Is Disney World becoming a shell of its former self?

[socrateze]

You should go during Free Dining, it is the best time to go. Just avoid the holidays and special events. I try to go when all the kids are in school so I just have to deal with the really little ones.

The problem with visiting during free dining is trying to get ADR's for decent restaurant. Then if you do succeed, you may not bet able to find suitable FP+ reservations. Not worth it IMO.

 

[pilferk]

The problem with visiting during free dining is trying to get ADR's for decent restaurant. Then if you do succeed, you may not bet able to find suitable FP+ reservations. Not worth it IMO.

I'd say the problem is...unless you've got kids inder 10 and like lots of snacks...with the new restrictions on tickets this year, and the rack rate for rooms, you might not be getting all that much of a discount.

 

[Dfan79]

The problem with visiting during free dining is trying to get ADR's for decent restaurant. Then if you do succeed, you may not bet able to find suitable FP+ reservations. Not worth it IMO.

I got everything I wanted both reservation and fastpass wise. You just have to book on the first day that you can and keep checking back. People are always canceling, I got 4 Toy Story fastpasses on the same morning I went to Hollywood.

 

[mellyf]

That's sort of hard to do if you have school age kids of your own.

Or if you're a teacher.

 

[Luv0fDisney]

yeah i agree with the original poster. I learned just recently they turned the Jack Sparrow Attraction at DHS into a Lounge to sit... WHy should we pay $100+ to
"sit" in a lounge? They could have made it into a FREE arcade like attraction from the "Wreck it Ralph." Or a Hollywood photo op that park goers can take by themselves and therefore don't have to hire any more cast member's to "take pictures."

 

[davish562]

yeah i agree with the original poster. I learned just recently they turned the Jack Sparrow Attraction at DHS into a Lounge to sit... WHy should we pay $100+ to
"sit" in a lounge? They could have made it into a FREE arcade like attraction from the "Wreck it Ralph." Or a Hollywood photo op that park goers can take by themselves and therefore don't have to hire any more cast member's to "take pictures."

I think calling it a lounge is generous, lol. All it is a bunch of old park benches and trash cans, brilliantly designed Disney, really shows how innovative you guys are.

 

[rteetz]

I think calling it a lounge is generous, lol. All it is a bunch of old park benches and trash cans, brilliantly designed Disney, really shows how innovative you guys are.

Don't forget about the small framed pictures of Walt on the wall.

 

[Whatsthegoodword]

I'm not. Why should I be the parks are more crowded then ever that number should be where it is. However its obvious that occupancy at the deluxe is not as good as the values and moderates.

80% or greater hotel occupancy is outstanding in the hotel industry. I promise you the front office at WDW is pleased with this number, even if you're not.

 

[Whatsthegoodword]

Just as amazing as you thinking that the accountants/stock fiends that run parks are impressed by that...

OF COURSE they're impressed by it. Do they want improvement? Yes. Stockholders always demand improvement, as they should.

 

[oddman]

You should go during Free Dining, it is the best time to go. Just avoid the holidays and special events. I try to go when all the kids are in school so I just have to deal with the really little ones.

We don't stay on site, we prefer to get a higher end home with a nice pool and plenty of room. I can't eat restaurant food for more then a few days, after that it is just too gross and unhealthy for my system to handle. But thanks for trying to find a solution

 

[rteetz]

80% or greater hotel occupancy is outstanding in the hotel industry. I promise you the front office at WDW is pleased with this number, even if you're not.

I understand but they obviously want the number to be better or they wouldn't be converting rooms to DVC

 

[peg110]

and Disney offers no good pricing plans for just a couple of days visit....

I can say the same thing about Universal.

For our family of 5 (4 of us Plus oldest DD's BF), to spend 2 days at Universal was going to be about $1000 not counting parking, food and souvenirs.

Now to put this entire topic into perspective for US (Our family) we just got back from a Trip to Dollywood in Pigeon Forge TN. While it certainly was no Disneyland, it was most certainly a nice park and place to visit. Prices for entrance is reasonable. If you are going to visit more than a day, then the Season Pass is cheaper than a 2 day pass, so that's what we did. We upgraded my season pass to a gold pass which saves us $$$ on Parking (making it free) and gives us nice discounts on merchandise and food purchases as well.

My point here is that we were planning a trip to Disney in November 2015, but now we are re-thinking this. Why? Well... Cost is a big part of it. We are actually thinking of going back to Dollywood. We have passes, so admission is cheaper. We stay in our camper and a campsite is cheaper (~$35 a day versus Disney's Fort Wilderness @ ~$100 a day). We are driving and it's closer to us (in NE Pennsylvania) by ~350 miles (each way).

Dollywood has nice shows, nice rides and is overall a clean park and has many offerings similar to what WDW does (albeit differently than WDW). The crowds weren't the same and we just enjoyed it.

