Attendance Tracker

[Galaxy Defender]

This Orlando Sentinel article covers the unhappiness of locals over annual passholder and mymagic+ moves. It also covers some surveys that WDW done regarding AP changes. It is not hard hitting but some of the local quotes are pretty harsh. The quotes from Disney about Pass Holder moves are totally filled with pixie dust.

Disney passholder changes make some locals feel left behind - Orlando Sentinel

 

[awhen]

From the article:

"The Disney survey asked what he would do if his pass blocked access a couple of months after the opening of a new attraction, parade or show at a theme park. Would he pay additional admission to get an early peek? Upgrade to a pass that allowed him to visit? Or simply wait until the restrictions were lifted?"

Do you think "Let my pass expire" was an option on the survey? Full disclosure: I let mine expire in 2012 and haven't been back since, and my history with Disney passes spans nearly 30 years (anyone remember the Three Season Salute?).

 

[JoeCamel]

From the article:

"The Disney survey asked what he would do if his pass blocked access a couple of months after the opening of a new attraction, parade or show at a theme park. Would he pay additional admission to get an early peek? Upgrade to a pass that allowed him to visit? Or simply wait until the restrictions were lifted?"

Do you think "Let my pass expire" was an option on the survey? Full disclosure: I let mine expire in 2012 and haven't been back since, and my history with Disney passes spans nearly 30 years (anyone remember the Three Season Salute?).

I lasted a couple more years but I can't see going back for at least 5 more.

 

[IzzyB]

This Orlando Sentinel article covers the unhappiness of locals over annual passholder and mymagic+ moves. It also covers some surveys that WDW done regarding AP changes. It is not hard hitting but some of the local quotes are pretty harsh. The quotes from Disney about Pass Holder moves are totally filled with pixie dust.

Disney passholder changes make some locals feel left behind - Orlando Sentinel

The main thing was about a survey that who knows if that stuff ever happens. All of the theme parks have sent out some very interesting surveys over the years that don't always reflect good changes for pass holders. I would be interested in seeing what subset or how many people the Sentinel talked too. I would love to see a local survey done about the satisfaction of each park with locals. Now that to me would be interesting.

 

[Nick]

The main thing was about a survey that who knows if that stuff ever happens. All of the theme parks have sent out some very interesting surveys over the years that don't always reflect good changes for pass holders. I would be interested in seeing what subset or how many people the Sentinel talked too. I would love to see a local survey done about the satisfaction of each park with locals. Now that to me would be interesting.

I would love to know how many are outraged that The Smurfs is replacing E.T.

 

[Galaxy Defender]

The main thing was about a survey that who knows if that stuff ever happens. All of the theme parks have sent out some very interesting surveys over the years that don't always reflect good changes for pass holders. I would be interested in seeing what subset or how many people the Sentinel talked too. I would love to see a local survey done about the satisfaction of each park with locals. Now that to me would be interesting.

Surveys are informative both ways. We get to see what the parks are considering doing and they get to see how we feel about it.

As the attendance decline continues the articles about it will likely be better researched.

 

[IzzyB]

Surveys are informative both ways. We get to see what the parks are considering doing and they get to see how we feel about it.

As the attendance decline continues the articles about it will likely be better researched.

But sometimes they throw false ideas in the survey to see where people are in their views. The universal pass surveys are always so all over the place. You know some of the ideas in those surveys is not something they would ever consider. The ones with the prices are really funny. Some of the prices are just outrageously high and others laughably low. So I tend to take all those surveys with a grain of salt.

 

[Scott W.]

But sometimes they throw false ideas in the survey to see where people are in their views. The universal pass surveys are always so all over the place. You know some of the ideas in those surveys is not something they would ever consider. The ones with the prices are really funny. Some of the prices are just outrageously high and others laughably low. So I tend to take all those surveys with a grain of salt.

The outrageous answers could be directing you towards the obvious choice which might not be the best choice but it is in a multiple answer question. If that makes sense?

 

[SeventyOne]

The ones with the prices are really funny. Some of the prices are just outrageously high and others laughably low.

I laughed at the prices in last year's HHN survey. Then I saw what they're getting for Frequent Fear with Express this year.

 

[IzzyB]

The outrageous answers could be directing you towards the obvious choice which might not be the best choice but it is in a multiple answer question. If that makes sense?

Oh I agree on this too. Sometimes they form the question with them already knowing what they want to do.

