Crowd Levels At Disneyland - Something NEEDS To Be Done - Thoughts of an AP Holder

[Duck44]

Originally Posted by aashee

I hear you. Both wife and I are Grandmotherless and it's tough. One Grandpa is still around but his legs are so bad I wouldn't try Disneyland with him, especially so crowded.

I wish Disney would have a grandparents and grandkids only day. Is fast skipping considered running(that's how happy I'd be)? guess, it doesn't matter...parks are too crowded to do either.

[Bob Weaver]

My Mom is 91 and had a great time. Take him on Saturday when they have the swing band at the Plaza Gardens stage.

[Duck44]

Originally Posted by Bob Weaver

My Mom is 91 and had a great time. Take him on Saturday when they have the swing band at the Plaza Gardens stage.

That is AWESOME! She looks so happy. *goosebumps**

[Bob Weaver]

It was her birthday and I lost count of how many CMs wished her a Happy Birthday. More than 20 I'm sure. Some stopped to chat briefly. Even Billy Hill wished her one from the stage. Mary Poppins was practically perfect. The piano player Jonny at the Coke Corner played Happy Birthday and a couple of requests. The nurses in the First Aid Clinic fell all over her. She had a great time and that day really showed the cast members at their absolute best.

[Ex-SmallWorld CM]

Originally Posted by aashee

What is elitism? Not liking it so busy or telling people if it's busy stay home? I guess complaining is OK if you are the one doing it.

Wrong, it's called rebuttal!

[Barbaraann]

I am a grandmother, and I just weave my way through the crowds. I wish that I lived close enough to even have an AP.

[aashee]

Originally Posted by Duck44

I wish Disney would have a grandparents and grandkids only day. Is fast skipping considered running(that's how happy I'd be)? guess, it doesn't matter...parks are too crowded to do either.

I'd have to get a wheelchair for Grandpa. I'd skip in slow motion if that's possible. Not sure if they have the Birthday promotion next year, if not I'll have him donate some time. Maybe serving gruel at a shelter or something.

[bfdf55]

Originally Posted by The International

Uhh I think Disney might know a little more about this than you do. They are a business and if such a popular program was costing them money they'd do away with it, especially since they have access to those raw numbers.

I wouldn’t make any assumptions about Disney’s knowledge just because they are in business. There are innumerable businesses that have failed due to faulty knowledge. And Disney has made more than a few mistakes in their past.

Just because they have a program that is popular doesn’t mean that it will continue to be successful. The whole concept was an experiment to start. As it developed, it provided a satisfactory financial result. But that was back when the economy was booming. The recent change in economics may have a negative result, as the system wells with thousands more people taking advantage of the low prices that will provide them with a year’s worth of low cost entertainment. They can go to the parks as much as they want for only the cost of gas to get them there.

So, while Disney will indeed get the upfront infusion of revenue from AP purchases, the overall effect will get worse the more people that they add to the AP program. Disney’s financial wizards may think they have everything worked out, or they may be sweating because they see upcoming problems. It’s often difficult to recognize when s successful situation has started to falter. And it’s even more difficult to admit when it’s your responsibility to ensure it’s continued success.

[Duck44]

[quote=Barbaraann;1055644628]I am a grandmother, and I just weave my way through the crowds. ]/QUOTE]
Thankfully you are not in a wheel chair(I assume). I would feel awful if my grandma lost a little of that magic with all those crowds blocking her view

I hope you spoil those grandkids.

Originally Posted by aashee

I'd have to get a wheelchair for Grandpa. I'd skip in slow motion if that's possible. Not sure if they have the Birthday promotion next year, if not I'll have him donate some time. Maybe serving gruel at a shelter or something.

I still have a Grandpa in my life too. We have a lot in common.

Hopefully we can use volunteer time from an old folks home to get tickets. I would have ten years of tickets by now if the promotion was constant.

[pratt55]

All this grandparent talk got me to remembering when mine were still around and we could enjoy the park AP free.

[Baloo]

first of all i did not read the whole OP. a bit too long.

but as for the crowds, TDA along with WDI is already looking at ways to disperse crowds. Right now they need to make sure that attendance crowds do not drop during the hard economic times and the best way to do that is by pushing the annual passes. A sustain attendance crowd brings in revenue. They also realized that to sustain interest for many new first time annual passholder buyers they needed to constantly offer new additions to the park that could be implemented within weeks. They have been doing a great job by re-introducing and revitalizing entertainment venues old and new. The additions to Fantasmic and the constant change in fireworks along with the additions of things like pixie hollow and ghost galaxy have done well in keeping the interest alive.

Those additions have created huge crowds for the resort but especially for Disneyland which is the park that is offering most of the changes at the moment. There are plans to expand the offerings even more but with the construction going on in DCA it is impossible to do anything for the second gate. Any new investment in decorations and additions for the holidays would be a waste of money since most of ti would clash with the new look the park will have within the next couple years.

WDI and TDA have come up with ideas to help expand the holiday offerings along with special events into DCA so that the crowds start to spread out.

Crowds at that moment might be uncomfortable and they might be driving some guests crazy but it would be a mistake for them to start thinning out crowds by pushing away their biggest source of attendance.

Within two years DCA will have increased in size and capacity and hopefully helping with the crowds. If things continue as planned a few years after DCA has finally proved itself with the need of longer operating hours capable of helping distribute crowds in the resort then Burbank will go ahead with plans for the strawberry field.

At that point the string annual passholder group will help sustain the parks during the off season for tourism. All we have to do is see the effect the downturn is having in WDW due to the fact that they rely on tourism as the main source for attendance and have almost completely ignored the passholder group.

[ttrocc7007]

Originally Posted by aashee

I'd have to get a wheelchair for Grandpa. I'd skip in slow motion if that's possible. Not sure if they have the Birthday promotion next year, if not I'll have him donate some time. Maybe serving gruel at a shelter or something.

What time will you be picking me up?

[bfdf55]

Originally Posted by kristibaer

It was only an offering of how they could reset the number of AP's out there. I think we all know that will never happen. They need to make the AP's harder to get so people will stop renewing.

The only way I see Disney attempting to begin to reduce the number of AP's is as many have suggested here, stop financing (especially the lower passes, $8/mo isn't necessary to finance) and review the overall AP system.

All they need to do is keep raising the prices to the point where the revenue from the reduced number of AP's equals the revenue they are now getting from the current 850,000. Then Disney will still make the same money and the park will suffer less crowding.

[Duck44]

Originally Posted by pratt55

All this grandparent talk got me to remembering when mine were still around and we could enjoy the park AP free.

I have a similar pic from back in the day.



I love you grandma

[I Heart Disneyland]

Originally Posted by Duck44

I have a similar pic from back in the day.



I love you grandma

Very cool! I hated Adventure Through Inner Space when I was REAL little. I thought you really got shrunk. ha!

I sure miss the Mary Blair mural across from this, on the upper wall. You can sort of see it in this photo.