News Park attendance showing significant softness heading into the Fall 2018

CaptainAmerica

Premium Member
Just a reminder that Hollywood Math is Hollywood Math and that over the last few months WDW has been cutting costs and raising prices like it is going bankrupt.

Probably best to pay attention to how a company actually behaves rather than what it says on a PR-focused earnings call.
I don't think you understand how audited financial statements work.
 

CaptainAmerica

Premium Member
Disney Parks Attendance, Revenue Up for Fourth Quarter, 2018

For the fiscal year, the parks saw a revenue increase 10 percent to $20.3 billion.
Guest spending growth was due to increases in ticket prices, food, beverage and merchandise spending, and average daily room rates.

http://www.mynews13.com/fl/orlando/...tendance--revenue-up-for-fourth-quarter--2018
You're leaving things out.

"Disney reported Thursday that attendance is up in 4 percent at the domestic theme parks, and per-capita spending was up 9 percent."
 
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HauntedPirate

Park nostalgist
Premium Member
I think an important point is being ignored - PRICE INCREASES WORK (to raise per guest spending numbers)!!!!

The cuts implemented by management due to "soft" attendance projections sound a lot like how apoplectic people get when their favorite government program funding gets "cut". Funding is not an actual cut, it's only going up 4% vs. 6%. Neither reaction is warranted. Numbers would have been fine without the cuts made by TDO.
 

MisterPenguin

President of Animal Kingdom
Premium Member
I think an important point is being ignored - PRICE INCREASES WORK (to raise per guest spending numbers)!!!!

The cuts implemented by management due to "soft" attendance projections sound a lot like how apoplectic people get when their favorite government program funding gets "cut". Funding is not an actual cut, it's only going up 4% vs. 6%. Neither reaction is warranted. Numbers would have been fine without the cuts made by TDO.

Just to add: Q4, the Summer quarter which includes September was the worst quarter for domestic parks. The dip in September was real. The overreaction wasn't warranted, tho, given how well the other quarters did. And for all the cuts, stuff is coming back (the Star Wars stage show when the concrete work is done and Planet Watch), and stuff is being added (all the 90th birthday stuff), and plenty of streetmosphere currently exists. The real victim is the RoL shaman.
 

CaptainAmerica

Premium Member
Just to add: Q4, the Summer quarter which includes September was the worst quarter for domestic parks. The dip in September was real. The overreaction wasn't warranted, tho, given how well the other quarters did. And for all the cuts, stuff is coming back (the Star Wars stage show when the concrete work is done and Planet Watch), and stuff is being added (all the 90th birthday stuff), and plenty of streetmosphere currently exists. The real victim is the RoL shaman.
You can't compare Q4 to the other quarters, you have to compare Q4 to last year's Q4. Attendance was not just yup FY18 versus FY18, it was also up specifically FY18 Q4 versus FY17 Q4.
 

winstongator

Well-Known Member
You can't compare Q4 to the other quarters, you have to compare Q4 to last year's Q4. Attendance was not just yup FY18 versus FY18, it was also up specifically FY18 Q4 versus FY17 Q4.
I compared them in the quarterly report thread. Q4 has been the worst performing quarter, in terms of growth over the last 4 years , and now profit is the lowest where it used to be around what they got in the Oct-Dec quarter.

https://forums.wdwmagic.com/threads/disney’s-q4-fy18-earnings-results-webcast.951363/

The results include DL which would skew summer. Anaheim is a lot nicer in the summer than Orlando, and local kids out of school could improve the summer there.

Summer has the least 'extras' and the worst weather. One month of F&W and MNSSHP. Want to wear your costume on a 100degree heat index day? I'd guess they do something for Epcot in the summer, or have a FL resident 3/4 day summer ticket promotion. As a long-time Floridian, I'm planning on going a couple times in summer 2019.
 

MickeyMinnieMom

Well-Known Member
I compared them in the quarterly report thread. Q4 has been the worst performing quarter, in terms of growth over the last 4 years , and now profit is the lowest where it used to be around what they got in the Oct-Dec quarter.

https://forums.wdwmagic.com/threads/disney’s-q4-fy18-earnings-results-webcast.951363/

The results include DL which would skew summer. Anaheim is a lot nicer in the summer than Orlando, and local kids out of school could improve the summer there.

Summer has the least 'extras' and the worst weather. One month of F&W and MNSSHP. Want to wear your costume on a 100degree heat index day? I'd guess they do something for Epcot in the summer, or have a FL resident 3/4 day summer ticket promotion. As a long-time Floridian, I'm planning on going a couple times in summer 2019.
As I mentioned in that thread, Disney is deliberately trying to lessen seasonality. It would make perfect sense for Q4 growth to be lower than the others in recent years. That would mean their strategies are working to achieve their desired ends.
 

Dad 2 M & M

Well-Known Member
Could be as simple as forecasting softness to get peeps capitalize and come out to the slow Parks....it worked on us as we came, and were surprised by the crowds....and it wasn’t just understaffed kiosks, QS, etc.....

We’ll be back the 2nd week of December
 

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