It's gonna get way worse before it gets better

[cdurham1]

For those of us on the Disboards, the crowds sound unbearable right now. However, when I was in the parks during Fall Break of 2019, people stood in line for FOP for more than 3 hours. They voluntarily got into a line that had a180 minute posted wait time! And that wasn't the only astronomical lines that people voluntarily got in.

The point is that everyone here uses all the right strategies. We got an advantage from great planning. And it was well deserved.

Now the biggest fans like us have had the advantage ripped from under us.

The problem, I think, is that management is probably looking at the wait times and crowds in the parks and thinking about how much more capacity they can add. They know the breaking point for average, non-planning guests, is probably still VERY far away.

Let's hope they take into consideration us serious fans who are more likely to come back more often, spend more, etc.

 

[EpcotPhoenician]

One thing I always tell people is that there's much more to Walt Disney World than just the attractions. Obviously, it's the main draw... but I can easily spend a week on property, only stand in line for a few attractions (however many I can handle before getting agitated by the crowds), and still have a great time.

Stay at a Deluxe resort with great amenities and pool... watch the time fly.

 

[annadreamsofdisneyworld]

One thing I always tell people is that there's much more to Walt Disney World than just the attractions. Obviously, it's the main draw... but I can easily spend a week on property, only stand in line for a few attractions (however many I can handle before getting agitated by the crowds), and still have a great time.

Stay at a Deluxe resort with great amenities and pool... watch the time fly.

I'm not going to spend $8000 to fly my family down from Maine to stay at our resort and barely go on any rides. For us the whole point is to go on as many rides as possible. If things don't improve by August 2022 I'm going to cancel our trip and go on a completely different vacation. It's really sad, since WDW has always been my favorite place, but I refuse to spend our limited travel money on a miserable experience of standing in long lines all day or just staying at the resort.

 

[CampbellzSoup]

Travel demand is up hardcore it’ll go down again just like a curve but just enjoy the park is open!

 

[state08]

I'm not going to spend $8000 to fly my family down from Maine to stay at our resort and barely go on any rides. For us the whole point is to go on as many rides as possible. If things don't improve by August 2022 I'm going to cancel our trip and go on a completely different vacation. It's really sad, since WDW has always been my favorite place, but I refuse to spend our limited travel money on a miserable experience of standing in long lines all day or just staying at the resort.

Exactly! If your main goal on vacation is to spend time at a nice resort, there are tons of great places to go and usually for less money too.

 

[annadreamsofdisneyworld]

Exactly! If your main goal on vacation is to spend time at a nice resort, there are tons of great places to go and usually for less money too.

Yeah if I'm going to spend most of my vacation at a resort it's going to be a resort on a tropical beach.

 

[jppeek]

I am sure demand will go back down some in the next 6-12 months, we are only a few months out from travel really opening up. I just tried to book a hotel for august to a lake area that I have gone to a hundred times and it’s 100% booked. That has never happened before and I’m guessing after this year won’t happen again.

Also I had a chat with GM at Beach Club last month when I was there (I relayed that an Epcot firework test at midnight is not great for a toddler lol) and it sounded like our feedback is making its way to the powers that be. I’m optimistic there will be some middle ground changes that might not be perfect for all but will allow everyone to enjoy the magic!

 

[cakebaker]

I'm not going to spend $8000 to fly my family down from Maine to stay at our resort and barely go on any rides. For us the whole point is to go on as many rides as possible. If things don't improve by August 2022 I'm going to cancel our trip and go on a completely different vacation. It's really sad, since WDW has always been my favorite place, but I refuse to spend our limited travel money on a miserable experience of standing in long lines all day or just staying at the resort.

Yup. We're paying $450 a night for a glorified travel trailer and a less than stellar pool. I pay that to be at WDW PARKS, not the resort itself. We're driving 1700 miles and spending upwards of 7k and that's the bare minimum since I've decided we aren't throwing good money after bad and will severly cut every dime we can outside of the resort and tickets. Right now, in order to stay at a deluxe you can almost double that rate and for that kind of money, I can stay at some amazing places.

