What to Know Before Booking 2023 Disney World Vacations
Walt Disney World 2023 vacation packages, resort reservations, and tickets are now on sale! Many fans begin booking and planning next year’s vacations with this release, so we’re bringing you everything that you need to know before getting started. (Updated June 8, 2022.)
This covers a multitude of topics, including when to visit to avoid crowds, saving the most money, new attractions, if or when the Disney Dining Plan will return, and more. We’re running through the key info that could influence your plans and Walt Disney World 2023 travel dates, with recommendations and reminders about past precedent that’s consistent from year to year.
In other cases, what’s addressed here is unique to 2023 at Walt Disney World. There are also plenty of unknowns, including some things we are still hoping will be back later this year, but that might not…and also might not return at the beginning of next year, or at all!
Let’s start with the basic information: bookings are now available for theme park tickets, resort hotel stays, and 2023 Walt Disney World vacation packages for arrivals dates starting January 1, 2023.
Reservations can be made for arrival dates up to 499 days in the future on a rolling basis. This means that you can only reserve through October 21, 2023 as of June 8, but tomorrow that’ll move forward to October 22 and so forth. November 2023 will be bookable by later this month, and all of December 2023 will be available by late July 2022.
With that out of the way, let’s turn to relevant considerations when choosing your 2023 Walt Disney World travel dates…
When to Visit
The World’s Most Magical Celebration 50th anniversary event is now being celebrated at all four Walt Disney World theme parks throughout the rest of this year and into early 2023. As always, special events are subject to extension “by popular guest demand,” but for now, the 50th Anniversary is scheduled to end around April 1, 2023.
As much as we hate to say this, we see no reason for rushing to visit prior to the end of Walt Disney World’s 50th Anniversary. Despite the significance of the milestone, the actual celebration has been incredibly underwhelming–unless you love merchandise and statues of characters. Everything substantive that was added “for” the celebration will stick around throughout 2023 and beyond. For the most part, the 50th is just marketing–and pretty lame marketing, at that.
When determining when to visit, seasonal events cannot be overlooked–unlike the 50th, those actually do have some substance to them. You can see everything that happens throughout the year in our Calendar of Seasonal Events at Walt Disney World. While that’s the calendar for this year, the same festivities occur year in and out on approximately the same time frames.
Here, we’ll cut to the chase: Christmas is our favorite time of year at Walt Disney World. If you’re thinking of a Walt DIsney World vacation in the second half of the year, make it during the holiday season. Our Ultimate Guide to Christmas at Walt Disney World is the best “sales pitch” for visiting in November or December.
Sticking with the back half of 2023, the other big seasonal event is Halloween. That’s mostly celebrated in Magic Kingdom and will run from mid-August 2023 through October 31. Our Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party Guide offers info & tips for Magic Kingdom’s fan-favorite Halloween-themed event. For everything else, see our Guide to Halloween at Walt Disney World.
While there isn’t much in the other parks for spook season, another staple of fall is Epcot’s annual culinary event, which will likely run from mid-July through mid-November. Read our Guide to the Epcot International Food & Wine Festival to learn more about that culinary celebration.
We love Halloween and that’s what makes August and September the second-best time of the year at Walt Disney World for us. Although it’s a favorite among many fans, Epcot’s Food & Wine Festival has almost nothing to do with it for us–we prefer every single other Epcot event over Food & Wine.
Instead, we’d consider the biggest selling point for those two months to be crowd levels. Once school goes back into session, attendance drops at Walt Disney World. Unlike other times that have seen fluctuating attendance (e.g. January and February), this early fall slowdown is consistent year in and year out.
To that point, you might be tempted to choose your dates based on our Walt Disney World Crowd Calendars if wait times and congestion are your biggest concerns. Honestly, don’t bother.
