Shark Reef to close at Typhoon Lagoon

[erasure fan1]

It gets harder every second to justify a trip to WDW. We didn't go to the parks this year and I'm really pushing to skip next year as well. This really screams Disney is just giving us the middle finger and saying you'll show up anyway. I firmly believe the powers that be are convinced they can cut az much as they want and raise prices as high as they want and NOTHING will change. People will flock to the parks and spend their money in record numbers. Man, such a shame.

 

[Andrew C]

I'm looking forward to see what they replace it with.

 

[RSoxNo1]

Is it closing at the end of October or October 2?

 

[Biff215]

If this sounded interesting to you... Do discovery cove... It's about 323x better

And 324x more expensive...

In all seriousness, Shark Reef was never meant to be a huge headliner, it was just a unique experience not found in any other water park. Sure other parks who specialize in this can do it better, but I never went to Typhoon expecting Discovery Cove, and I assume most did not.

Shark Reef closing won't devastate the park or cause attendance to decline, it's just a shame to once again lose a unique attraction for something new when we could have had both.

The current strategy is clearly to not add capacity or extra labor and maintenance costs, but to control attendance by raising prices. It may be working now but will eventually catch up to them with permanent damage done to the Disney name. I don't think a change at the top will even save it at this point.

 

[ChesterKiwi]

I feel like there's a curse attached to me at this point.

On my last trip there were three things I didn't get to do with my youngest brother even though we were doing an "all the attractions" challenge at his insistence. I told him on the next trip (which would be several years off) we would hit those three, which were the following:

• Animation Courtyard
• Lights Motors Action!
• Shark Reef

And as luck (or lack thereof) would have it...

Life goes on though! I hope something good eventually takes its place.

 

[Jon81uk]

And 324x more expensive...

I used to think this. But we are doing Discovey Cove for the first time this year. It was £99 for a SeaWorld three park ticket. Or £138 for Discovery Cove including admission to the other three SeaWorld parks and parking. Discovery Cove is all-inclusive so breakfast, lunch, drinks and snacks are all included, so for £39 (approx $51) it seems worth the money!.
Although it would have been an extra ~£40 for the dolphin swim and that doesn't seem worth the cost.

 

[KINGLOUIS1993]

Gutted that I have never done it and never will

 

[Bacon]

Um no, it's not remotely close to the experience at Castaway Cay. That's like comparing a bath with swimming at the beach.

Well i did say smaller didn't i?

 

[ParentsOf4]

Disney really hates its customers, doesn't it? It almost feels like there's someone in the back office desperately trying to find the most unique and original things and close them down.

Disney doesn't hate it's customers; it's just looking to shut down its most expensive, least profitable experiences in order to maximize margin.

The old Disney is gone. You are no longer a "Guest". You are now a "$".

 

[Bairstow]

The old Disney is gone. You are no longer a "Guest". You are now a "$".

As opposed to all those years when the company wasn't trying to make money?

 

[ParentsOf4]

As opposed to all those years when the company wasn't trying to make money?

Yeah, Disney wasn't trying to make money for the 27 years that Shark's Reef was open.

Oh wait, Disney kept Shark's Reef open and made money.

 

[Bocabear]

Yeah, Disney wasn't trying to make money for the 27 years that Shark's Reef was open.

Oh wait, Disney kept Shark's Reef open and made money.

but they can make 63 cents more per person if they close Shark Reef...said some bean counter.... Removing the condiments from the snackbar could also boost their bottom line by tens of dollars...lol and if guests had to pay for toilet paper....hmmmm... New TDO strategy...

 

[Bairstow]

Yeah, Disney wasn't trying to make money for the 27 years that Shark's Reef was open.

Oh wait, Disney kept Shark's Reef open and made money.

So what are you suggesting? That Disney is contemplating closing an attraction purely out of spite?
Because they don't love you anymore?

 

[Bocabear]

So what are you suggesting? That Disney is contemplating closing an attraction purely out of spite?
Because they don't love you anymore?

no, but they could make more money by closing it...Reduce the guest experience while raising the prices...Volume of guests are still in their favor...they will continue that have people willing to pay more money for less attractions...and then if guests satidfaction starts to drop they will trot out some minimum wage college kids in character costumes and call it a magical new experience...

 

[KrazyKat]

but they can make 63 cents more per person if they close Shark Reef...said some bean counter.... Removing the condiments from the snackbar could also boost their bottom line by tens of dollars...lol and if guests had to pay for toilet paper....hmmmm... New TDO strategy...

Don't give them any ideas.

 

[ParentsOf4]

but they can make 63 cents more per person if they close Shark Reef...

Just playing with some numbers; no idea if they are accurate ...

Let's assume that Shark's Reef requires 10 Cast Members making $10/hr to operate, with Typhoon Lagoon open an average of 10 hours per day for the 10 months of the year it's open. That works out to $300K per year. Then let's assume other operating costs are that again, bringing the total annual operating cost to $600K.

I think Typhoon Lagoon sees about 2 million Guests per year. So, for roughly 30 cents per Guest, Disney decided that it was too expensive to operate.

I've always been a big fan of WDW's water parks, feeling they've largely gone untouched despite decades of cost cutting elsewhere at WDW.

I fear this is the start of a bad trend at Blizzard Beach and Typhoon Lagoon.

 

[Andrew C]

Just playing with some numbers; no idea if they are accurate ...

Let's assume that Shark's Reef requires 10 Cast Members making $10/hr to operate, with Typhoon Lagoon open an average of 10 hours per day for the 10 months of the year it's open. That works out to $300K per year. Then let's assume other operating costs are that again, bringing the total annual operating cost to $600K.

I think Typhoon Lagoon sees about 2 million Guests per year. So, for roughly 30 cents per Guest, Disney decided that it was too expensive to operate.

I've always been a big fan of WDW's water parks, feeling they've largely gone untouched despite decades of cost cutting elsewhere at WDW.

I fear this is the start of a bad trend at Blizzard Beach and Typhoon Lagoon.

It seems like it would take more than that to maintain it...with live animals and the environment they live in....whether that matters or not is another question, as they have maintained it for years.

Anyways, they seem to be investing in the water parks with a brand new slide...and supposedly a replacement for the reef is in talks. So, it really isn't a straight cut.

 

[flynnibus]

And 324x more expensive...

And worth it. You get what u pay for... I only wish that applied at Disney

 

[Incomudro]

Not a great experience to do.
The water wasn't particularly clear, it was quite cold, and you get very little time.
Gear up, go straight across, don't linger, then get out.
I did it once, then preferred to walk through.
I do love the place however, and will miss it.
It was unique, well themed - I love the theming of Typhoon Lagoon, and I love sharks as well.
I just hope that whatever it is replaced with measures up.

 

[COProgressFan]

I've always been a big fan of WDW's water parks, feeling they've largely gone untouched despite decades of cost cutting elsewhere at WDW.

I fear this is the start of a bad trend at Blizzard Beach and Typhoon Lagoon.

I'm worried about this as well. The water parks were seemingly forgotten about in the eyes of Burbank, which sounds like a bad thing, but because of that seemed like they were able to escape most of the cuts the rest of the the resort has faced in recent years.

Between this and the cutback in operating hours this summer, I hope its not the beginning of a trend.

Note: I would also add that there were major cutbacks in transportation to/from the water parks which have had significant negative impact on guests. I don't know, however, if that is part of budgets at the parks themselves, or more likely coming out of each resort's budget.