Florida Theme Parks & Shopping Districts Reopening General Thread

[RevFreako]

WDW can go screw themselves if they think this Park Pass crap is gonna fly long term. I feel like i'm wasting my AP right now because I hardly ever go anymore due to the hoops I have to jump through just to get into the park I want to go to (DHS). I have my AP through February thanks to the closure, but i'm really not sure if i'll renew after that. I could defend it before, but now it's to the point where I have to book reservations just to get in the park and then FP+ reservations on top of that (and maybe even Dining reservations if I wanted to make a night of it at Epcot?).

There's just too much crap that you have to deal with for the amount of money i'm paying. And tbh, I haven't missed the parks all that much during my time NOT going. Without fireworks, entertainment, M&G's, the parks are a shell of themselves right now.

Disney Park Pass Reservation System Extended into 2022

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Cosigned. Our passes expired on the 15th. Under the current circumstances, and with all of our friends getting laid off, the Disney parks just not being fun right now, we decided it wasn't worth it to renew right now - and remember, we moved down to be close to Disney. We'll revisit it in a year.

 

[HandsomePete]

Same but with my Universal pass - I know there are going to be promos next year so I’d rather save the money now and revisit it down the road after VelociCoaster opens. No sense paying for the next 10 months if the most value I get from it is HHN parking.

I suspect the parks could be in for another busy weekend... saw earlier that most Universal rides were in the 60-90 minute range on a Friday afternoon.

 

[RevFreako]

Same but with my Universal pass - I know there are going to be promos next year so I’d rather save the money now and revisit it down the road after VelociCoaster opens. No sense paying for the next 10 months if the most value I get from it is HHN parking.

I suspect the parks could be in for another busy weekend... saw earlier that most Universal rides were in the 60-90 minute range on a Friday afternoon.

i live so close to Universal.that it's basically my exercise.

 

[Brian G.]

Same but with my Universal pass - I know there are going to be promos next year so I’d rather save the money now and revisit it down the road after VelociCoaster opens. No sense paying for the next 10 months if the most value I get from it is HHN parking.

I suspect the parks could be in for another busy weekend... saw earlier that most Universal rides were in the 60-90 minute range on a Friday afternoon.

Oh, it was definitely busy today. Felt like a Saturday.

 

[RevFreako]

Oh, it was definitely busy today. Felt like a Saturday.

Dammit, Brian, I need some notice so I can sneak up, drop you, grab the button and run away cackling

 

[Mad Dog]

Oh, it was definitely busy today. Felt like a Saturday.

Good to see the parks stayed busy weekdays,even at the tail end of the Columbus holiday week. What a change from June! :thumbsup:

 

[Nick]

Good to see the parks stayed busy weekdays,even at the tail end of the Columbus holiday week. What a change from June! :thumbsup:

The thing is, even the parks being busy now, the number of people in the park is very small for what seems to feel like a packed park. Like, the numbers the parks are hitting on their busy days now would've been quiet days pre-COVID. You really don't fully realize how many people are in the parks squished together in the queues until they aren't (with distancing in the queues, most fill up fast now).

 

[Mad Dog]

The thing is, even the parks being busy now, the number of people in the park is very small for what seems to feel like a packed park. Like, the numbers the parks are hitting on their busy days now would've been quiet days pre-COVID. You really don't fully realize how many people are in the parks squished together in the queues until they aren't (with distancing in the queues, most fill up fast now).

Actually I do. As I posted the other day, Touring Plans did a mid September count of people in the Disney parks and extrapolated those numbers for the month. Average capacity
was around 12 to 15%. But Chapek did say the numbers have increased in October, though still under 25%. I'd imagine Universal was in the same boat on weekdays, though it sounds like weekends get close to 25%.
So yeah, considerably less people than during normal times. But significantly better than they were in that first month. But it's all relative, with distancing and a couple of attractions and restaurant's closed it's easier to get that crowded feeling.
But it's a big positive that the numbers have been going up instead of stagnating, especially since they have to rely on a now economically distressed area for more than half of their crowd. (Not knowledgeable on Universal numbers but Disney said they're getting 50% out of state visitors now, though their normal number is 80% according to them).

