Where are (or were) the crowds?????

[Accident]

I ended up getting called into work so I couldn't go in the last month.. I am gonig to make up for it the rest of this week though...

BTW, if you don't follow adamthewoo on youtube, he did a MK on christmas video to show what the crowd was. it was impressive, just not enough to phase close the place.

EDIT TO ADD: I personally think tghis is going to be the killer week. The holidays just fell in a way that I think 50% of the schools had the week before xmas and it helped to spread the crowd out. (yes rteetz it's down I know) but there is somethign to be said for spreading it out.

 

[mcjaco]

Have I ever been?

I mean...yeah...it's been done.

Nice decorations, unbearable/uncomfortable crowds, good background music, silly prices...bout cover it?

I've done MNSSHP three times, and MVMCP once. I found them all to be decent values (back when they were around the $70 admission). Lower crowds, lots of candy (or cookies and hot cocoa), and short lines....especially during the parade. We considered it this past trip, but at the current price, I couldn't stomach it....and the kids usually pass out by 8:30.

I honestly think the pricing structure is now to even crowd levels out across the year. And yes, attendance has dropped this year, but with not much new to show, DHS a mess, I'd honestly have skipped going this year too, if we didn't have kindergarten staring us down next year, and I like to go once school is back in session (not that it seems to matter anymore).

 

[PooH14]

We will be there coming up from dec 31-Jan 7 so hope it stays this way.

 

[Madonna3]

Have I ever been?

I mean...yeah...it's been done.

Nice decorations, unbearable/uncomfortable crowds, good background music, silly prices...bout cover it?

Yep, very pretty decorations.

I wouldn't say the crowds were unbearable or uncomfortable. For the most part, we avoid the parks unless we have a paid event and the crowds we did encounter were friendly and happy making it completely bearable. Add nice weather to it all and it was a very magical place.

Maybe instead of putting down the rest of us who like it you should change your touring style.

 

[DizFanFamily]

So we arrived 12/17, expecting HUGE crowds (our first time at WDW for the Christmas season). Crowds were lower or the same in EVERY park compared to our previous trips in the "off season", right up till Christmas day in Epcot. In Epcot, crowds were noticeably SMALLER than on a weekend Food & Wine day from a year ago. Today in MK was very crowded, but not any more crowded than our first honeymoon night on 10/21/2013.

I just don't get it. Everything we've heard about the "amazingly huge crowds" has not turned out to be true. TouringPlans called all the days we were in the parks this trip "10's", but compared to previous trips, they were in NO WAY a 10. And yes, I am including wait times at rides. Many of the rides at MK today were 20-30 minutes. A few rides (the Mountains) were 150, but nothing else.

What gives?

I understand the crowds are down, and I am not there (although I wish I was) but I was just looking at wait times on MDE and there are 14 rides at MK over an hour long, Figment at EPCOT is 45 minutes - really who waits 45 minutes for that, and over at MGM, Rock'n is 180 minutes - that is 3 hours. So I understand things aren't crowded enough to do phased closings, but that seems pretty crowded to me. Merry Christmas all!

 

[Madonna3]

The above poster is right, however. Crowds stayed away until Xmas eve evening and Christmas day. We left the day after Christmas and were glad we were.

I think because Christmas fell on a weekend that most people finished out that week and left on Christmas or just before/after. I know some schools were in almost the full week before Christmas, but are extended out past New Year.

I think this week you'll see the Christmas crowds.

 

[sachilles]

In my previous life in the ski resort industry, the worst year for visits were the years that Christmas and New Years fell on the weekend days. Those years you get one stellar attended week. When Christmas was mid-week, you ended up with 2 nearly stellar attended weeks. It really comes down to peoples available vacation time.

 

[Accident]

Saw some pics put up on universal's AP fan facebook today.. There a line to get to to the line.

 

[PuppyJonathan]

Saw some pics put up on universal's AP fan facebook today.. There a line to get to to the line.

Wizarding World July 2010 Flashbacks are coming back to me

As for whether or not crowds are bad unlike other years, all I have to say is it's usually worse up until New Year's Eve and the two usual bad rides got capacity boosts this year (Though Epcot was bad today, at one point Figment was 50 minutes, that's my indicator I shouldn't be there). I'm still crowd watching but I think it's too early to label it as down from last year

 

[Accident]

As for whether or not crowds are bad unlike other years, all I have to say is it's usually worse up until New Year's Eve and the two usual bad rides got capacity boosts this year (Though Epcot was bad today, at one point Figment was 50 minutes, that's my indicator I shouldn't be there). I'm still crowd watching but I think it's too early to label it as down from last year

I think it's down just because of how packed the place got for everyone coming to see osbourne but compared to any other year, I think it's very close. I remember looking to come down and rooms for a reasonable cost for fast trip just didn't seem to exist anywhere that I could travel in 2015.

I'm also wondering if perhaps the hub expansion might have been purposely sized to be just above what the max crowd on xmas was. I think this is the first holiday season with it's extra capacity added to the park. So it could be bigger than last xmas but didn't hit the new threshold they have to start phased closing.

 

[Disneychick75]

The economy is still bad in some geographic areas. It's hard to justify a trip to Disney especially with all of the price increases in recent years. When WDW first opened, a trip there was a big deal and mostly aimed at families that were at least middle class in terms of finances. It seems to have come full circle, except I think the expense has now made the trip unaffordable for lots of middle class families- at least for onsite stays .

 

[mom2elle]

We will be there coming up from dec 31-Jan 7 so hope it stays this way.

Same for us!

