Disney World Low Attendance Paradox

[gmk3855]

For all of the new lands such as Pandora and Toy Story Land opening crowds are actually still done for WDW. With SWGE opening everyone is screaming that the onslaught is coming, a lot of people are staying away until later. Especially since not all of SWGE rides are open, with the Resistance ride opening in DEC. I love Disney but the way they are starting to price everything with an added cost per person is getting insane. Of course people are staying away because they are upset or just can't afford to come anymore. Here is just one example: You pay about $100 for an all day park ticket to MK, now at least 3 days a week from late Aug to the end of Dec you can only stay until 7pm due to the Halloween and Christmas party. These parties cost around $90 per person, you can also do a Villain party or other separate Christmas event inside of the party for an additional $120. For me to visit all of these events and being 6 members in our group the amount we have to pay is crazy. We can't afford it so we don't do them, but there are plenty of people paying all of this to go so Disney is still making their money

 

[seabreezept813]

While I don’t have any information about crowd levels, I do think Disney is forgetting something big overall, which is to create the magic for kids today. When is the last time you took your kid to a Disney movie that wasn’t a sequel or a reboot? They need to create some more classics! Invest in future families too. Also as a stepmom to a 15 year old and mom to a 1 year old (prime Disney family years ahead) this is the first summer I’ve gotten an offer of any kind in the mail.

 

[drizgirl]

You pay about $100 for an all day park ticket to MK,

One day ticket today is $125.

 

[clarabellej]

Wouldn’t it be a surprise if nobody really cares about Star Wars! I know I don’t. I mean no offense, it’s just that Disney & Star Wars do not go together in my mind.

Honestly park attendance is probably down some because it costs so darn much to go and families are taking a break and holding off for the big anniversary year. Waiting for all the new attractions to be completed.

Or they go for Halloween, Christmas or Spring Break.

Any sane person knows not to go to WDW in the heat of July.

 

[clarabellej]

While I don’t have any information about crowd levels, I do think Disney is forgetting something big overall, which is to create the magic for kids today. When is the last time you took your kid to a Disney movie that wasn’t a sequel or a reboot? They need to create some more classics! Invest in future families too. Also as a stepmom to a 15 year old and mom to a 1 year old (prime Disney family years ahead) this is the first summer I’ve gotten an offer of any kind in the mail.

I agree. The movies are usually a letdown. I have been going to WDW for at least the past 10 years in a row and have noticed I am not receiving any offers. Not to mention no longer receiving Disney Parks blog in my email. I’ve tried adjusting settings on my account. I have written to Disney & get no satisfaction. IMO their customer service is down. This coming from a repeat, loyal customer, they no longer seem to care about.

 

[erasure fan1]

I have been going to WDW for at least the past 10 years in a row and have noticed I am not receiving any offers.

Just since I've been married, we've been 15 or so times. We stopped a few years because of cost and in the last 4 years not one, "hey we've noticed you haven't been back in a while, here are some great offers." That always seemed strange that they don't care if a year after year customer just stops going. But I guess it says everything you need to know.

 

[Turtlekrawl]

We do a summer week almost every year and last week was the busiest we have experienced in a long time. Tons of attractions with >100 minute wait times including all the expected ones plus HM, jungle cruise, alien saucers... FOP was >180 most of the week. RRC and TOT both >150 on multiple occasions. Long lines at security checkpoints, friendship boats, QSR, pretty much everywhere.

I trust the data from the insiders, but at least last week, I would not say it was light. Think the free dining had the desired effect.

And the quinceañera groups were in full force.

 

[Hawg G]

True. I’m convinced that “free” dining is a nice revenue grab for Disney.

It certainly is now, since it requires. length of stay ticket purchases.

Disney tickets are insane at this point. I so wish zi had stocked up with non expiring tickets more than I did.

To pay anything significantly discounted, you essentially have to spend the whole week at Disney World. I can go to Universal for 5 days right now for less tha 50 a day. PLUS, I don't have to deal with the absolutely insane FP+ rationing system. I can ride E tickets all day, not just a couple times like at WDW.

And Universal has actually opened new rides a lot in the last 10 years. Their parks aren't filled with mostly 20+ year old rides.

