Watching Dec Dates/crowds - FYI

[KalamityJane]

I've been watching hotel dates because I'm trying to decide on Dec 2-9 or 9-16. It looks like the hotels on Harbour are starting to sell out for the weekend of the Candlelight Processional (Dec 5/6) and the days before and after. Just in case anyone else was looking to go around these time I'm not sure if it will correlate to lower crowds later or not, but worth a mention.

 

[Sherry E]

I just want to point this out in case someone gets the wrong idea -- It's not really Candlelight that sells out the hotels, and that is important to note, as I think that a lot of people have a fear about massive crowds for Candlelight that dominate everything throughout the parks, all day long. A lot of the Candlelight viewers can go home at the end of the night, or they stay onsite at a DLR hotel -- and even when they stay onsite, the hotels don't sellout just from Candlelight attendees/crowds (I speak from experience, having been able to get onsite rooms during that time on more than one occasion). The hotels didn't even sell out when the 20 nights of Candlelight were offered -- and promoted more publicly -- in 2012.

In other words, yes, it is an event that affects the crowd patterns in the parks, either by way of crowds coming to see the event, OR crowds trying to avoid the event, but it's not going to infiltrate every aspect of what goes on in the parks (or at the nearby hotels) for the entire weekend. It's not even promoted, and many people still don't know it even exists until they get to DLR and see the set-up.

A lot of people actually clear out on the Monday after Candlelight is over -- I have witnessed it.

The holidays are extremely popular, and we're already inching up to mid-October, so most Good Neighbors would be starting to sell out for early December fairly soon anyway (if not earlier). That's probably not uncommon. Last year the 3 onsite hotels sold out for that same weekend -- but not because of Candlelight alone. It was because there were two other events going on (RaverDay and a nearby pharmacist convention) that involved a lot of the attendees staying onsite.

Also, this year seems to be more crowded anyway (during Halloween Time), and it's certainly not because Disney has added anything new into the Halloween Time line-up in the daytime. I think it's just because of the 60th anniversary. So I would imagine that the 60th anniversary effect will trickle right on through the end of the year in terms of how it affects crowds and hotel bookings during already busy times (like the holidays).

 

[chickapin parterre]

just to add to sherry great insight and advice.. I have been reading where folks are booking because of the 2016 closures, Oct cancels because of the extreme weather and wanting to avoid what sherry and I are always cautioning folks that is upcoming for 2015-2016. And then KJ still waiting for dates...what % of folks at this point in the year wait for dates that can be reserved months out...will they also add to the nasty brew of this coming 2015 holiday?

 

[Sherry E]

just to add to sherry great insight and advice.. I have been reading where folks are booking because of the 2016 closures, Oct cancels because of the extreme weather and wanting to avoid what sherry and I are always cautioning folks that is upcoming for 2015-2016. And then KJ still waiting for dates...what % of folks at this point in the year wait for dates that can be reserved months out...will they also add to the nasty brew of this coming 2015 holiday?

Yes, that's an excellent point -- I'm glad you brought it up. I totally forgot about that when I typed the above post. Not only is the 60th bringing in extra people, but if the general public is aware that so many things are closing after January 10th (a few of them closing forever), there might be a mad rush on the parks/hotels between now and the end of the year.

Ditto about El Nino -- if people have been following those reports, they would assume that the worst of it will not be hitting in early December, but likely later in the month or even after the New Year has begun. Thus, another mad rush on the parks and hotels!

Great points, chickapin!

 

[Tyggress]

I must say, being a local and an AP holder, I am fully prepared to see massive crowds for hubby's birthday weekend, smack in the middle of holiday time. It's been hot and crowded all year, frankly...but all of these issues and announcements / events are brewing a perfect storm of crowds. Holidays, 60th, Season of the Force, permanent and long-term closures, etc. Yikes!

Luckily, I scored a VGC suite to surprise hubby for his birthday, and honestly, if the parks are insane (weekend of 12/12), which they might be, we just might spend some quality time in our room instead of in the parks!

J/K...we'll probably look at décor, eat some great meals and wander DTD / hang out in GCH's lobby, though!

 

[chickapin parterre]

thank you tyggress, I have been warning and writing about the brewing of a perfect storm (since 2016 news) on the other sights for 2015 and folks have just been saying, nah, just another holiday season!!!

 

[KalamityJane]

Good points! I actually do have hotels and flights booked but are changeable (thanks Southwest!), so I've been watching due to a lot of what you all are saying. Our APs expire in Feb., so I'm seriously debating holding off until January for our one last trip. I would rather have less people there and be rainy with closures than crowded.

 

[3TinksAndAnEeyore]

...

a perfect storm of crowds

...

A very apt description and prediction!

 

[Sherry E]

Last year it was a perfect storm between the Candlelight-related crowds, the RaverDay folks and the pharmacists in town for the nearby convention. People reported that specific weekend to be busier than they had ever seen it on that same weekend in the past, and I believe it.

This year, it seems there are multiple things that are going to factor into why the crowds could swell between now and the end of the year. There was already one day last month that DL reached capacity -- and that never happens in September. That is possibly an ominous sign of things to come for the rest of this year!