Is attendance really down at WDW this or…

[MagicRat]

Also, for some interesting items Fort Wilderness has a bunch of resort specific items. T shirts to camping chairs to Jeep rear tire covers. We stayed at GF but made a special trip to Pop Century for the baseball 3/4 length tee for my daughter and wife.

I get it the Mickey Mouse upholstered chair with ottoman isn’t there from the early 2000’s or Tiffany glass Kermit lamp from the same timeframe isn’t there either but the problem is people have to actually want to pay for those items. It only hits a certain demographic. There are still neat items in the parks and resorts however!

 

[SamusAranX]

I have actually noticed certain (not all) cast members seem to be more indifferent and even outright rude.

 

[Bocabear]

Was there two weeks ago and the crowds were fine. I bet with school starting you will get even better crowds. The one thing my family really did notice was how much happier the crowds were and the cast members too! We average about three to four trips a year pre Covid and our rebounding to that number of visits. I don’t have Facebook or twitter but I do read on here how a certain group is not going to the parks anymore for “woke” reasons or something like that. I wonder if that has anything to do with our experience?

which "certain group" is it? I have not noticed anyone boycotting the park for woke reasons at all...While woke tings are talked about online, I don't know and have never met anyone who complained that Pirates was about Rape Culture and that Splash Mountain was racist....except online... the biggest offenders have probably never even been on these rides....

 

[Jumping Fountains]

I think in the original design, certain shops were designated more or less as "show" where any sales were of course welcome but strict P&L wasn't the driving force behind their existence. My understanding is that was the point of the old antique shop at the Magic Kingdom, as one example (likely Sid Cahuenga's at Disney-MGM too) -- the main purpose was theme to enhance the overall park experience.

That makes sense and the effect really resonated with me! Added depth and personality.

 

[bcoachable]

I know there used to be serious “courses” on how to be a good CM. Is that happening any longer, or is that looked at as a waste of resources/ money too?

 

[phillip9698]

It's insane how inconsistent the sizing is for Disney shirts. I'm a medium typically but sometimes I have to buy a large or a small since the sizing is so out of wack. With hoodies I always buy a large because they, without fail, shrink. And before anyone says anything, I always wash them in cold water and hang dry. I have a hoodie from Disneyland that shrunk after wearing it a few times.

Its weird because they arent consistent with vendors. T-Shirts from different companies wear differently.

Last time i was in WoD i saw a pajamas top and pants set i wanted to get my wife. I looked at the tag and it was all Chinese characters. Ive purchased enough cheap crap from Amazon to know when you see that on clothing, it wont fit like you are used to. So i didnt buy the items for my wife.

 

[TrainsOfDisney]

However, I'm sure Disney has had better success with the current approach in terms of merch sales so that's where we are.

Not necessarily - the current approach is easier but it doesn’t necessarily = more success. If you had the right systems in place, it wouldn’t cost more to have unique items.

I'll go to DLR, but if I'm going on VACATION to a Disney resort, I can spend a week in WDW and not feel like I'm going to run out of things to do

I’ve been to DLR for a week multiple times before and never got bored. It certainly still felt like a vacation to me! Haha.

 

[MagicRat]

which "certain group" is it? I have not noticed anyone boycotting the park for woke reasons at all...While woke tings are talked about online, I don't know and have never met anyone who complained that Pirates was about Rape Culture and that Splash Mountain was racist....except online... the biggest offenders have probably never even been on these rides....

All I know is on this board people talking about how Disney went woke and how they are losing their hard earned money and other like minded people.

What I can tell you is from my experiences at the parks two weeks ago is that people were well behaved and the cast members were all very happy. I saw no fights, arguing or line jumping from vacationers or disgruntled employees yelling at patrons. I have seen some sort of this behavior since the early 80’s through April of this year. I can draw my conclusions and anyone else can draw theirs

 

[Ayla]

T-shirts are one of my biggest Disney merchandise complaints, sometimes they’re soft, sometimes they feel like sandpaper, sometimes thin, sometimes thick, sometimes medium, sometimes large, some will last years, others will fall apart after a wash or two… you never know what you’re going to get.

