What do you think Legoland will do to WDW's attendance?

[SeaCastle]

i know this is totally off-topic, but when did they officially announce the monsters inc coaster? i always thought it was just rumor never confirmed...?

None of those were ever officially announced, (with only the DVC and Monsters Inc. coaster not being publicly recognized); it's been widely reported that the Monsters coaster is coming, but it's all a matter of when. There's been some speculation lately that it may be seeing the greenlight (after being off-and-on for several years) relatively soon.

I believe that the MI coaster had been planned since Pixar Place's inception (I recall a thread about the bridge on the other end of PP being directly MI inspired), but it hasn't received the go-ahead to build yet.

 

[TP2000]

Oops... Sorry... I just know that Legoland is in Cali. and someone told me it was near Anaheim...

Well, I would be careful of listening to whomever it was that told you that Legoland was near Anaheim. Legoland is in California however, so at least they aren't a total liar. :lol:

According to Yahoo Maps, it is 67 miles from Legoland to Disneyland, mostly freeway driving on I-5. I just happen to have driven this afternoon from the outlet mall in Carlsbad (HUGE sale at Calvin Klein Outlet!) less than half a mile from Legoland and then up to my house a few miles east of Disneyland, and it took me exactly 75 minutes to make that trip going 75 MPH due to a backup at the Border Patrol checkpoint south of San Clemente.

75 minutes, without traffic, is a very average travel time between Disneyland and Legoland.

 

[funkycold]

None of those were ever officially announced, (with only the DVC and Monsters Inc. coaster not being publicly recognized); it's been widely reported that the Monsters coaster is coming, but it's all a matter of when. There's been some speculation lately that it may be seeing the greenlight (after being off-and-on for several years) relatively soon.

I believe that the MI coaster had been planned since Pixar Place's inception (I recall a thread about the bridge on the other end of PP being directly MI inspired), but it hasn't received the go-ahead to build yet.

ah okay, i know that's been a rumor for a couple years now, wasn't sure if i missed something more official being announced. hopefully with MI2 coming out they'll go ahead and build that. and change HISK playground to bugs life. and give studios all the rest of the love that it needs...

 

[TP2000]

If you paid any attention to TP2000's posts, you'll see why they have a hard enough time getting locals to come to Legoland.... but I have a hard time buying into the fact that a re-themed sideshow an hour away from WDW will have a greater impact (if any) than a several hundred million dollar, attendance increasinng, profit augmenting Harry Potter Wonderland 20 minutes away. Unless you can provide some stats like TP did, you don't have much of an argument.

Thank you SeaCastle. :wave:

I would think the past decade's worth of attendance figures for Legoland California speak for themselves, in spite of the amazingly convenient location they chose in Carlsbad, California within walking distance of major freeways, a regional airport, and major rail lines served by several different passenger railroads.

Heck, there's also a couple thousand 3 and 4 star hotel rooms within a few miles of Legoland, with several hotels attached to the park itself with private gated entrances available to hotel guests. There's even a lavish Four Seasons golf resort and the famous La Costa Resort & Spa five minutes away from the Legoland parking lot.

And a decade after Legoland California opened and added all of those additional rides, the waterslide park, the attached hotels and timeshares, and the new Sea Life Aquarium complex, they still only get 1.8 Million visitors per year.

Unless someone can reveal some sort of amazing new themed entertainment concept that will debut with Legoland Florida in 2011, I just don't see how they'll do anything to WDW attendance, and will only chip away minor losess to Sea World, Busch Gardens, or maybe Universal Orlando. But Epcot and the Magic Kingdom? No way, at least not for the first decade, if Legoland Florida even makes it to calendar year 2016.

 

[lazyboy97o]

And let's not forget who owns Legoland and how they're related to Busch Gardens, Sea World and Universal. A powerful multi-day flex ticket is coming and that HAS to be a concern to Disney. A very viable, favorably-priced 5-day flex-ticket could do some real damage to the bottom line.

Blackstone is really not the kind of company that is going to generate a concerted effort in central Florida. Universal City Partners, Sea World Parks & Entertainment and Merlin Entertainment are operated as separate companies. The big hurdle to Blackstone is transportation. Disney keeps people captive with Magical Express and there is going to have to be a means of getting between these properties that are all spread out. People complain about the Disney busses, who is going to wait to take a one or two hour bus ride to Legoland or Busch Gardens, and how frequently would it be possible to run such distances?

 

[jedimaster]

I would think Sea World, Busch Gardens or Universal would lose more business than WDW. Those parks are all secondary to WDW.

 

[TP2000]

I would think Sea World, Busch Gardens or Universal would lose more business than WDW. Those parks are all secondary to WDW.

