A Spirited Perfect Ten

[alissafalco]

I saw this article on Yahoo news..Thoughts?


Epcot Will Be Disney World's Least Visited Park by 2020
Disney's second most popular Florida park is showing signs of fatigue.

Rick Munarriz
(TMFBreakerRick)
Nov 1, 2015 at 8:00AM
Disney (NYSEIS) is likely to announce record results for its theme parks division on Thursday, but it's easy to wonder if the family entertainment giant is doing enough to earn those record turnstile clicks.

I'm at Disney World this weekend, and some things are pretty embarrassing. Animal Kingdom and Disney's Hollywood Studios closed at 6pm and 7pm, respectively, on Friday night. They didn't shut their doors early for a hard-ticket Halloween event the way that rival Comcast (NASDAQ:CMCSA) (NASDAQ:CMCSK) did to make way for its Halloween Horror Nights. The parks are closing early -- even on a weekend evening -- because there just isn't enough at the parks to keep folks entertained.

Animal Kingdom has been trying to shake the common complaint that it's not a full-day park, but it's hard to offer up much of a fight when you're operating on bankers' hours. Disney's Hollywood Studios is a different story. It's been closing attractions, giving folks less to do at the park than they did a couple of years ago.

However, as bad as things may be at Animal Kingdom and Disney's Hollywood Studios -- Disney World's two least-visited parks -- at lest we know that things will get better soon.

Construction crews readying the Rivers of Light theater at Animal Kingdom on Friday. Source: Rick Munarriz.

Take a trip to Animal Kingdom, and from the parking lot you see gargantuan cranes helping to piece the heavily themed Avatar section of the park together. A huge ride building and the early construction of the area's floating mountains are clearly visible from the lot. Head inside to the Asia section of the park, and you'll see crews busy building permanent seating around the lake for the upcoming Rivers of Lights nighttime show.

A trip to Animal Kingdom will be a completely different experience in two years from what it is right now. Between Avatar's two new rides and the Rivers of Light ritualistic tribute to animals, you won't be seeing the park close at 6 p.m. before long. You need darkness, after all, for something called Rivers of Light to shine in more ways than one.

We know why Disney's been carving out Disney's Hollywood Studios. Pixar Land and Star Wars Land are coming. There haven't been any definitive opening dates revealed, but Pixar Land doesn't seem like it will take too long to get ready. Star Wars Land is far more ambitious, but it would be a shock -- and heads will probably roll -- if at least the initial phase of the 14-acre project isn't open for fans of the iconic sci-fi series in five years.

This brings us to Epcot. It's Disney World's second most visited Florida attraction at the moment, but the attendance gap between the park and both Animal Kingdom and Disney's Hollywood Studios is narrowing. Going back to 2006, just before the recession rocked the travel industry, it's the only Disney World park that hasn't grown its attendance in the double digits through 2014, according to industry tracker Themed Entertainment Association.

Theme Park 2006 2014 Change
Magic Kingdom 16,640,000 19,332,000 16.2%
Epcot 10,460,000 11,454,000 9.5%
Animal Kingdom 8,910,000 10,402,000 16.7%
Hollywood Studios 9,100,000 10,312,000 13.3%
TOTAL 45,110,000 51,500,000 14.2%
Source: Themed Entertainment Association.

As bad as the situation may be at Animal Kingdom and Disney's Hollywood Studios, Epcot is the one that has struggled the most. Every other Disney World park -- and Comcast's two Universal Orlando theme parks -- is growing in the double digits.

Epcot has an identity problem. The park traces its roots to Walt Disney's vision of a planned community, but that is not what the park turned out to be. It's a park that's always trying to manage the delicate balance between edutainment in the front of the park and foodie-centric country pavilions in the back. It's a beautiful park, but it's lacking in the personality department. There's no shortage of people who love the park, but the attendance numbers don't lie.

The near-term plan to spruce up Epcot isn't very exciting. It's adding a new theater to expand the capacity of its popular Soarin' attraction, and it's changing up the video to feature the entire world instead of just California. There's also a Frozen boat ride opening next year, but let's face it: Even your Anna- and Elsa-loving daughter has been over Frozen for a few months now.

