Feb 2020 Thread

[tinaver]

Our airfare is purchased and the trip is a go! We'll be on site from Feb 17 - Feb 22. Hoping we can mange with the crowds and have a fabulous time. We're limited to when the kids (5 and 9) have a break from school...so here we go!

I was happy with our ADRs and I did okay with fastpasses, though was unable to get SDD or FOP

We told the kids last night. My daughter, 9, almost couldn't believe it - even though we handed her her magic band, it took her a minute or two to process it. She was overjoyed.

This is our third trip - the others being 2 and 4 years ago. She remembers both well and is so excited. My 5 year old doesn't have quite the same memories. Looking forward to making some new ones for him.

 

[Faldred]

After putting off a solo "just get away from everything" trip for a few months, I finally committed to taking a week off the week of Feb 16. Wanting to go someplace warm, I figured I'd drive to Florida. If I was already going to be in Florida... well, I'm sure you can guess where this is going.

Got myself booked for just a single night so I can do the parks on the two days surrounding it and get full resort benefits for both days. Managed to snag a Flight of Passage FP+ for my first day (planning AK/Epcot [Epcot evening EMH]), but late in the afternoon so I grouped my Tier 2 FP+ around it and am now considering maybe hitting rope drop in a different park for the morning.

Day 2 is planned for DHS/MK [MK evening EMH], obviously trying to get on Rise of the Resistance, Smuggler's Run, and Slinky Dog Dash at DHS. Not as much luck with FP+ here, but I did get TSMM for my tier 1 (and Star Tours for a tier 2) and I figure if I summon up the nerve for it, I can do RnRC as single rider, which will save time there.

 

[Isabelle12345]

Seven dwarves fastpass are now available after 7PM for Feb 23! Just a heads up!
(Already posted this on another thread but I wanted to share in case some are not following the other thread!)

 

[xipotec]

21 days out and flipped the park plans...got much better FP and ADR by doing MK on Monday and HS Tuesday.
Just scored 7DMT and SM at the times I wanted!

if your going Feb 2-4 alot of FP movement, check your FP plans , things opening up.
There were several 7DMT FP open later in the day 7 pm

 

[jwillier]

Hi everyone! New to the boards. Joined to try and manage/funnel my excitement for the next 20 days. My family and I have a trip from Jan. 31st to Feb. 9th at the Poly.
We surprised our 2 sons (4&8) with the trip on Christmas Day and since then it's been nonstop Disney talk in our house!

Just a heads up, didn't see anyone else mention it, but they announced Muppetvision 3D will be closed from Jan. 26th - Feb 8th.

 

[karly05]

My Magic Band came today! Now I really am all set!

I am sitting here wearing it right now. Gotta break it in.

 

[Freshman]

Super excited for our upcoming trip in 28 days(2/8-15th)! Surprised my daughter(8) on Christmas morning and she has been counting down the days.

We went 3 years ago in Feb and had a blast and hoping we have low(er) crowds again.

Cant wait to check out the three new lands that have opened since we last visited.

Rented DVC points and will be staying at Beach Club. Hoping the weather is warm enough Stormalong bay.

 

[karly05]

We went 3 years ago in Feb and had a blast and hoping we have low(er) crowds again.

Cant wait to check out the three new lands that have opened since we last visited.

You and I are exactly the same on this! So much new stuff since Feb 2017, I can't wait! You are arriving the day after I leave. Hope you have a fantastic trip!

 

[karly05]

Sorry for the back-to-back posts, but FP Hunters, don't give up! Yesterday I finally scored a FP for Slinky Dog! Got It for 2/6, late morning. Woohoo!!!

 

[Matt961]

Sorry for the back-to-back posts, but FP Hunters, don't give up! Yesterday I finally scored a FP for Slinky Dog! Got It for 2/6, late morning. Woohoo!!!

Also keep watching for opening hour changes too. They will drop more FP for those hours as well. Could get some nice early SDD FP is they do change the hours.

 

[Rick195275]

Anyone out there have luck booking any later MK fastpasses on Valentine’s Day since they extended the hours? I’ve been checking pretty regularly for some fastpasses before the villains after hours that night and haven’t seen anything past 8pm with the exception of the tea party.

 

[JamieC5]

I’m having an anxiety attack looking at pictures of crowds today and wait times in the 200s at Animal Kingdom. Shouldn’t it be back to “normal” this week?

I have been feeling the same way. I purposely booked in February for a slightly lighter crowd. Now touring plans has our week (last week of February) bumped to an 8. I'm just dreading it thinking about it. We haven't been to Disney in a decade and it's my youngest daughters first trip. I knew crowds were going to be more than I remembered but now it's really sucked the fun out thinking about it being crazy and Disney having less staff... Ugh.

