Is SWGE impacting your trip? Discuss your plans here!

[cebfennell]

It doesn't super impact our trip since we will be there August 19-25, and we can't/won't change it. (I don't think I'd be able to handle the crowds, anyways. And I am totally okay with waiting a bit before going due to that fact.) However, I had a question! Do you think the days before it opens will boost crowd levels? Or do you think it will be less busy since people will be holding out to go after it opens?

I don’t think they will go down. The end of August is already not very busy so I highly doubt it will be less busy. If anything it could be busier if there are any special previews or events before opening but that would most likely only impact DHS and not any other parks.

 

[mshanson3121]

I’m furious. I’m sorry, but I feel misled and betrayed and angry. I have anxiety, and so I booked our trip for 09/07-09/21 to hopefully avoid the crowds that trigger it. Hearing that SWGE was opening fall/late fall, I felt safe with my choice. I bought airfare.

This was supposed to be my trip to celebrate being cancer free, and now it’s completely ruined. I’m crying right now. I was so looking forward to this.

Just sending you a virtual hug. Could you call the airline and explain circumstances? See if you could change dates? You might get a bit of magic?

 

[cebfennell]

Hi DISers!
Help me understand. How come so many are bothered by this early SWGE opening? I mean Disney is only doing what they set out to do. Bring a new theme into the parks. Now perhaps it's because I'm locked in to certain times I can visit, and late August or any of September isn't it. Also because I'm visiting early June it's not directly or indirectly effecting my trip. Those who are changing dates seem to be doing for early August now. Some even to next year.

I'm not minimizing anyone's feelings as that would be rude. I'm just at a loss on how come so many awesome DISers are truly mad or upset. Is it mainly because a lot of you travel in September for the "quieter" time it brings to Disney and now that is null and void?

Thanks to anyone who takes the time to explain.

I am slightly upset but not changing my dates 8/29-9/2 (only because I rented DVC points and can’t). We have been going to Disney world over Labor Day the last few years after a horrific poorly planned New Years trip that was the worst experience ever. We have 4 kids under 13 and waiting in long lines is a struggle. They get hot, have to pee, need a drink, snacks etc. It just makes it so much easier for our family to enjoy our time and experience more when the crowds are low. Last year due to the opening of Toy Story land we couldn’t go on quite a few rides so we were hoping for a better experience there this time. From everything I have read so far MK and Epcot shouldn’t see much impact. AK might see a slight bump because pandora is still so popular. SUPPOSEDLY everything outside of SWGE at DHS will only see increased wait times of 10-20%. But getting in will be the problem. Especially if people are camping out starting at midnight

 

[jlundeen]

Hi DISers!
Help me understand. How come so many are bothered by this early SWGE opening? I mean Disney is only doing what they set out to do. Bring a new theme into the parks. Now perhaps it's because I'm locked in to certain times I can visit, and late August or any of September isn't it. Also because I'm visiting early June it's not directly or indirectly effecting my trip. Those who are changing dates seem to be doing for early August now. Some even to next year.

I'm not minimizing anyone's feelings as that would be rude. I'm just at a loss on how come so many awesome DISers are truly mad or upset. Is it mainly because a lot of you travel in September for the "quieter" time it brings to Disney and now that is null and void?

Thanks to anyone who takes the time to explain.

I have planned our anniversary trip AROUND AVOIDING the crowds.... I know things can and do change, but when they announced a time frame of "late fall", which is when we usually would visit, we wanted to get there BEFORE that, and then planned to wait a year or so before coming again.

We DO NOT like the extremely crowded times, or the extreme heat of summer. I can only speak for myself, but I feel I was misled, and now am stuck between either doing it as planned, crowds and all, or throwing away about $2000 by canceling.

I personally feel that since we have been put into a position of having to plan ADRs and FPs many many months in advance, and book flights at a time when prices are somewhat less, that a change like this is totally inconsiderate of those who did NOT want to participate in the opening madness.

 

[mshanson3121]

Hi DISers!
Help me understand. How come so many are bothered by this early SWGE opening? I mean Disney is only doing what they set out to do. Bring a new theme into the parks. Now perhaps it's because I'm locked in to certain times I can visit, and late August or any of September isn't it. Also because I'm visiting early June it's not directly or indirectly effecting my trip. Those who are changing dates seem to be doing for early August now. Some even to next year.

I'm not minimizing anyone's feelings as that would be rude. I'm just at a loss on how come so many awesome DISers are truly mad or upset. Is it mainly because a lot of you travel in September for the "quieter" time it brings to Disney and now that is null and void?

Thanks to anyone who takes the time to explain.

Because many of us specifically chose this time because of low crowds. Disney specifically advertised fall/late fall. It was fairly recent that Iger himself said it would open in the early new fiscal year (which starts October). The early release on the discounts and their dates also indicated a later opening. So we were making plans based on what they told us.

For some, no, it's really not a big deal. But for many, crowds are a big deal. Take our trip for example: uber budget, only 3 park days (so no, we don't have time to waste on park hopping, afternoon breaks or just cutting a day short if the crowds are too bad). My children have special needs which include anxiety. They can not cope with the crowds this will produce.

