Is attendance really down at WDW this or…

[JD80]

Reasons Why People Aren't Visiting Walt Disney World This Summer:

• Summer temperatures
• Thunderstorms
• Taylor Swift concert spending
• COVID testing facilities have shut down
• Someone has to buy up all the Bud Light Kid Rock isn't drinking these days
• Supply chain disruptions
• Minor league baseball game concession spending
• Still hungover from the NFL draft parties
• Spent too much on neighborhood fireworks for July 4th celebrations
• Monarch butterfly tracking
• Someone reversed the polarity of the neutron flow

I hate to break it to you, but record setting heat in Florida does impact the number of people in the parks throughout the day. Locals/APs may decide not to go (I've heard from plenty of locals and CMs that this is the case) and many resort guests are cutting their days short, leaving during certain parts of the day, or only doing morning/evening time.

It definitely has impact on the margins.

 

[Lilofan]

I hate to break it to you, but record setting heat in Florida does impact the number of people in the parks throughout the day. Locals/APs may decide not to go (I've heard from plenty of locals and CMs that this is the case) and many resort guests are cutting their days short, leaving during certain parts of the day, or only doing morning/evening time.

It definitely has impact on the margins.

Makes sense, also resort guests go back the hotel in the afternoon to nap, poolside and not spending more money in the parks. How the heck can one play golf at Disney with close to 100 degree temps is dangerous.

 

[Andrew25]

I hate to break it to you, but record setting heat in Florida does impact the number of people in the parks throughout the day. Locals/APs may decide not to go (I've heard from plenty of locals and CMs that this is the case) and many resort guests are cutting their days short, leaving during certain parts of the day, or only doing morning/evening time.

It definitely has impact on the margins.

I do agree, I've cut back on some of the days at the parks simply because of how hot and horrible weather has been recently. But, April/May were delightful and parks were not busy... so I do think there's reason to believe that there is something impacting attendance.

September/October will be an interesting timeframe to see if Disney's push towards "balancing" attendance throughout the year is working.

 

[HauntedPirate]

I hate to break it to you, but record setting heat in Florida does impact the number of people in the parks throughout the day. Locals/APs may decide not to go (I've heard from plenty of locals and CMs that this is the case) and many resort guests are cutting their days short, leaving during certain parts of the day, or only doing morning/evening time.

It definitely has impact on the margins.

Do people then flock to the parks when temps are cooler than normal in the summer? Was it cooler in 2019?

People going and leaving still counts for attendance clicks. And if you're really trying to pin lower quarterly revenue on a few weeks of above-normal temps, then the opposite must be true, correct? All those profits in recent years were because the weather was cooler, right? Oh wait...

It doesn't matter if the temp is 91 or 94 or 97 in Orlando in June/July/August. It's friggin' hot, and humid, and it's not some new thing. You need to follow the same advice and use the same precautions regardless of a few degree temperature swing.

Common sense. A lot of people need to rediscover it.

 

[flynnibus]

People going and leaving still counts for attendance clicks. And if you're really trying to pin lower quarterly revenue on a few weeks of above-normal temps, then the opposite must be true, correct? All those profits in recent years were because the weather was cooler, right? Oh wait...

No that’s not how the relationship works and you know it. Stop being disingenuous. Not everything is a straight inverse relationship. Do better.

 

[HauntedPirate]

No that’s not how the relationship works and you know it. Stop being disingenuous. Not everything is a straight inverse relationship. Do better.

Just trying to point out the ridiculousness of the assertion. People are taking a micro view of things and applying that to the macro view.

 

[flynnibus]

Just trying to point out the ridiculousness of the assertion. People are taking a micro view of things and applying that to the macro view.

Heat does impact people’s outdoor activities - this is not rediculous.

Wdw does have a sizable portion of short notice visitors.

The south has been in a heat wave that has been national daily news for weeks around the 4th.

All of this would influence people’s holiday plans… especially those who are flexible with their plans. You know… that entire population that drive to wdw?

The heat issue in the south was not a ‘morning of the 4th…’ discovery. It’s had been a widespread impactful topic for the entire week leading up to the fourth.

 

[JD80]

I do agree, I've cut back on some of the days at the parks simply because of how hot and horrible weather has been recently. But, April/May were delightful and parks were not busy... so I do think there's reason to believe that there is something impacting attendance.

September/October will be an interesting timeframe to see if Disney's push towards "balancing" attendance throughout the year is working.

