Is attendance really down at WDW this or…

[MisterPenguin]

Well, they just released an offer recently for up to 25% off October through I believe December.

As someone who goes to WDW ever Oct and Dec, I can unequivocally state that they do that every year. I've taken advantage of those discounts every year.

But you have to grab them when announced, because they go fast. You can't find Pop reservations the first weekend of Dec already.

 

[MisterPenguin]

Ive been able to lower my trip price for Thanksgiving week twice now since i booked (1 room being a Fla discount)

Same.

I rebooked my Oct trip with the 35% AP discount. When I tried to do that with my Dec booking the first week of Dec was fully booked at Pop, but, I was able to grab a booking for the following week.

Saved $500 on each booking.

 

[LSLS]

Iger was responding to the WSJ article, not your neighbor's aunt's roommate's trip report. What did the WSJ cite as evidence of the decline on July 4th?

This is exactly what i mean by trying to strip the context.

I am stripping context? Here is your quote again:

I think a lot of context is being stripped from these discussions.

Most of the articles/media around the lower crowds were specific to July 4th weekend.
A lot of that was based on wait times in the park being recorded by third parties.

People will absolutely decide to stay inside during hot weather. People who paid money to fly to Florida will absolutely avoid going to the parks and standing in line, when they have access to air conditioning and pools at their resort. This isn't about cancelling vacations so much as it is, why are wait times in the park so much lower at random times during the day.

So yes, in that context, it absolutely makes sense to say that the weather is playing a part in shifting wait times and demand and generating the comments about lower crowds.




So now that attendance is starting to rebound what is the cause? Strictly discounting?

Your quote specifically says THESE DISCUSSIONS. You mention multiple articles. But now it's about a single article that Iger responded to? I was responding to you saying the discussions here and the articles (with an s) posted are supplemented further by people who were there, and by what was going on with the hotels. I'm not sure even if we are discussing one article that changes much, but I'm going to point out again, your quotes sure don't sound like that is the discussion.

And I'm not citing someone I know, I'm citing myself, who was there. Multiple others have been on this site who were also THERE that week and have said similar. It's firsthand accounts. So, the people who were there are not to be believed, the websites are not to be believed, and the articles are not to be believed. Oh and we better ignore the Disney site as well, who had tons of open restaurant bookings and open hotel rooms the entire week. They were prepped for historically low crowds. This did not sneak up on them.

 

[Wendy Pleakley]

Same.

I rebooked my Oct trip with the 35% AP discount. When I tried to do that with my Dec booking the first week of Dec was fully booked at Pop, but, I was able to grab a booking for the following week.

Saved $500 on each booking.

I thought I read Disney changed it so that any existing reservations are not automatically updated when discounts are announced?

 

[MisterPenguin]

I thought I read Disney changed it so that any existing reservations are not automatically updated when discounts are announced?

They're not.

But reservations for Disney hotels are surprisingly and easily cancellable.

You make a new reservation at the discount, then cancel the old one.

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

I never said the economy is taking a nosedive.

Read my post, I said, "the economy is a major factor."

You spoke of tourism in your words, took a "nosedive"

I have spoken to folks, and they have unsolicited told me their business also is taking a "nosedive".

The two businesses do have a commonality. They both involve discretionary spending.

I was agreeing with you…not disputing you

 

[Lilofan]

As someone who goes to WDW ever Oct and Dec, I can unequivocally state that they do that every year. I've taken advantage of those discounts every year.

But you have to grab them when announced, because they go fast. You can't find Pop reservations the first weekend of Dec already.

Isn't the first week in Dec when the 10K Pop Warner kids from all over the USA compete in their annual football competition and occupy many of the value resort rooms and have event parties in the theme parks?

 

[MisterPenguin]

Isn't the first week in Dec when the 10K Pop Warner kids from all over the USA compete in their annual football competition and occupy many of the value resort rooms and have event parties in the theme parks?

I think they're Uni's problem now.

 

[wannabeBelle]

They're not.

But reservations for Disney hotels are surprisingly and easily cancellable.

You make a new reservation at the discount, then cancel the old one.

Discounts, if available for your resort and travel time frame can be applied, they are not done automatically though. Your travel agent can take care of that for you or you can call into Disney, if you booked directly with them. You dont need to cancel and wait for any refunds on your credit card. Marie

 

[flynnibus]

If you've traveled there and already paid for a ticket to go to the parks, are you really going to just sit around at your hotel and not actually use the ticket you've paid for even if it's really hot?

Do we forget the legions of people that justify paying Disney's exorbitant Deluxe property rates so they can "leave and take a break in the afternoon"? Why would those people spend more for that privledge AND waste their valuable park time THEY ALREADY PAID FOR?

Why do people skip meals or leave early when they are tired... when THEY ALREADY PAID FOR the ticket?

 

[jinx8402]

Because I love charts and visualizations, I decided to plot out data from touringplans, this year vs last year. I have the predicted crowd, actual crowd and high temp (does not take into account heat index and any heat warnings). This is only for Magic Kingdom.