For many reasons, this trip can't be cancelled now, but if it turns out like all indications seem it's going to, it will be the last I ever spend there. I'm sad too. WDW has been our happy place for decades. I wish I hadn't booked this trip at all because it sure looks like that bubble is going to be permanently burst. If I had it to do over again, I would have never booked at all.

Sadly, I'm not getting much better reports about DLR, many of the same issues exist. That one can be cancelled and we'll only lose the party tickets. That one is most likely history at this point, but we have some time there.

 

[nycdisneygal]

Yup. We're paying $450 a night for a glorified travel trailer and a less than stellar pool. I pay that to be at WDW PARKS, not the resort itself. We're driving 1700 miles and spending upwards of 7k and that's the bare minimum since I've decided we aren't throwing good money after bad and will severly cut every dime we can outside of the resort and tickets. Right now, in order to stay at a deluxe you can almost double that rate and for that kind of money, I can stay at some amazing places.

For many reasons, this trip can't be cancelled now, but if it turns out like all indications seem it's going to, it will be the last I ever spend there. I'm sad too. WDW has been our happy place for decades. I wish I hadn't booked this trip at all because it sure looks like that bubble is going to be permanently burst. If I had it to do over again, I would have never booked at all.

Sadly, I'm not getting much better reports about DLR, many of the same issues exist. That one can be cancelled and we'll only lose the party tickets. That one is most likely history at this point, but we have some time there.

I am so sorry to read this. I really hope your trip will be better than expected. Although I for various reasons including some you mentioned will be staying away for a while (sad since the best thing I did was get APs but I am glad we did 2 great years of it). I hope you guys still have a great time (By the way I am paying an inflated price for and Air BnB in my state of CT for my vacation so the high prices are hitting everywhere!).

 

[rwdavis2]

I'm not going to spend $8000 to fly my family down from Maine to stay at our resort and barely go on any rides. For us the whole point is to go on as many rides as possible. If things don't improve by August 2022 I'm going to cancel our trip and go on a completely different vacation. It's really sad, since WDW has always been my favorite place, but I refuse to spend our limited travel money on a miserable experience of standing in long lines all day or just staying at the resort.

Yep. If you want to hang at hotels there are much nicer ones with better service than most at WDW. Universal comes to mind immediately.

 

[Eastern]

Yup. We're paying $450 a night for a glorified travel trailer and a less than stellar pool. I pay that to be at WDW PARKS, not the resort itself. We're driving 1700 miles and spending upwards of 7k and that's the bare minimum since I've decided we aren't throwing good money after bad and will severly cut every dime we can outside of the resort and tickets. Right now, in order to stay at a deluxe you can almost double that rate and for that kind of money, I can stay at some amazing places.

For many reasons, this trip can't be cancelled now, but if it turns out like all indications seem it's going to, it will be the last I ever spend there. I'm sad too. WDW has been our happy place for decades. I wish I hadn't booked this trip at all because it sure looks like that bubble is going to be permanently burst. If I had it to do over again, I would have never booked at all.

Sadly, I'm not getting much better reports about DLR, many of the same issues exist. That one can be cancelled and we'll only lose the party tickets. That one is most likely history at this point, but we have some time there.

Similar to my thoughts. Paying the premium because it's the 50th but won't get into this situation of stupid money again. We are getting good (free) airfare because I booked it when the points were still super low for RT flights. So that helps.

 

[Darcy03231]

One thing I always tell people is that there's much more to Walt Disney World than just the attractions. Obviously, it's the main draw... but I can easily spend a week on property, only stand in line for a few attractions (however many I can handle before getting agitated by the crowds), and still have a great time.

Stay at a Deluxe resort with great amenities and pool... watch the time fly.

There's no way I'm paying Disney prices to hang out at my hotel and enjoy the pool! There a much better (and less expensive) options elsewhere if that's what I want to do. I can spend a week at a Sandals resort for less than at week at Disney, and that includes my food, drinks, and activities. We go to WDW to experience the rides/attractions/shows/fireworks, etc.