While we put a lot of work into our crowd avoidance resources, it’s currently impossible to predict with any degree of credibility how good or bad specific dates will be in 2023 at Walt Disney World. There are simply too many variables (e.g. park reservations, pent-up demand, looming recession, etc.) to make those even remotely accurate. No one who doesn’t have a crystal ball in their possession is going to be able to offer reliable 2023 Walt Disney World crowd predictions at this point.
About the only thing we are comfortable saying is that mid-August through late September 2023 will be the best time of the year to visit from a crowd perspective. That is, unless things take a crazy turn and the “abolish schools” movement gains significant momentum. Sadly, I don’t think the Rugrats have that kind of political clout.
With that said, we do have a more holistic resource that should prove more useful until 2023 draws nearer: our Best & Worst Months to Do Walt Disney World. That ranks every month of the year, and recommends a few specific weeks to visit that we think are the very best weeks of the year at WDW. Those aren’t precise predictions, but rather, good rules of thumb.
Cheapest Times & Price Increases
This is often the second question readers ask, right after inquiries about crowds. Many people don’t realize it, but prices vary significantly based upon when you’re visiting. Here are the Cheapest Times to Go to Walt Disney World.
That’s an incredibly insightful post that’s well worth reading, but if you opt to skip it, a couple of things worth keeping in mind are that off-season is cheaper, and that the biggest price increases usually happen early in the year. This year, food and ticket prices increased in February. While some years have two increases (with the second usually occurring in October), that would still make January 2023 the cheapest month to visit, all else being equal.
With that said, some of the same variables come into play with pricing as do with crowds–specifically, the possibility of pent-up demand fizzling out and the economy entering a recession or some form of slowdown. Although prices have climbed steadily (and sometimes sharply) over the last several years, there’s nothing to say that can’t go in the other direction.
As longtime visitors to Walt Disney World, we’ve seen exactly that scenario play out in the past. The Great Recession was the last big example of this, but there have been minor blips here and there since (most recently as people postponed trips in the lead-up to Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge opening).
Still, we wouldn’t recommend waiting around for a downturn and the perfect deal to come along. If recent precedent is any indication, you’re more prone to grow old waiting for that to happen. Just like with Wall Street, you can’t time the (WDW) market.
On-Site Perks
Let’s start with the ones that are probably lost forever. There is absolutely no reason to believe Disney’s Magical Express will return in 2023…or ever. Never say never, though. Enough of an economic downturn or Universal siphoning off attendance could change the equation. Just not by 2023–and probably not by 2024, either.
Second, free FastPass+ is not coming back. Again, never say never…but if you think Walt Disney World is going to give up the revenue stream of Genie+ and Lightning Lanes without its hand being forced, you’re truly living in Fantasyland. What you can expect is incremental improvements to the Genie+ service to address the currently abysmal guest satisfaction scores and the usability of the system. Those should all come well before 2023, though.
On a more positive note, Walt Disney World has confirmed that Early Theme Park Entry and Extended Evening Hours will stick around through 2023. It’s our expectation that these are offerings are permanent, with no end dates in 2024 or beyond, either.
Similarly, the MagicBand Upgrade Program is almost certainly sticking around for 2023 and beyond. Although this has been plagued by inventory shortages due to supply chain disruptions, those are starting to improve. Expect this program to soon be expanded to include the MagicBand+ when that launches. Again, that’s not a 2023 thing…more like late June 2022.
Then there’s the Disney Dining Plan, which would fall into “reply hazy, ask again later” territory if this were a Magic 8 Ball. The Disney Dining Plan wasn’t mentioned in the announcement about 2023 Walt Disney World vacation package bookings, which does not bode well.
Our expectation is that the Disney Dining Plan will NOT be available for booking when the packages are released, but it’s possible that Walt Disney World could catch us by surprise and it’ll be an option for next year’s reservations starting as soon as they’re released. It’s also possible that won’t be the case, but the option will appear for modifications or new bookings in the months to come.
