many places, and, while there is the very old saying, "a man who is tired of London is tired of life" there is not the slavish devotion to other locations in the same way there seems to be to Disney.

Maybe it depends on where you're from. I know plenty of people back home (AK) who ONLY go to Hawaii. Same island, same hotel, every year. Come PFD time, the airlines advertise "special fares," mostly to HI. I personally think it's silly to only ever go one place on vacation (assuming one has the ability to take regular vacations), no matter where that one place is.

 

[anniemae]

I think the crowd thing with some saying it was really crowded and others who were there the same week saying it was not crowded depends on what park you were in. Sometimes one park is jammed and another one is much less crowded. Also, everyones tolerance for crowds is different. Some will wait in line for an hour and think nothing of it, others think 20 minutes is too long.

 

[Mom2Stitch]

I am hopeful! It is starting off a little frustrating as I can't seem to find as much info as I can on WDW. And I miss the free transportation to the resort I am spoiled like that.

But, I am really praying we love the parks - I would love to do WDW for hotel only and USO for parks at a future trip. I love the WDW bubble...I think that feeling is hard to recreate..

We decided to do a first time Universal trip and skip WDW this past September and I had the same thoughts as you. Universal is not Disney, but that doesn't make it a bad thing! We stayed at Royal Pacific which got us Express Pass-an awesome perk. When we booked there was not much price difference in a 3 day pass over the lower priced Annual Pass so we got those and booked the room with a discount. Hotel was amazing-beautiful grounds and very gracious staff. Honestly, we said several times that it was how Disney USE to be. Every single time we went to the dock to catch the boat it was there, never waited on it. The parks were so much fun and so different than WDW. Character meets were plentiful-walked right up to most of them. One morning while having breakfast, Marilyn Monroe came and joined us in the little cafe we were eating. The afternoon parade was a lot of fun and not 3 rows deep of people. And we are not big Harry Potter fans, but I have to say that walking into to Diagon Alley took my breath away. It really is another world. Escape from Gringotts, IMO, hands down beats anything Disney has to offer-and that's coming from a die hard WDW fan! Don't skip the Butterbeer-wish I had one now.

Don't worry about not finding as much info as you do about WDW, all of the planning is not needed. We spent 3 nights there and were able to do everything, most of it more than once. It's a fun and relaxing vacation without the planning you are use to doing for WDW. Google Orlando Informer, he has all of the information you will need. And the folks on the Universal boards are a friendly bunch too!

Loved it so much we are cutting our normal 9 day WDW vacation to 5 and spending the rest at Universal!!

 

[disneyAndi14]

We were there from 10/9-10/16, it was crowded, however we had a great trip. We did EMH and were able to ride all the headliners with very little wait time. We also did the MNSSHP and had a great time, ride lines were very short during the party. I am use to the the crowds because we go several times a year. You really do have to plan everything so you maximize your trip which can be a downer at times but with the crowds it really works best. I guess this week crowds are lighter oh well, I never quite get the weeks right for low crowds LOL! We did Soarin twice, once with FP and once SB line. We also did Mine Train 3x, TSMM 3x, and the other headliners at least 1x, except I don't care for Everest or Rockin roller coaster but my DD did both of these several times. We are going back in February.

 

[KCValerie1]

I have been a DVC member since 1998 we have seen a lot of changes over the years, some good and others not so much.

My family has become increasingly frustrated with the current state of WDW. I don't believe that cast members are as well trained, I find the current requirements for dining reservations along with FP+ to be way too restrictive.

I don't mind planning ahead, but I also like to have some flexibility. As someone mentioned we too are thinking of selling our DVC points. It's just not magical anymore. It does feel like a break up with something that we have loved and has been a big part of our lives. It's sad, but I don't see Disney making any changes and we really despise the FP+ system!

 

[DrunkJam]

Maybe it depends on where you're from. I know plenty of people back home (AK) who ONLY go to Hawaii. Same island, same hotel, every year. Come PFD time, the airlines advertise "special fares," mostly to HI. I personally think it's silly to only ever go one place on vacation (assuming one has the ability to take regular vacations), no matter where that one place is.

But do they make a string of dining reservations 6 months out? Do they plan whole days down to the minute?
We're lucky in that visiting different places / countries is possible for us. And living in a very small country (UK) it is more likely that we holiday outside our own country. For the cost of WDW can holiday in luxury in many countries. So it makes no sense to us to repeat visit there often.
Of course, now we are planning our last big holiday this is irrelevant

 

[IrishNYC]

I think OP and those that concur with OP, or post similar opinions, are often a case of "there is a such thing as too much of a good thing." I've said it here before, and it's not a popular opinion, but I stand by it. Those with the biggest complaints of this type here are often people who are high frequency visitors to Disney. Look at how many people right in this thread say they felt the same way, took a break of a few years, and now love it again, and now see the value in not going to Disney every. single. year.

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.

I'm actually disappointed and almost dreading that Pandora will be open before our next trip. By the time we go back, Pandora will have been open 3-4 months, and I just dread the crowds a new land is sure to bring. I'm not looking forward to that at all.

 

[Sparkie]

We were there the exact same dates as you. It did seem more crowded. More like early summer crowded, just not as hot.
This is my take.

Over the years more schools have incorporated a fall break to coincide with Columbus Day. This year we had Hurricaine Matthew interupt some vacations and possible push some from over the weekend into the week of October 10-15. If you were at Magic Kingdom on October 12 like I was, it was INSANELY crowded. Like 4th of July crowded. But for us, this was the only night that MK was open late or that we could view fireworks without a party ticket. As like you, we didnt get to do everything we wanted even with good planning but we still had a great time.

Im not giving up on Disney. I like to go in the summer- I know I may be the only one who goes in summer because I enjoy it- I like it hot, I like the late park hours, I like swimming at 10pm, and I like the thrill of navigating the crowd. Call me crazy. But for my fall trip, I think I will avoid October all together and try late September or early November before Veterans Day. We also have learned to enjoy more resort time and not be all about the parks. The kids are just as happy with the pool and the kids activities in the afternoons.

I do think you should try the cruises. I have only done Carnival and Disney Cruise. For us, the expense of the Disney cruise with early elementary age grandkids was worth it. Cruising is a different type of vacation. Much more relaxing than a theme park vacation.

Someone mentioned National Park vacations. And now I am intrigued to see what adventure I can find.

Happy Travels!

 

[DizBelle]

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.

Oct 10 is Columbus day. Schools are closed. Schools may be closed other days that week. I wouldn't be surprised at those crowds.