Yup, I agree.

What I never realized is that Orlando doesn't have a CityPass type ticket offering. The SoCal theme parks, including Disneyland, all cooperate on such a thing. http://www.citypass.com/southern-california

Heck, they are even spread out several hours from each other, when you consider the 3 hour drive it generally takes to get from Universal Studios Hollywood to Sea World San Diego or the San Diego Zoo.

There appears to be a HUGE market available for Orlando theme parks to get onboard with a CityPass concept. Likely the Disney parks won't play along, although they do in California. But I could see a Universal/Sea World/Busch Garden/Legoland ticket being made available.

If Legoland tries to go it all on its own without a bundled ticket like a CityPass, I just don't see how they'll impact Disney at all, or even Universal Studios much.

 

[lazyboy97o]

Yup, I agree.

What I never realized is that Orlando doesn't have a CityPass type ticket offering. The SoCal theme parks, including Disneyland, all cooperate on such a thing. http://www.citypass.com/southern-california

Heck, they are even spread out several hours from each other, when you consider the 3 hour drive it generally takes to get from Universal Studios Hollywood to Sea World San Diego or the San Diego Zoo.

There appears to be a HUGE market available for Orlando theme parks to get onboard with a CityPass concept. Likely the Disney parks won't play along, although they do in California. But I could see a Universal/Sea World/Busch Garden/Legoland ticket being made available.

If Legoland tries to go it all on its own without a bundled ticket like a CityPass, I just don't see how they'll impact Disney at all, or even Universal Studios much.

http://www.orlandoflexticket.co.uk/pages/home :wave:

 

[TP2000]

http://www.orlandoflexticket.co.uk/pages/home :wave:

Look at that!

Is there a version available for American customers, or at least able to be purchased with dollars instead of British pounds?

 

[Jseven]

It can be purchased in dollars through SW's website:
http://www.seaworld.com/tickets/visitors.aspx

My company stopped selling them here in Orlando months ago. Also, the 7 day Flex ticket is no longer available.

 

[Jseven]

Also, it would not surprise me to see Legoland try to get on this ticket, although without transportation included from LBV area or I-drive, I imagine they will meet the same fate as Cypress Gardens.

 

[JCtheparrothead]

I think that legoland will be cool for kids but won't come close to taking away from wdw. There is always an imersiveness missing from most parks that Disney just has....with exception of wwohp. I for see day trip only at best for my family.

 

[wm49rs]

Yup, I agree.

What I never realized is that Orlando doesn't have a CityPass type ticket offering. The SoCal theme parks, including Disneyland, all cooperate on such a thing. http://www.citypass.com/southern-california

Heck, they are even spread out several hours from each other, when you consider the 3 hour drive it generally takes to get from Universal Studios Hollywood to Sea World San Diego or the San Diego Zoo.

There appears to be a HUGE market available for Orlando theme parks to get onboard with a CityPass concept. Likely the Disney parks won't play along, although they do in California. But I could see a Universal/Sea World/Busch Garden/Legoland ticket being made available.

If Legoland tries to go it all on its own without a bundled ticket like a CityPass, I just don't see how they'll impact Disney at all, or even Universal Studios much.

I agree; if those parks can somehow combine to offer a multi-park ticket for a certain number of days then Legoland could have an impact on WDW. Having recently watched the introduction video for the Legoland Florida project, it appears they're doing the utmost to make the park as immersive as possible, while still retaining some of the characteristics of the old Cypress Gardens.

The only hangup will of course be transportation. Even if a stop on the rail line between Tampa and Orlando is put nearby, there will still exist the need for a shuttle to the parks. And, if the Legoland store is still in place at DtD, many will be reluctant to make a 1.5 hour round-trip drive down and back, pay for parking, admissions, etc. I don't think the quality of the park itself will be a question; it's getting people there and back to Orlando that has to be overcome.

 

[joe80x86]

Perhaps given the ownership they could run a shuttle bus from Seaworld to Legoland, kinda like they do for Busch Gardens.

I would doubt that the Lego store at DtD would close because of the park, simply because that place must be a gold mine. Also think of the additional marketing for the Legoland park, they can market the park and sell tickets right on Disney property.

 

[Mr.Skunkape]

Legoland would cost Disney World about .0001% It is like a local hamburger stand having an affect on Mcdonalds

 

[thelookingglass]

As usual my proof will be experienced rather than just theorized about. The California and Florida Legoland comparrison is a non-starter with me as they represent such different issues. If ever there was an apples/oranges comparrison this is it. About the only thing they have in common is the name. Again, this new addition will not empty WDW's queues and parking lots. Nobody is claiming it will. But it will impact profit margins which are never as stable as people think.

