Expect WDW to be busy next week from Tuesday 9 November

[TropicalDIS]

@Welsh_Dragon is correct. I'm on a UK Disney Form and there is a large number of posters booked on flights next week and many others have holidays booked between now and Christmas.

They are also reporting back from social media groups and again large numbers of UK and Irish people are booked for Walt Disney World holidays between now and Christmas.

European people by law have about 28 paid time off days for vacations every year, from the burger flipper in McDonalds to the CEO of an international corporation. There are huge numbers of people who have banked their paid time off in 2021 and now need to take time off before December 31 or they will loose it.

For Ireland, vaccinated adults do not need to test or quarantine on return to Ireland. We just need to fill out a passenger locator form. Its the same for all of the 27 EU countries since July 18, as The EU has implemented an EU Digital Covid Vaccine Cert.

I don't think Americans fully understand just how much the travel ban has affected the mental health of Europeans and how much pent up demand there is for travel to America and Disney Parks. Many of the people who had booked Walt Disney World for 2020 have just been rescheduling month by month. The travel agents have been on a big advertising push, social media , online advertising, as well as radio and TV for Walt Disney World holidays ever since the November removal of he travel ban was announced.

So now you have all the people who got cancelled in 2020 and 2021 as well as all the people who had originally been planning for 2022.

Will the parks get busier now, absolutely. I don't think it is all of a sudden going to hit come Tuesday morning, but it will definitely be noticed over the next couple months, and continuing into early next year. I have family in Europe, and I completely understand.

Canadians have been dealing with very similar restrictions, and there is a massive demand for travel outside of Canada here as well. We are going next week after rescheduling 4 times since March 2020. Stoked for it.

 

[vinotinto]

but you have not been banned for 18 months, its your choice or not to travel to Europe. Again Americans have no understanding of what it has been like to banned from travel for so long.

We get it. My son had been asking to travel to Japan for years. We had been thinking late 2020 and then COVID happened. Fortunately, we had not purchased tickets yet. Japan is still closed and there is no date for reopening.

 

[vinotinto]

I definitely think we’ll see pent up demand for the next year-at least through Dec 2022. Not everyone will be able to hop on a plane this month or next, but many unable to come for the last year and a half will start making plans for 2022. Not just Europeans, South Americans too.

 

[mamaofsix]

While not technically "banned," we would have had to quarantine for 2 weeks upon arrival and 2 weeks upon return. So it was still flat-out not an option for travel, because a 2-week trip to London would turn into 6 weeks. It wasn't a matter of choice until a couple months ago - it was a matter of being made so untenable and unworkable that virtually no one could have gone no matter how much they wanted to. Oh yeah: and most of the tourist spots weren't open anyway! We didn't use the word 'ban', but it was one and we knew it.

I know tons of people who have been traveling to Europe. So many countries opened to the U.S., and it was not reciprocated. This thread is bang on that there is a lot of p ent-up demand, not just for Disney but for grandparents who have not seen their grandchildren in 2 years, for married couples that have been separated, etc.

 

[Narcoossee11]

WOW ..... what a busy ,day ,week , season.
Reports today of the airport bring sooooo busy . Media here in ORL warning of the roads around MCO to avoid.



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[bunkerchump]

anyone who can plan and execute a disney trip within a matter of days/weeks - I need to meet that person! I dont think it will have much effect in the short term.

 

[BadPinkTink]

anyone who can plan and execute a disney trip within a matter of days/weeks - I need to meet that person! I dont think it will have much effect in the short term.

The people who are travelling this week and for the rest of November and December have been planning their trips for months if not since 2020. Most people have been rebooking flights and hotels every 4 to 6 months, and keeping active bookings from before the shut down.

Ive been doing this myself, flights and hotels have been rebooked multiple times. When the shutdown happened in March 2020 I had a trip to California booked and a DCL booked, multiple flights and hotels as well as tour plans for the parks and port excursions for the cruise.

 

[scottishgirl1]

anyone who can plan and execute a disney trip within a matter of days/weeks - I need to meet that person! I dont think it will have much effect in the short term.

Not only have so many people been moving holidays forward few months at a time, we are at the stage now that we dont care about all the precise planning that used to go into these trips, we just want to be there!!

 

[bunkerchump]

Not only have so many people been moving holidays forward few months at a time, we are at the stage now that we dont care about all the precise planning that used to go into these trips, we just want to be there!!

I hear you and totally understand (and Envy you). This is why I have yet to visit the UK on a non-work visit. I struggle with not having a plan afraid I will miss something. It doesnt make sense I know - but it's tough to change and Disney made me a little this way.... ok maybe a lot this way...

 

[scottishgirl1]

I am a crazy planner too but this time we leave in 5 and a half weeks and I am soo unorganised. I have booked the basics and the park and dining reservations but as for packing and what rides we do etc nothing done.

I think I am scared to be too prepared as keep waiting for another random announcement either here or (less likely) there. Won’t believe we are there til we actually arrive

 

[SkyGuy]

I’m here now and was prepared for a mass inflow of people. I’ve been pleasantly surprised that hasn’t happened. Sure, it’s been busier than my last few trips, but I haven’t had any serious ride or food line waits. I’ve also been disappointed because I was excited to hear some UK accents, and so far I haven’t.

