Lack of crowds and Disney's response

[gottalovepluto]

Could confirm talking with monorail CM that starting Sunday, July 21st the monorail hours will be reduced. They’ll stop running from 11 am - 6 pm. They’ll have to work split shifts. The “official” story will be it’ll too hot during late summer to run the monorail during those hours. Isn’t this a typical retail operations reaction? When sales are slow or down the solution is to cut back operating cost and staffing. The workers always bear the brunt of bad management decisions but doesn’t get a share when things are great, while management gets percentage increases or more shares of stock. Still think it’s an over reaction. Wouldn’t be surprise to hear on this board that they should reduce the crowd and the park is too jam packed because everyone thinks the crowds are low. Damned if you do and damned if you don’t.

If they'd run a decent ticket and hotel special I'd be down there in a hot minute!

 

[billyjobobb]

Hey they're giving you 20% off with your Disney Visa? You mean that isn't enough (sarcasm)

 

[az4boys]

If they'd run a decent ticket and hotel special I'd be down there in a hot minute!

Same here on the ticket part. I just can't handle $214 for a one day PH ticket with MP. Multiply that times our family of six, plus all the other expenses... not happening. We'll wait until AP's fit in our schedule/budget again.

 

[iMadHatter]

Could confirm talking with monorail CM that starting Sunday, July 21st the monorail hours will be reduced. They’ll stop running from 11 am - 6 pm.

So basically, it's unusable, right? Monorail might run for about an hour, maybe 90 minutes in the morning, maybe 90 minutes in the evening- if they've staffed it.

I hate knee-jerk reactions. This seems to be just another one in the lineup.

 

[skyblue17]

There are quite a few rides at Disneyland I have never been on because I only go for day trips and never wanted to prioritze. The possibility of knocking out Fantasyland rides I've never experienced in an hour is pretty fun! We usually rope drop DCA and not Disneyland, but if we can get FPs in DCA and need to kill only an hour or so, that might be a good plan!

 

[gottalovepluto]

So basically, it's unusable, right? Monorail might run for about an hour, maybe 90 minutes in the morning, maybe 90 minutes in the evening- if they've staffed it.

I hate knee-jerk reactions. This seems to be just another one in the lineup.

I wouldn’t think so. Monorail opens with the park and runs until closing.

 

[poptart90]

Could confirm talking with monorail CM that starting Sunday, July 21st the monorail hours will be reduced. They’ll stop running from 11 am - 6 pm.

Geez. We were going to stay at DLH in a couple of weeks. Glad we didn't book that! I would be quite peeved if we had. We like to EMH or RD (opposite park) and then leave when it's hot and chill at the pool until evening. Hearing all the monorail slides weren't up & working was the reason for not choosing DLH...but now the real monorail will stop running from 11am - 6pm?? And while I do get that it's not a huge walk, still! The proximity to the monorail is a perk of DLH, right? I feel sorry for the DLH guests who have little kids or difficulty walking. If it was me, I'd feel like that was a bait & switch.

 

[mamapenguin]

It’s so irritating when big business cuts muscle (employees) instead of fat (executive bonuses) when they miss on their unrealistic expectations.

 

[kyrkea333]

We’re in California and recently started seeing a fairly “basic” commercial for SWGE as well (by basic I mean it follows the template of other kid-perspective commercials they’ve run but doesn’t offer anything memorable). However, we’ve only seen it run on Disney’s own channels (Disney Channel, Disney XD or Disney Jr).

We've been seeing the same commercial in British Columbia, but it's been on our regular cable channels. Like AussieNSW, I was underwhelmed by the feel of it. It wouldn't entice me either. That being said, we are going in August anyway.

 

[oumagic]

My family are big Star Wars fans and Disney fans and have anxiously been awaiting the expansion. Rolling it out incomplete is what has kept us from coming from Arizona this summer. The rates on site are ridiculously high; we went in 2011 and 2013 for 5 day trips and the cost for a 4 night/3 day package more than triple what we paid for 5 night/5 day park hoppers back then while my pay has been stagnant. So while we want to go see the new land and I am willing to spend the $5k to do it, I am having a hard time because we can't just come back next year when it is complete.

I have a room off-site booked for fall break that we are 50/50 on right now keeping. I thought for sure that Star Wars would be fully open in October and Halloween has always been our favorite time to visit, After I booked the room earlier this week, I came to the boards to find out the party is now at DCA only and that Star Wars is now not fully open until next year. We would deinitely cancel if I thought we could just reschedule for next year, but we already have two vacations planned for 2020 and 2019 was supposed to be our Disney trip and my son graduates in 2020.

I am pricing Universal Orland and Disney World today to see if we should head there in the fall. Airfare is $2300, so I am not sure that will work out. Things happen, but for years I thought 2019 was the year SW would be done and we would visit.

