Only 3 Percent of Disney Guests' Time?

[SanFranciscan]

I read a statistic in "Suburban Nation" that people visiting Disney World spend only 3 percent of their time on rides or at shows. The rest of the time is spent just hanging out. I suspect that statistic is rather low, even though it supposedly came from a Disney architect. There is also the issue of long lines at times.

It does raise an interesting question though. Where do you all spend your time at Disney World when you are not on rides or at Disney-themed shows?

 

[hawkeyesparks]

I can believe that statistic,

I spend a lot of time walking, just walking, walking here, there, everywhere.

Last time I took a pedometer, and my family like walked on average of 20 miles a day at WDW.

 

[GalDisney]

well considering the short duration of the rides, this makes sence.

 

[des1954]

DH & I go to the parks all the time just to walk around. If an attraction has a short line - we'll go on it. Otherwise, we just love walking around the parks.

 

[Sea-Donkey]

20 miles each per day?
I've used one at work at hit 4-5 miles per day a couple of times, so I guess 20 is definately doable in a park for 12+ hours.

 

[ColoradoMom!!]

We have always been about the rides. But we rarely get to go. (Used to do DL all the time when living in CA) That's why everyone getting excited about the ADR's or the Dining Plan never made sense to me. We just eat on the go and ride some more!

 

[qanita92]

For us its:

-afternoon nap in the resort
-walking in the parks
-taking time to take pics
-bus rides
-waiting in line
-taking showers and such
-arcade
-the late nights after a fun filled day and opening the air conditioned doors of
our room to get a good nights sleep
-and lets not forget the biggest time eater: eating

So 3% seems right.

 

[bdcp]

If they're basing this on the entire trip, then 1/3 is probably spent sleeping. I don't believe in statistics as you can make them say anything you want them to.

As for walking, we wear pedometers everywhere we go and in 05, my DH and I walked on average 10 miles per day and that included walking from SOG to Poly at least once per day rt. WE might have hit 11.5 one day. 20 miles seems very high. My DH and I walk a lot and never use elevators or escalators unless we have no choice so we're no slouches when it comes to the amount of walking.

 

[enyaj40]

i go as much for the atmosphere as i do the rides and shows

 

[LisaBi]

Let's see - a typical MK day for us: (I'm just guesstimating times)

Space M - 2 min * 2 rides = 4 min
Buzz Lightyear - 10 min * 2 rides = 20 min
Teacups - 2 min
Laugh Floor - 20 min
Philharmagic - 10 min
POC - 10 min
Belle's storytime - 15 min

That's 81 minutes, or 5.6% of a 24 hour day. So I'd say the 3% is a bit low, as the average person, especially in off peak, can do a lot more than that. Also, at Studios, see just B&B and GMR and you are into an hour of actual showtime - 4% of a 24 hour day. Or see a parade or wishes, and your percent of time goes up dramatically.

 

[dpuck1998]

If they're basing this on the entire trip, then 1/3 is probably spent sleeping. I don't believe in statistics as you can make them say anything you want them to.

You know they say that 50 percent of statistics are made up on the spot

 

[disnut8]

I would need more information. Based on a 24 hour day? How many days on the trip?

Numberwise - this would be 43 minutes a day on a 24 hour day. Or 302 minutes for a seven day visit.

If this isn't counting the walking and standing in lines, getting FastPasses, eating, going to the bathroom, sleeping, shopping, watching a parade (counted as a show?), fireworks (counted as a show?), watching entertainment (counted as a show?), etc. Then that seems right.

Statistics like this are like what we accountants are expected to do. "Show me the result you want and I can give you the numbers to support it".

 

[Donald&Tinkerbell]

the less riding you do. Actualy, DH & I spent 11/29 & 30 there and rode very little. We were concentrating on holiday stuff, went to MVMCP, caught 2 wishes, the parade, which required staking out places for all 3 ahead of time, went to EPCOt the next morning & the Studios around 3. Rode a little bit but since we'll be there for a week the end of Jan, we didn't feel like we had to cram it all in. It's nice to be relaxed.

