why are the middle 2 weeks of October blocked from specials?

[smile4stamps]

Hi everyone.

I am trying to pick when to go to WDW next fall. I am currently looking at October 12-? (depends on how long hubby says is ok!) From everything I have seen from this year and from people who have gotten PINS and the bounceback the middle 2 weeks of October are blocked out. Are they crowded? According to different crowd calanders they are not so just wondering what the deal is.

Where you there in October this year? If so what dates and were they busy?

 

[mom2rtk]

I haven't been that time of year, but watch the deals because we would like to do it sometime. Lots of schools do have fall breaks during that time, and Columbus Day weekend has traditionally been pretty busy.

One thing I'd be careful about is making assumptions (good or bad) about next year based on this year. Not sure about when the Fantasyland Expansion opens. Disney has made it pretty clear they want to stop the big discounts, and I can really see them using the opening of FLE as their reason to really cut back.

 

[RMulieri]

Fall Breaks and Columbus day weekend would be my guess.They probably have enough bookings already for those weeks and have no need to offer discounts or incentives

 

[ccudmore]

Canadian Thanksgiving week. Although we got free dining last year during that week.

 

[smile4stamps]

Canadian Thanksgiving week. Although we got free dining last year during that week.

Which week is Canadian Thanksgiving?

How were the crowds?

 

[Queen2PrincessG]

I went this year around that time. No deals. I was told that there is a golf tournament, some conferences, etc. We missed free dining by a week.

 

[smile4stamps]

I went this year around that time. No deals. I was told that there is a golf tournament, some conferences, etc. We missed free dining by a week.

How were the crowds. Do you feel like they could have offered a discount or was it pretty busy?

 

[thumbalyna]

the parks are usually very crowded at this time from my previous experiences. Its Columbus Days, Canadian Thanksgiving and the the orange county schools only have 1/2 a week, so the local kids are out in full force.

not sure what the locals would have to do with the hotel end of it, but this has always been my favorite time to go, but its been becoming more and more crowded in recent years, 2012 we have opted to go at the beginning of October hopefully to miss some of the crazy crowds.

 

[Queen2PrincessG]

How were the crowds. Do you feel like they could have offered a discount or was it pretty busy?

I do. The parks weren't busy in my opinion and I've gone mainly in the summer July/August.

I waited 20 minutes max for Toy Story stand by. Got great seats for Fantasmic getting there about 25 minutes before the show. it was crowded after the shows/parades getting over the bridge at MNNSHP but other than that one night, one location, not bad at all.

Mnnshp and F&W are going at the same time during that part of the month so that could be another reason for no discount. I also never received a bounce-back after my October trip. Who knows.

 

[snykymom]

This year, there was the "perfect storm" of Columbus Day weekend, the Children's Miracle Network PGA golf tournament and the Gartner Symposium (a large IT conference that takes up most of the Epcot resorts, Swan and Dolphin).

I was there the third week, during the golf tournament and the Gartner. (AP discounts were available at that time, but GP discounts were not.) IMO, the events had little effect on the parks; crowds were light in the parks, except of course for Epcot's Food & Wine festival events. But Disney gives discounts to fill rooms. If they have large blocks of rooms sold to non-park guests, as they did for these two events, they don't have to offer discounts.

 

[Polydweller]

Which week is Canadian Thanksgiving?

How were the crowds?

Same day as Columbus Day. Crowds are moderately heavy but manageable IMHO.

 

[Missyrose]

October has gotten progressively more crowded in the past few years. It used to be seen as a "slow" time of year, but it's not anymore. It's not July-crowded, but when we were there in mid-October this year, we saw the headliners have massive lines (80 mins for Space Mountain, 110 mins for TSM).

 

[Queen2PrincessG]

October has gotten progressively more crowded in the past few years. It used to be seen as a "slow" time of year, but it's not anymore. It's not July-crowded, but when we were there in mid-October this year, we saw the headliners have massive lines (80 mins for Space Mountain, 110 mins for TSM).