 

[clarabellej]

For all of the new lands such as Pandora and Toy Story Land opening crowds are actually still done for WDW. With SWGE opening everyone is screaming that the onslaught is coming, a lot of people are staying away until later. Especially since not all of SWGE rides are open, with the Resistance ride opening in DEC. I love Disney but the way they are starting to price everything with an added cost per person is getting insane. Of course people are staying away because they are upset or just can't afford to come anymore. Here is just one example: You pay about $100 for an all day park ticket to MK, now at least 3 days a week from late Aug to the end of Dec you can only stay until 7pm due to the Halloween and Christmas party. These parties cost around $90 per person, you can also do a Villain party or other separate Christmas event inside of the party for an additional $120. For me to visit all of these events and being 6 members in our group the amount we have to pay is crazy. We can't afford it so we don't do them, but there are plenty of people paying all of this to go so Disney is still making their money

Well said! I am not a fan of all the pricey add-ons. All about greed if you ask me. I am guilty of purchasing a dessert party during Spring Break. Never again. Frankly, HEA is so awful compared to Wishes, I’ll skip it completely in future and ride rides during the evening show. I also remember thinking it was so tacky that you had to purchase a piece of paper to do the egg hunt at Epcot. Only to get one measly plastic egg (very small one) at the completion of the hunt. Sorry, I know this thread is about low attendance, but it just got me thinking. And trust me, I am a big fan. One that usually goes around promoting visits to Disney to all my friends and family. So, something is not right here!! Call it “entitlement,” but who doesn’t feel that way, with the prices we pay these days.

 

[TraderSam]

If Disney is having trouble filling the parks now because of anticipation of SWGE, but also is predicting that it will have trouble filling the parks once SWGE is open, clearly the first supposition is wrong. Meaning there are other factors at play creating this paradox beyond SWGE.

Along the lines of the Walmart economic indicators (internal indices that it used to - or still does - maintain), I'm curious to see if this drop in attendance is an early sign of an oncoming recession. Outside of the standard economic indicators, there are some pretty interesting and creative ones that measure other factors. If disposable income is dropping, or if everyone binged on their Disney trips while times were good, perhaps folks are backing off either to save a little, pay off any debt they may have incurred, or perhaps their disposable income did indeed drop.

Just a little out of the norm thinking.

 

[drizgirl]

Along the lines of the Walmart economic indicators (internal indices that it used to - or still does - maintain), I'm curious to see if this drop in attendance is an early sign of an oncoming recession. Outside of the standard economic indicators, there are some pretty interesting and creative ones that measure other factors. If disposable income is dropping, or if everyone binged on their Disney trips while times were good, perhaps folks are backing off either to save a little, pay off any debt they may have incurred, or perhaps their disposable income did indeed drop.

Just a little out of the norm thinking.

I'd go with ocam's razor here.

Everyone said Disney would continue to raise prices until there was push back. I think we've seen push back.

 

[monothingie]

Along the lines of the Walmart economic indicators (internal indices that it used to - or still does - maintain), I'm curious to see if this drop in attendance is an early sign of an oncoming recession. Outside of the standard economic indicators, there are some pretty interesting and creative ones that measure other factors. If disposable income is dropping, or if everyone binged on their Disney trips while times were good, perhaps folks are backing off either to save a little, pay off any debt they may have incurred, or perhaps their disposable income did indeed drop.

Just a little out of the norm thinking.

I see it more as a shift in the value equation. At $3-6K for an average family, what else can you do other than Disney? Cruises, trips to Hawaii, Europe? The arrogance and/or stupidity amongst Disney leadership to not consider guests going elsewhere is remarkable. USO certainly doesn’t view the guest this way.(yet)

 

[lindawdw]

I do feel that the new model for Disney is to attract guests who have higher incomes than the average family. They figure that they'll reduce the crowd levels, that have been absurd for the past 5 years, and make up for it by doing all the add-on extras which is not something that I would ever do but there are people with money that are willing to spend it. My hope in all this is that they work better at maintaining our beloved parks in the manner that Walt had expected and get back to creating that personal, magical experience when we walk through those turnstiles.

 

[laben594]

Basing crowd levels on one day which was a holiday at one park doesn't seem like a sound plan for gathering true data.

I'd rather base it on the fact that for God sake they offered FD starting July 5th.
I'm sure a ton of people took that deal and ran with it.
However I don't think enough people did to make up for lower than they'd like crowds during summer.
I also think that more people will go between August 29th and November 2nd due to extremely extended park hours across the board vs it being because they want to go to SWGE. I know I'm considering a trip during that time for the park hours even though I'll be headed down later this month.
I think they made a boo-boo with opening SWGE at DLR first. They should have opened it the same day both places.
I think being able to see plenty of videos of the section at DLR took away the excitement for some.

Agreed. I just got back from Disneyland and was able to get on Smuggler's Run. I now have no rush to go to Hollywood Studios and I know a lot of people who are the same