Is SWGE impacting your trip? Discuss your plans here!

[mom2rtk]

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.

It would take a lot more than $200. Disney did a paid preview for the Pixar Pier overlay preview. That was $299 and didn't even have new rides. And...... Star Wars.

 

[BabybetterDisney]

My plans to dealing with the unexpected SWGE opening:

1. Keep an open mind about crowds and try not to run away from it. Accept the fact that I will now stand in line for rides that used to be walk on for us.
2. Keep our original 3 fastpasses and leave the park when they are used up in the afternoon if no other fastpasses are immediately available. If there's a fastpass available, then go on that ride no matter what ride it is. Like go on It's a Small World 10 times.
3. Go to a park in the evening if I can find a fastpass -- any fastpass DS3 can ride, any park. Otherwise, stay in the hotel and chill.
4. Go to DHS at night if they stay open real late (they did with Toy Story Land's opening) and hope to squeeze ourselves into DHS and maybe even SWGE! That might be tough on DS3 to stay up late, but he can sleep in the stroller. Not planning to do any rides in SWGE, of course. Will be more than happy if we can just get in there for a few minutes!
5. If the food lines are long, only buy food when app ordering is available. And eat at odd hours when the quick service lines are shorter. Pack some snacks so we don't die from hunger.
6. Open my mind and

Overall, spend less time in the parks than previously planned.

The above is only true if September gets turned into Spring Break like I think it will be. (I'm hoping that Spring Break is all it will be, not Christmas) If it turns out that the crowd isn't much, and we are all worrying here for nothing, then I can go on with my original schedule! And look back and laugh about how worried and scared I was back in March! And feel very, very relieved!

 

[BabybetterDisney]

It would take a lot more than $200. Disney did a paid preview for the Pixar Pier overlay preview. That was $299 and didn't even have new rides. And...... Star Wars.

Fine, $300. But that's it! Anymore and DH will have a heart attack!

Later edit: Actually, I'll pay whatever! DH doesn't need to know. So why isn't Disney doing that?

And did I mention I am talking about ONE HOUR? Not all day, just an hour!

 

[mshanson3121]

Fine, $300. But that's it! Anymore and DH will have a heart attack!

And we have $300! Do I hear a $350?

 

[fiasco32]

I feel betrayed...

The more you look at Disney as a corporation that puts shareholders first, the less you will have feelings of betrayal. It's not about you, this isn't an affront on your personal vacation.

It's business.

 

[zuzu310]

• I feel that we got hoodwinked. We booked a bounceback last year because we go every year during the 2nd week of September. When they released free dining to the public early this year valid through 9/30, I felt reaffirmed that SWGE wouldn't open until at least October. By now, we have our airfare booked, time off from work, and MNSSHP tickets bought. There's no going back now...I'm just hoping we don't get a hurricane on top of it.

 

[fiasco32]

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 it's a double-edged sword for Disney.

Disney's family-friendly brand and commitment to customer service makes people (like those you're referring to) feel like they are a "family company," and therefore, they should cater to the needs and desires that families have when it comes to booking vacations -- give me what I want and prioritize my trip over all others. People want what they want, and they want Disney to give it to them. I want to be first in line, give me FPs and Rope Drop. I want a better deal on my vacation, give me free dining. Disney does a good job acquiescing to a lot of these demands, but in reality it only adds to the mirage that Disney is putting your needs first.

When, in reality, Disney is a global media/entertainment conglomerate that reports first not to its customers, but to its shareholders. When faced with a decision between doing what's best for "families" and doing what's best for their shareholders, Disney is going to choose the latter every...single...time.

Now, it's in Disney's best interest to serve both, and they do a good job of this most of the time. But if you've been paying attention to Disney and what they've been doing with promos around early fall/late summer (announcing free dining so early, for example) along with the SWGE announcement roll-out, you start to see a very clear pattern -- Disney is very concerned about their year-end numbers, and they're pulling out all stops possible to close out the year really really well.

Who does that benefit? Shareholders. Who does that harm (a little bit)? Families who booked their trips before the SWGE announcement.

Here's the reality -- people are upset that Disney is encroaching on their "slow" time, when the reality is that Disney doesn't want ANY slow times!! Why would they? This is counter-intuitive to business. So if you book during a slow time and get upset that Disney makes moves to add people to that slow time, you don't understand business, or you have wildly unrealistic expectations about how Disney does and should function.

Take the emotion out of the situation, view it logically and you'll have less heartbreak.

(All said by someone who booked for the week after Labor Day before the SWGE announcement and is still super excited.)

 

[Tiggerlover91]

I think it's a double-edged sword for Disney.

