Crowd Outlook

[Jrb1979]

I guess I don't understand this argument. I totally understand that Disney's prices are going up like crazy, but I'm not really sure how Disney and Europe are comparable.

People talk like somehow going to Europe is everyone's ultimate goal, and they were only previously going to Disney because they couldn't afford to go to Europe.

What about people who aren't interested in Europe? The increases in costs of a Disney trip aren't somehow "solved" because Europe might be cheaper.

I agree. The one I don't understand much is if find Disney too expensive right now why not do a vacation at a regional park instead. Like Cedar Point or Dollywood?

 

[Moliphino]

I agree. The one I don't understand much is if find Disney too expensive right now why not do a vacation at a regional park instead. Like Cedar Point or Dollywood?

I love Disney for their incredible theming and immersion. Regional parks don't have that. I'm not riding rides purely for their mechanics.

 

[Brian Noble]

Just got back from a week in the smokies including several days at Dollywood. Fantastic park. Lovely landscaping, the new area is very nicely done, good (and inexpensive) food, and live entertainment that rivals any other park. I did a trip report elsewhere:

https://coasterbuzz.com/Forums/Topic/dollywoodgreat-smoky-mountain-np-520-526-2023

Dollywood does a pretty good job of theming. The areas are very well done and some of the individual attractions are too. The ones that come to mind are Firechaser Express and Mystery Mine. The newest (Big Bear) isn’t half bad either.

 

[Moliphino]

I love Disney for their incredible theming and immersion. Regional parks don't have that. I'm not riding rides purely for their mechanics.

You know what, I think this is why I like going to Europe so much, too. My favorite places to visit have been ones that completely immerse you in something entirely different from home. I'm not as big a fan of the more generic cities (Brussels, Madrid), but love the ones with architecture and history that are completely different from home (Paris, Ghent, Rome, Granada, etc.).

 

[jlnten17]

Just got back from a week in the smokies including several days at Dollywood. Fantastic park. Lovely landscaping, the new area is very nicely done, good (and inexpensive) food, and live entertainment that rivals any other park. I did a trip report elsewhere:

https://coasterbuzz.com/Forums/Topic/dollywoodgreat-smoky-mountain-np-520-526-2023

Dollywood does a pretty good job of theming. The areas are very well done and some of the individual attractions are too. The ones that come to mind are Firechaser Express and Mystery Mine. The newest (Big Bear) isn’t half bad either.

Great report. We also really enjoyed Dollywood and the entire Gatlinburg area. It has its own charm and we enjoyed many of the performances. Oh and the cinnamon bread!

 

[glamdring269]

What about people who aren't interested in Europe? The increases in costs of a Disney trip aren't somehow "solved" because Europe might be cheaper.

I used Europe as an extreme example and in my case was only referencing 2 adults. If one is able to drive to Disney and has a family then it's obviously more expensive to fly anywhere than to drive. (sorry, quoting you but kind of meant as a response to this plus another post or two).

But assuming everything is equal, number of people, must fly, etc. then I find that pretty much any destination beats Disney to death right now. How about we use Hawaii as an alternative instead of WDW? Or Yellowstone? Or Zion/Bryce/etc.?

I think we can all agree that Disney has gotten really expensive. My main point is about relative expensive. To me the value of a Disney trip has been diminished mainly because it has gotten so expensive relative to the alternatives. And a lot of that is due to ticket pricing increases and then add-ons for things like Genie + that used to be basically free.

The only other thing I would add is that some people just love Disney so much that relative value is a difficult measurement. We're not really 'pixie dust' people so Disney is just a fun trip with no added weighting for that kind of thing. It's not different than doing a whisky tour in Scotland or snorkeling in the Caribbean or etc. to us.

 

[glamdring269]

Just got back from a week in the smokies including several days at Dollywood. Fantastic park. Lovely landscaping, the new area is very nicely done, good (and inexpensive) food, and live entertainment that rivals any other park. I did a trip report elsewhere:

https://coasterbuzz.com/Forums/Topic/dollywoodgreat-smoky-mountain-np-520-526-2023

Dollywood does a pretty good job of theming. The areas are very well done and some of the individual attractions are too. The ones that come to mind are Firechaser Express and Mystery Mine. The newest (Big Bear) isn’t half bad either.

I grew up in Knoxville and have loved seeing the evolution of this park since Dolly bought it. On the other hand, Lightning Rod has been down every time we've visited the park since it opened. It's actually pretty annoying. Maybe one of these days we'll get lucky.

 

[CuteAsMinnie]

With crowd levels being reported as shrinking, and Disney offering discounts through the summer. What does everyone think crowd levels will be through the end of the year. Similar to last year, less, or more in line with pre pandemic crowds?

Small crowds through 2024, no doubt, and hence, look for discounts to continue.

 

[Aluminum Falcon]

Small crowds through 2024, no doubt, and hence, look for discounts to continue.

