Crowds: Value Season vs Regular Season

[frozman]

I'm wondering if the crowds are less during the regular season than the value season. One would seem to think that lower rates=trying to fill empty rooms, but I've looked at the "resort pricing matrix" here on intercot and I'm having a little trouble understanding how 2/3 of August is "value" while the non-Thanksgiving portion of November and the 1st half of May are "regular".
A lot of schools don't go back in session until the day after labor day (early sept), and a lot more tend not to start until the last week in August (in other words well after August 9th). And no one should have anything more than a 3 day weekend (Veterans Day) in early November. Plus, there's no MNSSHP or MVMCP in November, yet december has this special event and is "value". Is this done because they feel having a value period at the end of August entices more people to go then if they were to have made it the "regular" season. Granted I know not every school is out then, but there are sure a lot more of kids with at least a week out of school in Aug then in early May or early November. Also if you look at my sig, the 1997 trip was done during that value season. The only reason I can remember that is because I was at the very 1st E-ride night, Aug 18 1997. I remember we wasted a good portion of the actual event waiting in line for Space Mountain as the people who got in line at 9:59 were still ahead of us, in other words, it was crowded. If it was that bad during a "value" season, I cringe to think how bad it would be during a "regular" season.

I guess what I'm asking is does the Value season tend to attract thwabs of bargain hunters who fill up every room and would go only when the value rates are posted regaurdless of what time of year they are posted, or does the amount of crowds really follow the type of season:
Value<Regular<Summer<Peak<Holiday

[PopPhan]

If Value Season attracted "thwabs" of guests, then they would definitely up the prices for those time frames. Disney cannot help itself from grabbing every $$$ they can from the visiting public.

We almost always go during a Value Season because the crowds ARE down. Even though specials like room discounts and "free" dining have become common during the Value Seasons, park attendance and hotel occupancy are still below Regular Season numbers.

MVMCP has been starting earlier and earlier each year, and is now having its first 'showing' in mid-November. Also, the Food and Wine Festival now runs from the end of September through the end of November, bringing in the foodies.

The first half of May may be if the late stages of Spring Break time frames. I am not too sure of that time frame, as we have never even looked at that period of time to visit.

Mid-August is a time frame where, although schools are not back in session, parents and kids are preparing to return and do not have the time (or money) to visit. Also, it is entering the peak hurricane season (whether or not this is a consideration for most travelers remains to be seen.)

Early December tends to be Value Season because people tend to visit Thanksgiving week or the week prior to Christmas through New Years. Disney doesn't want empty rooms in the three weeks in between.

When we visit, normally late-September Value Season, we find that the lines for rides tend to be in the 20 - 30 minute range (except for the "biggies" - TSMM, Soarin', Peter Pan, EE) and a lot are 'walk on.'

In reality, there are NO real slow times at WDW anymore, just slightly less packed times.

[rubato]

We tend to go in January which is value season. We have lines of anywhere from 0 minutes to 20 ish minutes except for TSM, Soarin, Dumbo, etc....

This year, we now have free dining during our January visit. I'm curious to see how it changes things.

[Fangorn]

One thing to keep in mind is that October and early November is prime Convention time at WDW. Disney can fill a whole lot of rooms at higher than "value" rates during conventions. The second or third week of October (depending on the year) for example, is when what is probably the largest IT convention on the planet, takes over the Dolphin, Swan, Y&BC, Boardwalk, Coronado Springs, most of POR and large blocks of rooms at the other mods and values.

While there are a lot of people at the conventions, and hence the resorts are full, the Parks aren't all that full.

Steve

[frozman]

Thanks everyone. Fangorn made a lot of sense, I guess it's not really about the parks attendance, but more about the hotel room demand. A convention that would require 1,000's of rooms is certainly something that would catch disney's attention.

But yeah, with more and more schools switching to year round schedules, I can see how there's no "dead" time and just less packed time.
I just didn't know if the mindset of people was "well, we were going to go in November, but early december is value season, lets go then instead", which might cause more crowded parks.
Although you guys have spelled it out, I still think Aug-Labor day weekend should be Regular and not value. But oh well.