Disney lowers capacity on low crowd days

[Louie7080]

The thing is, plenty of people go to Disney or anywhere, and have tons of joyous happy experiences. Then some have bad experiences.. Who is more likely to be vocal about it? It's always the person who had a negative experience.

I go to Disney all the time and have had countless great experiences, but I've never posted a trip report or made a thread about it. Simply because I don't care to.

You go to a store like Target, their guest service is going to get more people complaining about an issue vs people taking the time to say what was great about their shopping trip. Same with forums. There's still tons of great experiences just like always, but people are usually more concerned with voicing negative stuff

Yes, it is well known that those with a beef are more apt to speak up than those with good things to say. What I was asking him/her was if there was a CHANGE in reviews over time that he/she noticed. Not science I know, but some people's observations seem to have a value to me.

 

[Davey Jones II]

Disney needs the parks to be busy all of the time so they can make the extra revenue off of the add on events also. Events like the desert parties, DAH, etc are money makers for Disney and people are not going to buy tickets if it's slow. I don't see slow times coming back anytime soon.

If the parks are going to be busy all the time, it's incumbent upon Disney to do what they can to maximize capacity and minimize wait times. They can't have their cake and eat it, too, i.e., they can't rake in all the billions in profits that come from busy parks, while short changing us by keeping the lines long all the time.

Not to mention another point made earlier in this thread: people in line means less people spending in the shops and restaurants. And it means potentially alienated guests, who may decide to come back less often, or not at all.

 

[JimmyBean42]

It’s not about being emotional. It’s that unlike other mundane experiences, WDW is supposed to be entertainment. Guest experience is part of what they provide.

Good point, but emotion on these boards is always involved. You'll see a 400 post thread on WDW removing cheese sauce or that mouse keeping no longer does towel animals at the resorts. Emotion is generally always involved in our discussions of WDW. I'm stating that as a positive thing however, not a negative.

 

[WaterLinds]

Where did you see this? On MDE app AK closes at 8 next week which is what it’s been since they increased Feb hrs.

They changed the morning opening times--at least for this coming Monday, can't speak to other days. It had been EMH at 8, park open at 9...now it's EMH at 7, park open at 8. Which meant I was able to score a morning FOP FP by being on the app at just the right time, but also means doing EMH might be too early for our family now.

 

[Eastern]

This started in full force in 2014-2015. It's definitely true. An easy example is sometimes both sides of dumbo aren't running thereby doubling the wait. So even if there aren't as many people in the parks the lines can still be very long.

We had this experience on a recent trip. Went to Dumbo at the end of the day and there was one line but it looked short. Got into the enclosed area and the line was huge. I think we waited at least half an hour and the rest of the park was emptyish. Wouldn't do that again.

 

[mickeyluv'r]

I honestly don't understand what I said that was either negative or angry. I think the board is awesome. I think Disney World is awesome. As for the supposed mischaracterization I didn't say three I said three per year. I hope your day improves.

Huh? Here's what you said:

I guess I don't really see the point either. If the "evidence" is that three people had a great time each year in days of yore well I can think of a lot more than three people, myself included, who had amazing trips last year. As for the general downhill trend theory: while it certainly isn't impossible that it costs more and more, more and more people are doing it AND fewer and fewer people are enjoying it the idea that all three of those things would be true should at least make one skeptical...

My response to your post wasn't about fastpasses at all. Nor was your post about WDW being awesome.

 

[mickeyluv'r]

You realise you can get more then 3 FP+ in a day now?

Huh?
I said back when FP+ was FIRST introduced DISers didn't seem to like that they could only pull 3FP per day, nor did they like the long kiosk lines. My post was explaining how DISers originally reacted to the fastpass changes.

It wasn't about current policies at all, which I said quite clearly multiple times. Maybe you missed that part of my post?

Yes, I'm aware that FP+ has changed. I thought I made that clear when I previously posted that, "FP+ has somewhat improved" over time, but maybe you missed that part of my post as well.

 

[mickeyluv'r]

Yes, it is well known that those with a beef are more apt to speak up than those with good things to say. What I was asking him/her was if there was a CHANGE in reviews over time that he/she noticed. Not science I know, but some people's observations seem to have a value to me.

I encourage everyone to look back at old threads. See for yourself what these boards were like. Once upon a time complaints were pretty rare.

