News Theme parks way up

[disney4life2008]

1. Parents take there kids out of school for a vacation which use to be the quiet times fir the resorts. I have. No pity when I hear the parents crying around about how packed the parks are.

I remember we used to take trips in September and January. The resorts would be beautiful and quaint. And the parks were managable. Now in September and January it is endless people. Between the tour groups, cheerleaders, and the traditional guest it is no longer a slow season.

 

[disney4life2008]

So more people are coming. Things cost more (or people are spending more) at a rate double that, and costs for Disney are down at a rate double that. Sounds like Disney realizes people will keep coming and spending even when Disney spends less on the product itself.

And while I still obviously love wdw (why would I be here) I can attest to this fact currently. I’m on day 4 of my trip and all I see are

1. massive crowds on what used to be the deadest season of year

2. broken monorails and rides, spent 50 waiting to go to Epcot from TTC Sunday morning. TT and all the mountains in mk have been broken this week

3. Understaffed restaurants with no ADRs available anywhere. I had to bus my own table at tusker house tonight. Yet the place was half full

4. Insane lines by mid morning. A 25 min wait for the people mover because everything else is 60 mins plus by 10 am. On a tuesday

See I don’t care how many opportunties Disney takes to make money on me. If the experience is good I’ll pay whatever. Create all the stupid upsell packages you want, go ahead and charge me for my freaking shampoo. But I bought dvc, I plan all I can, am efficient with my time, and still cannot get on a ride unless I have a fast pass... and have to wait 25 mins for a turkey sandwich at the contempo cafe. The resort is understaffed and the place needs serious investments. Not more ride simulators. They just bring in more crowds for a watered down experience.

The other problem to me is the magic is not there. I can see some aspects in Magic Kingdom but there have been more than a few times where the mens bathroom has had toilets not cleaned. And the rides themselves are filthy. It never really bothered me until I got on haunted mansion and I sat right in soiled liquid. Space ship earth smells like the large animal house at the zoo. Its just overall disappointing to me. I go because its down the street from me and its something to do.

 

[HauntedMansionFLA]

The other problem to me is the magic is not there. I can see some aspects in Magic Kingdom but there have been more than a few times where the mens bathroom has had toilets not cleaned. And the rides themselves are filthy. It never really bothered me until I got on haunted mansion and I sat right in soiled liquid. Space ship earth smells like the large animal house at the zoo. Its just overall disappointing to me. I go because its down the street from me and its something to do.

Same here. Too crowded and it starts to lose the Magic. We go, just like you, because it’s down the street and it’s something to do. The problem with that is you start to see the little details that are missed which you wouldn’t pick up on because you re on vacation and you’re breaking your neck trying to get everything done. We have noticed everything you pointed out.
I will be curious to see if there is a bump in attendance at EPCOT with the GotG coaster like Avatar gave a DAK a huge boost.

 

[disney4life2008]

Same here. Too crowded and it starts to lose the Magic. We go, just like you, because it’s down the street and it’s something to do. The problem with that is you start to see the little details that are missed which you wouldn’t pick up on because you re on vacation and you’re breaking your neck trying to get everything done. We have noticed everything you pointed out.
I will be curious to see if there is a bump in attendance at EPCOT with the GotG coaster like Avatar gave a DAK a huge boost.

Definitely Epcot will get a boost. Frozen got an initial boost but things have balanced out now with the additional rooms from soarin.

You are correct about noticing the little things. For me it's worse because i know many cast members outside of their Disney role. And it's not a pretty sight. Im more so talking about the cms below 28.

 

[montyz81]

Disney theme park attendance was up 6 percent in the quarter. P&R revenue was up 13 percent and profits up 21%. Proof that Disney has a very wrong future. Just wait till 2019 with Star Wars and 2021 for the 50th anniversary of WDW.

REPLACE THE MK VIs DISNEY!!!!! Clearly you can afford it.

 

[jt04]

REPLACE THE MK VIs DISNEY!!!!! Clearly you can afford it.

And have guests complain they want the classic style monorail they would immediately become nostalgic for?

 

[montyz81]

And have guests complain they want the classic style monorail they would immediately become nostalgic for?

Who says they don't have to look like the ones on the track today? Updated with new technology, frames some minor tweaking to the Lear Jet look can still be achieved. Look at how the MKVIIs did it. Look at how the MKVIs achieved it from the MKIVs.

 

[monothingie]

Pandora was never going to fail because its at disney world. They have a large enough fan base that will flock to anything related to disney. You know its bad when people want to be the first to get a new disney cup cake. i think its pretty pathetic but ibid. Pandora is successful because its in a park where prior to, it was a half day. If you do not have FP for either attraction, half your day will be sepnt in line. And that awful rivers of light show is only a win because they build pandora to be a nighttime activity then you go see rivers of light.

I agree, DAK was a park that was desperately in need of a fully themed land and a nighttime entertainment. They could have put a themed land devoted to Scrooge McDuck and so long as it had coherent cutting edge theming and quality cutting edge attractions it would have been a success.

 

[LucasCole]

as long as the average family is ok with 90 min waits on a $5k vacation every 3-5 years Disney will continue to make headline generating additions to the parks to draw those average families back in and let all the current offerings tread water. I don't see commercials for great service at restaurants and renovated monorails.

 

[CaptainAmerica]

So more people are coming. Things cost more (or people are spending more) at a rate double that, and costs for Disney are down at a rate double that. Sounds like Disney realizes people will keep coming and spending even when Disney spends less on the product itself.

