Economic Conditions and WDW

[montblanc]

In 1999 WDW seemed more vivacious, had more cast members and more interesting product lines in their stores (mainly Epcot). It is just my perception or were the years following this one different?

 

[WDSearcher]

2000-2001 were "soft years" (layoffs and budget cuts) and then 9/11 happened in there, which certainly didn't help tourism. All of that causes changes. But it's not just WDW. Lots of changes have happened at Universal/IOA, SeaWorld, and even Busch Gardens due to budget cuts and post-9/11 tourism numbers. Cypress Gardens closed down entirely due to lack of business, and lots of other smaller attractions have had major cutbacks as well.

 

[EsmeraldaX]

I have also noticed crowds picking up again over the last year or so.