Summer Demand?

[CamillaF]

For us, the funny thing is we only use the pools in the summer. We're sorta spoiled with our own weather, the beach, etc. When we visit in the winter, there's no way I'm jumping in a pool with weather in the 60's...LOL. People will always say "the pools are heated", especially if they're from a colder climate and 60 degrees is a winter heat wave for them. Yeah, the pools may be heated, but the air isn't.

When we see folks at the pools at hotels around our neck of the woods anytime between say October and April, the running quip is "they must be from Minneapolis"...

I have to laugh at how different our cultures are just because of the weather. My daughter swims in an outdoor pool even when it’s snowing. The only time swim team does not practice is if there is lightning.

 

[zavandor]

DVC at WDW has long had two distinct demand seasons (measured by how long it takes to usually have rooms fill after reservations open beginning 11-months out): (a) the high to extremely high demand "fall" season from late Sep through marathon weekend in Jan, and (b) the more moderate demand season the rest of the year.

The extremely high demand times during that fall season have been first two weeks of Dec, Dec 23 to to Jan 2, Tues through Fri of Thanksgiving week, the Wednesday to Sunday of the Wine & Dine race weekend during first part of Nov, the Wed to Sun of Marathon weekend in Jan, and the Thurs before Columbus Day in October through the weekend after Columbus Day.

The lowest demand times of the year (all in the moderate season) have been Feb 1 to the Thurs before Presidents Day, July 7 to July 31, the Monday after the Princess half-marathon weekend in late Feb through first week of March, and the last week of April. June has, in the past, been the highest demand month in the moderate season (but stilll significantly lower than the fall season) and May has been higher than August and Sep. Times around holidays during the moderate season also have had higher demand than other times. The highest demand time during the moderate season has traditionally been the Thurs to Sun of the Princess half-marathon weekend in late Feb, but even for that weekend demand has been lower than anything in the fall season. How extreme has the differences been between the two seasons? By example: the demand for the first two weeks of Dec has traditionally made the two Easter weeks look like a slow off-season.

There appears to be some changes in demand going on as a result of DVC's recent shift (over a three-year period) of nightly points needed for reservations by increasing them in the fall season while decreasing them other times of the year, particularly May through Sep. There does not yet appear to be a major shift of overall demand taking place, but fall has become a little less high while times in the moderate season have seen some increases. The most noticeable change in demand I have seen thus far is the increase in demand for the first two weeks of May. As a result of the three-year point shift, those two weeks have gone from being in a higher point season to the second lowest. The full impact of the point shift on demand throughout the year will probably take at least a few more years to become clear.

I am noticing that early September has much fewer availability than before the Pandemic. Not sure if it's a result of the point reallocation or still excess points in the system due to the closures, but there are fewer option than I was used to. Late August, however, has a lot of availability, which makes me think the reallocation plays a big part, with September being so cheap, more people are willing to brave the weather.

 

[n2mm]

I’ve noticed that too. If we weren’t doing the July 10 night cruise, we wouldn’t be in WDW before the cruise. Too hot, too rainy and often too crowded. I also think folks have finally burned through their excess points after the shutdown. We had no problem booking our Bwv rooms in July well after the 7 month window had opened, though it was pool view, not my beloved standard View. But if you look at the fall dates, those are sparse at some resorts. Used my 11 month window for sept trip and Oct/Nov trip Bwv/standard studio.

 

[Brian Noble]

No, you really can't surf Superior.

As mentioned above, you can--but mostly only in the winter when the gales whip up.

https://twitter.com/x/status/1479151912901660676

We are normally mid-to-late-February visitors to Orlando, and we define the weather by three categories: warm, kid-warm, and cold. Warm is when it's warm enough for everyone to swim. Cold is when it is cold enough that no one wants to swim. Kid-warm is when the kids want to go in the water, but the parents want nothing to do with it. In a given week, we usually got a few warm days, a few cold days, and the rest were kid-warm.

Amusingly, the kid who was the first in the pool on kid-warm days moved to UCLA for grad school; he bought a board and a wetsuit within like the first six weeks. But, he's also the one who used to complain that we were "making him swim" on the swim team in high school. There's no figuring them.

 

[DonMacGregor]

I have to laugh at how different our cultures are just because of the weather. My daughter swims in an outdoor pool even when it’s snowing. The only time swim team does not practice is if there is lightning.

When I was in high school and college, hitting Newport or Huntington for a morning sesh was pretty normal, but we still wore at least a spring suit. Swam polo in HS and if there was steam coming off the water, it was a demoralizing morning practice...LOL.