And while I still obviously love wdw (why would I be here) I can attest to this fact currently. I’m on day 4 of my trip and all I see are

1. massive crowds on what used to be the deadest season of year

2. broken monorails and rides, spent 50 waiting to go to Epcot from TTC Sunday morning. TT and all the mountains in mk have been broken this week

3. Understaffed restaurants with no ADRs available anywhere. I had to bus my own table at tusker house tonight. Yet the place was half full

4. Insane lines by mid morning. A 25 min wait for the people mover because everything else is 60 mins plus by 10 am. On a tuesday

See I don’t care how many opportunties Disney takes to make money on me. If the experience is good I’ll pay whatever. Create all the stupid upsell packages you want, go ahead and charge me for my freaking shampoo. But I bought dvc, I plan all I can, am efficient with my time, and still cannot get on a ride unless I have a fast pass... and have to wait 25 mins for a turkey sandwich at the contempo cafe. The resort is understaffed and the place needs serious investments. Not more ride simulators. They just bring in more crowds for a watered down experience.

"Nobody goes there anymore. It's too crowded."

 

[ksr99]

So more people are coming. Things cost more (or people are spending more) at a rate double that, and costs for Disney are down at a rate double that. Sounds like Disney realizes people will keep coming and spending even when Disney spends less on the product itself.

And while I still obviously love wdw (why would I be here) I can attest to this fact currently. I’m on day 4 of my trip and all I see are

1. massive crowds on what used to be the deadest season of year

2. broken monorails and rides, spent 50 waiting to go to Epcot from TTC Sunday morning. TT and all the mountains in mk have been broken this week

3. Understaffed restaurants with no ADRs available anywhere. I had to bus my own table at tusker house tonight. Yet the place was half full

4. Insane lines by mid morning. A 25 min wait for the people mover because everything else is 60 mins plus by 10 am. On a tuesday

See I don’t care how many opportunties Disney takes to make money on me. If the experience is good I’ll pay whatever. Create all the stupid upsell packages you want, go ahead and charge me for my freaking shampoo. But I bought dvc, I plan all I can, am efficient with my time, and still cannot get on a ride unless I have a fast pass... and have to wait 25 mins for a turkey sandwich at the contempo cafe. The resort is understaffed and the place needs serious investments. Not more ride simulators. They just bring in more crowds for a watered down experience.

And what you just described should be the business plan!

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

I remember the days when cynics claimed TDO and Iger would cause WDW to be auctioned off in lots.

For you new to these boards, that really was the claim. Of 'insiders' no less.

Some also said Pandora was an idea doomed to fail.

Star Wars Land opens in 2019.

Then the MKs 50th.

What's your thoughts on the hocus that disney was "trying" to limit attendance by driving up prices...to better the experience for their treasured guests?

...want to know what I think?

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

"Nobody goes there anymore. It's too crowded."

In yogi I trust

 

[GhostHost1000]

now if they would just spend more now to fast-track expansion in each park they will get a quicker ROI... but of course the Disney way is to be magically slow

 

[kong1802]

I'm glad that the financials are strong in the parks department, but I agree with the experiences that are being shared here.

It's ridiculous that it takes 30 mins to get a flatbread from the Village Haus. The overall understaffing and under serving need to be addressed. WDW is riding a great economic wave, and have done a great job in creating excitement. But when that wave subsides, they are going to still need their reputation as a world class experience to sustain.

There was a time when ESPN could do no wrong. They got bloated and were not in a position to pivot. It's a little apple to oranges, but if they outprice and under deliver for too long while things are rosy, they may have a longer time rebounding than they would like should the tide shift down the road.

 

[HauntedPirate]

What's your thoughts on the hocus that disney was "trying" to limit attendance by driving up prices...to better the experience for their treasured guests?

...want to know what I think?

Wait, wait... You mean the price increases aren't really translating to a better guest experience because Disney is not only taking the money and running but they are also cutting back on staffing at the same time in order to save money on labor costs?

 

[kong1802]

Wait, wait... You mean the price increases aren't really translating to a better guest experience because Disney is not only taking the money and running but they are also cutting back on staffing at the same time in order to save money on labor costs?

Thanks for paying more to enjoy your vacation with us....

But we are still only going to run one side of Dumbo until noon.....

Unless is Christmas.

 

[HauntedPirate]

Thanks for paying more to enjoy your vacation with us....

But we are still only going to run one side of Dumbo/Big Thunder/Pirates/Space/Speedway/IASW until noon (or later).....

Unless is Christmas.

Fixed that.

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

Wait, wait... You mean the price increases aren't really translating to a better guest experience because Disney is not only taking the money and running but they are also cutting back on staffing at the same time in order to save money on labor costs?

Well...yeah...but I wasn't even approaching from that vector...

It's been my longterm (long winded) belief that the wdw clientele is in about year 8 of a 15-20 year consumer social experiment...

Step 1: jack prices up heavily and steadily till the ceiling is met while saying you want limits
Step 2: expand footprint to allow more bodies in each park/force them into previously unused spaces
Step 3: aggressively influx hotel capacity and/or promotions to drive 50 mil of attendance north of 60...and on every head make more walk away dollars after price expectations have been permenantly destroyed.

...but I hadn't put much thought into it...and I'm new here.

 

[Dead2009]

Plus GotG coming into EPCOT and saving the park.

One ride wont save a park.