Disney Playing catch up with Universal... Potter Disney's biggest mistake in 20 years...

[The Crafty Veteran]

...and once again the pixie dust snorters pull out the tired attendance number argument. So predictable. *sigh*

Well apparently Universal supporters trot out a silly guest spending vernacular to combat pixie dusters raw attendance numbers. How you make more money and profit with less people is something they only understand but to each their own.

If Disney fans are pixie dusters can Universal fans be wand-o's?

 

[flynnibus]

Orlando has over 140k hotel rooms... think about that... and go back to how much of the market Disney really has.

Disney is huge, but the Disney-sphere seems to forget just how much entertainment is kept alive outside of Disney.

 

[twebber55]

It's not about dismissing.. it's about misuse.

It's about this stupid mindset that 'I have more people so I'm better than you!' or 'you will never be good because you don't have as many as me!'

Who is better off? The guy with 100k making 0.5% on the dollar or the guy making 5% off 20k?

Attendance is a scaler - it is not a measure of health or efficiency. It is not a measure of success. It is a requirement to have, it's something you try to increase because it is a scaler for your conversion rates.. but taken in absolutes it does not tell you much.

If someone wants to talk about the business and it's success.. you need to look at thing as it matters to the business... not stupid fanboy trophies.

which goes back to my question What are the percentages of attendance in comparison to percentages of income in Orlando? does Disney get 80% of the attendance and only 70% of the revenue IDk im just asking because im curious

 

[flynnibus]

Well apparently Universal supporters trot out a silly guest spending vernacular to combat pixie dusters raw attendance numbers

Funny... because one of those is actually reported and regulated by law.. the other.. is just guesstimates.

Pick which you put more faith in

 

[randyrut]

Who cares? Seriously? You can't blather on (not you, but I've heard this argument from many fans) about how WDW is so special because it let's you escape from the real world in one breath and then talk about being surgically attached to an iPhone your entire time there. I'm sorry, but those really are mutually exclusive. Playing with apps and trying (and with MM+'s reliability or often lack thereof failing) to make ressies for everything now sounds like the polar opposite of escaping from the real world. It's all about taking you out of the story versus what UNI is now doing, immersing you into the world of Potter.

I'd love to shove an iPad up .... nah ... nope ... just going to think it.

Ok, so I am a fan of yours because you bring so much information to these threads. I actually look forward to seeing something written by you. And I appreciate all of the info you supply to those of us who live further away and may not understand it all, or hear rumors. However, I do not understand your constant bashing of WDW. I love Disney, and I also love UNI. I think Disney has made a lot of mistakes, but I also think creating MM+ will probably be a really positive thing in the long run. They spent a ridiculous amount of money on it, yes, but after a few years I think people will look back on it and say, "wow, Disney was ahead of the game with that."

I think it is ok for some of us to visit WDW and be transported away from reality. I dont live anywhere near the world, so when my family does get there, it is like an alternate reality. No other place does this for us. Not the beach, or Boston, or Vegas, or Mexico, etc. This is the one location that we feel like kids again. UNI doesnt have the same effect for whatever reason, but we do love going there.

Just because people are fans of WDW, doesnt make them stupid, or blind, or less of anything. It means that they love what it is and not what it could be or should be based on others ideas.

 

[The Crafty Veteran]

Not to mention more people at the park require more staff to serve them. I'd imagine MK's oeprational costs far exceed USF or IoA's.

Not saying Mk isn't more profitable than IoA or USF, but attendance -> profit is not a 1:1 comparison

Unless you know how much profit Disney snd Universal make on everything they sell, which I highly doubt anyone knows outside of the book keepers, this discussion is terribly worthless.

 

[The Crafty Veteran]

Funny... because one of those is actually reported and regulated by law.. the other.. is just guesstimates.

Pick which you put more faith in

What is Universals average guest spending compared to Disney in Florida then?

 

[flynnibus]

which goes back to my question What are the percentages of attendance in comparison to percentages of income in Orlando? does Disney get 80% of the attendance and only 70% of the revenue IDk im just asking because im curious

What Disney has is loyal fans who are willing to give 100% of their dollars to Disney. But there is a much larger audience that simply gives Disney some of their money, and then goes and does all the other stuff in Florida.

Orlando's tourism industry is over 30 BILLION a year
Orlando tourism brngs in over 55 million people a year

Compare these numbers with Disney's take.. you can see they are just a fraction of the market. Yes, they are probably the biggest fraction of anyone.. but the total domination of all things is a perception of Disney fan-dom... not what happens outside the bubble.

 

[flynnibus]

What is Universals average guest spending compared to Disney in Florida then?

http://bit.ly/1pJzGY7

 

[mahnamahna101]

I never understood this idea that just because it takes less time to see Uni than WDW, than WDW is somehow greater.
3days/2nights is about all that is needed to see Uni but than again it doesn't take much longer to see Disneyland either and people still consider Disneyland better than WDW.

Disneyland Resort has over 100 attractions if you add in DCA... IOA and USF are great but they still have a quite a bit to add in terms of attractions.

