News Disney world attendance down 80%??

Herdman

Well-Known Member
This here. I'd book a WDW trip tomorrow if the tickets (and hotel) were, say, half off. But as of now, I can hardly justify the cost of traveling across the country to the resort, let alone convince any of my friends or loved ones to join me. That, coupled with covidphobia, is too much.
Y'all need to move to WV where only 7 states have fewer cases than us and our Rt value is in the top ten!! On second thought, no don't come. :):D Fingers crossed I'm going to a college football game next Saturday!!
 

spock8113

Well-Known Member
Everything's a mess and a vaccine is not a panacea for what will be with us for a while. Keep in mind, the flu shot with known sustainable immunities is only 30% effective in general. It seems COVID immunities only stay around for two months or so.
I was recently in Gatlinburg / Pigeon Forge and it is way worse than Disney. Lotsa people not wearing masks, hanging out in big groups, sitting around smoking and vaping and everyone is generally walking around like it's 2016. Then it became a hot spot. Disney's been very vigilant but that vigilance doesn't guarantee you not getting this. It's obvious they're trying to at least break even but it's also obvious that they're not. I have no plans of visiting Disney or any other theme park in the near future much less be freaked out by a visit to the local COSTCO. With Disney's limited times and rides I just assume be in my own car controlling my own health destiny (density) right now.
 

Sirwalterraleigh

Premium Member
Everything's a mess and a vaccine is not a panacea for what will be with us for a while. Keep in mind, the flu shot with known sustainable immunities is only 30% effective in general. It seems COVID immunities only stay around for two months or so.
I was recently in Gatlinburg / Pigeon Forge and it is way worse than Disney. Lotsa people not wearing masks, hanging out in big groups, sitting around smoking and vaping and everyone is generally walking around like it's 2016. Then it became a hot spot. Disney's been very vigilant but that vigilance doesn't guarantee you not getting this. It's obvious they're trying to at least break even but it's also obvious that they're not. I have no plans of visiting Disney or any other theme park in the near future much less be freaked out by a visit to the local COSTCO. With Disney's limited times and rides I just assume be in my own car controlling my own health destiny (density) right now.
I was in Hersheypark two days ago and it was Wall to Wall People with inconsistent adherence to their mask rules and ZERO capacity control at all.

I’ll not return. Posting mask rules and putting markers on the ground and having sanitizer dispensers (maybe half worked) isn’t cutting it without enforcement and collective action. If that’s a sign of mentality we’re gonna blow this whole year.

And for those unfamiliar...Hershey is a very well run, clean park. It’s not south of the border or six flags dirty Adventure.
 

GoofGoof

Premium Member
Everything's a mess and a vaccine is not a panacea for what will be with us for a while. Keep in mind, the flu shot with known sustainable immunities is only 30% effective in general. It seems COVID immunities only stay around for two months or so.
I was recently in Gatlinburg / Pigeon Forge and it is way worse than Disney. Lotsa people not wearing masks, hanging out in big groups, sitting around smoking and vaping and everyone is generally walking around like it's 2016. Then it became a hot spot. Disney's been very vigilant but that vigilance doesn't guarantee you not getting this. It's obvious they're trying to at least break even but it's also obvious that they're not. I have no plans of visiting Disney or any other theme park in the near future much less be freaked out by a visit to the local COSTCO. With Disney's limited times and rides I just assume be in my own car controlling my own health destiny (density) right now.
The flu vaccine is typically 40-60% effective not 30%. The flu vaccine only protects against 3 or 4 strains of flu and the strains picked are more of a guess based on which flu strains are prevalent in other parts of the world. If they guess wrong the effectiveness drops and if they guess right it’s better. The flu shot also does not protect you from other flu like viruses which have similar symptoms so some of the people who get sick don’t actually have the flu but another virus. Hospitals track influenza like illness that does include other viruses.

