WDW Taking a Hit Over Gator and Massacre ...

[Clamman73]

Never thought we would see the day we wish for the Brazillians to come to WDW.

 

[JoeCamel]

People are waiting 3-4-5 hours for a new ride?! Oh, wait, it has the word Frozen in the name.

I live up here in NW Florida...the part if the state we refer to as FlorGeorgia. At 3 today, the temperature was 98; 104 with the heat index. And it's only June. And Central Florida is usually 5 degrees hotter. So idiots stood outside for hours in the blazing sun and temperatures approaching triple digits for a ride with the word "frozen" in the title. Oh, the irony.

To their credit I did see that they had umbrellas and hydration stations set up in the outside queue.

While up the street they decided to pull the plug on free water and ice in the freestyle machines two days ago.

Seems one of the F&B managers from WDW escaped to UOR and brought their mindset with them?

 

[LAKid53]

Does any one actually give a toss?

Yes, we Florida residents. 105 million visited Florida in 2015. Which makes tourism a MAJOR component of Florida's economy. The governor wants to see 115 million visitors in 2016. Which makes Florida the most visited place in the U.S., if not the planet. And the majority of them will go to Central Florida.

The population of Florida is 18.8 million. So thanks to all you non-Florida Americans, Canadians, Brits and Brazilians for keeping our taxes low (or in some cases, non-existent). *applause* and *thumbs up*

 

[Soarin' Over Pgh]

It doesn't help that Disney has grossly scaled prices up. Granted, the demand isn't declining (their attendance numbers have been dramatic the past few years, and if you'd told someone in 2004 that by 2014, Disney would have days where they had to stop admitting people to MK due to capacity issues, they'd have laughed...

I think it's a temporary thing.

Anyone cancelling over the shooting or the gator incident are doing so out of an illogical paranoia, imho...but, I do understand why people are not going, and how UK citizens after Brexit may choose to wait a year or two before they decide to spend on a US vacation at WDW...

I am skipping WDW this year (unless I end up doing a short weekend style trip for the halloween party or the christmas party, or to bookend a cruise with a few days), but that's mostly because they are doing a LOT of construction, and for my money, and what it costs, I'd rather not see a bunch of construction walls. It will probably be 2017 or more likely 2018 before I look at going for more than a few days any time soon...

That said, I am seriously considering going to other disney properties, to include going back to Disneyland, going over to Paris (maybe in 2016) or Japan (also in 2016) or even trying China (2016 or 2017) to see Shanghai and Hong Kong...

We shall see...

Good to see you around, buddy.

Just another drop in to repeat what was stated in the OP and to remind folks that their personal experience, while true for them, do not necessarily reflect the larger WDW and Central FL tourism whole.

So ... let's say some schmuck named Jim was just dumb enough to book a pricey Disney motel room to help feed his Pixie Dust addiction, it doesn't mean that Disney isn't having serious issues with attendance and booking rooms and that more people won't stay away as a result of the mass murder, the gator attack and the generally obscene prices that Disney now charges.

Add to that the Brexit and you have a recipe for a big crash in the O-Town market for all. Let's recall that despite much of the financial calamity occurring in 2007-08, it didn't hit O-Town until 2009.

So while Disney has had a rash of cancellations (much higher at the Grand Flo and Poly where they command the most obscene prices) and others simply moving, the true reality of how bad the confluence of all of these terrible things (yes, isolationist/nationalistic/jingoistic BS is bad whether it is in the UK or the USA or anywhere ... the global economy, the global village started probably a quarter of a century ago and you can't stuff that genie back in the bottle) will be isn't likely to be seen immediately in what was already a very slow year in O-Town.

And again, it really is even if you thought the Grand looked packed today when you returned from waiting 3-4-5 hours for a boat ride at EPCOT.

So... This is going to sound pretty bad... But any chance the autumn ("fall") room discount offers may be a bit deeper than normal? It might be the only way I'll keep my time as is...I've been thinking of more nights at Cabana Bay and less at CBR. The price difference is quite noticeable.

 

[JohnD]

So this story is, um, inaccurate and exaggerated.

http://www.barstoolsports.com/newyo...-and-characters-from-their-parks-and-resorts/

 

[LAKid53]

So this story is, um, inaccurate and exaggerated.

http://www.barstoolsports.com/newyo...-and-characters-from-their-parks-and-resorts/

I have several issues with this story. The major issue is the assertion that the alligator ate the boy. It didn't. Blogs like this just make me want to beat my head against the wall.

But then, the blog title Barstool Sports says it all.....

 

[SorcererMC]

Yes, we Florida residents. 105 million visited Florida in 2015. Which makes tourism a MAJOR component of Florida's economy. The governor wants to see 115 million visitors in 2016. Which makes Florida the most visited place in the U.S., if not the planet. And the majority of them will go to Central Florida.

