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I’m still working through the 2016 resort prices released today, but it looks like the “Fall” season at the moderates and values (but not the deluxes) has profoundly changed in 2016.

In 2015, it runs from 9/11 through 12/10 (with up-charges over Thanksgiving week and holiday weekends).

In 2016, in contrast, the first part of what in 2015 was Fall season has the same (higher) prices as Regular season. These dates where old Fall is now Regular are 9/18/2016 through 10/29/2016, with holiday weekend upcharges.

Then in November prices drop to the same levels as late August, and stay at this lower level (except holiday weekends and Thanksgiving week through December 10.

However, the later August/November/early December prices are  higher than the later August prices we’ve seen recently and in 2015.

For example, in 2015 later August “Value 2” is about 5% higher than “Value” at both the moderates and the values.  In 2016, late August/November/early December prices are about 11% higher at the moderates and 13% higher at the values than value season prices.

So it seems that the old August “Value 2” has been replaced by “Fall,” which then restarts not in September but rather the end of October.

Moreover, Port Orleans Riverside and French Quarter had an extra price increase making them the most expensive of the traditional moderates.

Here’s some specific price changes at some value and moderate standard rooms:

Later August and earlier September 2016:

• Shift from “Value 2” to “Fall.” Compared to same dates in 2015, Little Mermaid rooms at Art of Animation up 13%, All-Star Sports up 7%, Caribbean Beach up 8%, Riverside and French Quarter up 12%.

Later September and most of October 2016 (excluding holiday weekends):

• Shift from “Fall” to “Regular.” Compared to same dates in 2015, Little Mermaid rooms at Art of Animation up 17%, All-Star Sports up 16%, Caribbean Beach up 7%, Riverside and French Quarter up 12%.

Very end of October into early December 2016 (excluding holiday weekends and Thanksgiving week):

• Still “Fall.” Compared to same dates in 2015, Little Mermaid rooms at Art of Animation up 5%, All-Star Sports up 1%, Caribbean Beach up 2%, Riverside and French Quarter up 5%.

I still have a lot of work to do to figure this all out…But compared to prior years and 2015, the revised 2016 price seasons and how much rooms cost in the late summer and early fall compared to last year suggests not so advantageous prices from later August through October in 2016 at the values and moderates.

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