2015 theme park attendance

[donsullivan]

...or nothing at all.
Attendance there actually dropped the year Manta opened.

And the entire US economy collapsed at the same time so you can not make any connection between those data points at all.

 

[The Mom]

No. Your point seems invalid because how are we (or you for that matter) to know the Team Member stepped out of character? Like @danlb_2000 said, it's a totally appropriate response. Now if they'd said, "oh, I live over in Oviedo" than sure. But I'm not buying this person stepped out of character.

At one time (and maybe still), if someone said they lived in Titusville the next questions was, "Do you work for NASA?" Sort of like people thinking everyone in Orlando works for WDW, or everyone in Washington DC works for the government.

 

[Bairstow]

And the entire US economy collapsed at the same time so you can not make any connection between those data points at all.

Nah, the recession reached its peak a full year earlier.
The more important factor was that Wizarding World opened, stealing away much, if not most of Sea World's "Disney vacation plus one extra day elsewhere" market.

Regardless, my point was that nothing seems to work for Sea World, due to a number of inside/outside factors (The competition being smarter, their deplorable corporate ethics being made public, etc.)

 

[Bairstow]

One thing Disney has is for me the little detail. Went to Uni Diagon Alley (great attraction) and went up to what was a wizard character and asked him if he lived in town (meaning in Diagon Alley) , he said no but lived close by but it was a short drive they don,t hire people that live far away. Totally out of character.

Try this again, but this time, be a nine-year old child instead of a full-grown adult.
You will probably get different results.

 

[donsullivan]

Nah, the recession reached its peak a full year earlier.
The more important factor was that Wizarding World opened, stealing away much, if not most of Sea World's "Disney vacation plus one extra day elsewhere" market.

Regardless, my point was that nothing seems to work for Sea World, due to a number of inside/outside factors (The competition being smarter, their deplorable corporate ethics being made public, etc.)

Talk about selective fact use. The economic downturn/recession was just getting rolling in early 2008 and absolutely impact the entire tourism economy in Orlando.

 

[Bairstow]

Talk about selective fact use. The economic downturn/recession was just getting rolling in early 2008 and absolutely impact the entire tourism economy in Orlando.

You're just not looking at enough numbers.
Going from '09 to '10, the Florida Disney parks on average took on average a tiny 2% hit.
Islands of Adventure managed to gain 28%, and Studios gained 7% also.
Busch Gardens Tampa made modest gains too.

Sea World Orlando lost 12% of its business that year, in spite of Manta, clearly indicating that there was something more at work than the '08 recession.

 

[PhotoDave219]

At one time (and maybe still), if someone said they lived in Titusville the next questions was, "Do you work for NASA?" Sort of like people thinking everyone in Orlando works for WDW, or everyone in Washington DC works for the government.

Well thats because most everyone in the DC area works (or knows someone who works) for the government.

....and yet Northern Virginia has turned into the land of the anti-government government contractor.

 

[PhotoDave219]

And the entire US economy collapsed at the same time so you can not make any connection between those data points at all.

I think the largest impact on Universal's marketshare was the Comcast sale. Getting them away from an Equity Group who is interested mostly in profits was the best thing that could happen. They've had proper investments and are growing their business and are almost back to pre-Blackstone levels. I hope they do well.

 

[donsullivan]

I think the largest impact on Universal's marketshare was the Comcast sale. Getting them away from an Equity Group who is interested mostly in profits was the best thing that could happen. They've had proper investments and are growing their business and are almost back to pre-Blackstone levels. I hope they do well.

Completely agree. It just makes me crazy when folks selectively choose data points that reinforce their personal bias instead of seeing and considering all of the variables that influence the annual attendance data point as well as the long trends, not selected year-over-year data point. You are indeed correct, that after the opening of IoA, Universal Orlando was absolutely stagnant for a very long time with absolutely no investment in the parks at all while owned by Blackrock. Even when NBC/Universal acquired they were still not terribly interested in investment, they just wanted the cash flow. From 2001 to 2009, they were in a steady decline due to no measurable investment of any kind in the parks under those owners who were looking at it purely as a financial cash-flow instrument.

One could suggest that Comcast is making the level of investment they are specifically to spite Disney who dismissed the Comcast offer to acquire Disney some years ago. It doesn't matter though because no matter who is making the investment, it is driving the competitors in the market and we all win.

 

[PhotoDave219]

One could suggest that Comcast is making the level of investment they are specifically to spite Disney who dismissed the Comcast offer to acquire Disney some years ago. It doesn't matter though because no matter who is making the investment, it is driving the competitors in the market and we all win.

