Lack of crowds and Disney's response

[Lauren in NC]

Sort of a spin-off of the SWGE thread, but what do you think about the lack of crowds around SWGE and at Disneyland in general? Is this what Disney intended, or has all this all backfired on them?

Having been there the past few days, we loved the low crowds and immediate fastpasses (I would go this time every year if I thought this was actually normal!), and I definitely think people are buying tons of merchandise, but it seems like there's still plenty of empty hotel rooms and missed tourist dollars. The release of the new bring-a-friend promotion seems to indicate that numbers are down much lower than they want. We also had a weird interaction yesterday at the Animation Academy where we drew BB-8, interspersed with the CM talking about how cool the land is and how you can buy an actual BB-8 droid there. Definitely felt like a sales pitch thrown in to the drawing class!

Do you think the crowds will pick up now that the land is officially open? Do you think this will change even more once RotR opens?

 

[Skyegirl1999]

I think they're panicking for sure.

I do expect crowds to pick up - the passholder deal is pretty killer (and available to blocked APs, which is a big pool), and the simple fact that people are discussing the LACK of crowds will bring in crowds. That's how it goes. I also think that the end of August-Christmas is going to be pretty consistently nuts - the fact that D23 crowds coincide with APs getting back in seems like a nightmare to me, and I think a lot of people put off their trips "until the crowds die down," but now that will bring crowds throughout the end of the year. ROTR is a big wild card, though, so who knows?

But, overall, the "opening of SWGE madness" was quite the opposite. The perception of high crowds continues to be the most effective way of predicting low crowds (and vice versa), much more than I even realized... other than the week or two after Christmas, it's gotten more and more pronounced that "anticipated high crowds" and "anticipated low crowds" very often swap entirely at DL.

 

[DarthGallifrey]

I've been so excited by the wait times I have been seeing on the app but I know that by time my trip rolls around in September that its going to be crazy

 

[Skyegirl1999]

I've been so excited by the wait times I have been seeing on the app but I know that by time my trip rolls around in September that its going to be crazy

You should stop looking; it's just going to make you sad when you're there...

 

[SOCALMouseMommy]

I think they're panicking for sure.

I do expect crowds to pick up - the passholder deal is pretty killer (and available to blocked APs, which is a big pool), and the simple fact that people are discussing the LACK of crowds will bring in crowds. That's how it goes. I also think that the end of August-Christmas is going to be pretty consistently nuts - the fact that D23 crowds coincide with APs getting back in seems like a nightmare to me, and I think a lot of people put off their trips "until the crowds die down," but now that will bring crowds throughout the end of the year. ROTR is a big wild card, though, so who knows?

But, overall, the "opening of SWGE madness" was quite the opposite. The perception of high crowds continues to be the most effective way of predicting low crowds (and vice versa), much more than I even realized... other than the week or two after Christmas, it's gotten more and more pronounced that "anticipated high crowds" and "anticipated low crowds" very often swap entirely at DL.

You totally called it from the very get-go.

 

[DarthGallifrey]

You should stop looking; it's just going to make you sad when you're there...

It's Disney. It's impossible to be sad

 

[2 Pinks]

Today looks like the wait times are heading up again. I watch mostly MFSR, Space Mtn, Guardians and RSR wait times. They are all higher today then they have been in quite a while. So I'm guessing people who were staying away for fear of massive crowds are seeing the low wait times and are starting to flock back to the parks. I could be wrong!

Kind of hoping I'm wrong as I would love to see these low wait times when I'm there in September!

 

[SOCALMouseMommy]

When I entered the park yesterday I was pounced on by a survey CM. I got some VERY intersting questions in my survey today. These two were in regard to my perceived park experience:

 

[SOCALMouseMommy]

This one was about the crowds as well:

 

[Skyegirl1999]

Today looks like the wait times are heading up again. I watch mostly MFSR, Space Mtn, Guardians and RSR wait times. They are all higher today then they have been in quite a while. So I'm guessing people who were staying away for fear of massive crowds are seeing the low wait times and are starting to flock back to the parks. I could be wrong!

Kind of hoping I'm wrong as I would love to see these low wait times when I'm there in September!

I know of several Signature holders who were planning to “stay away for months” and nonsense like that, but actually went yesterday or are going today because of the lack of crowds.

 

[midnight star]

I know of several Signature holders who were planning to “stay away for months” and nonsense like that, but actually went yesterday or are going today because of the lack of crowds.

