Theme Parks & Shopping Districts Reopening General Thread

[Frank Drackman]

For whatever reason we jumped in the car last night and wanted to swing by Disney Springs. I saw the same old garbage I saw 10 years ago w/ gobs of traffic wondering about looking for something to do.

Ended up grabbing a bite we could eat outside in that four corners shopping center (the location we ate was dead, a chain that closed up down south long ago).

Anyway, I was a little shocked at how many have jumped in the car and drove to Orlando to look for something to do. (but all it means is that traffic was flowing to Disney Springs and the roads around the DTD hotels can't handle the amount of traffic that fluxes in and we went home w/o ever making it to the shopping district.

 

[Magic Feather]

I-Drive, SeaWorld, Disney Springs, and Universal all get crazy on weekends from what I’ve heard.

 

[TheGentTrent]

Len Testa, owner of Touring Plans; "FWIW, yesterday (Sat. August 8th) appears to have been the busiest post-reopening so far at the MK, USF & IOA."....And looking at the Touring Plans app for today, Sunday, at 11:30 AM,
covid era lines at MK, AK, & DHS appear to be about as busy as Saturday. And USF and IOA appear to be as long, or longer in some cases, than Saturday's lines....Looking like the best weekend so far in the covid limited capacity
Orlando parks.

Definitely rotten luck in hindsight for Universal to close down a chunk of the attractions, that’s for sure.

(and before someone emails me, yes I know that it made more sense to close them on a Sunday due to scheduling)

 

[Mad Dog]

update on Sunday's IOA & USF crowds.....Covid era safety adjusted lines all still quite long at 4:30 PM. Longest times I've seen all summer since the reopening. Even longer than Saturday. Line times from Touring Plans app.

 

[GadgetGuru]

update on Sunday's IOA & USF crowds.....Covid era safety adjusted lines all still quite long at 4:30 PM. Longest times I've seen all summer since the reopening. Even longer than Saturday. Line times from Touring Plans app.

Any idea if that’s because of all the ride closures? Less rides means the lines have to go up for those that are running.

 

[Mad Dog]

Any idea if that’s because of all the ride closures? Less rides means the lines have to go up for those that are running.

Doubt it. Disney was the busiest they've been this weekend also. Saturday was busy and the rides weren't all closed yet. Those closed attractions didn't really eat up a ton of people. Kodos rarely has a line. PF was so covid distanced that it didn't hold a lot of people. And F&F has almost always been running at extremely reduced capacity since a few months after it opened. Fear Factor & Barney were already closed. Plus you have a major addition with Bourne, though it's distanced too. These are the last two weekends before some of the schools start. i'd guess they're getting their last hurrah. and/or....maybe people are getting used to covid stuff, so they're not as afraid.

 

[Scott W.]

Any idea if that’s because of all the ride closures? Less rides means the lines have to go up for those that are running.

Universal could reopen those rides on the weekend when demand is greater but it will probably result in less people going during the week to go on the weekend for the full experience, creating a bigger problem.

 

[Mad Dog]

Universal could reopen those rides on the weekend when demand is greater but it will probably result in less people going during the week to go on the weekend for the full experience, creating a bigger problem.

It's a fuller and better experience with F&F closed, than with it open.

 

[darkridelover]

Len Testa, owner of Touring Plans; "FWIW, yesterday (Sat. August 8th) appears to have been the busiest post-reopening so far at the MK, USF & IOA."....And looking at the Touring Plans app for today, Sunday, at 11:30 AM,
covid era lines at MK, AK, & DHS appear to be about as busy as Saturday. And USF and IOA appear to be as long, or longer in some cases, than Saturday's lines....Looking like the best weekend so far in the covid limited capacity
Orlando parks.

A lot of kids go back to school this week in Florida. That's the reason for the higher crowds this weekend. It's not a sign of things coming back. Get ready to see attendance drop over the next couple weeks.

