2016 Christmas Week Phase Closing watch

[Disone]

The suits will say that they have improved guest experience by creating an enhanced environment where phase closures no longer happen and that they did it without negatively impacting annual guest counts or per quest spending.

And there would be some truth to that. It would take a 15% decrease in attendance to offsite the revenue of the peak season 18% price hike in one day tickets sales. Loose math.... 100 tickets sold at $100 is $10000. Raise the price by 18% but loose 14% of your attendance, and your at about the same, 10,148. So if they are down 10 percent, they are truely still banking, $10,620. More money and less of a crowd to manage.

But not everyone buys one day one park and that 18% price hike vs. the off season (read that on forbes) does not apply to everyone ticket holder, but that is why these is only "some" truth to it. But as far as Disney vs Universal. Remember that MK can and does handle more then twice the annual attendance of Universal Studios Florida. MK's 2015 attendance was 20.4 million to USF's 9.5 million. I suspect USF lines will be maxed out long before MK reaches its old phase one capacity. And now with a bigger parking long and a higher capacity park (Hub expansion and New Fantasyland completed), plus a tier pricing plan that put in place to encourage off season visits, that truely the suit are not in panic mode.

 

[matt9112]

With the wait times it always amazes me people vacation during this time....

 

[TiggerDad]

With the wait times it always amazes me people vacation during this time....

Its when the kids are out of school and easier to get out of the office.

 

[Crazydisneyfanluke]

I'm "Drinking Around The Universe" for my Birthday. This is what USF looks like.

So busy at UNI today, 3hrs for randformers, 2hrs for HP, 1.5hr for minion. Tried leaving yesterday before the macys parade, took me 30mins for a 5min walk.

 

[Lunair]

Well, nearly a 20 minute wait to get into the Magic Kingdom parking lot...30 minutes before park opening.

Did someone say they started selling alcohol in the kingdom? I'll take 5 of anything!

 

[JWG]

We left at 6am today. Managed to avoid rush hour and I-4 traffic as we drive up 95 to NC.

Peak time at DAK yesterday had Everest at 90, Dinosaur at 55, Kali at 90, and having to get in line for Lion King a show in advance (60+ minute wait).

Crowds definitely feel like they're picking up as the week progresses toward New Years.

 

[DisneyOutsider]

Its when the kids are out of school and easier to get out of the office.

Not to mention ALL of the attractions are open for business, the Christmastime parade running daily, and the most fantastic fireworks shows of the entire year.

If you know what you're getting yourself into and have a little bit of touring-savvy, it's a fantastic time to go.

 

[TiggerDad]

Feels much more crowded today at MK than it was on Sunday

 

[matt9112]

Its when the kids are out of school and easier to get out of the office.

Kids likely learn more spending a week at disney than the 5 days of classroom time...just saying. Amazes me how robotic we are as people.

 

[JWG]

Hope you have a nice drive back! I left NC to come back to Orlando on Monday and it was a madhouse. I deserve some kind of punishment for thinking it was a good idea to travel on a major interstate the day after Christmas

It was good. But 95 south looked awful in stretches. I assume a mix of standard vacation plans and bowl traffic. I think things will pick up the next few days into NYE and crash on 1/3. I'd still like to do Epcot on NYE but don't need to do MK on Christmas again.

 

[Luxe]

It was good. But 95 south looked awful in stretches. I assume a mix of standard vacation plans and bowl traffic. I think things will pick up the next few days into NYE and crash on 1/3. I'd still like to do Epcot on NYE but don't need to do MK on Christmas again.

I like being in the MK on Christmas. If not just to thank every CM I see for working on Christmas so the ungrateful crowds can have their vacation.

 

[Aileen Marotta]

Is it phase 2 yet?

I just arrived from Disney 2 days ago. I have been doing the same trip for 17 years. I was surprised that the crowds were much smaller this year. Magic Kingdom wasn't impossible at all. On Christmas day I got a table at The Plaza as a walk-in in a 20 minute wait. At night was difficult to walk, near the Wishes fireworks. But right after the show, the park was ok. My last day was the 27th, and that day was very crowded. But on the 17 days I visited, none of the parks reached capacity.