With that said, there are also no guarantees that the Disney Dining Plan will return by January 2023…or any time next year…or ever again! We think it’ll be back before 2023, as covered in When Will the Disney Dining Plan Return? (but we’ve been wrong on that topic more than once before.)
What’s New & Next
While we mentioned above that Walt Disney World’s 50th Anniversary has been underwhelming as a celebration, some of the recent additions that have coincided with it have been good. Big draws include Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure, Harmonious, and Space 220 Restaurant.
However, the one major addition that overshadows the rest is Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind. It is awesome. This Marvel roller coaster is incredibly popular and will be for years. The good news is that by January 2023, it will likely have a standby line, too! Everything you need to know is covered in our Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind FAQ & Ride Guide.
Other attractions planned for the start of Walt Disney World’s 50th Anniversary celebration have been delayed until this year or 2023. The only other BIG new ride on the horizon is TRON Lightcycle Run at Magic Kingdom, which will hopefully open in late 2022.
If TRON Lightcycle Run does not open by early December 2022, the roller coaster probably won’t open until March 2023 at the earliest. It might not even open until Memorial Day 2023. In other words, it’ll either open as a draw for this year’s peak holiday season dates, or for next spring break or summer travel seasons.
Typically, Walt Disney World does not open attractions in the off-season, so it’s highly unlikely that TRON Lightcycle Run will open in January or February of next year. (For those still looking at this year, there’s no way it debuts before October 1, and even that month through mid-November is a long shot.)
After that, the EPCOT overhaul will wrap up in late 2023, supposedly. Moana’s Journey of Water being the only noteworthy thing still left to open as part of that, and it’ll likely open at some point next year–likely in Summer 2023.
There’s a lot more on the horizon than just those two things, including Toy Story Roundup BBQ, Play Pavilion, and more. Everything exciting being built is covered in What’s New & Coming to Walt Disney World in 2022 & 2023.
Refurbishments
Temporary attraction closures and refurbishments are par for the course at Walt Disney World. Before solidifying your travel dates, you’ll also want to check out the Walt Disney World Refurbishment Calendar to make sure any must-do attractions won’t be closed for renovations during your visit. However, it’s way too early to rely on that when planning for 2023–usually attractions are added 2-3 months before they go down.
With that said, we do know some hotel closures that are on the horizon–namely, pool refurbishments and construction projects. See our 2022-2023 Walt Disney World Hotel Construction & Refurbishments.
When to Book
We started this with “When to Visit,” so let’s bring it full circle…back to the beginning…with when to book your 2023 Walt Disney World vacation. This is really only relevant if you’re reading this on June 8, right as packages and resort reservations go live.
As with most Walt Disney World “drop days,” the phone lines will be jammed and the online system will likely slow to a crawl at peak times, with Stitch eating the occasional page here and there.
If you’re just looking to book a standard room at Pop Century, there’s no real reason to rush into a reservation. There’s enough supply for those rooms that–even with a ton of demand–literally zero 2023 dates will sell out during the entire month of June 2022. When one person books a standard room at Pop Century, there are still (literally) over 2,000 more.
If you’re trying to book a rare room or some special suite that is one-of-a-kind, it’s a totally different story. When one person books that for specific dates, it’s gone. So, if you have great taste and thus want to treat yo self with a stay in the Yosemite Suite at Wilderness Lodge, then you should probably endure those long hold times on the phone.
However, that’s not going to be relevant to 99%+ of people reading this. (Not that you don’t have great taste–you definitely do if you’re booking any room at Wilderness Lodge, and might if you’re booking anywhere else.)
If you’re at all flexible about your resort choice or room preferences, consider waiting until later in the evening (or even June 9-10) when things calm down a bit. You might save yourself some headache and frustration. Alternatively, it’s always a good idea to use a travel agent. We recommend requesting a quote from Be Our Guest Vacations, a no-fee Authorized Disney Vacation Planner, so they can do the work for you. The agents there will book your vacation and help take the stress out of planning.
