WDW Pro
Well-Known Member
I think that's only partly true. While they do start the day at 35%, but understanding is that in the evenings with Park Hopping, they do go above 35.
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Rumor 40% Capacity Soon? What if I Told You That We’re Already There
- Thread starter The Visionary Soul
- Start date
I think that's only partly true. While they do start the day at 35%, but understanding is that in the evenings with Park Hopping, they do go above 35.
lentesta
Premium Member
If that's true it would be a tremendous story and serve a great public interest. What tangible proof do you have that it's true?
WDW Pro
Well-Known Member
Ask yourself this: reservations are based on the morning, and then once people go to parks in the afternoon, what systems are in place to prevent tipping 35%?
FerretAfros
Well-Known Member
On Sunday evening, I was shocked by how close the tables at San Angel Inn were. I know that restaurant is notorious for overcrowding, so they may have spaced things out slightly from their standard setup, but tables were still closer than a typical restaurant in the real world in pre-Covid times.
I was in a rush to get on the boat ride right before park closing, so I didn't think to grab a picture, but other parties in the queue also commented on how tightly packed the seating arrangement was. It looked like the tables had less than 2' of space between them side-to-side, and only slightly more space back-to-back between the rows of occupied seats. Again, we were in a rush so we didn't get the closest look, but as best we could tell it appeared as though all tables were occupied at the time.
While it's true that it's only really an issue when the wait times are wildly inaccurate, many of the current posted wait times are just that.
In the last week, we rode Everest on multiple days when it had a 15-minute posted wait, but was really a walk-on (though it takes a couple minutes to walk through the full queue). Flight of Passage listed a 55-minute wait, but only took 30. Frozen Ever After said it had a 35-minute wait, but only took about 15. The most egregious was yesterday morning, when Space Mountain listed a 40-minute wait (increased from 35 a few minutes prior), but we were onboard in under 10.
Most of the attractions in all 4 parks were reasonably close to their posted waits; they may be off by 5-10 minutes, but those are fine. However when mixed with so many that are completely wrong, it creates a challenging experience as a park guest. As a result, it's difficult to gage whether or not to trust the signage, which is particularly important in a time like this when even semi-regular visitors can't eyeball a queue length based on where it ends. If a sign says it's a 45 minute wait, it's really hard for me as a guest to make the informed decision as to whether that really means 15 minutes or 45 minutes. And when the wait time is actually what it says it is, you feel like you've been somehow cheated.
Yes, it's tough to adapt to a new set of circumstances, but the parks have been operating under these conditions for about 6 months now. We constantly saw CMs adjusting the wait times on their queue signs according to how far back it stretched, so it's not a matter of signage in need of updating. Either the CMs are well-intentioned-yet-oblivious to the operating reality they've had for months, or this is an intentional directive from management. Given some of the intentionally-coy answers we got when asking various CMs in various departments across the resort about all sorts of different protocols, I suspect the latter. And when the information is this blatantly wrong, it only leads to mistrust from your customers.
Hearing rumors of a March open for Ratatouille, probably a soft in mid to late Feb.
Rteetz
Well-Known Member
I just wanted to chime in with some recent experience. I was in the parks Jan 6th - Jan 12th. I was also in the parks in November as well. Yesterday at AK I rode Everest 10 times in a row. Also did Dino, Safari and FoP. The park was pretty much dead. Signed up for the wait list at Nomad. They quoted me 40 minutes, I waited maybe 3.
I think Epcot on FArts opening day was the busiest park I was in all week. Things overall were fairly calm and uneventful.
I think Epcot on FArts opening day was the busiest park I was in all week. Things overall were fairly calm and uneventful.
UNCgolf
Well-Known Member
That's typically among the least busy weeks of the whole year, right? It would be a really bad sign if things were still packed that week.
Some of my family experienced significant waits at DHS last week. The other parks were better but DHS in particular wasn’t/isn’t good at all.
