Why wait times have gotten crazy

[Planogirl]

Actually how about 1 attraction pre book fast pass the rest legacy style?

How about all of the fastpasses legacy style?

 

[Hudson Hornet]

Actually how about 1 attraction pre book fast pass the rest legacy style?

Now there's an idea. A compromise that would make both sides happy. And you wouldn't feel as stressed about losing your FP if you decided to change park days around because it would only be 1 anyway. I like it.

 

[apwagner]

I was at WDW the week of Oct Oct 5 2015 and the week of Oct 13 2014. It seemed to be much more crowded in 2015 that 2014. In 2014 we walked right on to most rides with our FP+, in 2015 we waited as long as 30 min with FP+ for more than one attraction. My DDs have always had a fall break and it used to be odd compared to friends and family that my kids had a week off in October. It seems like more and more schools are doing this at various times in late September to mid October. Given the historically low crowds at WDW in the fall it sounds like a good time to go, until recent years. Could these fall breaks and the reputation of low crowds at that time of year just be drawing more guests??

 

[maxiesmom]

Now there's an idea. A compromise that would make both sides happy. And you wouldn't feel as stressed about losing your FP if you decided to change park days around because it would only be 1 anyway. I like it.

I was part of the test when FP+ was being rolled out, and it was great to have both FP and FP+. That would be ideal, but I wonder if it is a capacity issue, where FP+s would be extremely limted if they had both FPs going.

 

[mom2rtk]

Now there's an idea. A compromise that would make both sides happy. And you wouldn't feel as stressed about losing your FP if you decided to change park days around because it would only be 1 anyway. I like it.

What would make it great to guests would make it a no-go for Disney. They want everyone to lock in their Disney days so they can predict crowd levels in the parks, and so people are not tempted to ditch their plans and head to Universal.

 

[mom2rtk]

I was part of the test when FP+ was being rolled out, and it was great to have both FP and FP+. That would be ideal, but I wonder if it is a capacity issue, where FP+s would be extremely limted if they had both FPs going.

No need to wonder. They don't have enough capacity for FP+. There's no way they would have enough to run both systems concurrently.

 

[Praying Colonel]

Len Testa's tweet: Disney said WDW attendance was up 15% this past quarter.

https://mobile.twitter.com/LenTesta/status/662615633792737280?p=v

That plus attraction closings goes a long way toward explaining the increase in wait times.

Also shows the reason for the huge increase in prices (and why we should anticipate more in the future). If they can get that many more people to show up for a diminished product, there's no reason not to keep increasing prices.

 

[larryz]

Len Testa's tweet: Disney said WDW attendance was up 15% this past quarter.

https://mobile.twitter.com/LenTesta/status/662615633792737280?p=v

That plus attraction closings goes a long way toward explaining the increase in wait times.

Also shows the reason for the huge increase in prices (and why we should anticipate more in the future). If they can get that many more people to show up for a diminished product, there's no reason not to keep increasing prices.

Iger & Crew will look like geniuses... to the shareholders, at any rate.

 

[minnie-apple-mouse]

Len Testa's tweet: Disney said WDW attendance was up 15% this past quarter.

https://mobile.twitter.com/LenTesta/status/662615633792737280?p=v

That plus attraction closings goes a long way toward explaining the increase in wait times.

Also shows the reason for the huge increase in prices (and why we should anticipate more in the future). If they can get that many more people to show up for a diminished product, there's no reason not to keep increasing prices.

About how many guests per week/day/park is that though?

 

[mom2rtk]

Len Testa's tweet: Disney said WDW attendance was up 15% this past quarter.

https://mobile.twitter.com/LenTesta/status/662615633792737280?p=v

That plus attraction closings goes a long way toward explaining the increase in wait times.

Also shows the reason for the huge increase in prices (and why we should anticipate more in the future). If they can get that many more people to show up for a diminished product, there's no reason not to keep increasing prices.

Kudos to Disney if that trend bears out over the entire year.

But I've been contending for some time that increasing prices might just push people from peak (more expensive) times into lesser expensive times of year. I would love to see figures for the entire year. I don't doubt that attendance in general is up, but I just wonder how much of this quarter's spike is movement from other times of year.

 

[minnie-apple-mouse]

Kudos to Disney if that trend bears out over the entire year.

But I've been contending for some time that increasing prices might just push people from peak (more expensive) times into lesser expensive times of year. I would love to see figures for the entire year. I don't doubt that attendance in general is up, but I just wonder how much of this quarter's spike is movement from other times of year.

