Harry Potter to affect crowds?

[sethschroeder]

Do you think the new Harry Potter "exhibit" will effect crowds at WDW? During the summer? September? Through winter?

Not sure which way I feel about this but it can't hurt the crowds at all....

Also anyone previously not planning on breaking up their WDW going to break off a day to see it?

Never been to see Harry Potter and when I gave my wife the surprise of going back to WDW this year I was planning on it UNTIL I heard Diagon Alley was opening and got scared away since we won't stay on site.

 

[bwang123]

if anything, it will increase crowds at disney. that is speculation on why disney raised prices earlier than normal. universal and disney world have different target audiences so I don't really see Harry Potter taking away visitors from Disney.

 

[summerskye]

I could be wrong but I think it could actually increase crowds. I think many people go to Disney with the thought of slipping over to the dark side for a day or 2. With the draw of Harry Potter and the new part, I think more will actually plan a trip. For me, I can't see spending a 9 day/night trip at Universal. But, I can see taking a 2 day break from Disney and visiting Universal.

 

[ucfknight]

I wish increased attendance at Universal would decrease attendance at Walt Disney World. Unfortunately it doesn't seem to work that way.

 

[rlu929s]

Good example is we're going in Nov/Dec and we'll be heading over to US for the last 2 days of our trip. We're hopping from on-site Disney to on-site US. We normally just stay on-site at Disney, but we couldn't pass up the on-site perks.

 

[TDC Nala]

At Universal, yes, extremely.

At Disney, I think Disney has already decided that they can't stop guests from going to Universal after Diagon Alley opens, so they're going to try to get them to stay at Disney and make it a day or two trip over there. There are relatively few visitors to Orlando who skip Disney entirely to stay at Universal for their entire vacation and Disney would like to keep it that way.

So what they're going to do is court guests who would be coming to Orlando anyway, drawn primarily by Diagon Alley.

I do not think increased attendance at Universal is going to result in decreased attendance at WDW either. Most guests will just do both.

 

[poeticdiabetic]

If 2010 is any indication, Disney will see an increase in crowds and hotel stays. When HP opened, Disney also had a banner year. The trend was that visitors would go on a vacation with at least 4 days at Disney and 1 or two days at US/IOA. Plus, they saw a spike in hotel stays, as well.

So I agree with a previous poster, this sudden price increase is to maximize the traffic that would come from Diagon Alley.

 

[SuperRob]

For our 10 day honeymoon, we spent 9 of them at Disney and one at Universal. This year for an eight-day trip, we're doing 6 at Disney and 2 at Universal.

If Disney tickets prices weren't so high already, we would have added more days to our ticket just so we could go into the parks for meals or late rides. Their loss. My wife really hates Universal, but loves the Harry Potter stuff, and we want to make sure we see all of it when Diagon Alley opens.

 

[OchreHand]

There's that saying, "a rising tide lifts all boats."

 

[RMulieri]

I think it will raise crowds.It did when the original HP area opened.Universal is going to be packed for many many months.Disney will definitely see an increase as well.I am waiting till Jan to go to Universal , and we are doing another week onsite with maybe a side trip to disney.I am hoping Universal never sees the HUGE crowds that Disney does.I love it the way it is and I am spoiled by the relaxing touring style, express pass and resorts there.

 

[glamdring269]

In the past we have always visited WDW for 7 nights. This trip we're only doing 5 and plan to do Universal for the very first time for 2 nights. Mainly drawn in by HP.

 

[Manders77]

Do you think the new Harry Potter "exhibit" will effect crowds at WDW? During the summer? September? Through winter? Not sure which way I feel about this but it can't hurt the crowds at all.... Also anyone previously not planning on breaking up their WDW going to break off a day to see it? Never been to see Harry Potter and when I gave my wife the surprise of going back to WDW this year I was planning on it UNTIL I heard Diagon Alley was opening and got scared away since we won't stay on site.

