ChrisRobin124
Active Member
Let's face it...VQ is basically controlled stand by. If you want faster access, you need to pay.
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Is attendance really down at WDW this or…
- Thread starter coachb
- Start date
UNCgolf
Well-Known Member
It's really LLs that matter for this more than the handful of boarding group attractions.
Boarding groups are bad for other reasons (like they favor repeat visitors at the expense of people who don't come regularly).
Chi84
Premium Member
I don’t dispute attendance is down because numbers don’t lie. And I don’t know the company’s financial situation.
But we visited WDW November 2-11 and it’s every bit as lively and vibrant as it’s ever been. I haven’t seen any empty parks or half-empty TS restaurants. Nor have I seen hordes of sad-faced, stressed, overwhelmed complaining guests. People seemed generally happy and polite.
The trip was crazy expensive but we had an excellent time and plan to return for another family vacation in 2 years as scheduled.
Even though the CS and TS restaurants were busy, we were seated or found seating quickly (all 10 of us). It could be that more people were using LLMP/LLSP and not spending as much time in restaurants.
On the whole, we were comfortable with the number of guests in the parks and would not like to see Disney try to pack in any more.
But we visited WDW November 2-11 and it’s every bit as lively and vibrant as it’s ever been. I haven’t seen any empty parks or half-empty TS restaurants. Nor have I seen hordes of sad-faced, stressed, overwhelmed complaining guests. People seemed generally happy and polite.
The trip was crazy expensive but we had an excellent time and plan to return for another family vacation in 2 years as scheduled.
Even though the CS and TS restaurants were busy, we were seated or found seating quickly (all 10 of us). It could be that more people were using LLMP/LLSP and not spending as much time in restaurants.
On the whole, we were comfortable with the number of guests in the parks and would not like to see Disney try to pack in any more.
FettFan
Well-Known Member
Aye. GotG’s virtual queue was just to get inside the building.
You still have an hour wait from that point.
A virtual queue to join an actual queue where you stand looking blankly at models of a planet that doesn’t exist.
Which in turn is just a queue for the first preshow scene, which in itself is just another queue before you proceed to the loading queue.
The VQ eliminates the part of the queue that would be outside the building, in the heat. It limits the wait to about an hour. It eliminates FoP bad show with lines extending outside of Pandora.
Guests who want shorter wait times have option$$$.
Splash4eva
Well-Known Member
Did you do any character meals when yoi were there? In June i would say every place we went were drastically down some i would easily say 40% empty
Chi84
Premium Member
Topolino’s breakfast and Snow White. Topo’s was completely full. Snow seemed a bit quieter than in the past but most of the tables were taken.
Splash4eva
Well-Known Member
Okay. Thank you. I didnt hit those when i was there did the ones on parks and along the monorail line as well. I even asked the waiters/waitresses and they admittedly said its been a less busy stretch for them compared to past years.
JD80
Well-Known Member
I was there from the 1-5 and I agree. Artist point was crowded at 630 on Monday night and reservations were full.
We managed to snag a table at Toppolino’s for brunch at 60+3, but I realized later it was during F&W and wanted to push it out a day or two and we haven’t seen anything come available in the 30+ days since then. Was hoping for some availability this week as people book LLMP, but I haven’t seen it come through.
Shocking that things were busy during a RunDisney weekend.
Chi84
Premium Member
It wasn’t just the weekend though. I was there from 11/2 to 11/11 and both the parks and restaurants were very busy.
There’s always some kind of excuse for WDW being busy. It’s RunDisney, or Jersey Week or Veterans Day weekend, Thanksgiving, food & wine and on and on. Disney appears to be filling the place regularly.
Nevermore525
Well-Known Member
Full fiscal year 10-K filing with the SEC.
For Domestic Parks Attendance up 1% from Fiscal 2023
Hotel Occupancy consistent at 85% vs Fiscal 2023
For Domestic Parks Attendance up 1% from Fiscal 2023
Hotel Occupancy consistent at 85% vs Fiscal 2023
Laketravis
Well-Known Member
We are here now and have been since 11/4.
The parks are busy. There is certainly no shortage of people willing to spend ridiculous sums of money each day on increasingly expensive nonsense.
Posted standby times tend to be accurate with TP being overly optimistic a majority of the time. As I type this the posted wait time for RnRC was 40 minutes, TP was 23. We waited 42 minutes. I clicked on GoTG VQ this morning at exactly 7am and it was already closed.
In contrast, we jumped over to USO for 5 nights and everything including HP stuff were often 15 minute standby waits. For example yesterday we started at IOA, did Hulk, Spiderman, Velocicoaster, Harry Potter, took the Choo Choo to US, did Transformers, Harry Potter, Kimmy Fallon and Bourne Spectacular all in less than 3 hours.
The resorts themselves were MUCH nicer and at a better price point.
We went ahead and upgraded our 5 day USO tickets to seasonal AP's for a total of $355. We won't be renewing our WDW AP's.
The parks are busy. There is certainly no shortage of people willing to spend ridiculous sums of money each day on increasingly expensive nonsense.
Posted standby times tend to be accurate with TP being overly optimistic a majority of the time. As I type this the posted wait time for RnRC was 40 minutes, TP was 23. We waited 42 minutes. I clicked on GoTG VQ this morning at exactly 7am and it was already closed.
In contrast, we jumped over to USO for 5 nights and everything including HP stuff were often 15 minute standby waits. For example yesterday we started at IOA, did Hulk, Spiderman, Velocicoaster, Harry Potter, took the Choo Choo to US, did Transformers, Harry Potter, Kimmy Fallon and Bourne Spectacular all in less than 3 hours.
The resorts themselves were MUCH nicer and at a better price point.
We went ahead and upgraded our 5 day USO tickets to seasonal AP's for a total of $355. We won't be renewing our WDW AP's.
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Laketravis
Well-Known Member
For example, both were closer to posted times.
Also been my experience.
I’d look to see when the next one is in MDE, but it just spins when I try to look for tickets. The regular tickets page loads just fine, of course. Time to check a real source of WDW information, this site.
November 16 and 18 are the next two JN events.
bmr1591
Well-Known Member
I often get VQs where I walk straight into the preshow, even on busy days. It's time this ride hops off VQ, but I doubt it will until Test Track is back open.
I'm glad you were able to enjoy Universal, but all I'm reading is that Universal is having a slow week while Disney is not. It's fine to switch where your APs will be, but I don't see how basing it on wait times is really valid.