The population of Florida is 18.8 million. So thanks to all you non-Florida Americans, Canadians, Brits and Brazilians for keeping our taxes low (or in some cases, non-existent). *applause* and *thumbs up*

And yes, WDW is central to FL Tourism....it's why President Obama gave that Main St speech. Anyway, I suspect that the Gov will be tempering those attendance expectations at the September FL Tourism conference. Not to get too far off-topic, but FL Intl Trade is about to boost the state economy in a big way b/c of the Panama Canal opening....so there is hope for FL economy, but econ restructuring in the interim might be painful for the tourist industry (and many families).

 

[Pam Hates Penguins]

I have several issues with this story. The major issue is the assertion that the alligator ate the boy. It didn't. Blogs like this just make me want to beat my head against the wall.

But then, the blog title Barstool Sports says it all.....

Media is very misleading. And they lie as well.

 

[JohnD]

I have several issues with this story. The major issue is the assertion that the alligator ate the boy. It didn't. Blogs like this just make me want to beat my head against the wall.

But then, the blog title Barstool Sports says it all.....

Yeah. Popped up on FB since I "like" several Disney pages. Had to share.

 

[No Name]

Let em cancel and request to be moved. It just gives me a better price at Grand Floridian if they can't book the rooms (although I doubt it has much impact) and cancelling trips gives me a less crowded park.

I'll gladly stag at GF in their place and watch my kids closely.

This is ridiculous. It was a freak accident and I feel for the family, but it was once in 50 years and even if Disney did nothing, it'd probably be another 50 years before it happened again.

Time makes everyone forget and this will be a non issue in 6 months if it's not there already.

This is primarily fear mongering. You have a better chance dying in the Magical Express on your way to Disney.

I pretty much agree, though I'm sure it is not simply a fear of being attacked by an alligator. Sure, some people are unreasonable and may think the Grand Floridian is somehow infested with gators, but I think most people are aware that this was a freak accident. They just won't go near the water.

A more reasonable reason for moving/cancelling their hotel bookings would be that they just don't want to be around it. They don't want to look at the beach where the kid died. Some may even think it's haunted. They just want to be away from it all, and switching to another resort does exactly that. Even that's not reasonable, but it seems like something that'd make a tad bit more sense.

So this story is, um, inaccurate and exaggerated.

http://www.barstoolsports.com/newyo...-and-characters-from-their-parks-and-resorts/

LOL, his paragraph about Epcot is just weird. And I don't think Disney has ever tried to convince people that Walt Disney World is the happiest place on Earth.

 

[ParentsOf4]

Add to that the Brexit and you have a recipe for a big crash in the O-Town market for all. Let's recall that despite much of the financial calamity occurring in 2007-08, it didn't hit O-Town until 2009.

To emphasize @WDW1974's point, Disney's Domestic Parks & Resorts revenue is a trailing indicator:

Looks like Guests are reluctant to give up their vacations until they know things are bad.

 

[SorcererMC]

To emphasize @WDW1974's point, Disney's Domestic Parks & Resorts revenue is a trailing indicator:

View attachment 148145


Looks like Guests are reluctant to give up their vacations until they know things are bad.

That is virtually a work of art, I don't think I've seen that kind of historical data on P&R, w/ econ recessions marked. So I have to ask, have you accumulated that data/ information from their financial statements or is it otherwise available somewhere I'm not looking?

Edit: Nevermind, I'm looking at the 10k's now.

 

[FutureCEO]

Odd. We rode last night and both jokes were missing.

As a matter of fact, during the Ginger Snaps joke, the skipper directed all attention from the boat to the vegetation on the left.

It's really sad that everybody is so PC nowadays especially companies.

With that being said Disney would never build a ride like Splash Mountain today being based on the Song of the South

 

[zooey]

Some may even think it's haunted.

LOL

 

[SorcererMC]

So while Disney has had a rash of cancellations (much higher at the Grand Flo and Poly where they command the most obscene prices) and others simply moving, the true reality of how bad the confluence of all of these terrible things (yes, isolationist/nationalistic/jingoistic BS is bad whether it is in the UK or the USA or anywhere ... the global economy, the global village started probably a quarter of a century ago and you can't stuff that genie back in the bottle) will be isn't likely to be seen immediately in what was already a very slow year in O-Town.

Thanks for clarifying on that point re: GF and Poly cancellations, and context.

 

[Donaldfan1934]

I've heard rumors recently that they may remove be tic tic from PPF and forbid you from wearing alligator/croc shirts.

 

[PhotoDave219]

 

[olie64]

I've heard rumors recently that they may remove be tic tic from PPF and forbid you from wearing alligator/croc shirts.

What about croc shoes? They are everywhere

 

[SorcererMC]

View attachment 148177

No words.

 

[rob0519]

I don't wish for the Brazillians to come to WDW. The fewer overseas guests that visit the less crowded the parks for those that will still go. It's all cyclical. Just look at past world economic events.