Attendance Tracker

[Parkscope Joe]

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.

Exactly. Last recession Disney hunkered down, Universal Orlando built. Now that they have Comcast supplying a backing it won't change. For better or worse we're in a growth period with UOR because of how stagnant the parks were before; it's very similar to the Disney Decade except this is actually being executed.

 

[Galaxy Defender]

Exactly. Last recession Disney hunkered down, Universal Orlando built. Now that they have Comcast supplying a backing it won't change. For better or worse we're in a growth period with UOR because of how stagnant the parks were before; it's very similar to the Disney Decade except this is actually being executed.

Fortune favors the bold.

 

[Mad Dog]

Sunday looked slow at both WDW & Universal, looking at line times....A telling point. Except for the Fourth of July, WDW has not blocked out any summer dates on cast members' guest passes. Usually there's a significant number of blackout dates. This probably suggests a soft summer is expected at WDW.

 

[IzzyB]

Sunday looked slow at both WDW & Universal, looking at line times....A telling point. Except for the Fourth of July, WDW has not blocked out any summer dates on cast members' guest passes. Usually there's a significant number of blackout dates. This probably suggests a soft summer is expected at WDW.

I also think this has to do with the AP restructuring they did. Adding parking to the seasonal pass got many people just to get seasonal passes since they were cheaper. I know a bunch of people who opted for Silver to pay less than they did the year before. With the statement, I hardly go in the summer anyways. Then the extreme heat is keeping some of us Gold and higher pass people away. Seriously, who the heck wants to be in the parks when it is 97 to 99 degrees? This is just an awful summer.

So I think it is the perfect bad storm for Disney. Lack of new rides, Brazil economy, extremely hot weather, election year, and AP restructuring. Universal is not doing as bad because it has been building new stuff and didn't restructure their AP passes. I am curious to see next summer though. Because taking away Grandfathering pass will some go with the seasonal pass because they can't afford the price hike? But without parking included that may happen. Some families (like ours) may do seasonal for everyone but one person. Wow. I just realized that. My daughter and husband can't ride Kong, but I can lol I should go out there one day without the family

 

[Parkscope Joe]

Frozen standby is 20 minutes. Same capacity roughly as Maelstrom and getting shorter waits. WDW attendance has plummeted, the house of cards has crumbled. Double checked with some other people and UOR is down to around 2014 levels.

 

[Galaxy Defender]

Some families (like ours) may do seasonal for everyone but one person. Wow. I just realized that. My daughter and husband can't ride Kong, but I can lol I should go out there one day without the family

Go for it. We won't tell. It will be our little secret.

 

[Galaxy Defender]

Frozen standby is 20 minutes. Same capacity roughly as Maelstrom and getting shorter waits. WDW attendance has plummeted, the house of cards has crumbled. Double checked with some other people and UOR is down to around 2014 levels.

If WDW is really hurting that bad then the earnings report will be brutal. No amount of successful movies will hide the fact that the company cash cow is going dry.

 

[twebber55]

From a tourist perspective I think the majority of people associate Orlando with Disney and Universal.

When I was planning a trip for me, my wife and her family. My mother in law suggested we get 3 cars so we can all come and go to the parks as we see fit thinking everything was located within a small town and everything is a 5min drive away.

i still think the average tourist think of orlando as Disney
but i think that is changing
Disney has had a strangle hold on the PR the last 40 years

 

[Galaxy Defender]

i still think the average tourist think of orlando as Disney
but i think that is changing
Disney has had a strangle hold on the PR the last 40 years

Universal is no longer simply one of "those other parks".

 

[twebber55]

If WDW is really hurting that bad then the earnings report will be brutal. No amount of successful movies will hide the fact that the company cash cow is going dry.

ill believe the mouse is crumbling when the earnings report comes out

 

[twebber55]

Universal is no longer simply one of "those other parks".

yes things are changing

 

[Galaxy Defender]

ill believe the mouse is crumbling when the earnings report comes out

That's why I qualify with "if". It isn't real til we have hard evidence.

 

[IzzyB]

Frozen standby is 20 minutes. Same capacity roughly as Maelstrom and getting shorter waits. WDW attendance has plummeted, the house of cards has crumbled. Double checked with some other people and UOR is down to around 2014 levels.

I think that was a rare check. When we were out there the waits were pretty long for Frozen. Right now it is 45 minutes. I imagine by 2 PM it will be higher. I also think they are controlling the break downs more. I said before that the 180 minutes were because of the break downs and that I thought the waits would level out to around 90 in the summer on average and 60 in the slower months. The break downs were elevating them because if you had a FP during a break down you could come back at any time. Causing the FP line to swell and less of the standby being put on. If they don't break down the FPs are more even and more standby gets on making the lines less.

I also think early morning is going to be lower because none of the countries are open. If they start adding more rides to the countries they are going to have to start opening all the countries with park opening.

ETA: Keep in mind Frozen has higher capacity than before because it is open longer. It is open from opening to closing where before it was 11 AM to closing.

 

[twebber55]

That's why I qualify with "if". It isn't real til we have hard evidence.

yes i agree

 

[sparky]

Frozen standby is 20 minutes. Same capacity roughly as Maelstrom and getting shorter waits. WDW attendance has plummeted, the house of cards has crumbled. Double checked with some other people and UOR is down to around 2014 levels.

I wonder how many people are making the park hop to just ride Frozen? The target is little girls crazy for the Frozen princess sisters? With no other rides in the park to appeal to the princess crazed fan base parents may be skipping the park.

 

[Galaxy Defender]

I wonder how many people are making the park hop to just ride Frozen? The target is little girls crazy for the Frozen princess sisters? With no other rides in the park to appeal to the princess crazed fan base parents may be skipping the park.

I can see them liking multiple attractions in Future World. Nemo, if nothing else.

 

[IzzyB]

I wonder how many people are making the park hop to just ride Frozen? The target is little girls crazy for the Frozen princess sisters? With no other rides in the park to appeal to the princess crazed fan base parents may be skipping the park.

Well they already went to Epcot since the Princess Dinner is there. They also have Snow White and other M&Gs that appeal to them. Not to mention Nemo. There are things that appeal to that crowd. My friend has a 5 year old that is into Princesses and she loved Epcot. It is her second favorite park next to MK. They spent 3 days in Epcot because of how much they love that park and that was before Frozen was added.

Not to mention that target group also LOVES the duffy bear thing in the countries.

 

[captainmoch]

If it's slow in July... I can't wait until next time I go in September. eace:

 

[Disneyhead]

If it's slow in July... I can't wait until next time I go in September. eace:

MNSSHP and F$WF start in Sept. which are 2 of the things people still like at WDW. And the seasonal pass blackout dates end.

Sept. looks to be more crowded than the rest of Summer.

 

[IzzyB]

MNSSHP and F$WF start in Sept. which are 2 of the things people still like at WDW. And the seasonal pass blackout dates end.

Sept. looks to be more crowded than the rest of Summer.

Agreed. Many people online have been complaining there is no more "slow" season because of special events and AP restructure. Should be interesting to see how the year ends. I say Disney will be down, but not down like the numbers are showing this summer.