Crowds...what a difference since 2006

[guynhawaii]

Aloha,

My family and I watched home videos of our October 2006 trip to DLR and were shocked to see how light the crowds were. I filmed us walking on Splash, Pirates, Space, the FL rides, etc...enjoying a peaceful stroll through Adventure land late in the afternoon. Boy, those (Fall season) were the days!

I understand Christmas and summer being busy...but it is simply amazing how the Fall season has become so busy too. I wonder why? Is it due to Disney marketing, availability of APs, or the wide spread use of the Internet?

 

[chickapin parterre]

when my son was in elementary school, we would travel to Disneyland during parent conference time week in October.
this is what we discovered from 2000 to 2008
* 2003 bumped up against the beginning of UEA
*2005 decor began to be very thick
* 2006 DCA became a valid excuse to travel to a "crowded" Disneyland
* 2010 MHP tickets were readily avaiable

2017 October, UEA was not an event, supreme decor, MHP expanded and tickets sold out fast and was not a spontaneous event for folks with last minute travel plans.
Fall is an event now and Disneyland is no longer a piggy bank event, but an actual forum of entertainment in relationship to sporting events, concerts, plays, fine arts. Spending the day at Disneyland is now an entertainment choice of your own for specific day of thematic purpose. Take a look at the photos of the Tiki Room Merch lines.....who would have thought.....for goodness sake....its the Tiki Room folks, get a hold of yourselves!!!!

 

[Indiana Scott]

Not only has it got much more crowded, the park isn't kept and clean and maintained as it was back then. We used to be constantly amazed at how fast garbage was removed from even the deepest recesses of the park and how maint, (lights out, bad paint, etc) was taken care of almost magically overnight. Now we see the same lights out (even on Main St.) and trash sits in various water ways and parts of attractions for days. Then there's the rude, high or even violent guests that roam without security taking notice.
Seems like ever trip in the past few years is more of a let down than previous years.
I'm hoping next months trips shows improvements in all those area's.

 

[beachdreamr1229]

I miss when there was a Fall off-season. But, alas, now that the Halloween stuff is so big, I don't think it will ever be calm again that time of year. There's still late January-early February though.

 

[Priory]

Today (Sunday) felt like 2006. DL was so uncrowded.
For reference, I never saw Pirates go above a 15 minute wait. Most maxpass was instant return all day. The only ride with any sort of wait was Splash. It was a glorious day.

 

[SD33]

I’m a psychologist by trade so factor that into your filter when reading this, but I take a different perspective on why crowds have increased, and sometimes the simplest solution is still the best.

Disneyland attendance has increased because...

A) Disneyland is fun, and perhaps increasingly so as they continue to add new lands and new rides to keep up with the demand for modern theme park entertainment.
B) Disneyland is reassuring. With the current 24-hour news cycle where “if it bleeds it leads” we are all looking for a space that doesn’t scream “doom and gloom”. Disney provides this in a way most other locations or medium’s can’t.
C) Prosperity is on a steady rise throughout the globe. There are likely people who could not have done Disneyland much a generation ago, who go frequently today. I grew up in a single income household where Disneyland trips were rare (maybe every 6 years). My wife and I are a dual income household and we go every year, despite the price increases. We budget for it actually because of the reasons highlighted in points A and B.
D) Disney entertainment is the only thing of its kind (scarcity drives up demand). A lot of people disagree with me on this because Universal has come such a long way with its parks, but again, Disneyland has an energy and aura about it where the whole is greater than the sum of its parts. If you want childlike wonder and nostalgia and dreams of a prosperous future, you can’t get that from just riding the Harry Potter ride. You get it from roaming Walt’s original park. The place brims with joy.

I just think we have to face the fact that, despite Disney's problems, they actually have built something attractive and beautiful which has only increased in popularity and in the world’s consciousness over time.

It’s the Happiest Place on Earth!

 

[gottalovepluto]

Imho the addition of “Fall Break” to many school calendars was huge.

 

[gottalovepluto]

Not only has it got much more crowded, the park isn't kept and clean and maintained as it was back then. We used to be constantly amazed at how fast garbage was removed from even the deepest recesses of the park and how maint, (lights out, bad paint, etc) was taken care of almost magically overnight. Now we see the same lights out (even on Main St.) and trash sits in various water ways and parts of attractions for days. Then there's the rude, high or even violent guests that roam without security taking notice.
Seems like ever trip in the past few years is more of a let down than previous years.
I'm hoping next months trips shows improvements in all those area's.

