Is SWGE impacting your trip? Discuss your plans here!

[hdrolfe]

I still can't decide what to do Aug 29 & 30! My trip (Aug 24 - 31) was booked before the announcement was made. I've adjusted things a bit, will do HS the day we arrive Aug 24, and EMM Aug 26 so we can do SDD which kiddo is excited for. I can't decide if I should plan to try and get in Aug 30 or not. We leave on the 31st and I can't change that flight. All my other days/parks are planned and I'm ready to get FP for them, know what we want and rough times at least. But those last two days... Kiddo loves Star Wars, which is new since we went two years ago when he was afraid of the whole thing. Now he has seen all the movies multiple times and has strong opinions on a lot of it. He would love to see the new land (and get a droid), I'm just worried we'll plan to go and not be able to get in and end up disappointed. I know we won't make it for a 6AM opening...or at least it would be really hard. I wish it was EMH or reservations or something. I'm not sure when we'll get back to Disney, we have other places planned for 2020 so it probably won't be until 2021. I feel like I should try and get us there on the 30th. I'm leaning towards just doing MK or something on the 29th and booking FP for AK in the evening of the 30th, trying to get in to HS in the morning and if we can't then we'll hit another park. I'll just have to set kiddos expectations that we may not be able to get in I guess.

 

[DanBoris]

I have a mid-September trip which I planned before they announced the earlier opening date. Until the release the final plans for DHS it's been a little tricky to plan. All I am doing at this point is to pick a day for DHS and then schedule the previous day so we can be back at the hotel early in anticipation of having to get up early to get to DHS. Once the land opens there will be a couple weeks for me to feel out exactly how early I need to be at DHS.

 

[aaylasecura]

I've been watching many non-official disney social media accounts today (the dis, allears, touring plans, etc.). I have to say the most calming thing I saw today was from Touring Plans. There was a post of one of the staff riding it's a small world...he had a boat all to himself at 10 a.m. Then he was posting videos from other areas in the park and it was quite empty.

Now, I know this may be affected by the reservation system...you can only go to SWGE if you have a reservation...so people who don't want to be a Disneyland proper, well, they're not there. I have a trip 9/8-9/14 at WDW and this really calmed a lot of my nerves today.

I know its different when you historically look at opening month wait times for new attractions (Toy Story Land, Pandora, Seven Dwarfs Mine Train), but maybe it won't be the giant crowd disaster we think it might be?? I guess June 24th and onward will be the real testament to how WDW could possibly look at SWGE within the first month.

 

[famy27]

I've been watching many non-official disney social media accounts today (the dis, allears, touring plans, etc.). I have to say the most calming thing I saw today was from Touring Plans. There was a post of one of the staff riding it's a small world...he had a boat all to himself at 10 a.m. Then he was posting videos from other areas in the park and it was quite empty.

Now, I know this may be affected by the reservation system...you can only go to SWGE if you have a reservation...so people who don't want to be a Disneyland proper, well, they're not there. I have a trip 9/8-9/14 at WDW and this really calmed a lot of my nerves today.

I know its different when you historically look at opening month wait times for new attractions (Toy Story Land, Pandora, Seven Dwarfs Mine Train), but maybe it won't be the giant crowd disaster we think it might be?? I guess June 24th and onward will be the real testament to how WDW could possibly look at SWGE within the first month.

I've been saying since the opening day was announced that if you avoid SWGE generally and HS at rope drop, you should be fine. I had a trip planned for September (although I had to move it for unrelated reasons), and I was not worried at all. I've been looking at wait times at DLR, and they are very low right now. HM is walk-on, and lots of others are 5-10 minutes at both DL and DCA. The Incredicoaster is 10 minutes! Even RSR is 30, and that's not bad at all. Obviously, it will be a little different at WDW, but I think the people who were predicting that all the parks would close for capacity are being a bit alarmist.

 

[katiec786]

All I am doing at this point is to pick a day for DHS and then schedule the previous day so we can be back at the hotel early in anticipation of having to get up early to get to DHS.