 

[lockedoutlogic]

Yep, very pretty decorations.

I wouldn't say the crowds were unbearable or uncomfortable. For the most part, we avoid the parks unless we have a paid event and the crowds we did encounter were friendly and happy making it completely bearable. Add nice weather to it all and it was a very magical place.

Maybe instead of putting down the rest of us who like it you should change your touring style.

Hi, we haven't met...I've changed my "touring style" 100 different ways and have spoke in detail about that. The perspective is that if they are turning me - former employee, former Florida resident, disney wedding patron, DVC owner, repeated traveler raising two mini dis-ites who has spent a fortune as a young adult (I'm not that old) and causing me to intentionally restrict certain things (like the holiday events which are overcrowded and overpriced due to bad management decisions) as a matter of consumer principle - away, then it is bad for the longterm health of the parks and the economics.

That means it's bad for you too. Everyone.

And as a point of discussion...the reason this whole thread exists is to discuss why the crowds aren't "unbearable/uncomfortable" during the peak weeks. Because they have been since the 1980's that's a matter of record. 12/23-1/2 is the highest attended block in the swamp. The numbers have always shown that.

The economy is "booming" (if you believe that...but most do)...why on earth would attendance be down? That makes zero sense in that business. We are speculating if this is a self inflicted wound...and I believe it is for a variety of reasons.

 

[rteetz]

Disney released a quick service dining offer for summer...

https://disneyparks.disney.go.com/b...articipating-walt-disney-world-resort-hotels/

 

[lockedoutlogic]

The economy is still bad in some geographic areas. It's hard to justify a trip to Disney especially with all of the price increases in recent years. When WDW first opened, a trip there was a big deal and mostly aimed at families that were at least middle class in terms of finances. It seems to have come full circle, except I think the expense has now made the trip unaffordable for lots of middle class families- at least for onsite stays .

I agree...and have soapboxed this.

The way I interpret though is that the economy is fine in those areas (as in what they have been for along time) but disney has intentionally (or obtusely...we'll never know for sure) cut those markets out. By choice.

Wdw was never "cheap"...it took committment from many middle class patrons since 10/1/71...but it was possible.

Bob iger and his team of LA suits have convinced themselves that "luxury" works. Lol...it's not luxury...it's very well run, high end family amusements. And there is nothing like it. But that doesn't equal "luxury" in the thesaurus.

Disneyland...and Disney world...are designed as middle class destinations. Down to their core. They cannot sustain themselves if every patron has to make $150,000+. They need a mass Audience that doesn't get that high.

They will collapse...they will be gone...we will have to rely on our memories down the road. That's why management is wrong and dangerous. Slow down the money train before you run out of track.

 

[lockedoutlogic]

Disney released a quick service dining offer for summer...

https://disneyparks.disney.go.com/b...articipating-walt-disney-world-resort-hotels/

Hmmmm... promos are ramping up...bob isn't gonna be happy when he crawls out of his tanning booth and finds out...

 

[mcjaco]

Hi, we haven't met...I've changed my "touring style" 100 different ways and have spoke in detail about that. The perspective is that if they are turning me - former employee, former Florida resident, disney wedding patron, DVC owner, repeated traveler raising two mini dis-ites who has spent a fortune as a young adult (I'm not that old) and causing me to intentionally restrict certain things (like the holiday events which are overcrowded and overpriced due to bad management decisions) as a matter of consumer principle - away, then it is bad for the longterm health of the parks and the economics.

That means it's bad for you too. Everyone.

And as a point of discussion...the reason this whole thread exists is to discuss why the crowds aren't "unbearable/uncomfortable" during the peak weeks. Because they have been since the 1980's that's a matter of record. 12/23-1/2 is the highest attended block in the swamp. The numbers have always shown that.

The economy is "booming" (if you believe that...but most do)...why on earth would attendance be down? That makes zero sense in that business. We are speculating if this is a self inflicted wound...and I believe it is for a variety of reasons.

You're confusing regular park attendance with the special event attendance. The ticketed events typically have much smaller crowds. Those are also the days to visit the MK, as crowds tend to stay away since the hours are limited.

And the 1980's? I have pictures from multiple trips in the 80's where there isn't a soul in the place during the Holiday season.

Confidence is up in the economy, but there's a lot inflated numbers floating around.

 

[lockedoutlogic]

Saw some pics put up on universal's AP fan facebook today.. There a line to get to to the line.

Somehow...and five years ago I never thought this would possible...they have managed to seize the narrative and get chips in the big game up on kirkman...

The next 2-3 years...when somebody "bothered" to build new guest attractions ...ahem...are going to be fascianating to watch from the business/Orlando perspective.

 

[rteetz]

Then there is this offer where you get two additional FPs...

https://disneyparks.disney.go.com/b...-your-kindermoon-at-walt-disney-world-resort/

 

[lockedoutlogic]

You're confusing regular park attendance with the special event attendance. The ticketed events typically have much smaller crowds. Those are also the days to visit the MK, as crowds tend to stay away since the hours are limited.

And the 1980's? I have pictures from multiple trips in the 80's where there isn't a soul in the place during the Holiday season.

Confidence is up in the economy, but there's a lot inflated numbers floating around.

I'm talking about the daily attendance...which is still the Lions share of tickets. They should have been full in this "great" economy. YUGE!

Gotta be a reason.

I misfired on the 80's...I said 80's thinking 20-25 years ago and that was the 90's. My bad. Eisner years.

The "inflated" numbers are exactly what I'm talking about. Inflated prices based on inflated economics...first year Econ 101 type decision making.