There's a difference. Uni Hollywood did it because they were about to unleash Potter on a park with 7 rides. WDW did it as they close 3/5 of DHS and opened 2 retreads of decades old attractions. Oh, and the spectacular new Jungle Book Show!
Attendance Tracker
- Thread starter Galaxy Defender
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They need more. But I can tell you it is being well received by more than just Blog people. Everywhere I go I hear about Mako and how cool it is. People are riding it and talking about it to others all over Orlando. I was shocked. I haven't heard a peep about Frozen or Kong.
Both Universal and Disney parks have cheaper passes with blackout dates. DL/CA has a much higher rate of locals that go to the parks. To keep traffic under control in the busy time they are constantly modifying pass levels an access. US out there does the same. Neither gets it always right and sometimes they step on toes.
OK, I get the DHS nightmare, trust me there is nothing in that park. It sucks, Disney should have done this a long time ago, they are stupid, etc. I agree totally with all that and I am glad they are FINALLY doing something about it.
But people are saying numbers like 2/3 and 3/5 of the park closed. They closed LMA, Backlot, a play area, and SOA. Did I miss anything? Because that is not 2/3 or 3/5 of the park. The also closed Animation, but re-opened it with Star Wars. Now where Sound Dangerous was they have that closed too, so you could technically say that one even though that had been closed for awhile. But still they have left
Star Tours
Indy
Muppets
Little Mermaid
TS
Disney Jr
Movie Ride
B&tB
ToT
RnR
Star Wars Bay Thing
Frozen
One's Man Dream
So they closed 1 show, 1 kind of ride, 1 play area, and 1 walk thru kind of thing (SoA). If you add Sound Dangerously it is 2 shows.
They have 6 shows (so at worse 1/4 of shows closed)
They have 5 rides (so they closed 1/6 of rides)
They have 2 walk thrus (so they closed 1/3 of walk thrus)
And they did close a play area.
In Total 13 things still exist and before closings 18 things were there which is 13/18 which is roughly 1/3 of the park. I get DHS is a disgrace of a park and isn't work the one day ticket price. But can we all agree they closed 1/3 of the park and not 2/3 or 3/5? I also hear wild price increases people are talking about. The prices of tickets did not go up much higher than Universal prices. They were pretty standard increases in Orlando. DL had the crazy increases.
I think Disney was trying to spread out the crowds with tier pricing and it may have worked differently than they expected. I think some people that really can't go to Disney outside of the summer just decided to not come at all. Others changed plans to other seasons. I also think with Avatar coming next year some people did put plans on hold (the Potter effect). I also think more people are getting fed up with Disney cuts and nothing new. The small offerings they had this year were too small. I imagine Disney saw some decrease coming, but that this is way larger than they expected and now the crap is hitting the fan.
I also think this is temporary IF Disney sticks with their current plan to build new things. If they don't and start making major cuts to their budgets, I see this continuing. But I think opening a land a year for the next x amount of years is going to pull them out of this funk in probably 3 years. I think in 3 years attendance will be back up. That is just a prediction though and obviously I could be way off base.
It'll be interesting to see how DHS does during Nov. & Dec. when there's no Streets of America Christmas Show and the Star Wars Experience semi museum/M&G loses it's luster & gets to feel a little old.
- Jan 24, 2015
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I'll be back in Orlando before Star Wars Land opens up, I'll take a Disney cruise, I'll go to Discovery Cove/SeaWorld, Universal and Volcano Bay and Busch Gardens Tampa but I'll not stepping one foot into a Disney Park in Orlando until Star Wars is done and I may do Star Wars at Disneame yland and that'll kill it for Orlando. After that It'll be waiting for grand babies to take to WDW.
Thisear we went to SeaWorld San Antonio, next year our big vacation is DC/Virginia and Busch Gard3ns Williamsburg will be the big theme park of the trip and with may sneak to the coast and hit up Ocean City and ferry over to Moreys.
To tell the truth, we are planning a bug month long Euro trip in 2018 and Disney Paris isn't planned. Puy du Fou, Europa, Phantasialand, and Efteling are must dos and are planning stays at each. I guess we have kicked the Pixie Dust habit because it was getting us nearly every other year. I do want to see Disney Sea, got that penciled in for 2020. Hong Kong and Shanghai are maybes. May hit China's Ocean Kingdom instead, between Terra cotta warriors and Great walls.
Heck, everything g Disney is getting expensive, I've seen dvc point rentals at 15 bucks when I only paid 12 just last year.