My impression has always been that most folks joined the DISboards to learn more about WDW: insider tips, how to tour WDW, discounts, other ways to save money, to discuss favorite rides, and other WDW information. Long ago, folks didn't often complain about WDW at all.

There were a few threads along the lies of, "which is your least favorite ride," but those were rare and quite tame.

If ever a thread turned sour the mods quickly closed the threads down.

Alas, these are different times.

 

[Princess_Lisa]

At many other “Amusement Parks”, think Cedar Fair, Six Flags and the like, this is not an uncommon practice. While part may be due to cost cutting measures, a bigger reason was that for many seasonal parks, the majority of their workforce has returned to what they were doing prior to the park being open. For most, that is school. This is why many parks operate a lower levels on those weekend before and after the heart of the summer season.

Scheduling can also be an issue when you have the unexpected early perfect 72 degree sunny weekend day when these parks are not quite yet staffed up before school lets out.

There are also some issues towards the end of the summer, when some workers are approaching the hours “cap”. I do not know what those caps are or why. Not to turn this into any sort of a political argument, but I have heard from multiple people it was to make sure that the staff remains considered part time. Anyway, the point again is that the staff that was there is no longer available.

On the other hand, Disney tends to have a larger pool of workers. Disney has workers living in dorms. Disney is open, and therefore staffed, 365 days a year. What does it take to open up the other side of Dumbo? Two workers, each earning $10.72 per hour? If just one person over the course of that hour buys some $30 stuffed animal instead of waiting on line, that will cover their labor costs.

Don’t get me wrong, as a Disney stockholder, I totally get the idea to lower your operational costs whenever you can. However, I am also concerned when they do something that potentially alienates their customers. I am sure people much smarter than me at Disney have already weighed this all out.

However, as a Disney Customer, I want to get the most out of my vacation. Waiting on line is one of those things that an integral part of your trip to Disney, but feeling like you are waiting needlessly is not the way to make friends and influence people.

I think the point is that the combination of fewer cars and fewer CMs means it's a substantial wait.

it's not like, 0 wait before, now you have to wait 10 minutes

It's like, 45 minutes at christmas or 45 minutes late January, they are staffing to keep the wait a consistent 45 minutes. That is how I am reading the news, whether it is true or not I can't comment.

I hate when companies make their product worse to save a few bucks. I have seen a lot of folks who say they are dropping their APs or never coming back to Disney because of the crowds and wait times. The question for Disney I guess is are enough others paying for the upcharge stuff (DAH, MNSSHP, MVMCP) to make up for losing a bunch of other customers due to Disney intentionally degrading the experience to save a few bucks.

 

[Colleen27]

Here's two things I see firsthand...
1. Easter week hours for MK in 2018 is 9am-9pm. That is a wild departure from Easter week park hours in prior years. In prior years, MK opened at 8am for regular guests and usually stayed open until midnight or later. Many times, we pulled paper FP for times that were after midnight.

And while they will probably still change - Disney has been cutting it closer and closer when it comes to extending hours - they won't be as long as in the past. I have a picture of my daughter in a frame on my desk, I think it is from '08. She's posing underneath the clock on Main Street at 2:45 a.m., and she insisted on that picture because she 'knew' her friends would never believe her that we stayed at MK until 3 a.m. That was an EMH night in January. This year, the latest the MK was open in January was 11 p.m., on an EMH night during the ultra-crowded Christmas break week. The rest of the month, even during the also-very-crowded marathon weekend, the latest closings were at 10. That in itself makes a big difference in the guest experience.

 

[jeffg4]

If the parks are going to be busy all the time, it's incumbent upon Disney to do what they can to maximize capacity and minimize wait times. They can't have their cake and eat it, too, i.e., they can't rake in all the billions in profits that come from busy parks, while short changing us by keeping the lines long all the time.

Not to mention another point made earlier in this thread: people in line means less people spending in the shops and restaurants. And it means potentially alienated guests, who may decide to come back less often, or not at all.

