Lack of crowds and Disney's response

[DLgal]

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

The windows do open, they sort of tilt open from the top. It's enough to provide ventilation, but not enough to cool it down on a hot day.

 

[kyrkea333]

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

Yes, you just have to ask the attendant at the station. If it's already spoken for, you can ask to wait for the next monorail. Also I discovered (I'm willing to bet I got it from DISboards) that you can also ask to ride in the tail. I really loved that. The view was even better than the front with the driver, IMHO. Make sure you're okay with looking backwards when you travel, though!

 

[MacMama0930]

My husband and I (NO KIDS!!) went to DL on a last minute, 4th of July trip. We were there on 4th through 6th. The crowds weren’t low, by any means, but it was a holiday...and a holiday that a lot of people ended up taking a 4 day weekend for. Crowds don’t really bother me, though, especially when I don’t have kids in tow. I can shimmy through a wall of people like no ones business and max pass is a miracle. Because of the time I went, I can’t really comment on these “low crowds” people have been referring to.

However, what I CAN comment on is GE. I will totally preface this with the disclaimer that I am not a super fan...I wouldn’t even call myself a fan at all of Star Wars. It truly does nothing for me. But I appreciate and anticipated the details Disney puts into things that make them so immersive (here’s looking at you Radiator Springs ). But I gotta say...I was not impressed. Just like the movies, the land did nothing for me. I mean, it was cool, but it felt....I don’t know...incomplete? I mean maybe that’s because it is. We waited in line for the ride....which I think was about 85 minutes total....an amount of minutes I NEVER wait for! The ride was kinda lame. Sorry. But I don’t really care for simulation rides at all.

Anyways, long story short...we left the land after riding the ride. We just had no desire to explore. We spent the remainder of our trip in DCA and the rest of DL.

Between AP block outs (I am Sig, so I’m open this summer) and an unfinished land, I can see why it isn’t drawing ginormous crowds. If they are looking to get more people there, they need to do something about those onsite hotel prices. I’m a GCH girl and I value staying onsite, but they’ve damn near priced this ride or die out. Pushing $1000/night for a small room with a ****ty view? It’s getting bananas.

Ok, that post was all over the place!

 

[poptart90]

I’m a GCH girl and I value staying onsite, but they’ve damn near priced this ride or die out. Pushing $1000/night for a small room with a ****ty view? It’s getting bananas.

CHOKED on my glass of vino tonight when I read this cause I wanted to laugh so hard I would’ve spit it all over DH!!! Hand down, best description of the GCH EVER...from one GCH girl to another!

 

[cdatkins]

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.

when we were there last week, I would say the parks averaged a 5. Definitely higher than the 1s or 2s from week prior. Not surprised to see that go up even more this week. As word gets out that the parks are not crowded, more crowds will come.

 

[Fred M]

I think there are a lot of issues at play regarding the lack of crowds and I think Disney doesn’t need to address any of them. Over time, it will be a success.

I think a lot of people, fans and Disney execs alike, were expecting instant nostalgia with Galaxy’s Edge and instant crowds. But nostalgia doesn’t work that way. There are tons of rides at Disneyland that I absolutely love, not necessarily for the ride aspect, but because of my memories. Going on the Dark Rides with my dad, remembering the first time my folks let my sister and I ride in a Doom Buggy together. Today’s 10 year old will love SWGE and go back time after time. It’s their Pirates or Haunted Mansion. It’s going to be a huge draw for a long time. Radiator Springs Racers still has a long wait to this day. SWGE will follow.

Tons of people wanted to avoid the crowds. We’re going at the end of the month, not because of SWGE and lack of crowds, but because of a DVC use miscalculation by my better half. If it wasn’t for that, we wouldn’t have gone until Fall 2020 or later. Combine that with people who wanted both rides in SWGE open, and a lot of people just made other summer plans this year. I think the fall and next summer will be a lot busier than normal.

