Vacation planning July 2017...D23 question

[Butterfly123]

Hi all,
We are planning our next summer vacation, and the best week for us puts us in the park the five days of July 9-13. I just found out the D23 expo will be July 14-16. I've never been in the parks around this convention, and I'm wondering how extra busy it might make our vacation days, with people coming early to go to the parks before the expo. We could swing five days in early August, but it's not quite as convenient. Anybody have any thoughts? Convention-time experience?

 

[SMD]

Have you checked hotel rates? Someone posted a day or 2 ago that hotel rates were high and availability was low at that time. It's July. July is always crowded at DLR. People who will make a special trip for a Disney convention are going to go to the parks either before or after the convention or both.

 

[Butterfly123]

Have you checked hotel rates? Someone posted a day or 2 ago that hotel rates were high and availability was low at that time. It's July. July is always crowded at DLR. People who will make a special trip for a Disney convention are going to go to the parks either before or after the convention or both.

Yes, the rates are higher the last day of our planned trip, that is the Thursday before the convention, when I suspect people will be coming in. We've gone often in July, and know how to manage a busy park, but I don't know much about the convention, so that's why I'm wondering what people experiences around the D23 convention are. I'm hoping to get more of an idea of the conventions impact on the park the week prior.

Editing to add another question...is D23 usually in summer, or is this new? I don't remember seeing it in summer before.

 

[SMD]

It's every other year. It was in Sept once, August 3 times and now July. People who go to D23 also go to the parks. Whether they go before or after is personal preference.

 

[Butterfly123]

It's every other year. It was in Sept once, August 3 times and now July. People who go to D23 also go to the parks. Whether they go before or after is personal preference.

I guess that's why I haven't run into it before. I haven't been to the parks in August or September. Well I guess I'll just have to decide whether I want to roll the dice and see what happens in July, or move our dates to August, when it's not as convenient and could possibly be just as busy. Ahhhh...decisions.

 

[SMD]

If you went in July this past year, it was the 60th, so that would offset some of any D23 crowds. It's impossible to predict now what promotions Disney could run in 9 months, so in some respect it's always a roll of the dice.