What is going on with Disney parks?

[sponica]

@firefly_ris I miss the old days where I decide on tuesday that I'm going to MK, not the tuesday 6 months before or the tuesday 2 months before

 

[Marionnette]

And as if Disney had heard the lamentations of the Canadians on this thread, a new ticket offer has been made available to our neighbors to the north.
https://www.wdwinfo.com/news-storie...offers-saves-canadian-residents-20-on-4-days/

 

[tlmadden73]

I think what we may be seeing is maybe some fallout and unintended consequences of the ambitious plan to build the same GIANT land in two different parks in the United States.

It cost a lot of money to build this giant land in two places. They felt they needed to do that .. but what did it do?
1) Created WAY less excitement for the opening of it in WDW since it already has been seen and done by the huge fans and vloggers in DL months before.

2) Disney was basically doubling down on this being a success ..spending twice as much money as they normally would. They need twice as much tech for the rides, twice as many souvenirs to sell, etc. Granted there are some scaling effeciencies, but still.

3) This dispersed the crowds excited for this to TWO different parks. As a Star Wars fan .. I would have probably made a special trip out to DL to see this, but since it is 9 hour drive away, I just went here .. where I go anyway. Disney didn't get me to plan a special trip. I am more exited to go to DL to see things that aren't here, like Cars Land, or Mission Breakout, etc. I guess I don't see the reason they felt the need to make it on both coasts.

4) And because neither land is fully finished, people may just be waiting until it is all done in BOTH parks.

 

[firefly_ris]

I think what we may be seeing is maybe some fallout and unintended consequences of the ambitious plan to build the same GIANT land in two different parks in the United States.

That is a good point. I'm not sure I ever will, but I do have a desire to see DLR... why? Because of some of the attractions that aren't in Florida, or at the least, different incarnations of familiar attractions on top of it. Radiator Springs Racers, to me, looks way better than Test Track and I think the theming looks great in Cars Land, and I'm not even what I'd consider a huge Cars fan. They could have invested the money in so many other ways at WDW... get Epcot whipped into shape faster, or new monorails, better materials in TSL, or any other number of things.

 

[Mikey15]

And as if Disney had heard the lamentations of the Canadians on this thread, a new ticket offer has been made available to our neighbors to the north.
https://www.wdwinfo.com/news-storie...offers-saves-canadian-residents-20-on-4-days/

Excellent timing! Hope they can adjust for me for my trip next week still? Hope I don't have to call in again if new room discounts for October come out Sept 30th too!

 

[tlmadden73]

That is a good point. I'm not sure I ever will, but I do have a desire to see DLR... why? Because of some of the attractions that aren't in Florida, or at the least, different incarnations of familiar attractions on top of it. Radiator Springs Racers, to me, looks way better than Test Track and I think the theming looks great in Cars Land, and I'm not even what I'd consider a huge Cars fan. They could have invested the money in so many other ways at WDW... get Epcot whipped into shape faster, or new monorails, better materials in TSL, or any other number of things.

Well DHS needed Star Wars Land more than DL needed it, in my opinion (not ever having been there). Once the "making of movies" theme shine wore off (pretty quickly), that park was a mess and had way too few ride attractions. Now it has the most rides in WDW (not counting MK).

 

[firefly_ris]

Well DHS needed Star Wars Land more than DL needed it, in my opinion (not ever having been there). Once the "making of movies" theme shine wore off (pretty quickly), that park was a mess and had way too few ride attractions. Now it has the most rides in WDW (not counting MK).

That's true. I've always been one of those DHS apologists because I love the old Hollywood and 40's theming so much that I felt more at "home" there than the other 3 parks even when it was really disjointed!

 

[EllieBride]

I'm reflecting a bit more on the magic being gone, and it's not all just about the increasing prices, more upcharge events, and overemphasis on advance planning. I really do feel a loss for things I once loved and I don't think there has been enough replacements with new things, especially entertainment - something that used to set Disney apart from the rest of the field.

