Disney (and others) at the Box Office - Current State of Affairs

[BrianLo]

That’s a pretty small percentage of the annual visitor numbers, isn’t it? Aren’t there something like 50 to 60 million visitors each year?

Gate clicks, not unique visitors.

But just as a one off tail wind for repeat visitors, even if it's like a few percent. The other would be annual pass holder uptake, which is significantly higher than the 90's.

I'm certainly not unconvinced there is less repeat visitors in the attendance mix, but even still the attendance has doubled from 30 years ago. So there'd have to be major changes 'in the mix' for there to be less "theme parks are a no longer an effective tool" gen on gen.

It's overall a very interesting hypothesis and I asked Len for data (on less kids) since that was a downstream talking point in his WDW is more expensive article, but he does not have that. I think it's more a forward looking fear than something we've yet seen. But I've noticed it's almost been taken as fact than what we can generally observe in the trends yet.

Maybe it's Gen Beta that is doomed for failure though.

 

[Tony the Tigger]

I think posters are using different meanings for nostalgia. One dictionary definition is "a sentimental longing or wistful affection for the past, typically for a period or place with happy personal associations." Another is "a wistful or excessively sentimental yearning for return to or of some past" time.

The "past" part is important, as well as some type of constancy. Seeing movies based on characters that one's parents loved or going to parks once in a lifetime because they're unaffordable now - this is not a recipe for future nostalgia.

Sound reasoning to greenlight remakes.

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Come on, they’re not Teslas!

I wasn’t referring to fewer children. I was talking about fewer repeat visitors. Those are not the same thing.

I didn’t visit WDW until I was 29. I don’t think a ton of my classmates went back in the 70’s to mid-80’s, either - even fewer repeatedly. We mostly stuck to the Jersey Shore.

Growing up with Disney on one of our 13 channels once or twice a week, with few alternatives (like Muppets, which they now own) seems to have done the trick.

That all may be why I don’t mind IP in the parks. The IP always came first for me.

That may be an argument for Disney+ helping things along. With something like 120 million subscribers, often multiple children per subscriber household, who knows?

 

[brideck]

I think that answer is already known.

I'm not sure we actually hear from a lot of 8-year olds on this forum. Just seems like a bunch of people over thirty shaking their fists at the sky and wishing for the good old days.

 

[Chi84]

Sound reasoning to greenlight remakes.

Come on, they’re not Teslas!

I didn’t visit WDW until I was 29. I don’t think a ton of my classmates went back in the 70’s to mid-80’s, either - even fewer repeatedly. We mostly stuck to the Jersey Shore.

Growing up with Disney on one of our 13 channels once or twice a week, with few alternatives (like Muppets, which they now own) seems to have done the trick.

That all may be why I don’t mind IP in the parks. The IP always came first for me.

That may be an argument for Disney+ helping things along. With something like 120 million subscribers, often multiple children per subscriber household, who knows?

I visited WDW for the first time when I was 29. Then went back for another 50+ visits.

Started out taking our parents, now we take our kids and grandkids.

We loved the all-inclusive feel of WDW. There’s less of that every visit now.

We still enjoy it but have branched out to cruising so we go less often now. If our kids had to pay, they would choose a less expensive vacation.

 

[BrianLo]

I'm not sure we actually hear from a lot of 8-year olds on this forum. Just seems like a bunch of people over thirty shaking their fists at the sky and wishing for the good old days.

Indeed. Regardless of nitpicking the sequels longevity (I don’t know!), it’s a bit hard to ignore Grogu’s merchandise penetration.

That one isn’t 50 year old men driving that.

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

I think it shows that people still care about Star Wars.

I think two things:
1. Discontent with what they’ve been given
2. The “trauma” of what they were given is wearing off…and now it’s starting gain some steam

Again…we saw the exact same thing 15 years. There is a direct precedent and therefore opportunity.

The management at LFL should be “retired” right now

 

[Phroobar]

The management at LFL should be “retired” right now

What like "old Yeller?"

 

[Agent H]

What like "old Yeller?"

Too soon.

 

[Phroobar]

Indeed. Regardless of nitpicking the sequels longevity (I don’t know!), it’s a bit hard to ignore Grogu’s merchandise penetration.

That one isn’t 50 year old men driving that.

I've given Grogu stuff by relatives because it is the only thing available at retail.

 

[Phroobar]

Too soon.

That movie was made 68 years ago! Spoilers!

 

[erasure fan1]

it’s a bit hard to ignore Grogu’s merchandise penetration.

That one isn’t 50 year old men driving that.

