Is attendance really down at WDW this or…

[hopemax]

I track theme park news. I'm curious how much the regular Disney traveler from out of state is aware of EPIC Universe being built. For example, I think my husband only knows about EPIC Universe because I told him.

We went to a restaurant last week, and I was wearing my Universal Studios shirt. A server from another table came over when we were seated to say how excited they were about Epic Universe opening. I was to say the least, surprised.

We are in that coveted "family from Denver, CO" demo.

 

[Lilofan]

If you told me 0% outside of theme park aficionados did not know about Epic universe I would not be surprised. My boss at work went to universal this past week. I’m interested to hear if he even knows about it.

My neighbors continue to vacation at WDW with maybe a day trip to Sea World or Universal if even that. One didn’t even know what Epic was.

 

[GhostHost1000]

My neighbors continue to vacation at WDW with maybe a day trip to Sea World or Universal if even that. One didn’t even know what Epic was.

they will once it opens

 

[networkpro]

A small tangent, but is any one else getting bombarded by advertisements for one park per day for $99 pp ?

 

[wannabeBelle]

A small tangent, but is any one else getting bombarded by advertisements for one park per day for $99 pp ?

I have been seeing them quite a bit up here in NYC.. Marie

 

[seabreezept813]

Are the Disney chase free meal deals for next December new? Saw those today and was surprised to see them during XMAS season.

 

[Tuvalu]

Are the Disney chase free meal deals for next December new? Saw those today and was surprised to see them during XMAS season.

Pre-pandemic free dining was offered in December, typically up to the 24th.

 

[DisneyRoy]

If you told me 0% outside of theme park aficionados did not know about Epic universe I would not be surprised. My boss at work went to universal this past week. I’m interested to hear if he even knows about it.

Confirmed. My boss spent a week on site in a Universal hotel. And had no idea they were even constructing a new park. Sounds like Universal's advertising strategy for on site guests is...do nothing. Seems like a miss to me.

 

[Smugpugmug]

A small tangent, but is any one else getting bombarded by advertisements for one park per day for $99 pp ?

I went to a pub like restaurant last week and this ad showed up every time commercials came on. I live in MD.

 

[Andrew25]

Confirmed. My boss spent a week on site in a Universal hotel. And had no idea they were even constructing a new park. Sounds like Universal's advertising strategy for on site guests is...do nothing. Seems like a miss to me.

Universal's marketing team bothers the hell out of me lol. They botched yesterday's DreamWorks/Summer Entertainment announcement and Epic Universe is not well-known just yet outside the fan community. Maybe a Nintendo announcement soon can change that.

Universal is still "healing" from their botched openings/marketing efforts (internally) of Islands of Adventure, Hogsmeade, Hagrid, and Volcano Bay. Even if they're not 100% solid on an opening timeframe, just simple signage at their onsite resorts and parks with "Hey, Look what's coming next year" would do wonders.

They're afraid of people "skipping" visiting the resort this year, but Universal has built a great resort, with great onsite resorts, that can avoid what happened in the 2000s easily.

I sound like a broken record, but Universal Creative does wonderful work that gets botched by their operations team.

 

[HauntedPirate]

Universal's marketing team bothers the hell out of me lol. They botched yesterday's DreamWorks/Summer Entertainment announcement and Epic Universe is not well-known just yet outside the fan community. Maybe a Nintendo announcement soon can change that.

Universal is still "healing" from their botched openings/marketing efforts (internally) of Islands of Adventure, Hogsmeade, Hagrid, and Volcano Bay. Even if they're not 100% solid on an opening timeframe, just simple signage at their onsite resorts and parks with "Hey, Look what's coming next year" would do wonders.

They're afraid of people "skipping" visiting the resort this year, but Universal has built a great resort, with great onsite resorts, that can avoid what happened in the 2000s easily.

I sound like a broken record, but Universal Creative does wonderful work that gets botched by their operations team.

Simple signage on-site seems like such a small thing to do that would create interest and return visit potential. But what do we know...

 

[JoeCamel]

All ills will be offset by the preview center in CityWalk which will open in plenty of time to hype the park, we are more than a year from opening so the campaign is just getting ramped up and they don't want to reduce the numbers that want to travel now.

 

[Andrew25]

Simple signage on-site seems like such a small thing to do that would create interest and return visit potential. But what do we know...

Signage, informing TMs properly. etc., can do a lot. Disney does a masterful job at this. We are getting an Epic Universe preview center, so I'd imagine that will help.

A simple "Get Ready For More Epicness" sign on the moving walkways on the way out can do a lot.

Universal is afraid that you'll skip visiting today... but if you are already there what do they have to worry about? Considering Epic is expected to open sometime in the summer, you've already captured APs for a full year and don't have to worry about them not renewing their APs until next year.