In the book Disneywar they allude to having someone on the board suggest to Comcast to make the bid. I believe that was so Eisner could distract from the shareholder revolt going on and change the narrative of what was going on.

And yes, I completely believe that Comcast is still ed about that and is out to win in Orlando.... which at the end of the day is good for the customer.

 

[ford91exploder]

Even when NBC/Universal acquired they were still not terribly interested in investment, they just wanted the cash flow. From 2001 to 2009, they were in a steady decline due to no measurable investment of any kind in the parks under those owners who were looking at it purely as a financial cash-flow instrument.

You mean like how Disney is running it's parks right now, The parks are generating billions in cash yet reinvestment is less than 1 billion per year even WITH the new projects.

 

[jt04]

Looking as the trend lines even in an era of a decade of economic stagnation, it is a good thing WDW built all those new accommodations and infrastructure upgrades such as Disney Springs and roads. Because when the economy finally starts recovering next year the numbers will really astound. Not that they arent already amazing.

 

[jt04]

You mean like how Disney is running it's parks right now, The parks are generating billions in cash yet reinvestment is less than 1 billion per year even WITH the new projects.

New tech is being developed. As seen with Shanghai Pirates and will be clear with Pandora and Star Wars. We already see new tech shining with Soarin'.

I do not see, nor will I ever understand, how the blindly cynical even get out of bed in the morning. Assuming they can even sleep. Which I doubt.

Elon Musk is an optimist. Which is why he succeeds. I suspect Iger is cut from the same cloth. His legacy will ultimately make the doubters here look ridiculous. Most already understand that but are too polite to say so.

 

[squidward]

I suspect Iger is cut from the same cloth. His legacy will ultimately make the doubters here look ridiculous. Most already understand that but are too polite to say so.

Iger is definitely cut from some cloth, one that I pray leaves Disney soon.

 

[Disone]

New tech is being developed. As seen with Shanghai Pirates and will be clear with Pandora and Star Wars. We already see new tech shining with Soarin'.

I do not see, nor will I ever understand, how the blindly cynical even get out of bed in the morning. Assuming they can even sleep. Which I doubt.

Elon Musk is an optimist. Which is why he succeeds. I suspect Iger is cut from the same cloth. His legacy will ultimately make the doubters here look ridiculous. Most already understand that but are too polite to say so.

Yeah. I prefer to be optimistic. Miss steps happen but over all Iger and Staggs were doing well for the parks. In Chappie's first few months.... have already made me miss Tom. I know, Staggs and Tom did not grow WDW like Eisner did. Truth. But Eisner also had a much smaller WDW to grow then Iger did.

 

[WondersOfLife]

No he was speaking of Universal. Ask Mary Poppins if she is from "Titusville". Get my point?

No... Try asking someone more like gy, or Doc Brown where they're from... Not a random wizard worker. That's like asking a worker at EPCOT's Mexico pavilion where they live... It's not a specific character.

 

[ford91exploder]

New tech is being developed. As seen with Shanghai Pirates and will be clear with Pandora and Star Wars. We already see new tech shining with Soarin'.

I do not see, nor will I ever understand, how the blindly cynical even get out of bed in the morning. Assuming they can even sleep. Which I doubt.

Elon Musk is an optimist. Which is why he succeeds. I suspect Iger is cut from the same cloth. His legacy will ultimately make the doubters here look ridiculous. Most already understand that but are too polite to say so.

Iger's Legacy will be DoveBid selling the assets of TWDC at the worlds largest online auction.

 

[cheezbat]

In the book Disneywar they allude to having someone on the board suggest to Comcast to make the bid. I believe that was so Eisner could distract from the shareholder revolt going on and change the narrative of what was going on.

And yes, I completely believe that Comcast is still ****ed about that and is out to win in Orlando.... which at the end of the day is good for the customer.

It's a great thing it happened. They've turned Universal around and they continually invest in the parks.

Just imagine what could've happened to WDW if Comcast were able to buy Disney out...and with Burke in charge.

 

[Andrew C]

It's a great thing it happened. They've turned Universal around and they continually invest in the parks.

Just imagine what could've happened to WDW if Comcast were able to buy Disney out...and with Burke in charge.

Buy Disney parks. Or buy Disney?

 

[PhotoDave219]

Buy Disney parks. Or buy Disney?

The bid was for Disney. Here's a link from 2004 -> http://www.economist.com/node/2429092