Where are (or were) the crowds?????

[lockedoutlogic]

Did it get closed last year? List I see is that Christmas has been a closure every year since 2009 (though no 2015 is listed). This week will be telling because pretty much every year has at least one phase closure sometime between Christmas and New Years day.

That's what I don't know/too lazy to look up...

I wonder

(Give me a break...I'm writing a $30,000 technical report concurrently with posting all day )

 

[lugnut33]

Then there is this offer where you get two additional FPs...

https://disneyparks.disney.go.com/b...-your-kindermoon-at-walt-disney-world-resort/

What the heck is that offer? 3 nights and 2 days, with two day tickets. There is a 10 day window in Feb./March and 25 days in April/May and only valid Sunday through Thursday. Then the additional FP+ can only be used at HS on Disney Jr. and on 4 attractions at MK that normally don't need FP+. LOL, that is some funny stuff.

 

[Madonna3]

Ok...maybe not "dumb"

But its not nearly enough discount to force a sale that otherwise wasn't going to be made.

It's like 5-10% off the bottomline at the end of the day...and as we always say and pretty much agree...they've been using "kohls pricing" for years.

This works if you were comfortable booking at full package price prior to it being announced. It's gravy then.

The fast pass one is laughable. I knew they'd try to assign a monetary value to an old product and here we are...

They don't have any rides to warrant this...the place is stale and they let it get that way over 17+ years.

Try again, rat.

exactly.

So, you'd rather $60 a day in "Free" food (mediocre food) over a room discount? Perhaps if this included one table service meal then I could see it being more enticing to book, but it seems this is their idea of "free dining". Previously, if you paid for full price and depending on the tier of your room, you got a full day's worth of meals. Now, you get no discount and you get a QS, regardless of the tier of room you book. How is that NOT dumb? Maybe if you're a family of 4 you'll get the most value, but are you a family of 4 grown adults staying in one room? I don't know what about "free" food at Disney makes everyone lose their mind.

Make one of your tickets the lowest tier annual pass then save 20% on food and get passholder discount on the room.

 

[Madonna3]

What the heck is that offer? 3 nights and 2 days, with two day tickets. There is a 10 day window in Feb./March and 25 days in April/May and only valid Sunday through Thursday. Then the additional FP+ can only be used at HS on Disney Jr. and on 4 attractions at MK that normally don't need FP+. LOL, that is some funny stuff.

Yep and to those with small children who don't know any better (1st timers) they'll eat it up

 

[LSLS]

Ok...maybe not "dumb"

But its not nearly enough discount to force a sale that otherwise wasn't going to be made.

It's like 5-10% off the bottomline at the end of the day...and as we always say and pretty much agree...they've been using "kohls pricing" for years.

This works if you were comfortable booking at full package price prior to it being announced. It's gravy then.

The fast pass one is laughable. I knew they'd try to assign a monetary value to an old product and here we are...

They don't have any rides to warrant this...the place is stale and they let it get that way over 17+ years.

Try again, rat.

Maybe. I could see it pushing someone over the edge that was teetering on if they wanted to spend their money on that vacation or something else. It's not a great deal, but it's better than normal.

As for the fast pass one, go look at that one more closely and you will laugh even harder. It's not just two fast passes. Its:

• 1 voucher valid at Disney’s Hollywood Studios for Disney Junior Live on Stage!
• 1 voucher valid at Magic Kingdom for your choice of one of the following attractions: Dumbo the Flying Elephant, Ariel's Undersea Adventure , Monsters, Inc. Laugh Floor or Mickey's PhilharMagic Concert\

 

[Madonna3]

Maybe. I could see it pushing someone over the edge that was teetering on if they wanted to spend their money on that vacation or something else. It's not a great deal, but it's better than normal.

As for the fast pass one, go look at that one more closely and you will laugh even harder. It's not just two fast passes. Its:

• 1 voucher valid at Disney’s Hollywood Studios for Disney Junior Live on Stage!
• 1 voucher valid at Magic Kingdom for your choice of one of the following attractions: Dumbo the Flying Elephant, Ariel's Undersea Adventure , Monsters, Inc. Laugh Floor or Mickey's PhilharMagic Concert\

The normal deal was free dining. Not just a free quick service.

