Are Higher Ticket Prices Already Cutting Disneyland's Attendance Numbers?

[Mac Daddy]

Yesterday was the first time I have ever been able to go to Disneyland on the Fourth of July. For years I have read about how July has tended to be extremely crowded with the Fourth of July generally predicted to have the highest attendance numbers of the Summer.

So it was with some concern that I arrived at Mickey and Friends expecting to be turned away in favor of the new Toy Story lot due to overcrowding.

But then the weirdness began. There was NO line to get into Mickey and Friends at 1:30 PM. I parked on Daisy, level two, and they had just begun parking in the second section of the structure. Daisy was literally only half full.

Then I headed down to the tram...and made it on to the first one....no line.

Security check...no line.

Entered the park...no line.




What the freak? This was on the FOURTH OF JULY, a day predicted by many to be one of the top two or three most crowded days of the year! I thought there was a VERY good chance they would close the park at 2PM. In fact, I was almost positive they closed the park early last year for the fourth due to overcrowding.

And to top it off, so did Disney. I received a printed warning as I came in that there was a good chance that Disneyland would fill up by mid-afternoon, and if that was the case, guests should expect to go to DCA instead.

So the question is....where WAS everyone yesterday? Is it simply the fact that the Fourth of July fell on a Monday this year and everyone has to go back to work tomorrow....or are we beginning to see the first signs that ticket prices might actually be cutting into attendance numbers in this economy? I know that all of the lower tiered annual passes were blocked out, but they have always been blocked out on the Fourth, and for the past several years, I remember reading about the epic crowds and how the streets around Anaheim have been shut down for hours following the fireworks. It was just EERY to have probably the easiest parking experience and tram ride in the past several years on the FOURTH OF JULY on the way in!

The park finally began to pack out around 7 pm as people flooded in for the fireworks,and the wait for the trams afterwards was predictably epic. But it seemed like fairly average to almost below average attendance for the afternoon, and it just struck me as strange.

I was talking to Hot Sauce as we were camped out waiting for the Fireworks on Main Street, and he mentioned how the numbers seemed very thin at DCA on Sunday as well, with only 5 minute waits for Ariel. Not at all what he and his wife Diane were expecting.

So... what's going on with the numbers? Thoughts? Theories?

[Coheteboy]

It's a number of things.

1) It's a monday. People who didn't plan wisely have to go back to work the next day so they just don't bother comin'.

2) People who don't have passes FEAR that it'll be crazy crowded and decide on something else.

3) Deluxe and under blocked out. Silver Pass Cast members blocked out.


And surprisingly, this applied to the entire weekend except Friday.

[penguinsoda]

It could be a combination of issues, although I tend to think that since the 4th was on a Monday that may have had more to do with it than the economy. But with the prices creeping up more and more, and the general economy not showing a lot of signs of improvement, it may start to have more of an effect in the next year or two. I know on a personal level, when my pass expires in October of this year I'll renew one more time.... after that.... not so sure. I know that I have cut back on the number of times a year I go to the park, since I'm just far enough away that getting a room down there is almost a requirement.

[calsig31]

It's probably a combination of the fact that it was a Monday and that the cheap passes were all blocked.

[bee1000]

Only Disney would know the true answer, but I really doubt increased entry prices had much to do with it. As part of a total day's expenses at the park(s) the ticket-price increase is insignificant.

[Mr Wiggins]

^ What everybody's saying about blockouts + Monday. Last year the 4th was on a Sunday, in 2009 a Saturday, and in 2008 a Friday.

On 2012 it'll be on a Wednesday -- place yer bets, folks.

[Telpeurion]

Only Disney would know the true answer, but I really doubt increased entry prices had much to do with it. As part of a total day's expenses at the park(s) the ticket-price increase is insignificant.

I was working in the parks on Monday and there were noticeably far more accents than usual. What became clear is that it wasn't just tourists that made up a large part of the attendance, but mostly foreign tourists. This is not a bad thing, but it does signal that economic conditions for those living at the center of this continent are not thriving well enough for the world's most expensive vacation. This whole summer so far has been very light. We'll see if many just booked their trips for later.

[DuffyGuardian]

We didn't make it into the parks on the 4th. We did go to DtD, having read on line that they would charge for DtD parking. So we knew to head to Mickey and Friends. Glad we did the traffic to get to DtD area was crazy. Back up for well over 2 hours. We did try and walk DtD and it was so crowded at times it was hard to move. Reminds me of New Years Eve in the parks. There was no place to sit, so we did a bit of shopping and went back to Mickey and Friends parking structure to watch the fire works from there and then we left. There were a lot of guest watching from Mickey and Friends.

[PirateChick]

I was in the parks yesterday and while it was considerably busier than past 4th of Julys the crowds were still very managable. I agreee with the fact there were blockouts and the fact that some people assiciate holidays as having large crowds they don't even bother.

Of the other hand the esplanade and DtD were very crowded and they had ropes set up at 4:30 in the esplanade and people were already staking out their spots. Inside the park Main Street was full but Small World still had plenty of space available up until 10 minutes before fireworks.

[bayouguy]

The economy could have had an effect on yesterday's attendance. In past years, families could take Memorial Day vacations, 4th of July vacations and camping vacations. Now it's Memorial Day OR 4th OR camping vacations.

[StevenW]

It's probably a combination of the fact that it was a Monday and that the cheap passes were all blocked.

I thought Mondays are more crowded than Saturdays and Sundays. This can't be the excuse.

[KB24]

I think the ticket prices did contribute. I've noticed this summer with the price increases the park isn't as crowded.

Star Tours has done WONDERS for line times. I feel like come the winter the 2008 experience can be had again perhaps. No more incredibly long waits.

[Mr Wiggins]

I thought Mondays are more crowded than Saturdays and Sundays. This can't be the excuse.

Mondays aren't usually blockouts.

[Coheteboy]

On 2012 it'll be on a Wednesday -- place yer bets, folks.

Likely that next year, companies will be giving Wed-Friday off so I'm guessing 2012 will be considerably busier than this year.

[kburford]

I don't have an answer to whether ticket prices are why attendance was low yesterday, but i can add that it was definitely a slow day!

As for the parking structure, they strangely filled top to bottom on the 4th so that's why you got to park on the second floor. I arrived at 9ish and as we drove to the top floor of mickey & friends we could see that there were no cars on any of the other levels yet.

The entire day was very relaxing bc it was so empty! during lunch we were talking to a CM who said they had scheduled CMs expecting a very busy day, and now they didn't have much to do since there weren't very many people in the parks. I saw space mountain with a ten and fifteen minute wait at different parts of the day.

For the fireworks, my boyfriend and I easily found a spot right where the horse carriage tracks meet in the hub at about a half hour until the show which was awesome.

It was a pretty perfect day for me (except when I really did eat all i could at big thunder ranch bbq and had a horrible stomach ache for a half hour where I couldn't move)

I personally think the ticket prices have a bit of an impact but not a huge effect where we will see very noticible declines in attendance. There are many people who will re-think a disney trip, like people who decided they could find more fun for the 4th of july without paying a hefty price. But it IS disneyland, and there are many more people who are still willing to come to the parks regardless of the current price.

---------- Post added 07-05-2011 at 04:42 PM ----------

Likely that next year, companies will be giving Wed-Friday off so I'm guessing 2012 will be considerably busier than this year.

wed-fri?! can i work for that kind of company please! we get 5 holidays off a year where i work. waaaaa