Attendance Tracker

[ThemeParks4Life]

I was at DHS on Saturday night a week and a half ago to check out Toy Story Land. The park wasn't too busy for DHS standards, but Magic Kingdom was DEAD. Most rides were under thirty minutes around 8:30, and even SDMT was only a 40 minute wait. The park was open until midnight, so it wasn't like the park was emptying out for close. I was shocked the waits were that low and debated hopping over there (I even got a Splash Mountain Fastpass ten minutes out), but I had work the next morning.

 

[Disneyhead]

I understand the need to be vague, but can you elaborate on the latter half of that statement? As shown by comparison to comparable products, guest feedback, something else?

Overwhelming is a word thrown around describing everything about a WDW vacation. Too much Pre-planning, too crowded, and too expensive.

 

[JungleSkip]

Overwhelming is a word thrown around describing everything about a WDW vacation. Too much Pre-planning, too crowded, and too expensive.

I still stand by reasons 2 and 3 to not be all that much of a problem. But when every single WDW planning Site is throwing spreadsheets at you as “the trip planning basics”, people are going to be turned off.

It goes back to my point on TapuTapu. People want to feel they have the choice to do whatever they want. Planning a WDW trip feels like the opposite

 

[Suprachica79]

Overwhelming is a word thrown around describing everything about a WDW vacation. Too much Pre-planning, too crowded, and too expensive.

I would echo this sentiment after our last trip to WDW last November. We were doing a split UOR/WDW trip and the UOR part was so much more relaxed and enjoyable. Between the fast passes, crowd levels for what was supposed to be a slow week, and cost, it just turned us completely off. This year we are going to UOR during the first week of December and the only WDW Park we are even contemplating for a return visit is AK because that was the park we really enjoyed last year but at $300 for two single-day tickets and a round trip Uber, I think the cost doesn’t equal the value for us.

I still stand by reasons 2 and 3 to not be all that much of a problem. But when every single WDW planning Site is throwing spreadsheets at you as “the trip planning basics”, people are going to be turned off.

It goes back to my point on TapuTapu. People want to feel they have the choice to do whatever they want. Planning a WDW trip feels like the opposite

I have to disagree with you here, at least in my experience. I don’t hate the preplanning, if anything it’s one of my favorite parts of a vacation, but the crowd levels and/or wait times (since wait times don’t always equate to crowd levels anymore with cutting labor hours) was the major turn off to us not immediately buying tickets for a return. I would eat the $300 day if I knew the crowds would be reasonable and I’d be able to ride FoP, the safari, and not be body on body with strangers. However, the combination of the crowd levels plus the exorbitant cost is what really makes the 1-2 punch for me.

 

[Mad Dog]

I would echo this sentiment after our last trip to WDW last November. We were doing a split UOR/WDW trip and the UOR part was so much more relaxed and enjoyable. Between the fast passes, crowd levels for what was supposed to be a slow week, and cost, it just turned us completely off. This year we are going to UOR during the first week of December and the only WDW Park we are even contemplating for a return visit is AK because that was the park we really enjoyed last year but at $300 for two single-day tickets and a round trip Uber, I think the cost doesn’t equal the value for us.



I have to disagree with you here, at least in my experience. I don’t hate the preplanning, if anything it’s one of my favorite parts of a vacation, but the crowd levels and/or wait times (since wait times don’t always equate to crowd levels anymore with cutting labor hours) was the major turn off to us not immediately buying tickets for a return. I would eat the $300 day if I knew the crowds would be reasonable and I’d be able to ride FoP, the safari, and not be body on body with strangers. However, the combination of the crowd levels plus the exorbitant cost is what really makes the 1-2 punch for me.

Overwhelming is a word thrown around describing everything about a WDW vacation. Too much Pre-planning, too crowded, and too expensive.

Yes, those are three pretty valid points, maybe not enough separately to turn people off, but working in tandem it reaches into different groups. Universal, especially on site hotels, is just a more quality relaxing experience. Like Jungle Skip, I hope Universal departs from the Tapu Tapu, virtual lines BS they've jumped into recently. That's a big big mistake if they continue to venture down that path. Someone is selling Universal a damaged bill of goods with those two missteps.

 

[Disneyhead]

Disney is freaking out because they don't know how to fix the problem. Discounts aren't gonna fix it, and unlike TapuTapu, Disney can't just turn off MM+. So here is a representation of Jay and Tom guiding WDW's future (circa 2012)

 

[JoeCamel]

Disney is freaking out because they don't know how to fix the problem. Discounts aren't gonna fix it, and unlike TapuTapu, Disney can't just turn off MM+. So here is a representation of Jay and Tom guiding WDW's future (circa 2012)

Are you sure it is the beginning of the end or more like a dip that will work out. They have an easy way to fix it. Limit attendance to manageable staffing levels and raise prices. They could have done that years ago but I guess the thought of princess not getting to go to the MK was worse than making the entire family suffer through the crowds and lines. Tough call but we know what they chose and here we are today....