For Covid, it’s not known how long immunity lasts but there’s some strong evidence it’s longer than 2 months. In the recent large scale study in Iceland anti-bodies were still present at least 4 months later in over 90% of those studied.
We also don’t know how frequent Covid will mutate. The flu shot is difficult because influenza mutates frequently. We don’t know how frequent those mutations will happen with Covid so there’s no guarantee it will be similar to flu shots.
 

GoofGoof

Premium Member
I was in Hersheypark two days ago and it was Wall to Wall People with inconsistent adherence to their mask rules and ZERO capacity control at all.

I’ll not return. Posting mask rules and putting markers on the ground and having sanitizer dispensers (maybe half worked) isn’t cutting it without enforcement and collective action. If that’s a sign of mentality we’re gonna blow this whole year.

And for those unfamiliar...Hershey is a very well run, clean park. It’s not south of the border or six flags dirty Adventure.
Hershey Park isn’t designed to have distancing. There are too many narrow pathways and also ride queues which are old school switch backs with poles and chains. That’s one advantage Disney has. Their parks are designed for massive crowds so if you keep capacity low it’s easier to effectively distance. It’s not perfect but they are doing a really good job.

The mask thing is up to the people. There are parts of PA that had a lot less cases and also tend to have more people who would be in the Covid denial category. It’s hard to get those people to buy in when their echo chamber is telling them to resist.
 

Sirwalterraleigh

Premium Member
Hershey Park isn’t designed to have distancing. There are too many narrow pathways and also ride queues which are old school switch backs with poles and chains. That’s one advantage Disney has. Their parks are designed for massive crowds so if you keep capacity low it’s easier to effectively distance. It’s not perfect but they are doing a really good job.

The mask thing is up to the people. There are parts of PA that had a lot less cases and also tend to have more people who would be in the Covid denial category. It’s hard to get those people to buy in when their echo chamber is telling them to resist.
...ummm...

They didn’t make much of an effort. Starting with a full capacity crowd for most summer days.

Most of their queues can be lengthened or rerouted from the looks of it.

I know what I seen. I expect Disney is MUCH better.

And I’ve lived in 3 distinct areas covering the whole of Pa...the places with people - at least.

I’m well aware and they have no excuses...for anything really.
 
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GoofGoof

Premium Member
...ummm...

They didn’t make much of an effort. Starting with a full capacity crowd for most summer days.

Most of their queues can be lengthened or rerouted from the looks of it.

I know what I seen. I expect Disney is MUCH better.
I haven’t been to Hershey Park and I believe it was a mess. I was only saying that even with capacity limits Hershey Park is less spread out than a Disney park so by default would be more problematic. They don’t have a lot of high capacity rides like omnimovers so lines tend to get pretty long. Coasters are slow loading.
 

Sirwalterraleigh

Premium Member
I haven’t been to Hershey Park and I believe it was a mess. I was only saying that even with capacity limits Hershey Park is less spread out than a Disney park so by default would be more problematic. They don’t have a lot of high capacity rides like omnimovers so lines tend to get pretty long. Coasters are slow loading.
Everything was packed and they weren’t doing ride spacing or cleaning between rides

It was what it was
 

GoofGoof

Premium Member
Everything was packed and they weren’t doing ride spacing or cleaning between rides

It was what it was
That sounds bad...I can imagine the chocolate factory tour line. That goes up the steps and winds through a bunch of switchbacks. With 6 foot spacing in the whole line it would probably go through the whole gift shop, outside the building and stretch all the way to the old soccer stadium.
 

JenniferS

When you're the leader, you don't have to follow.
They may restore everything but the demand is highly unlikely to return that quickly. People are being laid off everywhere and won't have to money to go.
For those of us who haven’t been laid off, we’ve been saving money like crazy.

No annual trip to WDW; zero restaurant meals; almost no takeout; working from home for 5 months meant no huge 407 or fuel costs; no movie theatres; absolutely nowhere to go ....
 

Sirwalterraleigh

Premium Member
That sounds bad...I can imagine the chocolate factory tour line. That goes up the steps and winds through a bunch of switchbacks. With 6 foot spacing in the whole line it would probably go through the whole gift shop, outside the building and stretch all the way to the old soccer stadium.
The factory tour did have six foot intervals and only one party per cars (so one out of 3)...so that took 45 minutes to get on...