Grogu merch was being driven by everyone really. A big chunk was definitely people who really don't care about star wars at all. My youngest (4 at the time) thought baby yoda was adorable, still does, but has no real connection to star wars. It became a thing outside of, being star wars. But the og fans, like myself, leaned more into the mando and grogu stuff. I know I have a couple shirts, lego sets, hot wheels with them. And @Phroobar is right on. I have a 18" grogu and many other things gifted to me. So while that demo wasn't driving it directly, they still made up a good chunk I believe.

 

[BrianLo]

Grogu merch was being driven by everyone really. A big chunk was definitely people who really don't care about star wars at all. My youngest (4 at the time) thought baby yoda was adorable, still does, but has no real connection to star wars. It became a thing outside of, being star wars. But the og fans, like myself, leaned more into the mando and grogu stuff. I know I have a couple shirts, lego sets, hot wheels with them. And @Phroobar is right on. I have a 18" grogu and many other things gifted to me. So while that demo wasn't driving it directly, they still made up a good chunk I believe.

Sorry my post read more the Gen X male doesn't like Grogu at all, which wasn't what I meant.

What I meant is what you said, it has gone well beyond just OG trilogy fans and Prequels to "new demographics". Lots of woman and lots of kids love Grogu. It expanded Star Wars to new audiences.

Unlike Andor. Which is excellent, but I suspect preaching to the choir.

 

[Phroobar]

To a Star Wars fan being gifted a Grogu is like getting a rock for Halloween.

 

[Agent H]

To a Star Wars fan being gifted a Grogu is like getting a rock for Halloween.

 

[Disney Irish]

To a Star Wars fan being gifted a Grogu is like getting a rock for Halloween.

I now question if you actually grew up in the 70s and 80s, some kids were getting these as presents and loving them -

 

[Baloo124]

What like "old Yeller?"

Too soon.

That movie was made 68 years ago! Spoilers!

Still a sad ending even today. Great movie though.

I thought the sequel was pretty good too. It has one of my favorite movie quotes in any Disney film, when Yeller's son encounters Travis as an adult, years after he had to put down Old Yeller.

"Hello, my name is Inigo MontoYeller. You killed my father. Prepare to die"

I miss the days when sequels were actually good. *sigh*

 

[Screamface]

I'm not sure we actually hear from a lot of 8-year olds on this forum. Just seems like a bunch of people over thirty shaking their fists at the sky and wishing for the good old days.

But some of us have families and work in professions where we interact with younger people. Outside of Reddit and some YouTube channels, no one is fond of the sequels. We can look at all the reasons the prequels had fans, none exist in the sequels. They'll hollow shells of films.

This is anecdotal, so I am aware means nothing. A few days ago I was making small talk with someone I barely know and they asked about my weekend. I mentioned I was going to see Revenge of the Sith. They then brought up how bad the sequels were. I asked if they're watching Andor and they had no clue what that was. They didn't even know what Rogue One was.

 

[Disney Irish]

But some of us have families and work in professions where we interact with younger people. Outside of Reddit and some YouTube channels, no one is fond of the sequels. We can look at all the reasons the prequels had fans, none exist in the sequels. They'll hollow shells of films.

This is anecdotal, so I am aware means nothing. A few days ago I was making small talk with someone I barely know and they asked about my weekend. I mentioned I was going to see Revenge of the Sith. They then brought up how bad the sequels were. I asked if they're watching Andor and they had no clue what that was. They didn't even know what Rogue One was.

Them not knowing Rogue One kinda tells me they checked out long before Disney ever got its hands on SW.

Anyways, in about 5ish years we'll see if the ST starts being looked at differently. As it was about 15ish years after Phantom Menace was released that I started to see the PT being spoke about positively which was before Force Awakens was released.

 

[Screamface]

Anyways, in about 5ish years we'll see if the ST starts being looked at differently. As it was about 15ish years after Phantom Menace was released that I started to see the PT being spoke about positively which was before Force Awakens was released.

If you were betting money, which way would you go?

The why of how the prequels are liked and the many spin-offs that existed in the years after that were successful. Novels, cartoon shows, comics, toys and so forth. Just isn't there with the sequels. Even the actors trash them.

 

[Disney Irish]

If you were betting money, which way would you go?

The why of how the prequels are liked and the many spin-offs that existed in the years after that were successful. Novels, cartoon shows, comics, toys and so forth. Just isn't there with the sequels. Even the actors trash them.

My guess is as time goes on they are seen as flawed but overall acceptable SW films. I know some here will disagree with that, but we're talking about kids that were 5-10 years old at the time the ST started coming out. They'll be in the 20s by then and that is what they'll look back on as "their" SW.