MK Cars-Themed Attractions at Magic Kingdom

[LSLS]

There are people in other threads who insist that attendance has decreased so much that the parks and restaurants are empty.

Saying attendance is down relative to 2019 (especially in the summer time) is not the same as saying it has not increased since the early 1990's.

 

[Incomudro]

A lot of posters are desperate to constrain their thinking along the false lines Disney is pushing. Here are some key truths:

Disney has enormous amounts of control over where guests go.

Disney World has huge amounts of available space.

If Disney World removes an attraction to build a new one, it is because Disney WANTS to remove the attraction.

Expanding capacity without removing capacity is the best way to have more capacity.

The Florida parks are full of ABANDONED spaces that are detrimental to the experience of the park.

Theme parks NEED “underutilized” space.

Theme park rides ARE IPs.

The attractions that built Disney Resorts’ popularity and made it an integral part of the zeitgeist were park-original IPs.

Business executives are not omniscient. They are not even wise.

These statements are all truth. Disney and certain posters would like to spin and gaslight them away. Don’t let them.

I don't always agree with you, but we're at 100% agreement here.

 

[lazyboy97o]

What’s been lost in dining? I know Tomorrowland Terrace but that’s been the way it is forever.

Adventureland Verandah, Aunt Polly’s. Diamond Horseshoe, and Tortuga Tavern.

Skipper’s Canteen replaced only a portion of the massive Adventureland Verandah space. More importantly though, it also switched from counter service to table service. More square footage is allocated to a person in a table service restaurant versus a quick service restaurant. Turnover is also faster in quick service. The end result is that a quick service venue has about 2x - 3x the hourly capacity of a table service of the same square footage. Skipper’s Canteen and Be Our Guest are not 2x - 3x the size of the Adventureland Verandah and Tomorrowland Terrace. Be Our Guest also decreased its capacity by dropping its quick service.

 

[Mr. Sullivan]

There is an incredibly powerful impulse among humans - and it is amplified in Americans - to imagine that everything is and always will be “normal” and that change never happens. Therefore, if something is happening, it must be OK simply by virtue of it happening. Even if a few years and a lot of gradual changes ago the thing would have been unthinkable, even if it would have once caused fury or despair, even if the individual specifically condemned the unthinkable thing. And since everything is always normal, anyone who says it isn’t is clearly crazy and possibly nefarious.

I am talking, of course, about Disney removing Muppets and Rivers of America.

Is it really so difficult to believe that so many are going along with it simply because they are okay with the change? It’s not some grand conspiracy of turning the other way.

It’s just that there’s people who are looking forward to Piston Peak and Monstropolis and are okay losing the attractions currently there to gain the new ones, and the one who are not. It’s that simple. Neither is right or wrong, it’s just differing opinions and desires.

 

[easyrowrdw]

They obviously feel they don't need it. Disney has a pretty captive audience, so if someone can't find a place to eat at MK for example, they will likely eat somewhere else on property. Disney only losses out when someone decides to eat off property.

That makes sense. Though I do wonder if bringing food has become more common. If it has, that hurts Disney’s bottom line too. Anecdotally, I've seen more people in recent years with big ole cooler backpacks.

Personally, we stay on property and don't leave. But we do bring food and snacks to the park and also eat in the room. Part of that is due to the cost of dining (we skip pretty much any fixed-price restaurant) and some of it is due to quality (QS) and wait times for food.

 

[danlb_2000]

That makes sense. Though I do wonder if bringing food has become more common. If it has, that hurts Disney’s bottom line too. Anecdotally, I've seen more people in recent years with big ole cooler backpacks.

Personally, we stay on property and don't leave. But we do bring food and snacks to the park and also eat in the room. Part of that is due to the cost of dining (we skip pretty much any fixed-price restaurant) and some of it is due to quality (QS) and wait times for food.

I would wonder whether people brining food is more a result of rising costs then dining availability.

 

[the_rich]

I generally go in August but I've never had an issue eating where I wanted in any of the parks.

 

[easyrowrdw]

I would wonder whether people brining food is more a result of rising costs then dining availability.

I’m sure cost is a big factor. Like I said, it is part of it for us. We eat Disney food and it usually winds up fine, but there is a level of annoyance and frustration that comes with it. Costs, availability, wait times, and options or lack thereof all add up to degrade the overall experience.

 

[Disnutz311]

They obviously feel they don't need it. Disney has a pretty captive audience, so if someone can't find a place to eat at MK for example, they will likely eat somewhere else on property. Disney only losses out when someone decides to eat off property.

They lose a little bit when they chose 3rd party run restaurants like Space 220, Yak & Yeti, Morimoto Asia, etc.
They still get money just not as much and there is not that many not run by Disney.

 

[flynnibus]

Despite that, Disney has convinced themselves it is not needed. People keep assuming some deeply rational, just business basis that does not exist.

