Disneyland empty?

[sunb75]

Headed there next week. Fingers crossed for low crowds!

 

[coasternut22]

Quick question. August 26 will be the first day So Cal APs will be let in to DL since May. They will be let in to CaAdv the week prior. Obviously I’m there that day. Will the phase out of the So Cal APs have any affect this day, or will it be a mass stampede to DL specifically. Basically, do you think that with presumably lower number of these pass holders it will make a difference or are still a significant number of SoCal pass holders to be worried?

 

[RemainSeatedPlease]

If it truly is all the AP blocks than what does that say about out of town visits or occasional 3-5 year visits or something? Does this really mean a large majority of people in Disney are fairly frequent repeat guests with APs? That just seems crazy to me, I would think APs would hardly make an impact except for making the park a little more manageable on the busy days (by blocking APs). Not clearing out the park though...

I think things have changed significantly over the past 15 years or so. On trips to the parks back then I felt like it was more of a tourist crowd, whole families experiencing special once-in-a-lifetime (or at least very few times in a lifetime) trips together. But slowly over the past decade I feel that the shift towards APs has taken place. I'm not complaining, just an observation. All one has to do is look around while waiting in line and you will see many teens or young adults in packs that act like being at Disneyland is just another Tuesday for them (because it literally is). You'll see couples there for a weekend getaway. Even the young children seem to know the lay of the land and what used to be obscure "tips and tricks."

Disneyland has always been a locals park to a certain degree, and I'm sure there are many factors that have led to this rise in APs, but I think that a big part of it is a generational shift. I see this all of the time among my friends and colleagues even up in Northern California. Many of us grew up with our parents taking us to Disneyland every 3-5 years, once we'd saved up enough money for our special trips. And they really were special and cherished. This, combined with the Disney animated films renaissance (specifically Little Mermaid, Aladdin, and Lion King) created a generation of Disney fans. I can't even tell you how many coworkers have Disney stuff adorning their cubicles, Disneyland license plate frames, decals, hats, shirts, etc. It's everywhere.

Those children are now adults, many with families of their own. Those who have the means are wanting to feed their Disney obsessions. It's definitely happened in my own family. Those 3-5 year trips as a child have now turned into my siblings getting annual passes and taking their families at least twice a year. As a result, APs have skyrocketed and the parks feel more crowded than ever. Disney has fallen victim to their own success.

 

[HenDuck]

If APs are so valued, you would think Disney would treat us better. I personally feel like they are gouging the deluxe AP holders. The increase in prices plus additional blackout dates had me considering not renewing my AP. But then reality kicked in and I realized Disneyland APs are still a better value than other "amusement parks"....

 

[hildyp]

Headed there next week. Fingers crossed for low crowds!

me too!!

 

[MillauFr]

If APs are so valued, you would think Disney would treat us better. I personally feel like they are gouging the deluxe AP holders. The increase in prices plus additional blackout dates had me considering not renewing my AP. But then reality kicked in and I realized Disneyland APs are still a better value than other "amusement parks"....

They are trying to get rid of the Deluxe Annual Pass. They will push people into moving towards the Flex Pass. The Flex Pass gives Disney the ability to better control demand. With the current low crowds, the Flex Pass allows Disney to react in real time. They can choose at any time to allow more Flex Pass holders admission. The current hard blackout dates make it very difficult to react.

 

[cdatkins]

Headed there next week. Fingers crossed for low crowds!

We have been here all week. Crowds are completely manageable if you get here early and use MaxPass

 

[WillowRain]

Or at least Disney hopes they will.

WDW has been pretty empty this summer as well! Pete Werner said in the podcast that fall bookings are light, as well.

WDW not busy? You must be joking. I was checking wait times while there at Disneyland and seeing 120 mins on TOT but 45 at GOTG. 200 mins for RNR but 30 for Incredicoaster. I will never do summer there again! We went in Jan and it was a whole different ballgame.

 

[agamble]

WDW not busy? You must be joking. I was checking wait times while there at Disneyland and seeing 120 mins on TOT but 45 at GOTG. 200 mins for RNR but 30 for Incredicoaster. I will never do summer there again! We went in Jan and it was a whole different ballgame.

I looked at wait times recently. Studios park had awful waits. The other 3 were nice. I think that park still suffers from capacity problems. Also TOT has a shaft closure and I think the rollercoaster is rumored to be closing soon for refurb.

 

[OnSpaceshipEarth]

WDW not busy? You must be joking. I was checking wait times while there at Disneyland and seeing 120 mins on TOT but 45 at GOTG. 200 mins for RNR but 30 for Incredicoaster. I will never do summer there again! We went in Jan and it was a whole different ballgame.