Ultimately, that should cover everything you need to know about booking 2023 Walt Disney World vacation packages…for now. Obviously, with next year still over 6 months away, there are still many unknowns. Hopefully, we’ll have clarity on most of these in the months to come, but if the last two years are any indications, plenty of question marks will persist even as the new year begins.
Even with all of the above said, our advice is to book Walt Disney World vacation packages within a few weeks of when they go on sale to lock-in ticket and component pricing as a safeguard against the inevitable price increases. There’s really no downside to that approach, as discounts (also an inevitability) can be applied retroactively. So if you’re already certain that you’ll be visiting Walt Disney World in 2023, booking now is a good hedge.
If you’re not certain, and are waiting to see if Walt Disney World gets its act together in any number of ways, improves the guest experience/satisfaction, brings ____ back, or stops/slows down the nickel & diming, you should probably wait. While we’re hopeful that the worst is behind us in that regard, you couldn’t be faulted for having skepticism of our optimism. 😉
Planning a Walt Disney World trip? Learn about hotels on our Walt Disney World Hotels Reviews page. For where to eat, read our Walt Disney World Restaurant Reviews. To save money on tickets or determine which type to buy, read our Tips for Saving Money on Walt Disney World Tickets post. Our What to Pack for Disney Trips post takes a unique look at clever items to take. For what to do and when to do it, our Walt Disney World Ride Guides will help. For comprehensive advice, the best place to start is our Walt Disney World Trip Planning Guide for everything you need to know!
YOUR THOUGHTS
Will you be booking a 2023 Walt Disney World vacation package? Notice anything interesting about hotel room or package prices? Anything surprise you? Is there anything you must have–Disney Dining Plan, all-day Park Hopping, Fantasmic, no Park Pass–before you’ll book a 2023 trip? Will you be booking soon, or taking a wait and see approach? Do you agree or disagree with our assessments here? Any questions we can help you answer? Hearing your feedback–even when you disagree with us–is both interesting to us and helpful to other readers, so please share your thoughts below in the comments!
Hi Tom – are you able to share the latest on resort renovations? I’m specifically interested in the magic kingdom resorts.
MK at WDW really needs a nighttime parade!
100% agreed.
This has been REALLY reinforced on our recent visits to Disneyland, seeing the Disneyland Forever fireworks, Fantasmic, and Main Street Electrical Parade back-to-back-to-back in one night. That’s more nighttime entertainment in one park than exists in ALL of Walt Disney World right now.
Tom,
Thanks for your very knowledgable & insightful newsletter. As always, you’re the best! I planned my own trip last April which was fun but resulted in a few pitfalls, nothing major. The next time we go I am considering a travel agent but not really comfortable with the idea. In 2020 we had booked through AAA & when discounts were announced our agent seemed a bit lazy about pursuing them. We were not allowed to pursue them ourselves since we had gone through an agent & therefore only the agent could call. We missed out. That lead me to doing it myself this past year. Which was ok except it would have been good to have one of those agents that automatically applies all discounts. So I clicked on your link for Be Our Guest Vacations to check them out. Their entire website is out of date. They are referring to fastpass etc on their website & it looks like it hasn’t been updated for over a year. Didn’t give me a warm feeling. Maybe you could give them the heads up.
I sent them an email letting them know.
For what it’s worth, I’ve noticed the same thing with a lot of travel agencies, ticket sellers, and even some of Disney’s “legacy” websites. I don’t know why this stuff doesn’t get updated–I’m guessing some of these businesses (not Disney itself) don’t have in-house web teams, so it’s easier said than done–or the pages aren’t ones they’re actively using/referencing to clients.
I’m a travel agent who would love to help you! I’m not sure if I’m allowed to “advertise” here in the comments so I won’t leave my info here, but you can find my contact info on social media if you search my name! I’ve been working all morning getting my clients booked and just took a break for lunch! Travel agents should be just as excited for their clients as they are for their own trips!