 

[Bill From PA]

One of my wife's co-workers is a DVC member as is other members of her family. They go numerous time per year and they spend a ton of time hanging at the pool and just people watching when in the parks. She told my wife all the places where there are rocking chairs on resort porches and also in the parks, apparently Frontier Land has a few of her favorites. I suspect that locals and DVC members have a 'Been there, done that' attitude regarding many rides and attractions. Add them to the mix and their non-ride time drags down the average. Also, of you wait in line 20 minutes for a 90 sec ride, the percentage of time on a ride vs. not on a ride is low to start with.

Regarding park mileage, I've read that 5 miles per day is standard and my experience agrees with that.

Bill From PA

 

[Pirate's Princess]

Ellen's universe of energy by itself is 40 minutes! So that seems pretty low to me, especially if you're crazy like me and run all over the parks to get to the rides.

And I am obsessed with the food too!

 

[LilGMom]

Before we had kids we were all about running (ok, not really running but walking fast) from ride to ride and we figured we'd slow down to take in shows after we had kids and had to go at a slower pace. Now that we have kids (ages - 6 & 2) we have slowed down some but we are still all about the rides.

It would be interesting to see how the study arrived at its 3% - what season, how many days, are they basing the 3% on a 24 hr. day or how many hours you can be in a park, etc.

 

[TiggerandBelleFanMom]

I actually can believe it. We probably spend significantly LESS than 3% of time on rides and at shows most days. We like meeting characters at character meals, swimming, playing in playgrounds, soaking up the Disney atmosphere. We do enjoy the shows. Rides are kind of an afterthought.

Here's our last trip (October 2007), just to give you an idea.
(P.S. I think I did the math right, though I'm willing to be corrected.)

Day 1: Arrival
Lunch at Hurricane Hannah's.
Swim in Stormalong Bay.
Dinner at Gulliver's Grove w/Rafiki and Timon.
Marshmellow roasting on beach.

Percentage of time spent at rides and shows: 0%.

Day 2: Epcot
Breakfast at Restaurant Akershus w/Princesses.
Finding Nemo Ride (~4 mins)
Turtle Talk with Crush (~17 mins)
Explored Living Seas aquarium.
Gift shop.
Lunch at Food and Wine Festival.
Back to hotel.
Nap.
Stormalong Bay.
Dinner at 1900 Park Fare w/Cindy, Prince, Lady Tremaine, step-sisters.

Percentage of time spent at rides and shows: ~21 mins out of a 24 hour day = 1.46%

Day 3: Magic Kingdom
Played with Peter Pan and Wendy at LOEMH
Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh (~4 mins)
Buzz Lightyear Ride (~4 1/2 mins)
Dream Along with Mickey show (20 mins)
Ariel's Grotto
Peter Pan ride (3+ mins)
It's a Small World ride (~11 mins)
Pooh playground
Lunch at CRT
Gift shop
Home to hotel
Nap
Dinner at Crystal Palace
Dream Along with Mickey show (again) (20 mins)
MNSSHP
Cinderella's Golden Carousel (~2 mins)
Villains show x 3 (~10 x3 = ~30 mins)
Boo-to-You Parade (~20 mins?) --> Do parades count?
Hallowishes (~20 mins?) --> Do fireworks count?
Lots of character Meet and Greets.
A little trick or treating.

Percentage: ~9.3%

Day 4: MGM
Honey, I Shrunk the Kids playground
Little Mermaid show (~15 mins)
Honey, I Shrunk the Kids playground some more
Lunch at Beach Club Marketplace
Nap
Swim
Dinner at Brown Derby
Fantasmic (~25 mins)
Oh, and we caught a distant view of Illuminations from the bridge by the Swan/Dolphin on our walk back to Beach Club, but I'm not counting that.

Percentage: 2.7%

Day 5: Home
Breakfast at Cape May Cafe w/Minnie, Goofy, chipmunks.
Swim

Percentage: 0%

 

[SanFranciscan]

You know they say that 50 percent of statistics are made up on the spot

Well, Dpuck1998, I would like to know who the Chicago Police Department's statistician is. I read a lot because I ride the streetcar to work and back. Today I was reading about the expectations people have for all holidays, not just Christmas but Mother's Day or Father's Day etc. I saw a really sad little statistic in that book. A study of major crimes commited over holidays showed that the leading one for Valentine's Day was prostitution. Hmmm. I wondered whether the clients and the sex workers are nicer to each other on Valentine's Day.