Rteetz
Well-Known Member
It’s typically marathon weekend (hence why I was there)
UNCgolf
Well-Known Member
That's right; it's usually the week after the marathon that's less busy. That's why I was there at that time last year. It makes sense that it would also be uncrowded marathon week this year though since it was cancelled.
lentesta
Premium Member
There are a couple of assumptions built into that statement:
1) The total number of park reservations available since 1/1/21 is equal to 35% of the park's capacity (and not, for example, 30% of the park's capacity with a buffer of a few thousand for park-hopping).
2) The rate of park-hop entries is greater than the rate of park exits.
3) All available park reservations will be used.
4) Disney doesn't know that #2 is true when it happens
I'm not sure #1 is true - I know that before 12/31/20, there was planning for a park-hop capacity set-aside.
Even if #1 is true, it'd take #2, #3, and #4 to be true simultaneously for there to be more people in the park than the 35% capacity.
It might be possible for this to happen, but to say it's actually happened is going to require some remarkable proof. I don't think crowds have been high enough for it to happen. I could be wrong.
Parker in NYC
Well-Known Member
Frankly, they shouldn't even be at 35%. But I digress.
Sirwalterraleigh
Premium Member
...sorry to hear this.
I wish I had tangible proof. But as someone like you would know, that’s improbable to get for attendance figures.
Miss Bella
Well-Known Member
Was at MK yesterday and HS today. The longest wait we’ve had was tower of terror 40 minutes. The key is arriving early. They actually open and start operating rides about 45 minutes before the posted opening time. We were in the park by 830 both days and the first hour everything was a walk on. We walked on MMRR, and smugglers Run and Aerosmith as soon as we got there. By 1pm we had been on every ride, but the lines were all getting really long by then.
At MK we never waited more that 20 minutes for anything. We were done by 3pm. My advice to anyone going is to get your butt out of bed early. It stinks getting up before the crack of dawn on vacation, but it is so worth it in the end.
I don’t know what the capacity is but it’s definitely more crowded then August was. Weather is a bit chilly, but I’ll take this over August any day that ends in Y. I don’t think I’ll ever do another Summer trip.
It’s funny you can assume the northerners are the people wearing short and t shirts. The people wearing jackets and gloves I’m guessing are the Floridians and Southerners.
At MK we never waited more that 20 minutes for anything. We were done by 3pm. My advice to anyone going is to get your butt out of bed early. It stinks getting up before the crack of dawn on vacation, but it is so worth it in the end.
I don’t know what the capacity is but it’s definitely more crowded then August was. Weather is a bit chilly, but I’ll take this over August any day that ends in Y. I don’t think I’ll ever do another Summer trip.
It’s funny you can assume the northerners are the people wearing short and t shirts. The people wearing jackets and gloves I’m guessing are the Floridians and Southerners.
Miss Bella
Well-Known Member
Just to add MMR, Rise, Slinky and Aerosmith are operating at 100%capacity. They put plexiglass between the rows on Rise and MMRR this is new since August. They did the same on Tower of terror, but they still leave the middle row open with plexiglass glass on the aisles to allow 4 groups per elevator.
CircusPeanuts
Active Member
This is not even remotely the case and has not been even close to reality since park hopping started. The whole reason park hopping was implemented was to help increase length of stay and drive perception of ticket value. Guests have been consistently leaving earlier than pre-pandemic due to no spectaculars. Attendance is still capped at 35% (or less in the case of the Studios).
WDW Pro
Well-Known Member
What system is in place to prevent park hoppers from entering? Has it ever been implemented? Are cast trained in this system?
I know the answers, do you?
ParentsOf4
Well-Known Member
My daughter is at DHS today (January 15) - crowds are relatively light.
My sister encountered heavy crowds at MK on Monday, January 4, and at DHS on Tuesday, January 5. She then stayed another 9 days, visiting one theme park each day except Saturday. Weekday crowds for the last 2 weeks have been much lighter than they were on January 4 and 5.
It makes me wonder if Disney realized they made a mistake trying for 40% and back down to 35% again, or at least stopped shifting excess Park Passes to Annual Pass Holders.
DHS photos from today:
The 4th was still coming off a busy holiday weekend. It's a dead week across property this week. There is no real demand for the parks. They fill up thanks to mostly Florida residents during peak times but weeks like this, which would have been padded with domestic and international tourists here on offers, are just slow.