Pumbas Nakasak
Heading for the great escape.
Oh dear................
That's not what I asked.
A big deal is being made of IoA reaching capacity and no one seems willing or able to supply what capacity is.
The number I have found, which seems low, is 20,000.
I also found most of the employees to be out of character and found myself VERY distracted by the unthemed, unhidden show building for the Forbidden Journey. Why build such a gorgeous castle and incredible interior chambers in the queue and then have a huge, blue building attached in plain view?
Their policy on small bags is out of whack--they actually have a small area in the seat of the ride vehicle to store small items (which some of the portraits and the Sorting Hat refer to), so I don't know why he would care about a small handbag. I find Universal's policy on bags to be a bit dumb. Sure, the lockers are free, but they are cumbersome and do not make me want to buy anything since it's such a hastle to put my souvenirs into a locker. Disney is much more accommodating of bags.Haha, thats true!! I forgot about that! I was actually going on a huge rant about that building while I was on line. I also was not too happy with the locker situation. I had a small purse (literally, the size of my hand - and no thicker than my hand, also!) and the guy at the front of the line promised me they would not let me on the ride with it. and I was like "well im not putting my credit cards and bank cards and iphone in a locker, cant I put them in my pocket?" and he said NO! lol. he said nothing was allowed to be in my pockets, and they would fall out on the ride. Ive been on crazy rollercoasters and I never lost anything on them, so I just put the purse under my shirt and went on lol And it was fine - AND! like tons of people in front of me had HUGE bags, and they just let them right on. That guy at the front of the line was not in character either! lol![]()
No you're correct. 2 years ago it was 35 - 37,000. With Potter open now, it's slightly more. It also varies if various attractions that weren't open before would open (Trike Encounter, Toon Theatre, Grinchmas Show). So with everything in the park open, and Potter, I'm guessing right at 40,000.Not sure on that it does seem low. Maybe that is the private event capacity number (since many smaller attractions and resturants/other buildings are closed for those)
I have always heard around 35,000. Sorry, can't give you a source of exact so take it for what it is worth.
No you're correct. 2 years ago it was 35 - 37,000. With Potter open now, it's slightly more. It also varies if various attractions that weren't open before would open (Trike Encounter, Toon Theatre, Grinchmas Show). So with everything in the park open, and Potter, I'm guessing right at 40,000.
No, they didn't. If you let a guest on with a "huge bag" on a ride that does not allow bags, the Team Member gets in trouble. It's a safety thing.Haha, thats true!! I forgot about that! I was actually going on a huge rant about that building while I was on line. I also was not too happy with the locker situation. I had a small purse (literally, the size of my hand - and no thicker than my hand, also!) and the guy at the front of the line promised me they would not let me on the ride with it. and I was like "well im not putting my credit cards and bank cards and iphone in a locker, cant I put them in my pocket?" and he said NO! lol. he said nothing was allowed to be in my pockets, and they would fall out on the ride. Ive been on crazy rollercoasters and I never lost anything on them, so I just put the purse under my shirt and went on lol And it was fine - AND! like tons of people in front of me had HUGE bags, and they just let them right on. That guy at the front of the line was not in character either! lol![]()
but it seems likely a good deal of that is guests choosing IoA over those parks.
No, they didn't. If you let a guest on with a "huge bag" on a ride that does not allow bags, the Team Member gets in trouble. It's a safety thing.
If you ride Forbidden Journey with a "huge bag" and it drops, it will land on the ride track somewhere. The vehicle behind yours will probably hit and run it over. Now some ride vehicles are designed to run over anything it hits and keep going, even if it's dragging shards of iPhones and wallets behind them. But some see that something is in the way and emergency stop itself. Then the ride is down and people are stuck and the ride has to be closed and it's an inconvenience for everyone. It also might mess up the million dollar vehicles. So then the ride is closed due to a bag getting loose, with a guest saying "your ride made me drop my bag, I'm suing". THAT"S where the TM will be getting in trouble.
There's an article about a bag coming loose on Space Mountain and hitting a man in the face who was knocked unconscious on the ride and came back slumped over, in front of his family.
BTW, those guests with "huge bags" were probably doing a child swap. One parent would wait with someone who isn't riding, and would hold the bags. I have been in line and seen party in front of me who has bags and the Team Member does not let them ride and sends them to the lockers. It's what they're supposed to do. So unless you can tell me you physically saw them in the ride vehicles, clutching their bag with them, I don't believe you.
BTW, the Team Member was acting like that because you were giving him a hard time. It's their job to enforce the rules. I bet they don't agree with it either, but like I said, knowingly letting someone in with a bag will get them in trouble.