 

[Cesar R M]

oh I agree with you but we cant dismiss attendance either..it means quite a bit....if my theme park has a million more people per year than yours im probably making quite a bit more money..again not disagreeing with you just think you cant dismiss those numbers either

I think this issue as been discussed ad-nauseam.

The issue with disney is triple sided, the concensus was:

• overpriced and overrated own hotels
• horrible quality and stagnant merchandise.
• heavy quality reduction in food and other services.

While Disney might still get all their parks full.. due of their prices and other factors:

1. People are less inclined to go to Disney Hotels. (people perceive them of having less value for their prices)
2. People have less money or less interest in buying merchandise (that they can buy anywhere else and cheaper) and food in a lot of cases.

Universal Seized the opportunity by giving better value right now, a big new side of merchandise based on HP, The new cabanas hotel... to have a variation in hotels for all ranges and many people have mentioned how good the food at Uni is now. (cant say personally, never been to Uni)

 

[Nubs70]

Unless you know how much profit Disney snd Universal make on everything they sell, which I highly doubt anyone knows outside of the book keepers, this discussion is terribly worthless.

Look up 10k statements. It's a legal obligation.

 

[twebber55]

I think this issue as been discussed ad-nauseam.

The issue with disney is triple sided, the concensus was:

• overpriced and overrated own hotels
• horrible quality and stagnant merchandise.
• heavy quality reduction in food and other services.

While Disney might still get all their parks full.. due of prices and other factors:

1. People are less inclined to go to Disney Hotels. (people perceive them of having less value for their prices)
2. People have less money or less interest in buying merchandise (that they can buy anywhere else and cheaper) and food in a lot of cases.

Universal Seized the opportunity by giving better value right now, a big new side of merchandise based on HP. and many people have mentioned how good the food at Uni is now. (cant say personally, never been to Uni)

agree with everything you said

 

[Cesar R M]

That is not necessarily true. Fewer people spending more can match or out spend more people spending less.

You can say about efficiency.. which visitors expend more money in the parks in general? does Disney rack 100 USD per day after the 99 USD park ticket? How about Uni? Do they expend more than 100 average per ticket the 99 ticket price?

 

[GrammieBee]

Oh my, we're bad. We like both Universal and Disney, but for entirely different reasons. They are entirely different parks, basically appealing to different demographics. It's like trying to compare the proverbial apples and oranges.

We do spend more time at Disney as there is more to see and do.

 

[BaconPancakes]

Well apparently Universal supporters trot out a silly guest spending vernacular to combat pixie dusters raw attendance numbers. How you make more money and profit with less people is something they only understand but to each their own.

If Disney fans are pixie dusters can Universal fans be wand-o's?

You tried it...

 

[Cesar R M]

Unless you know how much profit Disney snd Universal make on everything they sell, which I highly doubt anyone knows outside of the book keepers, this discussion is terribly worthless.

Lets not forget that Disney as way more multilayered business and is more spread.
from Cruises, to TV channels to parks and studios, merchandise..etc..

I think Disney uses this to think they are unbeatable (an umbrella or safety net if things go wrong)

Oh my, we're bad. We like both Universal and Disney, but for entirely different reasons. They are entirely different parks, basically appealing to different demographics. It's like trying to compare the proverbial apples and oranges.

We do spend more time at Disney as there is more to see and do.

for a first timer standpoint.. I agree with you on Disney.
WDW is huge and as a ton of things to see. Things that are varied according to the person.

For those who have gone many times and/or have commando mentality.. WDW as LESS to do (attraction wise) than DisneyLand parks if I remember correctly.

WDW as more things to see in things that are not considered "attractions" imho.
For example, loved the boat trips between MK and Forth Wilderness, from POR to Downtown Disney. The monorail too, to see everything around the area connected by it.
Noticing the statues, details, boats.. of all the parks (things that most commando visitors ignore). Other examples: The food festivals at Epcot or topiaries!, even just relaxing and watching some wild animals/birds as you eat a quick lunch.

 

[The Crafty Veteran]

http://bit.ly/1pJzGY7

Clicked on the link but I found absolutely nothing showing Universal guests are spending more money than Disney guests in Florida. Lots of news stories about Universal but if you Google Disney guest spending you get, for the most part the same stories. Any other proof or is Google all you have? If thats all I rest my case.

 

[The Crafty Veteran]

Look up 10k statements. It's a legal obligation.

So what is the margin on a Dole Whip after all the bills are paid?

 

[seascape]

Orlando has over 140k hotel rooms... think about that... and go back to how much of the market Disney really has.

Disney is huge, but the Disney-sphere seems to forget just how much entertainment is kept alive outside of Disney.

And the hotel occupancy rate in April 2014 was 77% compared to 72% in April 2013. That is 7,000 more hotel rooms of people. Most customer have more than 2 people in a room when on vacations but even with just 2 people that is 14,000 a day more people in Orlando this year than last year. If the rest of the year stayed the same it would be 5,110,000. Now not all of this is only for the parks but even half, 2,500,000 people, would be a 3.5% increase in attendance at all the parks figuring 70 million between Universal, Disney, Sea World and the other smaller parks. in reality it should be more like a 5% increase just from vacationers. The increase at Universal should be even higher from the locals going more often to soak in all the new HP stuff.