More crowds on weekends at AK after Pandora opens?

[maryj11]

I have to make dining reservations soon and we are trying to figure out what days we will be at what parks. We were thinking about going to Animal Kingdom on a Sunday. I was thinking that maybe since Pandora may be open the crowds on the weekends may increase. What is anyones guess on this?

 

[rteetz]

Who knows. My guess is AK will be crowded for a while after avatar opens.

 

[CAS239]

I think overall it will greatly increase crowds at AK

 

[dclpluto]

I think overall it will greatly increase crowds at AK

Yes you are right crowds will get larger at all parks.

 

[lockedoutlogic]

There will likely be overall an increased crowd level...common with new rollouts because they plaster it all over Florida...

I honestly don't think tables at animal kingdom will necessitate much of a different approach than currently though.

Disney will not beat 5 million people away from the gates. MK will
Continue to be mobbed without much variation. They're not the same markets.

 

[maryj11]

Yes you are right crowds will get larger at all parks.

I wonder if weekends will be more crowded than weekdays? We have narrowed it down to going on a Sunday or Tuesday. I use to check out the crowd calendars and make a decision on which day to visit each park. Now I think there has been so many changes that the crowd calendars may not be very accurate.

 

[soniam]

There's no way to predict if a Sunday or Tuesday will be busier. Just pick whatever works best for your schedule. You can try to assume that AK will have the same crowd level as the busiest park per day. We will have to choose ADRs soon too for our late July trip. I am doing two schedules: one with Pandora open, so 2 days at AK, and one without Pandora open, 1 day at AK. Crowd levels at AK won't even be known until after Pandora opens, which won't help you at all. You are just going to have to wing it.

 

[soniam]

Also, usually the crowd level differences between parks is usually only 1 level, ie 7 vs 8. That difference is pretty minor. I don't think anyone would be able to tell the difference. You could always book both days and pick other parks for those days and decide as things get closer. You probably wouldn't be holding too many ADRs that way.

 

[maryj11]

Also, usually the crowd level differences between parks is usually only 1 level, ie 7 vs 8. That difference is pretty minor. I don't think anyone would be able to tell the difference. You could always book both days and pick other parks for those days and decide as things get closer. You probably wouldn't be holding too many ADRs that way.

Yes I think we go ahead and plan on Sunday and Tuesday and change one as time gets closer. My main worry is figuring out what days to book BOG and Ohana dinners lol. I guess I will book those on other days so I can decide on our AK day as time draws nearer.

 

[Accident]

I think this has the potential to bring a lot of people that would not have considered WDW or aren't disney / disney park fans. Yes they are going to be in ak for pandora but the question in my mind is what else are they planning to do. I can't see coming to WDW and not at least trying Magic Kingdom for example.

It's going to be interesting to see how the crowds disperse around the property, especially when its closer to the new movie coming out and that hype gets people excited.

It really comes down to when are they going to commit and opening date and how much time do people not thinking disney right now suddenly come to disney because of it.. It'll be interesting.

 

[lockedoutlogic]

I think this has the potential to bring a lot of people that would not have considered WDW or aren't disney / disney park fans. Yes they are going to be in ak for pandora but the question in my mind is what else are they planning to do.

Ok...why?

 

[Accident]

Ok...why?

Because I have a few coworkers that are not disney fans asking for advice on coming to disney to see pandora this summer. That's the only basis and pandora is why they are looking to visit.

 

[lockedoutlogic]

Because I have a few coworkers that are not disney fans asking for advice on coming to disney to see pandora this summer. That's the only basis and pandora is why they are looking to visit.

So you think there's a quiet, fat wallet segment of non-Disney fans that are closeted avatar junkies waiting to make a pilgrimage?

Basically the Harry Potter crowd that disney hints it's gonna bring...without saying it (until this silly little exec did it) because they have no confidence in it...

That's your stance.

 

[Accident]

So you think there's a quiet, fat wallet segment of non-Disney fans that are closeted avatar junkies waiting to make a pilgrimage?

Basically the Harry Potter crowd that disney hints it's gonna bring...without saying it (until this silly little exec did it) because they have no confidence in it...

