Walt Disney World Park Attendance Numbers

[gettingsmaller]

Yeah, but what exactly is a "room night"? I think they just generally mean resort reservations, but is this referred to as a "room night"? I have never heard that term used.

I don't recall the exact context where the quote originates from (whether it is good for DIS or bad for DIS), BUT I believe that "room nights" refers to nights that rooms are/can be booked.

So, if you have 2000 rooms and you are looking at a week, you have 14000 "room nights" (2000 rooms X 7 nights in a week). The goal, of course, being to sell all of those room nights.

I'm not sure if they are saying they have more room nights booked than expected or maybe more available than expected, but I think that's what a "room night" refers to.

 

[MousDad]

I don't recall the exact context where the quote originates from (whether it is good for DIS or bad for DIS), BUT I believe that "room nights" refers to nights that rooms are/can be booked.

The Disney Gossip blogger's source said that [the quote] was the reason that the Fantasyland Makeover/Mermaid was going to go forward in 2009. So it was used as a positive.

 

[ClemsonTigger]

What exactly does, "higher than expected room nights at the resorts," mean? This is the second time I've seen this phrase quoted, which surprises me, since I can't deduce its meaning. I think there is a word (or several) missing. :shrug:

A room night is the actual occupied room time.
For example, you plan your vacation for 6 nights, 7 days. While you may be in the parks 7 full days, you reserve a room for 6 nights, allowing for "your" room to be booked again while you are in the park on that 7th day.

Clearly this black hole of an economy is affecting most other sectors as much if not more than Disney. Car sales are down 30-40%, all three US manufactures are currently in Washington looking for handouts. Airlines are still a mess, housing in the dumper. I think any other sector would sell their left arm for only a ten percent reduction....although that may end upbeing more wishful than actual.

 

[RiversideBunny]

'Room night' is probably just to make it clear that one room for one night is being looked at as opposed to how many guests are there overnight, which could be 1, 2, 4, etc. per room.

 

[VT GAL]

I will admit that I am in the 10-12 week bucket for 3 of our 4 trips this year...

I think the worst is yet to come as far as the fall off from cancellations. But I have a question, would they drop the prices on the unsold DVC properties in BLT or AKL if there is a selling slump?

 

[RiversideBunny]

People on this web site probably plan far more in advance for WDW trips than does the general public.

 

[DVCOwner]

As for the droping of prices on the two remining DVC resorts, but as they have done in the past they may add some incentives, but the per point price will remain the same for a good while. When I made my first purchase at the Boardwalk Villas the price was not lowered, but I was able to "sell" my first year points back to Disney and apply that to the purchase price. I understand that sells on the tower are going very well.

 

[ClemsonTigger]

As for the droping of prices on the two remining DVC resorts, but as they have done in the past they may add some incentives, but the per point price will remain the same for a good while. When I made my first purchase at the Boardwalk Villas the price was not lowered, but I was able to "sell" my first year points back to Disney and apply that to the purchase price. I understand that sells on the tower are going very well.

I have heard that as well, but as Disney doesn't disclose these numbers, I'm surprised at the number of folks here that have that information.... Much better connected than I.

 

[VT GAL]

As for the droping of prices on the two remining DVC resorts, but as they have done in the past they may add some incentives, but the per point price will remain the same for a good while. When I made my first purchase at the Boardwalk Villas the price was not lowered, but I was able to "sell" my first year points back to Disney and apply that to the purchase price. I understand that sells on the tower are going very well.

Thanks! :wave: We're not planning on buying into the DVC, but I was just curious as to what they could do to get people to buy in without compromising the value of their properties.

 

[Brian Noble]

AKV's incentive was lowered, from $8 off to $6.25 off.

Some DVCers on the DIS said they received a mailer from DVC stating that AKV's price was going up to match BLT's ($112), and that BLT's minimum add-on would be going from 25 to 100. Both are said to go in effect in January. (The minimum initial buy-in at BLT is 160. AKV is 100).

On the positive side, BLT buyers are now being offered a matching set of one-year SSR developers points.

