News VISIT FLORIDA Research report highlights dramatic reduction in visitors to Florida

DVCakaCarlF

Well-Known Member
For comparison, here’s two pics of Epcot around 11-12 from two different directions:
 

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matt9112

Well-Known Member
I’m in Texas. I accrue 6 hours each pay period so 12 hours per month and we don’t lose it with each year. Right now I have well over a month of vacation leave (especially now). Of course I’d never take more than 2/2.5 weeks at a time. For sick leave we get 4 hours each pay period. No complaints from me! 😊

And... In addition to our regular sick leave, anyone sick with Covid would not have to use their regular sick hours, but thankfully, not one person (so far) in our organization has caught it.

The fact companies still allow never ending acrrument is insane to me. Theres the well i earned it argument but i counter with the yes but its there for you to use...not save for 20 years. Obviously extreme case. Ours is it rolls one year. I think the idea of pto outside of emergencys etc is to take vacation etc not use as a bank account. However we dont have seperate sick time its all one bucket. 2..75 hours a week. We did recently start a program that allows you to roll overtime into pto. 1 hour = 1.5 hours of PTO (my field is overtime driven) so although thats nothing the company is doing per say its nice for peasants like me. Holding the burden of the higher echelons of this board on my shoulders is tiresome but....its the best job i ever had!
 

floydbeatle

Active Member
The highest I ever saw FOP was 50 and that was during a cleaning. When I got in line the first time it said 35 we waited 25. I realize sometimes there may be waits for some attractions, but the crowds are nowhere near normal. Not even remotely close.
I want to be clear that the crowds are not what they were pre-pandemic. I am only making an observation from my time at DHS, DAK, and MK in the past five days, that the theme (parks are empty) is not true. Rides can or cannot be walk-ons. Times vary from 5 minutes to 60 minutes. I know I waited 45 minutes for Dinosaur. That is a fact. So I understand, and acknowledge that the crowds are reduced, and some rides, and in general your experience, will be better if your standard is crowd sizes. But with reduced offerings, you may be in a situation where you end up waiting longer for a ride then you ever would before. That to me is frustrating especially when the theme has been that the parks are empty and no one is around. Depending on how you toured prior to the pandemic you may be frustrated at times. That is my experience. I always used FP+, rope drop, and a touring plan efficiently and to my advantage, and never waited longer than 25 minutes pre-pandemic, so to wait 45 minutes for some rides is a little confusing. I have always had a FP for FOP, and in fact, until Saturday had never seen the main queue, so to wait even 45 minutes was aggravating. We left around 3pm and Navi was at 40 minutes. That's ridiculous.
 

DfromATX

Well-Known Member
The fact companies still allow never ending acrrument is insane to me. Theres the well i earned it argument but i counter with the yes but its there for you to use...not save for 20 years. Obviously extreme case. Ours is it rolls one year. I think the idea of pto outside of emergencys etc is to take vacation etc not use as a bank account. However we dont have seperate sick time its all one bucket. 2..75 hours a week. We did recently start a program that allows you to roll overtime into pto. 1 hour = 1.5 hours of PTO (my field is overtime driven) so although thats nothing the company is doing per say its nice for peasants like me. Holding the burden of the higher echelons of this board on my shoulders is tiresome but....its the best job i ever had!

Let me correct myself, I think eventually they do cut it off, but with 5 weeks of time, I'm still not at that point yet. They will also buy back hours, something I've never done either. (I value my time off and this quarantine has killed me!) Under normal circumstances, I would not have that much time. I went to Disney in 2018 and that was my last vacation. I had 2 cruises cancelled - one due to engine trouble in 2019 and then this year with Covid. I do feel lucky! My husband's office has the use-it-or-lose-it policy.
 

DfromATX

Well-Known Member
I do not believe those numbers. 55% decrease in hotel rooms? Our hotels in the Keys were closed for 2 months. It's still dead in Key West. Close to 6 months of no cruise ships. That's about 500,000 people. Most coming from Florida ports, and none of them booked hotels at the beginning of end of their trip.

Florida is a mess.

Cruise ships are starting to leave - from Europe, that is. I saw a video about MSC leaving just yesterday for a Mediterranean cruise. There's a few of them out there. Hopefully we'll get there! 🤞🙏
 

tanc

Well-Known Member
For comparison, here’s two pics of Epcot around 11-12 from two different directions:

The crowds are similar how EPCOT was on this past Saturday. Was the most crowded I saw the parks all week, I personally thought social distancing wasn't even practically existent towards the middle of the day. People were really gathered around.
 

