Ayla
Well-Known Member
My last trip was May of 22. I have no plans to go back until I see huge changes, it may end up being never. I'm perfectly ok with that possibility.
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News Bob Iger talks about attendance declines, ticket pricing, the feud with Ron DeSantis, and his huge optimism for Disney Parks and Resorts
- Thread starter wdwmagic
- Start date
pluto77
Well-Known Member
I wonder how much longer that will last once Epic Universe opens. They have to entice people to stay longer when there isn’t as much to do once you get past 3-4 days (that’s not meant to be a dis on Universal at all, just a fact with 2 parks vs 4 not counting the water parks). Whereas, people have to stay longer periods at Disney if they want to experience everything. Once the new park opens, it will be on more of a level playing field, and it will become more of a vacation destination in and of itself. I’m not disagreeing with the points either of you are making, I just wonder how much that pricing structure will change with the new park.
I consider Volcano Bay, even though its a water park, A full day park imo. Its soo much better than the Disney water parks. When Epic Universe Opens I bet price increases to match Disney. As it is now, when the gf and I go to FL we split up the trip between Disney and Universal.
Dranth
Well-Known Member
Yes, I know you can do that but it wasn't mentioned in the post I responded to which days they would be there, just that it would be in December. If you were going for the cheapest time it would have been earlier in the month so I figured the 12/18 to 12/21 in the screen shot was a fixed time. That is why I matched them up for the same dates.
If they are really just looking at any two days that week and we are comparing the cheapest we can get at Disney vs. the cheapest we can get at Universal then yes, that would save about $40.
Still expensive no matter what you do.
CJR
Well-Known Member
Exactly. There will be some stuff announced, of course, but they're looking several years out from opening. They'd need walls up today just to have something open in two-three years, maybe longer, if we're being realistic with their cost spreading.
LSLS
Well-Known Member
Funny enough I think the worst behavior of any parks I've been to has been Disney recently. Tons of line cutters, pushing, cutting people off, leaving garbage wherever for others to deal with. And by the way, it's not the kids doing this either. Maybe the prices are making people feel crazy entitled.
el_super
Well-Known Member
It could still be up, even if attendance is down. That's what Disney has stated as their goal.
You could eliminate all the low-level annual passes and highest discounted percentages and still see results. If you eliminate all the people who pay $30 per visit to enter, but convince them to take a discount that still represents $40 or $50 per entry, you still make more money, even while overall attendance could be down.
They might continue if they want to push hard to get guests to abandon the Disney part of their trips.
Gran Fiesta
Well-Known Member
Wife and I just got back from a Norwegian cruise on the Norwegian Epic. It was a 9-day cruise in the Mediterranean Sea visiting Spain, France, and Italy. It was absolutely amazing, and I would highly recommend. The entire staff was amazing and helpful, the ship was always clean as a whistle, and the food was amazing. The entertainment on the ship was incredible as well. We spent nearly the same on the cruise as we would have a Disney vacation without all the hassle, stress, and not nearly as much planning. They were running a special deal where if you booked airfare through them, then one person airfare was free. Saved us close to $2,000.
I will also add the atmosphere was our kind of atmosphere. Everyone was drinking wine, but we didn't see one noticeable drunk person. It was not a crazy wild party scene that I have seen before on Carnival cruises. It was a nice relaxing atmosphere were most of the passengers were people that were retired.
I love Disney and I am going back again in August, but man it was very nice to have a relaxing vacation like that while seeing Europe when I had never been out of the US before.
lentesta
Premium Member
Being all-in on these franchises means that when the public is over them, there's still a bunch of them in various parts of the 3- or 4-year pipeline of money, time, and talent commitment.
I haven't looked at the numbers, but I'm guessing a solid 10-year run of movie successes means they can have 3 to 5 years of middling success and still look at it as an overall win?
SamusAranX
Well-Known Member
Ok so do that.
But they aren't. In fact, they are throwing some mild perks at passholders, such as extra days, free magnets, candy, and higher discounts to get them in the park. Their bookings for fall are rumored to be soft. They are pithy efforts, but they are there nonetheless and indicate Disney needs more bodies in the parks.
AEfx
Well-Known Member
Basically the "no crap Sherlock" answers, and remarkably similar to things I and others have posted for months about this in the other thread.