 

[DLgal]

I just came across an article on yahoo finance titled, "Theme Parks are having a Challenging Summer." The article mentions the slow crowds at Disney, but apparently Universal and Seaworld are seeing their share of emptiness, too

We just spent a couple days at the Great Wolf Lodge near Disneyland and it was the emptiest I have ever seen it. We have been there 4 times and you could tell it was very slow. I also think it is interesting that GWL, for the first time in its history, started selling day passes to their waterparks this summer. Today, I got an email offer for 50% off stays before 9/6/19. Crazy.

 

[SeaDis]

I like to use the historical crowds section on TP (more than I use the forecast section).

This week so far was 7 and 8 Mon/Tues/Wed. And it's definitely trended up since the $99 AP ticket promo launched.

Maybe things have picked up? UNLESS reduced staffing and cuts are starting to impact wait times (which I think is how TP measures these numbers). That... would be bad.

 

[Elias1901]

Could confirm talking with monorail CM that starting Sunday, July 21st the monorail hours will be reduced. They’ll stop running from 11 am - 6 pm. They’ll have to work split shifts. The “official” story will be it’ll too hot during late summer to run the monorail during those hours. Isn’t this a typical retail operations reaction? When sales are slow or down the solution is to cut back operating cost and staffing. The workers always bear the brunt of bad management decisions but doesn’t get a share when things are great, while management gets percentage increases or more shares of stock. Still think it’s an over reaction. Wouldn’t be surprise to hear on this board that they should reduce the crowd and the park is too jam packed because everyone thinks the crowds are low. Damned if you do and damned if you don’t.

They better not close the morning during those hours! We need to be on it at 12:25 PM to make a Happiest Hotel on Earth Tour during our trip!! Dang it all... we may just stay in the park and skip the tour if we find out this is indeed the case...

 

[Becca1007]

Could confirm talking with monorail CM that starting Sunday, July 21st the monorail hours will be reduced. They’ll stop running from 11 am - 6 pm. They’ll have to work split shifts. The “official” story will be it’ll too hot during late summer to run the monorail during those hours. Isn’t this a typical retail operations reaction? When sales are slow or down the solution is to cut back operating cost and staffing. The workers always bear the brunt of bad management decisions but doesn’t get a share when things are great, while management gets percentage increases or more shares of stock. Still think it’s an over reaction. Wouldn’t be surprise to hear on this board that they should reduce the crowd and the park is too jam packed because everyone thinks the crowds are low. Damned if you do and damned if you don’t.

Having been there in late July/August many times, they often can't run the monorail if it is above a certain temperature. So perhaps they are just forecasting with the higher than usual temperatures and lower crowds that they likely won't run as much.
We always take the monorail in the evening but I think it is too darn hot to wait in that line and the cars are too hot at midday.

 

[poptart90]

Having been there in late July/August many times, they often can't run the monorail if it is above a certain temperature. So perhaps they are just forecasting with the higher than usual temperatures and lower crowds that they likely won't run as much.
We always take the monorail in the evening but I think it is too darn hot to wait in that line and the cars are too hot at midday.

I didn't know that! I guess I always thought it ran all the time. Good to know for the future if I'm booking the DLH in late summer!

 

[BadPinkTink]

I didn't know that! I guess I always thought it ran all the time. Good to know for the future if I'm booking the DLH in late summer!

the carriages do not have air conditioners, so you are sitting in a tin can that just gets hotter and hotter. There is only air conditioning in the nose and rear, ie where the driver sits. I always try to do a round trip before 11.30a, as there have been a few times over the years when I have tried to ride it around lunch time, in June, right at the hottest part of the day and it has been off.

 

[DLgal]

Yep, they don't run the monorail when the temperature exceeds 85 degrees. It's often down between 11am and 6pm during warmer months.

 

[Elias1901]

the carriages do not have air conditioners, so you are sitting in a tin can that just gets hotter and hotter. There is only air conditioning in the nose and rear, ie where the driver sits. I always try to do a round trip before 11.30a, as there have been a few times over the years when I have tried to ride it around lunch time, in June, right at the hottest part of the day and it has been off.

On that note, do they still allow you to request to ride with the driver??

 

[Jerryp49]

the carriages do not have air conditioners, so you are sitting in a tin can that just gets hotter and hotter. There is only air conditioning in the nose and rear, ie where the driver sits. I always try to do a round trip before 11.30a, as there have been a few times over the years when I have tried to ride it around lunch time, in June, right at the hottest part of the day and it has been off.

Didn`t the older model also have windows you could slide open and these do not ?

 

[MausFan]

There you go then. Make the drive; wedge it in as a "family thing." Do it for the kids. Yes.

Tempted...or when everyone is away at college Probably will wait for winter break...note to self...start looking at hotel costs for Dec...