I just looked at MNSSHP, and not a single date is sold out. To be fair, I don’t know when those tickets usually sell out, it just strikes me as odd that Halloween night is still available

 

[Suger Mag]

I just looked at MNSSHP, and not a single date is sold out. To be fair, I don’t know when those tickets usually sell out, it just strikes me as odd that Halloween night is still available

last year the first party to sell out was Halloween on July 2.... so not unusual as of yet to have all dates still available.
2022 sold out dates with (when sold out)

Sold Out Dates: 8/12 (8/7), 8/16 (7/28), 8/19 (8/7), 8/23 (8/8), 8/26 (8/11), 8/30 (8/16), 9/2 (8/1), 9/5 (8/12), 9/9 (8/18), 9/11 (8/29), 9/13 (8/18), 9/16 (8/18), 9/18 (8/23), 9/20 (8/12), 9/23 (8/29), 9/25 (8/29), 9/27 (8/29), 9/29 (9/1), 9/30 (8/23), 10/2 (8/18), 10/4 (8/30), 10/6 (8/31), 10/7 (9/1), 10/10 (8/30), 10/11 (8/29), 10/13 (8/30), 10/14 (9/8), 10/16 (9/5), 10/18 (8/30), 10/20 (9/6), 10/21 (9/10), 10/23 (9/6), 10/25 (9/5), 10/27 (9/5), 10/28 (9.8), 10/30 (8/15), 10/31 (7/2)

 

[Aluminum Falcon]

last year the first party to sell out was Halloween on July 2.... so not unusual as of yet to have all dates still available.
2022 sold out dates with (when sold out)

Sold Out Dates: 8/12 (8/7), 8/16 (7/28), 8/19 (8/7), 8/23 (8/8), 8/26 (8/11), 8/30 (8/16), 9/2 (8/1), 9/5 (8/12), 9/9 (8/18), 9/11 (8/29), 9/13 (8/18), 9/16 (8/18), 9/18 (8/23), 9/20 (8/12), 9/23 (8/29), 9/25 (8/29), 9/27 (8/29), 9/29 (9/1), 9/30 (8/23), 10/2 (8/18), 10/4 (8/30), 10/6 (8/31), 10/7 (9/1), 10/10 (8/30), 10/11 (8/29), 10/13 (8/30), 10/14 (9/8), 10/16 (9/5), 10/18 (8/30), 10/20 (9/6), 10/21 (9/10), 10/23 (9/6), 10/25 (9/5), 10/27 (9/5), 10/28 (9.8), 10/30 (8/15), 10/31 (7/2)

Good to know, i will have to keep an eye out moving forward.

 

[Suger Mag]

Good to know, i will have to keep an eye out moving forward.

I am going for the first time on 10/29 so I have been paying attention to party information. Will be interesting to see how it goes, the AH parties sales have been strong as far as I know.

 

[Becky Mouse]

this all points to a tourism slow down, i wonder how long it lasts? i am also curious if this is specifically a Florida problem or if it spans more of the country

I think a lot of people are boycotting travel to Florida right now, both liberals and conservatives. Extreme conservatives are boycotting Disney due to them supporting LGBT rights. Extreme liberals are boycotting Florida due to anti-immigration laws, anti-gay laws, and government overreach in relation to freedom of speech and penalizing businesses like Disney for supporting gay rights.

I don't mean this comment to spur a political debate. I don't want to debate those issues here. I'm just saying the problems are real, and there are people on both sides of the political spectrum refusing to travel to Florida and/or Disney right now.

 

[Becky Mouse]

I agree. The one I don't understand much is if find Disney too expensive right now why not do a vacation at a regional park instead. Like Cedar Point or Dollywood?

Or, for adults traveling without children, even Las Vegas. The hotels in Vegas are themed, and you can do stuff like stay at a castle (Excalibur), go to "Paris," or ride a gondola in Italy (Venetian). It's not just about gambling there, either. There are cirque du solei shows, magician acts, comedy shows, etc., as well as roller coasters and such right on the strip.

 

[SkyGuy]

Or, for adults traveling without children, even Las Vegas. The hotels in Vegas are themed, and you can do stuff like stay at a castle (Excalibur), go to "Paris," or ride a gondola in Italy (Venetian). It's not just about gambling there, either. There are cirque du solei shows, magician acts, comedy shows, etc., as well as roller coasters and such right on the strip.

I was just in Vegas with my adult daughter for a concert. People are most certainly traveling there with their children. The only place in Vegas we didn’t run into masses of people of all ages was on the casino floor proper - even the casino walkways, restaurants, and pools were populated with families. People were also really fanatic about their dogs…

 

[ChipnDale79]

I think a lot of people are boycotting travel to Florida right now, both liberals and conservatives. Extreme conservatives are boycotting Disney due to them supporting LGBT rights. Extreme liberals are boycotting Florida due to anti-immigration laws, anti-gay laws, and government overreach in relation to freedom of speech and penalizing businesses like Disney for supporting gay rights.

I don't mean this comment to spur a political debate. I don't want to debate those issues here. I'm just saying the problems are real, and there are people on both sides of the political spectrum refusing to travel to Florida and/or Disney right now.

I think there is some truth here. We attempted to boycott Florida but still visited Disney last summer. Our goal was not to spend a dime off property, including gas. We failed. We got Covid, i spent a few bucks at a drug store in Orlando.

We wont be stepping foot in Florida, other than visiting WDW (we believe we need to support them) for awhile.

 

[Jrb1979]

Disney+ subscribers can save up to 35% on rooms at select Disney Resort hotels for stays select nights, October 22 to November 2, 2023 and November 26 to December 25, 2023.

They also released some discounts of up to 40% off on select days for AP holders.

It's quite telling it's going to be a very soft fall and holiday season

 

[Aluminum Falcon]

Disney+ subscribers can save up to 35% on rooms at select Disney Resort hotels for stays select nights, October 22 to November 2, 2023 and November 26 to December 25, 2023.

They also released some discounts of up to 40% off on select days for AP holders.

It's quite telling it's going to be a very soft fall and holiday season

I think with the dining plan coming back in 24', and the revenge travelers trailing off, the rest of 23' is in the toilet. I will assume that 24' will start to bounce back time will tell

 

[fatmanatee]

The prices post-discount are still way too high.

 

[Aluminum Falcon]

The prices post-discount are still way too high.

I think there is something phycological about seeing a sale, people can't help but want a deal even if it's overpriced