Disney's family-friendly brand and commitment to customer service makes people (like those you're referring to) feel like they are a "family company," and therefore, they should cater to the needs and desires that families have when it comes to booking vacations -- give me what I want and prioritize my trip over all others. People want what they want, and they want Disney to give it to them. I want to be first in line, give me FPs and Rope Drop. I want a better deal on my vacation, give me free dining. Disney does a good job acquiescing to a lot of these demands, but in reality it only adds to the mirage that Disney is putting your needs first.

When, in reality, Disney is a global media/entertainment conglomerate that reports first not to its customers, but to its shareholders. When faced with a decision between doing what's best for "families" and doing what's best for their shareholders, Disney is going to choose the latter every...single...time.

Now, it's in Disney's best interest to serve both, and they do a good job of this most of the time. But if you've been paying attention to Disney and what they've been doing with promos around early fall/late summer (announcing free dining so early, for example) along with the SWGE announcement roll-out, you start to see a very clear pattern -- Disney is very concerned about their year-end numbers, and they're pulling out all stops possible to close out the year really really well.

Who does that benefit? Shareholders. Who does that harm (a little bit)? Families who booked their trips before the SWGE announcement.

Here's the reality -- people are upset that Disney is encroaching on their "slow" time, when the reality is that Disney doesn't want ANY slow times!! Why would they? This is counter-intuitive to business. So if you book during a slow time and get upset that Disney makes moves to add people to that slow time, you don't understand business, or you have wildly unrealistic expectations about how Disney does and should function.

Take the emotion out of the situation, view it logically and you'll have less heartbreak.

(All said by someone who booked for the week after Labor Day before the SWGE announcement and is still super excited.)

VERY well said!!!

 

[agavegirl1]

We will still be going October 18-26. I am adjusting my expectations, changing days around ( originally planned HS on a Saturday and Wednesday evening). If there are any early morning or evening after hours events we will bite the bullet and go. We only do Orlando Theme Park vacations every four years or so. Kind of messing up my carefully laid plans.

 

[cebfennell]

I think it's a double-edged sword for Disney.

Disney's family-friendly brand and commitment to customer service makes people (like those you're referring to) feel like they are a "family company," and therefore, they should cater to the needs and desires that families have when it comes to booking vacations -- give me what I want and prioritize my trip over all others. People want what they want, and they want Disney to give it to them. I want to be first in line, give me FPs and Rope Drop. I want a better deal on my vacation, give me free dining. Disney does a good job acquiescing to a lot of these demands, but in reality it only adds to the mirage that Disney is putting your needs first.

When, in reality, Disney is a global media/entertainment conglomerate that reports first not to its customers, but to its shareholders. When faced with a decision between doing what's best for "families" and doing what's best for their shareholders, Disney is going to choose the latter every...single...time.

Now, it's in Disney's best interest to serve both, and they do a good job of this most of the time. But if you've been paying attention to Disney and what they've been doing with promos around early fall/late summer (announcing free dining so early, for example) along with the SWGE announcement roll-out, you start to see a very clear pattern -- Disney is very concerned about their year-end numbers, and they're pulling out all stops possible to close out the year really really well.

Who does that benefit? Shareholders. Who does that harm (a little bit)? Families who booked their trips before the SWGE announcement.

Here's the reality -- people are upset that Disney is encroaching on their "slow" time, when the reality is that Disney doesn't want ANY slow times!! Why would they? This is counter-intuitive to business. So if you book during a slow time and get upset that Disney makes moves to add people to that slow time, you don't understand business, or you have wildly unrealistic expectations about how Disney does and should function.

Take the emotion out of the situation, view it logically and you'll have less heartbreak.

(All said by someone who booked for the week after Labor Day before the SWGE announcement and is still super excited.)

Totally agree. I mean I’m still bummed that my slow Labor Day weekend is now GEs weekend HOWEVER it was a great business move on Disney’s part for sure. I’m not mad at them for it, just personally bummed for myself hahah

 

[mshanson3121]

Totally agree. I mean I’m still bummed that my slow Labor Day weekend is now GEs weekend HOWEVER it was a great business move on Disney’s part for sure. I’m not mad at them for it, just personally bummed for myself hahah

This. What they've done makes perfect business sense .

 

[Puffy2]

Does anyone have experience with Pandora's opening in the first few months and how that changed things at AK?

I didn't perceive this as a negative to our late Sept trip. I was going to do half day at HS...now we will do a full day, but my focus will be on the rest of the park. I think SW will pull the most guests and maybe free up some of the other rides?

I don't really need to ride the new SW ride, but I would like to see the shops and land...I'm wondering if that would be possible at rope drop.

 

[SaintsManiac]

I think it's a double-edged sword for Disney.