I predicted a few weeks ago that Epcot would be Disney World's least visited park by 2020, but I simply left it at that. I figured that's a bold forecast that needed to be fleshed out, and until Epcot proves otherwise, I'm going to stick to that prediction.



Rick Munarriz owns shares of Walt Disney. The Motley Fool owns shares of and recommends Walt Disney. Try any of our Foolish newsletter services free for 30 days. We Fools may not all hold the same opinions, but we all believe that considering a diverse range of insights makes us better investors. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.

http://www.fool.com/investing/gener...ce=yahoo&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=article

 

[alissafalco]

I stumbled across an interesting article this morning on The Motley Fool.

Epcot Will Be Disney World's Least Visited Park by 2020

Disney's second most popular Florida park is showing signs of fatigue.

Disney (NYSEIS) is likely to announce record results for its theme parks division on Thursday, but it's easy to wonder if the family entertainment giant is doing enough to earn those record turnstile clicks.

I'm at Disney World this weekend, and some things are pretty embarrassing. Animal Kingdom and Disney's Hollywood Studios closed at 6pm and 7pm, respectively, on Friday night. They didn't shut their doors early for a hard-ticket Halloween event the way that rival Comcast (NASDAQ:CMCSA) (NASDAQ:CMCSK) did to make way for its Halloween Horror Nights. The parks are closing early -- even on a weekend evening -- because there just isn't enough at the parks to keep folks entertained.

Animal Kingdom has been trying to shake the common complaint that it's not a full-day park, but it's hard to offer up much of a fight when you're operating on bankers' hours. Disney's Hollywood Studios is a different story. It's been closing attractions, giving folks less to do at the park than they did a couple of years ago.

However, as bad as things may be at Animal Kingdom and Disney's Hollywood Studios -- Disney World's two least-visited parks -- at lest we know that things will get better soon.

Take a trip to Animal Kingdom, and from the parking lot you see gargantuan cranes helping to piece the heavily themed Avatar section of the park together. A huge ride building and the early construction of the area's floating mountains are clearly visible from the lot. Head inside to the Asia section of the park, and you'll see crews busy building permanent seating around the lake for the upcoming Rivers of Lights nighttime show.

A trip to Animal Kingdom will be a completely different experience in two years from what it is right now. Between Avatar's two new rides and the Rivers of Light ritualistic tribute to animals, you won't be seeing the park close at 6 p.m. before long. You need darkness, after all, for something called Rivers of Light to shine in more ways than one.

We know why Disney's been carving out Disney's Hollywood Studios. Pixar Land and Star Wars Land are coming. There haven't been any definitive opening dates revealed, but Pixar Land doesn't seem like it will take too long to get ready. Star Wars Land is far more ambitious, but it would be a shock -- and heads will probably roll -- if at least the initial phase of the 14-acre project isn't open for fans of the iconic sci-fi series in five years.

This brings us to Epcot. It's Disney World's second most visited Florida attraction at the moment, but the attendance gap between the park and both Animal Kingdom and Disney's Hollywood Studios is narrowing. Going back to 2006, just before the recession rocked the travel industry, it's the only Disney World park that hasn't grown its attendance in the double digits through 2014, according to industry tracker Themed Entertainment Association.

As bad as the situation may be at Animal Kingdom and Disney's Hollywood Studios, Epcot is the one that has struggled the most. Every other Disney World park -- and Comcast's two Universal Orlando theme parks -- is growing in the double digits.

Epcot has an identity problem. The park traces its roots to Walt Disney's vision of a planned community, but that is not what the park turned out to be. It's a park that's always trying to manage the delicate balance between edutainment in the front of the park and foodie-centric country pavilions in the back. It's a beautiful park, but it's lacking in the personality department. There's no shortage of people who love the park, but the attendance numbers don't lie.

The near-term plan to spruce up Epcot isn't very exciting. It's adding a new theater to expand the capacity of its popular Soarin' attraction, and it's changing up the video to feature the entire world instead of just California. There's also a Frozen boat ride opening next year, but let's face it: Even your Anna- and Elsa-loving daughter has been over Frozen for a few months now.

