Crowd Outlook

[Jrb1979]

If anyone is curious according to a Travel agent on Wdwmagic

"The outlook for onsite hotel bookings is historically bad. Absolutely abysmal.

Compensating with more offsite guests in the parks is nowhere close to a 1-1 trade.

21 year low, sourced to my contacts in inside sales and mgt, WDTC."

 

[SL6827]

These discounts on the hotels in 2024 are nice, but with the rack rates being absolutely obscene now, a 20-25% off, no longer does the guest justice. They need to raise the discount percentage even higher now to compensate, but they won't. And there lies the problem for Disney filling the rooms, and why I am planning our goodbye trip now for 2024.

 

[Disneychick75]

I feel like a bad bad girl because we're going the 3rd week in November and I'm hoping for low crowds. 100% agree on the pricing - holy cannoli, it's expensive! If our grandchildren were not moving with their parents to S. Korea (new duty assignments), we would not be spending the $$$$$ on this Disney trip. My husband is retired and while we're okay financially, WDW trips could have a huge impact on our savings.

 

[Aluminum Falcon]

If anyone is curious according to a Travel agent on Wdwmagic

"The outlook for onsite hotel bookings is historically bad. Absolutely abysmal.

Compensating with more offsite guests in the parks is nowhere close to a 1-1 trade.

21 year low, sourced to my contacts in inside sales and mgt, WDTC."

This weekend will be an interesting test. If they can’t gets crowds for. Columbus Day, look out below

 

[Jrb1979]

This weekend will be an interesting test. If they can’t gets crowds for. Columbus Day, look out below

It will hard to say as it's not necessarily the parks that are down. It sounds like the majority of park guests are staying off site. It's why we seeing a lot of these discounts.

That same poster also said

"Summer capacity averaged in the low 80s. Entire buildings have been in rolling closures - unrelated to maintenance - at multiple resorts.

Sure Poly, Pop, WL, and CB have been rolling. The smaller overall client pool is concentrating into the best resorts in each respective category."

IMO getting rid of so many perks for on-site is why people are staying off-site.

 

[Aluminum Falcon]

It will hard to say as it's not necessarily the parks that are down. It sounds like the majority of park guests are staying off site. It's why we seeing a lot of these discounts.

That same poster also said

"Summer capacity averaged in the low 80s. Entire buildings have been in rolling closures - unrelated to maintenance - at multiple resorts.

Sure Poly, Pop, WL, and CB have been rolling. The smaller overall client pool is concentrating into the best resorts in each respective category."

IMO getting rid of so many perks for on-site is why people are staying off-site.

At this point there is a lot of speculation, we will know more the next earnings call. To this point i would not call the discounts unprecedented/ it doesn't look like Disney is in panic mode, but time will tell.

 

[Bibbidi_Boo]

This weekend will be an interesting test. If they can’t gets crowds for. Columbus Day, look out below

Not the best weekend to compare. A lot of people do not get Columbus Day off anymore like they use to and even a lot of schools don't. NE Florida here and the three big counties around me none have this weekend as a long weekend, instead its the following weeking (oct 14-16) that lines up with the end of first 9 weeks.

 

[ChipnDale79]

Not the best weekend to compare. A lot of people do not get Columbus Day off anymore like they use to and even a lot of schools don't. NE Florida here and the three big counties around me none have this weekend as a long weekend, instead its the following weeking (oct 14-16) that lines up with the end of first 9 weeks.

NC here....nothing special about this weekend in regards to time schools.

they do have 2 days off the 14-16th, which is when we'll be at disney

 

[Disneychick75]

Not the best weekend to compare. A lot of people do not get Columbus Day off anymore like they use to and even a lot of schools don't. NE Florida here and the three big counties around me none have this weekend as a long weekend, instead its the following weeking (oct 14-16) that lines up with the end of first 9 weeks.

