The numbers are in ...

[MataHari22]

Inconceivable!

I don't understand how this is possible - I've read for years now on the DIS Boards (mostly the Theme Parks board) that people were quitting WDW in droves. The experiences expressed on a fan site message board is obviously representative as a whole of the general guest population. My anecdotal sensibilities just don't jive with things like numbers even if they are respected and accepted by industry experts...

“You keep using that word, I do not think it means what you think it means."



Sorry, the Princess Bride fan in me couldn't resist.

 

[BuckeyeBama]

Yes, the parks are more crowded than ever, even in low crowd periods, but join me in September and see proof that low crowds do still exist at WDW.

 

[larryz]

The report said that 19,332,000 people went through the Magic Kingdom's gates last year, up 744,000 from last year, a 4 percent increase. That means an average of nearly 53,000 people every day went into the park, up 2,000 from 2013. And that was after an increase of 1,050,000 from 2012 to 2013.

Your average visitor doesn't give a Bullwinkle periwinkle about average attendance -- they're mightily impacted by that day's attendance, though.

I'd love to see a five year average report of attendance BY DAY... that would be some fun analysis!

 

[larryz]

Inconceivable!

I don't understand how this is possible - I've read for years now on the DIS Boards (mostly the Theme Parks board) that people were quitting WDW in droves. The experiences expressed on a fan site message board is obviously representative as a whole of the general guest population. My anecdotal sensibilities just don't jive with things like numbers even if they are respected and accepted by industry experts...

The people who post here on the DIS are just a small subset of people blah, blah, blah, et cetera, et cetera.

 

[larryz]

FASTPASS PLUS RUINED MY VACATION...

Actually it wasn't FP+ -- it was all those darn people in line ahead of me!

 

[Jadyreen1282]

As long as I can get my cheap beer and wine from GG I don't care how busy the parks are. I have my adult bev , my quite pool, Yeehaa Bob and my favorite gal at Disney. Crowds only create an opportunity to do something else on vacation.

 

[Luckybee]

Also, while there's a lot of bluster about the benefits of Universal Studios (it saw a giant increase of nearly 17 percent from 2013 to 2014) even with Harry Potter and Gringotts, it deals with smaller attendance numbers than any WDW park, including the maligned DHS. Its daily attendance is 43 percent of the MK. So there are a lot of things you can do -- like Express Passes -- with an average attendance of 23,000 that you couldn't do at 53,000.

Again, Disney doesn't report these numbers, but they also don't dispute them.

For a long time on these boards I've repeatedly heard the mantra that you profess above with regard to Express Pass. Now I see that there is only a few thousand difference in daily visits between Universal/Islands and Epcot/HP and AK. Lets assume for a minute that you are correct with regard to MK. Then isn't the assumption also correct that the wonderfully amazing EP system that Universal has in place would in fact work for any of Epcot, AK or HS ? Arent we looking at parks now with daily attendances of only 27 or 28,000 ?

 

[Tarheel girl 1975]

I understand that this report is based on estimates. In the case of multi-park locations, they credit only the first park of the day. So, if somebody were to go to WDW and visit the MK in the morning and then go to DHS in the afternoon, it would only count as an MK visit.

With AK closing at 5 or 6 most days and DHS having so few attraction and tiered FP, I would think that they would be more likely to get the "first click."

 

[AriesAriel]

They need to stop building resorts and focus on increasing the attractions at the parks.

Every new hotel room they build compounds the problem.

 

[OKW Lover]

Disney would like to think that, but in reality its just pulling guests from off-site hotels.

 

[larryz]

They need to stop building resorts and focus on increasing the attractions at the parks.

Every new hotel room they build compounds the problem.

Rising park attendance is not a problem for them.

 

[cakebaker]

With AK closing at 5 or 6 most days and DHS having so few attraction and tiered FP, I would think that they would be more likely to get the "first click."

Works in the opposite for us as park hoppers. We do HS or Epcot in the afternoon/evening now because we can go to the MK in the mornings and do many attractions without fp+ and no lines. We use our FP+'s at Epcot or HS in the evening when the lines would normally be long. With AK- we'll make Epcot of HS our evening park or sometimes go to the MK in the evening for an EMH.

We will alternate those on some days- do Epcot in the afternoon once, morning once- but more than likely, MK is going to be our morning park most often.

 

[Tarheel girl 1975]

Works in the opposite for us as park hoppers. We do HS or Epcot in the afternoon/evening now because we can go to the MK in the mornings and do many attractions without fp+ and no lines. We use our FP+'s at Epcot or HS in the evening when the lines would normally be long. With AK- we'll make Epcot of HS our evening park or sometimes go to the MK in the evening for an EMH.

We will alternate those on some days- do Epcot in the afternoon once, morning once- but more than likely, MK is going to be our morning park most often.

Interesting. With FP tiering, we find that we have to go to rope drop at DHS and Epcot to be able to ride both headliners without long lines.

