What was going on at WDW Last Week??

[JimmyBean42]

As to possible lack of 'homework' I don't know them personally so can't comment in that regard, but I dont agree Disney does a good job of letting people know by email, mail or what have you. Other than the numerous Incredible booklets I've gotten over the past several months I've had no mail from them and emails I've gotten weeks after the 180 dining and 60 day FP marks. Communication is not Disney's strong feature.

I have had a completely different experience than you in this regard. I think they've done a fantastic job of communication. I've received an email right before it was time to do my ADR, my FP+ selections and just this week I received an email notifying me it was my last day to do Magic Band customization if I wanted. Not sure if it is because I'm the name on the reservation for booking, but I've received emails from them for important dates as a reminder. Might be something in the MDE account setup? I'd check and see if there is a setting or something for alerts. October has gotten a lot busier than in the past.

 

[MarieKat]

I was there last week and had basically no problems. It was a mess at MK both Saturdays but we expected that. Epcot got slammed that weekend too according to CMs due to the Food & Wine Festival. We went Friday night for Illuminations and it seemed busy but I have no idea what normal is there. No problems with Magic Bands. No problems with FastPasses and we switched stuff around quite a bit. I didn't use crowd calendars and just went where we wanted when we felt like it, ha.

 

[DisneyOma]

While I have of course waited for 10 AM exactly to get some greatly coveted NYC restaurant that is a rare event. However, I have spent every morning for the last 3 weeks calling WDW to get a Fantasmic! package because they aren't out for 2016. That is a very common occurrence in planning a WDW vacation. Since FP+ started before every trip I am up at Midnight to get my FP+ at 60 days out. That is extreme compared to other vacations.

Even my trips to Europe, which do require quite a bit of research and planning, do rise to the level an average vacation to WDW can consume in time and energy.

This part makes no sense to me "I have spent every morning for the last 3 weeks calling WDW to get a Fantasmic! package because they aren't out for 2016". If they aren't out, why do you keep calling?

 

[ErinsMommy]

This part makes no sense to me "I have spent every morning for the last 3 weeks calling WDW to get a Fantasmic! package because they aren't out for 2016". If they aren't out, why do you keep calling?

Because when they get released they go fast - similar to any other ADR these days. If you want something log on at midnight and keep those fingers crossed.

 

[ErinsMommy]

I have had a completely different experience than you in this regard. I think they've done a fantastic job of communication. I've received an email right before it was time to do my ADR, my FP+ selections and just this week I received an email notifying me it was my last day to do Magic Band customization if I wanted. Not sure if it is because I'm the name on the reservation for booking, but I've received emails from them for important dates as a reminder. Might be something in the MDE account setup? I'd check and see if there is a setting or something for alerts. October has gotten a lot busier than in the past.

Glad it's been working well for you - for me not so much and my settings are all correct. I've just been cursed with a defunct account that's been transferred to a recently newly created one - which still appears to have issues of its own. Working with a wonderful person in GS has taken some of the stress out of the equation but it's still been really unsettling to keep dealing with these almost weekly IT crashes or in Disney terms "magical enhancements".

 

[samsteele]

Hoping for a better, seamless experience for my vacation in the next few weeks. Last Fall, it took 2 trips to front desk at the POP and a further trip to Guest Relations at the front of AK to get my DP activated on my band for my meals. I agree with the PP that notifications from WDW have been poor re ADRs, FP+ and magic band customizing. I have received Incredible mailings weeks after deadlines have passed. Also lots of flyers for the photo pass pre-buy plan. I know my own deadlines so not a problem for me. I used a TA so that may be part of the reason why I get lettermail a month after its needed. I'm also an International Guest in Canada so I don't expect the same attention to detail. I probably should expect, but realistically I simply don't, have few expectations, and just get on with my own planning for my own vacation. That said, I'd hate to be a child in a family whose parents aren't aware of ADRs, FP+ and magic band stuff. I wouldn't say its a buyer beware situation. Rather, its very much a "user aware" system.

 

[redkel]

He also said that you could not do Fast passes at more than one park but only at the park you were at (so he didn’t understand if you had a park hopper & set something up at another park for later)

Okay -- this is accurate and inaccurate at the same time. You can only make and update FP+ for the PARK YOU ARE IN...even if you are hopping. If you are in MK and use your 3rd FP and then intend to hop to EP, you have to get to EP first and then choose your 4th, etc. FP's at a kiosk (not MDX -- only to modify).