I’m NOT being snide, just honestly curious. Why do you keep returning?

If anyone sees anybody acting violent in the parks alert the nearest CM. If Disney knows someone is being violent they don’t put up with that crap. But they have to know it.

 

[gottalovepluto]

when my son was in elementary school, we would travel to Disneyland during parent conference time week in October.
this is what we discovered from 2000 to 2008
* 2003 bumped up against the beginning of UEA
*2005 decor began to be very thick
* 2006 DCA became a valid excuse to travel to a "crowded" Disneyland
* 2010 MHP tickets were readily avaiable

2017 October, UEA was not an event, supreme decor, MHP expanded and tickets sold out fast and was not a spontaneous event for folks with last minute travel plans.
Fall is an event now and Disneyland is no longer a piggy bank event, but an actual forum of entertainment in relationship to sporting events, concerts, plays, fine arts. Spending the day at Disneyland is now an entertainment choice of your own for specific day of thematic purpose. Take a look at the photos of the Tiki Room Merch lines.....who would have thought.....for goodness sake....its the Tiki Room folks, get a hold of yourselves!!!!

STOP THE PRESSES. TIKI ROOM MERCH?!

 

[Indiana Scott]

I’m NOT being snide, just honestly curious. Why do you keep returning?

If anyone sees anybody acting violent in the parks alert the nearest CM. If Disney knows someone is being violent they don’t put up with that crap. But they have to know it.

We haven't gone back nearly as often, instead we have gone mostly to Hawaii . We used to go to the parks once or twice a year and now we skip years because of the way things have gone. But I have been going to DL since the mid 60's and still enjoy the nostalgia of the park and the escapism it provides.
It's easy to say just contact a CM but when someone disappears into the crowd it becomes pretty much impossible to do anything and you find yourself just wanting to get on with your Disney day.

 

[FCDub]

It’s 12 years later.... there are more people alive.

 

[chickapin parterre]

It’s 12 years later.... there are more people alive.

I forgot that observation.....that is the major problem on the Oregon Coast during the summer.....that two lane road.....built 60 years ago!!!

 

[maltdizzy]

Crowds showed a noticeable annual increase ever since the post-housing crisis economy started improving around 2010-2011, but then big bumps in attendance came from the 60th anniversary and the move to monthly payment plans for APs. People have more disposable income, locals have easy access to APs, and more and more long-distance travelers who have tired of WDW have discovered DL.

 

[blackjackdelta]

Not only has it got much more crowded, the park isn't kept and clean and maintained as it was back then. We used to be constantly amazed at how fast garbage was removed from even the deepest recesses of the park and how maint, (lights out, bad paint, etc) was taken care of almost magically overnight. Now we see the same lights out (even on Main St.) and trash sits in various water ways and parts of attractions for days. Then there's the rude, high or even violent guests that roam without security taking notice.
Seems like ever trip in the past few years is more of a let down than previous years.
I'm hoping next months trips shows improvements in all those area's.

I have seen a far amount of rude guests since originally going in 55, violent never. You should have followed and reported the individual to security and taken care of the problem so someone else did not have to.

Jack

 

[Indiana Scott]

I have seen a far amount of rude guests since originally going in 55, violent never. You should have followed and reported the individual to security and taken care of the problem so someone else did not have to.

Jack

Well Jack, again, that's easy to say. In this case there was a group of thugs and following them would have been akin to confronting them. I'm not going to do that with my wife and developmentally disabled son in tow.
Maybe you had to be there.

 

[blackjackdelta]

Well Jack, again, that's easy to say. In this case there was a group of thugs and following them would have been akin to confronting them. I'm not going to do that with my wife and developmentally disabled son in tow.
Maybe you had to be there.

I was referring to a single person, a group I would have just called security. Unfortunately I do get involved in things I should not, but that is just my personality. Hope your trips get better.

Jack

 

[tarheelalum]

What a difference 12 years makes.

 

[blackjackdelta]

Are you different in the last 12 years. Light year changes since then.

Jack