I predicted a few weeks ago that Epcot would be Disney World's least visited park by 2020, but I simply left it at that. I figured that's a bold forecast that needed to be fleshed out, and until Epcot proves otherwise, I'm going to stick to that prediction.
​

Whether or not you agree with the writer's conclusions, it's interesting to read a business article about WDW from someone who actually seems to know what he's talking about.

Ha Ha! You beat me to it!! LOL

 

[alissafalco]

I tend to agree with Epcot becoming the least visited park by 2020. After all the AK & HS improvements are said and done, Epcot should be WDW's next main focus. However, by 2020 I wouldn't be surprised if Epcot had a Winter & Summer Festival to make the festivals last all year round. That may be the route WDW is going I'm afraid.

 

[flynnibus]

Whether or not you agree with the writer's conclusions, it's interesting to read a business article about WDW from someone who actually seems to know what they are talking about.

You mean the author with no clue on park operating hours through the year? The author claiming the parks are closing early because there is nothing to do... on one of the few remaining 'off season' weeks of the year? He was expecting all theme park operations to be running full bore through Oct and Nov? Maybe he should check with the operating hours of his local regional park in sept, oct, and nov...

I'd challenge that credibility card...

 

[flynnibus]

I tend to agree with Epcot becoming the least visited park by 2020. After all the AK & HS improvements are said and done, Epcot should be WDW's next main focus. .

It's the same kind of moaning DL fans were moaning over after DCA got it's reboot. People ccouldn't cope wiithhh DCA getting all the attention and DL getting no new additions for a few years while the resorts last round of changes got some soak time. EPCOT didn't get picked for this round of love... but come 3-4 years from now and Disney is looking at what happens beyond the current round of expansion I'm sure we'll be hearing about Future World changes, etc. Its the cycle... and given Disney sat so long for WDW on major attraction updates.. the cycle really got stretched and with EPCOT being at the back of the line.. its really gonna look tired before it's turn is up.

 

[Cesar R M]

I saw this article on Yahoo news..Thoughts?


Epcot Will Be Disney World's Least Visited Park by 2020
Disney's second most popular Florida park is showing signs of fatigue.

Rick Munarriz
(TMFBreakerRick)
Nov 1, 2015 at 8:00AM
Disney (NYSEIS) is likely to announce record results for its theme parks division on Thursday, but it's easy to wonder if the family entertainment giant is doing enough to earn those record turnstile clicks.

I'm at Disney World this weekend, and some things are pretty embarrassing. Animal Kingdom and Disney's Hollywood Studios closed at 6pm and 7pm, respectively, on Friday night. They didn't shut their doors early for a hard-ticket Halloween event the way that rival Comcast (NASDAQ:CMCSA) (NASDAQ:CMCSK) did to make way for its Halloween Horror Nights. The parks are closing early -- even on a weekend evening -- because there just isn't enough at the parks to keep folks entertained.

Animal Kingdom has been trying to shake the common complaint that it's not a full-day park, but it's hard to offer up much of a fight when you're operating on bankers' hours. Disney's Hollywood Studios is a different story. It's been closing attractions, giving folks less to do at the park than they did a couple of years ago.

However, as bad as things may be at Animal Kingdom and Disney's Hollywood Studios -- Disney World's two least-visited parks -- at lest we know that things will get better soon.

Construction crews readying the Rivers of Light theater at Animal Kingdom on Friday. Source: Rick Munarriz.

Take a trip to Animal Kingdom, and from the parking lot you see gargantuan cranes helping to piece the heavily themed Avatar section of the park together. A huge ride building and the early construction of the area's floating mountains are clearly visible from the lot. Head inside to the Asia section of the park, and you'll see crews busy building permanent seating around the lake for the upcoming Rivers of Lights nighttime show.

A trip to Animal Kingdom will be a completely different experience in two years from what it is right now. Between Avatar's two new rides and the Rivers of Light ritualistic tribute to animals, you won't be seeing the park close at 6 p.m. before long. You need darkness, after all, for something called Rivers of Light to shine in more ways than one.

