Is attendance really down at WDW this or…

[_caleb]

I'd love to see this too but the castle parks are bursting at the seems, new rides and entertainment can't overcome the limitations of the paths and other pinch points, not to mention the packed roads, sold out hotels, staffing issues, and other issues outside the park gates. In a perfect world they'd build another resort in another state to pull some of the crowds away from CA and FL, and to expand their market, but I don't think it'll ever happen, why spend $ Billions building a new resort when the overcrowding allows them to nickel and dime their loyal guests with schemes like ILL and Genie+ and to charge outrageous rates for their hotels and parking?

Overcrowding is horrible for the guests but allows Disney to overcharge for everything, it's great for them.

Yeah, I'm obviously speaking as a fan here, but that's exactly the sort of expansion I'm talking about: more parks, more to do at the smaller parks, and something in another state would be great.

I know nickel-and-diming is their strategy, but I think it puts short-term profit ahead of long-term customer loyalty. So the parks are packed and money keeps pouring in, but I want them to be thinking generationally, not quarterly (stock prices). I know someone always says something like, "surely it'll catch up with them eventually." Well, I think one reason Disney isn't doing as well at the box office is that they've squandered a good bit of the long-term loyalty they earned with previous generations by making lots of stuff super accessible (content on TV networks, low ticket prices at the parks) and getting people hooked.

 

[TheIceBaron]

Not to bring up a possible 5th park at WDW and invite scorn, but I think it might make some sense to build a 5th park in close proximity to Magic Kingdom that could serve to alleviate some crowds. Of course the parking and other transportation systems would need to be retooled a bit.

Beyond big thunder won’t solve the crowd problem and it might even make it worse if they plan to allow more people to enter Magic Kingdom. Magic kingdom is very far from the other parks so it makes it kind of a production to get to them and time is valuable to the guest.

It wouldn’t make sense to build a 5th park otherwise since pretty much the other 3 parks (especially AK) are underbuilt. The 5th park being close to Magic Kingdom could offer as a quick respite to unhappy Magic kingdom guests, or even be packed with compelling dining options to further entice a visit. It could even have a competitive fireworks show on a Magic kingdom level at the same time.

 

[Tha Realest]

Yes, part of the genius of their old business model is they make made it seem fun to spend money while you're in the parks.

FTFY

 

[lentesta]

Tuesday's Washington Post on the complicated nature of planning a Disney trip.

 

[Drdcm]

Tuesday's Washington Post on the complicated nature of planning a Disney trip.

Thanks for sharing. I couldn’t figure out how to share the link without a paywall yesterday.

 

[Tha Realest]

Tuesday's Washington Post on the complicated nature of planning a Disney trip.

Is it in any way worrisome to some of the more staunch Disney defenders that articles like this on national news platforms is a bimonthly occurrence?

 

[JD80]

MK is slowly becoming my least favorite park because of the crowds. The mass of humanity is just uncomfortable towards the end of the day as everyone packs in for fireworks.

 

[Touchdown]

MK is slowly becoming my least favorite park because of the crowds. The mass of humanity is just uncomfortable towards the end of the day as everyone packs in for fireworks.

The MK has nothing on DHS, which is only pleasant from open til 10:30ish, and sometimes (but not always) after 6pm.

 

[Lilofan]

Thanks for sharing. I couldn’t figure out how to share the link without a paywall yesterday.

The power of social media one can study tips and tricks watching Tik Tok and You Tube

 

[Sir_Cliff]

Tuesday's Washington Post on the complicated nature of planning a Disney trip.

When I read these articles, I really wonder what sort of person who wasn't already a fan of the parks would plan a WDW vacation today. It really sounds like the opposite of a good time.

 

[Tha Realest]

When I read these articles, I really wonder what sort of person who wasn't already a fan of the parks would plan a WDW vacation today. It really sounds like the opposite of a good time.

Not just the uninitiated. We went to a Disney park around once a year since 2015, and then 2x a year early on during Covid. We’ve tapered off substantially, and other than a current plan to do W&D (where an Epcot ticket is included) we have no desire to go back for the foreseeable future.

 

[JD80]

The MK has nothing on DHS, which is only pleasant from open til 10:30ish, and sometimes (but not always) after 6pm.

There's a reason I didn't go to DHS my last trip.

 

[Touchdown]

There's a reason I didn't go to DHS my last trip.

Yeah but DHS has ToT, and Fantasmic. I can’t miss those, but there’s a reason on DHS days I usually hop twice.

 

[Nubs70]

Tuesday's Washington Post on the complicated nature of planning a Disney trip.

Bah.... still hitting the paywall

 

[Laketravis]

The concept of raising prices to suppress attendance while maintaining the same financial margins has one glaring fault -

Disney can't resist the temptation of reducing costs to further maximize those margins, further degrading the experience rather than enhancing it.

For example (and in simple math) - doubling the price of admission to halve the number of people in the parks presents a wonderful possibility of low to no attraction wait times. EXCEPT they then reduce staffing and other cost contributing elements that only serve to make the park "feel" just as crowded as it did when twice as many people were in it.

 

[Laketravis]

Bah.... still hitting the paywall

Try this:

Disney trips are so complicated now that you need a class to plan one

Rob Kayris and his family of six were “dumping a boatload of money” into a Disney trip last year and wanted to make the most of it. So a few months before the vacation, they took a class about the new ride reservation system, Genie Plus. Then right before the trip in February, they took it...

www.yahoo.com

 

[_caleb]

Is it in any way worrisome to some of the more staunch Disney defenders that articles like this on national news platforms is a bimonthly occurrence?

I’m often called a “Disney defender,” and no, it doesn’t bother me at all that articles like this are popping up more frequently. Quite the opposite!

In my opinion, the parks—everything about them—are way too expensive. And the nickel-and-diming has gotten way out of hand. I’m not expecting anything to change anytime soon, but I think articles like this are great because it applies negative PR pressure that Disney might actually pay attention to.

While I don’t think prices are going to come down, I do think this pressure might help them fix Genie app (or at least make it less central to the experience).

 

[Drdcm]

I’m often called a “Disney defender,” and no, it doesn’t bother me at all that articles like this are popping up more frequently. Quite the opposite!

In my opinion, the parks—everything about them—are way too expensive. And the nickel-and-diming has gotten way out of hand. I’m not expecting anything to change anytime soon, but I think articles like this are great because it applies negative PR pressure that Disney might actually pay attention to.

While I don’t think prices are going to come down, I do think this pressure might help them fix Genie app (or at least make it less central to the experience).

I honestly think the only thing that will change the current course is for them to hit hard times again - like a precipitous decline in attendance that they can’t claw back with increased prices. So… a major economic recession essentially.

I’m not hoping for it, it’s just that they need to be put in the position of needing to entice consumers rather than act like they need to turn people them away.

I love Disney and still go, although less now than in the late 2010s.

 

[Disstevefan1]

I honestly think the only thing that will change the current course is for them to hit hard times again - like a precipitous decline in attendance that they can’t claw back with increased prices. So… a major economic recession essentially.

I’m not hoping for it, it’s just that they need to be put in the position of needing to entice consumers rather than act like they need to turn people them away.

I love Disney and still go, although less now than in the late 2010s.

2019, Ah the good ol' days

But we do have EPIC Universe to look forward to!!

 

[Drdcm]

2019, Ah the good ol' days

But we do have EPIC Universe to look forward to!!

I’m younger, so my good ol’ days were circa 2012 when the parks were open until 1-2am regularly and you didn’t have to pay for a second ticket. The end of ME was when I realized it wasn’t the same though.