Greeting everyone!
We got back from our annual September (9/20-9/27) family trip. We have been going to Disney in the fall for the last maybe ten years and this year was crazy! Between Fastpass+ and the crowds I am not sure if we will be returning... I normally come home from a trip and start thinking about when we will be able to return... this time...not so sure... Was anyone else visiting during this week? Did it seem crazy to you? Have I become spoiled from the years of low attendance?? Also- We stayed at Pop Century and enjoyed this place in the past..this time.. Our room was a bit run down.. we also discovered we had a mouse (not Mickey) in our room.. on the trip back home we discovered some bags of sealed chips we had brought had been chewed through... The food items we brought were stored in a box on the shelf in the closet area... I emailed a complaint and haven't heard back...
Also- our last night was crazy crowded and I think I had reached my limit.. As we were waiting in line to get on to the people mover (yes... the people mover had a line) we were stopped and a large group was let in front of us... I smugly asked the CM, "I guess not everyone has to wait their turn." He replied, "they are a Make a Wish Foundation Family." ....... Yes. I am going to Hell......
We were there that week, too. It was more crowded and lines were longer than our week in July. Yes. You read that right. Our September trip was MORE CROWDED than our July trip. Insane.
Dining ressies and FPs were much harder to get than in July. I posted that on these boards and several people said not to worry- that every year people complain about the lack of availability in FPs and ADRs during free dining, but that is largely due to the parks closing earlier and to the fact that more people stay onsite during September. NOT SO. Lines for Toy Story got to 110 minutes. Lines for A&E were 90 minutes. SDMT- 90 minutes.
Our Fantasmic show in July was 1/3 empty. In September, it was full.
Frozen Sing Along was 1/3 empty in July. In September, it was full.
Philharmagic was 2/3 empty in July. In September it was 2/3 full.
We never waited for longer than 10 minutes in a FP line in July. We waited for 20 minutes in several FP lines in September.
Our
MNSSHP was sold out. On a Tuesday. I never would have guessed.
AND room only rates were cheaper in July than in September ( we did FD in September like just about everyone else, but I checked on room only rates).
I booked a bounce back offer for next September, but I am not certain we will keep it. It was $500 more than this year's cost, for an equivalent standard room at a moderate resort. Disney knows, too, that they do not have to offer such great September deals when there is such a huge demand.