Yeah, we're soft...

 

[Brian Noble]

My daughter swam HS polo in Michigan. It freaked her out to play a spring tournament at Michigan State’s outdoor pool.

 

[crisi]

Oh but they do surf Superior! You can watch them up north side of Duluth in season off 61.

https://umdrsop.d.umn.edu/programs/paddle-surf-kite/surfing-school-year#:~:text=When the wind blows over,to ride fresh water waves.

Yeah, I've actually seen that. It's "surfing" like places in the South sometimes get "snow." And if you do that, you do wear a wetsuit.

 

[_auroraborealis_]

Yeah, I've actually seen that. It's "surfing" like places in the South sometimes get "snow." And if you do that, you do wear a wetsuit.

Well, you'd have to be insane NOT to wear the wetsuit.

 

[Minniesgal]

Summer is the quiet season for DVC you can pretty much book what you want July and august

 

[crisi]

Summer is the quiet season for DVC you can pretty much book what you want July and august

End of August - if you can stand the heat and humidity, is some of the lowest crowds as well.

 

[Minniesgal]

End of August - if you can stand the heat and humidity, is some of the lowest crowds as well.

We were there this August and it was a lot less humid than years ago. We didn’t even get the afternoon rain

 

[AnnaKristoff2013]

We were there this August and it was a lot less humid than years ago. We didn’t even get the afternoon rain

Did that make it better or worse? I remember the afternoon rain would sometimes cool things off a bit so the evening would be bearable. We are considering a late August trip this year after doing it last year and swearing to never do it again…. We just enjoy those halloween parties so much.

 

[AdamsMum]

Agree. When I see people at the pool in cold temps at WDW, it always feels like a "we promised our kids they could swim without realizing Florida gets cold in the winter" moment.

That was my kid, as long as the pond ain't frozen.

 

[Minniesgal]

Did that make it better or worse? I remember the afternoon rain would sometimes cool things off a bit so the evening would be bearable. We are considering a late August trip this year after doing it last year and swearing to never do it again…. We just enjoy those halloween parties so much.

Worse. We used to go to the parks in the early evening when it was cooler after the rain. It wasn’t cooler in the evenings last year

 

[AnnaKristoff2013]

Worse. We used to go to the parks in the early evening when it was cooler after the rain. It wasn’t cooler in the evenings last year

Lol you just talked me out of an August trip.

 

[Jack Kerouac]

Worse. We used to go to the parks in the early evening when it was cooler after the rain. It wasn’t cooler in the evenings last year

Great... We going in early August due to school starting the week after we get home (everyone in the family is impatient and wanted to go as soon as possible when we got the points when our DVC contract closed in December.) We will then shift to a late-May, early June schedule beginning in 2024. Higher cost in points, but I'm hoping a bit more comfortable.

 

[starry_solo]

Great... We going in early August due to school starting the week after we get home (everyone in the family is impatient and wanted to go as soon as possible when we got the points when our DVC contract closed in December.) We will then shift to a late-May, early June schedule beginning in 2024. Higher cost in points, but I'm hoping a bit more comfortable.

Should be, but that's when the humidity really starts kicking up (at least for those of us who are used to a dry heat). We used to in mid-to-late May for the end of Flower & Garden and Star Wars Weekends (when those were a thing) and the last part of the trip was starting to get miserable for us.

 

[Jack Kerouac]

Should be, but that's when the humidity really starts kicking up (at least for those of us who are used to a dry heat). We used to in mid-to-late May for the end of Flower & Garden and Star Wars Weekends (when those were a thing) and the last part of the trip was starting to get miserable for us.

We live in IL. My blood tends to favor the cold more than the heat. But I'm willing to suffer a bit if it means visiting WDW with my boys. Plus we are building in a lot of breaks from the heat. While WDW is amazing as an adult, it is somehow even better when you see it through the eyes of your kids. That's why we went from visiting WDW in April 2022 to being DVC members by the end of the year.

 

[Wakey]

I watch availability a lot. I’ve never seen demand so low as this summer. I could quite easily have booked 1 beds at, say, Boardwalk Standard view when I checked last a week or so ago. I think I even saw AK Value 1 beds.
i also see extremely high demand, higher than usual, early December. Yes it’s normally busy, but with 1 beds it’s often possible to walk 7 month 1 bed bookings through December to Xmas itself for those hard to get bookings- that’s not often possible this year.
The patterns this year are an exaggeration of what we usually see- quieter summer is very quiet, busier early December is very busy.