So yes, essentially, it ruins our trip, as it means having to skip one of their favorite parks, and dealing with the increased crowds at their other favorite park, MK.

We aren't yearly visitors like most here. This is our first trip since 2015 and will be our last for another 4-5 years. So it's not like we can just shrug it off and say, "Oh well, we'll see HS when we come back next year."

So given all that, plus all the time and effort that went into planning the trip around/for very specific parameters, it's now all wasted.

Now, I've already put in roughly 8 hours in trying to figure out a completely different trip at a different time. I'm starting from scratch again - researching hotels, flights, price options etc... Time spent on the phone with Disney trying to cancel/amend plans etc... We can no longer afford to stay on site (Sept was cheapest), so we're losing our 60 day FP+. Since we're going earlier the 180 dining is now passed, too, so we've potentially lost out on ADR.

 

[mshanson3121]

From everything I have read so far MK and Epcot shouldn’t see much impact. AK might see a slight bump because pandora is still so popular. SUPPOSEDLY everything outside of SWGE at DHS will only see increased wait times of 10-20%. But getting in will be the problem. Especially if people are camping out starting at midnight

Where are these numbers coming from?

 

[Three cats]

We are booked 8/23 - 9/2. I'm not moving the trip, but I am juggling my touring plan a bit to ensure majority of HS time before opening.

I'm undecided on whether or not to attempt opening day. I would go in not expecting to get on the ride, but would love to see the land and just the overall chaos of am opening this big. Do I'm leaving that day on my plan as a pool day and we'll see night before if we are up gir a very early morning.

I already had the AK VIP tour booked for Sunday of Labour Day weekend and I've added the Ultimate Day of Thrills tour for the Saturday just as a way to mitigate the risk of increased crowds at non HS parks over the long weekend.

As far as the Ultimate Day of Thrills Tour - I’m wondering if they are still going to include the attractions in HS that they currently have listed once Galaxy’s Edge opens? (If so that’d be one sure way for us to not have to miss out on ToT and RnR...)

 

[yulilin3]

Hi DISers!
Help me understand. How come so many are bothered by this early SWGE opening? I mean Disney is only doing what they set out to do. Bring a new theme into the parks. Now perhaps it's because I'm locked in to certain times I can visit, and late August or any of September isn't it. Also because I'm visiting early June it's not directly or indirectly effecting my trip. Those who are changing dates seem to be doing for early August now. Some even to next year.

I'm not minimizing anyone's feelings as that would be rude. I'm just at a loss on how come so many awesome DISers are truly mad or upset. Is it mainly because a lot of you travel in September for the "quieter" time it brings to Disney and now that is null and void?

Thanks to anyone who takes the time to explain.

I think most people that are upset are because Disney basically surprised us all (including me that wants the land open now) with the August 29th date. At the beginning the were saying late Fall, then they changed their wording to Fall, so most people thought it would be opening around November, most people wanting to avoid crowds made plan, bought airline tickets for August and September. Planning a WDW is not easy and for many it's a once in a lifetime situation so it just throws a huge wrench in the plans.


With that being said I believe you can still have a good trip and avoid most of the crowds with a good plan.
1st Avoid DHS in the morning, if you must go to this park go later in the day
2nd Visit the other parks early in the morning to avoid the people coming from DHS later in the day
3rd Make your 3 fp and have a flexible, realistic plan for the rest of the attractions
4th Monitor the trip reports on this and other fan sites if you are going after Aug 29th. It will give you a better understanding of how things are working.

 

[cebfennell]

Where are these numbers coming from?

Touring plans posted a blog about it. They said they will have their crowd calendar updated Monday morning but they did put out a blog answering some popular questions.
Quoted from their blog “how bad do you think this will be across all parks? I don’t think Magic Kingdom and Epcot will experience a significant bump in wait times as a result of this announcement. So many of the extra guests heading to Walt Disney World will be focused on experiencing the new land that I think there will be a willingness to sacrifice the other parks to get it done. Animal Kingdom will see a bump, I think, because Pandora still has appeal as the previous new land.

“Once the land opens on August 29, Disney’s Hollywood Studios will be jam-packed with guests. The parking lot will be busy, bag check will take longer than usual, and restaurants will be hectic during meal times. However, wait times at the attractions that are not in Galaxy’s Edge will be manageable. Based on what we saw when Animal Kingdom opened Pandora, I think we can expect a 12% to 20% increase in wait times at existing Hollywood Studios attractions. This sounds like a lot, but if you follow one of our optimized touring plans, you won’t really feel the difference. Most of that increase will be felt in the middle of the day, and the touring plans usually get you through those bottlenecks in the early morning.”

 

[;-)]

I’m furious. I’m sorry, but I feel misled and betrayed and angry. I have anxiety, and so I booked our trip for 09/07-09/21 to hopefully avoid the crowds that trigger it. Hearing that SWGE was opening fall/late fall, I felt safe with my choice. I bought airfare.

This was supposed to be my trip to celebrate being cancer free, and now it’s completely ruined. I’m crying right now. I was so looking forward to this.

