Is attendance really down at WDW this or…

[SamusAranX]

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 agree with their need for improvement, but how did they botch Hogsmeade and Hagrid’s? Those had multi hour waits for their experiences on opening day so the public clearly was aware. IoA though…yikes.

 

[Lilofan]

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


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

It is mind blowing a huge park is opening in Orlando in a year and where is the huge advertising ? But then again the company who runs UNI is Comcast , one of the most hated companies in the country earning the distinction the worst company in the USA twice in the last 15 years according to Consumerist poll.

 

[Disstevefan1]

I agree with their need for improvement, but how did they botch Hogsmeade and Hagrid’s? Those had multi hour waits for their experiences on opening day so the public clearly was aware. IoA though…yikes.

How great is it we complain how Universal announces new lands and and experiences that they actually open and launch super quick, LOL.

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

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.

You’re the one time, $15,000 whale whose cabin at aspen is being refurbished?

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

How great is it we complain how Universal announces new lands and and experiences that they actually open and launch super quick, LOL.

…there’s no reason you can’t

None

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

I agree with their need for improvement, but how did they botch Hogsmeade and Hagrid’s? Those had multi hour waits for their experiences on opening day so the public clearly was aware. IoA though…yikes.

That’s a pretty silly statement

They didn’t “botch” anything there

It was a quick, highly effective overlay of a bad theme park land that didn’t cost $2 bil either…

After they slow roll 5 years on dinoland…there is ZERO chance Disney is half as effective. None

 

[Andrew25]

I agree with their need for improvement, but how did they botch Hogsmeade and Hagrid’s? Those had multi hour waits for their experiences on opening day so the public clearly was aware. IoA though…yikes.

My messaging got a bit convoluted, but the Hogsmeade and Hagrid opening's were an operational disaster (not marketing).

 

[wannabeBelle]

That’s a pretty silly statement

They didn’t “botched” anything there

It was a quick, highly effective overlay of a bad theme park land that didn’t cost $2 bil either…

After they slow roll 5 years on dinoland…there is ZERO chance Disney is half as effective. None

And as far as a smaller roll out did anyone catch this announcement from Uni:

Mark your calendars for June 14 because that's when the magic begins!
.

DreamWorks Land: Hang out with Shrek, ride the Trollercoaster, learn kung fu with Po, and catch the new live show DreamWorks Imagination Celebration!

(June 14th)
.

Hogwarts Always: Dive into the enchanting world of Harry Potter with the mesmerizing nighttime extravaganza at Hogwarts™ castle!

(June 14th)
.

CINESATIONAL Lagoon Show: Thrill to a cinematic journey with stirring soundtracks evoking the mystery and magic of Harry Potter™, the pulse-pounding thrills of Jurassic World and the gripping suspense of Jaws. On select nights

(June 14th)
.

Universal Mega Movie Parade: Join your favorite characters in a dazzling daytime parade, featuring T. rex, E.T., Trolls, and more!

(July 3rd)

Im sure this isnt particularly costly (relatively speaking of course) nor did it take 5 years to roll out and all of this, while they are building a new park. Marie

 

[Tha Realest]

And as far as a smaller roll out did anyone catch this announcement from Uni:

Mark your calendars for June 14 because that's when the magic begins!
.

DreamWorks Land: Hang out with Shrek, ride the Trollercoaster, learn kung fu with Po, and catch the new live show DreamWorks Imagination Celebration!

(June 14th)
.

Hogwarts Always: Dive into the enchanting world of Harry Potter with the mesmerizing nighttime extravaganza at Hogwarts™ castle!

(June 14th)
.

CINESATIONAL Lagoon Show: Thrill to a cinematic journey with stirring soundtracks evoking the mystery and magic of Harry Potter™, the pulse-pounding thrills of Jurassic World and the gripping suspense of Jaws. On select nights

(June 14th)
.

Universal Mega Movie Parade: Join your favorite characters in a dazzling daytime parade, featuring T. rex, E.T., Trolls, and more!

(July 3rd)

Im sure this isnt particularly costly (relatively speaking of course) nor did it take 5 years to roll out and all of this, while they are building a new park. Marie

Not just building out a new park in Orlando, a few hotels too. In addition, they’re also building that park in Texas, as well as that horror experience in Las Vegas.

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

I think the last excuse for externalities were really high rates of inflation that you could see affecting bookings late 22-most of 2023, and I think the pound still sucks. Can probably explain that much away. But they know bookings are still soft for the rest of 2024 and likely know they are not at expectations at this point in time for what is available in 2025 and they should be sweating it, 100%. They are definitely losing whales.

