Super Busy after Irma and Crowd Tracker Accuracy

[Tigger's ally]

In light of this, I wonder if they will extend hours during this time?

layoffs probably don't bode well for longer hours.......

 

[SDSorority]

Ok so assuming the end of September through October is going to be busier now... how are you all planning on navigating the parks/crowds? Just a really good touring plan? Arrive an hour before rope drop a-la summer touring style?

 

[Farro]

I'm not changing anything. But we have the ease of a 9 night stay so I'm not too worried about seeing what we want to see.

We only have one or two rope-drops planned this trip.

 

[Tigger's ally]

Ok so assuming the end of September through October is going to be busier now... how are you all planning on navigating the parks/crowds? Just a really good touring plan? Arrive an hour before rope drop a-la summer touring style?

Like always. Fast passes and rope drops. Midday rest and relaxation (nap for Mrs. Ally and an afternoon libation for me) and relaxing strolls through the parks at night. Did I mention nighttime libations for me?

 

[smallworldnh]

layoffs probably don't bode well for longer hours.......

That's true, and I wonder why they would be laying off. But as a result of the rescheduling and expected higher crowds, you'd think they would do it.

 

[kaymil]

Several have already expressed this sentiment, but I don't think it will be as big of an impact as we might think. Many of the value and moderate resorts are already booked up for late September/October, and have been for some time, and with having to re-schedule FP, dining reservations, and the desire to get free dining, I'm no expert, but I feel like many who canceled will give themselves a little more breathing room to reschedule. And it's not like October is dead these days anyways, so Irma or not, there will be crowds. I'm not expecting to see that significant of a bump.

But maybe that's just wishful thinking since we are there September 28-Oct 2

 

[Imamom2]

We arrive the 20th and from the posts I've followed it seems most people were pushing back trip by at least a few months. It's not easy to move vacations from one week to the next. I think the crowd may come from Florida residents with APs and kids out of school this week. I think there will be more guests but not July crowds.

 

[AndreaA]

Yeah, i don't get the "it'll be summertime busy" feeling. Kids are in school, not all parents have flexible schedules, some people may not want to pay more if they can't get free dining, or they may not want to downgrade resorts due to losing free dining.

I take my kids out of school, but I know that's not the norm.

 

[kmb584]

I have never heard of Fall break, we don't have those in Texas.

We don't have them in PA either, or at least we don't in my area. The schools are off for Columbus Day and that's it. The same goes for Spring Break. The schools close on Holy Thursday and reopen the following Monday, and that's deemed "spring break" for the kids.

 

[charmed59]

I am not a normal Disney goer. Went to Epcot today, at the last minute, with no FPs set up. Got there after rope drop, around 9:30. Scored a Soaring FP at the park for noon. (When we walked in there was a 2 hour wait, as only one Theatre was running.) Went on Frozen with at 15 minute wait around 11. TT opened late, but didn't have a standby line longer than 30 minutes until well afternoon. (Not a fan, so we didn't ride.) Walk up for all the food and wine booths. We left around 3:30.

Now it is a Tuesday, in the fall. Usually local kids are in school, but they weren't today. But, there are lots of folks in the resorts that are trying to get out of dodge today. New people flying in won't get there 'til late. You couldn't drive in yesterday through Georgia due to the storm. So I'm thinking that is unusually light turnout. Would this be a 1 on the crowd scale? What time of year would I find crowds like this? Or is this just a one time outlier due to circumstances.

 

[LadyRayado]

Anyone know, did the Touring Plans update actually go through? I hope so, because none of my days changed at all.

 

[hertamaniac]

To me it doesn't matter as I've already planned our trip with FP's/ADR's.

 

[cigar95]

Anyone know, did the Touring Plans update actually go through? I hope so, because none of my days changed at all.

Several of my days were changed - fourth week of September. But as many changed to lower as to higher.

 

[LadyRayado]

Several of my days were changed - fourth week of September. But as many changed to lower as to higher.

