insane crowds today

[gccgrad1996]

So do these schools get a Feb break and a Spring Break? Jealous, we don't even get out for Presidents Day anymore, no Fall break, very short Christmas break...I"m moving!!!!

I actually live in PA and the district I teach in doesn't get many breaks either. No fall break, except for Thanksgiving (Thursday through Monday), and we get one week for Christmas. We don't get a spring break either just a four day weekend at Easter. The only additional days we have off are Martin Luther King, President's Day, which this year is a snow make-up day, and Memorial Day. As of now our last day is June 7th, but that could very well be extended if we get more snow. My district also goes 190 days, where the law requires only 180, so an extra two weeks then most districts.

 

[gccgrad1996]

It sounds like we're still riding the wave of increased attendance that started last Fall (with record HHN and Food & Wine crowds). Anecdotally, all last week was busy, with what seemed like every resident of metropolitan New Orleans down here for Mardi Gras--walking around the parks on Tuesday I would've thought I was at an LSU home game.

Of course, Mardi Gras/Presidents Day trips were booked last year for the most part--I imagine Easter will be much the same. But I'm curious to see if the trend continues this Summer with most everyone taking an unexpected take-home pay cut in January and gas again flirting with $4/gallon.

Lower attendance this summer would be fine with me!! As a teacher it is the only time I can go, so early July here we come. We will be fighting off the tour groups and dealing with the heat, but at least it is Disney and not PA.

 

[gccgrad1996]

Not Brazilian myself, but I'd suggest if you sent a couple hundred junior high aged Americans to Brazil with minimal supervision, Brazilians would be on the internet complaining how ill-behaved Americans are.

The fault for this lies squarely with TDO. They cater to these groups, rather than enforcing reasonable rules, such as a minimum number of chaperones per number of students.

I completely agree. All teenagers no matter where they are from can be ill-behaved. And your are right Disney does nothing to stop it. I was shocked to see they even provide these tour groups an extra room at the value resorts as an office to conduct all their planning from.
The problem I see during the summer when I go, I have no choice being a teacher, is that these tour groups are not always made up of teenagers. Many are large parties made up of parents and children and to be honest they are not much better.
I don't have a solution. Everyone is entitled to visit Disney. I just wish people, no matter what nationality they are can be kind and considerate to those around them. Trust me I have seen my share of rude Americans visiting Disney.

 

[hiptwinmama]

this week is always crazy, but in a week it will be back to lower levels for a week or two until spring break starts.

 

[Todd H]

I completely agree. All teenagers no matter where they are from can be ill-behaved. And your are right Disney does nothing to stop it. I was shocked to see they even provide these tour groups an extra room at the value resorts as an office to conduct all their planning from.
The problem I see during the summer when I go, I have no choice being a teacher, is that these tour groups are not always made up of teenagers. Many are large parties made up of parents and children and to be honest they are not much better.
I don't have a solution. Everyone is entitled to visit Disney. I just wish people, no matter what nationality they are can be kind and considerate to those around them. Trust me I have seen my share of rude Americans visiting Disney.

I agree. I've run into quite a few inconsiderate Americans these last few days as well. Had one lady push me out of the way as I was about to get a muffin at the Pop food court so that she could grab something for her two girls with her. The look she gave me as she did it almost threw me into a rage. But I kept my cool and continued to model good behavior in front of my son.

 

[diznyboyz]

I went mid-May a couple of years ago and it wasn't bad at all. The weather was good too, it hadn't gotten humid yet. I think if you go early to mid-May before most of the southern schools let out, you should be fine.

We have been going for the past four years for May 26th thru June 1st week. This week is the first week that schools in our parish have off for summer break. This is also the last week before the rates go up. The crowds are not bad and the wait times are not all bad. But no matter the crowds, we go, we go, we're off to disney we go.....

 

[draybook]

Not Brazilian myself, but I'd suggest if you sent a couple hundred junior high aged Americans to Brazil with minimal supervision, Brazilians would be on the internet complaining how ill-behaved Americans are.

The fault for this lies squarely with TDO. They cater to these groups, rather than enforcing reasonable rules, such as a minimum number of chaperones per number of students.

That doesn't excuse them from behaving properly. Just because cops might let you go 5 miles over the posted speed limit doesn't mean that it's legal or the right thing to do.

 

[PhotoDave219]

That's the thing. It's twirl week as well and the twirl groups have been very well behaved. The Brazilians, on the other hand, start with the chanting and screaming nonsense as soon as they get off the bus in front if the hotel. Nothing like a bus load arriving at 2AM and immediately starting with the chanting and running up and down in front of the rooms screaming.

The Brazillians are essentially spoiled rich teenagers in a large group. We send ours to Europe & Brazil's come here.

Any nationality of rich, spoiled, teenagers in a large group is just a problem waiting to happen....

 

[Genie of the Lamp]

A picture worth a thousand words. Too bad not every Brazilian tour group doesn't wear this to "stand out". I guess we will never know how much a brazilian is?

 

[WDW1974]

The Brazillians are essentially spoiled rich teenagers in a large group. We send ours to Europe & Brazil's come here.

Any nationality of rich, spoiled, teenagers in a large group is just a problem waiting to happen....

More accurately, any nationality of rich, spoiled folks of ANY AGE in a large group is just a problem waiting to happen.

As to the parks being busy this week, I am amazed when people find normal happenings to be abnormal. This week has been incredibly busy dating back to my first visit during this week as a young Spirit back in 1976 when WDW was tiny compared to now and O-Town was a Southern backwater cowtown.

