Theme Parks Have Rides, Right? WDW vs. DLR 2022 Edition

[DrAlice]

How many of those rides can a typical guest expect to do in a day?

For sure, this is an important question. The less you can do, the higher that price per ride goes up.

But have no fear! The reservation system is in place to enhance the guest experience! Surely that means it won't be so crowded that you can only ride a few rides per visit, right? Right!?!?!?!?

 

[Consumer]

On average, I've been able to get 17.5 attractions done in a single day.

 

[Phroobar]

For sure, this is an important question. The less you can do, the higher that price per ride goes up.

But have no fear! The reservation system is in place to enhance the guest experience! Surely that means it won't be so crowded that you can only ride a few rides per visit, right? Right!?!?!?!?

 

[TP2000]

Here is some quick "back of the envelope" math to add to the discussion....

• DL visitors pay $208 - $358 for those 57 rides ($3.65-$6.28 per ride)
• WDW visitors pay $436 for 57 rides ($7.65 per ride).

Geez, that's shocking.

Obviously there is more to all parks than rides, but I found this interesting.

It's absolutely fascinating! I don't think we'd ever thought of it those terms; price per ride. But it's a great way to look at it. All future counts like this should include the price per ride. As I fade into the sunset, someone needs to remember to do price per ride on these things in future years/decades!

Although, the actual ride count on each coast is going to remain tied for at least the next five years or so. So it will just be the changing prices of tickets that will change the price per ride until at least the late 2020's.

 

[TP2000]

MK can be a size queen

I just wanted to get that quoted for posterity. And to thank you for the big laugh this afternoon!

All 4 WDW parks are under-built. DL also has better variety of not only with dark rides but thrills within walking distance

That's the key point for me, too. Disneyland, and even DCA, is a really well designed tapestry of experiences. It has the most E Tickets of any park ever, and will likely never be dethroned from that. But it also has the most D/C Tickets of any park; smaller rides that fill out the day's experiences to great effect and make you realize you were at a wonderful theme park.

Animal Kingdom and DHS are the worst offenders at WDW; light on rides and almost entirely made up by E Tickets with height requirements. Then at Magic Kingdom, they have a paltry roster of smaller rides, and four (4!) of them are basically the same experience, a spinner.

Magic Kingdom has Dumbo, and Astro Orbiter, and Flying Carpets. And then they spent a bunch of money and marketing buzz to build... wait for it... a double Dumbo spinner!

Tron opening in Mk will help their balance at least

It will add a much-needed E Ticket and thrill ride to Magic Kingdom, but I am still baffled by them plopping a cloned Tron ride right next to Space Mountain.

I don't think history will be kind to that Tron decision. And it also tells me that the people in charge don't really know what they're doing or why their parks are supposed to exist.

 

[Disney Analyst]

This is why I still maintain from a price for entertainment perspective, Disneyland still has value. Bang for your buck (compared to WDW).

You can pay the same if not more for a 2.5 hour concert, a theatre ticket, etc.

 

[_caleb]

As I fade into the sunset, someone needs to remember to do price per ride on these things in future years/decades!

You ok?

 

[TP2000]

You ok?

I'm just old.

But it's kind of you to ask.

 

[Phroobar]

Tokyo Disneyland 26 rides $54 - $64 usd per day. $2.08 - $2.46 per ride.
Tokyo Disney Sea 24 rides $54 - $64 usd per day. $2.25 - $2.67 per ride.

Those include all the little vehicle transports and not shows.
There is no park hopper available but if bought both at $54 for 50 rides it would be $2.56 per ride.
Makes me wonder why Tokyo Disneyland is so cheap.

 

[Phroobar]

Disneyland Paris 20 rides $126 per day. $6.03 per ride
Walt Disney Studios 11 rides $126 per day. $11.46 per ride

Park hopper: 31 rides @ $156 per day. $5.03 per ride.

 

[TP2000]

Tokyo Disneyland 26 rides $54 - $64 usd per day. $2.08 - $2.46 per ride.
Tokyo Disney Sea 24 rides $54 - $64 usd per day. $2.25 - $2.67 per ride.

Those include all the little vehicle transports and not shows.
There is no park hopper available but if bought both at $54 for 50 rides it would be $2.56 per ride.

As I've got a long Japan vacation with two days at Tokyo Disneyland planned out for 2023, I'll do a tally of their rides in a bit here.

Makes me wonder why Tokyo Disneyland is so cheap.

