Understanding AP Blockouts and Impact on Crowds

[HydroGuy]

So, my head hurts a little. I generally "get" the info, however, is it just me or is the Captain EO thing still a little vague? We don't have an official open, do we? We are going to DLR 2/26-3/1, and while I myself am super excited about seeing EO, I really don't want to deal with its crowds since we rarely get to visit (or vcacation for that matter). I wonder, will there be a flood of people? Will they just be flooded in to see the show and leave the rest of the parks out if the madness?

I would predict EO will be very crowded on days available to SoCal AP holders. If I were you and had multiple days I would try to do it on a blockout day if possible. If you see it is to crowded make a real time decision to do EO first thing one morning.

 

[HydroGuy]

So since you mentioned the peak time issue, we are planning a one day visit either Friday, March 12 or Saturday, March 13. Saturday is a blackout day but also a Magic Morning. Ride Max still says to do most of FL first on MM's which is important to us as our kids are 4 and 6.

What would you suggest in this case since it is Spring Break?

TIA

Monica

Hard one. If I had one day and Fantasyland was important I would go on Friday. But only if I could get to the gates 30 minutes early and do FL first. If you are going to be an hour late either day then choose whichever day works best for you as they will both be roughly equivalent.

 

[Michelle2]

What about AFTER the so cal blockouts end?
A previous poster said that more and more so cal schools are doing an early start, but others are still after labor day.

We wanted to go the end of August, like the 22-27, BUT that is the first time that the select and so cal APs can go back after all of July and August being blocked. Is it better to go the last week they are blocked out, like August 15-21?
Will there really be alot of people taking advantage of that last week of summer before school starts, or will most already be in school or preparing for it anyway? I know that most other schools like Nevada, etc start back on the 30th, so I know that regular tourists will play an issue to both of those possibilites too. Is it better to avoid the APs or the other tourists at the end of August

I am confused on which to do.

 

[nunzia]

I am very glad I've decided to pay to get in on my DAP blackout day May 15..but the only night I can see WOC is the 14th
Still hoping for the dinner show thingy for WOC, second choice, watch it from the DVC viewing area, third choice, bolt to the showpass thing with the maddening horde and then get squooshed all night to see the show. OY
thanks for the great summary!

 

[HydroGuy]

What about AFTER the so cal blockouts end?
A previous poster said that more and more so cal schools are doing an early start, but others are still after labor day.

We wanted to go the end of August, like the 22-27, BUT that is the first time that the select and so cal APs can go back after all of July and August being blocked. Is it better to go the last week they are blocked out, like August 15-21?
Will there really be alot of people taking advantage of that last week of summer before school starts, or will most already be in school or preparing for it anyway? I know that most other schools like Nevada, etc start back on the 30th, so I know that regular tourists will play an issue to both of those possibilites too. Is it better to avoid the APs or the other tourists at the end of August

I am confused on which to do.

Easy question actually. August 15-21 will be a much better choice than 22-27 because of the blockout choice. Here is some info on what happened in late Aug 2009 FYI:

http://www.disboards.com/showpost.php?p=33401005&postcount=147

My OP does address this question too:

Further, understand that long blockouts like those during the summer for two months means that many SoCal AP holders try to squeeze in one last visit before the blockouts go into effect. And when the blockout lifts a surge in crowds again occurs because of the AP holders who have not been able to visit for an extended time.

The biggest new thing in 2010 will be the night time spectacular World of Color show at DCA. This will bring unprecedented crowds into DCA after it opens in late April. There will then be crowd spill over into DL as a result. Therefore, I would recommend avoiding the non-blockout days in May and June or waiting until the summer blockout starts in late June. Also, avoid going in late August after the blockouts lift.

 

[DLR29]

So since you mentioned the peak time issue, we are planning a one day visit either Friday, March 12 or Saturday, March 13. Saturday is a blackout day but also a Magic Morning. Ride Max still says to do most of FL first on MM's which is important to us as our kids are 4 and 6.

What would you suggest in this case since it is Spring Break?

TIA

Monica

Hard one. If I had one day and Fantasyland was important I would go on Friday. But only if I could get to the gates 30 minutes early and do FL first. If you are going to be an hour late either day then choose whichever day works best for you as they will both be roughly equivalent.