 

[FCDub]

Disney's marketing department deserves a raise if they've successfully convinced people to spend thousands of dollars to sit at a hotel and go to the pool.

But a shopping district! (Full of impulse buys you can get on the internet.)

 

[Jadyreen1282]

Yep..perhaps y'all should try something new somewhere else for a good change. The mouse will be there when you are comfortable spending your kids college money again!

 

[itf]

I'm not going to spend $8000 to fly my family down from Maine to stay at our resort and barely go on any rides. For us the whole point is to go on as many rides as possible. If things don't improve by August 2022 I'm going to cancel our trip and go on a completely different vacation. It's really sad, since WDW has always been my favorite place, but I refuse to spend our limited travel money on a miserable experience of standing in long lines all day or just staying at the resort.

100% agree with this. My trip for Aug 2022 is about $12,000 equivalent for three of us (coming from UK, staying off site albeit at a nice resort) - I'm certainly not paying that to sit around the resort or stand in three hour lines. If FP is truly dead or becomes paid, I think there's a fighting chance we cancel, which would be a real shame.

 

[annadreamsofdisneyworld]

100% agree with this. My trip for Aug 2022 is about $12,000 equivalent for three of us (coming from UK, staying off site albeit at a nice resort) - I'm certainly not paying that to sit around the resort or stand in three hour lines. If FP is truly dead or becomes paid, I think there's a fighting chance we cancel, which would be a real shame.

If fastpass is paid we will probably go one more time because we've already cancelled our trip 3 times due to covid, and my kids are really looking forward to going, but then we won't be going again for a long time. We previously liked to go every year.

 

[Nabas]

I'm not going to spend $8000 to fly my family down from Maine to stay at our resort and barely go on any rides. For us the whole point is to go on as many rides as possible. If things don't improve by August 2022 I'm going to cancel our trip and go on a completely different vacation. It's really sad, since WDW has always been my favorite place, but I refuse to spend our limited travel money on a miserable experience of standing in long lines all day or just staying at the resort.

Sadly, based on what’s happening at Disneyland Paris, it sounds like Disney’s “solution” to your problem is to get you to spend an additional $1000 or more so you don’t have to stand in the long lines that Disney has created by not opening more shows and attractions to keep up with demand. ☹

 

[Accidental Disney Fan]

100% agree with this. My trip for Aug 2022 is about $12,000 equivalent for three of us (coming from UK, staying off site albeit at a nice resort) - I'm certainly not paying that to sit around the resort or stand in three hour lines. If FP is truly dead or becomes paid, I think there's a fighting chance we cancel, which would be a real shame.

We are basically in the same position. We would likely be okay with a paid FP system, depending on what incentive they have for the Deluxe resort guests, come May 2022. But I have been trying to lay the ground work for this next trip to be our last. Don't get me wrong, I love a Disney trip but these peeps have got to starting drumming up goodwill with their customers rather than continuing to erode the experience. We are NOT going to stand in lines of this kind, no way.

 

[itf]

We are basically in the same position. We would likely be okay with a paid FP system, depending on what incentive they have for the Deluxe resort guests, come May 2022. But I have been trying to lay the ground work for this next trip to be our last. Don't get me wrong, I love a Disney trip but these peeps have got to starting drumming up goodwill with their customers rather than continuing to erode the experience. We are NOT going to stand in lines of this kind, no way.

The problem for me is that 1) it's already at the limits of affordability (and the trip has increased in price by $4000 if we wanted to book it today) and I've already got 14 day tickets with memory maker for all three of us as part of the package. But paid FP may introduce new ticket types and for a 2 weeks trip with maybe 8-10 park days, that FP cost would add up very quickly.

 

[Brett Wyman]

Everything moves in ebbs and flows. Crowds will normalize in time and prices will reflect that. There are also tons of great deals at good neighbor hotels if the cost of the resort is your biggest gripe.