That's what I've done too - we were lucky in that our plans naturally fell so that HS would be our second last day, and we're going to AK the day before - no fireworks to stick around for and we're not too fussed about RoL so will aim to be back at the hotel relaxing by 8:30 - will hopefully make the incredibly early start a little less painful!

 

[fla4fun]

I've been saying since the opening day was announced that if you avoid SWGE generally and HS at rope drop, you should be fine. I had a trip planned for September (although I had to move it for unrelated reasons), and I was not worried at all. I've been looking at wait times at DLR, and they are very low right now. HM is walk-on, and lots of others are 5-10 minutes at both DL and DCA. The Incredicoaster is 10 minutes! Even RSR is 30, and that's not bad at all. Obviously, it will be a little different at WDW, but I think the people who were predicting that all the parks would close for capacity are being a bit alarmist.

I believe a lot of the lower crowds can be attributed to the fact that SWGE is reservation only. If I had been planning a trip to DL specifically for SWGE, and not planning to stay at a Disney resort (which happens more there) I would be waiting until after the 24th. I am waiting to see what happens on the 24th when it will be first come, first serve because that is when we can start to get an idea of what will happen at WDW.

I am one of the people who rescheduled to August. For those of you who don’t understand why, think of it this way. What if you booked your trip only to find that the biggest cheerleading competition in the universe was going to take place during your entire trip. If you had the ability to reschedule so you left before they arrived, would you? If they scheduled private cheerleader events at all the parks or the headliner attractions were closed to anyone not competing, would you feel like the value of your trip was diminished?

I can totally understand why people who booked expecting one thing, only to be given something else, are anxious and even disappointed. Whether those fears will be realized . . .well, we just don’t know that yet. Unfortunately, for anyone going in August, the necessity of booking FP will arrive before we get a clear picture of the impact at DL. So people may change dates for no reason, or not change only to find Disneyland is mobbed when the public visits SWGE. I would have been happier if there had been an additional month between DL opening and WDW opening, but it is what it is.

 

[mom2rtk]

I'd be really careful reading too much into yesterday's lower crowds at DL. Especially if you're trying to extrapolate to WDW. Crowds behave very differently at DLR compared with WDW, especially when it comes to APs and AP blockouts. With a lot of APs currently blocked, and with SWGE requiring a reservation, you're going to see some unusual crowd patterns. Additionally, DL has a lot of attractions to absorb SW visitors when they're done in GE. DHS is a whole other beast in that regard.

 

[Portugal1000]

Visiting for 2 weeks from 19th September. was looking forward to visiting during quiet time after so many August trips and then Star Wars opens!, am I the only one disappointed with this? Looks like three parks will have EMH every single day we are there which kind of messes up our plans as we are 'get there early' type people. Not complaining but wondering if MK and AK will be too much busier. We are staying first night on site but this was really only because we are flying business class from UK for first time so wanted to be able to enjoy some champagne and not worry about driving at the other end. So I guess we could go to HS on our first morning, try and get on Star Wars and then get back to hotel to check out before moving onto Bonnet Creek.
Really interested to hear others thoughts. Thanks

 

[Randomsoulshine]

Visiting for 2 weeks from 19th September. was looking forward to visiting during quiet time after so many August trips and then Star Wars opens!, am I the only one disappointed with this? Looks like three parks will have EMH every single day we are there which kind of messes up our plans as we are 'get there early' type people. Not complaining but wondering if MK and AK will be too much busier. We are staying first night on site but this was really only because we are flying business class from UK for first time so wanted to be able to enjoy some champagne and not worry about driving at the other end. So I guess we could go to HS on our first morning, try and get on Star Wars and then get back to hotel to check out before moving onto Bonnet Creek.
Really interested to hear others thoughts. Thanks

I thought Hilton Bonnet Creek was now one of the hotel partners that got FP 60 days and Extra Magic Hours?

