Originally Posted By Darkbeer This comment got my attention... http://www.mouseplanet.com/articles.php?art=dl060724xx >>What these pictures also show is that summer attendance at Disney's California Adventure is back down to low expectations. We always get slammed for bringing this up, but it seems the combination of heat and blacked out annual passes are keeping away the locals and keeping the in park crowds to the small side of estimates. << Lets go back to the last few days and check out some photos.... First from July 12th, around 2:15 to 3 PM <a href="http://darkbeer.smugmug.com/gallery/1661573/8" target="_blank">http://darkbeer.smugmug.com/ga llery/1661573/8</a> Notice the Screamin' queue is over half empty on a peak Summer day in the mid-afternoon Next is a Sunday, July 16th, normally the busiest day of the week for DCA, around 5 PM <a href="http://darkbeer.smugmug.com/gallery/1673581/30" target="_blank">http://darkbeer.smugmug.com/ga llery/1673581/30</a> Screamin' queue once again over half empty (and I took multiple photos from 5 to 7:30 PM), and very little crowds lining up for the Block Party Bash. Monday, July 17th, attend the Electrical Parade, and right at starting time (8:45 PM), there were plenty of front row seats still available.... <a href="http://darkbeer.smugmug.com/gallery/1679646/21" target="_blank">http://darkbeer.smugmug.com/ga llery/1679646/21</a> Then I attended the Cars Meet and Greet at 1 PM on Friday, July 21st. <a href="http://darkbeer.smugmug.com/gallery/1691179/1" target="_blank">http://darkbeer.smugmug.com/ga llery/1691179/1</a> So where is everyone???
Originally Posted By WilliamK99 So where is everyone???<< Probably in an air conditioned building. This is the hottest it has ever been while I have been on a vacation at Disneyland. We got to DCA this morning at 10 and ended up leaving at 1 due to the heat, then returned at 6pm once it cooled off a bit. I imagine the heat in Anaheim is driving some people away from the parks. I notice most of your pictures were taken during the hottest part of the days, of course walkways are going to be empty. Its friggin hot.
Originally Posted By Darkbeer So 5 to 8 PM on a Sunday is the hottest part of the day? Or maybe the Electrical Parade at 8:45 PM on a Monday, when the sun has already set? Or maybe the 20 people in line to see Golden Dreams and use the Air Conditioning (and the doors were just about to open, about 2 minutes before the 1 PM showing on Friday? DCA crowds are way down from last year... Less out-of-town guests coming due to the fact the 50th has been overplayed, and the out-of-town guests tend to attend since they have a lot already invested in air/car fare, hotels and tickets. The shift of a lot of locals to either a SoCal or SoCal Select AP (as mentioned by MousePlanet), or so used to the "Pay for Disneyland, get DCA for FREE!" tickets that they are not willing to pay for a full priced ticket. Gas prices are a small effect, basically on those who own Deluxe or Premium AP's. And then the heat, once again, basically the Deluxe and Premium AP's staying home. But on the other hand, check out the much larger crowds at Disneyland in my photos, and while not the size of last summer's crowds due to the big 50th push, still a fairly decent sized crowd, even with the heat and the gas prices, so folks are coming to the Disneyland Resort, just looks like they are not going to DCA......
Originally Posted By Darkbeer Let me share another person's viewpoint... <a href="http://www.micechat.com/forums/showthread.php?p=779330" target="_blank">http://www.micechat.com/forums /showthread.php?p=779330</a> >>Seriously. I was there on Saturday July 15th, and DL was packed (45+ Minute Lines). Everything in DCA was a walkon. There was nobody in the ToT Lobby & boiler room, and we even left with a half filled elevator. No line for Monsters, Soarin', or Screamin'. At that rate, you could 'do' the whole park in about 3 hours!<<
Originally Posted By WilliamK99 I was at Disneyland this past Saturday and it felt empty. IASW was a walkon, pretty much only ride with over a 25 min wait was Splash Mountain. Now DCA was not busy either Sunday, but DCA has never come close to the crowds DL has, I just think its find of funny that you are grasping at straws trying to slam DCA, when overall crowds are down at DL and DCA.
Originally Posted By myers we're coming this weekend I'm crossing my fingers this low crowd period will last!! yeah...just for my own personel benefit...but bummer for disney.