This is Fall Break for most of our state. Used to hear about tons of people going to WDW. This year, not a peep
We know inflation is crazy. 8.4% interest rates, crazy food prices, hoping we're not headed for a 2008 redux. Then, rumblings about covid again.

 

[ChipnDale79]

This is Fall Break for most of our state. Used to hear about tons of people going to WDW. This year, not a peep
We know inflation is crazy. 8.4% interest rates, crazy food prices, hoping we're not headed for a 2008 redux. Then, rumblings about covid again.

we are not headed towards a redux of 2008. the jobs report that came out today was way higher than expected.

the housing situation is also no where near the same as it was in 08.

Keep in mind that disney price increases have outpaced inflation for years. dont be surprised if disney has in fact ran some people off.

The rumblings about covid are a scare tactic that a certain portion of the country is pushing.

Covid is here and will always be here. we're living with it now, there wont be shut downs and restrictions for covid ever again.

 

[RivShore]

To get this thread back the newest promo for Spring is kids 3-9 are 50% off on tickets and a dining plan with the purchase of a non discounted 4 night 4 day hotel and ticket package.

This type of discount is not normal, especially that it goes all the way to June

You should give the beginning of the Jim Hill/Len Testa podcast a listen - they did the math to show that the latest hotel offers are not out of the norm for those given over the last decade, but it is the best they have given in the last 5 years.

Thanks to @clarker99 for the podcast link over on the Starcruiser thread.

 

[Jrb1979]

You should give the beginning of the Jim Hill/Len Testa podcast a listen - they did the math to show that the latest hotel offers are not out of the norm for those given over the last decade, but it is the best they have given in the last 5 years.

Thanks to @clarker99 for the podcast link over on the Starcruiser thread.

They may not be out of the norm. Hotel reservations being at a 21 year low is.

 

[Aluminum Falcon]

They may not be out of the norm. Hotel reservations being at a 21 year low is.

Is there anything to confirm that currently? I understand that someone is boasting that they are in the know, but that doesn’t seem like information Disney would let out, and could be viewed as handing out insider information.

 

[RivShore]

Is there anything to confirm that currently? I understand that someone is boasting that they are in the know, but that doesn’t seem like information Disney would let out, and could be viewed as handing out insider information.

Come on now, how can you not believe the second hand account of a random anonymous poster on another discussion board. LOL.

 

[Disneychick75]

I have no problem believing attendance is down. Rooms are crazy expensive as are tickets.
$2800 for room $2800 for tickets might not seem like a lot of money to diehard Disney addicts but it is a lot of money to those unaccustomed to Disney pricing.

 

[SL6827]

I have no problem believing attendance is down. Rooms are crazy expensive as are tickets.
$2800 for room $2800 for tickets might not seem like a lot of money to diehard Disney addicts but it is a lot of money to those unaccustomed to Disney pricing.

Yes, I get nauseous thinking about us going in January.

 

[Disneychick75]

Yes, I get nauseous thinking about us going in January.

If our grandchildren's parents had not been told that the 1st or 2nd week in Dec. their family is leaving for duty in S. Korea for the next 4 yrs, we would not be taking this trip.

 

[Jrb1979]

Is there anything to confirm that currently? I understand that someone is boasting that they are in the know, but that doesn’t seem like information Disney would let out, and could be viewed as handing out insider information.

We won't know for sure til the Q4 earnings call. When you add up the discounts, that only the high end of each hotel category is busy and they have closed off sections of resorts makes me believe it's possible.

It's not saying the parks a quiet. They have been busy but off site guests aren't as good as on site guests money wise.

 

[clarker99]

They may not be out of the norm. Hotel reservations being at a 21 year low is.

WDW is not at post 9/11 occupancy levels. Lol.

 

[SL6827]

If our grandchildren's parents had not been told that the 1st or 2nd week in Dec. their family is leaving for duty in S. Korea for the next 4 yrs, we would not be taking this trip.

I understand. We wouldn't either if I did not have the tickets in my account. That's the only reason.