Is attendance really down at WDW this or…

Sirwalterraleigh

Premium Member
Driving may be currently the most economical (forgoing opportunity cost in time and hotels and meals) at least until the states start taxing by the mile
What’s funny is flight prices aren’t bad out of some of the bigger markets.

They were predicting 200% increases during the Vid…didn’t happen
 

JD80

Well-Known Member
Family of 5 and I have the option of flying out of PHI/BWI easily and EWR along with some other regional airports. Typically flights are around $200 for some kind of reasonable time, $150 or so if it's a redeye. Not counting luggage.

Our last few trips to Orlando we drove the 16 or so hours. Rather drive than drop another $1000+ on airfare.
 

monothingie

Evil will always triumph, because good is dumb.
Premium Member
What’s funny is flight prices aren’t bad out of some of the bigger markets.

They were predicting 200% increases during the Vid…didn’t happen
I've rebooked my Labor Day trip several times on United, most recently last Sunday. I've knocked around $150 off the cost of the original tickets I got in March.

MCO said they were expecting record crowds on Memorial Day. I flew in on Saturday and it was a ghost town. They also said increased crowds over July 4, I wouldn't be surprised if it wasn't the case.
 

wdw71fan

Well-Known Member
In economics class they call this pricing yourself out of your own market.

- How do you lower prices while maintaining consumer product confidence
- How do you lower prices while maintaining revenue streams


Chapek left the company really jacked up.. We seem to be headed in a pre-eisner direction IMO
 

Epcotfan21

Well-Known Member
I've rebooked my Labor Day trip several times on United, most recently last Sunday. I've knocked around $150 off the cost of the original tickets I got in March.

MCO said they were expecting record crowds on Memorial Day. I flew in on Saturday and it was a ghost town. They also said increased crowds over July 4, I wouldn't be surprised if it wasn't the case.
Speaking of Memorial Day...we went to Hollywood Studios the Saturday of Memorial Day weekend and it was the least crowded I'd seen Studios in the last 5 years. I was stunned and kept looking around thinking where the heck is everyone.
 

Sirwalterraleigh

Premium Member
Speaking of Memorial Day...we went to Hollywood Studios the Saturday of Memorial Day weekend and it was the least crowded I'd seen Studios in the last 5 years. I was stunned and kept looking around thinking where the heck is everyone.
Epcot, magic kingdom and DAK were the least crowded I’ve seen it since the bottom of the housing crash…maybe even 2002
 

Disstevefan1

Well-Known Member
Speaking of Memorial Day...we went to Hollywood Studios the Saturday of Memorial Day weekend and it was the least crowded I'd seen Studios in the last 5 years. I was stunned and kept looking around thinking where the heck is everyone.
Just a guess but I think they staffed up for the holiday weekend and got "normal" crowds instead of the "impossibly MOBBED" crowds we are always accustomed to seeing.

This is FANTASTIC for the guest experience UNLESS they begin to cut staffing.
 

coachb

Active Member
Original Poster
While I agree that price and the complexity of a WDW vacation play a role, the more concerning variable that is probably impacting attendance at the park and movies is the sharp decline in the “Disney” brand approval.

The kind of public brand approval they had takes decades to build, but apparently only a few years to undermine.

This (in combination with the other factors) does not bode well for the company imo.
 

WondersOfLife

Blink, blink. Breathe, breathe. Day in, day out.
While I agree that price and the complexity of a WDW vacation play a role, the more concerning variable that is probably impacting attendance at the park and movies is the sharp decline in the “Disney” brand approval.

The kind of public brand approval they had takes decades to build, but apparently only a few years to undermine.

This (in combination with the other factors) does not bode well for the company imo.
I would add on, on top of the Disney brand approval rating dropping... But also just the "visiting Florida as a vacation destination" approval dropping as well due to politics.

You literally have both sides battling against Disney at this point.
 

Sirwalterraleigh

Premium Member
Just a guess but I think they staffed up for the holiday weekend and got "normal" crowds instead of the "impossibly MOBBED" crowds we are always accustomed to seeing.

This is FANTASTIC for the guest experience UNLESS they begin to cut staffing.
No indications they had even close to a “normal crowd”
While I agree that price and the complexity of a WDW vacation play a role, the more concerning variable that is probably impacting attendance at the park and movies is the sharp decline in the “Disney” brand approval.

The kind of public brand approval they had takes decades to build, but apparently only a few years to undermine.

This (in combination with the other factors) does not bode well for the company imo.

I would add on, on top of the Disney brand approval rating dropping... But also just the "visiting Florida as a vacation destination" approval dropping as well due to politics.

You literally have both sides battling against Disney at this point.
Nobody ever believes it…even though it’s fact…

But politics has had little to no impact on Disney park attendance at any point in its history…

Just because the talking picture panel has gotten boomer riled up as they lose their acuity…and Xers in depressed economic areas of no hope (there…I just explained the last 10 years for you and didn’t even make you work for it 😎)…doesn’t mean people that have the money don’t flood Disney parks

So what’s the problem then?
 

coachb

Active Member
Original Poster
I would add on, on top of the Disney brand approval rating dropping... But also just the "visiting Florida as a vacation destination" approval dropping as well due to politics.

You literally have both sides battling against Disney at this point.
Yes, there may be some minor additional effect there; but not on movies.

Even if they created a seriously awesome movie, I think they have lost a small (but margins are small!) group of people that see the Disney brand attachment as a negative and won’t go see the movie.

I’m not sure about that, but it seems like a real possibility that everything associated with Disney has been reduced in value slightly.

Never could have imagined this three years ago.
 

coachb

Active Member
Original Poster
No indications they had even close to a “normal crowd”



Nobody ever believes it…even though it’s fact…

But politics has had little to no impact on Disney park attendance at any point in its history…

Just because the talking picture panel has gotten boomer riled up as they lose their acuity…and Xers in depressed economic areas of no hope (there…I just explained the last 10 years for you and didn’t even make you work for it 😎)…doesn’t mean people that have the money don’t flood Disney parks

So what’s the problem then?
Brand devolution is a fact. What it is specifically due to, that’s debatable. Does brand devaluation impact the parks attendance? Yes!

Also, Disney’s brand has never been impacted negatively before like this so we can’t use history as a guide.
 

donsullivan

Premium Member
I’d encourage all lamenting Disney box office as ‘yet another’ sign of their downfall to read the article linked below. It provides a much more balanced industry-wide view of the challenges most studios are having with box office this year.

 
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Disstevefan1

Well-Known Member
In economics class they call this pricing yourself out of your own market.

- How do you lower prices while maintaining consumer product confidence
- How do you lower prices while maintaining revenue streams


Chapek left the company really jacked up.. We seem to be headed in a pre-eisner direction IMO
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Sirwalterraleigh

Premium Member
I’d encourage all lamenting Disney box office as ‘yet another’ sign of their downfall to read the article linked below. It provide a much more balanced industry-wide view of the challenges most studios are having with box office this year.

It’s not that they’re having “troubles”…it’s that they bombed a marvel (looking as a 2nd), a Pixar, a ripoff remake and a lucasfilm Tentpole in rapid succession and all their BO has been trending south with the exception of one James Cameron that was shot before they bought the studio and the last guardians.

Not good.

But let’s spin it like salt n pepa 🧂🌶️
 

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