Originally Posted By disneywatcher >> We always get slammed for bringing this up, but it seems the combination of heat... << Bad weather is a major reason DCA hasn't been more popular since it opened in early 2001. That and poor marketing. And 9-11. And unfair negative press. And congested freeways. And halitosis.
Originally Posted By fkurucz >>And halitosis.<< Maybe they can get Listerene to replace the tortilla factory. They could hand out free personal sized samples. Problem solved!
Originally Posted By Hans Reinhardt Darkbeer, just go ahead and say it: DCA sucks. That's why the place is empty, right?
Originally Posted By Park Hopper I think DCA has issues. I don’t believe there is anyone on this board who thinks it is the perfect park. I mean this has really been discussed to death. I think what Dark Beer is expressing is his frustration that Disney has not yet made any meaningful moves to solve the problem. The WDC is still holding on to the fantasy that this park can be fixed one attraction at a time despite five years of evidence to the contrary. If Matt Ouimet is the leader we all hope he is, he will use the flat summer attendance figures to convince Burbank to open up the purse strings so he can go in and do what needs to be done.
Originally Posted By leemac <<If Matt Ouimet is the leader we all hope he is, he will use the flat summer attendance figures to convince Burbank to open up the purse strings so he can go in and do what needs to be done.>> I'm glad they aren't rushing into anything. There are plenty of ideas being batted around at WDI and TDA but there is no quick fix. That is far better than the knee-jerk reactions of the past. Things are coming.
Originally Posted By Park Hopper There can be no quick fix. But what ever they do it must be magnificent and presented with a bang and a flash. Merely redesigning a “district†won’t do much. I think we all remember what marketing duds 1983’s New Fantasyland and 1998’s New Tomorrowland were. I sure hope the folks at Disney Attractions remember. Because if Disneyland can’t get away with it what chance will DCA have?
Originally Posted By FerretAfros If I remember correctly, the summer that TL98 premiered, the park was quite crowded, and there was a lot going on over there. The problem seemed to be that nothing had really been changed. Just a paint job and a few new filler attractions. Of course there was Rocket Rods, but that really wasn't reliable enough to count on being open when you were there. I'm sure if they did something worth getting excited about, people will get excited about it.
Originally Posted By Park Hopper I'm afraid summer 1998 was a big disaster attendance-wise for the park. At the time they were blaming it on the Asian Economic Crisis. The same way the blamed DCA's poor performance on 9/11. Those old management guys had an excuse for everything.
Originally Posted By RogRabbit >>I'm glad they aren't rushing into anything. There are plenty of ideas being batted around at WDI and TDA but there is no quick fix. That is far better than the knee-jerk reactions of the past. Things are coming.<< Exactly, I don't want to see another X Games type of event take place. If they have to take their time to come up with something great, instead of coming up with a lame quick fix then I say give them their time. It'll be worth it.
Originally Posted By gadzuux I seem to remember al saying some months ago that matt and company don't want big crowds in DCA this summer - they need the dismal attendance numbers to justify the expense involved in bringing the park up to the disney standard. I don't know if it's true or not, but it makes sense.
Originally Posted By FerretAfros But over in the DLP section, they are talking about how if the new Toon Studios in WDSP doesn't pull more people in, they will stop trying to add new things for a while. Although Ouimet's strategy makes a lot more sense, this summer could also mean for DCA that nothing new will be coming soon.
Originally Posted By irishfan >>But over in the DLP section, they are talking about how if the new Toon Studios in WDSP doesn't pull more people in, they will stop trying to add new things for a while.<< I dont really understand this attitude, will they just give up on the place?
Originally Posted By Darkbeer ^ As for as I understand, the requirement for a 2nd park was part of an agreement Disney made (well EuroDisney) with France when negations were held prior to opening (France was battling with Spain for the park, and both were offering tax breaks, land deals, etc...). It opened just before the deadline. So I presume the decision is, can we make the park profitable, or should we just cut costs and operate it at as little of a loss as possible, and try and improve Disneyland Paris instead. But that sounds like the same decisions that Disney is making at DCA, things like cutting back entertainment (such as Aladdin being dark 2 days a week during summer, cutting back hours, and then some major off-season cuts to save money...)
Originally Posted By wonderingalice I know EXACTLY what the problem is... Those dang UGLY windows at Maliburrito! Muuhahahahahahahahah!!