 

[Mad Dog]

Looking at the covid era safety adjusted observed line times from Touring Plans, it's looking like another strong Saturday attendance, in lieu of capacity limits, for both Universal parks today.

 

[Magic Feather]

In somewhat surprising/somewhat unsurprising news, park buyouts are still happening for Uni's parks at least. I just got wind of one that I find amusing happening next weekend.

 

[Nick]

In somewhat surprising/somewhat unsurprising news, park buyouts are still happening for Uni's parks at least. I just got wind of one that I find amusing happening next weekend.

Park buyouts were never off the table with Disney. They openly stated that if any NBA team wanted to, they could've rented out one of the parks while they were here. I didn't hear of one ever happening, but it was an option. We know they rented out Splitsville quite a bit.

I'm not shocked one bit the parks are accepting buyouts as buyouts usually mean a small amount of guests and a lot of money per head.

 

[Magic Feather]

Park buyouts were never off the table with Disney. They openly stated that if any NBA team wanted to, they could've rented out one of the parks while they were here. I didn't here of one ever happening, but it was an option. We know they rented out Splitsville quite a bit.

I'm not shocked one bit the parks are accepting buyouts as buyouts usually mean a small amount of guests and a lot of money per head.

Yeah. Ultimtaely, I'm just glad they are still able to find some people to buy out the park.

 

[JungleSkip]

The thing is, even the parks being busy now, the number of people in the park is very small for what seems to feel like a packed park. Like, the numbers the parks are hitting on their busy days now would've been quiet days pre-COVID. You really don't fully realize how many people are in the parks squished together in the queues until they aren't (with distancing in the queues, most fill up fast now).

This is why the idea of going full on virtual with queues for the theme parks will never happen. They can’t handle the crowds when people aren’t queued up

 

[Parkscope Joe]

WDW can go screw themselves if they think this Park Pass crap is gonna fly long term. I feel like i'm wasting my AP right now because I hardly ever go anymore due to the hoops I have to jump through just to get into the park I want to go to (DHS). I have my AP through February thanks to the closure, but i'm really not sure if i'll renew after that. I could defend it before, but now it's to the point where I have to book reservations just to get in the park and then FP+ reservations on top of that (and maybe even Dining reservations if I wanted to make a night of it at Epcot?).

There's just too much crap that you have to deal with for the amount of money i'm paying. And tbh, I haven't missed the parks all that much during my time NOT going. Without fireworks, entertainment, M&G's, the parks are a shell of themselves right now.

Disney Park Pass Reservation System Extended into 2022

Walt Disney World news, photos, and reviews! We provide you with daily news from the Walt Disney World theme parks and beyond

blogmickey.com

What I see is WDW moving to the DL model where the low price locals passes include booking dates but not higher tier options.

 

[Tbad556]

Good lord...

 

[HandsomePete]

Yikes.

Meanwhile Universal does not seem to have reopened the parks after closing for capacity. I thought they had done that in prior instances.

 

[ThemeParks4Life]

I'm thinking about going to Uni and possibly Disney sometime in the next couple of weeks since I need to go back home for a... certain American tradition. A trip to the parks is much needed for me right now since this semester has been soul draining with everything online.

My Disney AP expires at the end of the month, but I'm on the fence about renewing. I can't justify keeping Gold when I've only been once since re-opening and might be out of state next summer, so it's more a matter of whether I downgrade to Silver or Weekday Select if I decide to renew. I'd be fine renewing with Park Pass still in place as long as park hopping returns soon, which obviously there's no concrete timeline for. I'd like to remain a Disney passholder, but there's still so much uncertainty on the next year.

 

[Moistowlette11]

What does a buyout mean? We are coming in next weekend and staying at Royal Pacific, does that mean we may not get in the park next weekend?

 

[JoeCamel]

What does a buyout mean? We are coming in next weekend and staying at Royal Pacific, does that mean we may not get in the park next weekend?

Buyout is usually after park hours or moving closing up to 6pm. Normally does not affect day guests but if you make friends you may get invited? Worth a shot

 

[Journey_On]

Meanwhile Universal does not seem to have reopened the parks after closing for capacity. I thought they had done that in prior instances.

Yeah, it was odd, they usually reopen sooner. But I think I remember hearing they reopened the parks back up sometime around 6:30 or so.