But it was a different story INSIDE the gates. I felt it was deliberate...as in the boys from Harrisburg night check chocolate world...but not inside.
 

GoofGoof

Premium Member
For those of us who haven’t been laid off, we’ve been saving money like crazy.

No annual trip to WDW; zero restaurant meals; almost no takeout; working from home for 5 months meant no huge 407 or fuel costs; no movie theatres; absolutely nowhere to go ....
This is very true for a lot of people. This isn’t a traditional recession which stretches across broad bands of the economy. The economic impact is heavily skewed towards bar/restaurants, brick and mortar retail and travel and leisure. Many other industries are untouched and/or in slightly better shape (think online retail, Walmart/Target, cable TV or internet providers, streaming services, etc). For Disney they will be missing out on some usual visitors who earn their living in those industries impacted and while many workers are lower wage earners you still have bar/restaurant owners, airline pilots, managers of hotels or entertainment venues who are all impacted and higher earners who could be in Disney’s target demographic.

So while I think it will take a while for Disney to get back to the level it was post-Covid I do think that once there is a vaccine and park restrictions are lifted there will be some pent up demand from a good number of people. It may not get them back to business as usual, but it will be more than a trickle of demand.
 

Lilofan

Well-Known Member
For those of us who haven’t been laid off, we’ve been saving money like crazy.

No annual trip to WDW; zero restaurant meals; almost no takeout; working from home for 5 months meant no huge 407 or fuel costs; no movie theatres; absolutely nowhere to go ....
Saving money is the key. Saved and did well buying on the dip when stock market reached lows in mid March. Dow Jones and Nasdaq rebounded very nicely.
 

GoofGoof

Premium Member
Saving money is the key. Saved and did well buying on the dip when stock market reached lows in mid March. Dow Jones and Nasdaq rebounded very nicely.
Some people who were still working were able to save their $1,200 checks and will put them towards stimulating the economy as soon as more things ramp up and start opening.
 

Sirwalterraleigh

Premium Member
Saving money is the key. Saved and did well buying on the dip when stock market reached lows in mid March. Dow Jones and Nasdaq rebounded very nicely.
The stock markets have almost nothing to do with a large percentage of the population having any money to spend.

My company’s nasdaq stock is at an alltime high...and we have significant furloughs, offices shutdown and hiring/pay freezes.
Some people who were still working were able to save their $1,200 checks and will put them towards stimulating the economy as soon as more things ramp up and start opening.
They did studies on this...Hardly anyone saved that money.
 

Sirwalterraleigh

Premium Member
For those of us who haven’t been laid off, we’ve been saving money like crazy.

No annual trip to WDW; zero restaurant meals; almost no takeout; working from home for 5 months meant no huge 407 or fuel costs; no movie theatres; absolutely nowhere to go ....
Well I agree with you there...

We’ve spent far less.

But I’m not looking to put it toward Orlando...more permanent things.

Certainly not at hyper retail price...which is where Disney is at.
 

JenniferS

When you're the leader, you don't have to follow.
Well I agree with you there...

We’ve spent far less.

But I’m not looking to put it toward Orlando...more permanent things.

Certainly not at hyper retail price...which is where Disney is at.
I can’t cross the border, so we’re not coming any time soon anyway.

(Should actually be on our way as I type this ... but as they say - it is what it is.)
 

GoofGoof

Premium Member
Well I agree with you there...

We’ve spent far less.

But I’m not looking to put it toward Orlando...more permanent things.

Certainly not at hyper retail price...which is where Disney is at.
In my case I cancelled a WDW trip that was already paid for so I have airline credits with SW, multi-day park tickets and all the DVC points I need for the room. The only thing not paid for is food. I know everyone has different situations and some people cancelled or never booked trips so they aren’t as locked in. There will be lots of travel deals post vaccine to entice people to travel again. I plan to take advantage of as many as I can fit in. :)
 

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