We have been going to Disneyworld for 50 tears but haven’t gone for 5 years, We took a break and went to other parks for a couple years and than the pandamic came. We was going to Disney this year, but will continue with the other parks. There is too many changes that Disneyworld has made with the lighting passes and Genie and know Meal plan, that I don’t like. Plus, the Floridians can not but a yearly pass that includes Holidays and week ends without having to pay more money. Plus I don’t agree with having to make a reservation each day. If it rains and you don’t want to enter a park in the rain you have to cancel. We go to the parks to get away from our cell phones for a while and now you always have to be on them. I know things have to change, but too many changes are not good.
We haven’t been to Disneyworld in 5 years. We have been going for the past 50 years and loved it, but took a break and went to other parks and than pandemic came. We was thinking of going at Christmas, this year, but so much as changed with the Lighting passes and Genie. And Floridians can not buy a yearly pass that includes week ends and holiday’s, like before. If we want to come during the blackout times, we have to pay a day price. Way to expensive. We will continue going to the other parks for awhile.
We have a poolside room booked at Shades of Green for a week in May 2023…which is over $100 cheaper than a standard room at Pop Century (similar if you assume a 10% Pop discount in the future). Can someone please pinch me? This seems INSANE. I would rather stay at a real Disney resort, but with the extra perks pretty much gone I think I would be crazy to switch, right?
If you have the eligibility to stay at Shades of Green, it’s wonderful! Deluxe accommodations and all the Disney deluxe perks apply including early entry and extended evening hours. Pool is awesome and Mangino’s delicious. Can walk to Polynesian and take monorail. Price is right!
You would be crazy to switch.
Don’t get me wrong, I like Pop Century–but Shades of Green is the objectively better resort. I’d pay more to stay there if I could on my own.
Technically, Shades of Green also has better perks than Pop Century since you get access to Extended Evening Hours!
You”ll think it’s classic WDW when you notice the indoor waterfall near check-in, the lodge-esque lobby and the lush grounds. (One might say the theme is a cross between a golf resort outside and a Disney inn inside. 😉 The Garden Gallery dinner buffet hasn’t reopened yet but there is a breakfast buffet and dinner takeout.
Don’t forget to check your eligibility for tickets! If you think Shades of Green pricing is insane, the Military Promotional tickets are BANANAS.
For 22 years me and my family have visited WDW Annually. In most years multiple times a year. We have lives through the introduction of paper fast passes (the best system if you ask me) fast pass plus, and now lightning lanes. We have seen the years of recession when all lines were less than ten minutes long and we have seen the inflationary booms. We have attended during pandemics and worn mask and have seen the introduction of amazing ride systems. We have all reached a point that WDW just isn’t worth it any more. The crowds are out of hand and the manner in which Disney has elected to manage them just isn’t palatable for me and my family. I wish you all the best of luck paying elevated prices to experience four or five attractions and long wait times.
I’m trying to book for 12/23 and nothing is there. Someone on a board said it’s still subject to the 500 days, even for packages. Was this something they had communicated? I feel like everywhere I looked it just said “2023 packages,” not “Part of 2023 if it’s 500 days from now.” Did I miss something?
I just can’t comprehend why the dining plan hasn’t returned. My annual trip is in September and I just knew it would come back before then but now you are saying it won’t. What is the deal? I know they make money off of it and I don’t even care if they are. It’s so convenient and I love having it!
Problems booking online “Sorry, we were unable to add the product to your cart at this time, please try again.”
Same here. I have been getting hung up on the payment page for 3 hours now. I’ve tried Safari, Chrome, incognito browsers, on and off WiFi. Nothing works. Every time I click purchase, it tells me “Sorry, but we are unable to complete your purchase online at this time.”
Anyone else having issues booking in Nov or Dec 2023?