Thanks! Did you get an email?

 

[BuckeyeBama]

Speaking to a CM yesterday - heard that several large convention groups have also cancelled because of the hurricane. At least they cancelled dining reservations. A whole lot of empty seats in restaurants right now because reservations were not cancelled and folks assume that they will not be seated (Disney's fault because they dropped the penalties).

Right now, forget ADRs. If you want to eat someplace, walk up. They will likely seat you. This per several CMs at restaurants.

 

[anniemae]

I am not a normal Disney goer. Went to Epcot today, at the last minute, with no FPs set up. Got there after rope drop, around 9:30. Scored a Soaring FP at the park for noon. (When we walked in there was a 2 hour wait, as only one Theatre was running.) Went on Frozen with at 15 minute wait around 11. TT opened late, but didn't have a standby line longer than 30 minutes until well afternoon. (Not a fan, so we didn't ride.) Walk up for all the food and wine booths. We left around 3:30.

Now it is a Tuesday, in the fall. Usually local kids are in school, but they weren't today. But, there are lots of folks in the resorts that are trying to get out of dodge today. New people flying in won't get there 'til late. You couldn't drive in yesterday through Georgia due to the storm. So I'm thinking that is unusually light turnout. Would this be a 1 on the crowd scale? What time of year would I find crowds like this? Or is this just a one time outlier due to circumstances.

Yes, the very low crowds were due to the hurricane. You will never find low crowds like this. Many many people canceled, locals are busy with clean up, people who drive to Disney are hesitant to drive down because of the gas situation/power outages, the airport just opened, so many were traveling yesterday (those who were there during the storm are leaving, others are coming down.) This was a fluke due to the hurricane and all the cancellations. Crowds will go up each day as more folks head down.

On fb, I saw a post of a woman in MK. She was filming as she was walking and there was nobody there. It seemed like she literally had the park to herself. It looked like there were 20 people in the whole park. She kept exclaiming "I have never see it like this! this is incredible! there is nobody here! There are no wait times!"

 

[cigar95]

Thanks! Did you get an email?

no I didn't, and I think I know why - Fred said in the blog that the update will be released sometime today (9/13). That suggests that the changes that I saw were from the previous update, not the newest one. (I didn't get an email about that earlier one either, as far as I can tell.)
So we may both have more changes coming.

 

[ElenaJane]

Yay! TouringPlans updated their numbers. For my trip, most of the numbers went down!

• September 18, 2017: Resort-wide Crowd Level updated from 5 to 3.
• September 18, 2017: Epcot Crowd Level updated from 3 to 2.
• September 19, 2017: Epcot Crowd Level updated from 4 to 6.
• September 19, 2017: Resort-wide Crowd Level updated from 3 to 2.
• September 20, 2017: Magic Kingdom Crowd Level updated from 4 to 3.
• September 21, 2017: Magic Kingdom Crowd Level updated from 5 to 6.
• September 22, 2017: Resort-wide Crowd Level updated from 3 to 4.
• September 22, 2017: Epcot Crowd Level updated from 3 to 5.

 

[hllb]

Some of my numbers went up for my late January trip, unfortunately. Though only by 1. A couple went down, but those weren't parks I was planning on anyway. I hope the Irma cancellations don't make my slow week in January a busier one. Boo!

 

[smallworldnh]

Several of my days were changed - fourth week of September. But as many changed to lower as to higher.

I just got an email today and I'm surprised some of the crowd forecasts are lower than they were before! This is for the week of Sept. 24:

• September 24, 2017: Epcot Crowd Level updated from 3 to 2.

• September 26, 2017: Resort-wide Crowd Level updated from 3 to 2.

• September 26, 2017: Epcot Crowd Level updated from 3 to 2.

• September 28, 2017: Magic Kingdom Crowd Level updated from 4 to 3.

• September 28, 2017: Epcot Crowd Level updated from 3 to 2.

• September 29, 2017: Magic Kingdom Crowd Level updated from 2 to 3.