No one saying the heat is the main or even a larger driver in attendance swings. Just that it's a factor. I think it would have had the same impact in 2019 vs. 2023.

 

[JD80]

Do people then flock to the parks when temps are cooler than normal in the summer? Was it cooler in 2019?

People going and leaving still counts for attendance clicks. And if you're really trying to pin lower quarterly revenue on a few weeks of above-normal temps, then the opposite must be true, correct? All those profits in recent years were because the weather was cooler, right? Oh wait...

It doesn't matter if the temp is 91 or 94 or 97 in Orlando in June/July/August. It's friggin' hot, and humid, and it's not some new thing. You need to follow the same advice and use the same precautions regardless of a few degree temperature swing.

Common sense. A lot of people need to rediscover it.

You just leave zero room for subtlety or detail in your argument don't you?

We've been specifically measuring attendance levels based on published wait time from several sources (TP, ThrillData etc.). We've been judging crowds based of pictures of different places in the parks over the years.

Wait times are impacted by crowds IN the park. Intense heat will impact the crowds in some way.

You say:

And if you're really trying to pin lower quarterly revenue on a few weeks of above-normal temps, then the opposite must be true, correct?

I am not. Go back and read my post. I'm saying extreme temperatures are effecting crowds in the margins. What the means, in case you don't know what "in the margins means", is saying that while there are other more significant drivers that are explaining lower crowds, there are other smaller contributors that are also causing them to be even lower.

 

[Dranth]

I hate to break it to you, but record setting heat in Florida does impact the number of people in the parks throughout the day. Locals/APs may decide not to go (I've heard from plenty of locals and CMs that this is the case) and many resort guests are cutting their days short, leaving during certain parts of the day, or only doing morning/evening time.

It definitely has impact on the margins.

Just stop. The grump cabal here on the forums have already told us that people know Florida is hot this time of year so therefore no one in the history of mankind or the future of the entire universe will ever choose to skip a day at the parks or maybe stay at their hotel longer and hang out at the pool until it is cooler at night no matter what the daytime temperature is.

All of us who have done exactly that are just imagining it.

 

[TheMaxRebo]

No one saying the heat is the main or even a larger driver in attendance swings. Just that it's a factor. I think it would have had the same impact in 2019 vs. 2023.

definitely don't think anyone is saying b/c it is hot in general that is the reason for lower wait times for the entirety of the summer

but thinking the exceptionally hot and humid conditions specifically on the 3rd/4th of July didn't have any impact on those day specifically is being disingenuous

 

[The Colonel]

Just my feelings: They've damaged the brand. It's going to get worse.

 

[Splash4eva]

You may add paying rent / mortgage on time and buying food is more important.

why? this never stopped people from going into debt to go on vacations before

 

[dreday3]

I do agree, I've cut back on some of the days at the parks simply because of how hot and horrible weather has been recently. But, April/May were delightful and parks were not busy... so I do think there's reason to believe that there is something impacting attendance.

September/October will be an interesting timeframe to see if Disney's push towards "balancing" attendance throughout the year is working.

I'm only quoting you because we were there in later April and I was hot and it felt crowded (to us).
Enough for us to go back to late October/early November trips.

 

[Tha Realest]

I hate to break it to you, but record setting heat in Florida does impact the number of people in the parks throughout the day. Locals/APs may decide not to go (I've heard from plenty of locals and CMs that this is the case) and many resort guests are cutting their days short, leaving during certain parts of the day, or only doing morning/evening time.

It definitely has impact on the margins.

All those vacations that were never booked months prior were because everyone was consulting the Farmer’s Almanac.

 

[el_super]

All those vacations that were never booked months prior were because everyone was consulting the Farmer’s Almanac.

So why is it busy now?

Everyone suddenly got over their disgust of Bob Iger?

 

[Jrb1979]

So why is it busy now?

Everyone suddenly got over their disgust of Bob Iger?

It's not busy now

 

[el_super]

It's not busy now

LOL

Based on what?

 

[flynnibus]

All those vacations that were never booked months prior were because everyone was consulting the Farmer’s Almanac.

Remember when everyone screams WDW NEEDS those Florida residents and APs? Yeah, they are part of the crowds.. even during holiday periods.

The narrative of needing ONE culprit here is childish.

 

[Disstevefan1]

It’s abnormally hot in many places. That’s news and it’s going to be reported.

And it could be a reason folks are staying away from central Florida.