That’s a wonderful thing to celebrate. Go and have a great time, don’t be upset, you beat cancer!! As you know, there are much greater things to be devastated about in life, this absolutely isn’t one of them!! This is what we call “small world problems”...you’re trip is what YOU make of it!

 

[TheMaxRebo]

I’m furious. I’m sorry, but I feel misled and betrayed and angry. I have anxiety, and so I booked our trip for 09/07-09/21 to hopefully avoid the crowds that trigger it. Hearing that SWGE was opening fall/late fall, I felt safe with my choice. I bought airfare.

This was supposed to be my trip to celebrate being cancer free, and now it’s completely ruined. I’m crying right now. I was so looking forward to this.

First off, can’t gratations on being cancer free! That is amazing!

I definitely feel bad for you and how this impacts your trip. I hope you can still go and have a great time and celebrate life - hopefully the crowds at the other parks and just at the resorts and stuff won’t be crazy and just avoid GE

 

[cebfennell]

Any chance the most die hard fans will do to Disneyland for the opening and not Disney world?

 

[yulilin3]

Any chance the most die hard fans will do to Disneyland for the opening and not Disney world?

no, unless it's easier access to said person (live closer to DL) . DL SWGE entry into the land is a bit more restrictive, people need to make a reservation for it or be staying at one of the 3 DL resorts for a timed reservation. Here in WDW it'll be more open to anyone who can basically be there early enough, whatever that time may be

 

[rteetz]

no, unless it's easier access to said person (live closer to DL) . DL SWGE entry into the land is a bit more restrictive, people need to make a reservation for it or be staying at one of the 3 DL resorts for a timed reservation. Here in WDW it'll be more open to anyone who can basically be there early enough, whatever that time may be

I think the die hard will be going to Disneyland first. Yes it’s restrictive but die hards aren’t necessarily looking for the cheapest way to go. Both coasts will be busy. Die hards will also want to double dip and come back to ride RotR.

 

[mshanson3121]

no, unless it's easier access to said person (live closer to DL) . DL SWGE entry into the land is a bit more restrictive, people need to make a reservation for it or be staying at one of the 3 DL resorts for a timed reservation. Here in WDW it'll be more open to anyone who can basically be there early enough, whatever that time may be

Im actually a bit surprised they didnt do this at DW.

 

[BabybetterDisney]

I’m furious. I’m sorry, but I feel misled and betrayed and angry. I have anxiety, and so I booked our trip for 09/07-09/21 to hopefully avoid the crowds that trigger it. Hearing that SWGE was opening fall/late fall, I felt safe with my choice. I bought airfare.

This was supposed to be my trip to celebrate being cancer free, and now it’s completely ruined. I’m crying right now. I was so looking forward to this.

Very sorry to hear that.

 

[BabybetterDisney]

I am slightly upset but not changing my dates 8/29-9/2 (only because I rented DVC points and can’t). We have been going to Disney world over Labor Day the last few years after a horrific poorly planned New Years trip that was the worst experience ever. We have 4 kids under 13 and waiting in long lines is a struggle. They get hot, have to pee, need a drink, snacks etc. It just makes it so much easier for our family to enjoy our time and experience more when the crowds are low. Last year due to the opening of Toy Story land we couldn’t go on quite a few rides so we were hoping for a better experience there this time. From everything I have read so far MK and Epcot shouldn’t see much impact. AK might see a slight bump because pandora is still so popular. SUPPOSEDLY everything outside of SWGE at DHS will only see increased wait times of 10-20%. But getting in will be the problem. Especially if people are camping out starting at midnight

You think anything outside DHS won't see much impact? Well, I think September is going to turn into Spring Break everywhere WDW, and I am bracing for impact now as I re-plan everything about my trip.

The hope is that you are right and I'm wrong, of course. Please, let me be wrong!

 

[cebfennell]

You think anything outside DHS won't see much impact? Well, I think September is going to turn into Spring Break everywhere WDW, and I am bracing for impact now as I re-plan everything about my trip.

The hope is that you are right and I'm wrong, of course. Please, let me be wrong!

According to touring plans, they don’t think magic kingdom or Epcot will really be impacted much at all. I have used and valued touring plans for 3 trips now. So hopefully they are right again this time.

 

[BabybetterDisney]

Im actually a bit surprised they didnt do this at DW.

I know, right? Why don't they? Can we please have a PAID reservation for SWGE? That's the only way I can make it in there! I'd be happy to pay for the same price as the Disney After Hours, it will be worth it! In fact, I am willing to pay more. I'll pay $100 per person for my family of 4 to be in SWGE for ONE HOUR on August 29th, without rides! As long as it's not too crowded (a crowd level 7 or so)!

OK, I'll go as high as $200 per person, but that's it.

 

[BabybetterDisney]

Any chance the most die hard fans will do to Disneyland for the opening and not Disney world?

Not me. Disneyland is a dump. I'm not going there again. Like my then DS15 puts it after our last Disneyland trip 5 years ago,

"Disney World is like Cinderella. Disneyland is like Cinderella's older, uglier sister."

And what's ugly about Disneyland? Anaheim. What a dump.