Thisear we went to SeaWorld San Antonio, next year our big vacation is DC/Virginia and Busch Gard3ns Williamsburg will be the big theme park of the trip and with may sneak to the coast and hit up Ocean City and ferry over to Moreys.
To tell the truth, we are planning a bug month long Euro trip in 2018 and Disney Paris isn't planned. Puy du Fou, Europa, Phantasialand, and Efteling are must dos and are planning stays at each. I guess we have kicked the Pixie Dust habit because it was getting us nearly every other year. I do want to see Disney Sea, got that penciled in for 2020. Hong Kong and Shanghai are maybes. May hit China's Ocean Kingdom instead, between Terra cotta warriors and Great walls.
Heck, everything g Disney is getting expensive, I've seen dvc point rentals at 15 bucks when I only paid 12 just last year.
I think DHS will have major decline in Nov & Dec. I also think that there will be even more of a decline next year. People who go yearly will realize there is nothing to do there after their trip this year. Also, Avatar will pull people who either do DHS or AK, everyone will do AK. DHS will have a major issue next year for sure.
But with Frozen now headquartered in Epcot, it they do something, it will be there. They even pulled the Frozen M&G out of MK to Epcot, where it hasn't been very busy. DHS really doesn't have much space left for anything but a seasonal fireworks show. Maybe they could put a string of lights around Darth Vader and a red nose on his helmet, and march him through that tiny little park (DHS).Good point about Christmas.
I would guess a big Frozen Christmas event.
Actually over a third of the parks acreage is now not accessible to guests. While the Backlot Tour, LMA, and SoA is only one attraction, one show, and one....???? (I don't even know what SoA was after they took it off the tour), They greatly expanded the area of the park. Now the park really feels tiny and the lack of things to do is painfully obvious.
Oh, and you forgot F!
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Blah. So much keyboard diarrhea.
Reminder: I am not on the fanboy forum urchin level.
Do you even know what the DOCC is..?
Reminder: I am not on the fanboy forum urchin level.
Do you even know what the DOCC is..?
Also - does anyone have any actual proof of this fabled 30% decline in attendance?
Because that's the whole basis of this discussion.
Because that's the whole basis of this discussion.
The Star Wars Holiday Special: LIVE!But with Frozen now headquartered in Epcot, it they do something, it will be there. They even pulled the Frozen M&G out of MK to Epcot, where it hasn't been very busy. DHS really doesn't have much space left for anything but a seasonal fireworks show. Maybe they could put a string of lights around Darth Vader and a red nose on his helmet, and march him through that tiny little park (DHS).
Yeah, I still cannot believe the way that Disney went at DHS. It was a complete "cut of your nose to spite your face" move. A bit at a time would have been acceptable to me... as long as they kept going once one thing was finished. Ah well...
I started this thread because the subject of declining attendance was popping up on multiple other threads and other forums. The intention was to give the subject one thread, to learn opinions and maybe even some facts along the way.
I have no idea if 30% is correct. It certainly gets repeated quite a bit. It could have been a figure over one small period. Even if it is accurate it does not mean the entire fiscal period was down that much. It's not like the parks are publicly releasing attendance numbers. In the short term profits mean more to businesses anyway.
You are definitely more knowledgeable and connected to the parks than I. What is your guess on what WDW attendance losses/gains are for this period? Do you think this is a short term or longer trend? Do you think WDW is more affected that UO? And what are your thoughts on the causes and possible solutions?
Almost forgot. DHS mini park is so easy to blame. Since they want to change the name they could do an honest short term name change with the same initials. I recommend DecliningHS. Other that would work for the D are Diminished, Diminutive, Dwarven, Dinky, Desperate, Downtrodden and Dismal. I hate to see the good Disney name currently in the title.
Come to think of, when it first open it was rushed, incomplete and was seen as a half day park. I actually got a discounted ticket the first time I visited it. Disney has managed to restore the Studios to its former lack of glory. That takes some doing.
Come to think of, when it first open it was rushed, incomplete and was seen as a half day park. I actually got a discounted ticket the first time I visited it. Disney has managed to restore the Studios to its former lack of glory. That takes some doing.
Nice post. Yes, it has returned to it's former glory, or lack of.
But, at least it has an OK future, though it's capacity problems will probably continue to exist even after SWL & TSL. Just not enough total rides.
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Well, do we even know about the 30% decline is even referring to? Expectations for the holiday weekend? For the quarter? Post Memorial Day Weekend?
Regardless, it sounds like an over exaggeration. But Disney wouldn't be happy with even a 3% decline. Just that alone is millions in lost revenue.
