Attendance Tracker

[sparky]

USO doesn't seem too busy right now either. Other than Transformers at 120min and Minions at 60, nothing else is over an hour wait.

Interesting summer. The hotels don't appear to be booked up either.

 

[JoeCamel]

Interesting summer. The hotels don't appear to be booked up either.

It looks like the hotels have better occupancy during HHN so that seems normal. WDW gets the MNSSHP and xmas crowd so they have something to fall back on but it will not be the banner year for Orlando tourism that Scott called for.

 

[GAcoaster]

Apparently the Disney Waterparks are also down. They just opened them up for free admission for CMs through August 25th.

 

[Galaxy Defender]

It looks like the hotels have better occupancy during HHN so that seems normal. WDW gets the MNSSHP and xmas crowd so they have something to fall back on but it will not be the banner year for Orlando tourism that Scott called for.

I remember reading that Disney reservations for this summer are down, this fall/holidays are looking better but that after the first of the year they really drop off badly.

 

[sparky]

It looks like the hotels have better occupancy during HHN so that seems normal. WDW gets the MNSSHP and xmas crowd so they have something to fall back on but it will not be the banner year for Orlando tourism that Scott called for.

does Universal react like Disney has to low attendance? Im thinking of the staff cuts and project delays?

 

[JoeCamel]

does Universal react like Disney has to low attendance? Im thinking of the staff cuts and project delays?

Well they did build most of Diagon Alley during the last recession......

ETA, Hogsmeade during the '08 and then while the attendance recession hit in '10 they were working on the plans for DA. Even with the numbers down and getting a boost from FJ and environs they keept at it so today they have several years of huge attendance increases. I don't think they will slow down when the can build it cheaper.

 

[sparky]

Well they did build most of Diagon Alley during the last recession......

and it paid off very well for them. Had Disney invested in the parks during the downturn in the economy they would be not looking at the problems now. I just hope they don't have a knee jerk reaction to a down year with cost cutting measures. All the things cut, and closed at Disney has finally pushed it over the edge. If they are staring to lose the lifestylers they are looking at real long term trouble.

 

[Galaxy Defender]

does Universal react like Disney has to low attendance? Im thinking of the staff cuts and project delays?

WDW has been treated as a cash cow for a while now. Comcast views Universal as a growth company and has been acting accordingly. Universal might cut back on hours and staffing just as they would during the slow time of year, but otherwise they're going to keep moving forward to grow the company.

 

[UAN17]

To see any form of progress Disney need to stop this horrendous ill conceived quarterly reporting of parks and resorts' figures and encourage long term thinking and investment.

Disney was very noticeably stale in 2015 and I hadn't visited in over a decade...that's quite incredible.

The Studios and Epcot had gone backwards. Animal Kingdom had improved but not a decades worth of improvement by any stretch of the imagination. I liked new Fantasyland, but having grown up on Disneyland Paris, vast areas of MK looked very dated, eg the Speedway area, Tomorrowland in general.

It just amazed me in a place where it was quite clearly raining money that it could look so underdeveloped. $3 for a bottle of water, $5 for a cookie in the shape of Mickeys head, rampant, exhausted consumerism, and yet THAT is what they're offering guests.

In contrast no prices at Universal bothered be because it was fresh, vibrant and seems to change every visit. RIP Jaws though

 

[shiekra38]

To see any form of progress Disney need to stop this horrendous ill conceived quarterly reporting of parks and resorts' figures and encourage long term thinking and investment.

Disney was very noticeably stale in 2015 and I hadn't visited in over a decade...that's quite incredible.

The Studios and Epcot had gone backwards. Animal Kingdom had improved but not a decades worth of improvement by any stretch of the imagination. I liked new Fantasyland, but having grown up on Disneyland Paris, vast areas of MK looked very dated, eg the Speedway area, Tomorrowland in general.

It just amazed me in a place where it was quite clearly raining money that it could look so underdeveloped. $3 for a bottle of water, $5 for a cookie in the shape of Mickeys head, rampant, exhausted consumerism, and yet THAT is what they're offering guests.

In contrast no prices at Universal bothered be because it was fresh, vibrant and seems to change every visit. RIP Jaws though

I go once a month to Universal and there is something fresh and new everytime...that is impressive and significant to why I keep buying a pass

 

[Galaxy Defender]

I go once a month to Universal and there is something fresh and new everytime...that is impressive and significant to why I keep buying a pass

Same here. I was an annual passholder for Disney but got tired of going and seeing the same things time after time. That's when they at least bothered to keep everything.