We know why Disney's been carving out Disney's Hollywood Studios. Pixar Land and Star Wars Land are coming. There haven't been any definitive opening dates revealed, but Pixar Land doesn't seem like it will take too long to get ready. Star Wars Land is far more ambitious, but it would be a shock -- and heads will probably roll -- if at least the initial phase of the 14-acre project isn't open for fans of the iconic sci-fi series in five years.

This brings us to Epcot. It's Disney World's second most visited Florida attraction at the moment, but the attendance gap between the park and both Animal Kingdom and Disney's Hollywood Studios is narrowing. Going back to 2006, just before the recession rocked the travel industry, it's the only Disney World park that hasn't grown its attendance in the double digits through 2014, according to industry tracker Themed Entertainment Association.

Theme Park 2006 2014 Change
Magic Kingdom 16,640,000 19,332,000 16.2%
Epcot 10,460,000 11,454,000 9.5%
Animal Kingdom 8,910,000 10,402,000 16.7%
Hollywood Studios 9,100,000 10,312,000 13.3%
TOTAL 45,110,000 51,500,000 14.2%
Source: Themed Entertainment Association.

As bad as the situation may be at Animal Kingdom and Disney's Hollywood Studios, Epcot is the one that has struggled the most. Every other Disney World park -- and Comcast's two Universal Orlando theme parks -- is growing in the double digits.

Epcot has an identity problem. The park traces its roots to Walt Disney's vision of a planned community, but that is not what the park turned out to be. It's a park that's always trying to manage the delicate balance between edutainment in the front of the park and foodie-centric country pavilions in the back. It's a beautiful park, but it's lacking in the personality department. There's no shortage of people who love the park, but the attendance numbers don't lie.

The near-term plan to spruce up Epcot isn't very exciting. It's adding a new theater to expand the capacity of its popular Soarin' attraction, and it's changing up the video to feature the entire world instead of just California. There's also a Frozen boat ride opening next year, but let's face it: Even your Anna- and Elsa-loving daughter has been over Frozen for a few months now.

I predicted a few weeks ago that Epcot would be Disney World's least visited park by 2020, but I simply left it at that. I figured that's a bold forecast that needed to be fleshed out, and until Epcot proves otherwise, I'm going to stick to that prediction.



Rick Munarriz owns shares of Walt Disney. The Motley Fool owns shares of and recommends Walt Disney. Try any of our Foolish newsletter services free for 30 days. We Fools may not all hold the same opinions, but we all believe that considering a diverse range of insights makes us better investors. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.

http://www.fool.com/investing/gener...ce=yahoo&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=article

thats some serious growth for AK and MK.. D:

 

[alissafalco]

It's the same kind of moaning DL fans were moaning over after DCA got it's reboot. People ccouldn't cope wiithhh DCA getting all the attention and DL getting no new additions for a few years while the resorts last round of changes got some soak time. EPCOT didn't get picked for this round of love... but come 3-4 years from now and Disney is looking at what happens beyond the current round of expansion I'm sure we'll be hearing about Future World changes, etc. Its the cycle... and given Disney sat so long for WDW on major attraction updates.. the cycle really got stretched and with EPCOT being at the back of the line.. its really gonna look tired before it's turn is up.

I hope you're right, but with all the new additions everywhere else, and if they have year round festivals by then, they very easily could be happy with leaving everything as is. Closing down something and not replacing it (Ellen & EO I'm looking at you) doesn't count as a "change" in my book.

 

[michmousefan]

You mean the author with no clue on park operating hours through the year? The author claiming the parks are closing early because there is nothing to do... on one of the few remaining 'off season' weeks of the year? He was expecting all theme park operations to be running full bore through Oct and Nov? Maybe he should check with the operating hours of his local regional park in sept, oct, and nov...

I'd challenge that credibility card...

While I'm no fan of the Frozen overlay to Malestrom, I think he seriously underestimates the crowds that will pack the revised attraction. Even if it's not for the fact that Anna and Elsa have taken over -- the sheer instance that there is SOMETHING new at Epcot will ensure sizable crowds for the foreseeable future.

