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Lowest Attendance ever?
- Thread starter WED99
- Start date
Jjvardy
New Member
We were at WDW on Sept 13-20, 2001. Our flights were cancelled, so we drove. We stayed at the WL. We were told that we were 1 of only 60 rooms that were occupied. It was beyond surreal. The crowds were VERY low the entire week, but took forever to get into the parks due to searchs at the entrance.
Funny thing was we were also at WDW when it was closed by Hurricane Floyd. The only park open the following day was AK, and it was packed.
Funny thing was we were also at WDW when it was closed by Hurricane Floyd. The only park open the following day was AK, and it was packed.
afar28
Well-Known Member
I'd feel bad for the person who is going for a first time and they don't know stitch sucks then the world ends while on stitchAgreed - if anything, the parks might be particularly busy that day. But if the world ends, then the day after will be quite empty, so I'd plan a trip for that day
Ohh the things I think of.
luv
Well-Known Member
I think there was a point. Some of us learned the park closed and the date of that. It also answered the question. Not a pointless thread. Pointy thread. Like a newly sharpened pencil.
If you want to change it up, like counting only "normal operating days", there is no reason not to discuss that, too.
You should probably clarify it a bit. Obviously, you are taking out Acts of God. But are you also taking out Acts of War? Because if you are excluding war, too, you can't count all that 9/11 stuff.Removing Acts of God, but keeping Acts of War, I'll go with 9/11 or maybe the days after that.
If you also exclude Acts of War from "normal operating days", I have no idea, but will guess some October, January or February before 1998.
Spikerdink
Well-Known Member
I was originally scheduled to be at WDW Sept 14, but moved the trip to a week later....
I had to fear of flying - I figured that was going to be among the most safe time to fly....
What I remember most was the total absence of people - it was so strange. I walked the park early one morning and I was the ONLY person on the walkway between Hall of Presidents and Splash. It was so odd that I took out my video camera to record the moment.....
A few days later I went to Universal with friends. I swear there were only about 100 people in the park. We waited for absolutely nothing - some rides we just got off and went right back on again. (This was also the last time I was at Universal).
I would be very shocked if there were days that had less paid attendance other than the weeks following 9/11.
I had to fear of flying - I figured that was going to be among the most safe time to fly....
What I remember most was the total absence of people - it was so strange. I walked the park early one morning and I was the ONLY person on the walkway between Hall of Presidents and Splash. It was so odd that I took out my video camera to record the moment.....
A few days later I went to Universal with friends. I swear there were only about 100 people in the park. We waited for absolutely nothing - some rides we just got off and went right back on again. (This was also the last time I was at Universal).
I would be very shocked if there were days that had less paid attendance other than the weeks following 9/11.
Dad 2 M & M
Well-Known Member
anthrax scare? please explain?
It was meant to be only operating days
Cosmic Commando
Well-Known Member
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anthrax_scare
Short version: someone mailed weapons grade anthrax to various places as a powder in envelopes with letters.
That's messed up...
luv
Well-Known Member
all I remember is that Tom Brokaw and Tom Daschle got hand-lettered envelopes that contained some kind of Anthrax. There may have been other people who got them, too. The Toms didnt open their own mail, so they were unaffected, but i remember that other people died. Since it involved political and news people, it was all over the news. If it so much as snows a half-way decent amount in Washington or New York, they put THAT all over the national news, so you can imagine how much of the nation's attention they thought this required!
Everyone was afraid to open mail. The secretary where I worked flat out refused to open mail and she always ran everyone's stuff through the letter opener. Everyone had to open their own stuff for about a month, lol. Then the girl who processed checks said she would run everyone's stuff through the machine and drop it on their desks. It remained our policy until the original secretary quit and then everything went back to normal. That was the extent of the effect it had in my little world, lol.
I don't remember people worrying about traveling after the anthrax news. That doesn't mean it didn't happen. I just don't remember it.
The Anthrax scare on the tail of 9/11 was true terrorism because all of us thought that a mass worldwide conspiracy was taking place. The news was full of even more doom and gloom. Reports of possible "dirty bombs" with radioactive substances in them, poisoning of water reservoirs, and many other vulnerabilities made us all scared to drive in big cities, take trains, fly in airplanes, open letters, go in elevators, and be close to anything strategic like a nuclear power plant. Even smart long-term thinkers like Warren Buffet were quoted as saying something along the lines of, "It's only a matter of time before a major American city is poisoned by a chemical, biological, or nuclear weapon of terror." I live north of Chicago, and I had visions of a giant mushroom cloud rising over the southern horizon.
