News Holiday crowds at Walt Disney World theme parks 2022

[Fido Chuckwagon]

Even NRJ, which I'm a pretty big fan of,

So you're the one.

 

[wdwmagic]

IMO a lot of it has to do with Genie+. Lots of people wandering around aimlessly waiting for their next return time.

Yes you have the choice of waiting to be summoned by your phone to the next LL reservation, wander around aimlessly, or take a deep breath and head to one of the 100 minute standby lines.

 

[LSLS]

IMO a lot of it has to do with Genie+. Lots of people wandering around aimlessly waiting for their next return time.

That's certainly part of people out and about, but the standby lines are insane too.

 

[monothingie]

Yes you have the choice of waiting to be summoned by your phone to the next LL reservation, wander around aimlessly, or take a deep breath and head to one of the 100 minute standby lines.

Want a Dole Whip? 45 minutes at least.

 

[MickeyLuv'r]

We used mobile order as soon as it was available and I think it's a great improvement to quick service dining. Not too many people used it until they were forced to do so during the height of the pandemic. On our recent trips it seems many more are using it. There was hardly anyone in line at ABC Commissary and Flame Tree.

What we noticed was that there were very few people sitting at tables holding them while others were in line waiting for food. This made it much easier for people to find tables, even at Pecos Bill's which is usually a madhouse. I used to hate quick serve because we would always end up circling around looking for a place to eat while the tables were taken up by people with no food.

One limit of mobile order is that diners are not allowed to customize very much. In some cases, that doesn't matter, but at a place like the deli, it can make a big difference. In person staff were far more flexible. With a sandwich being able to choose between mustard or mayo can make a significant difference.

One way mobile order has improved is that using fit cards to pay is easier. Diners can now use multiple gift cards to order. Previously, finishing out a gift card with less than $5 could really only be done in-person.

 

[CntrlFlPete]

"Guests visiting Walt Disney World in the coming weeks should keep in mind that, starting from today, parking at all on-site resorts will be on a "hard close;" as a result, the only Guests that will be able to park there will be the following:

• Guests that have a resort confirmation;
• Guests that have a CONFIRMED dining reservation (mobile orders not included);
• Day guests that have already been registered onto a current resort reservation.

Be aware that all other guests trying to park in these parking lots will be directed away from the resorts. Guests are always welcome to park at Disney Springs and use bus transportation to reach the hotels."

Parking at Walt Disney World Resort Hotels on "Hard Close" Status Through at least January 1, 2023

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interesting! Went by DS on SAT and all the lots were closed as full. We went early enough Sunday to park on a surface lot, but all lots were closed by the time we left (early evening).

I found the bolded part funny as my wife was trying to find dining at a resort as a way to get to Disney Springs over the weekend

 

[HauntedPirate]

IMO a lot of it has to do with Genie+. Lots of people wandering around aimlessly waiting for their next return time.

 

[wendysue]

With the crowds there now I think I'm content to just stay home in our Midwest blizzard this week. Better than paying double the price for half the fun.

 

[Chi84]

With the crowds there now I think I'm content to just stay home in our Midwest blizzard this week. Better than paying double the price for half the fun.

I was thinking just the opposite! I'll take the crowds and the cost, you can have the snow and power outages!

 

[LeRaposa]

Are you not actually allowed to park at a resort in order to go to one of the parks? We've been doing it for years.

 

[JohnD]

Are you not actually allowed to park at a resort in order to go to one of the parks? We've been doing it for years.

No. You've just gotten away with it.

 

[MrPromey]

It will when they go to tiered pricing of Genie+, the 25 dollar charge will only be for the low demand days mid week in the off-season. The normal demand times will be jacked up 50 a day, heavier demand will be 75 and these high demand times like Christmas will be 100 a day. And if that doesn't solve the problem they will just double those prices.

It's already at tiered pricing. $25 is currently the top end of that.

Just like admission prices, though, I have to wonder why people thinking Disney raising prices is about helping guests?

I know Bob gave some line about that years ago but in action, there has been zero evidence of it being true.

 

[MrPromey]

The least-informed people on a message board like this are probably among the 10% most-informed people in the parks on a given day.

And yet there's a sizable number of people on this board that would have you believe that other 90% are all idiots who deserve what they get.

 

[Chi84]

And yet there's a sizable number of people on this board that would have you believe that 90% are all idiots who deserve what they get.

I don't get that feeling. I suspect a great majority of the people who visit WDW as a multi-day vacation destination (as opposed as just going for one day) know the basics such as the need for park reservations, the need to buy Genie+/ILLs, how to get ADRs, the times of year when it's most crowded and that sort of thing. Or at least the person in the party responsible for planning the vacation knows. But they probably don't know nearly as much as people on these boards about which rides/restaurants are most popular, parking at resorts, how long it takes to get from one place to the other, or any of the more detailed stuff.

 

[LeRaposa]

No. You've just gotten away with it.

Now I know. We stay at Shades of Green so getting to EPCOT is very cumbersome

 

[MrPromey]

That's certainly part of people out and about, but the standby lines are insane too.

With only getting 2-3 things done with ILL and G+, a decent chunk of those people in standby have probably paid for G+ are ALSO waiting on their return times, too.

 

[JohnD]

Now I know. We stay at Shades of Green so getting to EPCOT is very cumbersome

Being a military resort and not directly run by Disney they may be the exception to the norm. They could very well allow it since you have to provide military proof to even be able to stay there.

 

[Hakunamatata]

Disney should offer a spectator only option and the ability to rent a seat at an outside bar and just sit there and watch all the hubbub.

 

[MrPromey]

I don't get that feeling. I suspect a great majority of the people who visit WDW as a multi-day vacation destination (as opposed as just going for one day) know the basics such as the need for park reservations, the need to buy Genie+/ILLs, how to get ADRs, the times of year when it's most crowded and that sort of thing. Or at least the person in the party responsible for planning the vacation knows. But they probably don't know nearly as much as people on these boards about which rides/restaurants are most popular, parking at resorts, how long it takes to get from one place to the other, or any of the more detailed stuff.

So you think things get as bad this time of year as they do because the majority of people go knowing they're going to be spending the most possible to go at every possible turn and in return, have the least opportunity to experience stuff in the parks they paid so much to get into while they're there?

I can't believe there are that many people willing to go through all of that just for some Christmas decorations.

 

[dreday3]

I was thinking just the opposite! I'll take the crowds and the cost, you can have the snow and power outages!

This is gonna suuuuuuck.