 

[flynnibus]

I hope you're right, but with all the new additions everywhere else, and if they have year round festivals by then, they very easily could be happy with leaving everything as is. Closing down something and not replacing it (Ellen & EO I'm looking at you) doesn't count as a "change" in my book.

I agree with you.. I doubt even Disney PR would have the nuts to explictly say FW is in great shape.. but they'd focus on things like TT2.0, Nemo, SSE, and M:S. While FW is a shadow of its prior glory, they have 'enough' to pander to most people. They'll do enough to keep 'something' going on until they decide a major overhaul is needed.

The optimist would point out all the resturant changes in recent years, TT2.0, SSE, Nemo, etc... while the pessimist would point out all the tired elements inbetween like Energy, Imagination, the Aquarium, France, China, etc. It really does need something of the Project Gemeni scale to launch it forward... but I bet they stick with the 'upgrade in place' plan for EPCOT.

 

[flynnibus]

but here is a great example of how the current disney model of planning and upsells makes vacationing harder...

I'm going for 2.5 days in Dec... I want to see all three nights of entertainment (osbourne, illuminations, MK). Yet, MK is closing early due to parties for both nights I'm there.. and wanting to secure a spot against potential mobs... I'm looking at booking the desert function for osbourne. But months ahead, with no input from actual crowds, or weather.. I have to pick and lockdown which night I'm at each park due to the 100% necessity for ADRs and fear of crowds/limited availability.

I can't get dinner at DHS or EPCOT without securing a ADR... and doing so basically eliminates seeing MK's fireworks that night. Still torn... but I think seeing illuminations may be worth the tradeoff.

 

[GoofGoof]

I stumbled across an interesting article this morning on The Motley Fool.

Epcot Will Be Disney World's Least Visited Park by 2020

Disney's second most popular Florida park is showing signs of fatigue.

Disney (NYSEIS) is likely to announce record results for its theme parks division on Thursday, but it's easy to wonder if the family entertainment giant is doing enough to earn those record turnstile clicks.

I'm at Disney World this weekend, and some things are pretty embarrassing. Animal Kingdom and Disney's Hollywood Studios closed at 6pm and 7pm, respectively, on Friday night. They didn't shut their doors early for a hard-ticket Halloween event the way that rival Comcast (NASDAQ:CMCSA) (NASDAQ:CMCSK) did to make way for its Halloween Horror Nights. The parks are closing early -- even on a weekend evening -- because there just isn't enough at the parks to keep folks entertained.

Animal Kingdom has been trying to shake the common complaint that it's not a full-day park, but it's hard to offer up much of a fight when you're operating on bankers' hours. Disney's Hollywood Studios is a different story. It's been closing attractions, giving folks less to do at the park than they did a couple of years ago.

However, as bad as things may be at Animal Kingdom and Disney's Hollywood Studios -- Disney World's two least-visited parks -- at lest we know that things will get better soon.

Take a trip to Animal Kingdom, and from the parking lot you see gargantuan cranes helping to piece the heavily themed Avatar section of the park together. A huge ride building and the early construction of the area's floating mountains are clearly visible from the lot. Head inside to the Asia section of the park, and you'll see crews busy building permanent seating around the lake for the upcoming Rivers of Lights nighttime show.

A trip to Animal Kingdom will be a completely different experience in two years from what it is right now. Between Avatar's two new rides and the Rivers of Light ritualistic tribute to animals, you won't be seeing the park close at 6 p.m. before long. You need darkness, after all, for something called Rivers of Light to shine in more ways than one.

We know why Disney's been carving out Disney's Hollywood Studios. Pixar Land and Star Wars Land are coming. There haven't been any definitive opening dates revealed, but Pixar Land doesn't seem like it will take too long to get ready. Star Wars Land is far more ambitious, but it would be a shock -- and heads will probably roll -- if at least the initial phase of the 14-acre project isn't open for fans of the iconic sci-fi series in five years.

This brings us to Epcot. It's Disney World's second most visited Florida attraction at the moment, but the attendance gap between the park and both Animal Kingdom and Disney's Hollywood Studios is narrowing. Going back to 2006, just before the recession rocked the travel industry, it's the only Disney World park that hasn't grown its attendance in the double digits through 2014, according to industry tracker Themed Entertainment Association.