People going to Disneyland more than once every 5 years is a creation of the last 25 years. In my youth, I went when I was 7, 12, 17, and then for Grad Night. That was the typical experience if you didn’t live close to the park. I think the ticket price increases and a drop in crowds is just making the pendulum swing back in the typical experience rather than everyone going multiple times a year. It’s going to change again.

Great thread though! I’ve enjoyed reading everyone’s thoughts.

 

[BrianL]

I think there are a lot of issues at play regarding the lack of crowds and I think Disney doesn’t need to address any of them. Over time, it will be a success.

I think a lot of people, fans and Disney execs alike, were expecting instant nostalgia with Galaxy’s Edge and instant crowds. But nostalgia doesn’t work that way. There are tons of rides at Disneyland that I absolutely love, not necessarily for the ride aspect, but because of my memories. Going on the Dark Rides with my dad, remembering the first time my folks let my sister and I ride in a Doom Buggy together. Today’s 10 year old will love SWGE and go back time after time. It’s their Pirates or Haunted Mansion. It’s going to be a huge draw for a long time. Radiator Springs Racers still has a long wait to this day. SWGE will follow.

Tons of people wanted to avoid the crowds. We’re going at the end of the month, not because of SWGE and lack of crowds, but because of a DVC use miscalculation by my better half. If it wasn’t for that, we wouldn’t have gone until Fall 2020 or later. Combine that with people who wanted both rides in SWGE open, and a lot of people just made other summer plans this year. I think the fall and next summer will be a lot busier than normal.

People going to Disneyland more than once every 5 years is a creation of the last 25 years. In my youth, I went when I was 7, 12, 17, and then for Grad Night. That was the typical experience if you didn’t live close to the park. I think the ticket price increases and a drop in crowds is just making the pendulum swing back in the typical experience rather than everyone going multiple times a year. It’s going to change again.

Great thread though! I’ve enjoyed reading everyone’s thoughts.

I think this is a good assessment. Theme Park business is down across the board, so it's not like Disney made some major blunder, it just kind is a natural lull. It will work out.

 

[mamapenguin]

I think there are a lot of issues at play regarding the lack of crowds and I think Disney doesn’t need to address any of them. Over time, it will be a success.

I think a lot of people, fans and Disney execs alike, were expecting instant nostalgia with Galaxy’s Edge and instant crowds. But nostalgia doesn’t work that way. There are tons of rides at Disneyland that I absolutely love, not necessarily for the ride aspect, but because of my memories. Going on the Dark Rides with my dad, remembering the first time my folks let my sister and I ride in a Doom Buggy together. Today’s 10 year old will love SWGE and go back time after time. It’s their Pirates or Haunted Mansion. It’s going to be a huge draw for a long time. Radiator Springs Racers still has a long wait to this day. SWGE will follow.

Tons of people wanted to avoid the crowds. We’re going at the end of the month, not because of SWGE and lack of crowds, but because of a DVC use miscalculation by my better half. If it wasn’t for that, we wouldn’t have gone until Fall 2020 or later. Combine that with people who wanted both rides in SWGE open, and a lot of people just made other summer plans this year. I think the fall and next summer will be a lot busier than normal.

People going to Disneyland more than once every 5 years is a creation of the last 25 years. In my youth, I went when I was 7, 12, 17, and then for Grad Night. That was the typical experience if you didn’t live close to the park. I think the ticket price increases and a drop in crowds is just making the pendulum swing back in the typical experience rather than everyone going multiple times a year. It’s going to change again.

Great thread though! I’ve enjoyed reading everyone’s thoughts.

Time will tell with SWGE. (I won’t see it until September). We were going to skip a few years of DLR because of anticipated crowds. We bought APs because crowds have not materialized.

I am not a SW super fan, but I will give GE a chance. I won’t get in a line of more than 45-60 minutes for anything. Cars land was love at first sight. I had not seen the movies, but because of Cars land I have now seen them all plus Mater’s Tall Tales. I love pretty much every attraction at DLR other than the submarines.