 

[Mad Dog]

Mice Chat had a nice article today on Disneyland resort expansion. They also alluded to Disneyland being able to chart their own course now that they are separated from WDW and it's problems. Here's a few quotes about WDW. It's quite telling....."With attendance & profitability problems now hampering the Walt Disney property out in Florida, it was Anaheim's (DLR) financial success that beat out the rosiest of projections that has kept the Parks & Resorts Division on solid financial footing for the last fiscal year."..."From a conversation on the weekly Bob Chapek video conference with all of his site chiefs, came the realization in Anaheim that WDW needed to save money in the new 2017 fiscal year due to soft attendance and flat consumer spending at the WDW property. And with Animal Kingdom's long delayed and wildly over budget Rivers of Light show finally nearing completion for an Oct. debut, WDW's and DLR's Executives began to pencil out swapping the Electrical Parade for Rivers of Light. With Disneyland picking up most of the tab of refurbishing the Electrical Parade floats and shipping them out west to Anaheim, it was a bargain the WDW Executives couldn't pass up"..........There's also some good info on the real reason Disneyland shut down the Paint the Night Parade (costume problems & workman compensation costs associated with the costumes and choreography) and updates on the DCA Tower of Terror conversion to GOG.

 

[Miketheboss]

I was at IOA yesterday. It took me about 45 minutes to talk to someone in guest services. Extremely unacceptable. I spoke to a manager about the long wait and she compensated us with an express pass for one ride but I was still bothered with the fact that someone has to wait over 45 minutes to speak to someone, especially when two service windows were not in use. Universal needs to improve there ticketing booths and overall front entrance. It shouldn't take someone an hour to buy tickets and go through the turnstiles.

 

[IzzyB]

So I have been thinking about where to put this post for a couple days and I think this is a good place, maybe

I have been trying to figure out why my family and in-laws do not like Universal and prefer Disney. It is hard for me since I am a lover of all the parks. I see the plus and minus of all the parks and enjoy them for their plus and avoid their negatives when I can. So to have people around me who really enjoy one over the other is a mystery to me. But the most hated attraction thread made me finally understand it. There are more rides I don't ride, find annoying, or just can't ride at Universal. So if you go into the park and have bad experiences on those rides, maybe no matter how good or cool the other rides are that sticks in your mind? I struggled to find a ride in DHS or Epcot to add to the list, but for Studios and IOA I struggled to pick just one. While the new parts of Universal since Potter are awesome, they do have some true duds still sitting around.

So maybe I have been looking at this thing all wrong for years. I have thought for years based on complaints I get about Universal that they need to add more family friendly rides. While I still think this, I really think they also need to get rid of the dud attractions that a large majority of people don't go to or hardly ever go on. Because Universal had many dark years they have many of these areas or attractions that take away from the "magic" of the parks. So I think for Universal to even take more vacations from Disney they need to transform even more rides/shows. I think they see this and will slowly replace all the duds in the parks. But I am wondering if until they do that they won't get some families. I mean my in-laws don't like it not for the lack of kids rides, but the lack of "magic". This comment I hear sometimes and never really understood it until I sat down to say which attractions I least liked.

So my conclusion, is while Disney is taking a nose dive, that Universal has too much work ahead of them to take them over at this point. They probably have a good 15 years of expansion/replacement and I think by then Disney will find its footing again.

 

[Mad Dog]

So I have been thinking about where to put this post for a couple days and I think this is a good place, maybe

I have been trying to figure out why my family and in-laws do not like Universal and prefer Disney. It is hard for me since I am a lover of all the parks. I see the plus and minus of all the parks and enjoy them for their plus and avoid their negatives when I can. So to have people around me who really enjoy one over the other is a mystery to me. But the most hated attraction thread made me finally understand it. There are more rides I don't ride, find annoying, or just can't ride at Universal. So if you go into the park and have bad experiences on those rides, maybe no matter how good or cool the other rides are that sticks in your mind? I struggled to find a ride in DHS or Epcot to add to the list, but for Studios and IOA I struggled to pick just one. While the new parts of Universal since Potter are awesome, they do have some true duds still sitting around.

So maybe I have been looking at this thing all wrong for years. I have thought for years based on complaints I get about Universal that they need to add more family friendly rides. While I still think this, I really think they also need to get rid of the dud attractions that a large majority of people don't go to or hardly ever go on. Because Universal had many dark years they have many of these areas or attractions that take away from the "magic" of the parks. So I think for Universal to even take more vacations from Disney they need to transform even more rides/shows. I think they see this and will slowly replace all the duds in the parks. But I am wondering if until they do that they won't get some families. I mean my in-laws don't like it not for the lack of kids rides, but the lack of "magic". This comment I hear sometimes and never really understood it until I sat down to say which attractions I least liked.

So my conclusion, is while Disney is taking a nose dive, that Universal has too much work ahead of them to take them over at this point. They probably have a good 15 years of expansion/replacement and I think by then Disney will find its footing again.