I took the few days prior and after the 4th. To be honest, I'm not sure how to interpret. It doesn't correlate 1:1 with the temp (though feel like temps and actual temps can be widely different). I'm sure there was some impact there like I have thought, but in general, it just looks like people might have skipped WDW that weekend? other than that, the actual crowd levels seem to be on par with last year, hovering around 5-6 crowd level. If anyone has a way of seeing historical excessive heat warnings, I'd be curious to see how that data overlays with the dip.

I also expanded 2023 so that similar days of the week can be compared. The wednesday before the 4th was actually higher this year with a similar high temp.

All this to say, as I have been, I think the weather can have an impact ON TOP of all the other factors. I do not discount that Disney hotels do seem to have a lower occupancy rate than last year. Perhaps a higher percentage are staying off site for cost savings and that perks for staying on site are lower. So when you take that then add in higher than average temps and excessive heat warnings you get what we saw the 4th of July weekend.

 

[Disstevefan1]

People will absolutely decide to stay inside during hot weather. People who paid money to fly to Florida will absolutely avoid going to the parks and standing in line, when they have access to air conditioning and pools at their resort.

For decades it was common for the kids to prefer staying at the resort and playing in the pool.

Disney still wins.

 

[TheMaxRebo]

Because I love charts and visualizations, I decided to plot out data from touringplans, this year vs last year. I have the predicted crowd, actual crowd and high temp (does not take into account heat index and any heat warnings). This is only for Magic Kingdom.

I took the few days prior and after the 4th. To be honest, I'm not sure how to interpret. It doesn't correlate 1:1 with the temp (though feel like temps and actual temps can be widely different). I'm sure there was some impact there like I have thought, but in general, it just looks like people might have skipped WDW that weekend? other than that, the actual crowd levels seem to be on par with last year, hovering around 5-6 crowd level. If anyone has a way of seeing historical excessive heat warnings, I'd be curious to see how that data overlays with the dip.

View attachment 733275

I also expanded 2023 so that similar days of the week can be compared. The wednesday before the 4th was actually higher this year with a similar high temp.

All this to say, as I have been, I think the weather can have an impact ON TOP of all the other factors. I do not discount that Disney hotels do seem to have a lower occupancy rate than last year. Perhaps a higher percentage are staying off site for cost savings and that perks for staying on site are lower. So when you take that then add in higher than average temps and excessive heat warnings you get what we saw the 4th of July weekend.

Thanks for plotting - always enjoy a good chart haha

One thing that jumps out at me is that both years the actual for July 4th and within a day or two is below the predicted but further out is more in line (or even above) which does jive with the idea that people a e avoiding holidays more now

 

[Lilofan]

For decades it was common for the kids to prefer staying at the resort and playing in the pool.

Disney still wins.

Disney wins more if kids and parents play and spend more time in the parks. Splashing in the pools doesn't empty out the family wallet as much as in the parks.

 

[Splash4eva]

Same.

I rebooked my Oct trip with the 35% AP discount. When I tried to do that with my Dec booking the first week of Dec was fully booked at Pop, but, I was able to grab a booking for the following week.

Saved $500 on each booking.

In a way yes im happy i saved some money but honestly also wished they didnt bc that means parks will be a little more crowded bc im sure people will take advantage of these discounts now filling up some space that otherwise would be empty. The fact discounts are available during a week that is notoriously crazy as im there almost every year during that time is very telling at least from a booking pov at Disney resorts.

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

For decades it was common for the kids to prefer staying at the resort and playing in the pool.

Disney still wins.

Playing at the pool generates no easy profit revenue…and doesn’t offset much in the overhead department either…

Disney loses

I think the heat dome is getting to you

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

Same.

I rebooked my Oct trip with the 35% AP discount. When I tried to do that with my Dec booking the first week of Dec was fully booked at Pop, but, I was able to grab a booking for the following week.

Saved $500 on each booking.

Why not just use your dvc?

 

[Andrew25]

I think they're Uni's problem now.

*SeaWorld's

 

[el_super]

Your quote specifically says THESE DISCUSSIONS. You mention multiple articles. But now it's about a single article that Iger responded to?

Actual Bob Iger Quote:

​

The article that you are referred to was not accurate actually. It was measuring attendance at Disney World on July 4th, which didn't really factor in temperature, which is about 100 degrees and 99 percent humidity on that day, but there are other factors as well.​

I was responding to you saying the discussions here and the articles (with an s) posted are supplemented further by people who were there, and by what was going on with the hotels.

Several other articles picked up the July 4th story from the WSJ and also quoted / used wait time data to make the determination that bookings were slow. The point still remains: without any actual attendance/revenue data, and using only wait times or randomly picked afternoon photos to make these determinations, the context of the heat is valid.

 

[el_super]

For decades it was common for the kids to prefer staying at the resort and playing in the pool.

The kids? Some of my best memories of Walt Disney World are from sitting in a pool.