DVCakaCarlF

Well-Known Member
The crowds are similar how EPCOT was on this past Saturday. Was the most crowded I saw the parks all week, I personally thought social distancing wasn't even practically existent towards the middle of the day. People were really gathered around.
I spoke with two managers from Poly, and both said their “bookings are very strong,” and they were expecting to be slammed for Labor Day.

It’s not a coincidence the Tambu lounge opened Sunday, and they finally brought in more pool bar staff to take orders and run drinks.
 

monykalyn

Well-Known Member
Every single person was wearing a mask. I have seen more adherence to the mask rules here then in the DC area
That's been our experience-arrived Saturday. Not doing Disney, dropping kid off at UCF and had to do some shopping. Staying at Marriott Grande Vista. Don't think resort is even 50% full, and it is emptier today than yesterday.
I don’t see a meaningful uptick in Sept/Oct. If the case numbers are down and If the nationwide situation looks more stable maybe there will be a bump for the Thanksgiving
Well flights are the cheapest they've been for Thanksgiving from our regional airport! Flying down to collect college kid then as all classes to be online after the break. She's got a hybrid right now. Also with cancellation of HHN I cancelled my usual September trip.
My comparison from June trip to this month-way way more traffic. Universal also much busier! Managed to get on Hagrids right after it opened up today. We lucked out with weather in June-mask is much more miserable this month than June, although I did expect that.
Opted for refund on Disney AP's so can't comment on that.
 

Ninja Mom

Well-Known Member
Watch the Tram car please, Watch the Tram car...

trams.jpg


I'm an Ocean City NJ girl myself. I canceled a two week trip to WDW in late October and we are looking at renting a shore house for a week in October when things are less crowded.

My husband is working from home and is climbing the walls. All day, I listen to him cursing at the computer and the coffee machine. My dining room has been taken over with boxes from his work . My college senior is home as well and has taken over the kitchen table. More cursing! The Dog and I have been invaded. I am now running a restaurant full time.

We need to get away.

I was going to drive down to Disney but there is no way I'm going until Covid-19 is more under control. The fact that Disney cancelled MNSSHP and cut hours and fireworks and parades lets me know that now is not the time for a Disney trip. I'll be back when things become clearer as far as managing Covid-19 and the cuts are restored at the parks.

~NM
 

Dan Deesnee

Well-Known Member
Working in the stock market industry has it's advantages. I get 6 weeks off, 5 "personal days (still not sure what the difference is)", 12 sick days and 9 "market holidays" where we're off because the stock market is closed.

That being said my longest Disney trip so far is 11 days. It felt LONG and we think the sweet spot is around 7 days. Just enough time to not be rushing all over the place but also enough to get everything done you want to do.

What is it like to be at Disney World for 14+ days? I am genuinely curious. For those that do / have done it, were you in the parks every day? Mostly at the resorts or 50/50?
 

DVCakaCarlF

Well-Known Member
Watch the Tram car please, Watch the Tram car...

trams.jpg


I'm an Ocean City NJ girl myself. I canceled a two week trip to WDW in late October and we are looking at renting a shore house for a week in October when things are less crowded.

My husband is working from home and is climbing the walls. All day, I listen to him cursing at the computer and the coffee machine. My dining room has been taken over with boxes from his work . My college senior is home as well and has taken over the kitchen table. More cursing! The Dog and I have been invaded. I am now running a restaurant full time.

We need to get away.

I was going to drive down to Disney but there is no way I'm going until Covid-19 is more under control. The fact that Disney cancelled MNSSHP and cut hours and fireworks and parades lets me know that now is not the time for a Disney trip. I'll be back when things become clearer as far as managing Covid-19 and the cuts are restored at the parks.

~NM
Is it normal for that much swearing in a house hold from NJ?
 

DVCakaCarlF

Well-Known Member
Working in the stock market industry has it's advantages. I get 6 weeks off, 5 "personal days (still not sure what the difference is)", 12 sick days and 9 "market holidays" where we're off because the stock market is closed.

That being said my longest Disney trip so far is 11 days. It felt LONG and we think the sweet spot is around 7 days. Just enough time to not be rushing all over the place but also enough to get everything done you want to do.

