Is attendance really down at WDW this or…

[flynnibus]

You could say the same thing to people on this board for whom every vacation has to involve a Disney product in some way.

And I do! Which is exactly why I shake my head at those people who only goto WDW over and over....

Or the people who have taken the same DCL cruise route over and over again.

I bet you'd find the DCL cruisers are not as exclusive as the WDW folks are... the DCL people will often be park people too... but you won't find the inverse as true. Because of the masses that have convinced themselves only WDW can scratch their itch.

The reason DCL is being portrayed as a replacement for WDW trips is because people are saying as much.

And I'm saying it's because people still like/want Disney... and many are just now realizing that WDW isn't the only way to get what they thought they loved about Disney.

I don't think everybody wants one type of vacation, as in they always go to the same place or eat at the same restaurant, but it's more about the style of vacation. If you're the type like me that wants to pack in multiple activities, shops, museums, etc. Lounging around a ship, eating and relaxing, that doesn't appeal to me personally.

I agree when you say 'everyone' - but let's focus in on the audience in question here... The WDW faithful... that's what we are largely talking about here. 'multiple activities, shops, museums, etc' is not what you get from a WDW vacation.. and we're talking about the people who insist they want a 'theme park vacation'...

My postulate is they really want a DISNEY vacation... and they think WDW is the best way to get that. Many never wanted to even TRY other things... shifts in the WDW experience in the last 10yrs have shaken those beliefs and more people are trying other things.. and learning WDW wasn't the only, or even necessarily the best way to get the stuff they associated with a Disney experience.

 

[PREMiERdrum]

Cheerleader groups arriving today. Time to go........

The portion of participants staying onsite for these youth cheerleading events is less than half-ish of where it peaked.

Our local studio is there for Summit starting today, and the moms are all splitting big Air BnBs.

Captive school groups - like HS bands or other performing arts groups - are the only big chunk that Disney still has major control over, although as I've shared Uni and SW are chipping away at a decent pace. Cheaper, easier to arrange, fewer rules about the performance.

 

[Nubs70]

The portion of participants staying onsite for these youth cheerleading events is less than half-ish of where it peaked.

Our local studio is there for Summit starting today, and the moms are all splitting big Air BnBs.

Captive school groups - like HS bands or other performing arts groups - are the only big chunk that Disney still has major control over, although as I've shared Uni and SW are chipping away at a decent pace. Cheaper, easier to arrange, fewer rules about the performance.

My daughter's orchestra did the WDW thing years back. They stayed off site as resort accommodations with only interior door ways were way over a reasonable budget.

Interior doors were a requirement as they could stage security in hallways to keep the hormone raged miscreants separated.

 

[PREMiERdrum]

My daughter's orchestra did the WDW thing years back. They stayed off site as resort accommodations with only interior door ways were way over a reasonable budget.

Interior doors were a requirement as they could stage security in hallways to keep the hormone raged miscreants separated.

Rosen around the corner gets gobs of that business... with a group rate around $60 last I checked.

I always take my groups to WDW values. They are remarkably good at accommodating blocking requests, so the private security guards we hire for overnight no exactly who should be where.

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

Great information but I am staying out of the Middle East for the forseeable future. I have an Italy Cruise with a stop or two in Croatia and Montenegro, and next year Alaska on a group cruise with the Kingdom Konsultant Team and our clients who want to join in. I am going to try to get a sailing that includes Key West as well and maybe one longer cruise. There is a nice Canadian one out of Boston that looks good. There is another one that goes into the Scandanavian region that looks pretty awesome. I know my usual travel buddy wants to do Spain and Portugal so I have a lot to choose from before attempting the Middle East again. Marie

We were booked on the Canada jaunt a few years back…but switched it up for one out of Bayonne to Bermuda, Maine and Boston that was just too good to pass up.

Our 2020 one was supposed to be the northern “city tour” out of Southhampton…8 nights and 6 stops in 4 countries…

Really missed that. It was the first one and they never put it on the schedule again

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

Rosen around the corner gets gobs of that business... with a group rate around $60 last I checked.

I always take my groups to WDW values. They are remarkably good at accommodating blocking requests, so the private security guards we hire for overnight no exactly who should be where.

…I recommend chastity belts equipped with AirTags

…cuts down on ambiguity

 

[PREMiERdrum]

…I recommend chastity belts equipped with AirTags

…cuts down on ambiguity

My two oldest daughters were on this last trip with 150 others....

I made sure security was sorted.

 

[Laketravis]

The portion of participants staying onsite for these youth cheerleading events is less than half-ish of where it peaked.

Our local studio is there for Summit starting today, and the moms are all splitting big Air BnBs.

Captive school groups - like HS bands or other performing arts groups - are the only big chunk that Disney still has major control over, although as I've shared Uni and SW are chipping away at a decent pace. Cheaper, easier to arrange, fewer rules about the performance.