I can understand avoiding a massive online media blitz, but they're should be signage resort wide soon.

All ills will be offset by the preview center in CityWalk which will open in plenty of time to hype the park, we are more than a year from opening so the campaign is just getting ramped up and they don't want to reduce the numbers that want to travel now.

Yeah, that will help a lot. We are now getting close to the one year to opening mark, so I'd imagine it'll ramp up more.

 

[Disstevefan1]

Universal's marketing team bothers the hell out of me lol. They botched yesterday's DreamWorks/Summer Entertainment announcement and Epic Universe is not well-known just yet outside the fan community. Maybe a Nintendo announcement soon can change that.

Universal is still "healing" from their botched openings/marketing efforts (internally) of Islands of Adventure, Hogsmeade, Hagrid, and Volcano Bay. Even if they're not 100% solid on an opening timeframe, just simple signage at their onsite resorts and parks with "Hey, Look what's coming next year" would do wonders.

They're afraid of people "skipping" visiting the resort this year, but Universal has built a great resort, with great onsite resorts, that can avoid what happened in the 2000s easily.

I sound like a broken record, but Universal Creative does wonderful work that gets botched by their operations team.

I get your point about the company should get the word out for business purposes, but at least when they announce something it has a real opening date. All this stuff opening in June, I just heard about Yesterday. From a fan standpoint its exciting because its only a few weeks of waiting, not years and years of waiting.

 

[HauntedPirate]

Signage, informing TMs properly. etc., can do a lot. Disney does a masterful job at this. We are getting an Epic Universe preview center, so I'd imagine that will help.

A simple "Get Ready For More Epicness" sign on the moving walkways on the way out can do a lot.

Universal is afraid that you'll skip visiting today... but if you are already there what do they have to worry about? Considering Epic is expected to open sometime in the summer, you've already captured APs for a full year and don't have to worry about them not renewing their APs until next year.

I can understand avoiding a massive online media blitz, but they're should be signage resort wide soon.


Yeah, that will help a lot. We are now getting close to the one year to opening mark, so I'd imagine it'll ramp up more.

Does Universal know that it gets hot in the summer? That could mean very low crowds for the opening of a brand new theme park.

 

[Andrew25]

I get your point about the company should get the word out for business purposes, but at least when they announce something it has a real opening date. All this stuff opening in June, I just heard about Yesterday. From a fan standpoint its exciting because its only a few weeks of waiting, not years and years of waiting.

Well the issue yesterday isn't the timing of when it was announced ,it was how it was announced. It was sloppy with external media sites revealing some stuff and the Universal site not working properly to confirm those announcements.

I think there's a happy medium between Disney's way too early announcements with way too much early information and Universal's way too late with little detail announcements.

 

[Lilofan]

Signage, informing TMs properly. etc., can do a lot. Disney does a masterful job at this. We are getting an Epic Universe preview center, so I'd imagine that will help.

A simple "Get Ready For More Epicness" sign on the moving walkways on the way out can do a lot.

Universal is afraid that you'll skip visiting today... but if you are already there what do they have to worry about? Considering Epic is expected to open sometime in the summer, you've already captured APs for a full year and don't have to worry about them not renewing their APs until next year.

I can understand avoiding a massive online media blitz, but they're should be signage resort wide soon.


Yeah, that will help a lot. We are now getting close to the one year to opening mark, so I'd imagine it'll ramp up more.

Has MCO have any advertisement on Epic opening?. Last visits I've not noticed any. Is there a count down digital click timer on a billboard on I-4 to when Epic opens?

 

[Disstevefan1]

Well the issue yesterday isn't the timing of when it was announced ,it was how it was announced. It was sloppy with external media sites revealing some stuff and the Universal site not working properly to confirm those announcements.

I think there's a happy medium between Disney's way too early announcements with way too much early information and Universal's way too late with little detail announcements.

Understood. But me as a fan, Universals announcement yesterday was exciting and its no waiting!

 

[Andrew25]

Has MCO have any advertisement on Epic opening?. Last visits I've not noticed any. Is there a count down digital click timer on a billboard on I-4 to when Epic opens?

Nope, I'd imagine that ramps up in the summer though

If we don't see a massive push for HHN, I have no idea what they're doing lol

They can't possibly wait until Jan 2025 (or later) to roll things out

Understood. But me as a fan, Universals announcement yesterday was exciting and its no waiting!

It is, I'm just not a fan of how they announce stuff so messy with details all over the place lol

 

[Disneydad1012]

Just got an email from DVC to book up to 3 rooms at OKW or SSR for up to 40% off....5/16-10/3 and 12/9-21 clearly, they need help filling those 2 resorts over the summer.