I agree with Hydroguy. Friday definitely. Get there as early as possible and collect as many FPs in the morning/early afternoon. But be warned that usually on Fridays where APs aren't blocked out, a huge surge of crowds comes in the early evening/evening. The fireworks will be packed and DL will be extremely crowded at night. So make sure you get a ton done in the morning!

 

[Michelle2]

Easy question actually. August 15-21 will be a much better choice than 22-27 because of the blockout choice. Here is some info on what happened in late Aug 2009 FYI:

http://www.disboards.com/showpost.php?p=33401005&postcount=147

My OP does address this question too:

Thanks so much Hydroguy! I did read all of the posts for the last August 2009 fiasco, BUT that was when something new was going on the Fantasmic and Nightastic things. This August, the WoC show will be out for quite awhile, so I thought it wouldn't be as bad this time. ...I guess I was thinking it would make a difference?

Do you think that the WoC show will still be impacted by the AP crowds that late into the summer, and would it only affect the parks in the evenings?

 

[SuzanneSLO]

Thanks so much Hydroguy! I did read all of the posts for the last August 2009 fiasco, BUT that was when something new was going on the Fantasmic and Nightastic things. This August, the WoC show will be out for quite awhile, so I thought it wouldn't be as bad this time. ...I guess I was thinking it would make a difference?

Do you think that the WoC show will still be impacted by the AP crowds that late into the summer, and would it only affect the parks in the evenings?

Not Hydorguy, but I have seen some of the math on APs and WoC. WoC will accomodate 9000 per showing in the reserved section. There are a reported 1,000,000 AP holders. So it will take more than 111 showings just for all of the AP holders to see it once. If there is only 1 showing per night, that will be about 4 months or late August based on a late April opening.

So my guess is yes the parks will still be impacted by WoC in August. Sorry. -- Suzanne

 

[HydroGuy]

Not Hydorguy, but I have seen some of the math on APs and WoC. WoC will accomodate 9000 per showing in the reserved section. There are a reported 1,000,000 AP holders. So it will take more than 111 showings just for all of the AP holders to see it once. If there is only 1 showing per night, that will be about 4 months or late August based on a late April opening.

So my guess is yes the parks will still be impacted by WoC in August. Sorry. -- Suzanne

I agree. August after blockouts lift will likely be just as bad in 2010 as 2009. Possibly worse because there are even more AP holders this year.

That is not a reason to plain not go to DLR IMO. If I had no choice on dates I would go in late August myself and just work with the crowds. We did it during the crazy 50th anniversary celebration and had a blast. But if I could choose between July or August during blockouts and June or August without blockouts, I would of course choose to go during blockouts.

 

[SuzanneSLO]

I agree. August after blockouts lift will likely be just as bad in 2010 as 2009. Possibly worse because there are even more AP holders this year.

That is not a reason to plain not go to DLR IMO. If I had no choice on dates I would go in late August myself and just work with the crowds. We did it during the crazy 50th anniversary celebration and had a blast. But if I could choose between July or August during blockouts and June or August without blockouts, I would of course choose to go during blockouts.

We are thinking seriously about not renewing our APs this year so that we can go in early August for a Goodbye Aladdin trip. But we are also going to WDW in Oct for 10 nights and will have a WDW AP, so this helps a lot with our Disney fix! -- Suzanne

 

[blackjackdelta]

I made the mistake in 2009 of going the 3rd week in August and won't do that again. For the last 10 years or so we have always gone in August since the job only allows this time of the year for vacation. It was the 1st week they had lifted the blackouts. I will NEVER do that again. It was managable but we used all the tricks to optimize our time, but afternoons and evenings were very busy compared to our previous adventures.

Jack

 

[Delilah1310]

So let me make sure I'm understanding this ...

There would actually be a SMALLER crowd at the parks in late July or early August (because of the AP blockout days) than in September?

Even after Labor Day, when most kiddos are back in school?
Even MID-WEEK in mid to late September?

If I'm correct in how I'm reading this, then I might need to re-think a September trip and switch to early August!