Sorry, but I completely disagree with your post. Universal has the types of attractions that appeal well to their customer base, which is different from Disney's. . And the fact that they've weathered this year's Orlando wide downturn better than Disney speaks volumes. I think what you are seeing with your family and friends is a demographic that's Disney oriented & marketed, thus their preference for Disney, and disdain for Universal..............Universal isn't going to take over Disney at this point in time. I don't think anyone realistically believes that. Sheer size is too much to overcome right now. And the nostalgic value of the Magic Kingdom & Disney's long term marketing reputation. . Without MK, the other three Disney parks wouldn't be as successful.

 

[Miketheboss]

Universal needs to improve its customer service and training. I went to Disney and Universal this weekend for my birthday and the difference is night and day. First, at Disney I was told happy birthday by castmembers maybe 200 times, and at universal like 3 times. We even got random fast passes by a custodian while eating in a restraunt because she noticed my birthday pin. Second, it seems pointless but at Disney you see random castmembers blowing bubbles and just hanging out talking to people. These castmembers really do make an impact. At IOA, there is always this one castmember in marvel land that adds streetmosphere. I can go on but I wish I worked in Universals CRM department.

 

[IzzyB]

Sorry, but I completely disagree with your post. Universal has the types of attractions that appeal well to their customer base, which is different from Disney's. . And the fact that they've weathered this year's Orlando wide downturn better than Disney speaks volumes. I think what you are seeing with your family and friends is a demographic that's Disney oriented & marketed, thus their preference for Disney, and disdain for Universal..............Universal isn't going to take over Disney at this point in time. I don't think anyone realistically believes that. Sheer size is too much to overcome right now. And the nostalgic value of the Magic Kingdom & Disney's long term marketing reputation. . Without MK, the other three Disney parks wouldn't be as successful.

I guess my thing is the people that like Disney are all different types of people. Some are older, some are families, some are single with no kids, some are couples with no kids. They are all over the place in age. But the theme or comments I get is always Disney has that Magic that Universal doesn't. Many say they can't put their finger on it, but they like going to Disney and Universal is a meh. My sister in law the other day said they go to Universal when it is free, but it is just OK and they wouldn't pay for it. I NEVER understood these comments. As I have stated many times I enjoy all the parks. So I could never put my finger on where these comments come from. When trying to post my most hated rides I finally got it. That was my point. I got why people feel less Magic at Universal. I understand why Universal is so far from catching up to Disney. It isn't just the size as they do need a 3rd park and more hotels, there are holes or issues with their current parks.

Now am I saying Disney has no issues, heck no, Disney is a mess right now and they need to do something fast. I am hoping 50% of the rumors are true because that means they are planning to do more to fix their issues. I think the size of WDW helps a ton to keep it going. But I also think there is a Magic feel to their rides. I have a very hard time finding rides that I just won't ride. Stitch is the only one to be honest with you. But you couldn't drag me onto Simpsons, FF, or Barney. I just never thought about it since I go and I avoid the things I don't like, so as someone that likes all the parks it was hard for me to understand the comments I hear.

On the flip side, I always understand the negative comments towards Disney. I always understand the nothing new, customer service dropping, prices going up, etc comments. So I understood the negative I heard about Disney. I understood the no family ride complaints about Universal. I just had a hard time understand the people like my sister in law. Now I get it.

 

[damo]

So I have been thinking about where to put this post for a couple days and I think this is a good place, maybe

I have been trying to figure out why my family and in-laws do not like Universal and prefer Disney. It is hard for me since I am a lover of all the parks. I see the plus and minus of all the parks and enjoy them for their plus and avoid their negatives when I can. So to have people around me who really enjoy one over the other is a mystery to me. But the most hated attraction thread made me finally understand it. There are more rides I don't ride, find annoying, or just can't ride at Universal. So if you go into the park and have bad experiences on those rides, maybe no matter how good or cool the other rides are that sticks in your mind? I struggled to find a ride in DHS or Epcot to add to the list, but for Studios and IOA I struggled to pick just one. While the new parts of Universal since Potter are awesome, they do have some true duds still sitting around.

So maybe I have been looking at this thing all wrong for years. I have thought for years based on complaints I get about Universal that they need to add more family friendly rides. While I still think this, I really think they also need to get rid of the dud attractions that a large majority of people don't go to or hardly ever go on. Because Universal had many dark years they have many of these areas or attractions that take away from the "magic" of the parks. So I think for Universal to even take more vacations from Disney they need to transform even more rides/shows. I think they see this and will slowly replace all the duds in the parks. But I am wondering if until they do that they won't get some families. I mean my in-laws don't like it not for the lack of kids rides, but the lack of "magic". This comment I hear sometimes and never really understood it until I sat down to say which attractions I least liked.