These kind of reports usually are from first time Disney Vacationers and I feel bad for them. Anytime I am spending a lot of $$ on anything (car, vacation, property, new camera equipment, etc.) I educate myself about where exactly my money is going and how I can maximize my investment -- that includes planning, research, cost analysis, comparison shopping, etc.

There are dozens of Disney vacation planning websites, specialized professional travel agents and enough books written about it to fill my small little town's library. The information is available, but not everyone makes the effort.

Sorry they had a bad experience. I've not heard about the Magic Band glitches in regards to rooms.

 

[ArwenMarie]

I think the thing is that something which bills itself as a "resort" has become a very complicated endeavor to get right. In contrast, most people would understand that to visit a new city or country would take effort, unless you are on a tour, which is why people often take tours especially in other countries. But should a visit to a "resort" in Florida be this complicated? Is it really about people not researching enough or has it just become a planning monster? I dunno.

 

[jinsally]

I agree with you, OP, that Disney does not do a good job of communicating with you about how important it is to book certain things as soon as the window opens. It's really ridiculous that you even have to book these things so far in advance. It was bad enough with ADRs, but with FP+ being 60 days in advance that's just stupid to me. I do it, yes, but it's stupid.

Couldn't agree with what you said more. I'm an over planner and I usually don't mind planning far in advance but to stay up till midnight to make FPs or wake up @ 6am to do dining ressies...... only to know that most likely the opening/closing times as well as parades/wishes/fantasmic times will change... and I'd have to revise my touring plans....it really is frustrating! Not a fan of them changing times and adding EMHs so close to travel dates. By the time they make that change, I'm pretty much stuck with my plan due to all the premade reservations and not having a park hopper.

 

[princess_ariel_85]

We were there last week. This is a huge exaggeration. We saw peak hour wait times around:

MK: 7D was usually 1-1.5h but we did walk on at the end of a MNSSHP, the mountains were usually 40+min, PP hovered around an hour
Epcot: 70-80m for Soarin, TT was often under an hour
DHS: TSMM did hit 100m one day, ToT was 40m to an hour, 50-70m for RnRC
AK: Didn't pay enough attention

Granted, I wasn't watching wait times all day long but we would break after the morning and look at crowds mid-afternoon to decide where we might go next.

We were there for the past 2 weeks and this is more or less what we found with the odd exception...

TSMM hit 120 on one day, unless we get a FP we don't bother with it. 50 minutes seemed to be the magic number in MK, we waited 40 minutes for Little Mermaid too. It did feel busier than previous trips.

Our magic bands worked fine though the app seemed a little glitch at times.

 

[Tarheel girl 1975]

We were there the 1st -11th. It was more crowded than our previous trips. We didn't end up waiting longer than 25 minutes for anything, but I booked FP 60 days out. I can easily see how things might have gone differently, for someone who doesn't undertake the same level of planning. There were a few times I changed my FP during our trip. At 10 am in the MK one day, I couldn't change to any headliners or mid tier rides (POTC, JC, HM) before 5pm.

We encountered more backed up FP lines than ever. And these lines weren't just backed up until you got to the readers, they were backed up the entire way to the ride and out into the walkway. Overnight, they put up switchback lines outside of BTMRR's FP return line.

We also were lucky. There were several times that major rides went down, but we either had already done them or were planning to ride them another day instead.

 

[FlightlessDuck]

Sounds like your husband's coworkers are either exaggerating or are completely incompetent. Maybe both.

 

[maxiesmom]

I was there this past Friday to Tuesday. And there were no mass issues with FP or Magic Bands. It honestly sounds like your husband's coworker didn't do much in the way of research for their trip. If you don't have a clue how FPs work, then I can see where things seem chaotic and get frustrating.

There is a lot to know about your trip to WDW. I don't understand people who spend thousands of dollars yet don't do even the most basic research.

 

[alopez926]

Sounds like there was some exaggerating going on from the OP's co-worker about wait times for ALL attractions for sure.

However,

If you plan a trip expecting park levels of 4 or 5 and they wind up being an 8, 9, or 10 (as MK was last Wednesday and yesterday and one or two other days last week) and you go in expecting DHS to be a 5 and it's an 8, then yes, the lines for everything will be way longer than you expected them to be, even with the best planning.

Although many of you who were actually there during the same time frame as the OP's friend and did not experience 2 hour waits for everything, I am absolutely astounded by some of the wait times you did experience (as well as some of the wait times I observed on my app yesterday--it was horrifying). As someone who has never gone during this time frame, I would never have expected waits that long. And it sure doesn't seem like Josh or Touring plans (i.e., the people who eat, live and breathe this stuff) did either.