And yes, the additional fastpass thing is hilarious to us. Newbies will just love it.

 

[Roxyfire]

exactly.

So, you'd rather $60 a day in "Free" food (mediocre food) over a room discount? Perhaps if this included one table service meal then I could see it being more enticing to book, but it seems this is their idea of "free dining". Previously, if you paid for full price and depending on the tier of your room, you got a full day's worth of meals. Now, you get no discount and you get a QS, regardless of the tier of room you book. How is that NOT dumb? Maybe if you're a family of 4 you'll get the most value, but are you a family of 4 grown adults staying in one room? I don't know what about "free" food at Disney makes everyone lose their mind.

They did something similar last summer, I think. It's not great but there are people who see a "deal" and jump on it. And, let's face it, you will need to eat once there. It's the value resorts so they are not going to have a DVC style kitchenette to cook their food. To me, food is food. I can get some of the best food anywhere within half an hour's drive. Where I grew up however, the nicest thing in an hour's drive was Applebee's. Some people just don't work themselves up about fancy food. If someone did squeeze 2 adults and 2 kids in those rooms, might not be the worst deal. Especially with how big some of those quick serve meals are. They'd probably be able to stretch that out to cover most of your lunches/dinners if they wanted to.

 

[LSLS]

exactly.

So, you'd rather $60 a day in "Free" food (mediocre food) over a room discount? Perhaps if this included one table service meal then I could see it being more enticing to book, but it seems this is their idea of "free dining". Previously, if you paid for full price and depending on the tier of your room, you got a full day's worth of meals. Now, you get no discount and you get a QS, regardless of the tier of room you book. How is that NOT dumb? Maybe if you're a family of 4 you'll get the most value, but are you a family of 4 grown adults staying in one room? I don't know what about "free" food at Disney makes everyone lose their mind.

Make one of your tickets the lowest tier annual pass then save 20% on food and get passholder discount on the room.

It depends on the room rate. Values are almost always a 15% price drop for the specials, right? So if it's a choice between the $18 (heck, call it $20 if you want) savings per night on a room or the $42 (lets say 2 adults at $15 and 2 kids at $6) savings on food (mediocre as a lot is, we eat a QS a day), I'd take the food savings.

 

[LSLS]

The normal deal was free dining. Not just a free quick service.

And yes, the additional fastpass thing is hilarious to us. Newbies will just love it.

That's not true. Going and looking at the historical deals, since 2012 there has never been a free dining package over the summer while school is out.

 

[Accident]

They've added no capacity other than the line for mine train and the expanded concrete wheel. The path behind minetrain is the most dead in the park at all times and toontown is exactly the same - maybe less capacity than it was before. There seems to always be 5 rehabs going at once as well...so that limits capacity.

I suppose they have expanded concrete so now they can not reach capacity, Resulting in more bottlenecks and utter discomfort? That's the positive interpretation.

when I say capacity, I am actually referring to the legal number disney can have inside the park. Because it's enclosed around the perimeter with limited emergency egress locations there is some number MK has. Many guess it's 100,000 and some say it went up to 120,000 with new fantasy land. The hub did add more space someone could go and be, as well as more egress routes out of the hub area so what I'm saying is the capacity number before disney has to legally close the park and not let anyone else in is higher than the current estimates this year because the hub and the bypass was enlarged and more exit points and ways to get to them increased. I think the number of people before phase closing starts is actually higher this year. In my mind the people looking at phased closing as there was less people this year isn't comparing apple to apples, I think disney can pack the place with more people legally now so it didn't need to start closing for capacity this year.

I completely agree with your points, there's some spots that are dead and more peopel cram the hub now. but the hub also holds more so there is less scattering around the areas that don't empty out but it's all messy. As the visitor, it sucks if the number did go up and this year might have had more people (which we will never know cause disney will not tell the public it's exact numbers because it's a trade secret).