 

[jhastings74]

There is an interesting article in the Orlando Sentinel about the offers, as well as Iger's statements on the economic impact/expected impact to Disney and it's parks and resorts:


http://www.orlandosentinel.com/travel/attractions/orl-disneyearn0708nov07,0,4301625.story

 

[Todd L]

I can tell you that I work for a Fourtune 500 company in the Northeast and we hear these kind of slick, double ended, rah-rah pep talks Just before people start losing jobs. The ceo's an coo's feel like its there duty to put a positive spin on everything when Its clearly a bad time for most people. Im sure its down more than 1%. They would not be giving away free food and extra nights stays for a 1% difference. I guess they feel like the shareholders want good news in these times . I think its gonna be a hard 2009 for most companys Disney included. I would imagine most people would not pull out of their booked /paid vacations unless it was really drastic I for one could not tell my kids "Hey All the excitment and build up for the last 6 months was nice but we cant afford to go " It would kill me to do that. I think theres alot of people taking a wait and see approach to everything next year.

 

[Slowjack]

Re: the buy 4 nights get 3 for free...

This is exactly what I was thinking. I think this is the first time I have seen an offer like this from Disney.

As I mentioned in another thread, similar deals were in place for years after 9/11.
Edit: and if you look at the Orlando Sentinel article above, you can see the headline is "Disney Revives Hotel Discount."

 

[DisneyMusician2]

Re: the buy 4 nights get 3 for free...

As I mentioned in another thread, similar deals were in place for years after 9/11.

Similar, but not as good when you add in the gift card.

 

[Brian Noble]

Similar, but not as good when you add in the gift card.

But the 9/11 deal was better when you consider the ultimate parkhoppers weren't entirely front-loaded as the MYW tickets are today.

Im sure its down more than 1%

If they are, someone is going to jail. Public companies can get in big trouble by lying about their performance in their quarterly reports.

 

[earldw28]

I've always wondered what would be so bad about releasing the exact attendance numbers to the public. Does it have something to do with not wanting competition to know or am I missing something?

 

[mrerk]

Yeah, but what exactly is a "room night"? I think they just generally mean resort reservations, but is this referred to as a "room night"? I have never heard that term used.

A room night is one room for one night.

For instance, for our Disney wedding we had to guarantee 25 room nights. So if 5 of our guests stay for 5 nights each we have met our room night guarantee.

 

[mrerk]

I've always wondered what would be so bad about releasing the exact attendance numbers to the public. Does it have something to do with not wanting competition to know or am I missing something?

That is exactly it. Same reason they killed the live web cams they used to have at each park. Evidently the competition had people watching the live feed of the guests entering the parks and trying to guage attendance by that.

 

[WDW1974]

There's no intelligent, rational way of spinning this as a positive of any kind for TWDC or WDW.

None.

The only way this is good is if someone is looking for deal on a WDW vacation.

And some of these offers (like the $49 rooms with 35% off merchandise going on this month at various times) are unprecedented in scope ... even including the 2001-03 period.

And just look at how long these rates are available ... the first SIX MONTHS of 2009 except for two weeks around Easter.

That tells plenty.

Not good at all ...

 

[Slowjack]

There's no intelligent, rational way of spinning this as a positive of any kind for TWDC or WDW.

None.

The only way this is good is if someone is looking for deal on a WDW vacation.

And some of these offers (like the $49 rooms with 35% off merchandise going on this month at various times) are unprecedented in scope ... even including the 2001-03 period.

And just look at how long these rates are available ... the first SIX MONTHS of 2009 except for two weeks around Easter.

That tells plenty.

Not good at all ...

I wasn't aware anyone was trying to spin this as a "positive," just some of use are saying the sky's not falling.

Obviously, for some people going to WDW anyway, it's indeed a great positive. I took advantage of the post 9/11 downturn rates for two vacations myself. I had the same WDW experience as usual, except that I paid less for it than I would have otherwise.

Let's be honest. Despite Disney's advertisements to the contrary, WDW is an expensive undertaking for most families. As I computed in a thread some time back, WDW tickets, for example, are about three times more expensive than in the early 80s, even after adjusting for inflation. Luxuries are the first thing people cut back on during times of economic uncertainty. So a cutback in bookings for the first half of 2009 is nothing surprising. But I don't see any reason to be gloomy long-term. If they are still offering the discounts in 2011, I'll change my tune.