Disneyland’s Attendance Issues Summer 2019

[chris.g]

^ A better promo IMO would be kinda like the SoCal resident tick, but it was visit DCA only before Aug. 1, and visit DLR only select days after.

 

[bob albert]

That is a whole month, it's worrying to say the least. The dip in hotel rooms. food and souvenirs will hurt the company a lot.
I know Universal gets a lot of hate for not announcing rides years in advance but this is for sure part of the problem. Another one is banking on the wrong trilogy and not building a recognizable area. Staged opening also doesn't seem the right choice, probably done to spread development cost and the hope to keep the hype going. Jacking up the prices of tickets, blocking out most AP's and the hate for later Star Wars movies got from long time fans wouldn't help either. Add mediocre reviews for the only ride, the up-charge experiences and the negative reviews of part of the food and drinks and the broken light-sabers.
Put all that together and it seems like a huge amount of wrong choices where Disney clearly don't understand their fans, Star Wars fans and what their theme park is worth to their customers.
I'm sure aggressive cuts will be in place, hurting the brand further, to make up for lost revenue. The spin doctors will work overtime to put the blame on earthquakes, heat and whatever they can blame for outside the company. But the most worrying to me is the future of big investments. Avatar Land was expensive and only shifted the visitors around but didn't add new visitors to the mix in Orlando (judging from hotel sales I hear frequenter at the Dis). What if this is another misfire where it doesn't mater how much money you trow at the park, it doesn't matter so why do that ever again.

Disneyland was fairly crowded when I was there in early may which is generally a slower time even on the weekend with some blackouts. But it was like $90 cheaper then for a multi day pass then. I think Disney is trying to play chicken and see if guests break first but they may have screwed themselves by not opening both attractions at once given they already made decisions on price. They desperately do not want to lower prices much after opening this. They want guests to assume a new norm on lack of discounts. I hope Orlando gets the other ride quickly if i were them because the alternative is discounts and a serious lack of bookings. Dis already talking about free dining coming back which they have been trying to get rid of for years by making it a worse value.

 

[UNIrd]

You all seem so confident that so many people are withholding visits due to Rise of the Resistance. If you build the freakin' Millennium Falcon and Star Wars fans don't come in droves, then I doubt ROTR will do the trick.

It'll be more crowded when that opens because pass holders won't be blocked, HalloweenTime and Holidays at DL have been busier than Summer lately anyway (same as WDW), and it'll have a normal new ride opening and not have reservations for a month. But to be honest, I bet half the tourists who already visited Galaxy's Edge don't even realize there's supposed to be more to it so the messaging will have to be clear that there's even more Star Wars...again.

 

[bob albert]

You all seem so confident that so many people are withholding visits due to Rise of the Resistance. If you build the freakin' Millennium Falcon and Star Wars fans don't come in droves, then I doubt ROTR will do the trick.

It'll be more crowded when that opens because pass holders won't be blocked, HalloweenTime and Holidays at DL have been busier than Summer lately anyway (same as WDW), and it'll have a normal new ride opening and not have reservations for a month. But to be honest, I bet half the tourists who already visited Galaxy's Edge don't even realize there's supposed to be more to it so the messaging will have to be clear that there's even more Star Wars...again.

Virtually no one spending this much money on these trips is clueless these days. They have abundant easy access to info on what is and isn't in the parks and how to plan. The prices have forced people to get informed and access to information worldwide from sites is legit.

 

[rhino4evr]

You all seem so confident that so many people are withholding visits due to Rise of the Resistance. If you build the freakin' Millennium Falcon and Star Wars fans don't come in droves, then I doubt ROTR will do the trick.

It'll be more crowded when that opens because pass holders won't be blocked, HalloweenTime and Holidays at DL have been busier than Summer lately anyway (same as WDW), and it'll have a normal new ride opening and not have reservations for a month. But to be honest, I bet half the tourists who already visited Galaxy's Edge don't even realize there's supposed to be more to it so the messaging will have to be clear that there's even more Star Wars...again.

