Is attendance really down at WDW this or…

[Smugpugmug]

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

Disney still wins.

The only time my uncle ever brought his kids to WDW, the kids only wanted to be in the hotel pool. They said it was their favorite part. I think the only park they went to was AK because the younger kid loves animals.

As an adult I love pool time at the resort. Proud member of the mid day break pool time gang.

 

[UNCgolf]

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?

Did you not read the entire comment you quoted?

You're not disagreeing with anything I said. There is a tremendous difference between only going to the park for 3 or 4 hours and not going at all, which was the insinuation of the comment to which I responded.

Most guests aren't going to completely forgo the parks on days they've paid for -- certainly not multiple days. I'm sure there is some minority that would, but not the majority.

 

[Disstevefan1]

Playing at the pool generates not easy profit revenue…and doesn’t offset much in the overhead department either…

Disney loses

I think the heat dome is getting to you

I love the head dome.

Well, they may not win as much as if the family went to the parks but -
They showed up and paid for their room - win.
They paid for their park tickets, used or not - win.
They may even have paid for Genie+ ILL then decided to stay at the pool - win.
Then there is all the cr@p you buy at the resort while you there - win win.

Also, if you go to the parks and it's so hot that you don't want to wait in lines you may end up taking a lap and leaving to go back to the resort to go in the pool anyway.

Now if they are staying off site. THATS an issue.

 

[flynnibus]

Did you not read the entire comment you quoted?

You're not disagreeing with anything I said. There is a tremendous difference between only going to the park for 3 or 4 hours and not going at all, which is what the comment I responded to insinuated.

Point being... people throw that commitment away all the time and not only that.. pay a pretty penny to have that power.

No one is going to feel better by saying "at least I forced the kid to be there for 3hrs before I caved in and let them just goto the pool". People punt on their 'already paid for' ticket value all the time... because it's usually more valuable then family meltdown

 

[el_super]

There is a tremendous difference between only going to the park for 3 or 4 hours and not going at all, which was the insinuation of the comment to which I responded.

By saying guests avoid going to the parks during the heat, I did not mean "not at all." Guests going for only a few hours in the early morning or later evening can have a significant impact on wait times overall.

 

[LSLS]

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.​

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.

Ok, whatever. If you want to believe that the Friday before, there just HAPPENED to be one room in each category of every hotel (besides Caribbean Beach) available and just 1 room, and nobody wanted to leave their rooms to eat at any restaurants cause it was hot, more power to you. I'm not even sure what the Iger quote is changing. He says attendance was down, and says the heat among other things (notice he doesn't say what those other things are, or how much they all played into it). I know for a fact they were prepared for unprecedentedly low numbers, especially for the 4th. Maybe Disney has some amazing meteorological technology that allows them to forecast the heat a month and a half in advance, but I doubt it.

 

[UNCgolf]

Point being... people throw that commitment away all the time and not only that.. pay a pretty penny to have that power.

No one is going to feel better by saying "at least I forced the kid to be there for 3hrs before I caved in and let them just goto the pool". People punt on their 'already paid for' ticket value all the time... because it's usually more valuable then family meltdown

Oh absolutely, but people do that all the time anyways. I don't think the heat would cause a significant difference in that behavior, at least any moreso than most summers -- if you're willing to be there when it's 91, it being 96 instead isn't likely to change your thinking.

I guess my overall point is that the "heat" isn't really a great excuse when it's a relatively negligible difference compared to the expected. It's not like people were planning a Disney visit in July and thinking it was going to be 72 degrees.

 

[el_super]

Ok, whatever. If you want to believe that the Friday before

Yes. I choose to believe the people that have access to all the numbers and are literally paid to know what's going on at the place.

 

[Disstevefan1]

By saying guests avoid going to the parks during the heat, I did not mean "not at all." Guests going for only a few hours in the early morning or later evening can have a significant impact on wait times overall.

The split day has always been a tip that folks talked about for decades.