That's your stance.

in short, yes. I personally don't think there is as many as disney thinks is coming but I was surprised a couple friends wanted advice that thought disney wasn't worth vacationing too and now because of avatar it is. The question and what I'll find interesting is watching how many there really are.

 

[lockedoutlogic]

in short, yes. I personally don't think there is as many as disney thinks is coming but I was surprised a couple friends wanted advice that thought disney wasn't worth vacationing too and now because of avatar it is. The question and what I'll find interesting is watching how many there really are.

Ok...same ballpark, right section.

I think they will get the standard 12-18 month "bump" as all new developments in Orlando get.

Lots of Florida visitors (the closest thing to the Disneyland market), APs from an extended range, and a little more curiosity from the General market. I see that as a "modest" gain. If they get 5-10% over the first year they should be happy. There isn't the sustained market because there is no fanbase like potter over the long haul.

Disney's gamble here is that there is enough of a market swell to justify the ridiculous avatar cost. It's damn near the total reported budget for the rest of the park combined..."officially"

I think they tried to hedge that but sticking the ROL and the food overhaul in there at the same time...trying to make the middle road traveler think it's a whole new park. But that hasn't gone well either.

 

[Accident]

I think they will get the standard 12-18 month "bump" as all new developments in Orlando get.

I wonder how the second avatar movie in 2018 might renew this interest and possibly add a little more staying power. It seems to be lining up so as the 18 month boom (which I agree) lingers there is a new movie to get more vested interest, and just in case, lets toss in star wars or toy story land.

I just wonder if 5-10% more gain for those 18 months means we can expect a 5-10% increase in mk crowds as they visit more than just avatar. Or will that be higher in mk because most don't go just 1 day (but first time visitors will). Or is this appealing enough to actually equalize and take away from the mk crowd so it's no gain or lowers.

 

[lockedoutlogic]

I wonder how the second avatar movie in 2018 might renew this interest and possibly add a little more staying power. It seems to be lining up so as the 18 month boom (which I agree) lingers there is a new movie to get more vested interest, and just in case, lets toss in star wars or toy story land.

I just wonder if 5-10% more gain for those 18 months means we can expect a 5-10% increase in mk crowds as they visit more than just avatar. Or will that be higher in mk because most don't go just 1 day (but first time visitors will). Or is this appealing enough to actually equalize and take away from the mk crowd so it's no gain or lowers.

Avatar is possible one of the biggest flash in the pans in entertainment history...it sold a boatload of tickets and people universally recognized it as technically "neat"...then it was forgotten by the entire audience. It disappeared...no product tie ins...no recurring airplay...it came, and went.

Which is exactly why this move made
Little sense...then or now.

They'll be minor movies...especially in North American...and we are talking about Florida here.
This should have been built in Hong Kong as a test run...the right place for it.

 

[Accident]

They'll be minor movies...especially in North American...and we are talking about Florida here.
This should have been built in Hong Kong as a test run...the right place for it.

Is that market for avatar huge? (I don't really know, I have yet to be able to watch more than 15 minutes of the movie before I bail). Is it big enough to open a new tourist sector that wants to visit florida because avatar is here?

 

[lockedoutlogic]

Is that market for avatar huge? (I don't really know, I have yet to be able to watch more than 15 minutes of the movie before I bail). Is it big enough to open a new tourist sector that wants to visit florida because avatar is here?

We've had this debate since the day they announced this:

I don't think so...but there are two sides:

A side: made $2 bil, got a bunch of Facebook likes, sold DVDs

B side: I don't remember it...nobody remembers it. It sold no product...it disappeared from public prominence quickly, Cameron has had a hard time getting fox to sign on to the sequels, it has no memorable characters to translate to a Disney audience.

You decide.

 

[Accident]

it has no memorable characters to translate to a Disney audience.

This is what sparks my curiosity about adding it to a disney theme park. I wonder how the other audience is going to react and if there is going to be additions in 2018 that go the direction for those memorable characters and ways to pimp merch the way disney loves to do it.

just talking out loud. it's going to be an interesting couple years. I'm just happy for more things to do at AK for the moment and hope they are things I want to do more than a couple times. I also want to check off "opening day of a big new change at WDW" bucket list item which most interests.