How does this AP blockout phenomeon affect the hotel rates, especially those Good Neighbor hotels nearby?

thanks so much for letting us DL-newbies know about this! )

 

[HydroGuy]

So let me make sure I'm understanding this ...

There would actually be a SMALLER crowd at the parks in late July or early August (because of the AP blockout days) than in September?

Even after Labor Day, when most kiddos are back in school?
Even MID-WEEK in mid to late September?

If I'm correct in how I'm reading this, then I might need to re-think a September trip and switch to early August!

How does this AP blockout phenomeon affect the hotel rates, especially those Good Neighbor hotels nearby?

thanks so much for letting us DL-newbies know about this! )

I think you are taking the post too far and would disagree with your conclusion. Let me re-phrase and hopefully others who visit in September can chime in. I do not visit then personally and just know what I read.

During times of...

a. high promotion and/or
b. significant new or refurbed attractions and shows and/or
c. holiday or vacation times

DLR often gets much more crowded on non-blockout days. Further, Saturdays are blocked out year round while Sundays are not and so Saturday is better than Sunday year round - except when there is an extended blockout like for 2 months in the summer when Sundays are also blocked.

Examples of the above are...

1. Halloween time promotion - lots of AP holders come for this special time of year

2. Christmas holiday period - lots of AP holders will squeeze in a visit

3. Refurbed Fantasmic and new Nightastic fireworks in June 2009

4. New Finding Nemo Sub Voyage opened in June 2007

5. Refurbed POTC opened in June 2006

6. Almost every year in mid to late June - schools are out

Upcoming things to which you can expect a similar response

A. World of Color May 2010

B. Star Tours II in 2011

C. Little Mermaid ride at DCA 2011

D. CarsLand and Radiator Springs Racers at DCA 2012

People do find times of low crowds at DLR. But it is also much more common around here to find folks who thought they were choosing a low crowd time at DLR and were surprised by the higher crowds.

Bottom line is I would not rule out September based on this thread. I would ask the questions you are asking so you do not get surprised. My understanding is that September weekdays after Labor Day are pretty light on crowds. That is a low interest time for AP holders usually.

 

[Eeee-va]

Do you think it is a good guess that the best time for a Deluxe AP-holder with passes that expire mid-June to visit to see World of Color might be the Southern California passholder blockout dates of 6/10 - 6/12? (6/12 is a blockout date for Deluxe as well but anytime we go after the first of March will have a Saturday blockout anyway; we were figuring to just buy a blockout pass or possibly use a give-a-day voucher, though I'd then likely need to upgrade that to a hopper, greatly reducing the amount of money saved.)

My other instinct was Memorial Day, but that "only" has 2 blocked days instead of 3 and my travel partner prefers that Sunday is a travel day anyway. Plus if WoC premieres then (which is one date that has been floated around) I think crowds will be absolutely insane with or without blockout.

The week after 6/12 is not a possibility as our passes expire about 6/19.

 

[Delilah1310]

I think you are taking the post too far and would disagree with your conclusion...

Bottom line is I would not rule out September based on this thread. I would ask the questions you are asking so you do not get surprised. My understanding is that September weekdays after Labor Day are pretty light on crowds. That is a low interest time for AP holders usually.

Thanks for the clarification.
It's a very good thing to know about, though, as I hadn't didn't even know about AP blockout days or their possible impact.
Thanks again for bringing it up.

 

[tholczer]

I made the mistake in 2009 of going the 3rd week in August and won't do that again. For the last 10 years or so we have always gone in August since the job only allows this time of the year for vacation. It was the 1st week they had lifted the blackouts. I will NEVER do that again. It was managable but we used all the tricks to optimize our time, but afternoons and evenings were very busy compared to our previous adventures.

Jack

Don't give up on August! That first week when AP blockout days lift is really awful. But we've been passholders for the last six years and we've gone the last week in August every year (except the one year we went when the blockout days lifted and...yikes!) and the crowds are pretty low - definitely lower than peak summer weeks.

This year, that would be the week of Monday, Aug. 30. Last year we went August 25-26 and had a great time.