 

[Scott W.]

If the Universal hotels aren't at full capacity, it might not be all that bad. It gives them some flexibility to move people away from the construction in Cabana Bay plus if Sapphire Falls for whatever reason, fails to reach its deadline, they can easily accommodate people else where on site.

 

[sparky]

If the Universal hotels aren't at full capacity, it might not be all that bad. It gives them some flexibility to move people away from the construction in Cabana Bay plus if Sapphire Falls for whatever reason, fails to reach its deadline, they can easily accommodate people else where on site.

Is that likely?

 

[Mad Dog]

If the Universal hotels aren't at full capacity, it might not be all that bad. It gives them some flexibility to move people away from the construction in Cabana Bay plus if Sapphire Falls for whatever reason, fails to reach its deadline, they can easily accommodate people else where on site.

Universal just added 1000 rooms with Sapphire (that start next week), so it makes it difficult to compare with last year.

 

[IzzyB]

I think part of it is that MM+ also provides data that won't trend to fit anyone's prerogative.

So instead of things changing because of the reality versus the fantasy - it is ignored.

Imagine if you had a ride/show that the fandom said no one liked. But your guest surveys said it was fine and even enjoyed by some.

Surveys win right?

But then, even on your busiest days, guests won't book at FP+ for the attraction.

I think the switch where it doesn't force 3 picks on you has proven very sobering for some.

Survey has to win. There are rides I really enjoy, but due to high capacity I never fast pass. Haunted Mansion is a perfect example of this. At Epcot I love Living with the Land, but I am not going to fast pass it over other top tier rides because the longest line is 20 minutes. So I agree with their approach that survey wins.

Wanted to add that we saw no less than 3 tour groups while at Epcot. I believe it was more, but they all started to blend together after awhile. But they were everywhere and in full force today at Epcot. I must have caught an off day or something.

 

[Brian G.]

Survey has to win. There are rides I really enjoy, but due to high capacity I never fast pass. Haunted Mansion is a perfect example of this. At Epcot I love Living with the Land, but I am not going to fast pass it over other top tier rides because the longest line is 20 minutes. So I agree with their approach that survey wins.

Wanted to add that we saw no less than 3 tour groups while at Epcot. I believe it was more, but they all started to blend together after awhile. But they were everywhere and in full force today at Epcot. I must have caught an off day or something.

Strange. Only saw one.... And Epcot was pretty slow as well for a Saturday in mid-July.

 

[Galaxy Defender]

Strange. Only saw one.... And Epcot was pretty slow as well for a Saturday in mid-July.

How do you see Universal's attendance versus last year?

 

[IzzyB]

Strange. Only saw one.... And Epcot was pretty slow as well for a Saturday in mid-July.

It was hard for me to gauge because we got there and it started raining. And when I say raining, I mean pouring. There was an inch of water in our cup holders on our stroller from just being in Spaceship Earth ride. So that type of rain is going to clear out a park. But we ran into 1 or 2 tour groups in Soarin. I thought it was one, but half left and half stayed. Then when going over to Mexico we ran into a couple right before the countries. It looked like they were gathering to find a place to watch the fireworks (it was 8:30 PM). It was two different groups for sure as they were dressed differently, but I think there may have been a 3rd because the had different leaders it looked like and they were not all sitting in the same place. Then leaving we saw more, but not sure if they were a repeat from the earlier ones we saw.

 

[Dr. Emmett Brown]

An interesting theory to think about now is that of the price ceiling. Correlation doesn't equal causation, but since the parks have been instituting more seasonal pricing with admission in addition to resorts, flights, and other financial areas of a vacation, it's definitely one to consider. The Magic Kingdom has been busy, but aside from July 4th, it hasn't been typical summer busy.

 

[graspthesun]

Well they did build most of Diagon Alley during the last recession......

ETA, Hogsmeade during the '08 and then while the attendance recession hit in '10 they were working on the plans for DA. Even with the numbers down and getting a boost from FJ and environs they keept at it so today they have several years of huge attendance increases. I don't think they will slow down when the can build it cheaper.

Exactly. I remember reading that Comcast believes that their theme parks are recession-proof. Even if there is a slowdown, that people still want to take theme park vacations, especially people who live within a few hours of the park. Not to mention that in a recession, construction slows down and supply of workers swamps demand meaning that Comcast can hire labor for less money than they would during a boom time.