 

[cakebaker]

Interesting. With FP tiering, we find that we have to go to rope drop at DHS and Epcot to be able to ride both headliners without long lines.

That's why there would be a couple of times that we alternate those parks and hit them in the morning- but out of our entire trip, this would be the thing we do the least. Most times, MK is our default morning park just because we get through the secondary attractions so easily. But there are a couple of ways to work around the tiering for us. Rope drop, emh, and at least 2 trips to every park takes care of it one way or the other.

But there are fireworks and parades to watch at the MK, so a couple of days it will be an Epcot or HS morning with the MK being the evening park. If we want to do TOT multiple times we'd ride one day at rope drop, the other when HS was our evening park.

 

[NavyDad]

That is a gross misrepresentation. The boards are by no means representative of the general population. This is a closed society that lives, eats, breathes and sleeps Disney. The average park goer is not represented here. In fact, anecdotal reports on these boards invariably report how often they overhear comments from the "average" guest and their ignorance of Disney in general, much less specific items like ADR's and FP+. In fact, I would wager that, liberally speaking, even 10% of those who said they were quitting Disney actually do. There is no arguing that theme park attendance is up. The parks are more crowded than ever even at historically low periods. Look at the message boards here of long time park-goers saying they have never seen more people at the parks. It is not inconceivable at all. The economy is better and people are spending again.

As stated in PP, the disboards largely represent Disney "Super Users" who tend to have stronger views than the average park goer (and dare I say at times at least tend to overreact to changes or lack of changes). For example, I am quitting Disney because they are getting rid of hot cheese. Enough is enough!

Nothing gets by you guys!

 

[patty57]

I didn't say "no" additional capacity. I said they chose the ride rationing system over "additional" capacity.

And I'm not talking about shops and dining. I'm talking about attraction capacity in the parks.

Yes, there are 2 new rides in NFL, but they also closed one in the process as well. Net additional capacity, but not in huge numbers.

How long has Avatarland been in production? And how long will it take them to have new capacity online in the other parks? Yet that marketing department is working overtime to pack more and more people into the parks NOW.

I'm not saying Disney should not try to increase attendance. It's why they are in business. I just wish they had the same urgency about adding attraction capacity as they do for getting bodies through the turnstiles.

Good post.

 

[Jennasis]

Parks are definitely more crowded than ever. I'm actually happy that Disney is uber-popular! Now they can take the money they're raking in ear hat-over-fist and build more attractions to satisfy the major increase in numbers.

They've got some things in the works but SWEET BABY JESUS IN THE MANGER they are not moving even remotely fast enough to satisfy demand. They are glacial in their pace and it's maddening and unacceptable.

But woohoo for Disney still being #1!

 

[Princess Jes]

Why would disney build more attractions (or a 5th gate) or hurry up on the attractions they are building?
Numbers are still increasing regardless and that increases the profit margin considerably.
Why invest and dilute that margin when people are still coming in droves and increasing numbers.
If they can't get on a ride or the crowds are too packed for them, like a PP said, they'll spend time at the WDW resort but NOT in the parks.
They'll spend money at DTD/DS or the water parks or at places like trader Sams or just by the pool, and in turn, spend money there instead.
So they'll get more people in the parks spending money and more people outside the parks spending money.
Ok they'll annoy a percentage of guests, but not enough for them to do anything about it. Not enough to affect the bottom line...
Yet.

Yes, the parks are more crowded than ever, even in low crowd periods, but join me in September and see proof that low crowds do still exist at WDW.

Don't tell them that! Then September crowds will increase! It's a secret!

 

[mom2rtk]

Yes, the parks are more crowded than ever, even in low crowd periods, but join me in September and see proof that low crowds do still exist at WDW.

Crowds will always be low in September because school is just starting for so many kids. Even the parents willing to take their kids out are hesitant to do so that early in the year.

 

[Marionnette]

Why would disney build more attractions (or a 5th gate) or hurry up on the attractions they are building?
Numbers are still increasing regardless and that increases the profit margin considerably.
Why invest and dilute that margin when people are still coming in droves and increasing numbers.
If they can't get on a ride or the crowds are too packed for them, like a PP said, they'll spend time at the WDW resort but NOT in the parks.
They'll spend money at DTD/DS or the water parks or at places like trader Sams or just by the pool, and in turn, spend money there instead.
So they'll get more people in the parks spending money and more people outside the parks spending money.
Ok they'll annoy a percentage of guests, but not enough for them to do anything about it. Not enough to affect the bottom line...
Yet.


Don't tell them that! Then September crowds will increase! It's a secret!

I can go just about anywhere and lounge by the pool or go shopping. The Walt Disney Resort's primary draw is not the shopping center or the hotels. It's the theme parks. And if the theme parks are dated, stale, and lacking in imagination, then there's no reason to go to the Resort at all. There are plenty of other vacation destinations with cool pools and overpriced shopping venues.