Originally Posted By trekkeruss ^^If that is fact, then the MK is more popular than some here would like to believe. <<The best approach to take when adressing a park's true popularity is to look at turnstile figures and time spent in a given park.>> If you are trying to find a way to figure out how TDL can have lower attendance than the MK, bear in mind that the Japanese are probably more fanatical about their parks than we Americans are, and that they may have just as many AP holders who only go to the parks for a a short period of time. For instance, Tokyo's transportation network is amazing, so it would be simple for Tokyoites such as "office ladies" to visit TDL after work.
Originally Posted By Mr X Good point Russ... All *I* know is (and I'm going to be agreeing with TDLFAN here), TDL certainly SEEMS more crowded than any other park I've been in. I don't know if that's because there are more people in certain areas (waiting for a particular attraction like Pooh, for example), or crowded around the castle waiting for a show...but DANG TDL seems like the busiest park on earth. And I've spent a LOT of time in the parks in Orlando (Crowded, sure, especially MK...but not like TDL by a long shot!), and Universal, and DisneySea. The thing that really KILLS me is that DisneySea SEEMS to have the same numbers as TDL (according to those nifty charts!). 12 million per year vs. 13 mil for TDL. But, my eyes must be deceiving me...cause when I go to DisneySea the place is usually EMPTY, and everytime I go to TDL I have to fight the masses everywhere I go...I don't get it!!!! PLUS, TDL has something like 30 percent more capacity! (80k for TDL, 50K for DisneySea) Oh well, guess that's why I'm not an accountant. lol.
Originally Posted By vbdad55 <<<I think the number at WDW is inflated based on the same guest using multiday passports.>> WDW measures attendance based on the first park entered that day. < ah, some actual facts to go along with the speculation on the thread -- thanks !
Originally Posted By Roger55 Not to add fuel to the debate, but isn't this whole topic is based on the estimates from the article where this excerpt is from? ************* "An estimated 176 million visitors went to North America's most popular parks, according to an annual survey to be released Monday by the trade publication Amusement Business and the research firm Economics Research Associates." ************* Disney does not release attendance figures, so the estimates are most likely from Amusmement Business. So the way WDW measures attendance may not be the same way these numbers were estimated by Amusement Business.
Originally Posted By LuvDatDisney I also find no way I can believe more people visit the MK than TDL. I just can't believe it. People enter lotteries there just to get show tickets. They wait in lines of 45 minutes for FASTPASSES. They used to stake out parade locations eight hours before a parade before management stopped that. The MK numbers are skewed. I am not sure how, but I've talked with enough people at Team Disney to have some idea. Leemac, the MK's sworn defender, makes a good point about the 'first click' rule which I know for a fact is true. And many people do parkhop at WDW, often starting their days at the MK. So I know that's all part of it. But in real world numbers, there is just no way the MK is busier on a daily basis than TDL. Maybe DL, although even that's a stretch this year, but not Tokyo.
Originally Posted By RoadTrip My guess would be (and I know it's nothing more than a guess) that Disneyland outdraws the Magic Kingdom during the summer months, but the MK makes up the difference by drawing more people during the off-season.
Originally Posted By Mr X >>>My guess would be (and I know it's nothing more than a guess) that Disneyland outdraws the Magic Kingdom during the summer months, but the MK makes up the difference by drawing more people during the off-season.<<< That's my theory too...BUT, I agree with many posters above...having spent time in MANY Disney parks, it is really hard to imagine that Tokyo Disneyland is NOT the busiest park on Earth. It is freakin CROWDED all day, every day, year round (sometimes to the point of insanity...seriously!).
Originally Posted By FerretAfros TDL is huge, so the walkways have a higher capacity, which means that more people can comfortably fit in the park. Even with that, it gets very crowded. The MK is crowded, but only because people have the strollers of death and don't know how to walk. In Japan, everybody is extremely polite, and I just can't see some of the behaviors that block the walkways at MK even being thought about in TDL. (Like the sea of strollers in Fantasyland, which often covers half of the path for the rest of the traffic)
Originally Posted By TDLFAN In regards to that comment on crowd control, they also have a batallion of CM's doing just that as opposed to the few you see at the MK doing crowd control. Also, TDL's staff does a magnificent job at setting up ropes (with lights at night) and are very quick to tell guests who violate the safety line to park it somewhere else. However, as noted... people in Japan do obey and do not ask questions or challenge the CMs which is the problem at WDW right now... Everyone behaves like trailer park trash and get into arguments with CMs, who do not want to hear concidering how little they make and how poorly staffed crowd control can be. Hope that makes sense since I am in Amsterdam right now and a bit jetlagged.
Originally Posted By vbdad55 <Hope that makes sense since I am in Amsterdam right now and a bit jetlagged.< I have been to Amsterdam...........nah I won't go there--I'll buy jetlagged....LOL !
Originally Posted By LadyandtheTramp "WDW measures attendance based on the first park entered that day. < ah, some actual facts to go along with the speculation on the thread -- thanks !" The only problem with Leemac's statement, which I also believe is totally accurate, is that the estimated attendence figures we're all discussing come from Amusement Business (see post #44), and unless they get some help from Disney, I can't imagine how these people could estimate the number of park-hoppers. Disney can get accurate figures because of the ticket media and having the computer discount the second or later entrance in a day, but Amusement Business would have no way of knowing that the ticket going into the turnstile is on its second or third entry of the day - every entrance nowadays looks the same: put in the ticket, stick your fingers into the post, and enter.
Originally Posted By leemac LadyandtheTramp my understanding is that AB rely on insiders feeding them the numbers (in much the same way as Al's turnstile clicks are usually fairly accurate). I've been told by people inside Parks & Resorts that the numbers are usually pretty accurate except that they tend to rely more on park hopping numbers now and the time spent by guests in each park. Lee
Originally Posted By leemac ^^ I should clarify that WDW now uses a lot more data (not AB) than just first through clicks.
Originally Posted By vbdad55 and you thought that 'bee sting' in It's tough to be a Bug" was just for effect -- it is really a microchip implant -- so they can track you via GPS
Originally Posted By fkurucz >>and you thought that 'bee sting' in It's tough to be a Bug" was just for effect -- it is really a microchip implant -- so they can track you via GPS<< Here's a scary thought: Using an RFID that could be implanted into passports they could track your movements all day through the park. Spend a few hours in the Emporium but not buy anything, get back to your room and find a coupon for the Emporium waiting for you there.
Originally Posted By vbdad55 It's 1984 everywhere -- my Bimmer has a sattelite tracking system linked into the on board phone ( above and beyond the navigation system ) - that allows then to call me anytime - anywhere in the car -- so they can effectively track my every movement....the car calls me and tells me when it is time for service.......... So I think Disney can figure out a way of tracking attendance based on when cards are entered into the scanners....
