Thoughts on why crowds are lower this summer so far??

[DCLMP]

I will say that just because Pirates of the Caribbean is a 25 minute wait in July does not mean alarm bells are going off at TWDC.

I do think that Disney has found their ceiling in what folks are willing to pay to go to their parks without significant additional investment to enhance the experience.

No, an airport terminal looking building at EPCOT does not count as significant additional investment - no matter how long it took Disney to build it, or how much it cost them. The stage show there at Communicore seriously looks like something at a Six Flags. Seriously disappointing to be honest.

Demand destruction. Generally happens when prices get too high. Easy problem to fix if they want to.

 

[sponica]

I haven't kept up with this 22 page thread, but I'm pretty sure even pre-COVID, summer was starting to become a "softer" part of the attendance. The Epcot Festivals moved people out of summer and as some states switched to competency based and not attendance based standards, parents became more comfortable pulling their kids out of school.

I'm not sure how much the discount would have to be to convince my husband to go to WDW in the summer, but we don't vacation in the summer anyway. My office is air conditioned and comfy, why would I give that up to swelter somewhere?

 

[fatmanatee]

Epic Universe opens next summer and the rumor is that the only way you will be able to go is by purchasing a multi park ticket. If that's the case then Disney attendance will be low next summer as well

Awaiting official word but I’m not thrilled with the rumored plan.

(to be clear the rumor is a three day ticket where you get one day at EU and no hopping)

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

This is an excellent example of the point I'm trying to make. People are not hesitant to go to Europe (or other places) because they can't see past Disney. They just simply want to go to Disney at this time. In reverse, my husband wants to see a baseball game this weekend. How would it help him if I suggest we go to Disney instead?

No one mentioned what you're saying. They were talking about the cost comparison which was brought up by a poster exclaiming they didn't know how people were traveling to Europe for cheaper, then people who have been to Europe chimed in. Let's not try and make the conversation what it wasn't.

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

I don't mind flying. At this moment, I'd rather go to Disney than Europe. It's just a personal preference.

I'm going to Tokyo Disney in a few months while visiting central Japan. In Europe there is Disneyland Paris. Maybe you're very against travel outside of whatever, maybe you prefer WDW (or DL who knows) but you can travel and still go to Disney parks

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

Didn’t they also lower the cost retroactively too?

I thought I saw where some people were getting refunds/adjustments down to their monthly payments for their annual passes. Granted, that might have been clickbait I saw

Universal Hollywood is who did the AP monthly reduced priced

 

[Minnie1222]

I'm going to Tokyo Disney in a few months while visiting central Japan. In Europe there is Disneyland Paris. Maybe you're very against travel outside of whatever, maybe you prefer WDW (or DL who knows) but you can travel and still go to Disney parks

I'm not against traveling outside the country. I just prefer to go to WDW over other destinations at this moment. Why would you assume I haven't been to the Disney parks in Japan and France? I haven't gone to Japan in a long time (by choice), but France is an easy reach since I currently go to London 2-4 times a year to move my daughter in and out of the dorm. Even with that proximity, I still don't go to Disneyland Paris. Maybe you just have to accept that some people really like the Orlando parks.

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

I'm not against traveling outside the country. I just prefer to go to WDW over other destinations at this moment. Why would you assume I haven't been to the Disney parks in Japan and France? I haven't gone to Japan in a long time (by choice), but France is an easy reach since I currently go to London 2-4 times a year to move my daughter in and out of the dorm. Even with that proximity, I still don't go to Disneyland Paris. Maybe you just have to accept that some people really like the Orlando parks.

A simple statement of two international parks where you can travel but also be at Disney but also combined with your comment about flying and somehow you respond the way you are. Alrighty then!

I'm picking up from a few comments that people are going hard at trying to justify WDW when no one said anything about shaming or otherwise, that seems like people are having some internal dialogue based on comments they've received in the past but it's not existing here. Personally I'm not into Disneyland Paris because I'd rather explore other places while in Europe but I couldn't pass up Japan and Japan is because my husband has wanted to go back ever since he was there in 2014. Funny enough I love WDW but I also vacation elsewhere, WDW has always been a place through childhood into adulthood that I've made it back about every 5 to 6 years. The point being you don't have to be ONLY a WDW park lover as if you can't enjoy other places to, if that's how you vacation of course do it, but you can be both a WDW park goer and a world traveler. You do you boo!

 

[DCLMP]

I'm not against traveling outside the country. I just prefer to go to WDW over other destinations at this moment. Why would you assume I haven't been to the Disney parks in Japan and France? I haven't gone to Japan in a long time (by choice), but France is an easy reach since I currently go to London 2-4 times a year to move my daughter in and out of the dorm. Even with that proximity, I still don't go to Disneyland Paris. Maybe you just have to accept that some people really like the Orlando parks.

There is nothing wrong with wanting to vacation in Orlando. We were discussing the cost comparison.

 

[Jimmy Mouse]

The bottom line is WDW is getting too expensive. We have been doing more Universal trips with a day at Sea World and having a great time. Universal is just easier and less expensive. Our WDW trips used to be 9+ days. They have shrunk to 5 days / 6 nights. I even sold my Riviera contract. I won't cut WDW off completely but we will go less often and for a shorter time from now on.

 

[DisneyFive]

Of course there's always been a lot of people that couldn't afford it. I do believe 10 years ago with budgeting, and saving it was attainable for a lot more people than it is now..