 

[UNIrd]

There's no way that we don't see another price increase before Star Wars opens.

Their answer to smaller crowds is to offer Disney After Hours events... for only $125 a pop!

 

[Disneyhead]

Are you sure it is the beginning of the end or more like a dip that will work out. They have an easy way to fix it. Limit attendance to manageable staffing levels and raise prices. They could have done that years ago but I guess the thought of princess not getting to go to the MK was worse than making the entire family suffer through the crowds and lines. Tough call but we know what they chose and here we are today....

Disney thinks it's a trend and not a speed bump. It's not the beginning of the end, they are only down a measly 30%. And some of the problem is actually self correcting. As in, as more people vacation elsewhere the crowds become manageable. That still leaves arduous planning and sell shock when the dinner bill comes.

 

[Mad Dog]

Keep the Magic Bands for everything else but get rid of fast pass plus 60/30 day bs, use same day fastpasses for only 50% of the line instead of the 80% they're using now, eliminate dining reservations, keep the park staffed enough to maintain reasonable stand by time lines, maintain multi day passes as they presently are but freeze prices for a couple of years, quit hiking room prices above the inflation level, and continue adding new attractions. Treat people like a house guest instead of as bank money machines... There, I fixed it, problem solved.

 

[UK-Trigg]

Yep, book early...I learned the hard way last year


All the hotels were booked for Irma as well...whatever that means haha

Yep book early, then find out theirs no HHN to attend as Microsoft booked it.

 

[awhen]

If Disney announced the end of MM+ I'd buy an annual pass tomorrow. 4 of them. I despise all manner of skip-the-line shenanigans. Provide adequate attraction and restuarant capacity and top-notch service from the second I step foot on property until the second I leave it and I'm back. Raise the price even.

 

[Teebin]

WDW reminds me of the investors who buy a company, fire all the staff and then go 6 months selling remaining inventory to show how profitable the company is and then turn around and resell it at a premium.

Disney has sold their investors a short-term bill of goods and for a period made the park seem more profitable than it ever really should be. I don’t see a way out of it for them now. At least it seems that way to me.

 

[JoeCamel]

Yep book early, then find out theirs no HHN to attend as Microsoft booked it.

Ohhhh, that blew a hole in my planning this year. I usually do the 2nd and 3rd weeks but with MS it made it so I do the first two and fill in another for the included night and the Q&A on the 30th. What can I say? if I'm around long enough it will be FF+ Ultra and I move to Orland for the duration.

 

[UK-Trigg]

Ohhhh, that blew a hole in my planning this year. I usually do the 2nd and 3rd weeks but with MS it made it so I do the first two and fill in another for the included night and the Q&A on the 30th. What can I say? if I'm around long enough it will be FF+ Ultra and I move to Orland for the duration.

Oh Im gonna let them know at check in.

 

[Mad Dog]

WDW reminds me of the investors who buy a company, fire all the staff and then go 6 months selling remaining inventory to show how profitable the company is and then turn around and resell it at a premium.

Disney has sold their investors a short-term bill of goods and for a period made the park seem more profitable than it ever really should be. I don’t see a way out of it for them now. At least it seems that way to me.

Sounds like what Blackstone tried to do with Sea World, but the plan didn't work. They pulled too much money out and the system went too far south to sell it for a profit.

 

[Nick]

Disney’s problem is they are always thinking about Wall Street. Every quarter has to be more profitable than the last, etc etc. So prices for everything have become astronomical and it seems it’s finally catching up to them.

 

[UniversalRBLX]

Disney’s problem is they are always thinking about Wall Street. Every quarter has to be more profitable than the last, etc etc. So prices for everything have become astronomical and it seems it’s finally catching up to them.

Yes sir. They have to pay now with all the new additions.

 

[JungleSkip]

Disney’s problem is they are always thinking about Wall Street. Every quarter has to be more profitable than the last, etc etc. So prices for everything have become astronomical and it seems it’s finally catching up to them.

This is an issue with basically ever corporation on the planet right now.

I don't see it changing until this slide becomes prolonged

 

[Disneyhead]

Disney’s problem is they are always thinking about Wall Street. Every quarter has to be more profitable than the last, etc etc. So prices for everything become astronomical and it seems it’s finally catching up to them.

Prices are part of the problem, but people have demonstrated they will pay stupid money for a quality Disney experience. They don't want to pay stupid money only to find it impossible to ride the newest bestest attractions without standing in line for hours, or relegated to standing and eating while resting your plate on a trash can because of booked TS restaurants and overwhelmed QS restaurants.