As bad as the situation may be at Animal Kingdom and Disney's Hollywood Studios, Epcot is the one that has struggled the most. Every other Disney World park -- and Comcast's two Universal Orlando theme parks -- is growing in the double digits.

Epcot has an identity problem. The park traces its roots to Walt Disney's vision of a planned community, but that is not what the park turned out to be. It's a park that's always trying to manage the delicate balance between edutainment in the front of the park and foodie-centric country pavilions in the back. It's a beautiful park, but it's lacking in the personality department. There's no shortage of people who love the park, but the attendance numbers don't lie.

The near-term plan to spruce up Epcot isn't very exciting. It's adding a new theater to expand the capacity of its popular Soarin' attraction, and it's changing up the video to feature the entire world instead of just California. There's also a Frozen boat ride opening next year, but let's face it: Even your Anna- and Elsa-loving daughter has been over Frozen for a few months now.

I predicted a few weeks ago that Epcot would be Disney World's least visited park by 2020, but I simply left it at that. I figured that's a bold forecast that needed to be fleshed out, and until Epcot proves otherwise, I'm going to stick to that prediction.
​

Whether or not you agree with the writer's conclusions, it's interesting to read a business article about WDW from someone who actually seems to know what they are talking about.

I saw this article too. Despite some details that I disagree with I can understand where the conclusion comes from. It's pretty obvious that EPCOT will be the only park without a recent major addition in 2020 (yes, I'm calling FLE a major addition). Disney will continue to depend on special events and food/alcohol sales to boost EPCOT numbers. The biggest question I have is will they do what they did at the studios and start cutting back on offerings leading up to a major project or overhaul? Once the DHS makeover is done it makes a lot of sense to assume EPCOT gets the next big thing. I'm just hoping that they decide to go with a major refurb/overhaul as opposed to just adding an additional ride or rides. They could spend a billion or 2 just cleaning things up and fixing what is already there. Major refurb to imagination and energy, a repurpose of the WOL pavilion and a reinvented innoventions plus maybe something new for world showcase.

 

[misterID]

I think its more wishful thinking for a writer who obviously loves EPCOT. The only way the park gets some major love/expansion is if attendance goes down. EPCOT keeps it's attendance up, mainly, because of the convenience of the monorail and proximity to mk and the popularity of the park hopper. Not to mention f&w.

UOE, WOL, Imagination are embarrassing. And I hate the whole idea of an outdoor mall in a theme park, with theme park price...that's ridiculous. Every country was supposed to have an attraction, not be a shopping center.

Meh, Frozen is going to pull in major numbers, and anyone who doesn't think so, or that Frozen is suddenly a dull or lame (as in horse) franchise is fooling themselves. I think Frozen will be so popular its going to expose all of the park's problems with a huge spotlight. EPCOT will be a mess, but not with attendance.

 

[jamarmiller]

I think its more wishful thinking for a writer who obviously loves EPCOT. The only way the park gets some major love/expansion is if attendance goes down. EPCOT keeps it's attendance up, mainly, because of the convenience of the monorail and proximity to mk and the popularity of the park hopper. Not to mention f&w.

UOE, WOL, Imagination are embarrassing. And I hate the whole idea of an outdoor mall in a theme park, with theme park price...that's ridiculous. Every country was supposed to have an attraction, not be a shopping center.

Meh, Frozen is going to pull in major numbers, and anyone who doesn't think so, or that Frozen is suddenly a dull or lame (as in horse) franchise is fooling themselves. I think Frozen will be so popular its going to expose all of the park's problems with a huge spotlight. EPCOT will be a mess, but not with attendance.

 

[jamarmiller]

I love Epcot but yes it needs something. IMVHO I think each land should have a ride in addition to what is there now. Dont replace something like Maelstron with Frozen, Keep BOTH . Canada gets a log flume ride with Brother bear characters in the back. Japan gets a Bullet train coaster that goes THROUGH Japans warring states era , full with Samurai and Ninjas. China gets a Mulan themed ride placed in the back. France gets Ratatouille. Ect. Do that and Epcot will bring in lots of crowds. Never going to happen, I know but thats what the park needs badly .