And also vastly superior when it comes to cleanliness, maintenance, CM performance and service skills, CM appearance and grooming, attention to detail, operational excellence, etc.

I'm moving from SoCal within days now, but the way TDA has run Disneyland into the ground and allowed the CM's to look like homeless bikers if they want, not visiting Disneyland regularly is not at all a concern of mine any longer. Because I have a couple days planned for in '23 in the dramatically better Tokyo Disneyland. That's more than enough Disney theme park for me.

 

[Phroobar]

And also vastly superior when it comes to cleanliness, maintenance, CM performance and service skills, CM appearance and grooming, attention to detail, operational excellence, etc.

That is something I noticed on the Disney Wonder last weekend. That ship was spotless and looked brand new. It was built in 1999. The crew was amazingly happy, helpful and their service skills were incredible. The dining staff and room staff were stand out amazing. There were places to go to avoid the screaming children. The lines were there though.

Then I look at last year's visit to Disneyland with CMs that won't even look at you and broken attractions. I keep thinking the theme parks used to be like this until Pressler and the Florida management took over.

 

[TP2000]

So, Tokyo has a physical setup that on paper is nearly identical to Anaheim; Two Parks, Four Disney Hotels, Entertainment Mall, Close-In Parking Structures and a "Good Neighbor" resort area immediately surrounding it. The first park opened in 1983, and the second park and it's "Resort" concept opened in 2001. Both parks have had steady ride investment over the decades, with neither one needing major reconstructive surgery a la' DCA a few years after it opened.

Tokyo's two parks have 10 fewer rides than Disneyland Resort does. The difference is mostly explained by Disneyland USA's major advantage in its E Ticket and C Ticket roster. DisneySea is the most fully developed of all the "second" parks in the world.

Tokyo Disney Resort = 47 Rides

Tokyo Disneyland = 26 Rides
E Tickets = 8 (Pirates of the Caribbean - Presented by Kirin Beer, Jungle Cruise - Presented by ENEOS, Big Thunder Mountain - Presented by Dai-Ichi Life Insurance, Splash Mountain - Presented by KAO Corporation, it's a small world - Presented by Nippon Express, Haunted Mansion, Star Tours - Presented by Japan Credit Bank, Space Mountain - Presented by Coca-Cola)
D Tickets = 7 (Western River Railroad - Presented by TOMY, Mark Twain Riverboat - Presented by SHINRYO Corporation, Beaver Brothers Canoes, Pooh's Hunny Hunt, Enchanted Tale of Beauty & The Beast, Buzz Lightyear Astro Blasters - Presented by FUJI FILM, Monsters Inc. Ride N' Go Seek - Presented by Panasonic)
C Tickets = 6 (Peter Pan's Flight - Presented by Nippon Telephone & Telegraph, Snow White's Adventures, Tom Sawyer Island Rafts, Pinocchio's Daring Journey, Gadget's Go Coaster, Roger Rabbit's Car Toon Spin)
B Tickets = 4 (Teacups, Dumbo, Castle Carrousel - Presented by Juchheim's Company, The Happy Ride with Baymax - Presented by Daihatsu Motors)
A Tickets = 1 (Omnibus)

Tokyo DisneySea = 21 Rides
E Tickets = 6 (Soaring Fantastic Flight - Presented by SHINRYO Corporation, Tower of Terror, Indiana Jones Temple of the Crystal Skull - Presented by Panasonic, Sinbad's Storybook Voyage - Presented by Nippon Express, 20K Leagues Under The Sea - Presented by Coca-Cola, Journey To The Center Of The Earth - Presented by Dai-Ichi Life Insurance)
D Tickets = 4 (Toy Story Mania! - Presented by KAO Corporation, Nemo & Friends SeaRider - Presented by Japan Credit Bank, Raging Spirits, DisneySea Transit Steamer Line)
C Tickets = 6 (Venetian Gondolas - Presented by Juchheim's Company, DisneySea Electric Railway - Presented by TOMY, Aquatopia, Jumpin' Jellyfish, Flounder's Flying Fish Coaster, Scuttle's Scooters)
B Tickets = 4 (Caravan Carousel - Presented by Daiwa House Industry Co., Jasmine's Flying Carpets - Presented by Nippon Telephone & Telegraph, Blowfish Balloon Race, The Whirlpool)
A Tickets = 1 (Big City Vehicles)

https://www.tokyodisneyresort.jp/en/tdl/

 

[Vegas Disney Fan]

Does anyone have Uni stats handy?