So my conclusion, is while Disney is taking a nose dive, that Universal has too much work ahead of them to take them over at this point. They probably have a good 15 years of expansion/replacement and I think by then Disney will find its footing again.

And my family is the opposite. None of us want to go back to WDW. On our last split vacation, my 6 year old niece said that next time she only wanted to go to Universal. They all hated the waiting for buses and waiting in line and the issues we had with my mother in a wheelchair at the parks. We had issues at the hotel as well. WDW just left a very bad taste in our mouths. DL is another story. We all love DL.

For families like ours, Universal is doing everything right.

 

[UAN17]

I put it down to a deep engrained sense of nostalgia that Disney evokes within many adults who have grown up with their franchises. Music is extremely powerful in this and they just have the library to exploit this.

It's how Universal exploit the generations after mine that'll see long term change in perceptions. And that starts with the quality of movies they make, which, barring exceptions, they don't touch Disney animation...Pixar...Lucas Films.... Marvel.

They're doing mostly everything right on the theme park front imo, but I'm concerned with their direction regarding Fast and Furious. That money should have been spent elsewhere on some high quality timeless dark rides.

 

[quinnmac000]

I guess my thing is the people that like Disney are all different types of people. Some are older, some are families, some are single with no kids, some are couples with no kids. They are all over the place in age. But the theme or comments I get is always Disney has that Magic that Universal doesn't. Many say they can't put their finger on it, but they like going to Disney and Universal is a meh. My sister in law the other day said they go to Universal when it is free, but it is just OK and they wouldn't pay for it. I NEVER understood these comments. As I have stated many times I enjoy all the parks. So I could never put my finger on where these comments come from. When trying to post my most hated rides I finally got it. That was my point. I got why people feel less Magic at Universal. I understand why Universal is so far from catching up to Disney. It isn't just the size as they do need a 3rd park and more hotels, there are holes or issues with their current parks.

Now am I saying Disney has no issues, heck no, Disney is a mess right now and they need to do something fast. I am hoping 50% of the rumors are true because that means they are planning to do more to fix their issues. I think the size of WDW helps a ton to keep it going. But I also think there is a Magic feel to their rides. I have a very hard time finding rides that I just won't ride. Stitch is the only one to be honest with you. But you couldn't drag me onto Simpsons, FF, or Barney. I just never thought about it since I go and I avoid the things I don't like, so as someone that likes all the parks it was hard for me to understand the comments I hear.

On the flip side, I always understand the negative comments towards Disney. I always understand the nothing new, customer service dropping, prices going up, etc comments. So I understood the negative I heard about Disney. I understood the no family ride complaints about Universal. I just had a hard time understand the people like my sister in law. Now I get it.

I think you also need to add in nostalgia. If your family grew up going to Disney then they have those emotional attachments to Disney which inherently adds a bias than someone who goes to Disney when they are 25 for the first time. That's where the magic comes from. Most my coworkers didn't go to Disney as kids but take their kids every year until recently when I got most of them passes for Universal just to get out of the Disney is King mindset and all their views changed when it came and they preferred Universal a lot more. The ones who did Disney as kids tend to like Universal but didn't necessarily think it was great as everyone else was making it out to be. So that at least is my understanding of the bias.

 

[IzzyB]

I think you also need to add in nostalgia. If your family grew up going to Disney then they have those emotional attachments to Disney which inherently adds a bias than someone who goes to Disney when they are 25 for the first time. That's where the magic comes from. Most my coworkers didn't go to Disney as kids but take their kids every year until recently when I got most of them passes for Universal just to get out of the Disney is King mindset and all their views changed when it came and they preferred Universal a lot more. The ones who did Disney as kids tend to like Universal but didn't necessarily think it was great as everyone else was making it out to be. So that at least is my understanding of the bias.

Interesting thought and I think that holds true for some. But my in-laws only went once to Disney when they were growing up. In fact none of them were Disney freaks or anything like that until my husband and I moved down here. That was when they started going to Disney because they were visiting us and it was the thing to do. My other friend who are really Disney freaks also did not grow up on Disney. They started going when they moved to Jacksonville. I will have to start asking these people that just say there is more Magic at Disney when they started going to Disney.

It will be interesting when our one friends from Pittsburgh finally decide to go to Universal. They as kids never went to Disney, but they go to Disney normally once a year with their kids. They are waiting for the youngest (5) to be a little taller and then they plan to try it. It will be interesting their viewpoint.

My family grew up going to Disney, but we also went to Universal and Sea World. So since I went to all, I still go to all.