News Park attendance showing significant softness heading into the Fall 2018

[ToTBellHop]

That’s kinda to be expected though...the problem with M&Gs have always been that there is no duration to account for.

One 2 year old might wave and be there for 15 seconds...4 college programmers might be in there with autograph books and silly outfits And do candids for 6 minutes.

Hard to figure.

You left out the creepy sociopaths, too. I really feel for the character CMs. The kids are cute, but too many adults either ask uncomfortable questions that would make me question my safety or would feel between my legs to see what kind of equipment I have.

 

[wannabeBelle]

You left out the creepy sociopaths, too. I really feel for the character CMs. The kids are cute, but too many adults either ask uncomfortable questions that would make me question my safety or would feel between my legs to see what kind of equipment I have.

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

You left out the creepy sociopaths, too. I really feel for the character CMs. The kids are cute, but too many adults either ask uncomfortable questions that would make me question my safety or would feel between my legs to see what kind of equipment I have.

I left them out at the instructions of my therapist...

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

They've obviously cut back on the available banshees to two in order to compensate for the low crowds.

You gotta pay banshees time + 2/3 if they go over 50 in a week.

This equal pay movement is gonna make ‘America “ungreat” again

 

[MickeyCB]

Quiet through about the 19th or 20th. You’ll avoid the balls-to-the-wall craziness. Most kids are still in school through the Friday before Christmas.

Thanks for the info, not interested in balls-to-the-walls crazy!!

It will be more crowded than 5-10 years ago...but you should still enjoy yourself.

You are hard pressed to find DVC rooms that time of year and many others...they’ve flooded a lot of “dead points” into the system over the last ten years that makes bookings harder to come by.

Thanks for the info, unless crazy house busy, we usually manage to have a great time.

 

[DznyRktekt]

You left out the creepy sociopaths, too. I really feel for the character CMs. The kids are cute, but too many adults either ask uncomfortable questions that would make me question my safety or would feel between my legs to see what kind of equipment I have.

You should add "Peanut Gallery" to this post to make it offensive.

 

[ToTBellHop]

You should add "Peanut Gallery" to this post to make it offensive.

?

 

[Disstevefan1]

FoP is at 180 minutes and the line is by the entrance

180 minute stand by at 10AM in the morning on a Wednesday... I am still waiting for that significant softness in park attendance....

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

180 minute stand by at 10AM in the morning on a Wednesday... I am still waiting for that significant softness in park attendance....

So the wait on the computer rationing system directly correlates to attendance, huh?

 

[geekza]

It's also possible that they're doing the same thing they did last year, which was decrease staffing at the attractions. That increased lines a lot. I believe it was this past winter when they did that. Len Testa surmised that was what they were doing then and later had it confirmed by his connections. It saves them a great deal of money and makes the parks look more crowded than they are. They've also been known to decrease the number of FastPasses they hand out during slower times, increasing the Standby lines.

 

[wishiwere@wdw]

I was trying to book a weekend in October for my Partner's birthday abd every Disney hotel and DVC unit are sold out....So it must not be too soft.

I believe there is a mega huge tournament that weekend at ESPN WWOS so that could be having an impact.

 

[LSLS]

180 minute stand by at 10AM in the morning on a Wednesday... I am still waiting for that significant softness in park attendance....

Go back a single page and look at what Princess Leia posted from the app at 4:00. 60 minute wait. And according to touring plans, the average wait time yesterday was 75 minutes for FoP. It looks like that 180 minute wait was not the norm for the day.

 

[JoeCamel]

Go back a single page and look at what Princess Leia posted from the app at 4:00. 60 minute wait. And according to touring plans, the average wait time yesterday was 75 minutes for FoP. It looks like that 180 minute wait was not the norm for the day.

Cherries are in season

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

It's also possible that they're doing the same thing they did last year, which was decrease staffing at the attractions. That increased lines a lot. I believe it was this past winter when they did that. Len Testa surmised that was what they were doing then and later had it confirmed by his connections. It saves them a great deal of money and makes the parks look more crowded than they are. They've also been known to decrease the number of FastPasses they hand out during slower times, increasing the Standby lines.

It just so happens they are selling MK early and late mornings, mgm early mornings, Halloween tickets, and a slew of food and wine upsells...