 

[Centopar]

I know tons of people who have been traveling to Europe. So many countries opened to the U.S., and it was not reciprocated. This thread is bang on that there is a lot of p ent-up demand, not just for Disney but for grandparents who have not seen their grandchildren in 2 years, for married couples that have been separated, etc.

Absolutely - there have been a lot of hard feelings as a result of the lack of reciprocity. My job has taken me to the US for as much as four months out of every year in the before times; as a result I have a lot of friends out in your country whom I miss an awful lot.

But my situation is absolutely nothing compared to that of some of my friends. One close friend has a long-distance relationship with a girl in Indiana. They were planning to move her over here and live together prior to getting married, but that all collapsed thanks to Covid, and they've seen each other once since 2019. She hasn't been able to travel here for shorter visits because the time required to quarantine etc. meant that she'd have run out of PTO and her health insurance would have lapsed. Hopefully she'll be coming over for good soon.

Another friend has JUST seen her parents, who are unable to fly and based in the US, for the first time since Christmas 2018 (circumstances meant they couldn't get together in 2019 and they were planning a big get-together just as the pandemic hit). People's jobs, study and relationships have been completely derailed.

In summary, I'm glad that all I'm missing out on has been Disney and the chance to go out for Korean barbecue with friends. It could have been a whole lot worse, and is for some people.

 

[bsmcneil]

I’m here now and was prepared for a mass inflow of people. I’ve been pleasantly surprised that hasn’t happened. Sure, it’s been busier than my last few trips, but I haven’t had any serious ride or food line waits. I’ve also been disappointed because I was excited to hear some UK accents, and so far I haven’t.

Tangential but my youngest started a new daycare recently and yesterday, as we were leaving, so was another little one (pre-K) with an adult man. I didn't know them/don't know them yet but my youngest apparently heard the adult talk (even through the mask) and offered, "I like your British accent" to which the man replied, " .... Indeed you do." That just felt like the perfect response to that ...

 

[MichelinMan]

Can't help thinking the US deliberately waited until November to open borders, as that is one of the quietest times of the year for vacations from Europe. I'm sure they could have opened in October, but we have school holidays in October (2 weeks here in Scotland) and there would definitely have been a big influx straight away then. Because families are restricted by school holidays, you probably won't see a massive influx until Xmas. But I reckon most of the pent up demand won't actually come until summer next year during the longer summer holidays, especially those of us who want longer holidays (I am coming for 3 weeks so only really doable in the summer holidays).

 

[Welsh_Dragon]

Can't help thinking the US deliberately waited until November to open borders, as that is one of the quietest times of the year for vacations from Europe. I'm sure they could have opened in October, but we have school holidays in October (2 weeks here in Scotland) and there would definitely have been a big influx straight away then. Because families are restricted by school holidays, you probably won't see a massive influx until Xmas. But I reckon most of the pent up demand won't actually come until summer next year during the longer summer holidays, especially those of us who want longer holidays (I am coming for 3 weeks so only really doable in the summer holidays).

I think you may be correct. So many people couldn’t have extended family gatherings last year, so perhaps they will plan for those this year. I am flying out for a few weeks from mid December and I am quite enjoying (feeling smug actually ) not having to book the supermarket delivery slot, reserve the turkey, goose, tree etc. I think that by the time I save money by not hosting Christmas, WDW will seem quite reasonably priced.

 

[Centopar]

I think you may be correct. So many people couldn’t have extended family gatherings last year, so perhaps they will plan for those this year. I am flying out for a few weeks from mid December and I am quite enjoying (feeling smug actually ) not having to book the supermarket delivery slot, reserve the turkey, goose, tree etc. I think that by the time I save money by not hosting Christmas, WDW will seem quite reasonably priced.

Looks like we'll overlap! (Back in the UK on Christmas Eve, though, so I don't escape having to host Christmas...a friend is coming to the house and picking up my jumbo supermarket delivery for me.)

I do have some UK friends who are also Disney nuts who cancelled November and December trips earlier this year when things were looking rocky. It'll be interesting to see how full the Orlando flights are.

 

[Welsh_Dragon]

Looks like we'll overlap! (Back in the UK on Christmas Eve, though, so I don't escape having to host Christmas...a friend is coming to the house and picking up my jumbo supermarket delivery for me.)

I do have some UK friends who are also Disney nuts who cancelled November and December trips earlier this year when things were looking rocky. It'll be interesting to see how full the Orlando flights are.

I know, I had the e mail reminder from Tesco last night about the delivery saver Christmas delivery slots and I was so happy that I didn’t have to face that ordeal this year.
The best thing about being away at Christmas? I don’t live for weeks on the leftovers and treats that I buy for my young adult children.

 

[Liquidice]

Was there this last weekend and it was definitely crowded - but I think the holiday weekend (Veteran's Day in USA) had more to do with the crowds than anything else. Definitely a lot of locals in the parks on Friday/Saturday - and then Sunday things were noticeably less crowded.

 

[Donald-Duck-QUACK-TASTIC]

We're here now. I've heard a few European accents but less than usual, as to be expected.

Yesterday (Monday Nov. 16) Hollywood Studios was packed.. Avg wait times on the more popular rides was 50-90 minutes with Rise being around or well above 100 all day.