For sure - Disney wouldn't even tell us what day our band performance would be until 72 hours prior. Made it very difficult to plan for a group of 220 students and 20 chaperones/directors.

Midwest is another scam, nothing but a trade show targeted at school band directors using band students to showcase their composed music for sale. But I'm entirely off topic now.

 

[Laketravis]

Rosen around the corner gets gobs of that business... with a group rate around $60 last I checked.

I always take my groups to WDW values. They are remarkably good at accommodating blocking requests, so the private security guards we hire for overnight no exactly who should be where.

I like Rosen. He runs an admirable operation. And what a success story, having worked for Disney. Met the guy about 10 years ago and adopted some of his best practices in our own organization.

 

[Laketravis]

FYI - Uber from ASM to MCO was only $29 at 6:30pm. Cheaper than Meers for two people.

 

[PREMiERdrum]

Midwest is another scam, nothing but a trade show targeted at school band directors using band students to showcase their composed music for sale. But I'm entirely off topic now.

But those Bob Rogers cocktail parties sure do keep their stranglehold on the band travel market...

 

[wannabeBelle]

We were booked on the Canada jaunt a few years back…but switched it up for one out of Bayonne to Bermuda, Maine and Boston that was just too good to pass up.

Our 2020 one was supposed to be the northern “city tour” out of Southhampton…8 nights and 6 stops in 4 countries…

Really missed that. It was the first one and they never put it on the schedule again

I did a very similar sailing as well I want to say it was last year?? I am like 20 minutes from Bayonne so we hopped on the Summit, went to Bermuda, then to Charleston, South Carolina, then up to Newport Rhode Island and we were supposed to hit Martha's Vineyard but some stormy weather had other ideas about that!!! It was an AMAZING trip, I loved it!!! The South Carolina part and the Newport Stop were my favorites. Lots of historical sites including the Citadel and the Breakers Mansion. Marie

 

[Laketravis]

But those Bob Rogers cocktail parties sure do keep their stranglehold on the band travel market...

LOL! You do know what you are talking about

 

[PREMiERdrum]

LOL! You do know what you are talking about

I'm an onion.

Y'all know we own a travel agency, but that's not my job. (But the sourcing is pretty fun)

I'm entering my 20th season as a Percussion Director and my 4th as the Performing Arts Facility Manager for our district, but those aren't my "job" (though they pay pretty well).

I'm the Director of Communications and Outreach for a civil rights organization, going on 5 years there and 7 total in non-profit communications... after escaping a 13 year run in local TV news.

Hands in a lot of pots. Metaphorically speaking at least.

 

[Laketravis]

I'm an onion.

Y'all know we own a travel agency, but that's not my job. (But the sourcing is pretty fun)

I'm entering my 20th season as a Percussion Director and my 4th as the Performing Arts Facility Manager for our district, but those aren't my "job" (though they pay pretty well).

I'm the Director of Communications and Outreach for a civil rights organization, going on 5 years there and 7 total in non-profit communications... after escaping a 13 year run in local TV news.

Hands in a lot of pots. Metaphorically speaking at least.

Wow. I was VP of Travel for the Westlake Marching Band (Austin) but that was a volunteer position I relinquished last year when my son graduated.

 

[PREMiERdrum]

Wow. I was VP of Travel for the Westlake Marching Band (Austin) but that was a volunteer position I relinquished last year when my son graduated.

Small world! Chuck Fisher is the Westlake Middle School director... a dear friend and one of my supported artists from our other business.

And I have to assume having a whole Travel assistant is a TX band thing

 

[GalacticZero]

Rosen around the corner gets gobs of that business... with a group rate around $60 last I checked.

I always take my groups to WDW values. They are remarkably good at accommodating blocking requests, so the private security guards we hire for overnight no exactly who should be where.

We stayed at the Rosen in, I believe, 2011 when I was in my college drumline for the formerly named Capital One bowl. Perfect spot for a bunch of crazy college kids right on I-drive and a trip to Studios one night we had off. Man, those were the days!

 

[Laketravis]

Small world! Chuck Fisher is the Westlake Middle School director... a dear friend and one of my supported artists from our other business.

And I have to assume having a whole Travel assistant is a TX band thing

Yes! I know Chuck! Kerry Taylor just retired this month and it's up in the air who might succeed him.

 

[Disgruntled Walt]

Yes! I know Chuck! Kerry Taylor just retired this month and it's up in the air who might succeed him.

I don't know anyone named Chuck. Never met a single person with that name.

 

[CntrlFlPete]

We had a lot of fun in those…talked to a lot of people

Even when fastpass went in the line moved

It was the prebooked crap combined with no new capacity that killed this

yep, I mean w/ the pre-book, they added a fast lane to all the rides. Remember in the fast pass (pre+) days, one could ride attractions such as Pirates, HM, IASW.....all w/o merger points/fast pass lanes. One really only missed out if they couldn't get over to Midway Mania at rope drop.

different times!