Disney's family-friendly brand and commitment to customer service makes people (like those you're referring to) feel like they are a "family company," and therefore, they should cater to the needs and desires that families have when it comes to booking vacations -- give me what I want and prioritize my trip over all others. People want what they want, and they want Disney to give it to them. I want to be first in line, give me FPs and Rope Drop. I want a better deal on my vacation, give me free dining. Disney does a good job acquiescing to a lot of these demands, but in reality it only adds to the mirage that Disney is putting your needs first.

When, in reality, Disney is a global media/entertainment conglomerate that reports first not to its customers, but to its shareholders. When faced with a decision between doing what's best for "families" and doing what's best for their shareholders, Disney is going to choose the latter every...single...time.

Now, it's in Disney's best interest to serve both, and they do a good job of this most of the time. But if you've been paying attention to Disney and what they've been doing with promos around early fall/late summer (announcing free dining so early, for example) along with the SWGE announcement roll-out, you start to see a very clear pattern -- Disney is very concerned about their year-end numbers, and they're pulling out all stops possible to close out the year really really well.

Who does that benefit? Shareholders. Who does that harm (a little bit)? Families who booked their trips before the SWGE announcement.

Here's the reality -- people are upset that Disney is encroaching on their "slow" time, when the reality is that Disney doesn't want ANY slow times!! Why would they? This is counter-intuitive to business. So if you book during a slow time and get upset that Disney makes moves to add people to that slow time, you don't understand business, or you have wildly unrealistic expectations about how Disney does and should function.

Take the emotion out of the situation, view it logically and you'll have less heartbreak.

(All said by someone who booked for the week after Labor Day before the SWGE announcement and is still super excited.)

Preach.

 

[cebfennell]

If you do try to go to Hollywood studios and avoid SWGE do you think it would be better to go in the morning when everyone is flocking to SWGE and free up other rides? OR would the evening be better after things have died down a bit? Or maybe by the evening people would be done at SWGE and moving to different parts of DHS‍ So many questions hahaha

 

[fiasco32]

If you do try to go to Hollywood studios and avoid SWGE do you think it would be better to go in the morning when everyone is flocking to SWGE and free up other rides? OR would the evening be better after things have died down a bit? Or maybe by the evening people would be done at SWGE and moving to different parts of DHS‍ So many questions hahaha

Crowds tend to behave fairly predictably. I would expect a ton of people at rope drop, with the vast majority of them headed for SWGE. That means the rest of the park will be a bit less busy until late morning, when crowds will start to even out throughout the park and you'll start to see peak lines everywhere. Then, in the evening, a lot of people will either leave, or go to Fantasmic or get set up for fireworks, reducing the lines at most of the rides, but SWGE will stay crowded through the end of the night.

That's my guess, at least, based on crowd behavior across the board at all parks.

 

[SaintsManiac]

If you do try to go to Hollywood studios and avoid SWGE do you think it would be better to go in the morning when everyone is flocking to SWGE and free up other rides? OR would the evening be better after things have died down a bit? Or maybe by the evening people would be done at SWGE and moving to different parts of DHS‍ So many questions hahaha

To avoid it I would go at rope drop. Two years later and this is solid advice for avoiding Pandora and getting the rest of AK to yourself. One year later and still true for TSL and the rest of HS.

 

[fiasco32]

To avoid it I would go at rope drop. Two years later and this is solid advice for avoiding Pandora and getting the rest of AK to yourself. One year later and still true for TSL and the rest of HS.

Going at the end of the night is also an option. We went just a few days ago at a 7 out of 10 HS day and did SDD in under 25 minutes by getting in line 15 minutes before park closing.

The advantage of this approach is you don't have to wait an hour and a half to get into rope drop.

 

[SaintsManiac]

Going at the end of the night is also an option. We went just a few days ago at a 7 out of 10 HS day and did SDD in under 25 minutes by getting in line 15 minutes before park closing.

The advantage of this approach is you don't have to wait an hour and a half to get into rope drop.

I just wonder if GE people will be jamming up the rest of the park later in the evening.

 

[rteetz]

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.

Well that’s quite the opinion....

 

[rteetz]

Does anyone have experience with Pandora's opening in the first few months and how that changed things at AK?

I didn't perceive this as a negative to our late Sept trip. I was going to do half day at HS...now we will do a full day, but my focus will be on the rest of the park. I think SW will pull the most guests and maybe free up some of the other rides?

I don't really need to ride the new SW ride, but I would like to see the shops and land...I'm wondering if that would be possible at rope drop.

I was at Pandora’s opening weekend (not opening day but that first weekend).

I think DHS overall will be quite crowded due to the size of the park and the draw of Star Wars. Pandora is great but it doesn’t have the fan base Star Wars does by any means.