Id also like to see wonders of life reopen with Inside out attraction

 

[ParentsOf4]

You mean the author with no clue on park operating hours through the year? The author claiming the parks are closing early because there is nothing to do... on one of the few remaining 'off season' weeks of the year? He was expecting all theme park operations to be running full bore through Oct and Nov? Maybe he should check with the operating hours of his local regional park in sept, oct, and nov...

I'd challenge that credibility card...

Interestingly, I was at WDW a month ago and, because of the MNSSHP, 3 of the 4 theme parks were closed by 7:00 PM several nights during the week. The 2 days I managed to make it to a WDW theme park were supposed to be "2" and "3" per touringplans.com, but the crowd levels and wait times felt like near-summer levels from only a few years ago.

Despite the crowds, my twins daughters (who I've trained well ) and their friends were done with DHS and DAK by mid-afternoon, experiencing pretty much everything. The only reason Epcot kept them busy for a full day was because of Food & Wine Festival; they were done with Epcot's few attractions by lunchtime. (They did skip Ellen's and Captain EO, but who could blame them. )

Looking at tonight's normal closing hours:

• Magic Kingdom - 7:00 PM
• Epcot - 9:00 PM
• DHS - 8:30 PM
• DAK - 6:30 PM

When writing that DHS and DAK "are closing early -- even on a weekend evening -- because there just isn't enough at the parks to keep folks entertained", I don't think the author is that far off.

 

[wdwfan4ver]

I think it is unlikely that Epcot could be the worst attended of the 4 park by 2020. I think the writer is under estimating Frozen's popularity by 2020 and Frozen 2 is supposed come out in 2018. I think that although I honestly think The Frozen Ride, and the new meet and Greet building shouldn't be at Epcot a first place.

I think Epcot is going add something between now and 2020. It is due to the 350 million dollars approved for the park back in July of this year. What the money is going to be used for is the key. If is 350 million dollars for stuff like a new bathroom with a microwave, that is wasteful spending like it would be for giving Epcot more eating places right now.

 

[Brer Panther]

And I'm sure Frozen 3 will be coming after that, too. And Frozen 4. And Frozen 5. Hey, maybe Disney finally has its own Ice Age!

 

[flynnibus]

When writing that DHS and DAK "are closing early -- even on a weekend evening -- because there just isn't enough at the parks to keep folks entertained", I don't think the author is that far off.

Yet it's the same kind of reduction in operation hours the parks have been operating for under for decades.. even when the parks were new and fresh.. so while it makes nice jab.. no it's just conjecture. You can't connect the hours to the park's menu.

 

[brb1006]

Concept Art for the unused emotions for Inside Out have been posted on usatoday.
http://www.usatoday.com/story/life/movies/2015/11/01/missing-emotions-inside-out-pixar/74839756/

 

[PhotoDave219]

I saw this article on Yahoo news..Thoughts?


Epcot Will Be Disney World's Least Visited Park by 2020
Disney's second most popular Florida park is showing signs of fatigue.

Rick Munarriz
(TMFBreakerRick)
Nov 1, 2015 at 8:00AM
Disney (NYSEIS) is likely to announce record results for its theme parks division on Thursday, but it's easy to wonder if the family entertainment giant is doing enough to earn those record turnstile clicks.

I'm at Disney World this weekend, and some things are pretty embarrassing. Animal Kingdom and Disney's Hollywood Studios closed at 6pm and 7pm, respectively, on Friday night. They didn't shut their doors early for a hard-ticket Halloween event the way that rival Comcast (NASDAQ:CMCSA) (NASDAQ:CMCSK) did to make way for its Halloween Horror Nights. The parks are closing early -- even on a weekend evening -- because there just isn't enough at the parks to keep folks entertained.

Animal Kingdom has been trying to shake the common complaint that it's not a full-day park, but it's hard to offer up much of a fight when you're operating on bankers' hours. Disney's Hollywood Studios is a different story. It's been closing attractions, giving folks less to do at the park than they did a couple of years ago.