Seeing this message “This room type is unavailable for the
dates, party size or offer selected.” on any and all resorts and room types.
Yeah, It says “no availability” for when I try to book in December 2023. But if I book in September 2023 I can find lots of availability.
Online cast member tells me you can book 500 days out from check in date
Thanks Bob – this is true.
Looks like you can book a package with a start date of Oct 21, 2023, but not a vacation starting Oct 22, 2023
Well, at least I’m not the only one who didn’t know. Got up excited to book my dream 12/23 trip and now I’m typing into my phone “When is 500 days from….” 🙂
Hi! This is great information! Thanks!
Is there usually special offers for the November/December period? (For 2022)
Thanks
I have actually been trying to book online for CB first week in Feb. 2023 and the site tells me booking is currently unavailable and to check back later. Not sure what that means. It does show me a price, which is about $80 a night cheaper than our original dates we cancelled for 2022.
Site is only allowing me to make reservations up until October 2023?
What time will reservations go live online?
It’s live as of 3:45 am
Thanks for all of your blog posts! I’ve been following for a couple of years in preparation for the once in a childhood trip for my kids which we postponed from this year to 2023. We will go in early May to hopefully avoid crowds and plan to camp at Ft Wilderness. Really wishing we won’t need park pass reservations but I think it’s a pipe dream. Looking forward to staying updated on your strategies. We plan to do early entry but still hoping to figure out when to combine it with Genie+ or if it ever makes sense to give up the early morning at AK or HS and just park hop to them a few days. Any plans to look at combined strategies for week+ trips in the future?
“Any plans to look at combined strategies for week+ trips in the future?”
Probably not.
By and large, those who combine strategies don’t really need step by step advice. Just by virtue of using more than one time-saving tactic, they can employ a more relaxed approach. (Failing that, nothing to say you can’t combine strategy posts for a DIY day!)
A switch from Goods to service is a big consumer theme right now. Tom do you have a business degree because a lot of your comments have that underlying verbiage (including your eps recaps)
Not really.
I have undergraduate degrees in political science, sociology, and philosophy/logic.
My law degree has an ’emphasis’ in law & economics, which is often paired with an MBA, but is quite different.
Target is slashing prices to fuel spending. I’m just sayin if Disney wants to follow trends that’s an option. I’ll just be here waiting for those recession deals.
Those will likely not arrive proactively. I imagine a huge decrease in demand first. It’s a shame because if people don’t have Target money they most certainly don’t have Disney money. I don’t know how that doesn’t occur to anyone until after they’ve had a bad quarter.
In their most recent earnings call a couple weeks ago, Target specifically said that spending on services-related products (e.g. suitcases) had increased in the quarter.
They’re slashing prices on products that people got their fill of during the last two years (now that spending has shifted to services) or that arrived late and are now filling up warehouses.
I’m not saying Disney and others in the travel sector won’t be experiencing a similar predicament in 3-6 months (to the contrary, I think they will) just that it’s not an issue in the here and now.
What would you consider the best two or three resorts for families with young children?
Others can feel free to offer their feedback, but I’ll offer a few options:
Deluxe: Contemporary or Beach Club (proximity to Magic Kingdom, pool/proximity to EPCOT/DHS)
Moderate: Caribbean Beach (Skyliner to EPCOT/DHS)
Value: Pop Century or Art of Animation (Skyliner, Skyliner + family suites)
This throws out theme, rooms, dining, and a whole bunch of other variables to reduce the conversation to what I think is most important to families with young children–proximity to napping/midday breaks.
How young? Our next stay is for Fort Wilderness because of its relaxed atmosphere and full kitchen in the cabins and also boat to MK.
The Dolphin is great because it’s priced like a moderate with deluxe location and perks. Also free swan boat rides.
Animal Kingdom Lodge is a super unique experience but Any other mode of transportation is superior to the bus so this is only really good for spending a lot of time at the resort.
