Star Wars Galaxy's Edge and new crowd calendars

I will be going to WDW 9/5-9/13. I plan to take two days to visit HS, likely spending most of the day in SW:GE. I’m just wondering how the crowd predictions change. I’m just trying to plan and choose the best days with the most likelihood of making it into the park, but also minimizing waits…Also, how often is the crowd calendar on here updated?

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Well @len posted either here or on WDWMagic that he was on a flight as this was announced, and was onto his team to start working on them!

I wonder if their coding allows for a CL of 11/10? :wink:

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Echoes of Spinal Tap?

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Ah ok. I’m hoping soon… I can start making dining reservations tomorrow, and obviously the crowd calendar will effect where we are and what dining reservations I make. Thanks!

I don’t thing SWGE will be open by September based on current levels of information available now or do you know something different? Had heard Oct but probably November.

It opens August 29. Announced yesterday.

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That close to opening I seriously doubt the crowd difference from one day to the next will be very noticeable; what’s plus or minus 1,000 when you are talking about 10s of thousands of people descending on the park? Regardless of how many people want to see SWGE, the “land” will have a max capacity which I am guessing will be hit within 30 min of RD, then the line will form to get into the land. The park itself also has a max capacity, and I would also expect to see that reached every day - possibly by noon. I would also keep my eyes open regarding EMM; when Pandora opened they had it every day. If you are unable to take advantage of EMM (e.g. not staying on site) I fear that the prospects of seeing SWGE without painfully long waits is minimal.

I’ll be going in December so I am hoping some of the craziness will have settled down at least a little bit by then. My plan for my SWGE day (and I’m assuming that it will take most of a day) is to be at EMM RD two hours early so I can be near the front of the pack getting into the park, getting into SWGE, and getting on at least one of the rides with less than an hours wait. By the time I get off the first ride, I assume that I will have a 2-3 hour wait for the second ride. After I do the two rides, then I will explore the rest of the land. I’d love to eat in the Cantina, but as of yet, we have no idea if it will be ADR, walk-up only, etc.

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I read today that no SWGE restaurants will have ADR at this time, though that may be different by December.

That’s a good idea to be early for EMH RD. I’ll plan to do that. I’m more concerned about other parks, and what days will be best there, as I know HS and SWGE will be packed no matter what. Also, it’s very frustrating to me that Disney currently hasn’t released official hours for the parks… I can book dining tomorrow and I don’t even know when the parks will be open.

Len posted on twitter that the new calendar estimates will be out on Monday. Expecting to change 100+ days after GE and to expect a lot more 10’s in September.

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The great part about when you go in Dec isyou will have a few months of viewing what’s been happening and plan fro there. We’re bookedin early Sep so will be the guinea pigs.

I think what scares me is that when TSL opened the wait lines to get into the land (and not even onto a ride were 5-6 hours long!! I think compared to what will happen for SWGE, this will be child’s play. :wink:

I’m looking forward to Len’s updates Monday to see how they think the SWGE crowds may affect the other parks.

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lol, thank you for being the guinea pigs we are thinking of end of February 2020

BUT the crowds for TSL died down very quickly. It opened on 6/30. I was there on 7/5 for EMH and rode everything multiple times without a wait.

Not sure exactly where your trip falls on the calendar but I’d plan DHS for non weekend days, but also later in your trip for FPP. Even though SW won’t have FPP the park will be busier so if you want to do TSL you may have more trouble getting FPP earlier in trip. I’d expect DHS to have EMH and be open for longer hours. I’m gojng 8/30-9/8 so will truly be the guinea pig. I’m hoping the crowds will die some after the initial Labor Day weekend and opening madness. Good luck and just lower your expectations

Empty Nesters heading to WDW Sept 8 - 13. Been there many times and usually love mid-September; lower crowds, slightly lower heat and humidity, Halloween party, “free” dining. So much to enjoy.

SW:GE likely to change that this year. I’m am guessing HS will easily be crowd level 8-9 non-stop, 10 when they open Rise of the Resistance. Just hoping the other parks don’t also get crazy. Maybe going from crowd level 2 up to 5. If the other parks jump to over 6+, probably going to cancel. Will be interesting to see what the Touring Plans team thinks.

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I heard only one ride open - “Smugglers Run” no fast passes for a while.
I don’t think the Galaxy Edge land has a sit-down restaurant for ADR. It has a cantina and a protein bowl quick service, much like Pandorah.

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You’re right that, at first, there is no TS. But the space for one was designed and has been built. So it should be coming later.

I imagine the reason it is not opening straight away is that they then don’t have the issue of people with an ADR having to be allowed into the land separately from the main queue sneaking around the parking lot.

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I think you are vastly under-estimating things, sorry to say.

I predict that that there will have to be two lines to get into DHS. One for Star Wars, one for everyone else. Otherwise people arriving at 9am for FPs or ADRs in the rest of the park could be joining a 2 hour line and will miss their reservations.

With EMH, and all onsite guests trying to get in, not everyone will have got to the land before regular rope drop. Somehow they have to account for that in their calculations of crowd levels.

The capacity of the park is in theory around 75K, but there isn’t enough for that number of people to do in the park. That number was the case when stuff like the backlot and LMA were still open which ate people hourly. I predict that DHS will be reaching phased closing within a couple of hours of opening each morning, certainly by lunch time, meaning people will be redirected to other parks.

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I heard that the TS restaurant was turned into the 2nd QS restaurant.

I think that’s what they’ve done.

There are some insiders who think it could be retrofitted later into the TS that was designed to be there. I hope so, but time will tell.

No gloom and doom today. Lets stay optimistic and positive. :slight_smile:

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