The lack of a nighttime parade at WDW is a big one, IMO. Also, the recent entertainment cutbacks have had me thinking about longterm impact on my own personal enjoyment at the parks. I was thinking back to when Four for a Dollar, the pre-show entertainment for Beauty and the Beast, was cut at HS. I never even thought of myself as a big fan of theirs, but I always enjoyed seeing them while we waited for BATB to begin. Now looking back, I realize that we haven't gone back to BATB since (or maybe once).

Or all the times we used to stop to listen to the Main Street Philharmonic Band. It seems like we never see them anymore (although I would hope that they are still around!!!). Because that might distract us from buying the latest exclusive popcorn bucket

So yes, entertainment is still there, but with reduced hours available in the park, we are a lot less likely to spend our time (not on a bench, because those have been removed, btw), trying to get on rides, and then get to our scheduled ADRs. Paying for extra hours is NOT a solution that I am willing to entertain. Too many other things that I can spend my money on.

 

[OnSpaceshipEarth]

I haven't been able to read all seven pages of this thread so maybe this has already been touched on.

My question is is there the same downturn in attendance at Universal this year? Any first-hand accounts of light crowds there?

 

[dez1978]

And as if Disney had heard the lamentations of the Canadians on this thread, a new ticket offer has been made available to our neighbors to the north.
https://www.wdwinfo.com/news-storie...offers-saves-canadian-residents-20-on-4-days/

now they need to release the rest of the discounts dang it.

 

[tlmadden73]

That's true. I've always been one of those DHS apologists because I love the old Hollywood and 40's theming so much that I felt more at "home" there than the other 3 parks even when it was really disjointed!

Oh . .it has always been my favorite park even during its dark times because of that old Hollywood theming and the inclusion of Lucasfilm attractions. It just became way too much of a hodge podge of attractions that didn't fit (Rock and Roller coaster, Midway Mania). Though, a lot of those things I enjoyed and missed .. like the Who Wants to Be a Millionaire "show" and Lights, Motor, Action, etc.

Now I think the back of the park is pretty nice and they kept the Hollywood theming up front. Good mix .. and a lot of rides now. Still has some work to do (like do something with the Animation building or Muppets courtyard), but I doubt we will see that anytime soon.

 

[Lewisc]

Historically guests who had made 2 trips in a year saved money with an AP. Price 5 day hoppers. AP similar in price as buying 2 5 day hoppers. The issue isn't really high AP prices, it's high ticket prices.

 

[BrianL]

I think what we may be seeing is maybe some fallout and unintended consequences of the ambitious plan to build the same GIANT land in two different parks in the United States.

It cost a lot of money to build this giant land in two places. They felt they needed to do that .. but what did it do?
1) Created WAY less excitement for the opening of it in WDW since it already has been seen and done by the huge fans and vloggers in DL months before.

2) Disney was basically doubling down on this being a success ..spending twice as much money as they normally would. They need twice as much tech for the rides, twice as many souvenirs to sell, etc. Granted there are some scaling effeciencies, but still.

3) This dispersed the crowds excited for this to TWO different parks. As a Star Wars fan .. I would have probably made a special trip out to DL to see this, but since it is 9 hour drive away, I just went here .. where I go anyway. Disney didn't get me to plan a special trip. I am more exited to go to DL to see things that aren't here, like Cars Land, or Mission Breakout, etc. I guess I don't see the reason they felt the need to make it on both coasts.

4) And because neither land is fully finished, people may just be waiting until it is all done in BOTH parks.

I do feel like they should not have built SWGE at Disneyland. It's not a great fit. What I would have done is maybe installed the Milennium Falcon ride as a stand alone, maybe over in California Adventure in Hollywoodland, and presented it differently, in a way that fits that park. I think this has diluted crowds.

I do not think that Star Wars is no longer popular or anything or that fan backlash over TLJ has had a significant impact. I think it's just a combination of rising prices, economic uncertainty, and poor timing all contributing. Theme Park business is down across the board, not just at Disney and not jsut at GE (which does seem popular among those who do go).

To Disney's benefit, D+ is already a resounding success it seems, so at least people are shelling out for that (and at that price, why not?).