Gotta keep those hotel and park hopper ADRs going…

 

[Chi84]

Saying attendance is down relative to 2019 (especially in the summer time) is not the same as saying it has not increased since the early 1990's.

But they’re insisting the parks and restaurants are empty.

 

[DavidDL]

I wish Disney would have found a way to convert the now unused Aunt Polly's space into a DVC lounge of some kind instead of the Shooting Gallery. There are all kinds of creative ways Disney could have increased Guest traffic over there if that were an issue but they'd never implement them.

Making sure children and parents leave with shopping bags full of Cars crap is more important than a brief mental reprieve from the park's insanity or allowing the kiddos a chance to explore and play with something other than a screen. Spaces like these are slowly disappearing all over the parks, which are designed these days to keep you overstimulated, stressed or never let you forget about the next thing releasing on Disney+ or in theatres.

 

[Chi84]

I wish Disney would have found a way to convert the now unused Aunt Polly's space into a DVC lounge of some kind instead of the Shooting Gallery. There are all kinds of creative ways Disney could have increased Guest traffic over there if that were an issue but they'd never implement them.

Making sure children and parents leave with shopping bags full of Cars crap is more important than a brief mental reprieve from the park's insanity or allowing the kiddos a chance to explore and play with something other than a screen. Spaces like these are slowly disappearing all over the parks, which are designed these days to keep you overstimulated, stressed or never let you forget about the next thing releasing on Disney+ or in theatres.

I agree but if people aren’t using them for a brief mental reprieve or to avoid overstimulation there’s only so much Disney can do.

People may not want to hear it but the pace of life has changed from when the parks were designed.

 

[TheMaxRebo]

I’m sure cost is a big factor. Like I said, it is part of it for us. We eat Disney food and it usually winds up fine, but there is a level of annoyance and frustration that comes with it. Costs, availability, wait times, and options or lack thereof all add up to degrade the overall experience.

Cost is definitely a big thing - the cost of the food but also the opportunity cost of the time spent in the restaurant when you could be doing other things or if you have a LL return time, etc.

Maybe just my view but I think with costs up people still go but cut places and one way is fewer days in the parks so each hour in the park is more valuable and you don't want that taken up by dining (also in the past once you got to like 6 days it was pretty minimal to add another day, have to get our much further to have same impact)

 

[DavidDL]

... People may not want to hear it but the pace of life has changed from when the parks were designed.

All the more reason to continue to offer spaces that aren't a reflection of the world in which we live, imho.

Of course I know there is nothing I can do to change Disney's mind or that of those who will flock mindlessly to the sounds of Tow Mater's "Git-r-done!". Just a sad observation is all.

 

[Chi84]

All the more reason to continue to offer spaces that aren't a reflection of the world in which we live, imho.

Of course I know there is nothing I can do to change Disney's mind or that of those who will flock mindlessly to the sounds of Tow Mater's "Git-r-done!". Just a sad observation is all.

Mindlessly?

 

[ToTBellHop]

Mobile Ordering and stationing CMs to prevent people from grabbing seats before they have food helps a lot during peak weeks.

 

[flynnibus]

People may not want to hear it but the pace of life has changed from when the parks were designed.

Been saying it for years… disney turned the population into park commandos… do more more more… don’t miss anything … be on your schedule… no time for that we got that short wait to chase down!

 

[DavidDL]

Mindlessly?

Of course. Every fandom has it's subset of individuals who will praise or support anything said fandom does regardless of quality or how much sense is does or doesn't make. Disney is no exception and it would be a fool's errand for me to try and convince those in said group of the island's merits. Not that it would matter even if I could.

The only thing I can do is hope that they preserve some of what makes Tom Sawyer's Island special by offering some tucked away areas to escape from it all for a bit or maybe some exploratory trails for kids to play in. The newest shared concept art gives a glimmer of hope with a newfound focus on the water features (after the removal of the river) and even some bridges that look like the barrel bridges over on the island currently.

I can do that, or just not return. Every decision they've been making in WDW recently gives me less and less reason to do so.

 

[Chi84]

Of course. Every fandom has it's subset of individuals who will praise or support anything said fandom does regardless of quality or how much sense is does or doesn't make. Disney is no exception and it would be a fool's errand for me to try and convince those in said group of the island's merits. Not that it would matter even if I could.

The only thing I can do is hope that they preserve some of what makes Tom Sawyer's Island special by offering some tucked away areas to escape from it all for a bit or maybe some exploratory trails for kids to play in. The newest shared concept art gives a glimmer of hope with a newfound focus on the water features (after the removal of the river) and even some bridges that look like the barrel bridges over on the island currently.

I can do that, or just not return. Every decision they've been making in WDW recently gives me less and less reason to do so.

I suppose it’s losing quite a few of the people who loved the park in its original form.