Now, a one-percent drop isn't as bad as some parks have faced, and the drop in the theme parks pales in comparison with the way that other Disney divisions are losing cash. ABC and the TV stations dropped $150 million over the three months alone.
But Disney isn't used to attendance drops at its theme parks. So the Mouse isn't taking this one lying down.
No, there's no new attraction development. But Disney is planning to offer a 'three nights free' deal to Disney World visitors who book a week-long vacation before the end of the year. You buy four nights in a Disney hotel with a four-day Magic Your Way theme park ticket and get the extra three days free.
Visitors can take their trip any time before next summer (excluding Spring Break). Details should be available on Disney World's website within the next day or two.
Tweet
Coincidently, Cedar Fair reported increases in attendence and several other categories. Six Flags releases it's report on 11/10 (hard to tell what that will say). The economic hard times are far from over too. The trend of the staycation may be around for a while, and the regional parks could reap the benefits.
With the dollar strengthening, the Europeans are moving out of the picture now. Gas is down, but so is employment, investment income and job security, so the Americans are staying at home, too.
Anyway the place was packed.
I have been managing a small project a DHS which had me in that pack most of last week.
Again, the crowds in the park were healthy.
Tomorrow we are taking our niece to the Poly for a character breakfast. My wife (a cast member) had to pull some strings to get a table. We tried booking it three weeks ago only to find all the character breakfasts that day were sold out!
All of this got me thinking (again) the article at jimhillmedia. The article reported that Disney's reservations center had started raising red flags about 2009 bookings as early as last January.
In my humble opinion the economic storm has yet to hit the Disney parks but that the company is already (and has been) preparing for months for its arrival.
You are a better spouse than many of us, TH. :-)
1) the base ticket price difference between a 4 day and 7 day ticket is about $7. so that "loss" will be made up with the purchase of one quick service combo meal during any of the three free days.
2) they will lose some money at the hotels, but again a family of 4 will probably spend more than the loss there during the additional three days.
personally, i will stick to the "value season" of september and october and get my free disney dining plan.
Anyway, the deal Disney is currently offering was one they used in 2003 to increase attendance and it was a very popular deal. While M. Ryan Traylor makes a good point about the ticket savings (or lack there of), the real deal is the three free nights at a Disney resort + the $200 food/gift voucher. Had I any money left in the vacation account at all, I would be all over this deal. If you stayed at the Beach Club resort, you'd save over $1,000 with your three free nights. What an opportunity to try a deluxe resort for those people who have never had that chance!
Still, a very selfish part of me hopes this deal fails miserably so Disney has to dig even deeper into their vaults for even better deals!!
We wouldn't have cancelled our trip if we couldn't have changed this, but we now have an "extra" almost $500 to spend somewhere else. Very excited that I got into this deal at no additional cost to us.
This article has been archived and is no longer accepting comments.
Come on people, come to Disney World!! This worries me, because the less attendance at the parks, the less hours and shifts there are available to work, which means less money going into my weekly paycheck...stupid economy!!!