News Park attendance showing significant softness heading into the Fall 2018

[Disstevefan1]

If you want less crowds, why run rides under their max capacity? Don't know how often recently, but there was a lot of discussion about how that was done




Softness was 2 months ago. October picked back up towards normal from what people have stated, so not sure what you are pointing out here (Not that wait times directly correlate to how many people are at the parks anyways at this point).

You're right. I just like to complain about the standby lines.. Also, I guess we all knew the softness in attendance would go away as fast as it came. Welcome holiday crowds!!!

Last Christmas season we went to Seaworld Orlando and COULD NOT FIND PARKING!! YES, SEAWORLD!! So everything will be merry and mobbed this Christmas season too.

 

[SourcererMark79]

Or the Penny Arcade... or the Magic Shop... or the Gallery... or the Candle Shop... or the Main St. Theater....

Or House of Magic (not a teaser facade)

 

[Disorbust]

If I remember correctly this week is "Jersey Week" so I don't think these FP times are reflective of an average day

 

[BoarderPhreak]

It's really kind of interesting how much they've tried to kill the slow times. Again, from the "Diznee Is A Bizness" I get it. But from the guest perspective, I think they've lost sight, but that's not a new revelation. We've known they've lost sight of the guest experience a long time ago, despite their "experiences (upcharges) to better enhance the park going experience"

Well that's just it. Being a business, it's a balance between profit and expenditures. They're not mutually exclusive but they obviously affect each other. You can only coast for so long with what you've got before profit plateaus and then drops. Out come the hammers and paint brushes and profit increases again. Sell more widgets! The new angle is attacking the 24hr day and breaking it into shifts, err, "experiences." They've effectively scaled horizontally and vertically.

 

[MickeyMinnieMom]

Also, I guess we all knew the softness in attendance would go away as fast as it came.

I don’t know about that...

 

[geekza]

Or House of Magic (not a teaser facade)

I have vivid memories of buying a killer skull Halloween mask like the one in Halloween III from there when I was a kid. I had that mask for years. It was probably my favorite shop.

Fun fact: Steve Martin worked in the Magic Shop in Disneyland when he was young.

 

[Magicart87]

Or the Penny Arcade... or the Magic Shop... or the Gallery... or the Candle Shop... or the Main St. Theater....

Disney doesn't see the value of Main Street. Tie it to IP, find sponsors and Main Street could retain it's aesthetic and make money for the Mouse.

Arcade, tie it to Wreck it Ralph. House of Magic, new movie featuring Steve Martin, partner with long standing S.S. Adams Co. Joke shop and add backdoor "secret passage way" to Main Street Theatre's Mickey and the Magician. Art Gallery, local artists pay Disney to host their works. Candle Shop sponsored by Yankee Candle Co, add signature or exclusive candles. Disney could make it work to their benefit.

 

[BigThunderMatt]

Speaking for yourself this makes absolute sense. Speaking on behalf of a one-in-a-lifetime guest it stops being a rational way to see the experience.

There is only so much sympathy one can have for once in a lifetimers before ones store of goodwill runs dry. In this age of information, ignorance is a choice. All the information you could ever need to plan a satisfying Disney vacation is right at your finger tips. If you just slapdash it and book and go last minute at the busiest time of year and are never able to make it back again you've got no one to blame but yourself.

 

[flynnibus]

There is only so much sympathy one can have for once in a lifetimers before ones store of Goodwill runs dry. In this age of information, ignorance is a choice. All the information you could ever need to plan a satisfying Disney vacation is right at your finger tips. If you just slapdash it and book and go last minute at the busiest time of year and are never able to make it back again you've got no one to blame but yourself.

So what you are saying is... unless you can invest... you should just ignore Disney. In Florida and want to add Disney to your trip? DON'T

 

[Texas84]

Maybe it was because of runDisney, but there was no 'softness' last weekend. Then I hit Epcot Tuesday morning before heading back home and it was slammed. Epcot. On a Tuesday morning.

 

[VJ]

Disney doesn't see the value of Main Street. Tie it to IP, find sponsors and Main Street could retain it's aesthetic and make money for the Mouse.

