Is attendance really down at WDW this or…

[Eric Graham]

We were looking to book Royal Pacific at Universal next March, 2025. Rooms are coming up between $700 and $800.

Is that the norm or are we picking a bad time? Easter isn't until late April that year. Is it due to Epic Universe?

Would you suggest a different Universal hotel? We haven't stayed at one yet, so not sure what to pick

We've stayed at Royal Pacific before. It's a really beautiful and very nice hotel. The pool is heated as well. Maybe April or May would be a be a better price time, but not around Easter. We've stayed at the Portofino Bay, and it is a wonderful hotel also. Just getting over food poisoning since Thursday...fun times....We're excited to see Epic open also...

 

[peter11435]

We've stayed at Royal Pacific before. It's a really beautiful and very nice hotel. The pool is heated as well. Maybe April or May would be a be a better price time, but not around Easter. We've stayed at the Portofino Bay, and it is a wonderful hotel also. Just getting over food poisoning since Thursday...fun times....We're excited to see Epic open also...

Are heated pools that much of a surprise these days?

 

[Lilofan]

Are heated pools that much of a surprise these days?

I loved the heated pool at Hard Rock with music speakers installed under water . When you swim and go under you can hear the music playing.

 

[peter11435]

I loved the heated pool at Hard Rock with music speakers installed under water . When you swim and go under you can hear the music playing.

Again though. Are heated pools unusual these days for resorts?

 

[Lilofan]

Again though. Are heated pools unusual these days for resorts?

Not unusual but when I took a dip at the pool by Casita 4 at Coronado, years ago one early morning, that pool water was very cold and did not feel like 80 degrees.

 

[networkpro]

Not unusual but when I took a dip at the pool by Casita 4 at Coronado, years ago one early morning, that pool water was very cold and did not feel like 80 degrees.

80? Did you hop in with teabags ?

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

Not unusual but when I took a dip at the pool by Casita 4 at Coronado, years ago one early morning, that pool water was very cold and did not feel like 80 degrees.

…that’s the random non-seq you’re known and loved for

 

[peter11435]

Not unusual but when I took a dip at the pool by Casita 4 at Coronado, years ago one early morning, that pool water was very cold and did not feel like 80 degrees.

So maybe the heater wasn’t working at one of the ~75 heated pools at WDW some random day years ago.

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

So maybe the heater wasn’t working at one of the ~75 heated pools at WDW some random day years ago.

…yep…that was the tale that one day

Heater didn’t work on a random day at Barbados in Caribbean too…there was hell to pay!!!

 

[HauntedPirate]

Anecdotal, but I’ve seen no evidence as of yet of deliberate “running a ride at half capacity”. But I have seen many instances of inefficient loading, such as only loading 6 or even 3 people on a train that can hold 20 in the case of the WEDWay. I have no reason to believe that more than one car would be unavailable on any given train in service. Sending a boat on Pirates that is roughly half full is another example I saw. It was morning but still, plenty more could have been loaded. Those LL boats also went out with a handful of people on them. I saw two boats dispatched, one with 4 LL guests, one with 3 LL guests. More were close to the loading area but I don’t know what the protocols are for sending those boats.

Twice I saw a good 50 LL people be allowed into the line at Big Thunder before 10-15 standby guests were allowed onto the ramp. Standby times were around 40 minutes at that time.

 

[Nubs70]

Can you expand on what that is? Marie

Jeep sales were stalling out. Stellantis has lowered the price point.

 

[JoeCamel]

80? Did you hop in with teabags ?

81 or I don't go in, same for the ocean

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

80? Did you hop in with teabags ?

…I’ll thank you to leave his teabag OUT of this

 

[Lilofan]

So maybe the heater wasn’t working at one of the ~75 heated pools at WDW some random day years ago.

Ya think?

 

[peter11435]

Ya think?

Well, clearly.

 

[Lilofan]

…I’ll thank you to leave his teabag OUT of this

Make that green tea. I drink it all day long and the health benefits are tremendous.

 

[PREMiERdrum]

Easter falling on March 31st this year consolidates the bulk of Spring Break scheduling to either the week of 3/25 or 4/1. We're less than a month out from that.

Aside from Caribbean beach and some of the DVC properties, there is hotel availability at nearly every onsite resort for both weeks as well as Easter weekend. Further, there is still promotional availability broadly available (All Star rack $234, promo $190 / Coronado rack $377, promo $282 / AKL rack $629, promo $440).

The parks will be busy. I'll be there 3/24-3/28 with performing groups, and expect things to be tight. But the hotel business? Incredibly, unsettlingly light.

 

[HauntedPirate]

Easter falling on March 31st this year consolidates the bulk of Spring Break scheduling to either the week of 3/25 or 4/1. We're less than a month out from that.

Aside from Caribbean beach and some of the DVC properties, there is hotel availability at nearly every onsite resort for both weeks as well as Easter weekend. Further, there is still promotional availability broadly available (All Star rack $234, promo $190 / Coronado rack $377, promo $282 / AKL rack $629, promo $440).

The parks will be busy. I'll be there 3/24-3/28 with performing groups, and expect things to be tight. But the hotel business? Incredibly, unsettlingly light.

Cut those rack rates in half and 1/3 of their problems will be solved. The other issues are rides needing more maintenance but TDO needing that sweet, sweet Genie- and ILL revenue, and the elephant in the room - ticket prices. Yesterday, single day ticket prices were $179/174/174/159 for each of the 4 parks. Utterly ridiculous.

 

[Willmark]

As a contrast to the woes at Disney, we’re planning out the first summer vacation in a bit to Cedar Point this summer.

Forgetting all of the other pros and cons and solely focusing on tickets.

Fastlane+ at Cedar Point to bypass the standby line will be (on average) an extra $660 for the four of us per day. But to be able to skip the standby line for rides that are superior to anything Disney offers? I’ll gladly pay that.

This really puts into perspective just how pathetic Disney’s nickel and dime “upgrades” are for line skipping.

Almost every ride with no restrictions, 27 of them in fact with only 1 being a one time on per day (Top Thrill 2.)

Sign me up. Hope you’re listening Disney but first you need to expand out your rides, and we all know how well that is going.

 

[PREMiERdrum]

As a contrast to the woes at Disney, we’re planning out the first summer vacation in a bit to Cedar Point this summer.

Forgetting all of the other pros and cons and solely focusing on tickets.

Fastlane+ at Cedar Point to bypass the standby line will be (on average) an extra $660 for the four of us per day. But to be able to skip the standby line for rides that are superior to anything Disney offers? I’ll gladly pay that.

This really puts into perspective just how pathetic Disney’s nickel and dime “upgrades” are for line skipping.

Almost every ride with no restrictions, 27 of them in fact with only 1 being a one time on per day (Top Thrill 2.)

Sign me up. Hope you’re listening Disney but first you need to expand out your rides, and we all know how well that is going.

Hoping to hit the Point a couple times this summer, we're right down the road in Columbus. TT2 looks incredible!