You're right, they are different. The circumstances for Legoland Florida are worse in just about every way!

- There is no public transportation to get from Orlando to Winter Haven.
- Being in central Florida, it has a lot more world class theme parks to compete with than SoCal.
- Significantly less immediate local population to ride on for attendance.

The SoCal Legoland apparently survives mostly on local population. Despite being in an all around better situation, it never even made a dent in Disneyland, or even reached their projected attendance.

Creating a widely used CityPass for Orlando and including Legoland on it would be the only way it could hurt Disney. Even then, the CityPass would do just fine with just having US, IOA, Sea World, Aquatica, Wet & Wild, and Busch Gardens. If Legoland was on it, it would likely be the one people skip anyway. Also, I wonder if the city of Orlando has not made a CityPass easily available because it discourages competition between the parks, which, unlike in California, are the main source of employment and profit.

So, watch and learn. And expect more announcements from the mouse house. My guess, sooner rather than later.

This is such an open statement... I mean, they're ALWAYS going to be announcing new things NO MATTER WHAT, but with this statement you can now say "See? I TOLD YOU SO!!!" when something new is announced, when there is absolutely no way you can prove that whatever Disney announces is because of Legoland.

 

[TP2000]

I agree; if those parks can somehow combine to offer a multi-park ticket for a certain number of days then Legoland could have an impact on WDW.

What would be great for Legoland is if they could get teamed up with a CityPass ticket that included WDW, that could then be sold at WDW ticket booths.

Disneyland sells and displays the CityPass ticket option prominently at all of their ticket booths. Can you imagine that? Buying a combo ticket that includes a 3 Day Disneyland Park Hopper, plus a ticket to Sea World, Universal Studios and the San Diego Zoo right at the main entrance to Disneyland? It happens all the time, and the Disneyland ticket sellers are happy to tell you all about the CityPass option listed prominently on their sign.

But it seems the ticketing environment in WDW is dramatically different. And with all the money Disney has spent on Magical Express to keep people on property, the last thing they'd do is allow CityPass or non-Disney park ticket sales from WDW ticket booths.

Legoland will need to get on board with Universal and Busch to make a go of it, and then offer free shuttle buses from every major hotel zone in central Florida.

 

[wm49rs]

What would be great for Legoland is if they could get teamed up with a CityPass ticket that included WDW, that could then be sold at WDW ticket booths.

Disneyland sells and displays the CityPass ticket option prominently at all of their ticket booths. Can you imagine that? Buying a combo ticket that includes a 3 Day Disneyland Park Hopper, plus a ticket to Sea World, Universal Studios and the San Diego Zoo right at the main entrance to Disneyland? It happens all the time, and the Disneyland ticket sellers are happy to tell you all about the CityPass option listed prominently on their sign.

But it seems the ticketing environment in WDW is dramatically different. And with all the money Disney has spent on Magical Express to keep people on property, the last thing they'd do is allow CityPass or non-Disney park ticket sales from WDW ticket booths.

Legoland will need to get on board with Universal and Busch to make a go of it, and then offer free shuttle buses from every major hotel zone in central Florida.

DL has such the loyal AP-holder base that they feel much more comfortable offering such an option at their gates. I'm afraid WDW doesn't have that to rely on, even with the Florida AP being offered thrpugh various options. Plus you're right; WDW does have the advantage of resort options above and beyond anything Universal/Sea World/Legoland could offer. The only way Legoland makes a dent is to partner with the others, and make getting to and from the park as seamless as possible.

 

[TP2000]

You're right, they are different. The circumstances for Legoland Florida are worse in just about every way!

- There is no public transportation to get from Orlando to Winter Haven.

This accesibility issue to the Cypress Gardens/Legoland site is interesting, so I did some digging this morning and found some amazing statistics.

Legoland California sits about 1 mile off Interstate-5 on Legoland Drive. Legoland Florida sits about 4 miles off US Route 27 on SR 540 (AKA Cypress Gardens Blvd). The latest daily traffic figures for those two highways serving the two Legoland properties are dramatically different;

I-5 at Carlsbad, California - 310,000 Vehicle Trips Per Day
US 27 at Florida SR 540 - 34,500 Vehicle Trips Per Day

Legoland Florida is going to need a heck of a lot of billboards! :lol:

.

 

[thelookingglass]

^ Plus, the majority of the trip from Disney to Cypress Gardens/Legoland is on US 27 and SR 540, both of which have a ton of stop lights and take you through some run down areas that an out-of-town tourist may not be comfortable going through.

Cypress Gardens, in it's last few years before closing, had a ton of billboards around central Florida, and even with all that, the park didn't survive! Granted, the "Lego" brand itself will be a bigger draw, but still.