So yes, maybe the OP's friend did not plan as well as the more experienced WDW traveler might have....but even so, I don't think most people would have gone in thinking they needed to plan like it was a peak week in July either!

 

[ariane37]

I agree with what many are saying about doing research before any vacation. But, I think that for a first timer, beginning the research for a trip to WDW can be so overwhelming that they may give up, definitely may not fully understand everything such as ADR's and FP, and will without a doubt develop a headache while attempting to figure it all out lol. I have 2 friends in the process of planning trips. One just told me a few days ago; they're going during our spring break next March. No solid plans yet, so she's been sending me numerous texts with a bunch of questions about resorts, which parks her boys would like (they're 13 & 15), what is this "dining plan", etc. I was sending her novel-size texts back and not really saying much about the fact that the parks will be extremely busy and she's within her 180 days, and I hadn't mentioned FP's yet. Then she said her DH will want a nice sit-down dinner every night and they want to try keeping the trip under 5k, so I finally suggested we meet instead of texting. Oh, at one point she said she was thinking they'd just do Epcot and Universal, and I had to tell her Uni wasn't a Disney park.........they were also thinking of staying in a distant relatives condo 20 miles from the parks so they could go back for lunch AND dinner every day-she would charge them $2500 for 7 nights. Anyway, in my message saying we should meet I was honest about crowds, brought up the time factor with the condo, the 180 days, and said since they're spending a lot of $$ I'd hate for them not to have a good time and not have all the info they need. She thanked me for being willing to meet her as, her own words, "planning for this is more overhwleming than I thought!!" And like I said, she has no idea about FP yet!!
So the point of my ramble is that some people may try to plan, and may even think they've done enough. But there are so many things to know about where a Disney vacation is concerned that those visiting for the first time who don't have friends/family to help them out or who are using a (good) TA, I feel, are at a huge disadvantage.
My other friend is going with extended family over Presidents weekend in Feb. They've also done nothing yet. They are totally fly-by-the-seat-of-our-pants people. I can't even........I just can't.........

 

[maxiesmom]

So yes, maybe the OP's friend did not plan as well as the more experienced WDW traveler might have....but even so, I don't think most people would have gone in thinking they needed to plan like it was a peak week in July either!

The parks were busy, yes. However no where near a peak week in July busy. Most of the days I was there were 6s and 7s, and that is what it felt like.

 

[MaryKatesMom]

This part makes no sense to me "I have spent every morning for the last 3 weeks calling WDW to get a Fantasmic! package because they aren't out for 2016". If they aren't out, why do you keep calling?

What part doesn't make sense? It is within 180 days, they aren't on the calendar yet, I've booked my dining reservations during a busy week, I did NOT get what I wanted at exactly 180 days at 6AM for dining reservations so I am PLANNING on it being difficult to get a Fantasmic! package on the only night left to put it because I am EXPECTING it to be both busy and impossible to move anything around to accommodate a different night.

Does it make sense to wait until the week before to check?

If Disney expects us to make plans so far in advance not having everything up is frustrating.

 

[bc7ate9]

Because when they get released they go fast - similar to any other ADR these days. If you want something log on at midnight and keep those fingers crossed.

I never have any problem getting a Fantasmic! package at 60 days out. I refuse to stay up all night and stress out about anything related to my vacation. We still manage to have very magical Disney trips.

 

[MaryKatesMom]

I never have any problem getting a Fantasmic! package at 60 days out. I refuse to stay up all night and stress out about anything related to my vacation. We still manage to have very magical Disney trips.

I refuse to eat at H&V in the middle of the afternoon to get a F!. HBD is one of our must do's and they go fast during holiday's and spring break.

 

[alopez926]

The parks were busy, yes. However no where near a peak week in July busy. Most of the days I was there were 6s and 7s, and that is what it felt like.

I'm glad it wasn't nearly as scary in the parks as the app seemed to be showing. Touring plans showed that MK had 4 days out of 8 (Sunday 10/4 to Monday 10/12) at a 9 or 10 and one at an 8. HS had 3 out of 8 days at 9 or 10 and one at an 8. Epcot and AK had two or 3 each above 8. But when it wasn't crazy, it was down in the 4-6 range. So you must have planned well! I'm hoping for the same when I go next month (on Veteran's day...arrgh)!