 

[Mad Dog]

A lot of kids go back to school this week in Florida. That's the reason for the higher crowds this weekend. It's not a sign of things coming back. Get ready to see attendance drop over the next couple weeks.

Yes, that's what I conjectured in another post concerning the last hurrah before school. .

 

[Parkscope Joe]

Any idea if that’s because of all the ride closures? Less rides means the lines have to go up for those that are running.

No, this is a big spike. I think it's more about Universal's FL ticket deal than anything. Honestly, I think Uni should look into buffing up weekend offerings (attractions, hours, restaurants, etc) and winding down weekday (more closed attractions, alternating closed parks, etc) right now. Weekends have have sustained, consistent crowds.

 

[Nick]

I-Drive, SeaWorld, Disney Springs, and Universal all get crazy on weekends from what I’ve heard.

Universal is literally dead on the weekends. Disney not much better.

 

[Imperius]

Universal is literally dead on the weekends. Disney not much better.

Not this weekend.

 

[Nick]

Not this weekend.

Are you just looking at wait times or actually there? I have hard numbers to go on and it is not busy. I won’t disclose said numbers, but the parks have felt fairly empty, including this weekend.

I’m not talking out of my ass here, this is something you know when working at the parks.

 

[HandsomePete]

Feeling busy is probably relative now - weekends aren’t like the old days but they’re also not “only person on Diagon Alley” empty like some days are.

The fact that they haven’t had to turn on Virtual Line for Hagrids that much recently says something though.

 

[Journey_On]

Universal was definitely not dead this weekend. VB hit phase 2 capacity yesterday, among other things. Maybe this weekend was particularly busier due to Orange County schools starting today.

 

[Disneyhead]

Are you just looking at wait times or actually there? I have hard numbers to go on and it is not busy. I won’t disclose said numbers, but the parks have felt fairly empty, including this weekend.

I’m not talking out of my ass here, this is something you know when working at the parks.

I don't have any hard numbers, but I have been going to UOR since it reopened and Sat was BY FAR the most crowded I have seen it. We left the parks on both Sat. and Sun. before 1pm because of the crowd levels.

And then there is this.

Worst Case Scenario Waits on a Capacity Day at Disney's Hollywood Studios - easyWDW

Worst Case Scenario Waits on a Capacity Day at Disney’s Hollywood Studios We’ll take a quick look at what is currently the worst case scenario at Disney’s Hollywood Studios in terms of wait times. I’ll follow this up with a larger analysis of what wait times have looked like at what may or may...

www.easywdw.com

 

[Mad Dog]

I don't have any hard numbers, but I have been going to UOR since it reopened and Sat was BY FAR the most crowded I have seen it. We left the parks on both Sat. and Sun. before 1pm because of the crowd levels.

And then there is this.

Worst Case Scenario Waits on a Capacity Day at Disney's Hollywood Studios - easyWDW

Worst Case Scenario Waits on a Capacity Day at Disney’s Hollywood Studios We’ll take a quick look at what is currently the worst case scenario at Disney’s Hollywood Studios in terms of wait times. I’ll follow this up with a larger analysis of what wait times have looked like at what may or may...

www.easywdw.com

Len Testa of Touring Plans said he was at MK, IOA & USF, and that was his feeling also.....He added that even Carousel of Progress had a line that filled the queue and wrapped around outside of the queue.

 

[JawsVictim]

I’m not on the ground, but is it possible social distancing measures cause the lines and parks to feel more crowded, even if the numbers are down?

 

[Mad Dog]

I’m not on the ground, but is it possible social distancing measures cause the lines and parks to feel more crowded, even if the numbers are down?

Probably, on a busier day. But these observations are all relative in that they're based on comparison to other days that also had social distancing lines, but those lines were considerably shorter. None of these times are being compared to line times before the covid reopening. Both Disney & Universal had line times that were double, and triple in some instances, to what they were on weekdays and some other weekend days since the reopening. And it was both Disney & Universal, not just one.