Is attendance really down at WDW this or…

[Sirwalterraleigh]

honest question, has the quality of anything at Disney increased or returned to its pre-pandemic levels?

The dining quality reduction was long before pandemic…more of an “early Iger” initiative over time

But to answer your question: they appear to have used the pandemic as a flimsy excuse to cut margins and increase micro charging…everywhere

Which can only result in lower quality. It’s rather academic.

 

[wannabeBelle]

Remember that dining plan was an on property thing…so ending it should not force people off property regardless

I was thinking that if people didnt pay for the dining plan because it wasnt available, then looked at the prices to pay for the onsite meal out of pocket, I wonder if off site was then a better idea to save money. Even if people dont have a car, Uber or Lyft are very easy to work with to get to an offsite location, or ordering from a local place to be delivered could be a whole lot less expensive than eating onsite. Marie

 

[Splash4eva]

I was thinking that if people didnt pay for the dining plan because it wasnt available, then looked at the prices to pay for the onsite meal out of pocket, I wonder if off site was then a better idea to save money. Even if people dont have a car, Uber or Lyft are very easy to work with to get to an offsite location, or ordering from a local place to be delivered could be a whole lot less expensive than eating onsite. Marie

The problem with off site dining is this… you lose to much time going back and forth if you eat say at 5ish and with the prices they are charging to enter the parks im not sure people want to lose those precious hours eating.

 

[TheMaxRebo]

I was thinking that if people didnt pay for the dining plan because it wasnt available, then looked at the prices to pay for the onsite meal out of pocket, I wonder if off site was then a better idea to save money. Even if people dont have a car, Uber or Lyft are very easy to work with to get to an offsite location, or ordering from a local place to be delivered could be a whole lot less expensive than eating onsite. Marie

and if resort bookings are down maybe people just explored staying offsite more (perks of staying on site are definitely down) .... once off property way easier to check out other dining options

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

I was thinking that if people didnt pay for the dining plan because it wasnt available, then looked at the prices to pay for the onsite meal out of pocket, I wonder if off site was then a better idea to save money. Even if people dont have a car, Uber or Lyft are very easy to work with to get to an offsite location, or ordering from a local place to be delivered could be a whole lot less expensive than eating onsite. Marie

Perhaps…

But you know a big reason why people pay the prices on-site is they have ZERO desire to leave the bubble

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

and if resort bookings are down maybe people just explored staying offsite more (perks of staying on site are definitely down) .... once off property way easier to check out other dining options

Attendance is also down

Not only are people staying off site…they’re doing it pretty much the whole time

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

The problem with off site dining is this… you lose to much time going back and forth if you eat say at 5ish and with the prices they are charging to enter the parks im not sure people want to lose those precious hours eating.

Agree…which means they’re not paying for the sit downs…but they’re there

And a little history could possibly tell us why?

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

Think of the length of the rides in Future World - SSE, 15 minutes. Horizons, 15+ minutes. UoE - 40 minutes. WoM - 15+ minutes. LwtL - 15 minutes. The pavilions were massive people eaters.

And you could have EXCELLENT dining in between…

 

[seabreezept813]

Advance bookings have taken a big hit since the last year and aggregate crowds are significantly down since 4/15/23…

That’s the deal

Now “wait time”are a separate issue/problem

100% for us the parks aren’t as crowded indicators were being able to walk up in front of the castle 20 minutes before fireworks. Or plenty of tables in QS. Roses weren’t necessarily easier to get on.

 

[Splash4eva]

And you could have EXCELLENT dining in between…

The food was amazing back in the day. I remember as a kid dining in almost all the different World Showcase restaurants during our trips

 

[MadderAdder]

Perhaps folks are eating less expensive reservations to opt into G+ budgets….

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

Perhaps folks are eating less expensive reservations to opt into G+ budgets….

It’s certainly possible

And if so…defeats the purpose of a “new revenue stream”

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

100% for us the parks aren’t as crowded indicators were being able to walk up in front of the castle 20 minutes before fireworks. Or plenty of tables in QS. Roses weren’t necessarily easier to get on.

I’m actually shocked there isn’t even MORE discussion about the impact genie is having.

I don’t want to start it…but when people look at their phone app and determine crowd size by it…they are missing some big shortcomings of what the system is and who’s running it

 

[Splash4eva]

I’m actually shocked there isn’t even MORE discussion about the impact genie is having.

I don’t want to start it…but when people look at their phone app and determine crowd size by it…they are missing some big shortcomings of what the system is and who’s running it

Do you really think people are buying based on wait times or buying it based on the fact its being sold as a skip the line product? Maybe im in the minority but even if i only save 20 minutes per ride it be worth it for me… no wait is better than even a short wait

 

[seabreezept813]

Yeah, this seams to be a recurring theme. The parks themselves not being any quieter in terms of footfall and wait times, but so called extra curricular stuff being a lot quieter.. dining reservations, purchases in the shops etc.

I think that makes sense - a lot of people really still want to come but can only just afford it what with price rises, so they do still come, but cut back on any extras.

Especially when you can bring food in, an easy way to make the trip closer to the cost it used to be. For us this year we cut one night and park hoppers. So people who are still going are probably trying to make it work financially.

 

[Wendy Pleakley]

I wonder if the elimination of the Dining Plan for a few years is playing into this in that people either were ordering from offsite locations or going offsite to dine at other locations in the area. This could be to save money or get a better quality meal for the same or less cost and they are just continuing with that option now? Marie

I'm sure it also made some people rethink where they were eating while on property.

Of course you're going to do sit down meals when they're included with the plan, but without it you're more likely to do counter service meals.

And some people will determine that counter service is adequate and ultimately saves time and money.

 

[seabreezept813]

honest question, has the quality of anything at Disney increased or returned to its pre-pandemic levels?

I gave this one honest thought because I try to think neutrally about stuff. The only answer I could come up with was… Fantasmic and transportation (specifically Skyliner).

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

Do you really think people are buying based on wait times or buying it based on the fact its being sold as a skip the line product? Maybe im in the minority but even if i only save 20 minutes per ride it be worth it for me… no wait is better than even a short wait

I’m not actually saying it’s a bad product

what I’m saying is it’s an “instrument” to direct people…just as fast pass was…

And there’s a key reason why it cannot be used as a crowd indicator

 

[Splash4eva]

I’m not actually saying it’s a bad product

what I’m saying is it’s an “instrument” to direct people…just as fast pass was…

And there’s a key reason why it cannot be used as a crowd indicator

Totally agree with the crowd comment. Just because lines are long does not mean parks are crowded. Yes common sense can say that but there are so many other factors that are creating these longer waits

 

[Miss Bella]

The food was amazing back in the day. I remember as a kid dining in almost all the different World Showcase restaurants during our trips

We started going in 2010. On our first few trips, we got the deluxe dining plan and ate at all the signature restaurants. We even got a wine package. I thought the food was really good. It may still be really good I just can't justify the price. My salary hasn't kept up with Disney prices.