I wonder now that we have the Slyliner as additional, very convenient transportation, more and more folks are more likely to use it to go back to the resort and do the split day.?

Just speculating.

 

[UNCgolf]

The split day has always been a tip that folks talked about for decades.

I wonder now that we have the Slyliner as additional, very convenient transportation, more and more folks are more likely to use it to go back to the resort and do the split day.?

Just speculating

The Skyliner probably has some effect, but likely pretty small in the grand scheme. It only runs to two of the parks and less than half of the resorts.

 

[some other guy]

I guess my overall point is that the "heat" isn't really a great excuse when it's a relatively negligible difference compared to the expected. It's not like people were planning a Disney visit in July and thinking it was going to be 72 degrees.

I bike seven miles a day up around 414 and 436. There's been hotter summers.

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

Yes. I choose to believe the people that have access to all the numbers and are literally paid to know what's going on at the place.

They’re being disingenuous at best…outright lying likely

Remember: they are under no obligation to tell the truth when vague statements provide the outs needed.

That’s what they do. Welcome to Wall Street

 

[Dan Deesnee]

Getting back to the rooms that only the 1% can afford...

Isn't the whole deal with the lake in front of the MK that the guest experience begins at the TTC?

Deluxe guests don't have to drive or take a bus to get to MK. They can walk to the gate or use their own express Monorail, which at one time, other guests had to pay for while those deluxe guests got it for free.

And heavens forbid if they have to bus it to EPCOT. They got a track to whisk them there.

And as mentioned above, the original A-E Ticket system allowed those with greater means to spend all day riding E-Ticket rides, while the poor shlubs buying the special-deal coupon books were steered into B-level experiences and just a limited E-experiences. This is on top of park entrance fee, too.

Classic Walt & Co. loved a good upsell.

I don't love that Disney has leaned into trying to capture more of the high dollar customer market. However, they're running a business and upgraded rooms, convenience at a cost, etc. has always been part of traveling to just about ANY destination.

It's the nickel and diming, and the removal of services like Magical Express that really angers me.

 

[JD80]

Define extreme heat. The curve from that week for the wait times follow similar patterns on the same days every year.

Where the local or state government puts out advisory warnings.

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

Where the local or state government puts out advisory warnings.

Yep…all those dozens of people that said “phoenix Had a warning…we’re gonna cancel that wdw trip we booked last year…”

 

[Splash4eva]

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

Disney still wins.

Yea when i was a kid agreed & even after that when parks were open wayyyyy longer hours than they are now. They had the best of everything now that statement doesnt hold much ground especially that you can easily order things to room from outside sources & bring them to the pool

 

[JD80]

Oh absolutely, but people do that all the time anyways. I don't think the heat would cause a significant difference in that behavior, at least any moreso than most summers -- if you're willing to be there when it's 91, it being 96 instead isn't likely to change your thinking.

I guess my overall point is that the "heat" isn't really a great excuse when it's a relatively negligible difference compared to the expected. It's not like people were planning a Disney visit in July and thinking it was going to be 72 degrees.

Len Testa thinks the heat was a suppression agent during that time. He's a pretty smart guy go tell him he's wrong.

 

[JD80]

Yep…all those dozens of people that said “phoenix Had a warning…we’re gonna cancel that wdw trip we booked last year…”

Your trolling is really not adding much to this conversation. You can stop with this cancelation nonsense.

 

[Vegas Disney Fan]

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.

Depends on how far away the bar is.

 

[TheIceBaron]

I am sure that Bob Iger interview had pre-approved questions being asked, but I think the interviewer didn’t really press the attendance issue properly.

Instead of focusing on having low attendance on a just a single day, I would have asked if hotel bookings and ticket purchases were down significantly compared to same time last year. I would have also asked, looking ahead, how this upcoming fall season compares with last years fall season in terms of raw numbers.

They have the data and we will get better numbers on their earnings call. I’m hopeful that by investing that 10 billion over a decade in WDW means they are showing declining attendance