When a park hits capacity it means that someone has done something wrong. When a park hits capacity it is not a cause for celebration or high fives. IoA hitting capacity is easier than any other Disney park hitting capacity.
40,000 is a large number of guests, I agree, but we should not look at this like Disney is "losing" and Universal is "winning" because the Disney parks have adapted to absorbing huge influxes of guests. Look at the additional fireworks viewing locations, additional restrooms, and opened food locations at Epcot or the backstage areas that are opened at MK. None of this was done at IoA, nor could really be done. This creates guest confusion, anger, and frustration. Waiting an hour for a butterbeer seems like a great headline, but it's a guest relations nightmare.
What we're getting at here is that "hitting capacity", sensational headlines (million sold!), and other metrics don't accurately measure an impact of something like WWoHP. And what we've historically seen, with IoA opening, AK opening, and huge advertised rides opening is that Orlando always benefits more than one individual player. IoA has gained world class attractions and kept its parks up to date, but everyone gets additional guests who either were turned away at the gate all the way to wanting to try out Disney or Sea World.
Meg Croftom and the points made about WDW and TDO being nothing more than real estate agents is another topics I think we can spin off into another thread for...
I think the real question is whether the trend will continue. A 36% attendance increase is a great thing. If it is followed by flat attendance or an attendance decrease then not so much. Right now you are trying to call the entire game based on the first half of the first quarter. Could you be right? Sure, but I would wait until the 2 minute warning to call the game.I agree with you and Jakeman that that 36 percent increase sounds even better than what it really is can be used as a great PR lingo, but the fact remains that in comparison that company has seen a huge growth when Disney's is hitting a flat period says that Universal is performing better in that comparison aspect.
However you say when a park has hit capacity that means that someone has done something wrong, you are incorrect. That means the park has done things very right. They gave people a return time pass for later in the day if they did not want to wait all day for Potter once they got in, and the people who waited for an hour or two outside the turnstyles eventually go in. The park was also open until midnight at those times.
Will IOA have the same or better capacity as AK or DHS this year? No. But don't forget Potter did not open up until June. This year the park's numbers as a whole will be higher. The 2011 year could get them a lot closer to the DHS or AK numbers
I think the real question is whether the trend will continue. A 36% attendance increase is a great thing. If it is followed by flat attendance or an attendance decrease then not so much. Right now you are trying to call the entire game based on the first half of the first quarter. Could you be right? Sure, but I would wait until the 2 minute warning to call the game.
Good to know you can predict the future with 100% accuracy. As we all know analysts never over or under estimate trends.A lot of tourism anaylsis shows Potter as still the biggest stand alone draw in Central FL. Estimates based on bookings and travel agencies feel Universal will have sustained crowds from last year to match except for the June-August area where there may be a drop due to it not being able to compete with the mass rush there was when it was brand new.
It is not so much just Universal having something new and big to offer, its also a combonation of AK and other areas of WDW offering less or nothing different enough for people to choose it over Universal.
Regardless, I don't know of any single theme park investment Disney has made within a park that instantly made attendance rise 36 percent.
So in that regard yes, I can say for sure better performing.
Marcriss your example seems to be quite common as well. People are spending money that they would of otherwise spent at the Disney parks they are visiting. So even if they are still visiting Disney Parks, whatever comes after Potter the guest spending rate is down.
Good to know you can predict the future with 100% accuracy. As we all know analysts never over or under estimate trends.
Talk to me in 5 years. If IOA is still pulling the the same or better numbers we can call HP a long term success. Until then it is just fanboy rambling.
Will IOA have the same or better capacity as AK or DHS this year? No. But don't forget Potter did not open up until June. This year the park's numbers as a whole will be higher. The 2011 year could get them a lot closer to the DHS or AK numbers
There is that 36% figure again.Regardless, I don't know of any single theme park investment Disney has made within a park that instantly made attendance rise 36 percent.
I must confess they are not. They have improved.Good to know you can't read. I never said the future. Just what we can say for sure right now with the 36 percent increase and HUGE surge in merch profits.
Of course Potter won't be pulling the same number in five years.
Is AK pulling the same numbers almost five years after Everest opened?
I can still tell you which expansion between Everest and zerka vs Forbidden Journey and Wizarding world is better performing in returns for the investment.
There is that 36% figure again.
6.2 million people would have to go to MK on top of that 17 million visitors that already went.
One more thing to put this 36% rise in attendance into perspective.
Assuming that the year end total will be 6.2 million for IoA, that puts it only 100,000 guest off from a high of 6.1 million in 2002.
So is a 36% jump in attendance really an increase if it is just putting you back to where you where in the beginning?
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