. Yes it will increase crowds. We are to going US/IOA in 2015 and originally wasn't planning Disney. DH said while were down there lets do the new stuff at Disney too. So I am thinking 3 days at Universal and 4 at Disney instead of 4 at universal and maybe the beach.

 

[Cyrano]

Our 3 week trips consist of 2 weeks at Disney and 1 week at Universal.
What Disney is concerned about is those visitors that visit Universal first since it would be easy to spend those $$ on merchandise on Harry Potter rather than at Disney.

On our first visit to Orlando we were 16 days at Disney and 3 days at Universal.

 

[sethschroeder]

So HP will draw people to Orlando that might have not planned a trip for another year or two and obviously might as well go to WDW as well.

I was thinking it would be more of the people who already have a trip scheduled and then decide to break off a couple days to leave for HP.

Would everyone agree if we can wait to see HP another until 2015/2016 that would be a better use of our time? Especially if we are offsite? Or would a September 10th date during the middle of the week be pretty open?

 

[Love Tink]

Would everyone agree if we can wait to see HP another until 2015/2016 that would be a better use of our time? Especially if we are offsite? Or would a September 10th date during the middle of the week be pretty open?

My personal experience with Universal is that in summer and over holidays it is very, very busy but during the off-season, it is very, very empty. (As opposed to Disney World, which seems to have a baseline of moderately busy.)

You never know exactly what the new expansion will do to crowds, but a mid-week day in early September should be a pretty good bet at Universal.

As to an effect on crowds at WDW, it is hard to say. Sure, logic would say all the parks in Orlando will get busier. But in 2010, Islands of Adventure went up 30% and the four WDW parks saw three small declines in attendance and one small (1%) increase.

Most people can't take the two- or three-week trips that seem common for people on the Disboards. Most people have a set number of days and if they decide to spend one or two or three of them at Universal, they spend fewer days at WDW.

 

[disnut8]

Well, we went to Disney World after the original Harry Potter stuff opened at Universal. My mother-in-law and brother-in-law, BIG Harry Potter fans went with us and a lot of family. My mother-in-law really wanted to see the Harry Potter stuff. And then I told her the price of doing that. She didn't go.

For my husband and me - I've read all the books, have not seen the movies because I have my own mindset on the views and characters, and my husband thinks the entire thing is well, "stupid". So we would never go to Universal just because Harry Potter is there and, after visiting the park a few years ago, he wouldn't go back to that park.

So, not every person who goes to Disney World also wants/needs to see Harry Potter.

 

[RMulieri]

So HP will draw people to Orlando that might have not planned a trip for another year or two and obviously might as well go to WDW as well.

I was thinking it would be more of the people who already have a trip scheduled and then decide to break off a couple days to leave for HP.

Would everyone agree if we can wait to see HP another until 2015/2016 that would be a better use of our time? Especially if we are offsite? Or would a September 10th date during the middle of the week be pretty open?

Since the expansion is opening this summer, expect the crowds to be larger than normal for many months post opening.September is usually low crowds, but I am doubtful that will be the case this year.

 

[TDC Nala]

With the last opening, there were plenty of guests who planned a trip to Orlando specifially to see the Wizarding World. Disney was there, so they might as well go to Disney too. I assume there are some guests who decided to just spend all their time at Universal, but many will throw in some time at Disney while they're down there.

And of course there will be some who have no interest in the Harry Potter expansion at all - but it can't be denied that the expansion is likely to draw extra guests to Orlando who might otherwise not have chosen it as a destination.

 

[mill4023]

Our 3 week trips consist of 2 weeks at Disney and 1 week at Universal. ...

That sounds just about perfect to me.

3 days at MK
2 days at Epcot
2 days at DHS
1 day at AK
1 day at Typhoon Lagoon
1 day at Blizzard Beach
2 days at Universal Studios
2 days at Islands of Adventure
7 non-park days mixed in to keep us fresh and relaxed