...even those of you that will never think it...are going to start to see that it has to be thunk

 

[Disstevefan1]

So the wait on the computer rationing system directly correlates to attendance, huh?

I cant speak for the computer rationing system, the twitter post shows the actual posted standby, 180 minute stand by at 10AM in the morning on a Wednesday. There are actual guests waiting in this queue. If there was a "significant softness in park attendance ", you would think the standby line for any attraction to be less than 180 minutes on any given Wednesday at 10 AM .

Lets say the number is 100 percent off, 90 minutes is still ridiculous for a Wednesday IF they are trying to claim a significant softness in park attendance.

Think of this, there is a 180 minute stand by at 10AM in the morning on a Wednesday that did not exist 16 months ago, at the same time there is a whole new Toy Story Land in DHS, I am sure Slinky has a long queue at the same time.

The parks are still mobbed. A "significant softness in park attendance is an excuse to cut cast members hours..

 

[Princess Leia]

I cant speak for the computer rationing system, the twitter post shows the actual posted standby, 180 minute stand by at 10AM in the morning on a Wednesday. There are actual guests waiting in this queue. If there was a "significant softness in park attendance ", you would think the standby line for any attraction to be less than 180 minutes on any given Wednesday at 10 AM

Think of this, there is a 180 minute stand by at 10AM in the morning on a Wednesday that did not exist 16 months ago, at the same time there is a whole new Toy Story Land in DHS, I am sure Slinky has a long queue at the same time.

The parks are still mobbed. A "significant softness in park attendance is an excuse to cut cast members hours..

I think it’s just that ride though (at least at AK). These are the post wait times right now at the park- almost everyone is in Pandora

 

[Pat Di]

You are hard pressed to find DVC rooms that time of year and many others...they’ve flooded a lot of “dead points” into the system over the last ten years that makes bookings harder to come by.[/QUOTE]

 

[Pat Di]

You are hard pressed to find DVC rooms that time of year and many others...they’ve flooded a lot of “dead points” into the system over the last ten years that makes bookings harder to come by.[/QUOTE]

What is a "dead point"?

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

I cant speak for the computer rationing system, the twitter post shows the actual posted standby, 180 minute stand by at 10AM in the morning on a Wednesday. There are actual guests waiting in this queue. If there was a "significant softness in park attendance ", you would think the standby line for any attraction to be less than 180 minutes on any given Wednesday at 10 AM

Think of this, there is a 180 minute stand by at 10AM in the morning on a Wednesday that did not exist 16 months ago, at the same time there is a whole new Toy Story Land in DHS, I am sure Slinky has a long queue at the same time.

The parks are still mobbed. A "significant softness in park attendance is an excuse to cut cast members hours..

You missed it...

The line for flight of passage can’t be tied directly to gate clicks as it would have been prior to fast pass +

I happened to be in WDW during February when there was a lot of discussion about crowds and staffing...and while attendance was “solid” for that period...If you had checked the lines...it would have looked like the Fourth of July.

130 “standbys” for space mountain....140 for mine train...190+ for flight of passage.

Funny thing...at least with mine train and space you can see the queues.

Particularly on space...where the standby line ended at the top of the ramp by the control booth. There was hardly anyone in it. They just didn’t move.

Same with mine train...where 4 people were let in as I walked by that resulted in a “mock cheer” from those behind them in the line who said they hadn’t moved for over 30 minutes when I asked. That was very amusing/well played.

It’s not hard to figure things out if you’re observant.

Standbys and fastpass worked in consort under the paper system. Now there is a heavy potential for “play”

Want another example? The old priority seating worked well to cut out waits almost altogether. Then they went to hard res - mostly to predict revenues and control labor.

That’s fine...but it’s also why they’ll quote you a 100 minute wait and then you see half tables empty if you walk by the outside windows....
It’s becusee they didn’t staff because you didn’t commit weeks/months out.

 

[2thDr]

Yeah, but to those who are coming, and paid full price for their tickets and rooms, and are expecting an appropriate experience for their money, it's a slap in the face to get to WDW and find out they'll be waiting an hour to check in, waiting an hour for a bus, waiting an hour to get through security, and then waiting an hour -- per ride -- to ride anything... all because the executives need to protect their bonus checks.

Ummmm. if attendance is down, and staffing is reduced to match, where's the problem? At worst, wait times should be about the same.