In 2010 we stayed at the poly for 10 days with deluxe dining 2 adults and 2 kids for 5200 dollars. I thought that was a really good vacation and certainly not unaffordable. We were firmly in the middle at that time. It took me several months to save up for it, but it was doable. We could have stayed at value with regular dining for 1\3 the cost. I don't believe it's affordable for the middle class anymore, the prices have gotten so high a lot of us that can still afford it don't think it's worth it.

I agree 100% about the wonderful costs in 2010. It was the first time we ever visited, September at POP. We made full use of the Free Dining plan (we paid the upcharge from QS to TS). $5000 all in for 7 people (3 of them kids) for 7 days INCLUDING our round trip airfare from Michigan.

To be fair though it was directly in the throws of the recession from the ‘08 crash. We’ve ridden the WDW prices up ever since and unfortunately watched the value diminish along with it. We still love WDW, but I can’t wholeheartedly recommend it like I used to.

 

[Mango7100]

I'm not against traveling outside the country. I just prefer to go to WDW over other destinations at this moment. Why would you assume I haven't been to the Disney parks in Japan and France? I haven't gone to Japan in a long time (by choice), but France is an easy reach since I currently go to London 2-4 times a year to move my daughter in and out of the dorm. Even with that proximity, I still don't go to Disneyland Paris. Maybe you just have to accept that some people really like the Orlando parks.

No one said you can’t like Disney in Orlando, so no one is saying that’s unacceptable to like WDW. I am not sure where you are getting this from…People are comparing cost and value versus other vacations. I like Disney, I go on Disney trips. I also think Disney is expensive and more expensive than other vacations. Those thoughts can exist at the same time.

 

[Mango7100]

The bottom line is WDW is getting too expensive. We have been doing more Universal trips with a day at Sea World and having a great time. Universal is just easier and less expensive. Our WDW trips used to be 9+ days. They have shrunk to 5 days / 6 nights. I even sold my Riviera contract. I won't cut WDW off completely but we will go less often and for a shorter time from now on.

New Years trip this year instead of 6 days at WDW will be 4 days at Universal and maybe 2 at WDW. Annual pass for WDW expired in May and not renewed. Universal annual pass instead.

 

[jsbowl16]

Every place I've eaten in Europe has been better than anything at WDW. The restaurants at WDW are edible at best. The signature restaurants can be good, but not worth the price.

Someday your kids may want to travel mined did.

It is the polluted water that adds to the flavor.

 

[clarker99]

If we go back to through the earning reports from 2007-2019 (right up the pandemic) we can determine per quarter domestic (WDW & DLR) attendance growth by using attendance +/- % per quarter provided by Disney.

For simple math we will start with 100 people in the domestic parks as the baseline per quarter back in 2007. Using 100 as the starting point we get the following growth into 2019:

Q2FY19 (Jan-March '19) 135
Q3FY19 (April-June '19) 114
Q4FY19 (July-Sept '19) 125
Q1FY20 (Oct-Dec '19) 141

April through September had seen the least amount of attendance growth over the 12years bw 2007 and 2019. This jives with attendance being lower this time of the year vs the Fall/Winter.

Note: Quarterly data is unclear over 2021-2022 so unfortunately cannot provide an accurate look right up to today.

 

[DisneyFive]

If we go back to through the earning reports from 2007-2019 (right up the pandemic) we can determine per quarter domestic (WDW & DLR) attendance growth by using attendance +/- % per quarter provided by Disney.

For simple math we will start with 100 people in the domestic parks as the baseline per quarter back in 2007. Using 100 as the starting point we get the following growth into 2019:

Q2FY19 (Jan-March '19) 135
Q3FY19 (April-June '19) 114
Q4FY19 (July-Sept '19) 125
Q1FY20 (Oct-Dec '19) 141

April through September had seen the least amount of attendance growth over the 12years bw 2007 and 2019. This jives with attendance being lower this time of the year vs the Fall/Winter.

Note: Quarterly data is unclear over 2021-2022 so unfortunately cannot provide an accurate look right up to today.

Thank you for the information. Curious how does the most recent quarterly report compare to the comparable quarter just prior to Covid?

 

[clarker99]

Thank you for the information. Curious how does the most recent quarterly report compare to the comparable quarter just prior to Covid?

The data Disney provides is a growth/decline % vs. the previous year quarter. Comparing Q1FY24 vs Q1FY19 unfortunately holds no value. You need each years data point or you dont have any accuracy. 2021 & 2022 were such wild swings that Disney chose to not provide the data some quarters or if growth was more than 100% would just list ‘>100%’.

But to answer your question:
Q2FY24 2% growth vs Q2FY23
Q2FY19 1% growth vs Q2FY18

Edit: For clarity, Disney does not provide actual attendance figures. Only growth/decline %’s.

 

[DCLMP]

It is the polluted water that adds to the flavor.

?

 

[Minnie1222]

No one said you can’t like Disney in Orlando, so no one is saying that’s unacceptable to like WDW. I am not sure where you are getting this from…People are comparing cost and value versus other vacations. I like Disney, I go on Disney trips. I also think Disney is expensive and more expensive than other vacations. Those thoughts can exist at the same time.

I'm aware that you were talking about cost comparison, and I said cheaper isn't always better, especially if it's not the destination I want. That led to subsequent posts/replies which ended with the post you quoted. By that time, the conversation had changed into my preference of Orlando Disney over the international parks. It was no longer about the cost of Disney vs Europe.

 

[Minnie1222]

A simple statement of two international parks where you can travel but also be at Disney but also combined with your comment about flying and somehow you respond the way you are. Alrighty then!

Your condescending post wasn't a simple statement about the international parks. But if that wasn't your intention then fine.