As to the issue itself, it is not a hard nut to crack -
* The WDW experience has itself, especially in the past 5+ years, been pruned of virtually every bit of extra or special something that it used to have - accelerated by the pandemic, but it was already happening (and people aren't accepting "pandemic" as an excuse any more for lack of anything)
* Prices have skyrocketed at the same time, giving way less experience for way more money
* They have alienated a lot of those who were addicted to "the magic" who started to realize that going to WDW once or multiple times a year, paying more for less, can spend the same amount of money and go on a real European vacation, or spend two weeks on an all-inclusive resort somewhere, etc.
* The post-pandemic "I gotta get out of the house!" boom is over, and those people aren't eager to come back
* The lack of anything meaningful/new that is of interest. I'm sorry, the MK getting it's first E-ticket in 30 years is...Tron? A ride so short the television commercial for it is longer than the ride??
* The absolutely absurd level of pre-planning, up-charges, logistical nonsense in what used to be (and most consumers expect) to be a care-free experience
The heat is much less-so, IMO - since trips are planned months in advance, and people have sweltered in summers at Disney since they opened (I never have, wouldn't catch me dead there between the end of May and at least September in any year). As well as the "political climate" - I'm sure of the few who actually do let that affect their vacation choices either way, balance out with those who go to "support Disney", but in any case, just isn't what this is about.
This is about the last decade or so of degradation in the value of the WDW experience that has finally come to roost.
As to the issue itself, it is not a hard nut to crack -
* The WDW experience has itself, especially in the past 5+ years, been pruned of virtually every bit of extra or special something that it used to have - accelerated by the pandemic, but it was already happening (and people aren't accepting "pandemic" as an excuse any more for lack of anything)
* Prices have skyrocketed at the same time, giving way less experience for way more money
* They have alienated a lot of those who were addicted to "the magic" who started to realize that going to WDW once or multiple times a year, paying more for less, can spend the same amount of money and go on a real European vacation, or spend two weeks on an all-inclusive resort somewhere, etc.
* The post-pandemic "I gotta get out of the house!" boom is over, and those people aren't eager to come back
* The lack of anything meaningful/new that is of interest. I'm sorry, the MK getting it's first E-ticket in 30 years is...Tron? A ride so short the television commercial for it is longer than the ride??
* The absolutely absurd level of pre-planning, up-charges, logistical nonsense in what used to be (and most consumers expect) to be a care-free experience
The heat is much less-so, IMO - since trips are planned months in advance, and people have sweltered in summers at Disney since they opened (I never have, wouldn't catch me dead there between the end of May and at least September in any year). As well as the "political climate" - I'm sure of the few who actually do let that affect their vacation choices either way, balance out with those who go to "support Disney", but in any case, just isn't what this is about.
This is about the last decade or so of degradation in the value of the WDW experience that has finally come to roost.
TheMaxRebo
Well-Known Member
Oh I am fascinated thinking about what strategy Universal will use when EU opens. There will be very high demand but how is going to be for Eau vs the other parks? Will they still do promotions but maybe the "bonus" days can only be used at the studios and IoA? Stuff like that
TheMaxRebo
Well-Known Member
raymusiccity
Well-Known Member
Exactly! They can't even replace a simple carnival type coaster in Dino-Land at Animal Kingdom!
Dranth
Well-Known Member
Have they ever announced much at Destination though? I don't except much more than Hatbox ghost and figment M&G updates.
Now they better have a lot of solid plans at D23 next year.
SamusAranX
Well-Known Member
We're long past they days when Disney at least threw up ABL at DCA real quick to add capacity and things to do.
Splash4eva
Well-Known Member
Im surprised he didnt Blame DeSantis or did he and i missed that segment? 
TheMaxRebo
Well-Known Member
Typically some stuff but not as much as at the Expo .... But with the comments coming from Bob and with them changing the timing of destination, I have hopes there will be more announcements than at past Destinations ... But we shall see
I'll agree with you on Marvel, but Pixar and Lucasfilm are much more tempered on their distribution approach. Pixar especially has been hit hard on both ends, one an extremely popular franchise spin-off and the other, a new IP.
Lucasfilm similarly has not been as aggressive, but yet lost out big time on Indy 5, Willow, and to a large extent the last two films of the Sequel Trilogy.
These are groups within Disney that have been historically great at capturing and maintaining an audience. I would say that Audience fatigue is not being caused by the quantity of productions, but as a byproduct of the story not appealing to both fans and mass-market audiences.
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