Now, imagine what that mindset did to travel, and attendance at tourist attractions. I'm not one to be scared, probably because I'm fairly religious and death doesn't really scare me. But it still would have been uncomfortable getting into an airplane, looking out the window, and wondering how long it would take to hit the ground. My advice, for what it's worth: Don't ever be afraid to live.
Back in the 80's, my college choir had booked a tour of Europe, but cancelled because some isolated terrorist attack had taken place in Germany, and they thought this Midwest US choir would be a target. They, in a word, were "nuts." And ignorant. And a bit narcissistic. Our choir didn't warrant a blip on any terrorist's radar screen. It's now 25 years later, and many of them lost out on their only opportunity to be 20 years old and singing carefree in a gothic European cathedral because they were oh so scared. What a bunch of idiots.
Don't live scared, and don't let fear rule you. Yes, it's hard to have fun on Splash Mountain when thousands just died in Manhatten, but don't let the terrorists beat you too. I prayed after 9/11 for the victims and their families, and I pondered how the world had changed, but I would not not NOT let the terrorists deprive me. In fact, on 9/12, my wife and I travelled 300 miles to see some Shakespeare in an outdoor forest theater. Cancelling our trip would have been a sign that the terrorists had won. We watched All's Well That Ends Well, and beat Bin Laden in some small way.
Now, imagine what that mindset did to travel, and attendance at tourist attractions. I'm not one to be scared, probably because I'm fairly religious and death doesn't really scare me. But it still would have been uncomfortable getting into an airplane, looking out the window, and wondering how long it would take to hit the ground. My advice, for what it's worth: Don't ever be afraid to live.
Back in the 80's, my college choir had booked a tour of Europe, but cancelled because some isolated terrorist attack had taken place in Germany, and they thought this Midwest US choir would be a target. They, in a word, were "nuts." And ignorant. And a bit narcissistic. Our choir didn't warrant a blip on any terrorist's radar screen. It's now 25 years later, and many of them lost out on their only opportunity to be 20 years old and singing carefree in a gothic European cathedral because they were oh so scared. What a bunch of idiots.
Don't live scared, and don't let fear rule you. Yes, it's hard to have fun on Splash Mountain when thousands just died in Manhatten, but don't let the terrorists beat you too. I prayed after 9/11 for the victims and their families, and I pondered how the world had changed, but I would not not NOT let the terrorists deprive me. In fact, on 9/12, my wife and I travelled 300 miles to see some Shakespeare in an outdoor forest theater. Cancelling our trip would have been a sign that the terrorists had won. We watched All's Well That Ends Well, and beat Bin Laden in some small way.
Thank you, I really needed that advice this week.
prberk
Well-Known Member
Great comment, Ralphlaw; and WED99, I am so glad that young people like yourself want to know about what happened after 9/11 and times like that. It is important that we remember. Like Pearl Harbor, memories fade, but it is important to know how it really affected peope.
In addition to the anthrax scare, we also had the sniper. Media called him the DC area sniper, but at least one of the incidents happened in Ashland, near Richmond where I live, two hours away from DC. An older man had convinced a teenager to lay down in the back of his car and shoot random people out of the trunk keyhole. He used the terrorism scares of the day to mask killing his wife. He was going to include his wife in the "random" killings but had not gotten to her yet with his "perfect crimes" before he and boy were caught at a rest area in Virginia. People were shot dead pumping gas, coming out of Home Depot, and at least one student walking outside of school.
So, that added to the fear of the moment... but the time and its passions may have also helped catch the killer/mastermind and his young helper.
So, I am sure that all of these things helped almost completely stop tourism for a while, almost dead in its tracks. The whole economy ground to a halt. In fact, 9/11 itself was the reason that I initially found this site and its forums. I was curious about how Disney, a place that always had inspired me and was also patriotic, had responded. So, while I do not wish any of the terrorism had occurred, I know that at least out of that bad, I found this good. (BTW, I found here a picture of the flag at half mast on Main Street, USA, with very few people on the street - an image that stuck with me.)
In fact, WDW itself was mentioned by the President. In a speech about a week after the attacks, President Bush encouraged everyone not to let fear rule. He told people to go out and purposely live activeiy again and also help the economy. He said, "Go to Disney World" in the speec! Soon afterward the entire travel industry started putting banners on their hotels, saying "Thank you for traveling!"
