News Park attendance showing significant softness heading into the Fall 2018

[SirLink]

Absolutely.

Reduced selective operating hours. Reduced staffing levels. Deferred maintenance.

As you said, one hopes these decisions can be reversed as quickly as they’re being implemented.

Awwww you missed the biggie HEA, RoL, RoE, Fantasmic - being only on weekends.

 

[monothingie]

Awwww you missed the biggie HEA, RoL, RoE, Fantasmic - being only on weekends.

That’s the strategy for the winter season.

 

[peter11435]

Awwww you missed the biggie HEA, RoL, RoE, Fantasmic - being only on weekends.

I don’t think they will ever do that with ROE. Not with 17 table service restaurants. 11 of those operated by participants that would quickly take issue with the drop in dinner crowd.

 

[MickeyMinnieMom]

I don’t think they will ever do that with ROE. Not with 17 table service restaurants. 11 of those operated by participants that would quickly take issue with the drop in dinner crowd.

Or HEA.

 

[peter11435]

Or HEA.

I wouldn't go that far.

 

[AndyS2992]

Perhaps they could offer a hard ticket event where the guests can pay to be the CM's and operate the attractions for other guests and also perform various custodial work. They could also use the CM apartments as a "boutique resort" and charge people to stay there.

They’re way ahead of you.. It’s called the Disney College Program

 

[SirLink]

I don’t think they will ever do that with ROE. Not with 17 table service restaurants. 11 of those operated by participants that would quickly take issue with the drop in dinner crowd.

Being discussed as far as I'm aware.

 

[monothingie]

Being discussed as far as I'm aware.

Walt’s head is spinning in its cryogenic case right now.

 

[MisterPenguin]

Or the perpetual festivals? When did the last one kick in?

See here for the seemingly perpetual festival discussion...

Thought this might be interesting...

View attachment 315577

 

[MisterPenguin]

I’m actually surprised that Epcot had growth, unless it somehow got a push from Frozen?

Frozen
Increased capacity for Soarin'
New Green Mission for M:S
Arts festival extended and made daily

 

[peter11435]

Being discussed as far as I'm aware.

I don’t doubt it will be discussed. I don’t believe they will go through with that particular cut.

 

[MisterPenguin]

With record high airline travel and Florida set to hit a record high in visitors this year, for WDW's numbers to be cratering this fall has too throw up a red flag or two to Disney.

I blame F&W Fest, ie "Drunkytown!"

I 95 only became passable this Friday. The Eastern Seaboard that drives to WDW can now restart their caravans. It my still take a week for the impact of disrupted vacation weeks to end.

 

[jt04]

Thanks, confisicous...

I got one:
Recession is the breaker of the holy tsunami of money

Recessions only break bad business models. That is Cramer not Confucius.

 

[SirLink]

I don’t doubt it will be discussed. I don’t believe they will go through with that particular cut.

Remember in 2009: Two showings of Fantasmic, fully see them doing that again

 

[MickeyMinnieMom]

See here for the seemingly perpetual festival discussion...

Ok — so like I thought, Epcot attendance growth also likely associated with the arts festival expanding.

 

[MickeyMinnieMom]

I wouldn't go that far.

I’ve been going regularly for years (on and previously off season), and MK fireworks were never wknd only that I can recall... even during Great Recession... unless I blocked it out...? I don’t see that happening.

 

[jt04]

A tsunami of angry visitors at the gates who can't get in, to @MisterPenguin's point. There is only so much capacity, and HS is a really small park.

Purely conjecture, however what we may be seeing is an outcome of guest satisfaction. The crowds and wait times over the last few years may have driven recurring guests to other destinations and word of mouth is a powerful marketing tool.

It will all work out. I think it is interesting that they may be looking seriously at New E tickets for DAK and DHS sooner rather than later. May be seeing higher than anticipated hotel reservations for 2019 and beyond.

So much winning.

 

[cjkeating]

My suggestion to them would be to alternate Fantasmic and Rivers of Light during the week. Then they could reduce park hours at the park without the nighttime spectacular and ensure most guests visited one park over the other with staffing adjusted as necessary between them.

This would obviously be instead of the cuts to AK and Citizens of Hollywood.

 

[jt04]

Allow me to reiterate these cuts - and those yet to come - are being taken by the company due to their concerns. Not by a discussion board. Will they be gone in six to nine months? We’ll see. But there is concern within.

The guest concerns posted by Rusty are indeed a real thing.

Could it be possible this is a realignment rather than cuts due to expected crowds next year and a very tight labor market?

 

[peter11435]

Remember in 2009: Two showings of Fantasmic, fully see them doing that again

Absolutely. Fantasmic, ROL, and HEA I could all see being cut back. Just not ROE