What is it like to be at Disney World for 14+ days? I am genuinely curious. For those that do / have done it, were you in the parks every day? Mostly at the resorts or 50/50?
I was just there for nine days, and it’s a mixed bag...some days are mostly resorts or Disney springs...we went to Kennedy Space Center one day...I have little ones so it was a lot of pool, splash pad, drinks, etc.
 

Sirwalterraleigh

Well-Known Member
Working in the stock market industry has it's advantages. I get 6 weeks off, 5 "personal days (still not sure what the difference is)", 12 sick days and 9 "market holidays" where we're off because the stock market is closed.

That being said my longest Disney trip so far is 11 days. It felt LONG and we think the sweet spot is around 7 days. Just enough time to not be rushing all over the place but also enough to get everything done you want to do.

What is it like to be at Disney World for 14+ days? I am genuinely curious. For those that do / have done it, were you in the parks every day? Mostly at the resorts or 50/50?
My number is 7-9

Less than 7 and I feel like it goes fast...more than 8-9 and the egregiousness of it all gets to me.
 

Dan Deesnee

Well-Known Member
My number is 7-9

Less than 7 and I feel like it goes fast...more than 8-9 and the egregiousness of it all gets to me.

Right there with you. Will probably keep future trips in this range. I also am curious about the people that go down 3-4 or more times a year. We usually go twice. I guess it's nice to go for something like flower and garden, then in the summer, then fall and winter for the different decorations. Just seems like a lot, especially if you live several states away or more.

Eager for the parks to get more back to normal. Praying our holiday trip next year is able to happen and this is mostly over by then...
 

Ninja Mom

Well-Known Member
Working in the stock market industry has it's advantages. I get 6 weeks off, 5 "personal days (still not sure what the difference is)", 12 sick days and 9 "market holidays" where we're off because the stock market is closed.

That being said my longest Disney trip so far is 11 days. It felt LONG and we think the sweet spot is around 7 days. Just enough time to not be rushing all over the place but also enough to get everything done you want to do.

What is it like to be at Disney World for 14+ days? I am genuinely curious. For those that do / have done it, were you in the parks every day? Mostly at the resorts or 50/50?

Yes in the parks every day, but sometimes just at night after doing Universal. For example Volcano bay in the morning, lunch at Toothsome and then a couple of rides before dashing off to Disney for the FW and closing. We have also taken side trips to Sea World, the Kennedy Space Center and Cocoa Beach. We can't wait to visit Lake Apopka Wildlife drive on the weekends. That's a bucket list item as well as watching a launch from the Cape.

There is also the Walmart on SR. 535 in Kissimmee. A late night trip there after the parks close is a sight to behold. I happened to be there on Halloween in 2018 and therapy is helping to burn those images from my mind. The freaks come out at night and apparently Walmart is the place to be seen. On the weekend after the bars close the drunks come. Fun times!

When I have to make a grocery run, after the parks close is the best time because it's not crowded and you can zip right through. I have a saying when I'm at Disney... I can sleep when I'm dead.

One night at the Top of the World lounge we met a British family and when we told them we were staying for 17 days they told us we were honorary Brits. People from overseas stay for awhile and run amok all over Orlando, hitting the headliners. this particular family had DVC and was bookending their stay with time at Universal hotels. I wonder how people from overseas that own DVC are making out with not being able to use their points.

Is it normal for that much swearing in a house hold from NJ?
Technically prehistoric Husband is battling 3 screens and Zoom meetings. He's getting the hang of it now but it was quite humorous in the beginning. Now most of the cursing is directed at the work itself and not so much the technology.

Mostly we curse to ourselves and now we curse silently under our masks.

~NM
 

Sirwalterraleigh

Well-Known Member
View attachment 491574
This past Saturday MK was slammed...yes, it wasn’t NYE or XMAS, but it was busy. I took this picture of AK on Friday after 1ish:
I’m not sure if that’s “slammed”

Did I ever tell you about12/31/99 in Epcot??


...anyway...more than we’ve seen.
Bad news for Disney? Attendance falls off a cliff (relative) on 8/15 in a normal year.

The British Invasion starts this month and runs September. No help there.

Mobs show food and wine and Halloween parties in October...wait a minute...this just in.

November...Jersey will show!!
Well...I may ...but I don’t tend to lead from behind.

...Just some annoying, reality based context

(I know...I suck)
 
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