I have as many Target and Walmart Disney shirts as Disney ones now because they’re usually a better, and more consistant, quality… at 1/4 the price.

I still have a disney t shirt from my second trip in 2008. I bought one on a 2021 trip and it was thrown away a year ago.

 

[Ayla]

100% If you see something you would like to purchase on when you arrive at WDW just hang tight, you will see it again and nearly every gift shop you visit

It used to be "better grab it now, because you probably won't see it again!"

 

[Ayla]

I know there used to be serious “courses” on how to be a good CM. Is that happening any longer, or is that looked at as a waste of resources/ money too?

I think it used to be like a week (or 3/4 days) and now it's a couple hours.

 

[tired_photog]

This might be a sign of soft bookings for 2024... I went on the WDW site last week researching a vacation for July '24 but did not book it. Today I got a survey from Disney asking why I didn't book the trip I priced out last week. I've researched WDW trips for the past 15 years and I've never received such a survey before. I indicated price and lack of value for the money as the main reasons for not booking.

 

[PREMiERdrum]

This might be a sign of soft bookings for 2024... I went on the WDW site last week researching a vacation for July '24 but did not book it. Today I got a survey from Disney asking why I didn't book the trip I priced out last week. I've researched WDW trips for the past 15 years and I've never received such a survey before. I indicated price and lack of value for the money as the main reasons for not booking.

Step 1 is acknowledging that the problem exists. They're getting there.

I ended up having a very interesting conversation this afternoon. I'll share what I can tomorrow.

 

[JoeCamel]

I know there used to be serious “courses” on how to be a good CM. Is that happening any longer, or is that looked at as a waste of resources/ money too?

"Traditions" has been cut to the bone over the years

 

[Basil of Baker Street]

All I know is on this board people talking about how Disney went woke and how they are losing their hard earned money and other like minded people.

What I can tell you is from my experiences at the parks two weeks ago is that people were well behaved and the cast members were all very happy. I saw no fights, arguing or line jumping from vacationers or disgruntled employees yelling at patrons. I have seen some sort of this behavior since the early 80’s through April of this year. I can draw my conclusions and anyone else can draw theirs

Agreed. Disney has finally priced out the rowdy poor people. Finally it's only the rich sophisticated clientele entering the parks. About time too.

 

[JoeCamel]

Agreed. Disney has finally priced out the rowdy poor people. Finally it's only the rich sophisticated clientele entering the parks. About time too.

@Donnie will be very happy to hear that......

 

[MisterPenguin]

@Donnie will be very happy to hear that......

...but not be able to post about it.... at least maybe for a while...

 

[Tuvalu]

It’s been 17 years…..

 

[PREMiERdrum]

Declining attendance can be offset by increased guest spending... that's what's been happening for a good bit.

But... let's say per-guest spending started showing a sharp decline in two highly profitable segments and one historically significant daypart. Suddenly you have fewer guests, spending less... a trend unique to WDW compared to the rest of the portfolio.

Now you have to address declining park attendance, alarmingly soft hotel bookings for the next 14 months, and declines in guest spending.

The right people are starting to notice. How they choose to address things.

 

[GhostHost1000]

Declining attendance can be offset by increased guest spending... that's what's been happening for a good bit.

But... let's say per-guest spending started showing a sharp decline in two highly profitable segments and one historically significant daypart. Suddenly you have fewer guests, spending less... a trend unique to WDW compared to the rest of the portfolio.

Now you have to address declining park attendance, alarmingly soft hotel bookings for the next 14 months, and declines in guest spending.

The right people are starting to notice. How they choose to address things.

Them starting to notice is a start. Let’s hope they make some good decisions moving forward.

Even as a DVC member, I have let my AP expire and have little desire right now to continue repeat visits as often as I used to.