Bookings for WDW packages significantly down according to Pete Werner?

[greekgranny]

Originally Posted by YorkshireT

Remember long queues don’t make a busy park. They allegedly cut throughput by closing capacity and having less CMs etc. Len Testa went into some detail on this, which is in a podcast, but summarised here:
disneytouristblog/ex...-world-crowds/

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Disney have been manipulating ride queues and posted times since the year dot!

[Nimbus]

Originally Posted by ElsasGloves

Yes, we had this shot in May when it was brand new. It’s probably the best photo I’ve had taken at Disney, I love it so much.

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I think sometimes people like to concentrate on the things that are being removed but forget the things that are added.

It's like whenever Disney increases the parks hours at their parks no one bats an eyelid, whereas as soon as Disney reduces the park hours people get very animated and cross.

(For example, the parks are open for longer this week - both in terms of normal hours and extra magic hours - than they were at this time 3 years ago. In total the park hours have increased by 12%)

[Nimbus]

Originally Posted by YorkshireT

Remember long queues don’t make a busy park. They allegedly cut throughput by closing capacity and having less CMs etc. Len Testa went into some detail on this, which is in a podcast, but summarised here:
disneytouristblog/ex...-world-crowds/

See more...

This is standard practice across theme parks. Theme parks get extra staff in and run rides at full capacity during busy peak periods whereas they reduce their staff numbers and run rides at lower capacity during quiet periods. Theme parks here in the UK temporarily employ uni students during the busy summer period, for example. I think shops do this sort of thing as well, probably other places.

I think Disney does sometimes get it's predictions wrong and/or has a tendency of reducing staff and capacity levels too much at times. That leads to unexpectedly large queues sometimes. Mind you, some people see large queues as an indication of success so Disney may want this sometimes (cf. assuming Smugglers Run has flopped because of short queues).

BTW, every "crowd calendar" and "busy day guide" uses the posted wait times at rides, not actual visitor numbers. As you say, wait times aren't the same thing as crowd levels and long queues does not mean the park is busy. Which is why I'd suggest taking these crowd calendars with a pinch of salt.

[neatfrk]

School fines are something I've only ever heard of on the Dibb, so I'm pretty sure they don't have them.

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Hold on a minute. On the other side of the Atlantic you have to pay fines to take your kids on holiday during school? What kind of nonsense is that?

Can't speak for everywhere in the US... but in my district we write up a polite letter to school indicating that we are taking our child on family vacation for a few days and the school counts it as an excused absence. Students are allotted a certain number of excused absences each year.

I can't imagine a school here attempting to impose a fine over something like this. There would be mutiny. As long as the allotted excused absences are not exceeded - it should be entirely up to a parent's discretion.

[lozkin]

On the 2 occassions I have taken my boys out of school for the final week of the school year, I have written to the headteachers (one is at primary and one at secondary, so different schools) explaining what we are doing, and we haven't been fined on either occassion

[cornishfrogboy]

Originally Posted by lozkin

On the 2 occassions I have taken my boys out of school for the final week of the school year, I have written to the headteachers (one is at primary and one at secondary, so different schools) explaining what we are doing, and we haven't been fined on either occassion

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Whenever we have done this.. and our signature denotes the high educational value of our trips.. the school has declined, whilst not actually fining us. Honesty has not assisted and therefore my sons now have D &V when necessary for a couple of days. I have a dislike of dishonesty, but feel I have little option should I want to save a fair bit of money. It is a disheartening fact that in any case, there is little/no formal education in those last few days (I generally look at 2-3 ) and they are spending the time watching films and suchlike.. unless they are on a dance tour as happened with a group before this summer recess.

[CosmicGirl]

Originally Posted by neatfrk

Hold on a minute. On the other side of the Atlantic you have to pay fines to take your kids on holiday during school? What kind of nonsense is that?

Can't speak for everywhere in the US... but in my district we write up a polite letter to school indicating that we are taking our child on family vacation for a few days and the school counts it as an excused absence. Students are allotted a certain number of excused absences each year.

I can't imagine a school here attempting to impose a fine over something like this. There would be mutiny. As long as the allotted excused absences are not exceeded - it should be entirely up to a parent's discretion.

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Don't look at me! It certainly doesn't apply everywhere across the Atlantic. I had never heard of it here on the continent, although it is very frowned upon to take your kids out of school for a vacation. I first read about it on the Dibb where someone had included the fines in their holiday budget.

[the_rangdo]

Originally Posted by cornishfrogboy

Honesty has not assisted and therefore my sons now have D &V when necessary for a couple of days. I have a dislike of dishonesty

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We're in the same boat of having to be dishonest these days.

This year was the 2 year anniversary of the Manchester bombing, and given our location in the Arena and the impact it had on DD, she wanted to attend the memorial at 2pm in the city centre.

We wrote to school, they agreed it was a good idea and she could have permission. My logic would dictate she left school at lunchtime, giving her time to travel (about 1 hour)

The day before we were told she had to attend the afternoon lessons to get her mark for class - no attempt at being pragmatic given they'd already given permission, she just had to be there. On the day itself they couldn't commit to what time she could actually leave, sometime between 1:30 and 2pm was the best they could say, which would have made the whole exercise pointless.

So she rang me at lunch to say the front gate was open so she'd done a runner to which I could only congratulate her.

What followed was several phone calls, emails, text messages which got short shrift from myself and my wife. DD had to see her form tutor and head-teacher the following day - and all this had been approved. God help us if this had been for a few days of holiday.

Next time, she'll be sick and she can have the full day off

[tunnie12345]

Like others have said, when we talk about value for money we all have different ideas of what value means to us. For most (and these seem to be the people that say they are being out priced or it not being value for money any more) value is always seen as what material things you get from the holiday. Food, souvenirs, alcohol, or even how luxury the accommodation is.

Whereas for us when we go to Disney the value is seeing the smile in my little girls faces, the amazing memories we make there and the way the whole place makes me feel. For me all of those things are priceless and am quite happy to keep paying the prices as long as its still making us feel that way.

People always talk about how much the price has gone up but I look at anywhere now and even 2 weeks in Spain for a family of 4 in august is coming out at 4-5k now for that extra bit of money I know I would always want to go back to Florida!

[col1968]

they keep taking our eyes out and coming back for the sockets... yet we continue to return! Me included! I do think there is a ceiling some time soon though, we can no longer justify onsite and stay in villas mostly these days