Speaking of cows, with all this cold weather has the herd of Disney Lifestylers decided to stay in their barns?
I am amazed that they aren't out there fighting for the first Georgie K photo or interview/droolfest.

 

[WDW1974]

I agree. I've run into quite a few inconsiderate Americans these last few days as well. Had one lady push me out of the way as I was about to get a muffin at the Pop food court so that she could grab something for her two girls with her. The look she gave me as she did it almost threw me into a rage. But I kept my cool and continued to model good behavior in front of my son.

You should have swatted her to the floor and started pelting her with the muffins or any food item in sight.

That would have been successful future CEO behavior to model for your son!

 

[PhotoDave219]

Speaking of cows, with all this cold weather has the herd of Disney Lifestylers decided to stay in their barns?
I am amazed that they aren't out there fighting for the first Georgie K photo or interview/droolfest.

Ya know, Technically I fit into that category.... Except I have no interest in interviewing George K.

 

[WDW1974]

Ya know, Technically I fit into that category.... Except I have no interest in interviewing George K.

He honestly can be fascinating to talk to. Now, I doubt any of the Lifestylers are capable of getting beyond the Disney teflon exec coating, but there is some semblance of a real dude under there.

That's why I am quite surprised by his strategy of basically staying in hiding on the job thus far. ... Who knows? Maybe he already conducted a 'one on one' with Lou Mongello and our pal Lou is awaiting Celebration Place's approval to put it out.

 

[Jimmy Thick]

Wait a secomd, I thought Disney World was a declining product with a declining fanbase with declining attendance?

Yet almost everytime I read something about attendance, its busier than ever?

Why aren't these people going to Universal? I thought Universal was superior?

Jimmy Thick- Guess not.

 

[PhotoDave219]

Wait a secomd, I thought Disney World was a declining product with a declining fanbase with declining attendance?

Yet almost everytime I read something about attendance, its busier than ever?

Why aren't these people going to Universal? I thought Universal was superior?

Jimmy Thick- Guess not.

Then clearly you arent paying attention. Attendance has been flat - meaning little growth. Its still record crowd after record crowd; its just not growing by leaps and bound. (The irony is the mid-2000s attendance growth of leaps and bounds came after drastic losses in attendance following the 2001 attacks)

Its not growing because IMO you've hit a saturation point. MK averages 47,000 people a day. (18.1 Million year per 2011 estimates) A crowd of 47,000 people/day is very uncomfortable IMO. Only so many people can fit inside MK comfortably and we exceed that on a regular basis.

Its not too crowded because there arent enough attractions at MK; its too crowded because there are too many *&$# people there! While MK can hold 80-90k before it his capacity; you can still only fit X amount of people on main street to see wishes at the end of the night. No amount of marketing or promotions changes the fact that you can only fit so many people in one spot.

Is it a declining product? Yup. Do people still come in insane numbers? Yup.

 

[disney fan 13]

I saw several of those 15 groups at Universal last week. Oh My God, chanting in line, leaving bags in front of the building, *shivers*

I was stuck on Mummy with them for 20 minutes waiting to be evaced.

 

[flynnibus]

Unbearable 'company' in the parks keeps me away more than prices. Nothing like having the most basic things ruined by people around you and Disney doing nothing about it.

Things will continue to escalate and get worse as long as Disney refuses to confront the problem.

Another slide for the property :/

 

[articos]

Then clearly you arent paying attention. Attendance has been flat - meaning little growth. Its still record crowd after record crowd; its just not growing by leaps and bound. (The irony is the mid-2000s attendance growth of leaps and bounds came after drastic losses in attendance following the 2001 attacks)

Its not growing because IMO you've hit a saturation point. MK averages 47,000 people a day. (18.1 Million year per 2011 estimates) A crowd of 47,000 people/day is very uncomfortable IMO. Only so many people can fit inside MK comfortably and we exceed that on a regular basis.

Its not too crowded because there arent enough attractions at MK; its too crowded because there are too many *&$# people there! While MK can hold 80-90k before it his capacity; you can still only fit X amount of people on main street to see wishes at the end of the night. No amount of marketing or promotions changes the fact that you can only fit so many people in one spot.

Is it a declining product? Yup. Do people still come in insane numbers? Yup.

Bingo.

70k Saturday.

(On a forecast of 57!)

Gah.

 

[The Empress Lilly]

Not Brazilian myself, but I'd suggest if you sent a couple hundred junior high aged Americans to Brazil with minimal supervision, Brazilians would be on the internet complaining how ill-behaved Americans are.

The fault for this lies squarely with TDO. They cater to these groups, rather than enforcing reasonable rules, such as a minimum number of chaperones per number of students.

Yes, but the problem is not lack of supervision of these rich spoiled brats. No, there is too much supervision.

The problem is that the adults, the tour leaders, encourage the misbehaviour by these imps. The guided tour sellers - large multimillion dollar companies - have websites too. They promote the misbehaviour there. They advertise their product on account of it being misbehaving - 'Come with us and lose control for a week! It's Disney - it's free for all! No rules!'. Sao Paolo's Lagetur (those ****** in yellow) must be one of the most depraved of all in this respect.

How does a tour group of sixty teenagers come to perform chants and dance routines in perfect unison? They train this. They are trained by the Group leaders, then they perfom in the Disney parks, trying to outdo the other groups. It is not the teenagers who decide this, who lose control. No, the tour companies promote singing and chanting and misbehaving conduct, film it, put it on their websites to attract new kids.

 

[Todd H]

You should have swatted her to the floor and started pelting her with the muffins or any food item in sight.

That would have been successful future CEO behavior to model for your son!

Either that or teach him to blow billions on a convoluted data mining scheme that looks to be a complete disaster.