Yes, attendence was probably the lowest of all at that time (enough for them to close half of some resorts at WDW for a time, and even consolidate Dixie Landings and Port Orleans into one). And that was only small part of the attach to out psyche at the time. [If you really want a snapshot of how many felt, listen to Alan Jackson's "Where Were You (When the World Stopped Turning)?"]
But it also was a time that Ralphlaw's advice came through. While our fortitude, resolve, and faith were all challenged at that time, many people found them and answered the call.
Thanks for helping us remember.
In addition to the anthrax scare, we also had the sniper. Media called him the DC area sniper, but at least one of the incidents happened in Ashland, near Richmond where I live, two hours away from DC. An older man had convinced a teenager to lay down in the back of his car and shoot random people out of the trunk keyhole. He used the terrorism scares of the day to mask killing his wife. He was going to include his wife in the "random" killings but had not gotten to her yet with his "perfect crimes" before he and boy were caught at a rest area in Virginia. People were shot dead pumping gas, coming out of Home Depot, and at least one student walking outside of school.
So, that added to the fear of the moment... but the time and its passions may have also helped catch the killer/mastermind and his young helper.
So, I am sure that all of these things helped almost completely stop tourism for a while, almost dead in its tracks. The whole economy ground to a halt. In fact, 9/11 itself was the reason that I initially found this site and its forums. I was curious about how Disney, a place that always had inspired me and was also patriotic, had responded. So, while I do not wish any of the terrorism had occurred, I know that at least out of that bad, I found this good. (BTW, I found here a picture of the flag at half mast on Main Street, USA, with very few people on the street - an image that stuck with me.)
In fact, WDW itself was mentioned by the President. In a speech about a week after the attacks, President Bush encouraged everyone not to let fear rule. He told people to go out and purposely live activeiy again and also help the economy. He said, "Go to Disney World" in the speec! Soon afterward the entire travel industry started putting banners on their hotels, saying "Thank you for traveling!"
Yes, attendence was probably the lowest of all at that time (enough for them to close half of some resorts at WDW for a time, and even consolidate Dixie Landings and Port Orleans into one). And that was only small part of the attach to out psyche at the time. [If you really want a snapshot of how many felt, listen to Alan Jackson's "Where Were You (When the World Stopped Turning)?"]
But it also was a time that Ralphlaw's advice came through. While our fortitude, resolve, and faith were all challenged at that time, many people found them and answered the call.
Thanks for helping us remember.
miles1
Active Member
It's so hard to believe that its been eleven years since all of this, and that there's now young adults out there, including my own kids, that have little or no memory of what happened to the US that day. I used to be bored to tears when my Dad talked about Pearl Harbor and how it affected the rest of his life, but 9/11 gave me an understanding of why he clung to the stories.
FYI, the sole fatality from the anthrax scare happened about 20 miles from my home in a rural area of Connecticut. The 90+ year old lady named Lundgren got it solely by chance. Apparently a bill sent to her came in contact with one of the real anthrax packages in the USPS sorting facility. The facility was shut down and all of our mail was irradiated before being delivered. Some mail never arrived at all for weeks afterword.
FYI, the sole fatality from the anthrax scare happened about 20 miles from my home in a rural area of Connecticut. The 90+ year old lady named Lundgren got it solely by chance. Apparently a bill sent to her came in contact with one of the real anthrax packages in the USPS sorting facility. The facility was shut down and all of our mail was irradiated before being delivered. Some mail never arrived at all for weeks afterword.
luv
Well-Known Member
No sniper or random murderer ever made me afraid to travel. I do not recall anyone being afraid to travel because of that sort of thing...up to and including the lunatic that shot up the movie theater. I don't think of it as being related to 9/11 in any way. Didn't then, don't now. I don't even recall the press trying to link it, but they may have.
The travel industry was begging people to travel, though. They were on TV encouraging and begging. And the stewardesses were SO nice to EVERYONE! Seriously. They were nicer to people in coach than they currently are to people in 1st class. They were all so damn scared they'd lose their jobs that they started behaving like they should all the time.
Didn't last long. Soon enough, people started traveling again and things went back to the status quo.
I do remember the President's speeches. I don't remember for certain if the "Travel!" speech was the same as the "Shop for America!" speech, but I think it was. I just loved it when President Bush encouraged us to go shopping to help our country. I was like, "THERE is a duty I am well trained and prepared to perform!" I couldn't fight like the military, spy like the CIA, crack codes or whatever...but i was a damn good shopper. It was the best thing ever, being ASKED by the President to please go shopping! He didn't have to tell me twice. I went out and shopped for America that week! I was practically alone in the stores, though. Nobody was out spending money. It was creepy.