 

[Mickey's Best Girl]

If it’s Hilton Orlando Bonnet Creek you’re staying at you get all the perks of onsite.

https://disneyworld.disney.go.com/en_CA/resorts/more/hilton-orlando-bonnet-creek/
From this ^ website:

Extra Magic Hours
Spend more time at one of our parks! Loved ones can enjoy select attractions and entertainment experiences with extended hours—valid theme park admission ticket and Extra Magic Hours benefit voucher required.

Learn more about Extra Magic Hours.

FastPass+
Optimize your theme park thrills! Take advantage of first access to reserve select shows and attractions up to 60 days before arriving. Valid theme park admission and Resort ID required—FastPass+ attractions and entertainment experiences, the number of selections you can make and available arrival windows are limited.

 

[phinz]

I thought Hilton Bonnet Creek was now one of the hotel partners that got FP 60 days and Extra Magic Hours?

Looking at that long signature, I would surmise that Portugal1000 is staying at Wyndham Bonnet Creek, not the Hilton. The only thing they really share is a driveway and a parking garage.

 

[famy27]

I believe a lot of the lower crowds can be attributed to the fact that SWGE is reservation only. If I had been planning a trip to DL specifically for SWGE, and not planning to stay at a Disney resort (which happens more there) I would be waiting until after the 24th. I am waiting to see what happens on the 24th when it will be first come, first serve because that is when we can start to get an idea of what will happen at WDW.

I am one of the people who rescheduled to August. For those of you who don’t understand why, think of it this way. What if you booked your trip only to find that the biggest cheerleading competition in the universe was going to take place during your entire trip. If you had the ability to reschedule so you left before they arrived, would you? If they scheduled private cheerleader events at all the parks or the headliner attractions were closed to anyone not competing, would you feel like the value of your trip was diminished?

I can totally understand why people who booked expecting one thing, only to be given something else, are anxious and even disappointed. Whether those fears will be realized . . .well, we just don’t know that yet. Unfortunately, for anyone going in August, the necessity of booking FP will arrive before we get a clear picture of the impact at DL. So people may change dates for no reason, or not change only to find Disneyland is mobbed when the public visits SWGE. I would have been happier if there had been an additional month between DL opening and WDW opening, but it is what it is.

I am still very, very confident that it will be completely fine to visit WDW in September. I know that WDW will be different than DL, but the alarmist behavior has been the same on both coasts . Even after the reservation system was announced for DL, I saw tons of posts saying that people wouldn't go near DL for the first three weeks because the crowds would be out of control. That did not happen at DL, and I don't think it will happen at WDW. I was at WDW the week Pandora opened. It was crazy busy in the mornings, with people waiting hours just to walk into the land. However, we went at night for the late EMHs, and we waited 5-10 minutes to walk into the land. We rode FOP at the end of the night with like a 35 minute wait. My older daughter rode EE 13 times in a row, so the giant crowds in Pandora did not spill out into the rest of the park. I'm confident the same will hold true for SWGE. In the mornings, it will be insane. I'd start the day at any other park and then wander into HS around 3 or 4 in the afternoon and do all the other stuff. Walk into SWGE at the end of the night during the fireworks. If it's still too crowded, just hand out at the other parks or in the other areas of HS.

SWGE is opening at WDW in the slowest few weeks of the year. It's highly unlikely that thousands upon thousands of people are going to randomly switch their travel plans to be there the first few weeks. It's still going to be a comparatively slow week for all of the other parks. Do people really think that any park other than HS is going to be super-busy? I have seen some people speculate that the parks will reach capacity. I am genuinely interested to know if that is based on some insider information.

 

[rteetz]

SWGE is opening at WDW in the slowest few weeks of the year. It's highly unlikely that thousands upon thousands of people are going to randomly switch their travel plans to be there the first few weeks. It's still going to be a comparatively slow week for all of the other parks. Do people really think that any park other than HS is going to be super-busy? I have seen some people speculate that the parks will reach capacity. I am genuinely interested to know if that is based on some insider information.

5 years ago sure. As of more recently August and September are pretty busy. Busier than summer in some cases. I definitely think people switched their travel for SWGE.