 

[Aurora79]

Our HS day is the 28th and TP has it as a 6. I’m not sure if I believe that, but it was pretty easy to get a Savi’s reservation, so we’ll see. Both of our MK days are 8s, but we’re doing the VIP Classics tour on the first MK day, so that should help, even if the park is super busy.

 

[JamieC5]

I'm honestly really hoping that Disney is taking note and staffing appropriately. I know they play these mind games and control the flow. Honestly the increased crowds are just so disappointing. I'm claustrophobic. My husband is injured ugh. I just did so much thought and planning. And for it to suddenly be such a high crowd expectation feels so frustrating and overwhelming. I will make the best of it. I'm hoping it will still be magical. I'm just.... Concerned

 

[Isabelle12345]

I am really hoping we will see increased park hours in the next few weeks
This should help spread out the crowds a little more!

 

[JamieC5]

Will they do that? That would be awesome!

 

[Isabelle12345]

Will they do that? That would be awesome!

They just increased MK hours last friday and added a second showing of Rivers of Light at AK
HS still show 9AM-8PM hours even for Presidents’ Day week which seems highly unlikely
So I really think we should hear something sooner than later!

 

[CamilaGS]

Our HS day is the 28th and TP has it as a 6. I’m not sure if I believe that, but it was pretty easy to get a Savi’s reservation, so we’ll see. Both of our MK days are 8s, but we’re doing the VIP Classics tour on the first MK day, so that should help, even if the park is super busy.

That´s our MK day - we like to take advantage of morning EMHs, so we picked that day, but then they scheduled an Villains AH event, after I had already booked BOG lunch, and TP is considering it a 9. Such is life
But hey, I got FP+ for 7DMT and Big Thunder Mountain, so it´s all good, I guess? lol

I'm honestly really hoping that Disney is taking note and staffing appropriately. I know they play these mind games and control the flow. Honestly the increased crowds are just so disappointing. I'm claustrophobic. My husband is injured ugh. I just did so much thought and planning. And for it to suddenly be such a high crowd expectation feels so frustrating and overwhelming. I will make the best of it. I'm hoping it will still be magical. I'm just.... Concerned

I totally understand the feeling. This is my 3rd trip to the world, 2nd for mom and aunt, our first one visiting AK, and last time we visited was in 2016, so first time doing TSL and SWGE, so there´s SO MUCH firsts for us, so much we want to do, and it pains me to see the increasing crowd predictions and such. But I try to stay positive, I feel really blessed being able to return for a 3rd trip (we thought our 1st trip would be a once-in-a-lifetime affair, considering we´re not from the US and it´s quite a pricey endeavor lol), so I´m keeping in mind that we paid a lot of money to have fun and that´s what we´re going to do, come what may LOL
At least it´s not NYE, so I´m hoping that crowds will be more manageable than that, even if on the higher side.

 

[SweetJulia23]

I have been feeling the same way. I purposely booked in February for a slightly lighter crowd. Now touring plans has our week (last week of February) bumped to an 8. I'm just dreading it thinking about it. We haven't been to Disney in a decade and it's my youngest daughters first trip. I knew crowds were going to be more than I remembered but now it's really sucked the fun out thinking about it being crazy and Disney having less staff... Ugh.

I know how you feel. My trip was originally the first week of September 2019. Then stupid Dorian ruined 8 months of stressful planning (galaxys edge opening early with so many unknowns going into it). We moved the trip and now my 1s and 2s from September are 6s and 7s. The recent wait times have dropped from what they were when I originally posted that message so hopefully they might stay that way. If they extend hours for your week the later nights might be easier.

 

[la79al]

I know how you feel. My trip was originally the first week of September 2019. Then stupid Dorian ruined 8 months of stressful planning (galaxys edge opening early with so many unknowns going into it). We moved the trip and now my 1s and 2s from September are 6s and 7s. The recent wait times have dropped from what they were when I originally posted that message so hopefully they might stay that way. If they extend hours for your week the later nights might be easier.

I got the UT newsletter this morning and ended up looking at their crowd calendar. Their calendar is very optimistic and I'm going to try to keep that thought as well.
Also, I have a story- the last time I took my kids to DW for the day it was probably during spring break. It was March, we were in the area, I didn't even bother to check details like best park, crowd calendars, etc. It was crowded and overall there was less cast member interaction. It really felt more like visiting any run of the mill amusement park. BUT then we had a question about where to find something, asked a passing CM and the pixie dust that had not been sprinkled all day was all poured on us all at once. At no point was the day ruined and in the end the Disney magic won. So I'm trying to overlook the moderate to heavy crowds some are predicting for our upcoming trip and focus and the idea that the magic will still be there!