Fewer people going to WDW would mean discounts, lesser crowds, shorter waits, more restaurant availability. Of course some visitors would be happier if there were fewer guests to share the parks with.
Disney at this point doesn't want fewer people. They want as many as they can cram into the parks. And they want them spending money. Which means they need to stay in the park. So you have restaurant priority seatings, reserved attractions, paid discount programs like Tables in Wonderland for some. Free dining to fill resorts when they need to. Dining plans to keep 'em eating at Disney restaurants and staying at Disney resorts. Staggered ticket prices so the longer you stay, the more you save per day on your tickets. Tickets with blackout days for Florida residents to keep busy times a little more open for the travelers (who apparently spend more).
Works for Disney. Some folks don't like it. Some don't care.
This has been conventional wisdom. This is what we've always said about Disney Parks in Florida. This is what logically makes sense.
I'm just not sure if it's as solid a train of thought as we all (including myself) have decided.
Disney is about experiences. That's what it all ultimately comes down to. Disney has sometime between a day and a week to prove to the vast majority of guests Disney Parks are worth the money. That they are worth the crowds. Worth the hassle. If they succeed, they can get lifetime fans. People who will market WDW vacations. Return as paying customers. Take the next generation. If they fail in convincing the guests that WDW is worth it, they can potentially alienate them and ensure they and their children won't spend money at Disney. Not only that, they can act as almost vehement anti marketers who mock and judge those who do go on Disney Vacations. This is what is at stake when guests visit Walt Disney World.
What might make sense theoretically, such as maximizing total park crowds to truly insane levels, might not make sense in practice. Just because they can run Disney's Hollywood Studios with 5 rides, doesn't mean they should. Just because they can cut offerings without immediate retribution, doesn't mean they should. Just because they can cram in more and more people into MK, doesn't mean they should.
Why?
Because the millions of people actually bearing the brunt of those cuts take notice. They shouldn't be selling the product to people once. They need to be selling the product to people a decade away. That's the key. Spreading out crowds and in some cases dissuading new guests from coming to MK is more strategic than we've been thinking. When they say their strategy is to push people to less crowded times of the year, they mean it. The tiered pricing isn't just marketing jargon to cover up even higher prices (though that's certainly part) they actually do want to dissuade crowds from coming.
I personally expect that we'll see the Frontierland Expansion sooner rather then later, and they've got to be applying the gas to the other projects too. WDW,
Disneyland, and the rest are the future sustainable lifeline of the company in a way ESPN was. The time is now to be building and enhancing infrastructure.
This isn't to say that WDW isn't thrilled to see record crowds. It's just that they also need to realize that it can be a two edged sword. They need to be careful and follow up with meaningful crowd and quality management. If they don't then they won't be able sustain it. That's what they must realize. I also hope they do.
