Typhoon Lagoon New Raft Ride - Miss Adventure Falls

[orlando678-]

I think water parks are just great extras to do as a inbetween relaxing activity. I have personally never been to one, but they are quite popular, maybe not as popular as the theme parks but still a pretty good addition to an entertainment resort

 

[Princess Leia]

My family has gone to both of Disney's water parks on separate trips. From what I remember, we'd spend about a total of 4 days at Disney, 3 days at MK, Epcot, and DHS (we've never been crazy about Animal Kingdom), and one at a water park. It really helps break up the vacation a bit, gives you more time to relax and prepare for the next theme park.

 

[Mike S]

Can someone help me understand the business strategy behind this decision? I get that it's meant to draw people to Typhoon Lagoon, but it's not going to get many people to visit Walt Disney World who wouldn't otherwise. The water parks are nice diversions as add-ons to the multi-day theme park ticket, but I feel like water park attendance is much more likely to be cannibalistic to theme park attendance rather than incremental. In other words, someone might replace a theme park day with a water park day to see the new attraction, but they're not going to extend their trip or plan a trip they wouldn't have otherwise planned.

The only thing I can think of is that they want to draw people out of the parks to ease congestion at the MK and DHS specifically. It feels like a pure guest satisfaction play with very little immediate financial upside. Bravo.

Because when you have something like a theme park or water park you invest in it to keep improving it and don't let it stagnate. It also helps that the competition is opening their own water park which finally lit a fire under Disney's butt.

 

[CaptainAmerica]

Because when you have something like a theme park or water park you invest in it to keep improving it and don't let it stagnate. It also helps that the competition is opening their own water park which finally lit a fire under Disney's butt.

Just seems like strange prioritization. If someone said "what part of WDW would benefit the most from a new attraction," I don't think Typhoon Lagoon would be too high on most people's priority list.

 

[Princess Leia]

Just seems like strange prioritization. If someone said "what part of WDW would benefit the most from a new attraction," I don't think Typhoon Lagoon would be too high on most people's priority list.

I live in an area with a lot of water parks. If you don't come up with something new/different, customers will choose to go to something else.

Example- Cedar Point is going to be expanding their outdoor water park and adding more rooms to their hotel (the same hotel which had a remodel like last year that got rid of rooms). From what I've read, they're planning on giving their overnight guests free passes to the renamed water park as well. It keeps people from going to Kalahari or Great Wolf Lodge (CP also has an indoor waterpark, but I'm not sure how it does in terms of competition).

I'm sure Disney is doing the same thing. Now that Universal has a water park, they've got a 3-day park destination, 4 days if you include SeaWorld. That's in direct competition with Disney. Sure, Disney has a 6 Day plan, but if a family has already done Disney and wants to try something new, they'll have the Universal Resort.

 

[danlb_2000]

Just seems like strange prioritization. If someone said "what part of WDW would benefit the most from a new attraction," I don't think Typhoon Lagoon would be too high on most people's priority list.

I could look at it as a low priority since MK has gotten FLE, Animal Kingdom is getting Avatar and other new nighttime stuff, DHS has new stuff under way, Disney Springs has been re-done, there seems to be plans for Epoct, so it's time to move on to the water parks.

 

[clemmo]

Just seems like strange prioritization. If someone said "what part of WDW would benefit the most from a new attraction," I don't think Typhoon Lagoon would be too high on most people's priority list.

It's something new and at a Disney park don't question it or else they'll take it back

 

[CaptainAmerica]

I live in an area with a lot of water parks. If you don't come up with something new/different, customers will choose to go to something else.

Example- Cedar Point is going to be expanding their outdoor water park and adding more rooms to their hotel (the same hotel which had a remodel like last year that got rid of rooms). From what I've read, they're planning on giving their overnight guests free passes to the renamed water park as well. It keeps people from going to Kalahari or Great Wolf Lodge (CP also has an indoor waterpark, but I'm not sure how it does in terms of competition).

I'm sure Disney is doing the same thing. Now that Universal has a water park, they've got a 3-day park destination, 4 days if you include SeaWorld. That's in direct competition with Disney. Sure, Disney has a 6 Day plan, but if a family has already done Disney and wants to try something new, they'll have the Universal Resort.

The difference is that Disney has a captive audience. The people who are going to the water parks are generally on-property guests with packages that include water park admission. Those guests can't go anywhere else because they're in the bubble.

Maybe I'm wrong about the guest makeup and the WP guests are more off-property and local visitors than I realize.

 

[No Name]

Just seems like strange prioritization. If someone said "what part of WDW would benefit the most from a new attraction," I don't think Typhoon Lagoon would be too high on most people's priority list.

Many of the water park fanatics and news people will be in Orlando next year, visiting Volcano Bay. If there's nothing new at either of Disney's waterparks, there won't be as much sense in those people going. They've done it before, nothing new to see. But if there's a new slide a Typhoon Lagoon, I bet a good percentage of the water park fanatics and news people will go to both Volcano Bay and TL. Basically, they are capturing the people who would care about a new slide, at the time that those people will be in Orlando. I'd say 2017 is the perfect year to open something new.

So I don't think this is intended to keep people from Volcano Bay at all, I think it's to capitalize on the spur of parkgoers that Volcano Bay will draw.

On too of that, while the level of priority is arguable, it's a relatively low investment. Disney rides often cost in the hundreds of millions. Water slides cost far less. Obviously the cost depends on the slide itself, but a non-baby-slide can cost anywhere from the hundreds of thousands to low millions. I'm far from an expert, but I can't imagine this new TL slide totaling up to more than $10 million, even if we expect it to be far above average.