So for US, this is a CLEAR case of the budget driving the choice. Please don't misunderstand me, we Love Disney. We have a great time at Disney. We love Fort Wilderness. We just don't like Cost or the crowds. Even during it's "Not Crowded" time periods, WDW is still very crowded.

 

[7series]

No, Disney is not screwed. The fact is, Disney is Disney and nothing Universal does will ever allow them to overtake Disney. That being said, Disney cant just sit tight.

 

[minnie-apple-mouse]

I don't know what that list is supposed to be, because much of it predates your 1989 number, I know because I was on the rides or at the park/feature well before 1989...

Actually somebody else posted the 1989 to 1999 list. I just added to it as an entire time frame of expansion to "new" guests going forward. Ones that will have no clue when anything was built, and therefore entirely irrelevant to them.

Curious though-what "much" of the list did you use "well before 1989"?

 

[ParrotBill]

We gave Universal a try with a 3 day stay at Portofino Resort summers ago. What we learned is that Universal does not have the continuous magic of an onsite stay with theming and seamless transportation. They don't get it; they aren't even trying. The hotel was nice - but felt corporate. No Universal theming at all. The pool area was overcrowded and poorly laid out. The transportation was a joke - the one or two boats took forever and you had to wait 2 or 3 or 4 boats to get a ride. Total time to a park that is 1/2 mile away - an hour or more.

To me, these things are a big advantange for Disney and a big reason that so many people go for the Disney experience.

 

[DDLand]

80% or greater hotel occupancy is outstanding in the hotel industry. I promise you the front office at WDW is pleased with this number, even if you're not.

OF COURSE they're impressed by it. Do they want improvement? Yes. Stockholders always demand improvement, as they should.

I'm with you all the way. Of course there are demographics that are weaker, but as a whole 89% occupancy is huge. Jay Rasulo said they're getting close to full, he also noted historically this would be around the time they'd be looking at expansion.

 

[dinolounger]

The fact is, Disney is Disney and nothing Universal does will ever allow them to overtake Disney.

Arrogance in a company or it's fans is not only unattractive, it -- as history tells us -- is a critical weakness. And here's a parable of that:

Over twenty years ago, in the early 90’s, a firm named Motorola (remember them?) didn't just own but dominated the mobile phone market.

In fact, that company was the creator of mobile phone technology, beginning with walkie-talkies developed for the US Government prior to WWII. They were a pioneer in the development of radio, television and cellular telephony. That was precisely why their product and technology development capabilities put them in the driver’s seat when the first cellular phone systems appeared in the mid 1980’s.

They reached their peak with a tiny black clamshell, the first of its kind, called the StarTAC, in 1996.

That mobile device is remembered because it “defined” the market for handsets when analog technology dominated the operator landscape. Motorola’s presence was so strong, that their market share exceeded 60% throughout the Americas, as well as in many other markets around the globe.

But the winds of change arrived, in the form of a movement from analog to digital mobile phone networks. The latter could handle significantly more traffic than the analog systems Motorola was using. And it was precisely on the cusp of the migration to digital that a Motorola executive was famously quoted as stating: “Who’s going to buy a digital phone?”

Which sounds kind of like "nothing the competition does will ever allow them to overtake us."

As network operators began rapidly making the migration to digital, Motorola -- which had become arrogant and complacent -- wasn't prepared to move quickly into digital handsets. By 1996, operators simply refused purchase any more analog phones. Two years slater, Nokia surpassed Motorola and became the largest mobile phone supplier in the world.

Motorola is now #14.

Those who do not learn from history are condemned to repeat it.

 

[lockedoutlogic]

OF COURSE they're impressed by it. Do they want improvement? Yes. Stockholders always demand improvement, as they should.

Incorrect...Disney hotels are not set to the standard of a holiday inn...or even a marriot.

100%...or what is statistically possible/close to that number.

Don't believe? Ok...but that is not the right choice.

Been there...heard it...saw it.

 

[minnie-apple-mouse]

But the winds of change arrived, in the form of a movement from analog to digital mobile phone networks. The latter could handle significantly more traffic than the analog systems Motorola was using. And it was precisely on the cusp of the migration to digital that a Motorola executive was famously quoted as stating: “Who’s going to buy a digital phone?”


Those who do not learn from history are condemned to repeat it.

MM+

 

[Planogirl]

We gave Universal a try with a 3 day stay at Portofino Resort summers ago. What we learned is that Universal does not have the continuous magic of an onsite stay with theming and seamless transportation. They don't get it; they aren't even trying. The hotel was nice - but felt corporate. No Universal theming at all. The pool area was overcrowded and poorly laid out. The transportation was a joke - the one or two boats took forever and you had to wait 2 or 3 or 4 boats to get a ride. Total time to a park that is 1/2 mile away - an hour or more.

To me, these things are a big advantange for Disney and a big reason that so many people go for the Disney experience.

We never waited very long for a boat but if there seemed to be a big crowd we just walked. The parks aren't very far.

I don't agree with much of what you said otherwise too but I realize that this is subjective so neither of us are wrong.