 

[IDislikePulp]

I've reached my breaking point. Last trip finally reached the point where the heat, the people and the price pushed it from fun to stressful. I'm also becoming extremely disenchanted with Disney as a whole with the way they treat their employees as well as their nonsense within the entertainment industry. Indie theaters losing any chance of showing old fox movies was a huge punch in the gut. Powell taking the fall for Chapek, the constant refusal to pay employees fairly, or just cutting them all together... As someone who really isn't into the stuff their studios are putting out, and not a fan of how they're treating the parks... What is there for me to like anymore?

 

[STLstone]

When it comes to Star Wars Land, speaking for myself, there are only 2 things that are keeping me away:
1) fear of the large opening crowds.
2) the land isn't fully opened yet.

This next thing is something I've harped on, but it shouldn't have affected the early crowd - however I think it does affect the potential for re-visits: They did not recreate actual places from the movies. They created a new location that could possibly feel like part of the Star Wars universe but it did not appear in the movies.

I've said this was a big miss from the beginning and almost no one agrees, but can you imagine Wizarding World if they pulled that? I use Harry Potter land as an example because I generally don't have any interest in Harry Potter. I've seen all the movies only because I'm married to someone that does like Harry Potter. Even I thought Wizarding World was incredible and a lot of fun to see.

 

[Kimpossible1]

As a local, my husband and daughter are not renewing their AP's. The price increase is huge and for the frustration when visiting the parks they don't think it's worth it. I agree that cutting so many things and adding too many extras are really hurting the parks. Dessert parties and After Hours shouldn't be the norm, they should be the exception. Merchandise and food aren't mentioned too much, but they both have suffered recently. They are both too expensive and lower quality. I can't imagine having to plan a trip the way people do now. I don't think I would come either, especially when you can go on a 7 days cruise visiting 4-5 countries for the cost of just park tickets. Hopefully they will realize they need to make some changes soon.

 

[fatmanatee]

How many in your generation are having children? Going from the "baby boomers" to "generation x" to "millennials" to now "generation z" (or whatever you want to call it), the trend has gone from couples having children in their early twenties, to having children in their late twenties/early thirties, and older. Obviously, its too early to know the definitive trend for millennials and generation z; but, I know quite a few young couple who proclaim that they don't plan on having children at all. This is anecdotal, of course, and certainly subject to change as they age into their thirties and beyond (particularly, millennials as they are first up). But, it makes me wonder if the relative lack of younger couples with children is having a current impact on attendance at Disney parks.

A decent number of friends are but birth rates are definitely down compared to decades past. Could definitely be a reason why attendance is down, but it seems like several things are contributing.

 

[DGsAtBLT]

And as if Disney had heard the lamentations of the Canadians on this thread, a new ticket offer has been made available to our neighbors to the north.
https://www.wdwinfo.com/news-storie...offers-saves-canadian-residents-20-on-4-days/

THANK YOU FOR SHARING!!!!

My day is made, we’re going to be saving about $500 USD!! I’m so glad we waited.

 

[jkohmi]

How many in your generation are having children? Going from the "baby boomers" to "generation x" to "millennials" to now "generation z" (or whatever you want to call it), the trend has gone from couples having children in their early twenties, to having children in their late twenties/early thirties, and older. Obviously, its too early to know the definitive trend for millennials and generation z; but, I know quite a few young couple who proclaim that they don't plan on having children at all. This is anecdotal, of course, and certainly subject to change as they age into their thirties and beyond (particularly, millennials as they are first up). But, it makes me wonder if the relative lack of younger couples with children is having a current impact on attendance at Disney parks.

I'm right at the cusp of Gen X and millennial...which I am depends on whose date range you use. My friends my age definitely had kids later and generally had fewer kids than our parents had...all of us were at least 30 for our first child, and I'm an outlier in my group with two kids; most only have one. Many of my friends also went to graduate school, though, and that tends to push kids later, too, so I can't say how much had to do with spending most of our 20s in school vs our generation, but people having fewer children and having them later has all sorts of impact on things like higher education (fewer kids means fewer high schoolers means a smaller pool of traditional college students), etc, so I could see it having an impact here, too.

 

[DGsAtBLT]

THANK YOU FOR SHARING!!!!

My day is made, we’re going to be saving about $500 USD!! I’m so glad we waited.

Wait, $700 USD compared to the regular price of our tickets! Yay!