Considering the expense and the relative ease to google “Star Wars land reviews” , I find the “uninformed tourist” market is less and less. Just showing any interest online also brings tons of stories to you via ad software and Facebook algorithms.

In Orlando it’s even less so; as Disney’s fast pass system has almost required guests to “plan” their vacation carefully. I think most people willing to drop $100+ a ticket, want to know what they are paying for.

Disney needs to get this new ride open ASAP. They have been completely silent about the ride since the first media previews actually toured the queue. They know people will wait to visit until it’s open, so their best way to fight this is to not talk about the attraction at all.

Before The land opened I felt we were getting rather regular updates on RotR, but now I have no idea what the progress is.

 

[Parkscope Joe]

 

[frank_1991_]

They dug themselves into this hole. Years of raising pricing. Blocking their main client base. This is on Disney. I just feel bad for the front line cast members who’s hours are gonna be cut now and the local business which planned ahead expecting an increase in business. Not that Disney cares about them at all. It’s nice to demand a tax credit from the city of Anaheim though.

 

[Scott W.]

Was there a security hiring freeze? :bolt:

 

[Teebin]

Certainly makes yer think, dun’it...

 

[Mad Dog]

Mice Chat has expanded that tweet to an entire column. Employee hours being cut also....and in another companion article they talk about how the area hotels & businesses have seen a significant drop in bookings and business compared to previous summers....and there's fear in the business community that the Halloween holiday period and Christmas holiday period may be soft also.

 

[frank_1991_]

Mice Chat has expanded that tweet to an entire column. Employee hours being cut also....and in another companion article they talk about how the area hotels & businesses have seen a significant drop in bookings and business compared to previous summers....and there's fear in the business community that the Halloween holiday period and Christmas holiday period may be soft also.

This is unfortunate for the local community. Disney is a multi billion company that can sustain a slow season but how many businesses rely on the busy summer season to help sustain them. If I was a local business that relies on tourism I would be very upset.

 

[Mad Dog]

This is unfortunate for the local community. Disney is a multi billion company that can sustain a slow season but how many businesses rely on the busy summer season to help sustain them. If I was a local business that relies on tourism I would be very upset.

and they certainly seem to be.

 

[fryoj]

Disney should come out and blame it on the Eastern Gateway project getting cancelled. Just go full troll.

That being said. Companies that exist only to essentially leach off another company's business really can't complain too loudly.

 

[nanothegotchi]

A few of my CM friends were working very consistent and long hours up to GE’s opening. It’s a huge difference that the supposed “heavy” period led to lost hours. Wonder how it’s working for GE CMs?

 

[k_peek_2000]

Now would be a real swell time to get that Rise of the Resistance thing up and running lol.

 

[rhino4evr]

It’s time to lift the pass holder blocks.
It’s also time to rethink the “raise prices every year!” Philosophy.
Eventually the consumer will turn on you if you keep raising prices.

This park better do gang busters in Orlando...otherwise there will be some serious hell to pay at the next shareholder meeting.

 

[Stryker]

They've already extended the unblocked period for CM Main Entrance Pass (CM +3) through the end of July (except Sat 7/20 & 7/27). I highly doubt they'll be so desperate as to unblock more APs. They'll likely just continue to unblock CMs until 8/19 when Deluxe APs are free to go.

 

[Freak]

This has got to be one of the worst Summers DL has ever had. Low-attendance and spending, Rise of the Resistance having ridiculous delays, that huge Toontown fight that went viral....you know what they say: the bigger they are, the greater the fall.

 

[Nick]

Not sure if it's a related cut, but the Red Car Trolley News Boys are leaving DCA. Last performance on July 23rd.

 

[Clive]

Not sure if it's a related cut, but the Red Car Trolley News Boys are leaving DCA. Last performance on July 23rd.

I'm told it's related.

Dancers in Lion King show are getting cut end of July, too. I would expect other cuts/reduced showtimes/character encounters. Embarrassing.