How much 'disruption' will Galaxy's Edge cause with regards to Orlando in general?

mergatroid

mergatroid

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
Ok so we're arriving 2 weeks after Galaxy's Edge opens and apart from one night when we're staying on-site, are staying on International Drive right next to Universal. I appreciate GE will undoubtedly affect crowd levels at Disney, I'm just wondering to what degree?

For example apart from the morning after our night in our on-site hotel when we're visiting the Studios at 4am, we're probably accepting that the Studios won't be worth the hassle on other days. However will AK, MK, Epcot and the water parks be busier with the influx of extra guests, or quieter?

Also when driving from International Drive to the MK, AK or Epcot we'd normally go via Disney Springs leaving the I4 at the first exit. I am now however wondering whether the road passing Disney Springs will be a bad choice due to the Studios traffic, and whether I should use other exits from I4 instead?

My wife also said last night that perhaps HHN at Universal will be much quieter this year due to Disney pulling everyone in, however I'm of the opinion that the HHN crowd aren't necessarily the same people who go to Disney anyway and if anything it may be even busier?

Basically how far reaching will the affects of GE opening in the first few weeks/ months be beyond the Studios? Other parks, hotels and roads completely chaotic, or are we over anticipating the 'disruption' that may occur?
 
Last edited:
D

Dukevalentine

New Member
Don’t sweat it too much. I’m heading there 6th to 21st and honestly it’s just a case of rolling with it. I guess no one knows for sure but these are my best guesses :

- with Extra extra magic hours, and a can do attitude, you’ll be able to get in and ride the single ride before most families have made it out of their hotel room. It’ll still be busy, but at 6am? You’re going to be cool

- Hollywood Studio will be heaving through the day. I’m planning on going again early to tackle Toy Story Land while the masses aim for GE. Other then that, I might then use a few fast passes for some late night Rock and Roll Coaster and Tower of Terror. Generally though, day time HS ain’t happening!

- rest of Disney will be busier with spillage, but it’s still September! So it’s not going to be carnage. Use Fast Passes smart and book ADRs as usual and you’re all good!

- universal will be its usual September levels I’m sure of it. HHH is starting even earlier this year and those mid week nights are going to be way less manic. I’d absolutely still buy an express pass but that’s really just down to your own tolerance of queuing.

- can’t help you with driving (coming from the UK) but commit to early starts and you’ll be fine.

Hope that helps! Hard to tell exactly how it’s going to be, but I think things are going to be fine in general
 
winstongator

winstongator

Well-Known Member
The Florida-Miami football game in Orlando got pushed up a week away from Labor Day weekend, I hypothesize to avoid the GE opening weekend. That's around 50k additional people in hotels though, which could be more than for the GE opening. Lots of "locals" will attend one, so not everyone at the GE opening, or the football game will be in hotels, but a lot will.

Two weeks after Labor Day, that was some of the slowest time last year. Traffic will be increased from September 2018, but nothing like Thanksgiving or March Spring Break which were my two most recent 'long' trips. As for routing, I'd go with Google Maps or Waze (also a Google product). With all their users, they get fairly quick & accurate real-time data on how fast traffic is moving. From my thoughts, isn't the DHS entrance off Osceola Parkway. In that case, BV drive might be the fastest route to Epcot or Animal Kingdom.

It's been over 20 years since I did HHN - was a young college student driving down from Gainesville for it. I don't know how much of an impact GE would have on that.

I think your plan of one early day at DHS and the rest at other parks, possibly HHN, is solid. I'd probably hit the MK on its MNSSHP days as when I did that in October the crowds were pretty low.

I've wanted to either find out or calculate how many more people are at the parks & DS on a crowd level 10 day versus a 5 versus a 1 or 2.
 
JIMINYCR

JIMINYCR

Well-Known Member
So hard to tell with this one. SW will be a very different draw than all the other past new lands/attractions. The fan base is much larger, people have delayed trips for this opening, locals will surely cram the park. Thinking of how Uni's HP and AK Avatarland caused such a stir, I'd guess SW will be reaching 1/3 to even double more of the the draw as seen in the past???? I'd guess the other parks will be more crowded by virtue of extra guests looking for an alternative after doing DHS. And I wouldnt think Uni's attendance will see much of a drop to make it matter.
 
Cmdr_Crimson

Cmdr_Crimson

Well-Known Member
I'm curious how much it will effect wait times at AK for FoP...Even tho one ride and the shops and restaurants will be open if there will be a difference or stay the same if many guests can't get on Smugglers Run..
 
L

LUVofDIS

Well-Known Member
I feel that after the initial two weeks it opens the crowds will be the lowest till the end of September. They will pick up after that until the end of the year. I also feel that HHH will be more busy because of GE. Many people I know who will be going just for GE also comment that they will visit HHH and Pandora. I believe those two lands will see a bigger attendance increase than the rest of the area.

We have gone many times in the middle to late September and have noticed increased crowds every year. Still less than our early December trips though. It will definitely be busier than the last couple years but I don't think it will be has bad as a normal middle December.

I still pay attention to the Touring Plans crowd calendar and since I booked my September trip when the GE opening was announced most crowd ratings have been dropping for that trip.
 
Cmdr_Crimson

Cmdr_Crimson

Well-Known Member
Pooh.sHoneyHuntTDL said:
Once GE opens FoP and AK will suffer. I see wait times going down to 80 minutes.

The vast majority of people who trekked down to Disney will be there for Star Wars.

The only good thing is Disney land will absorb a good amount of fans by opening first. Otherwise If Orlando was the only Star Wars it would have been a disaster
Click to expand...
This is why if guests are turned away due to Batuu West's lines...They at least have TL's 3 SW's attraction to satisfy them (Launch Bay, Hyperspace Mountain and Star Tours) for the time being..
 
mergatroid

mergatroid

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
Thanks for ALL your replies.

What does shock me is the ease and ability to still get on-site reservations shortly after GE opens at the value hotels, I was expecting them to be hammered! Perhaps some people are waiting for an idea of when Rise of the Resistance opens before committing to their bookings?
 
B

Bob Harlem

Well-Known Member
It won't disrupt anything at all that far out other than generally raising attendance, the only real disruption might be the week after Christmas. Those epic levels of crowds + Galaxies edge might be a bit crazy. HHN will be slammed.

The only real disruptions would be if a hurricane were to pass through the area.
 
Paper straw fan

Paper straw fan

Well-Known Member
I would say the traffic at Celebration will be at such a stand still that you pray it’s North Korea’s first target if things go south with them.

So no difference there.
 
mergatroid

mergatroid

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
Starting to think it might not be as bad as I first thought after all seeing as Disneyland's not suffering so much.
 
H

HongKongFu

Well-Known Member
mergatroid said:
Starting to think it might not be as bad as I first thought after all seeing as Disneyland's not suffering so much.
Click to expand...

I really would not rely on what's been going on out west to predict WDW touring congestion........two different animals with very different feeding patterns.
 

Register on WDWMAGIC. This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.

Back
Top Bottom