Tracy

 

[nunzia]

Do you think it is a good guess that the best time for a Deluxe AP-holder with passes that expire mid-June to visit to see World of Color might be the Southern California passholder blockout dates of 6/10 - 6/12? (6/12 is a blockout date for Deluxe as well but anytime we go after the first of March will have a Saturday blockout anyway; we were figuring to just buy a blockout pass or possibly use a give-a-day voucher, though I'd then likely need to upgrade that to a hopper, greatly reducing the amount of money saved.)

My other instinct was Memorial Day, but that "only" has 2 blocked days instead of 3 and my travel partner prefers that Sunday is a travel day anyway. Plus if WoC premieres then (which is one date that has been floated around) I think crowds will be absolutely insane with or without blockout.

The week after 6/12 is not a possibility as our passes expire about 6/19.

Are you sure you can use a GAD voucher for that? I had planned to do the same thing and was told by someone that I couldn't Really would like to find a definative answer...

 

[Eeee-va]

Are you sure you can use a GAD voucher for that? I had planned to do the same thing and was told by someone that I couldn't Really would like to find a definative answer...

It won't be for a blockout ticket per se. I don't know how Disney could let me volunteer for a free ticket voucher and then not give me a one-park voucher just because I also HAPPEN to have an AP. Then I would still have to pay $25 or so to upgrade to a hopper, though, so my savings would be pretty low.

I suppose it is possible that they wouldn't let me get a free day just because I have an AP, but that would be pretty low of them, IMO. With the birthday promotion, I'm pretty sure you could use it for a free ticket on your birthday if your birthday fell on a blockout day. (I know there's a day or two in June that are probably blockout days and that you can't use for your voucher, but I don't think the day I'm looking at is one of those. Worst case, I can get the FPs or possibly the pin figure I don't really want. )

If I have a valid multi-day ticket or an Annual Pass or Passport, is there anything else that I can receive?

Guests who present a valid multi-day ticket or Annual Pass or Passport may choose from one of the following three options instead of receiving the free 1-day, 1-park ticket...

Which indicates to me that since I don't have a VALID pass at the time, I can use it for a one-day, one-park ticket.

May I upgrade my free one day ticket to an Annual Pass or multi-day ticket?

Yes, you may upgrade the free ticket to another ticket type of greater value within the applicable upgrade window. However, you are responsible for the incremental cost and the new ticket may only be used by you. No changes or refunds will be given. The value of the free ticket may not be used to combine or upgrade with a separate single or multi-day ticket.

So I should be able to upgrade to a hopper (again, at additional cost, but probably $20 less than a $45 blockout ticket).

 

[blackjackdelta]

Don't give up on August! That first week when AP blockout days lift is really awful. But we've been passholders for the last six years and we've gone the last week in August every year (except the one year we went when the blockout days lifted and...yikes!) and the crowds are pretty low - definitely lower than peak summer weeks.

This year, that would be the week of Monday, Aug. 30. Last year we went August 25-26 and had a great time.

Tracy

I can not give up on August since it is the only time I am allowed to take vacation. This year we hope to be there 15-21. Last week is not doable because of school schedules.

Jack

 

[nunzia]

It won't be for a blockout ticket per se. I don't know how Disney could let me volunteer for a free ticket voucher and then not give me a one-park voucher just because I also HAPPEN to have an AP. Then I would still have to pay $25 or so to upgrade to a hopper, though, so my savings would be pretty low.

I suppose it is possible that they wouldn't let me get a free day just because I have an AP, but that would be pretty low of them, IMO. With the birthday promotion, I'm pretty sure you could use it for a free ticket on your birthday if your birthday fell on a blockout day. (I know there's a day or two in June that are probably blockout days and that you can't use for your voucher, but I don't think the day I'm looking at is one of those. Worst case, I can get the FPs or possibly the pin figure I don't really want. )



Which indicates to me that since I don't have a VALID pass at the time, I can use it for a one-day, one-park ticket.



So I should be able to upgrade to a hopper (again, at additional cost, but probably $20 less than a $45 blockout ticket).

Ahh..totally makes sense and I had forgotten it was a 1 park voucher, so yes, would need to upgrade to PH..I think we'll just pay the blackout day price and use the voucher for the figurines and fast passes if they are any good...