Bean Counters and shortsightedness

[ChipnDale79]

The couple times I went we saw a bunch of traffic so maybe that’s why. Either way convincing people to leave the bubble is going to be tough. Maybe offsite guests would look at it differently

the bubble isnt what it used to be. we often drive to parks, even when we stay in the bubble, simply because its easier for us to get to the parks and get back to the hotel (not the case with MK), unless we're staying at a gondola resort.

the lines getting on the buses at park closing can be a nightmare.

thats just us though.

 

[Aluminum Falcon]

I saw an article a while back where a family from the UK was fined for taking their kids out of school for a vacation but the fee + flights to Orlando were WAAAY cheaper than flights to Orlando during school break.

I would just pay the fee and go on the trip too TBH. Don't even blame parents for doing it.

Honestly it's not like it was back when i was growing up, kids today are connected at almost a molecular level which makes missing school an easier decision for parents. I don't think i'll have a problem pulling my daughter, you work your entire life, school included, there is only precious time reserved to make memories when your kids are young and i refuse to give that away

 

[wabbott]

Way back in prehistoric times when I was in grade school and high school, "compulsory education" was pretty much the norm. You either went to school or a truant officer came to visit. Missing school wasn't socially acceptable, except for sickness, funerals, etc.

With to many alternatives to conventional government schools nowadays, there is no "compulsory." I don't think school attendance numbers have ever recovered from the pandemic, either.

 

[Smugpugmug]

Honestly it's not like it was back when i was growing up, kids today are connected at almost a molecular level which makes missing school an easier decision for parents. I don't think i'll have a problem pulling my daughter, you work your entire life, school included, there is only precious time reserved to make memories when your kids are young and i refuse to give that away

I've seen many people share this sentiment and more power to you. I try to go to WDW for week long vacations during non peak times when kids should be in class and have noticed an increase in school aged kids in the parks.

 

[Aluminum Falcon]

Not to be rude, but it’s a basic reality. Whether you (or anyone else) perceives the difference, it does work. There may be many other things influencing how crowded the parks feel. Long lines due to breakdowns, short staffing, inexperienced staff, etc. will drive up the lines. But adding a new ride does allow them to increase park capacity.

If your local theater added another screen, could they have more people go to the movies at any one time? I don’t think anyone would argue this. Might it still feel crowded, especially at the concessions counter?

If the theater was pulling in more people then they had seats it would be a problem, which is what i personally feel Disney has run into. They have felt crowded since before the pandemic, and before short staffing. Ride closers don't help, but those have been primarily in the new areas anyways

 

[Aluminum Falcon]

the bubble isnt what it used to be. we often drive to parks, even when we stay in the bubble, simply because its easier for us to get to the parks and get back to the hotel (not the case with MK), unless we're staying at a gondola resort.

the lines getting on the buses at park closing can be a nightmare.

thats just us though.

agreed, but the first time we stayed on property my parents were visibly happy to not have to worry about transportation, and with 4 kids under 10 i can understand. When you do Disney, (especially with little kids) any kind of extra convenience is more than welcome

 

[john7994]

Way back in prehistoric times when I was in grade school and high school, "compulsory education" was pretty much the norm. You either went to school or a truant officer came to visit. Missing school wasn't socially acceptable, except for sickness, funerals, etc.

With to many alternatives to conventional government schools nowadays, there is no "compulsory." I don't think school attendance numbers have ever recovered from the pandemic, either.

In Georgia: Any child who is subject to the compulsory attendance law who has more than five days of unexcused absences during calendar school year is considered Truant (6-16 years old). Their parents may face legal action for educational neglect.

Now, I am sure there are ways around what is excused and unexcused ... but this is one State's view and approach. Enforcement by School System also varies - but anecdotally from family friends - there is pretty stringent enforcement.

 

[Moliphino]

I think Disney does a really good job of keeping everyone in their parks, they incentivize you with better ticket prices. Also the hike from WDW to Uni shouldn’t be understated. If you are staying near Disney it’s the better part of an hour to get to Uni, and the convenience of Disney transportation is enough to make most stay. Experienced guests may stray, probably not first timers, essentially the same reason people enjoy all inclusive vacations even though they’re typically not that great

This is what has kept us at WDW. Should I go to USO for two days or add two days to my WDW ticket? Adding more days to a WDW ticket costs so little that it has always won out. Plus then we don't have to figure out transportation to USO.

 

[Aluminum Falcon]

This is what has kept us at WDW. Should I go to USO for two days or add two days to my WDW ticket? Adding more days to a WDW ticket costs so little that it has always won out. Plus then we don't have to figure out transportation to USO.