Agree with the first part…strongly disagree with the last sentence

The place isn’t for “whales”…and that’s the problem with this awful management

The parks were designed and constructed to serve the middle. The fact it can service whales - sorta - was a bonus.

But now the middle Joe is is shrinking and what’s left is being ejected from the park due to bad philosophy.

There will never be enough whales.

I feel like I may have said this before…but here goes anyway:
There has NEVER been a drop in wdw attendance without a severe economic disruption of some kind.

 

[rd805]

It is mind blowing a huge park is opening in Orlando in a year and where is the huge advertising ? But then again the company who runs UNI is Comcast , one of the most hated companies in the country earning the distinction the worst company in the USA twice in the last 15 years according to Consumerist poll.

They don't need to be on an advertising push -- so much of the world knows about it, and is already worried about OVER CROWDING. You know that more media will come out, and honestly - it's not needed.

 

[Disstevefan1]

Agree with the first part…strongly disagree with the last sentence

The place isn’t for “whales”…and that’s the problem with this awful management

The parks were designed and constructed to serve the middle. The fact it can service whales - sorta - was a bonus.

But now the middle Joe is is shrinking and what’s left is being ejected from the park due to bad philosophy.

There will never be enough whales.

I feel like I may have said this before…but here goes anyway:
There has NEVER been a drop in wdw attendance without a severe economic disruption of some kind.

Could we be at a point where there are more families being priced out of a WDW vacation than there are new families to replace them?

 

[Lilofan]

They don't need to be on an advertising push -- so much of the world knows about it, and is already worried about OVER CROWDING. You know that more media will come out, and honestly - it's not needed.

Something not taught in business school , don’t do too much advertising …for grand opening

 

[PREMiERdrum]

It's not the volume of their recent advertising, it's the content. They spent the last several years focusing much of their messaging on resort hotels, driving potential guests to research only to find them wildly expensive with difficult to search promotions and nearly-nonexistent onsite benefits.

In the past few months they've released some new media that again showcases the attractions themselves... not just princesses, deluxe hotels, and the impossible "holding Mickey's hand walking down Main Street."

Now, they need to fix their broken pricing model, offer real benefits for staying onsite, and THEN get a big marketing push out that promotes the improvements... itself a way to quietly acknowledge the mistakes of Blue Ocean.

Will it happen? I'm not confident.

 

[SamusAranX]

My messaging got a bit convoluted, but the Hogsmeade and Hagrid opening's were an operational disaster (not marketing).

A case could be made, but beyond doing a limited reservation system like Disney’s is currently, those gates would have been slammed regardless. Hagrids needed more technical kinks worked out as well. Which I’ll give Disney credit for, I can’t remember a time they opened an attraction prematurely that had a ton of downtime, RotR being a notable exception

 

[SamusAranX]

It's not the volume of their recent advertising, it's the content. They spent the last several years focusing much of their messaging on resort hotels, driving potential guests to research only to find them wildly expensive with difficult to search promotions and nearly-nonexistent onsite benefits.

In the past few months they've released some new media that again showcases the attractions themselves... not just princesses, deluxe hotels, and the impossible "holding Mickey's hand walking down Main Street."

Now, they need to fix their broken pricing model, offer real benefits for staying onsite, and THEN get a big marketing push out that promotes the improvements... itself a way to quietly acknowledge the mistakes of Blue Ocean.

Will it happen? I'm not confident.

Unfortunately I have no confidence this will happen. Disney almost never restores free benefits or perks that used to be free; even with resort parking fees eliminated they just wrapped it up in their rack rate pricing.

 

[PREMiERdrum]

Unfortunately I have no confidence this will happen. Disney almost never restores free benefits or perks that used to be free; even with resort parking fees eliminated they just wrapped it up in their rack rate pricing.

The resort hotel side of their business is performing poorly enough that their hand might be forced.

Mothballing blocks and blocks of rooms at several resorts is not sustainable.

 

[orion54]

The resort hotel side of their business is performing poorly enough that their hand might be forced.

Mothballing blocks and blocks of rooms at several resorts is not sustainable.

Can you say DVC conversion? But really and sadly that might be their thinking.

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

Could we be at a point where there are more families being priced out of a WDW vacation than there are new families to replace them?

You just cracked the can of worms…that debate has been an undercurrent on forums for 20 years…at least

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

Can you say DVC conversion? But really and sadly that might be their thinking.

That isn’t the bottomless pool people assume it is either