 

[COProgressFan]

I think water parks are just great extras to do as a inbetween relaxing activity. I have personally never been to one, but they are quite popular, maybe not as popular as the theme parks but still a pretty good addition to an entertainment resort

I have to say, you really should go visit either of Disney's water parks. They are truly a step beyond any other water park I've been to in terms of theming and environment. Again, much like the comparison with theme parks, there are other parks out there that might be bigger, or have crazier slides, etc., but as a total package Blizzard Beach and Typhoon Lagoon are top notch. They were built at a time when Disney seemed to spare no expense in terms of building great, unique environments and it shows. And until the cost cutting of hours this year (and the potential cutting of the shark lagoon), for the most park they have not suffered the cutbacks and service reductions the theme parks have (sort of forgotten by Burbank, I suppose).

Anyway, I know for us, who stay both on and off property, water parks definitely add a day to our trip. I agree, however, that the transportation changes have been horrible, to the point that next time we stay on property, we are never going to depend on Disney transport again and rent a car.

 

[orlando678-]

I have to say, you really should go visit either of Disney's water parks. They are truly a step beyond any other water park I've been to in terms of theming and environment. Again, much like the comparison with theme parks, there are other parks out there that might be bigger, or have crazier slides, etc., but as a total package Blizzard Beach and Typhoon Lagoon are top notch. They were built at a time when Disney seemed to spare no expense in terms of building great, unique environments and it shows. And until the cost cutting of hours this year (and the potential cutting of the shark lagoon), for the most park they have not suffered the cutbacks and service reductions the theme parks have (sort of forgotten by Burbank, I suppose).

Anyway, I know for us, who stay both on and off property, water parks definitely add a day to our trip. I agree, however, that the transportation changes have been horrible, to the point that next time we stay on property, we are never going to depend on Disney transport again and rent a car.

oh man you have no idea how bad i want to pay a visit to both of them, I just never had luck convincing the rest of my party to go so we always sticked to the theme parks.

 

[UpAllNight]

Wouldn't say waterparks are a distraction for us sun starved Brits. We're doing all 4 Orlando water parks next June. Typhoon definitely needs a more modern slide, but I'd go just for the wave pool, lazy river and atmosphere to be honest.

 

[Next Big Thing]

Along with Universal opening Volcano Bay next year and possibly stealing people out of WDW's hotels, we need to keep in mind that Great Wolf Lodge is opening up in Kissimmee. That will be a big attraction not only as an off-site hotel, but as a water park, too.

This isn't just about Typhoon Lagoon. This is to try and keep people on property and spending all of their money on property. They've stagnated for too long.

 

[lazyboy97o]

Can someone help me understand the business strategy behind this decision? I get that it's meant to draw people to Typhoon Lagoon, but it's not going to get many people to visit Walt Disney World who wouldn't otherwise. The water parks are nice diversions as add-ons to the multi-day theme park ticket, but I feel like water park attendance is much more likely to be cannibalistic to theme park attendance rather than incremental. In other words, someone might replace a theme park day with a water park day to see the new attraction, but they're not going to extend their trip or plan a trip they wouldn't have otherwise planned.

The only thing I can think of is that they want to draw people out of the parks to ease congestion at the MK and DHS specifically. It feels like a pure guest satisfaction play with very little immediate financial upside. Bravo.

A new attraction adds capacity. Always trying to draw in more people with every new attraction means having to constantly outpace that demand thus requiring more expensive, higher capacity attractions. Even with very few new attractions, Typhoon Lagoon's attendance continues to rise and without adding capacity then attractions per guest per hour will eventually fall to unsatisfactory levels.

 

[danlb_2000]

A revised permit for this project has been submitted to the South Florida Water Management District. There doesn't appear to be any change to the ride itself, but they have added some parking and an access road. This also means it will still be at least a few months before work begins on this.

 

[Unplugged]

oh man you have no idea how bad i want to pay a visit to both of them, I just never had luck convincing the rest of my party to go so we always sticked to the theme parks.

Go without them and make your water park trip even more relaxing! I've run into the same issue. But the past few years, as I've compromised my way out of doing things I'd like to, I've realized one important thing. Sometimes, when you truly need to relax as you're trying to get away from work or the day to day grind, you have to think of numero uno. Otherwise, too much compromising means you simply are not going to return home as refreshed as your vacation should permit.

 

[roj2323]

In 2015 Typhoon Lagoon and Blizzard Beach each had about 2 million guests based on the TEA/AECOM report. That's small in comparison to Disney's overall attendance, but still a significant number. The biggest problem for Disney is if people are doing split stays and decide to switch a day from Disney to Uni so they can go to Volcano Bay, now Disney not only looses the gate click at one of their water parks, but a night in a hotel and three meals.

I have to agree that Volcano Bay is a game changer for Disney's water parks. I haven't been to Disney's water parks in years and I live 35 minutes away but Volcano Bay is something I really want to go check out and that's another 15 minutes past Disney. I suspect Disney will be investing some major cash in at least one of the two parks in the next few years. If I had to guess I'd say Blizzard beach will close for an extended timeframe and it will be completely remodeled probably in 2018-2019.

 

[Bill Cipher]

we've never been crazy about Animal Kingdom

le gasp! I never thought I'd live to see the day that this quote would appear on these forums!

 

[Princess Leia]

le gasp! I never thought I'd live to see the day that this quote would appear on these forums!

Lol I'm sorry! The two times we went, we found that we ran out of things to do. We eventually chose to spend our 4th Disney day at a water park (or Tampa and Clearwater Beach on the 2008 trip). I'm looking forward to Pandora, if that makes you feel any better.

 

[Bill Cipher]

Lol I'm sorry! The two times we went, we found that we ran out of things to do. I'm looking forward to Pandora, if that makes you feel any better.

I agree that there isn't much to do there but the beautiful themeing is the best of any of the parks imo. No real offense was meant by my comment though, I was just a little shocked.