Haha this was me when Star Wars first opened! I stayed far from Anaheim on opening day. Then saw low crowds, and literally dropped everything and drove to Disneyland I would go this weekend but won’t be in the area. I’ll be there next week for the Holiday though!

 

[tarheelalum]

The executives have to be in a full blown panic. Cars Land brought much bigger crowds. Even Indy crowds were bigger back in the mid 90s. Has the constant price increases over the years finally caught up with Disneyland? Or is Star Wars land a disappointment? Is one ride not enough for what they are charging people? Is the opening in phases their downfall? I can see the tourist crowd staying away but I assumed the locals would have overrun the place this week. Has Disneyland finally gotten too big for their britches?

 

[Elle23]

I just looked at what a one day ticket for today would cost and could not believe a one park day ticket was $149. That is absolute insanity. I don’t blame people for staying away.

 

[Smittolis]

I don't think its about the appeal, I think its more about the 'fear' of crowds and the notion there are relatively few attractions in there to keep people occupied that exacerbates this concept. I think crowds will pick up now that people realize there are none lol the irony!

 

[wingednike]

Haha this was me when Star Wars first opened! I stayed far from Anaheim on opening day. Then saw low crowds, and literally dropped everything and drove to Disneyland I would go this weekend but won’t be in the area. I’ll be there next week for the Holiday though!

Thank goodness you did. I haven't had my pass since last October and I'm living vicariously through the forums. I actually haven't missed my pass too much. I spent some of that money on a couple hard ticket events

 

[Skyegirl1999]

The executives have to be in a full blown panic. Cars Land brought much bigger crowds. Even Indy crowds were bigger back in the mid 90s. Has the constant price increases over the years finally caught up with Disneyland? Or is Star Wars land a disappointment? Is one ride not enough for what they are charging people? Is the opening in phases their downfall? I can see the tourist crowd staying away but I assumed the locals would have overrun the place this week. Has Disneyland finally gotten too big for their britches?

It’s a combo of things, I think. I think the increasing prices have made people increasingly determined to get the most bang for their buck. As you say, you understand tourists staying away... but non-AP locals aren’t that different from tourists. So, in that case, which locals are going to overrun it? All of the APs other than Signature/+ are blocked out. A TON of people bought those 3-day ticket deals this spring, anticipating high crowds this summer anyway. The narrative from many sources was that this summer was going to be awful. Who wants to pay all of that money for awful? Even a lot of Signature APs stayed away from the “madness” until the last couple of days.

 

[Mr Snappy]

I think they did TOO GOOD a job a persuading people not to come because of the crowds. I live in Kansas City and was not going to come out to the parks for a week to be greeted by this mass of humanity that everyone predicted (including me). Disneyland simply costs too much money to have a miserable time. My plan was to wait until after the initial madness was over and then go at a time that it would have calmed down to just "crazy busy" sometime in the Spring next year. As it turns out, I went ahead and booked a trip for August.

 

[2 Pinks]

The narrative from many sources was that this summer was going to be awful. Who wants to pay all of that money for awful? Even a lot of Signature APs stayed away from the “madness” until the last couple of days.

That was my perception too and why we planned for our trip to be in September, hoping that the crowds will have died down some or moved on to Florida for the opening of star wars there.

 

[tarheelalum]

It’s a combo of things, I think. I think the increasing prices have made people increasingly determined to get the most bang for their buck. As you say, you understand tourists staying away... but non-AP locals aren’t that different from tourists. So, in that case, which locals are going to overrun it? All of the APs other than Signature/+ are blocked out. A TON of people bought those 3-day ticket deals this spring, anticipating high crowds this summer anyway. The narrative from many sources was that this summer was going to be awful. Who wants to pay all of that money for awful? Even a lot of Signature APs stayed away from the “madness” until the last couple of days.

If it does not pick up in the next 10 days I think they will offer one of the 3 day discount tickets that they offer in the spring. Maybe unblock some lower passes as well.

They already started the 89-109 dollar ticket with an AP. Discounting after the opening of Star Wars....

I have to say I'm amazed that they have to do any of this. I thought the crowds would be epic this week. This has got to be a massive letdown for TDA.

 

[DarthGallifrey]

That was my perception too and why we planned for our trip to be in September, hoping that the crowds will have died down some or moved on to Florida for the opening of star wars there.

Same here. I also wanted to see the Halloween stuff. It's my first trip to Disneyland and even though I'm a huge star wars fan I'm going more for everything and not just SWGE