I’m curious how they compare as the most direct competitor.

 

[TP2000]

FYI. Unlike Anaheim and Orlando, the ride tally is going up quickly in both Tokyo parks in 2024 and '25.

Most notably, there are four new rides under construction now and coming to DisneySea in Spring '24. It's a major $2.1 Billion expansion land called "Fantasy Springs", with shops, walk-thru attractions, restaurants, a new in-park hotel, and four new rides.

Frozen Indoor/Outdoor Boat Ride = Likely D Ticket, Maybe E?
Rapunzel Indoor/Outdoor Boat Ride = Likely D Ticket
Peter Pan Indoor Flying Ride = Likely D Ticket
Tinkerbell Dark Ride = Likely C Ticket

 

[Californian Elitist]

“Homeless bikers?”

I was at the parks a few weeks ago. All the CMs I saw/ran into were neatly dressed in their uniforms, has no disheveled hair, and no visible tattoos.

 

[GiveMeTheMusic]

“Homeless bikers?”

I was at the parks a few weeks ago. All the CMs I saw/ran into were neatly dressed in their uniforms, has no disheveled hair, and no visible tattoos.

No they weren't! They were all woke, homeless hooligans!

FYI. Unlike Anaheim and Orlando, the ride tally is going up quickly in both Tokyo parks in 2024 and '25.

Most notably, there are four new rides under construction now and coming to DisneySea in Spring '24. It's a major $2.1 Billion expansion land called "Fantasy Springs", with shops, walk-thru attractions, restaurants, a new in-park hotel, and four new rides.

Frozen Indoor/Outdoor Boat Ride = Likely D Ticket, Maybe E?
Rapunzel Indoor/Outdoor Boat Ride = Likely D Ticket
Peter Pan Indoor Flying Ride = Likely D Ticket
Tinkerbell Dark Ride = Likely C Ticket

While subjective, Pan and Frozen are considered E's internally, with Rapunzel a D and Tink a C.

 

[TP2000]

“Homeless bikers?”

I was at the parks a few weeks ago. All the CMs I saw/ran into were neatly dressed in their uniforms, has no disheveled hair, and no visible tattoos.

Huh. That's pretty much the complete opposite of what everyone else has said here. Also the complete opposite of the photos that people have posted online of what Anaheim CM's "look" like now.

I've obscured their eyes and nametags because this is not their fault for lowering park standards and aesthetics like this, it's the direct fault of their management who wanted to lower the labor costs by widening the labor pool with lower standards. Basic labor economics 101 there on lowering labor costs, but the physical result in the Anaheim park is dramatically different this fall than it was just a few years ago.

EDIT: Look at the pants. It's clearly obvious those haven't been ironed/pressed in many wearings. They may have been thrown in a washer, but they weren't ironed. There's no leg crease or any body and structure to them any more. This is not his fault technically. It is ultimately the fault of his Fantasyland management for allowing him to go out onto the StorybookLand stage looking like this for paying customers.

Do they even call it "Onstage" in Anaheim any more? And if they still do, why?

 

[TP2000]

While subjective, Pan and Frozen are considered E's internally, with Rapunzel a D and Tink a C.

I assumed that Pan and Frozen are going to be E's, Rapunzel a D, and Tinkerbell a classic C Ticket.

But I was trying to be as conservative as possible about Tokyo's current expansion nearing completion, as we just don't know yet. But between us here, yeah, DisneySea is getting two new E's, a D, and a C dark ride.

I'm so excited for my '23 trip! It's just pure Disney theme park heaven over there, right down to the perfectly uniformed and groomed C Ticket ride operators!

You literally can't take a picture of a Tokyo CM with baggy pants or without them waving. No bikers.

EDIT: Look at this Tokyo CM's pants. They're fresh, they're crisp, they're ironed. They have a leg crease. They have structured drape. They are perfectly sized for his leg/inseam length. This Tokyo CM ride operator wearing these pants is almost the complete opposite of this Anaheim CM ride operator wearing the Anaheim version of "trousers"....

 

[Bob Harlem]

Does anyone have Uni stats handy?

I’m curious how they compare as the most direct competitor.

Universal Studios Florida has 14 rides (About to lose 2 woody nuthouse coaster and fivel raft waterslide when KidZone closes, at least temporarily, will gain 1 when the Shrek replacement is done, number does not include the Bourne show or Horror Makeup)
Islands of Adventure has 17 rides (not including PF)
Epic Universe is rumored to open with at least 11.