Arcade, tie it to Wreck it Ralph. House of Magic, new movie featuring Steve Martin, partner with long standing S.S. Adams Co. Joke shop and add backdoor "secret passage way" to Main Street Theatre's Mickey and the Magician. Art Gallery, local artists pay Disney to host their works. Candle Shop sponsored by Yankee Candle Co, add signature or exclusive candles. Disney could make it work to their benefit.

They've made an IP Main Street already. It's called Mickey Avenue.

 

[Missing20K]

There is only so much sympathy one can have for once in a lifetimers before ones store of Goodwill runs dry. In this age of information, ignorance is a choice. All the information you could ever need to plan a satisfying Disney vacation is right at your finger tips. If you just slapdash it and book and go last minute at the busiest time of year and are never able to make it back again you've got no one to blame but yourself.

My local Goodwill ran out of once in a lifetimers 'round about 2008. Such a shame. We loved going there and picking through the tattered, broken dreams of magical family vacations. Have to go to Whole Foods now to find the broken dreams. And it's always soooo crowded.

 

[MickeyMinnieMom]

There is only so much sympathy one can have for once in a lifetimers before ones store of Goodwill runs dry. In this age of information, ignorance is a choice. All the information you could ever need to plan a satisfying Disney vacation is right at your finger tips. If you just slapdash it and book and go last minute at the busiest time of year and are never able to make it back again you've got no one to blame but yourself.

100% agree. I don’t travel anywhere without researching how much planning is required, and then actually doing that planning. There is no excuse at all these days, with myriad information sources at everyone’s fingertips.

 

[disneyflush]

There is only so much sympathy one can have for once in a lifetimers before ones store of Goodwill runs dry. In this age of information, ignorance is a choice. All the information you could ever need to plan a satisfying Disney vacation is right at your finger tips. If you just slapdash it and book and go last minute at the busiest time of year and are never able to make it back again you've got no one to blame but yourself.

You treat sympathy like there is a danger you will run out of it at some point. You were born with the capacity to have as much as you will ever need. While your latter points are well received, you must remember that half the people in the world are of below average intelligence.

 

[MickeyMinnieMom]

While your latter points are well received, you must remember that half the people in the world are of below average intelligence.

Are you suggesting that there are really a lot of people in the market for a Disney vacation who do not have the mental capacity to plan for one using a guide book or free online resources?

 

[MickeyMinnieMom]

Just came across this on Twitter... Might be relevant here... Just the headline and first sentence, but parks OVERALL apparently not imploding (I have no idea on WDW specifically at this point)...

"The box office success of “Incredibles 2” and “Ant-Man and the Wasp” combined with the popularity of the Walt Disney Company’s theme parks bolstered quarterly earnings at the Hollywood conglomerate."

https://variety.com/2018/biz/news/disney-earnings-1203023458/

 

[Kman101]

Disney doesn't see the value of Main Street. Tie it to IP, find sponsors and Main Street could retain it's aesthetic and make money for the Mouse.

Arcade, tie it to Wreck it Ralph. House of Magic, new movie featuring Steve Martin, partner with long standing S.S. Adams Co. Joke shop and add backdoor "secret passage way" to Main Street Theatre's Mickey and the Magician. Art Gallery, local artists pay Disney to host their works. Candle Shop sponsored by Yankee Candle Co, add signature or exclusive candles. Disney could make it work to their benefit.

They sadly see Main Street as a strip mall. But yes, so much potential. It once was so unique. It now only looks unique.

 

[CaptainAmerica]

Christine McCarthy just confirmed that both guest spending and attendance at Domestic Parks for fiscal Q4 (July - September) were up compared to last year. Perhaps this entire thread was fake news?

 

[MisterPenguin]

Christine McCarthy just confirmed that both guest spending and attendance at Domestic Parks for fiscal Q4 (July - September) were up compared to last year. Perhaps this entire thread was fake news?

Or the September dip was just a blip.

 

[Missing20K]

Phew, it's a good thing DIS cut all those extraneous theme park overhead costs just in time for the bumper crop.