News Park attendance showing significant softness heading into the Fall 2018

[Sirwalterraleigh]

Not if you have a rental car, can call an uber/cab, order in from local places, or order groceries from any one of a number of places. Marie

Yeah...all of dat isn’t exactly “fun and leisurely”

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

hmm, and they don't get the MLB Winter Meetings this year, as they are in Las Vegas this time around.

Lack of 7 day reservations doesn’t mean “the inn is full” either.

Weekends still tend to have way more foot traffic...and if it goes from 55% occupancy on Tuesday and Wednesday to 95% on Thursday and Friday...

That represents a huge problem to team disney.

Can’t exaggerate how true that is. It’s “normal” by hotel standards...but that is how disney looks at it. 100% occupancy or it’s a failure.

 

[MisterPenguin]

Lack of 7 day reservations doesn’t mean “the inn is full” either.

Weekends still tend to have way more foot traffic...and if it goes from 55% occupancy on Tuesday and Wednesday to 95% on Thursday and Friday...

That represents a huge problem to team disney.

Can’t exaggerate how true that is. It’s “normal” by hotel standards...but that is how disney looks at it. 100% occupancy or it’s a failure.

Except the full weeks in October at the Swolphin isn't for weekends. Comparing available nights in Sept v. Oct, it's a huge difference, and the nights that are already booked in October are mostly weekdays...

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

Except the full weeks in October at the Swolphin isn't for weekends. Comparing available nights in Sept v. Oct, it's a huge difference, and the nights that are already booked in October are mostly weekdays...

View attachment 312923

That’s not surprising...as October is packed and is a heavy business convention month in Orlando...

I’m just not sure that can be rolled consistently into January and beyond.

Also - why the “swolphin”? That’s not what Disney cares about...what about the poly or the Fort Knox Caribbean?

 

[MisterPenguin]

That’s not surprising...as October is packed and is a heavy business convention month in Orlando...

I’m just not sure that can be rolled consistently into January and beyond.

Also - why the “swolphin”? That’s not what Disney cares about...what about the poly or the Fort Knox Caribbean?

Because the Swolphin allows you to see which specific days are booked full or not.

 

[matt9112]

This annoys me and my wife to no end! We will still will eat there from time to time because we still think it is one of the better QS on property. However we have skipped lunch all together at the MK because of this as well.

look theres people on this forum that visit the parks ala grande vacation style (not talking local weekends) 3 or more times a year and you wonder why disney is going to charge you for condiments? because they can nobody seems to care with there wallet when people can drop somebodys annual income on disney world in a year. money is left on the table. this mentality is a product of the scenario. In this case that is the fact people come and break attendance records over and over.....

 

[matt9112]

Not if you have a rental car, can call an uber/cab, order in from local places, or order groceries from any one of a number of places. Marie

park entry is almost its own barrier of entry no punn intended for going off site....its abnoxious.

 

[matt9112]

In the real world of business, this is terrible strategery. Shareholders are not paid in smiles, giggles, and happy TR's talking about how fast their wait time was for SDMT. When business slows, staffing should and always be trimmed accordingly.

in the real world of business its a shame shareholders are all that matter. hey look i am one but im not a . tough sell i know.

 

[djkidkaz]

I think there just isn’t enough new to draw guests. Magic kingdom hasn’t had any new attractions since New Fantasyland opened. Epcot’s latest was the soarin update. Toy story land is just average and not something that is going to pull people to bring out their wallets and book a trip. Pandora is fantastic and one of the best rides of the last decade now sits in animal kingdom but people still want more. Disney is building that “more” now but it’s going to take them time to get it all up and running and marketed.

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

Because the Swolphin allows you to see which specific days are booked full or not.

I gotcha...

That is a big convention hotel and the two biggest months of the calendar are October and January for that...just a grain of salt

As an aside...I just looked for a week in mid October on the Disney site and there wasn’t anything available from Sunday - saturday

But when I changed it to Monday- Thursday...
3 values
2 moderates
6 deluxes

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

I think there just isn’t enough new to draw guests. Magic kingdom hasn’t had any new attractions since New Fantasyland opened. Epcot’s latest was the soarin update. Toy story land is just average and not something that is going to pull people to bring out their wallets and book a trip. Pandora is fantastic and one of the best rides of the last decade now sits in animal kingdom but people still want more. Disney is building that “more” now but it’s going to take them time to get it all up and running and marketed.

I think it’s that conbined with raising the prices 150% since 2000.

You’ll see a lot of bad excuses as how that’s “normal”...but the reality is they have left a significant part of their core audience behind...

And labeling it “luxury” was never gonna Work

 

[lazyboy97o]

In the real world of business, this is terrible strategery. Shareholders are not paid in smiles, giggles, and happy TR's talking about how fast their wait time was for SDMT. When business slows, staffing should and always be trimmed accordingly.

When you’re business is selling experiences, then that is how you get paid.

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

When you’re business is selling experiences, then that is how you get paid.

...the amount of times disney - which is 90% an emotion based product - is compared to GE, Exxon or The Gap...is mind boggling

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

look theres people on this forum that visit the parks ala grande vacation style (not talking local weekends) 3 or more times a year and you wonder why disney is going to charge you for condiments? because they can nobody seems to care with there wallet when people can drop somebodys annual income on disney world in a year. money is left on the table. this mentality is a product of the scenario. In this case that is the fact people come and break attendance records over and over.....

If a week at WDW costs as much as somebody’s annual income...
...that person is gonna love it when they raise the minimum wage to $4.25 an hour

 

[MaximumEd]

If a week at WDW costs as much as somebody’s annual income...
...that person is gonna love it when they raise the minimum wage to $4.25 an hour

I think he meant the people that go and make long stays and spend big money multiple times per year. At least, that’s how I read it.

 

[Disneyhead'71]

I think he meant the people that go and make long stays and spend big money multiple times per year. At least, that’s how I read it.

3 weeks staying at the poly bungalows is about $70,000.
3 weeks staying at the values is about $4,000.

I would say a lot of visitors fall somewhere between those.

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

I think he meant the people that go and make long stays and spend big money multiple times per year. At least, that’s how I read it.

Even still...

$35,000 isn’t a Disney customer salary range anymore...if you look at it objectively. I’m not sure you can be happy at 75,000 either. It’s not coming back either.

 

[charisse scully]

Considering how Disney has been working so hard as of late to reduce benefits while raising prices, I am very happy to hear this. Can only hope it continues.

That can do it!

 

[Patcheslee]

I'm wondering from a CM perspective how things are. Getting hours cut hurts their pocket, maybe to the point of needing a second job, or even finding a new one. CMs would be less happy due to stress and potentially effect guest experience. Then Disney at some point will need to fill an open position so new CM with less experience and again effect guest experience.

 

[xdan0920]

In the real world of business, this is terrible strategery. Shareholders are not paid in smiles, giggles, and happy TR's talking about how fast their wait time was for SDMT. When business slows, staffing should and always be trimmed accordingly.

Ohai middle manager for TDO. Nice of you to bless us pleebs with your presence. If you could, tell us many more business 101 anecdotes. We are all made wiser for these types of dynamite drop ins.

When you’re business is selling experiences, then that is how you get paid.

Indeed. When your primary selling points are a sense of magic and nostalgia, it's pretty darn important to keep guest satisfaction levels up. Unless of course you need to hit some arbitrary budget savings #. In that case slice and dice baby. They are only tourists, what do they know.