And I wasn't spending money on frivolous things for no good reason...I was Shopping for America. Doing my duty. It was great. And my spirits honestly did lift when I did it, too. The clerks were so nice.
We flew to Chicago for a ridiculous price, too. I think we each paid $14 round-trip. And the one plane wasn't even close to full.
I shopped. I traveled.
If you ever want to read the speeches, you can. Records of all public statements by Presidents are readily available on the Internet.
It was a sad and scary time. People were nicer to each other for a little while. Then they went back to whining, complaining and nastiness.
And, as you know, we continue to fight the same fight. It's not over.
The travel industry was begging people to travel, though. They were on TV encouraging and begging. And the stewardesses were SO nice to EVERYONE! Seriously. They were nicer to people in coach than they currently are to people in 1st class. They were all so damn scared they'd lose their jobs that they started behaving like they should all the time.
Didn't last long. Soon enough, people started traveling again and things went back to the status quo.
I do remember the President's speeches. I don't remember for certain if the "Travel!" speech was the same as the "Shop for America!" speech, but I think it was. I just loved it when President Bush encouraged us to go shopping to help our country. I was like, "THERE is a duty I am well trained and prepared to perform!" I couldn't fight like the military, spy like the CIA, crack codes or whatever...but i was a damn good shopper. It was the best thing ever, being ASKED by the President to please go shopping! He didn't have to tell me twice. I went out and shopped for America that week! I was practically alone in the stores, though. Nobody was out spending money. It was creepy.
And I wasn't spending money on frivolous things for no good reason...I was Shopping for America. Doing my duty. It was great. And my spirits honestly did lift when I did it, too. The clerks were so nice.
We flew to Chicago for a ridiculous price, too. I think we each paid $14 round-trip. And the one plane wasn't even close to full.
I shopped. I traveled.
If you ever want to read the speeches, you can. Records of all public statements by Presidents are readily available on the Internet.
It was a sad and scary time. People were nicer to each other for a little while. Then they went back to whining, complaining and nastiness.
And, as you know, we continue to fight the same fight. It's not over.
Nemo14
Well-Known Member
My husband and I had reservations to go to WDW for a weekend at the end of that September. We would have gone if it was just up to us, but our 2 kids were really shook up at the events of that awful day, and I knew it was just not the right time. We got a full refund from Disney as well as Southwest, and we did reschedule our trip for the following spring. I don't feel like I let the terrorists win that one, but that I let my kids win.
Clever Name
Well-Known Member
Your memory is not too good:
What Bush Really Said After the Attacks
President Bush didn't call on Americans to run up their credit card bills.
He encouraged them go on living their lives as they were used to doing. And he expressed concern about a nation and an economy paralyzed by fear of terrorists.
"I ask your continued participation and confidence in the American economy," Bush said in an address to the nation on Sept. 20, 2001.
"Terrorists attacked a symbol of American prosperity. They did not touch its source. America is successful because of the hard work, and creativity, and enterprise of our people. These were the true strengths of our economy before September 11th, and they are our strengths today."
Bush did not, at any point, use the word "shop" in that momentous speech.
Nor did he ask anyone to "go shopping" in a speech one week later.
"When [the terrorists] struck, they wanted to create an atmosphere of fear," Bush said at a Sept. 27, 2001, speech at O'Hare International Airport in Chicago. "And one of the great goals of this nation's war is to restore public confidence in the airline industry.
"It's to tell the traveling public: Get on board. Do your business around the country. Fly and enjoy America's great destination spots. Get down to Disney World in Florida. Take your families and enjoy life, the way we want it to be enjoyed."
http://usgovinfo.about.com/od/thepresidentandcabinet/a/did-bush-say-go-shopping-after-911.htm
Also remember that his brother Jeb Bush was the governor of Florida hence the specific mention of Disney World in his Sept. 27, 2001 speech.
We were in the Magic Kingdom the Saturday after 9/11 there was also a tropical storm that friday. There was enough room in Port Orleans to move all the campground guests into the hotel for their safety. We rode Splash Mountain and walked on with only two people in front of us for the entire line. All the boats were empty in the loading area. All 4 of us got on the ride and didn't see anyone in the boats in front or behind us. When we returned to the loading dock there was nobody in line and the cast member asked us if we wanted to go around again. We did but the other two in our boat didn't. We ended up riding the ride 5 times without leaving the boat. We also did not see anyone but the castmembers as well. So I would have to say that would most likely be the least attended day or days. In my opinion.