Exactly why the black outs were added IMO.

 

[Hudson Hornet]

I was part of the test when FP+ was being rolled out, and it was great to have both FP and FP+. That would be ideal, but I wonder if it is a capacity issue, where FP+s would be extremely limted if they had both FPs going.

I don't see how it would be an issue if everyone were limited to 1 FP+.

 

[flicx]

Kudos to Disney if that trend bears out over the entire year.

But I've been contending for some time that increasing prices might just push people from peak (more expensive) times into lesser expensive times of year. I would love to see figures for the entire year. I don't doubt that attendance in general is up, but I just wonder how much of this quarter's spike is movement from other times of year.

I was wondering the same thing myself. I wonder how many people are shifting their trips due to price increases.

 

[journies_end]

I was part of the test when FP+ was being rolled out, and it was great to have both FP and FP+. That would be ideal, but I wonder if it is a capacity issue, where FP+s would be extremely limted if they had both FPs going.

I specifically booked a trip during this time (November 2013, my first ever on-site hotel stay at WDW, before then I had always stayed off-site). "How cool is it that I can reserve 3 graranteed FP+ rides as well as pick up legacy FP on-the-go throughout the day." I reserved my FP+s a week in advance, and when I arrived at the park I was ready to start get my first legacy FP, the machine wouldn't let me? I went to guest services and they told me I could either do FP+ or legacy FP (and since I had already reserved my FP+es I could ONLY do those). JUST 3 FASTPASSES IN ONE DAY? If I had known that I'd have never used the FP+ system, however guest services were flexible enough to not only give me access to the legacy FP system but also allow me to keep my FP+es. I think having a system like this works best. You can give people who stay on-site their 60 day window to grantee themselves a FP+ while letting the guests staying off-site or locals a shot to try their luck with legacy FPes (I'd say divvy up the Fastpass hourly rations to about 60% go to FP+ reservations and 40% to legacy paper tickets).

I know Disney wants to give guests incentives for staying on-site, but back before the FP+ system on-site guests were able to use morning EMH to rack up legacy FPes? Now, not only do on-site guests get EMH but they get to snag FP+es before off-site and local guests too? Can we catch a break? I'm an AP from South Carolina (I'm an elementary school teacher so any and every holiday I'm basically in Orlando) and I always thought that Disney was a place were people from all walks of life could get equal treatment, and under the legacy system, on-site or off-site, you were on equal footing with every other guest in the park. Now I feel kind of like a 2nd class citizen to pick up the scrap FP+es that the on-site guests don't care for.

 

[mom2rtk]

I know Disney wants to give guests incentives for staying on-site, but back before the FP+ system on-site guests were able to use morning EMH to rack up legacy FPes?

I don't believe FP machines were turned on during EMH.

 

[minnie-apple-mouse]

And what other company wouldn't try to address a slower season.

I don't believe FP machines were turned on during EMH.

Correct-hated that.

I wish

1) EMH was so slow no FP were needed (for years its been about 1:30 AM before the best attractions started to be a shorter wait, at least busy seasons).

or

2) They offered additional 3 FP+ and longer EMH.

 

[mom2rtk]

And what other company wouldn't try to address a slower season.

I agree it's smart business to try and fill the slower season. As someone who likes to visit then, I would prefer they leave it alone, but it's smart business.

My point is that seeing one quarter's growth might be mostly about shifting crowds as opposed to exponentially higher crowds overall. There's no way to tell at this point.

 

[minnie-apple-mouse]

I agree it's smart business to try and fill the slower season. As someone who likes to visit then, I would prefer they leave it alone, but it's smart business.

My point is that seeing one quarter's growth might be mostly about shifting crowds as opposed to exponentially higher crowds overall. There's no way to tell at this point.

I agree.

I'm sure they do not prefer zero growth overall, and don't just want an equal disbursement throughout the year. They make more money busier weeks/charge more etc.

But bumping up slower seasons has to be high on the priority, and appears to be headed in that direction.

 

[journies_end]

I don't believe FP machines were turned on during EMH.

Guests staying on site at the parks during EMH mornings could get legacy FPes but the return times were for after the park was open to all guests (so yes, on-site guests still were able to get first-pick of legacy FPes as well).

 

[mom2rtk]

Guests staying on site at the parks during EMH mornings could get legacy FPes but the return times were for after the park was open to all guests (so yes, on-site guests still were able to get first-pick of legacy FPes as well).

Then there was no "racking up" involved. They would have had to wait at least until the first window opened, generally 40 minutes after regular park open, before getting a second FP.