 

[chuckille]

I am a huge SW fan and just came back from GE last weekend. After the initial awe of the land, I am in the camp of Disney screwing up the experience.

I realize that they wanted us to feel as if we are on Batuu, but without any SW music, it felt empty and lacking the nostalgia of the movies. The SW main title in the background while entering the land...the darth Vader theme when the stormtroopers come out...Rey’s music when she’s out for pics. That would get the goosebumps out and pump any big or small fan up. No one knows what Batuu is so I just felt kinda lost, but everyone knows the music and that could ground people into what to expect. Carsland has the music in the background and SW land should do the same.

Disney went for immersion, but I think experience is more important. Now, I don’t think this is the reason Disneyland is so empty, but it could stop the casual fan from making multiple trips.

 

[billyjobobb]

they went for immersion. Into a land none of us know.

 

[LizzyS]

I am a huge SW fan and just came back from GE last weekend. After the initial awe of the land, I am in the camp of Disney screwing up the experience.

I realize that they wanted us to feel as if we are on Batuu, but without any SW music, it felt empty and lacking the nostalgia of the movies. The SW main title in the background while entering the land...the darth Vader theme when the stormtroopers come out...Rey’s music when she’s out for pics. That would get the goosebumps out and pump any big or small fan up. No one knows what Batuu is so I just felt kinda lost, but everyone knows the music and that could ground people into what to expect. Carsland has the music in the background and SW land should do the same.

Disney went for immersion, but I think experience is more important. Now, I don’t think this is the reason Disneyland is so empty, but it could stop the casual fan from making multiple trips.

I think this comes down to there generally being two types of SW fans, from my perspective. Some want new SW experiences (count me in) and some just want original trilogy-related stuff. The music thing is easily fixable and they're likely to change that in the future, imo. That's one of the biggest complaints I've seen about GE.

I'm totally jazzed about exploring Batuu, personally, but if that's not what you're looking for, I can see how that would be a letdown.

 

[tarheelalum]

I think this is a good assessment. Theme Park business is down across the board, so it's not like Disney made some major blunder, it just kind is a natural lull. It will work out.

Knott's has been crowded this summer. Maybe because they are so affordable.

 

[azdisneylover]

Knott's has been crowded this summer. Maybe because they are so affordable.

It doesn't hurt they are snatching up former Disney workers!!

 

[WonkaKid]

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

Yes. Nearly always I’ll ride up front. At least it was allowed when I last rode it about eight weeks ago.

 

[dina444444]

Yes. Nearly always I’ll ride up front. At least it was allowed when I last rode it about eight weeks ago.

It’s allowed just not always offered. If there is a magnet that says DNL next to the door above the buttons that means they aren’t offering it.

 

[delandy]

Can anyone vouch for the crowds level currently in the weekends before the AP blackout is over? I'm debating whether to visit Disneyland on a weekday vs a weekend.

 

[Skyegirl1999]

Can anyone vouch for the crowds level currently in the weekends before the AP blackout is over? I'm debating whether to visit Disneyland on a weekday vs a weekend.

This past weekend was quite crowded, compounded by a LOT of ride breakdowns that caused congestion and long lines on the rides that are working (plus overloading the FP return lines with replacement FPs). So this past weekend was kind of a mess, hard to tell if that’s what next weekend will be like if the rides stay up.

The previous weekend, the mornings were glorious and then it picked up with moderate crowds in the afternoons - it was like that most of the week.

Overall, though, crowds just keep increasing with people coming to take advantage of the “low crowds,” which are no longer truly low as a result.

 

[bethwc101]

they went for immersion. Into a land none of us know.

Well said.

 

[Tigger Trainer]

Looks like crowds have returned today.

 

[Becca1007]

Looks like crowds have returned today.

The wait times don't seem that bad *except StarWars and Radiator Springs (but it was down for a bunch of the morning).