Pop is fine if you are spending more time at the resorts. There’s nothing wrong with Pop it just has the least to do on site at the resort compared to the others and is the cheapest hotel on the skyliner.
My only suggestion for small kids is take a lot of time to just hang out at the resorts because Disney with cranky kids sucks but 1/2 days or days broken up with pool time in the afternoon are really lovely.
100% Art of Animation! So much bang for the buck and the suites are highly recommended. Massive pool, big cafeteria, skyliner are all reasons this is the best for young families.
Art of animation family suites. Two bathrooms and living room, just feels like a lot of bang for your buck. Plus, the kids will really love the teaming of the resort. Lion King, Little mermaid, finding Nemo.
The beach club is a nice deluxe resort by Epcot and Hollywood Studios. Has the best pool, sandy bottom zero entry pool. Depending on how long your vacation is, the rooms are smaller. (2 queens) typical standard room format.
It all depends on how old your kids are and what park she plan on visiting etc. Like Tom said there’s so many factors that go into choosing a resort. For younger kids, I think Art of animation family suites is a good choice.
Hello Tom!
I know this article is about 2023, but what do you think September will bring us this year in term of crowds?
Also, any insight on Disney bringing back after hours for September? Even basic ones like it used to be the case in 2018
September 2022 should be a slow month for crowds, just like always.
I’m hesitant to predict the return of more After Hours events this year. I would’ve expected them back for summer, if at all, and now clearly that won’t be happening. Not sure what the hold-up is (probably staffing), but my guess at this point is Spring 2023. I have zero inside knowledge, though.
Thx for the quick answer!
That’s too bad but I agree with you on the after hours, I was secretly hoping for a different answer but gotta be realistic, doesn’t look good for them.
Can’t wait for that trip, and we already know it will be a long time before the next one, not a question of magic, just being realistic financially, with the rising inflation, the airfare prices being absurd etc
Thanks for the update Tom great article as always. I have a feeling that your crowd calendars will normalize to some degree in 2023. (Tron opening will mess with that though).
We are definitely in the “waiting for things to improve”, especially with Genie+ so we won’t be going in 2023 after not going this year either. this will be the first time we haven’t done at least one trip in a year, now not going 2 years, for as long as I can remember (been at least once 10 years in a row and did April and November 2021)
Disappointing for our family but heading to other destinations since WDW has turned more into a stressful, exhausting chore vs a vacation.
“I have a feeling that your crowd calendars will normalize to some degree in 2023.”
I have that same feeling…but I also had that feeling this year! 😉
I’m telling myself “this time is different!” as I think there will be more slack/excess capacity in park reservations and pent-up demand is going to fizzle out.
If anything, my concern is overestimating crowds, as I think a significant economic slowdown is on the horizon. Retailers are already seeing that (just look at Target’s announcement today) as spending shifts to services like travel. Give that time, and the same will happen to services, too.
Great timing on this article. We just got back today from a 5 day trip to disneyworld. Normally we can’t wait to start planning/booking the next adventure there but not this time. We had a great time but just isn’t the same feeling as normal. I really can’t pin it down other than having to constantly look at the object (phone) you are trying to get away from on vacation. We’re holding off booking there for awhile (though guardians ride was awesomeness! ).
Totally agree! We had our wedding at Disney back in April. The wedding was amazing but honestly, it was one of the least impressive Disney trips we’ve ever been on. More chaos and stress than before, more waiting, less bang for our buck in the parks. I chose to let my annual pass expire for the first time in 5 years. Disappointing honestly. We will wait a bit to book anything for 2023.
Felt the same way around Christmas. Not only was the holiday magic missing, the Disney magic is practically gone. It’s quite sad what’s going on at Disney and I wonder if those in charge even notice what people are saying. They may see the big numbers from the pent-up demand but I’m willing to bet the experience those of us had will keep us from booking again and the numbers will drop precipitously.