I'm going by consistent reports from people that have actually been there this summer including our neighbors that live next door. Almost all have reported light or Moderate(at worse) crows throughout WDW since late May. The Disunplugged team have also alluded to this on their podcasts.

 

[WillowRain]

I looked at wait times recently. Studios park had awful waits. The other 3 were nice. I think that park still suffers from capacity problems. Also TOT has a shaft closure and I think the rollercoaster is rumored to be closing soon for refurb.

True. 1 entire shaft was down which made the waits higher. We rope dropped it and still took 40 mins, I think we were maybe 50th in line. Just wait another month tho.....HAHAHAHAHAHA

 

[OnSpaceshipEarth]

I looked at wait times recently. Studios park had awful waits. The other 3 were nice. I think that park still suffers from capacity problems. Also TOT has a shaft closure and I think the rollercoaster is rumored to be closing soon for refurb.

Thank you!

 

[LoriLovesDisneyland]

Only Deluxe passes will unlock on August 19th. The SoCal passes will still be blocked until August 26th.

 

[WillowRain]

They are trying to get rid of the Deluxe Annual Pass. They will push people into moving towards the Flex Pass. The Flex Pass gives Disney the ability to better control demand. With the current low crowds, the Flex Pass allows Disney to react in real time. They can choose at any time to allow more Flex Pass holders admission. The current hard blackout dates make it very difficult to react.

That's so true. And I am actually saddened by this new pass. We went last Christmas on the 22nd and 23rd, one of the best trips we have ever had. Same to be said about Memorial weekend. And now with the Flex pass, they will be allowing more in, which sucks for a 2 day tripping family like ours, means waits will increase. We still rope drop, use Max Pass, and pretty much stay all day to maximize our time, but I love having somewhat empty walk ways too. That's why I'm considering a quick trip now before school starts and AP's unblock, because we may not get down there again for a while, especially if the slow block days start booking up with flex. Any data on how many of those have been sold yet?

 

[Indiana Scott]

Maybe Disney has finally gotten to the point where people just can't/won't pay their inflated prices anymore.

This. We have not and wont be going to the parks for a long time because the value just isn't there. It was too crowded, over priced and frankly, a trip to DLR may be fun but it's the farthest thing from relaxing. This is in great part because of the way they treats crowds. They also try to wring every bit of profit out of everything - hence the poor value.
Even though it costs about twice as much, We go to Hawaii instead because the value is there.

 

[MillauFr]

This. We have not and wont be going to the parks for a long time because the value just isn't there. It was too crowded, over priced and frankly, a trip to DLR may be fun but it's the farthest thing from relaxing.

Does Disney have any tools at their disposal to reduce crowds other than raising prices?

 

[Indiana Scott]

Does Disney have any tools at their disposal to reduce crowds other than raising prices?

Like I wrote, there's the matter of value but yes, Disney can reduce lines and there are many ways to handle crowds better and more safely.

 

[MillauFr]

Like I wrote, there's the matter of value but yes, Disney can reduce lines and there are many ways to handle crowds better and more safely.

How can they reduce the lines without increasing prices?

 

[MillauFr]

Like I wrote, there's the matter of value but yes, Disney can reduce lines and there are many ways to handle crowds better and more safely.

I keep advocating that they should develop a real time variable pricing model like WSDOT did on the 405 express toll lanes. That way lower income visitors would not be completely blocked out. The fixed price ticket increases are heavy handed and can not react fast enough to variable demand pattern the parks are seeing this Summer.

If governments are doing it why isn't a private company?

 

[IdahoDisneyFan]

I keep advocating that they should develop a real time variable pricing model like WSDOT did on the 405 express toll lanes. That way lower income visitors would not be completely blocked out. The fixed price ticket increases are heavy handed and can not react fast enough to variable demand pattern the parks are seeing this Summer.

If governments are doing it why isn't a private company?

I would think one big concern with a real-time variable pricing model would be alienating guests who bought tickets well in advance only to discover once they arrive that, not only are others getting in at a better price, the crowds are also higher as a consequence. Additionally, I think Disney is very much focused on systems that allow them to better predict crowds on any given day, which determines so many other decisions in terms of staffing, entertainment, refurbishment, etc etc.

The reality is the most obvious and best way to manage crowds is through prices. Unfortunately, that means they 100% have to price out a lot of folks. Consider this statistic: In 1970 California had approximately 20 million residents. Today? Approximately 40 million. Disneyland is a limited commodity.