Is attendance really down at WDW this or…

[lentesta]

Len, evidence like this, and all the indicia of distressingly low current and projected attendance keeps mounting.

We’re heading into D23, where presumably plans for parks expansions are being finalized. Given the headwinds in the current environment, how likely is it that certain projects are getting X’ed out or tabled for now?

Put another way, do these current challenges give the board pause, or does it induce them to lean further in to investment and expansion?

I think they know that building things is the most likely way to grow the business.

My sleep schedule is out of whack, so I don't recall if we talked about the board walking through Liberty Square and Frontierland a couple of weeks ago. They spent some time around the Rapunzel bathrooms and Haunted Mansion. My assumption is that they were discussing ingress/egress for the MK expansion.

 

[Andrew25]

Good to see Disney turn the page from thinking they can just get away with minimal investment spread out over decades, and start to invest more in a faster pace.

It's a smart choice to invest in your flagship park and your weakest (attendance wise) in DAK.

Hoping that in addition to expansion efforts, we get lots of refurb in existing areas.

 

[ABQ]

Yikes..

What's the assumed math on the company revenue stream in terms of how much the theme parks account for it by percentage? 30% I love how Inside Out 2 is making a boat load of cash, but it's nothing compared to what the theme parks make and not doing much to turn this around. Maybe coupons for a Crystal Palace breakfast. 2 for 1 Tuesdays? will help.

 

[Andrew25]

Yikes..
View attachment 797984
What's the assumed math on the company revenue stream in terms of how much the theme parks account for it by percentage? 30% I love how Inside Out 2 is making a boat load of cash, but it's nothing compared to what the theme parks make and not doing much to turn this around. Maybe coupons for a Crystal Palace breakfast. 2 for 1 Tuesdays? will help.

DIS Parks % of Total Company:
2007: 29%
2010: 28%
2018: 34%
2019: 31%
2022: 28%
2023: 32%

Safe to say the company is about 30-32% of revenue today.

*2019, 2022, 2023 adjusted to remove Consumer Products.

 

[GhostHost1000]

DIS Parks % of Total Company:
2007: 29%
2010: 28%
2018: 34%
2019: 31%
2022: 28%
2023: 32%

Safe to say the company is about 30-32% of revenue today.

*2019, 2022, 2023 adjusted to remove Consumer Products.

and they don’t know how to manage 80%

 

[Jrb1979]

Good to see Disney turn the page from thinking they can just get away with minimal investment spread out over decades, and start to invest more in a faster pace.

It's a smart choice to invest in your flagship park and your weakest (attendance wise) in DAK.

Hoping that in addition to expansion efforts, we get lots of refurb in existing areas.

Thinking and actually doing it are two different things.

My biggest concern is it that sounds like more of the same. It's going to be E ticket after E ticket. It's not what the parks need at all. They need more D and C ticket attractions to fill out the parks.

 

[GhostHost1000]

Thinking and actually doing it are two different things.

My biggest concern is it that sounds like more of the same. It's going to be E ticket after E ticket. It's not what the parks need at all. They need more D and C ticket attractions to fill out the parks.

yes and people eater shows.

 

[erasure fan1]

not only did they not plan for the inevitable decrease in demand but they alienated a lot of people in the process by charging more for less during the boom.

That's been my issue for a very long time. If you had consistent expansion in the parks, new rides and experiences... While I still wouldn't love price increases but it really wouldn't bother me. If you are going to charge me SIGNIFICANTLY more for my trip, there better be significant improvement that I get. Taking away while increasing costs doesn't cut it for me.

Even if purchasing power has stayed flat recently that's still an issue because the experience has not improved to justify the real cost increase.

Yup. In no way has Disney justified the massive increases over the years. They have two parks that are an embarrassment to charge what they are charging, AK and Studios. The decline in overall service, the lack of added capacity... we could go on and on. Hopefully customers keep pushing back and Epic universe is as good as it looks to be. That's the best way for things to start changing.

 

[lewisc]

Crystal Palace today at 8:45 am:

View attachment 797405

Overpriced mediocre to poor food.
You can't fool all the people all the time

 

[John park hopper]

We were at WDW in 2019 couldn't get near the Crystal Palace so crowded --wow look at it now. Disney you gotta problem

 

[Grimley1968]

Of course Crystal Palace is almost empty. It is the slow season, right?

 

[GhostHost1000]

Of course Crystal Palace is almost empty. It is the slow season, right?

so are we claiming July 4th week to be the slow season now?

 

[Disstevefan1]

so are we claiming July 4th week to be the slow season now?

It seems the summer has evolved into a slow season because in the past it was always a busy season, but then folks learned that, and stopped going during the summer and here we are.

Eventually folks will learn its now a slow time and start going in summer again.

It’s the circle of life.

Also, right now in general, a lot of folks may be holding off to go on an EPIC vacation in 2025

 

[Grimley1968]

so are we claiming July 4th week to be the slow season now?

It must be, if everything is so empty. It can't be because WDW has increased their prices on everything while offering less value to potential guests and has made simply queuing for rides a technological hurdle for guests.

Sorry - feeling a bit sarcastic today.

 

[Vacationeer]

But isn’t part of this question why summer is being hit the hardest with slumping attendance?

Not all times of the year are being hit equally hard.

 

[GhostHost1000]

But isn’t part of this question why summer is being hit the hardest with slumping attendance?

Not all times of the year are being hit equally hard.

stay tuned

 

[Lilofan]

stay tuned

If another round of big layoffs occur then its damage control but actually Wall Street likes when companies go this route to steer the ship afloat.

 

[GhostHost1000]

If another round of big layoffs occur then its damage control but actually Wall Street likes when companies go this route to steer the ship afloat.

I'm more worried about the management decisions or lack thereof in their parks more than the stock price at the moment (although I know that is an indicator of how well the company is doing... but their parks could help that stock price if they made smarter decisions imo)

 

[Disstevefan1]

 

[Lilofan]

I'm more worried about the management decisions or lack thereof in their parks more than the stock price at the moment (although I know that is an indicator of how well the company is doing... but their parks could help that stock price if they made smarter decisions imo)

If execs start selling a big amount of company stock to cash in millions then they know something we don't at the moment.