 

[Madonna3]

It depends on the room rate. Values are almost always a 15% price drop for the specials, right? So if it's a choice between the $18 (heck, call it $20 if you want) savings per night on a room or the $42 (lets say 2 adults at $15 and 2 kids at $6) savings on food (mediocre as a lot is, we eat a QS a day), I'd take the food savings.

I guess I'm seeing it as save yourself the trouble of committing yourself to a quick service per day.

 

[Accident]

And yes, the additional fastpass thing is hilarious to us. Newbies will just love it.

I wonder if this will take away same day fastpasses or make it easier as people have tied up fastpasses for 5 hours and won't go looking for more until even later in the day Right now the trick is get your fastpasses that day after noon but before everyone that rope dropped and saved them for the afternoon to be able to get some too.

 

[Madonna3]

That's not true. Going and looking at the historical deals, since 2012 there has never been a free dining package over the summer while school is out.

Oh. I guess I didn't see the part where that was the time frame. Meh. I guess if it works for you, wear it. I think they could do better.

 

[lockedoutlogic]

Maybe. I could see it pushing someone over the edge that was teetering on if they wanted to spend their money on that vacation or something else. It's not a great deal, but it's better than normal.

As for the fast pass one, go look at that one more closely and you will laugh even harder. It's not just two fast passes. Its:

• 1 voucher valid at Disney’s Hollywood Studios for Disney Junior Live on Stage!
• 1 voucher valid at Magic Kingdom for your choice of one of the following attractions: Dumbo the Flying Elephant, Ariel's Undersea Adventure , Monsters, Inc. Laugh Floor or Mickey's PhilharMagic Concert\

Right...I didn't look close enough at the fastpass one before...there's a word for that one: dumb

 

[LSLS]

Oh. I guess I didn't see the part where that was the time frame. Meh. I guess if it works for you, wear it. I think they could do better.

Completely agree with that.

 

[Chm635]

Madonna- you refer to an AP line, can you give more details? I would love to actually feel special because I'm a pass holder,

 

[rteetz]

Maybe. I could see it pushing someone over the edge that was teetering on if they wanted to spend their money on that vacation or something else. It's not a great deal, but it's better than normal.

As for the fast pass one, go look at that one more closely and you will laugh even harder. It's not just two fast passes. Its:

• 1 voucher valid at Disney’s Hollywood Studios for Disney Junior Live on Stage!
• 1 voucher valid at Magic Kingdom for your choice of one of the following attractions: Dumbo the Flying Elephant, Ariel's Undersea Adventure , Monsters, Inc. Laugh Floor or Mickey's PhilharMagic Concert\

Like I said earlier it's to get people to use FP at attractions that people don't use FP at.

 

[DisneyKoolaid]

I don't know if this is just my perception (only been an AP since 9/2015) but I went almost every Saturday this summer, spending most of my time at Epcot and MK and it didn’t seem crowded at all. I used to live and die by those crowd calendars online but threw them all out the window after the first week of June.

To me, once September hit, it seemed busier than summer, with Food and Wine, MK 45th anniversary, MNSSHP, etc.

On top of the crowds, summer resort prices were also way lower. Got to stay at Yacht, AKL, Boardwalk, and Contemporary for under $300/night (each, obviously) (all either Friday/Sat or just Sat night stays). All of them were booked either a week before or sometimes the night before the stay though, so I’m not sure if that also plays into it.

 

[GusGus77]

The above poster is right, however. Crowds stayed away until Xmas eve evening and Christmas day. We left the day after Christmas and were glad we were.

I think because Christmas fell on a weekend that most people finished out that week and left on Christmas or just before/after. I know some schools were in almost the full week before Christmas, but are extended out past New Year.

I think this week you'll see the Christmas crowds.

I agree. For the first time in A long time, our schools did not have off before Christmas except for Friday, but they do not go back until January 10 when usually it is the Tuesday or Wednesday immediately after New Year's. I think schedules such as this have spaced out the holiday crowds a bit this year.

 

[jade1]

Took a bit longer to get to Clearwater Beach today than used to, even with the road done finally through Tampa, but still super worth it.

Back to D Springs for dinner, awesome environment and food.

Hoping a night show but....

Have fun.