 

[famy27]

5 years ago sure. As of more recently August and September are pretty busy. Busier than summer in some cases. I definitely think people switched their travel for SWGE.

Some have. But I also know some who shifted trips to avoid SWGE. I don't doubt it will be busy. But by the second or third week, it should be completely fine at the parks other than at SWGE itself. It may be busier than usual for that time of year, but I can't imagine it will be NYE-level crowds.

 

[rteetz]

Some have. But I also know some who shifted trips to avoid SWGE. I don't doubt it will be busy. But by the second or third week, it should be completely fine at the parks other than at SWGE itself. It may be busier than usual for that time of year, but I can't imagine it will be NYE-level crowds.

No it won't be NYE level but it will be quite busy. Not like the days of old where you can walk on attractions. Food and Wine also starts August 29th.

 

[wx1]

We are still deciding. Things swaying us so far:

• People are not necessarily going to flock to a partially opened park when the biggest attraction isn't open yet but will be within a few short months.
• September will still be a less ideal time to bring kids because school just started and only SW die hards would feel any urgency to go. Young children don't tend to be SW die hards
• Many people (myself included) didn't even immediately realize SW was opening.
• Disney has so much to offer that just literally being there makes me happy.

 

[bitty246]

Wellll now..... what does everyone think of the rumors circulating on numerous sites about the new Tier system rolling out Aug 29 for DHS?

"Starting August 29, the rides at Hollywood Studios will become a tier 1 FastPass, and the shows will become a tier 2.
So that means Slinky Dog Dash, Alien Swirling Saucers, Toy Story Mania, Tower of Terror, and Rock n Roller Coaster will all be in the same tier and you'll need to pick 1.
Star Tours and Fantasmic are currently not showing on either list so we'll have to see where they end up.
As a reminder, the new Star Wars attractions will not offer a FastPass option when they first open."

This totally throws a wrench into all my plans, as we are not "show" people. It seems this whole SWGE opening is making what used to be an enjoyable trip planning experience into a stressful and not pleasant ordeal. I'm pretty close to just scrapping the DHS day and spending our time at another park. As it is, we have 3 days MK, 2 Days Epcot, 2 days DAK and 1 day DHS.

I'm trying not to be overly dramatic, but I do suffer from bouts of anxiety and this is really triggering some negative feelings. I'm just so over worrying about it.

 

[Kbosch]

Wellll now..... what does everyone think of the rumors circulating on numerous sites about the new Tier system rolling out Aug 29 for DHS?

"Starting August 29, the rides at Hollywood Studios will become a tier 1 FastPass, and the shows will become a tier 2.
So that means Slinky Dog Dash, Alien Swirling Saucers, Toy Story Mania, Tower of Terror, and Rock n Roller Coaster will all be in the same tier and you'll need to pick 1.
Star Tours and Fantasmic are currently not showing on either list so we'll have to see where they end up.
As a reminder, the new Star Wars attractions will not offer a FastPass option when they first open."

This totally throws a wrench into all my plans, as we are not "show" people. It seems this whole SWGE opening is making what used to be an enjoyable trip planning experience into a stressful and not pleasant ordeal. I'm pretty close to just scrapping the DHS day and spending our time at another park. As it is, we have 3 days MK, 2 Days Epcot, 2 days DAK and 1 day DHS.

I'm trying not to be overly dramatic, but I do suffer from bouts of anxiety and this is really triggering some negative feelings. I'm just so over worrying about it.

This is my first trip back in 15 years. So many things have already changed since the last time I was there, and now every time I make a new plan something else changes that sends me back to square 1! I didn't know planning a vacation would be so much work lol

 

[vacationer1954]

Wellll now..... what does everyone think of the rumors circulating on numerous sites about the new Tier system rolling out Aug 29 for DHS?

I think someone either fabricated a rumor or got at least one of the details wrong.

 

[bitty246]

I think someone either fabricated a rumor or got at least one of the details wrong.

I hope you are right!!