 

[wogwog]

As of 7:00am, December 29, all Theme Parks are available to all Guests.

No update from the standard start template so no phase closing. 4:20 PM 12/29.

 

[WhatJaneSays]

Kids likely learn more spending a week at disney than the 5 days of classroom time...just saying. Amazes me how robotic we are as people.

More than that, many schools will punish children for "unexcused" absences, even with pre-completed work and parental involvement.

A friend had the opportunity to take her daughters on the Panama Canal cruse with Disney last year in October. Her middle girl ended up not going because a 10 day absence would have put her GPA down to 3.4 ... which was below the minimum to keep her in her current study program.

 

[71jason]

A few factors at work here:
(1) An unusual number of schools are off New Year's week rather than Christmas Eve week (most of south FL for instance). Spreads the crowds over three weeks rather than the traditional two.
(2) Tiered pricing seems to be working. That new creation "Fall Break" had crowds every bit as bad as this week--at lower prices. I suspect very busy Marathon and MLK Weekends next month as well.
(3) Universal has the hottest IPs for kids, with rides "new" to guests who haven't been here in 2 - 4 years. And they're winning the word-of-mouth battle.

 

[hpyhnt 1000]

We took a pretty spur of the moment trip to Epcot yesterday. Busiest time was from 11 until about 8, though at no point did I think it was unmanageable. Soarin, Test Track and Frozen topped out around 120 mins at various points, with Nemo, LwtL, SSE, M:S fluctuating in the 40-70 min range.

But after 8pm the park just emptied out. By the time the IllumiNations pre-show music began at 10pm, it was remarkably quiet with clear walkways and crowds not even 2 deep along the lagoon railings. It honestly reminded me of the smaller crowds post-2001 it was so empty.

 

[matt9112]

More than that, many schools will punish children for "unexcused" absences, even with pre-completed work and parental involvement.

A friend had the opportunity to take her daughters on the Panama Canal cruse with Disney last year in October. Her middle girl ended up not going because a 10 day absence would have put her GPA down to 3.4 ... which was below the minimum to keep her in her current study program.

If that drops you out of a program time to rethink said programs. Granted we could go on and on how our education system has eroded into a heap of crap. Sadly not WDW based.

 

[I3olTz]

Hey Gang quick question:

Ive never been to MK on NYE, Do you guys think ill have issues re-entering the park if i leave in the early afternoon and come back later that night?

Also im staying on property.

 

[wogwog]

Hey Gang quick question:

Ive never been to MK on NYE, Do you guys think ill have issues re-entering the park if i leave in the early afternoon and come back later that night?

Also im staying on property.

Guest relations notice.

As of 12:10pm, December 30, all Theme Parks are available to all Guests.

We are not anticipating any parking redirects or phased statuses today.

 

[mimitchi33]

A few factors at work here:
(1) An unusual number of schools are off New Year's week rather than Christmas Eve week (most of south FL for instance). Spreads the crowds over three weeks rather than the traditional two.
(2) Tiered pricing seems to be working. That new creation "Fall Break" had crowds every bit as bad as this week--at lower prices. I suspect very busy Marathon and MLK Weekends next month as well.
(3) Universal has the hottest IPs for kids, with rides "new" to guests who haven't been here in 2 - 4 years. And they're winning the word-of-mouth battle.

1. My school district had off this week. Also, aside from the holidays being on weekends this year, some schools had to stay open due to Hurricane Matthew. I remember one year, one of OUR breaks was cut short because of Hurricane Sandy.
2. It seems that if your prices are higher, fewer people will come, as most people cannot afford expensive vacations.
3. Minions is very popular amongst children but I'm not sure about most of the other properties that aren't Nickelodeon. Or Curious George. Or Dr. Seuss.

Anyshoe, the current wait times aren't that bad. But over at Universal, Minion Mayhem is 110 minutes!