Yeah but I saw the same times listed and the real time was about 30 minutes. Sometimes think the posted times are off.

 

[disneyfaninaz]

We were there this year from October 8th through 15th. We had Columbus Day weekend, Fall Breaks, and MNSSHP going on. IMO, it was very crowded.

We didn't have to wait very long for rides because we got to the parks early and utilized FPs, but by the afternoon, there was a noticeable difference in crowd levels walking through the parks.

 

[mom2rtk]

We were there this year from October 8th through 15th. We had Columbus Day weekend, Fall Breaks, and MNSSHP going on. IMO, it was very crowded.

We didn't have to wait very long for rides because we got to the parks early and utilized FPs, but by the afternoon, there was a noticeable difference in crowd levels walking through the parks.

Honestly, that just seems to be the new normal at Disney. If they have the bookings to get there without big discounts, then no discounts. If they don't, then you'll see some discounts. This can vary week by week from year to year depending on when those outside conventions book big blocks of rooms. Unfortunately there's no way to know that this far out.

 

[Queen2PrincessG]

Honestly, that just seems to be the new normal at Disney. If they have the bookings to get there without big discounts, then no discounts. If they don't, then you'll see some discounts. This can vary week by week from year to year depending on when those outside conventions book big blocks of rooms. Unfortunately there's no way to know that this far out.

You would think though that Disney would say "ok, so the convention people don't get a discount but lets give it to our other visitors" It's not like that would be hard to do.

 

[mom2rtk]

You would think though that Disney would say "ok, so the convention people don't get a discount but lets give it to our other visitors" It's not like that would be hard to do.

Not on a bet. The folks in marketing probably got bonuses for not needing to offer a GP discount!

 

[Polydweller]

You would think though that Disney would say "ok, so the convention people don't get a discount but lets give it to our other visitors" It's not like that would be hard to do.

Ok, so you are Gartner Group doing a HUGE convention and you notice everyone but your people are getting free dining and a 25% room discount. Hmm, you'd take your business elsewhere or demand the same. So, no discounts.

And in the real world discounts are given not to give customers a break but to fill rooms. So, if you are already filling them, perhaps on a convention discount (convention rooms are often bulk discounted), you have little business justification to give more discounts.

 

[mountdew1]

You would think though that Disney would say "ok, so the convention people don't get a discount but lets give it to our other visitors" It's not like that would be hard to do.

On the contrary. Conventions are big cash cows between rooms, dining, conference fees (some places charge $300+ per day to rent a projector) etc. Besides the fact that the conventions would go elsewhere, how do you tell them apart? It's trivial to give discounts to someone who belongs to a small subsection, but fairly difficult to exclude that same subsection. What would they do? Check for a park ticket? People go to the resorts for several days and don't ever set foot in the parks. Our next trip we won't even go to a park til day 5. Exclude people that check in solo? Plenty of people take solo trips to Disney. Ask nicely when they check in? "Sir, I noticed you are using our non-convention discount. Are you here for a convention or going to the parks?" And lets be serious, judging by the number of people who try to each and every day to make themselves eligible for discounts that they aren't, calling to see if there have any unreceived PIN codes, etc, how many people do you think would honestly say "I am here for a convention, please take that discount off and charge me full price."

And something I haven't seen anyone mention, October is Food & Wine Festival time. That has been picking up steam and becoming more popular each year lately. As have their Halloween events. If people are booking rooms a year or more in advance, why would they offer a discount for that same time period? They are to get bodies into what would otherwise be an empty room, not to be nice. It's just like hotels on Hotwire. They have an empty room, they would rather make something over nothing on that room.

 

[Queen2PrincessG]

I guess my point it that they could offer a different type of discount for the convention people.

In sure there are conventions going on all the time, it just seems weird that those two weeks are always subject to black outs.

I do agree that F&W is becoming very popular among the foodies. I think that will impact Free Dining eventually.