Marathon Weekend 2019

[Keels]

I think they must’ve had a software or server update that affected their data and sent those emails because I refuse to believe that AK went from a 1 to a 9 on a Wednesday that’s not a holiday on a Marathon Week that’s not even close to sold out.

 

[AFwifelife]

We are going to HS on Expo Day. I just re-optimized the plans for that day and none of the times changed. Shouldn’t the wait times change if the crowds went from a 5 to a 9?

 

[lhermiston]

I think they must’ve had a software or server update that affected their data and sent those emails because I refuse to believe that AK went from a 1 to a 9 on a Wednesday that’s not a holiday on a Marathon Week that’s not even close to sold out.

I wondered about that. They sent two emails within seconds/minutes shortly after midnight, when I imagine they’d run their updates.

AK as a 9 feels so extreme, but I recall you guys saying it was packed last year (albeit closer to the holidays).

In ‘17, crowd levels were solidly 4-6, maybe 7.

 

[lhermiston]

We are going to HS on Expo Day. I just re-optimized the plans for that day and none of the times changed. Shouldn’t the wait times change if the crowds went from a 5 to a 9?

I checked that, too. For AK and MK, with very little change. I wasn’t sure what to take from that.

 

[ZellyB]

Yeah, I got that crowd email too and I'm not buying it. I think their previous projections were way too low, but a 10 at Hollywood studios on the 12th of January?? That seems pretty off. Now last year when it was butted right up to the holidays and lots of kids still out of school, ok...but this year I think most kids have returned to school by next weekend.

 

[Bree]

My kids are back in school on Monday so it’s not us locals driving up the crowd counts. Unless they expect a lot of parents to be celebrating back to school at WDW

 

[TheHamm]

I wish I had a breakdown of Pandora vs. the rest of AK. I can deal with Pandora being busy. We’ll do our FOP FP and steer clear the rest of the time. We have FPs for Nemo and the safari, and a rez for Yak and Yeti, so we’ll manage.

MK is the bigger concern. I suppose we’ll head over after the half, do our FPs for Splash and BTMRR and go from there. Could end up being a pool day and we come back at night for HEA and post-fireworks touring.

This is roughly my plan as well- I think it will be fine, we were at AK on Dec 26 and still got lots done, other than Pandora and the safari, for which we had FP. We even still got walk up at Y&Y with the Landry's club thing, and reasonable service. I am also doing MK after the half. I'm going to count Splash as a quick shower

 

[ZellyB]

Also only 3 more days of work for me!!

I may be entering my "pre-vacation incompetence mode" a little early.

 

[rteetz]

Anyone else get a Touring Plans crowd update?? Crowd levels jumped significantly for marathon weekend.

Ex: Wednesday AK went from a 1 to a 9.

Friday HS went from a 5 to a 10; AK went 2 to 8

Saturday: MK went from a 5 to a 9, HS 5 to 10 and AK 3 to 9

Those are just a few examples. I’ve never seen such big leaps in crowd levels. Any chance this is an error?

I believe this is the new model Len has discussed where they account for the possibility that Disney isn’t staffing the park properly. Disney did that last year and January overall felt way more crowded than it should’ve been.

 

[ZellyB]

I believe this is the new model Len has discussed where they account for the possibility that Disney isn’t staffing the park properly. Disney did that last year and January overall felt way more crowded than it should’ve been.

Oh yeah, I remember hearing him talk about that. I still think they've overshot the mark though...

 

[rteetz]

Len says a blog post explaining the jump will be out soon.

https://twitter.com/lentesta/status/1081163906939346945?s=21

 

[ZellyB]

Hey @rteetz ! Where's our daily weather update??

 

[rteetz]

Ask and you shall receive @ZellyB!

 

[ZellyB]

Ask and you shall receive @ZellyB!

View attachment 373313

Thank you!

If those crowd predictions end up being correct, then I'm really rooting for that pool weather as I'll be spending time lounging by the pool and buying drinks from HH.

 

[BigEeyore]

If I purchase One-Day Memory Maker can that one day be race day and will I be able to access all the official race photos with my bib number?

I am interested in the one day MM too - I had an AP last year and LOVED getting all my race photos, but my AP expired yesterday . Anyone know how we purchase?

Anyone else get a Touring Plans crowd update?? Crowd levels jumped significantly for marathon weekend.

This really doesn't make sense to me - between the number of race weekend participants being down almost 1/3, and the weekend being after kids are back in school, I can't imagine that the crowds will be that bad. Wonder what made them change it?

 

[bellanotte10]

oh hey! what'd i miss since i took a unexpected hiatus from this thread?

 

[run.minnie.miles]

Also only 3 more days of work for me!!

I may be entering my "pre-vacation incompetence mode" a little early.

YES. This is me too... I feel like all I can think about is the trip and race!

 

[lhermiston]

Possible further evidence of something not quite right:

I’m tracking some dates in February for a coworker and there were significant jumps there, as well. AK went from 6 to 10 (the Friday before Presidents’ Day, but a 10??)

Epcot goes from 1 to 6 one day, AK goes from 1 to 5 another day.

This feels like Touring Plans started drifting into the right ditch (too low for predictions), overcorrected the car and wound up in the left ditch (too high).

Fingers crossed some of these leaps average out. I’ll be perfectly fine with 5-7 for crowd levels.

 

[steph0808]

YES. This is me too... I feel like all I can think about is the trip and race!

Same. Having a three-day week this week and a three-day week next week, I've been less than stellar at work. I just keep researching tours and fast passes, etc.!

 

[2Infinity&Beyond]

Here is the blog post @rteetz was mentioning https://blog.touringplans.com/2019/01/04/disney-world-crowd-calendar-update-for-january-2019/