Oh yes they can have their cake and eat it too - if you are willing to put up with it. Every decision Disney makes is a business decision, and if they think a decision will positively impact their bottom line, they'll make it. If you think about it, there has to be a good business case for keeping people waiting in line. Otherwise, they'd either increase capacity to make it limitless or they'd cap ticket sales at a much lower amount to limit the number of people entering the park. Yes, you're not spending money at concessions if you're waiting in line, but if you decide you're going to Disney regardless of the wait times and you're wanting to visit all the attractions (or the same number of attractions that you typically visit), maybe now you buy a 7-day ticket instead of a 4-day ticket. And maybe you book an on-site property for 10 days instead of 7 days so you have more time to visit all those attractions. And because you're there 3 days longer you'll spend more in the restaurants. The bottom line is simple. If they risk alienating some customers with increased wait times but think they can make up the revenue is some other way, so be it. Believe me, they know what they're doing. And it's like any business. The company you work for isn't going to pay you one dime more than they think you're worth or willing to accept. Disney is in it for profit and you can be darn sure they understand what the average customer is willing to accept.

 

[Eccle]

They changed the morning opening times--at least for this coming Monday, can't speak to other days. It had been EMH at 8, park open at 9...now it's EMH at 7, park open at 8. Which meant I was able to score a morning FOP FP by being on the app at just the right time, but also means doing EMH might be too early for our family now.

They also did the same for Saturday 10th, Saturday 17th and Monday 19th (Saturday 24th is a 7am too but I can't remember if that was previously 7 or 8 EMH)

 

[zebrastreyepz]

This board has been full of complaints about one thing or another since its inception. Many times over the years, the negativity on this board would get me so down that I questioned whether or not returning to Disney was "worth it." Thankfully, I didn't give up.

Over the years topics that have caused uproars include generic paper napkins, removing the big ugly hat, Chester & Hester's, alcohol in the Magic Kingdom, the abuse of the disability pass, strollers, foreign tour groups, cheerleaders....I could name more.

Never has this been a predominately "positive" place for Disney fans.

It IS a great place for practical information.

When I want upbeat positive Disney feedback, I frequent a couple different groups. When I want straight answers, I come to The Dis.

 

[slpeters]

Huh? Here's what you said:


My response to your post wasn't about fastpasses at all. Nor was your post about WDW being awesome.

I still feel like I don't know what you are reading. I didn't even mention fastpasses. The way I read your comment was that you were saying people USED to enjoy Disney and they USED to post positive, helpful accounts on this board. My response was to say that in my opinion people, myself included, STILL enjoy Disney and still post positive, helpful responses on this board. How you got angry, negative (and apparently something about fastpasses) out of that is beyond me. I STILL hope your day improves.

 

[Davey Jones II]

Oh yes they can have their cake and eat it too - if you are willing to put up with it. Every decision Disney makes is a business decision, and if they think a decision will positively impact their bottom line, they'll make it. If you think about it, there has to be a good business case for keeping people waiting in line. Otherwise, they'd either increase capacity to make it limitless or they'd cap ticket sales at a much lower amount to limit the number of people entering the park. Yes, you're not spending money at concessions if you're waiting in line, but if you decide you're going to Disney regardless of the wait times and you're wanting to visit all the attractions (or the same number of attractions that you typically visit), maybe now you buy a 7-day ticket instead of a 4-day ticket. And maybe you book an on-site property for 10 days instead of 7 days so you have more time to visit all those attractions. And because you're there 3 days longer you'll spend more in the restaurants. The bottom line is simple. If they risk alienating some customers with increased wait times but think they can make up the revenue is some other way, so be it. Believe me, they know what they're doing. And it's like any business. The company you work for isn't going to pay you one dime more than they think you're worth or willing to accept. Disney is in it for profit and you can be darn sure they understand what the average customer is willing to accept.

It depends on what attitude they take. Are they thinking "let's find out what we can get away with" or are they thinking "how can we maintain a quality guest experience despite heavy crowds?" There is evidence to support either one, but I think the latter would be much better for business in the long run.

 

[jeffg4]

It depends on what attitude they take. Are they thinking "let's find out what we can get away with" or are they thinking "how can we maintain a quality guest experience despite heavy crowds?" There is evidence to support either one, but I think the latter would be much better for business in the long run.

I think it all ties together. To attract (or keep) a customer, you need to provide some level of quality relative to the price you charge. If that level of quality is within an acceptable range (as the customer interprets it) and you can get away with charging more for it, then it's a net win for the company bottom line. On the same note, if you charge the same but can get away with a reduction in quality (that translates to a reduction in operating expenses), then it's also a net win for the company bottom line. If you can get away with a price increase AND a reduction in quality, you are doing VERY WELL! But most companies won't admit to a reduction in quality. They want more revenue without sacrificing quality. And the definition of a "quality experience" will vary widely between customers. You may think waiting in line for 60 minutes per ride no longer provides you with a quality experience, but the family visiting Disney for the first time (and thus, has no historical reference point) may think it was great.