I am staying for 9 days in Oct. i think it cost me $14 each for a 10th day to eat breakfast in MK before we fly out. How can anyone beat that

 

[jade1]

Unless Universal is building accessible attractions fueled by nostalgia, Disney isn’t going to panic.

Agreed. They seem happy holding in place.

I'm not a big gamer, but the Donkey Kong jump track coaster looks really cool. It might be really short though I'm afraid.

 

[jade1]

We have said that for the last two years and we are back in three weeks

Yea just back to MN where it's much more comy. But back to FL in a week. We do like heat though, esp over cold.

And that moon last night.

 

[john7994]

Yea just back to MN where it's much more comy. But back to FL in a week. We do like heat though, esp over cold.

And that moon last night.

View attachment 782139

Amazing picture for sure!
We are in Georgia (originally from Chicago), so to be honest, its literally degrees of separation from us and WDW

 

[HokieRaven5]

Agreed. They seem happy holding in place.

I'm not a big gamer, but the Donkey Kong jump track coaster looks really cool. It might be really short though I'm afraid.

I’m excited about Nintendo and the Classic Monster stuff, and I love thrill rides. It’s just Universal errs more on the thrill side which can be more limiting to what guests can fully experience their parks.

Disney doesn’t offer much in terms of high end thrills, but it’s that it has a higher percentage of offerings/attractions the whole family can enjoy across generations that will make it hard to topple.

 

[ChipnDale79]

agreed, but the first time we stayed on property my parents were visibly happy to not have to worry about transportation, and with 4 kids under 10 i can understand. When you do Disney, (especially with little kids) any kind of extra convenience is more than welcome

yup...used to love parking the car for an entire week and not having to move it.

 

[ChipnDale79]

I am staying for 9 days in Oct. i think it cost me $14 each for a 10th day to eat breakfast in MK before we fly out. How can anyone beat that

Many times we have added on the day of departure to do just that. one more goodbye before we hit the road.

 

[Aluminum Falcon]

Many times we have added on the day of departure to do just that. one more goodbye before we hit the road.

It's one of the best deals out there, which is why i typically shoot for 9+ day trips every couple years instead on 6 day trips every year.

 

[PolymerSkywalker]

Schools in many states are given government funding directly based on how many kids are in their schools each day. That is why schools are completely nuts about perfect attendance awards. I got a little aggravated a few years back when the perfect attendance award winners were way more celebrated and applauded by the teaching staff than the highest average in Advanced Placement Physics or Trigonometry was. I am sorry but a kid that excels in a high-level subject that is key to our STEM leaders of the future, should be at least equally celebrated to perfect attendance (in my opinion).

I pulled my kids out for reasonable things, as I believe family time is very important also. The pandemic taught many of us to take a more active role in our children's education and that education can occur in other ways than just sitting at a desk in the school.

 

[Aluminum Falcon]

Schools in many states are given government funding directly based on how many kids are in their schools each day. That is why schools are completely nuts about perfect attendance awards. I got a little aggravated a few years back when the perfect attendance award winners were way more celebrated and applauded by the teaching staff than the highest average in Advanced Placement Physics or Trigonometry was. I am sorry but a kid that excels in a high-level subject that is key to our STEM leaders of the future, should be at least equally celebrated to perfect attendance (in my opinion).

I pulled my kids out for reasonable things, as I believe family time is very important also. The pandemic taught many of us to take a more active role in our children's education and that education can occur in other ways than just sitting at a desk in the school.

My town is pretty lenient, I'm also friendly with the superintendent, but the town i grew up in is much more dependent on the state funding and they are sticklers for attendance according to a buddy of mine who still lives there. Public education is unfortunately a business, and it isn't solely about the kids. That is not bad mouthing teachers, just an honest observation

 

[wabbott]

My town is pretty lenient, I'm also friendly with the superintendent, but the town i grew up in is much more dependent on the state funding and they are sticklers for attendance according to a buddy of mine who still lives there. Public education is unfortunately a business, and it isn't solely about the kids. That is not bad mouthing teachers, just an honest observation

You are quite correct. In another life, I do local government reporting, and have covered literally over a hundred school board meetings. I know how it works, and education often takes a back seat to the wishes of the local teacher's guild.

 

[PolymerSkywalker]

I had a small outdoor gathering of people at my rural property during the pandemic. I had a teacher /coach sitting around my firepit say he didn't care if the kids ever went back to school as long as his paycheck still showed up monthly. I am sure he was simply one bad apple, but I did lose some respect for the public school system that day. My state needs to get teacher pay up considerably to attract more quality applicants to go into the teaching profession. I would love to teach and have a passion for teaching things, but my current engineering role pays 150+% more than teachers make in my state. Getting the pay up for high performing teachers is the key in my opinion.