However, as bad as things may be at Animal Kingdom and Disney's Hollywood Studios -- Disney World's two least-visited parks -- at lest we know that things will get better soon.

Construction crews readying the Rivers of Light theater at Animal Kingdom on Friday. Source: Rick Munarriz.

Take a trip to Animal Kingdom, and from the parking lot you see gargantuan cranes helping to piece the heavily themed Avatar section of the park together. A huge ride building and the early construction of the area's floating mountains are clearly visible from the lot. Head inside to the Asia section of the park, and you'll see crews busy building permanent seating around the lake for the upcoming Rivers of Lights nighttime show.

A trip to Animal Kingdom will be a completely different experience in two years from what it is right now. Between Avatar's two new rides and the Rivers of Light ritualistic tribute to animals, you won't be seeing the park close at 6 p.m. before long. You need darkness, after all, for something called Rivers of Light to shine in more ways than one.

We know why Disney's been carving out Disney's Hollywood Studios. Pixar Land and Star Wars Land are coming. There haven't been any definitive opening dates revealed, but Pixar Land doesn't seem like it will take too long to get ready. Star Wars Land is far more ambitious, but it would be a shock -- and heads will probably roll -- if at least the initial phase of the 14-acre project isn't open for fans of the iconic sci-fi series in five years.

This brings us to Epcot. It's Disney World's second most visited Florida attraction at the moment, but the attendance gap between the park and both Animal Kingdom and Disney's Hollywood Studios is narrowing. Going back to 2006, just before the recession rocked the travel industry, it's the only Disney World park that hasn't grown its attendance in the double digits through 2014, according to industry tracker Themed Entertainment Association.

Theme Park 2006 2014 Change
Magic Kingdom 16,640,000 19,332,000 16.2%
Epcot 10,460,000 11,454,000 9.5%
Animal Kingdom 8,910,000 10,402,000 16.7%
Hollywood Studios 9,100,000 10,312,000 13.3%
TOTAL 45,110,000 51,500,000 14.2%
Source: Themed Entertainment Association.

As bad as the situation may be at Animal Kingdom and Disney's Hollywood Studios, Epcot is the one that has struggled the most. Every other Disney World park -- and Comcast's two Universal Orlando theme parks -- is growing in the double digits.

Epcot has an identity problem. The park traces its roots to Walt Disney's vision of a planned community, but that is not what the park turned out to be. It's a park that's always trying to manage the delicate balance between edutainment in the front of the park and foodie-centric country pavilions in the back. It's a beautiful park, but it's lacking in the personality department. There's no shortage of people who love the park, but the attendance numbers don't lie.

The near-term plan to spruce up Epcot isn't very exciting. It's adding a new theater to expand the capacity of its popular Soarin' attraction, and it's changing up the video to feature the entire world instead of just California. There's also a Frozen boat ride opening next year, but let's face it: Even your Anna- and Elsa-loving daughter has been over Frozen for a few months now.

I predicted a few weeks ago that Epcot would be Disney World's least visited park by 2020, but I simply left it at that. I figured that's a bold forecast that needed to be fleshed out, and until Epcot proves otherwise, I'm going to stick to that prediction.



Rick Munarriz owns shares of Walt Disney. The Motley Fool owns shares of and recommends Walt Disney. Try any of our Foolish newsletter services free for 30 days. We Fools may not all hold the same opinions, but we all believe that considering a diverse range of insights makes us better investors. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.

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He's wrong. Plain and simple, He's wrong.

Yes, Epcot has shows the least amount of growth percentage wise in the past 5 years. Yes, Epcot has shown 4.2% growth vs 6.3% for DHS and 8.5% for DAK since 2009.

Yes, Epcot relatively even with 1992 attendance levels.

Yes, Epcot is in dire need of some serious love and capital investments - no more makeovers or "plussing" as the fanbois call it. ("Plussing" is like getting a piercing. You're just changing what was already there and the novelty will wear off quick - as Prince Albert.)

However its going to be at least 5-10 years before either DHS or DAK are even with them attendance-wise, IMO. And even then, I cant see both DAK and DHS overtaking Epcot.