 

[zebrastreyepz]

Oh yes they can have their cake and eat it too - if you are willing to put up with it. Every decision Disney makes is a business decision, and if they think a decision will positively impact their bottom line, they'll make it. If you think about it, there has to be a good business case for keeping people waiting in line. Otherwise, they'd either increase capacity to make it limitless or they'd cap ticket sales at a much lower amount to limit the number of people entering the park. Yes, you're not spending money at concessions if you're waiting in line, but if you decide you're going to Disney regardless of the wait times and you're wanting to visit all the attractions (or the same number of attractions that you typically visit), maybe now you buy a 7-day ticket instead of a 4-day ticket. And maybe you book an on-site property for 10 days instead of 7 days so you have more time to visit all those attractions. And because you're there 3 days longer you'll spend more in the restaurants. The bottom line is simple. If they risk alienating some customers with increased wait times but think they can make up the revenue is some other way, so be it. Believe me, they know what they're doing. And it's like any business. The company you work for isn't going to pay you one dime more than they think you're worth or willing to accept. Disney is in it for profit and you can be darn sure they understand what the average customer is willing to accept.

This is what I think is going on. People are getting less done in the same amount of time so they are staying longer.

Over the holidays, I was shocked how many people went to either MNSSHP or MVMCP more than once until I went and realized you have to in order to really enjoy it.

 

[Jen_G]

And while they will probably still change - Disney has been cutting it closer and closer when it comes to extending hours - they won't be as long as in the past. I have a picture of my daughter in a frame on my desk, I think it is from '08. She's posing underneath the clock on Main Street at 2:45 a.m., and she insisted on that picture because she 'knew' her friends would never believe her that we stayed at MK until 3 a.m. That was an EMH night in January. This year, the latest the MK was open in January was 11 p.m., on an EMH night during the ultra-crowded Christmas break week. The rest of the month, even during the also-very-crowded marathon weekend, the latest closings were at 10. That in itself makes a big difference in the guest experience.

This isn't true.

Monday, 1/1 - MK open from 8 am to 11 pm
Tuesday, 1/2 - MK open from 8 am to midnight
Wednesday, 1/3 - MK open from 8 am to midnight, with EMH until 2 am
Thursday, 1/4 - MK open from 8 am to midnight
Friday, 1/5 - MK open from 8 am EMH to midnight
Saturday, 1/6 - MK open from 8 am to 11 pm
Friday, 1/12 - MK open from 8 am EMH to 11 pm
Saturday, 1/15 - MK open from 8 am to midnight
Sunday, 1/16 - MK open from 8 am to midnight
Saturday, 1/20 - MK open from 8 am to midnight
Saturday, 1/27 - MK open from 8 am to midnight

MK increased their hours about a month in advance (at least, that's when I got the email from TouringPlans telling me that the hours for my visit had been adjusted). They also released a slew of new fast passes about 35 or 40 days out - there was a post here on the forums about it, and it let me grab some better fast passes that I hadn't been able to get at the 60-day mark. I was there from 1/8-1/21, and although it was busier than I expected, judging from the increased hours, increased amount of FPs, and the fact that I didn't see any ride running at noticeably lower capacity while I was there (both sides of SM, Pirates, etc), I'm assuming that Disney saw how many people they were expecting for January and took steps to increase their staffing levels in response.

 

[hllb]

I want to thank you guys for showing me I’m not nearly as cynical as I thought

 

[LSUmiss]

I hate when companies make their product worse to save a few bucks. I have seen a lot of folks who say they are dropping their APs or never coming back to Disney because of the crowds and wait times. The question for Disney I guess is are enough others paying for the upcharge stuff (DAH, MNSSHP, MVMCP) to make up for losing a bunch of other customers due to Disney intentionally degrading the experience to save a few bucks.

I don’t think they’re losing $$. But, the after hours stuff brings up another point. I’m one who usually pays for those hard ticket events b/c I feel it’s the only way to escape the ridiculous crowds. But, this thread does make me rethink that. So wdw reduces capacity & staffing so that it always feels packed & then they upsell event that is promised to be less crowded... hmmm