More downsizing

[epceddie]

First it was the monorails stopping service early. Now, I just read that beginning on Sunday, Splash Mountain will no longer be open for evening Extra Magic Hours at the Magic Kingdom.
I also read that the Turf Club at Saratoga Springs will switch to dinner only on Sept. 30.
The Splash Mountain move kind of caught me by surprise, because it's such a popular attraction. Anyone have any ideas why they would do that?

[Lindsey310]

Dd you hear in place of this, the tiki birds will be open late for extra magic hours!!???
A few people said (on another thread) that they thought it was a cost thing. A few others speculated it was because it was going to have a refurb.
I think it's a bad idea, lots of people LOVE to ride splash mountain at night! (myself included!!)

6 days!!!!

[Brer_Fox]

I was bummed as well when I heard this, as riding Splash Mountain in the dark at night is more enjoyable to me (my opinion) then during the day.

Instead of Splash Mountain, they are adding The Enchanged Tiki Room and the newly revised Country Bears Jamboree too the extra magic hour schedule.

What is the cost to run Splash Mountian at night?

Since extra magic hours are only offered to those who stay on Disney Property and with less people vacationing I would have to say that this is another move by Disney to save money.

[Auntie B]

I read this earlier today. What a BAD choice by Disney! I agree, Splash is even more fun after dark. I am so sad about this.

[DizneyRox]

If memory serves me right, probably in the Q3 thread, there are rumors of resort closures, etc swirling arund WDW.

I think it's pretty apparent that attendence is down, or at least not what they want it to be. They can easily shudder rides and even resorts to save costs. Wasn't French Quarter or Riverside closed for a while under the guise of a refurb??

[Melanie]

Wasn't French Quarter or Riverside closed for a while under the guise of a refurb??

I sort of remember this. After 9/11?

They could close down FQ for good (in the name of cost cutting ), and I wouldn't mind a bit. lol!

[DizneyRox]

Yes, it was probably around then, man it's already been 10+ years?

Point is, there's precedence for this type of action. Not that removing a ride from EMH
is a tell, but...

The news coming out of WDW always seems to have a slant towards cuts. You can put lipstick on a pig, but it's still a pig. The annual meetings and quarterly reports are the ones that don't lie. Connecting the dots between prior annoucments and the earnings reports has gotten a lot easier in recent years, so much so that I don't think it's a stretch to assume the worst with any new news/announcements.

[AgentC]

They could close down FQ for good (in the name of cost cutting ), and I wouldn't mind a bit. lol!

[PAYROLL PRINCESS]

I personally love FQ. And I thought I just saw a stock report that Disney posted a very strong quarter recently?
Perhaps the cuts are just because they are going into the slow time? And I imagine that running Splash Mtn is fairly expensive since it is such a long ride. I know there have been times when we've been there late at night and there is hardly anyone riding it. So it is cost prohibitive to run it if it's got very low ridership. So I guess I'll have to make sure I get my rides in during the day and not wait until the EMHs to try to get on it.

[DizneyRox]

I personally love FQ. And I thought I just saw a stock report that Disney posted a very strong quarter recently?

Yes, but no thanks to WDW. It was due to DL and ESPN I think, or maybe it was the Studios (Think Avengers). Definitely not WDW, they were flat or lower than expected.

[MstngDrvnDsnyLvr]

I sort of remember this. After 9/11?

They could close down FQ for good (in the name of cost cutting ), and I wouldn't mind a bit. lol!

They did close down FQ after 9/11 under the guise of a refurb (which we all know came much , much later). My mother had our reservations (Christmas for 14 of us from our parents) made for POFQ and then she was called and told they were now at POR.

As for the latest cuts by Disney - at some point the loyals (us Intercoters included) will get fed up and not spend the money to come for as long as usual. I have two local friends that have chosen to NOT use their DVC at WDW the past 3 years. They have used them at HHI for the most part. Spending most of their money at the local spots on HHI rather than with Disney.

[DizneyRox]

I have two local friends that have chosen to NOT use their DVC at WDW the past 3 years. They have used them at HHI for the most part. Spending most of their money at the local spots on HHI rather than with Disney.

I usually just skip over the other DVC options, but they might be onto something. While it's not a great value, I might not be opposed to using my points elsewhere just to spite them. You can rent them out and get back more than enough to use elsewhere, but then they are still benefitting from someone visiting. Let them worry about filling the rooms on their own, maybe that's a bigger/better message.

[FriendsofMickey]

It is really ashame. They just keep cutting and cutting, but yet increasing the price.

Maybe they are seeing lower quarterly earnings, because they have priced themselves out of a lot of peoples price range.

1. In the past few years (maybe more), they have offered less and less and asked for more.
2. Fireworks at MK used to be every night.
3. Fall and winter park hours are shorter.
4. Monarail shutting down earlier
5. EMH being shortened
6. Rides being excluded from EMH.
7. Appetizer and tip excluded from the dining plan.

You definately are paying more for less.

I am one of the lucky few that get to go pretty much yearly, but the trips have definately become shorter in length, because we are going on other vacations instead of spending all of our vacation at WDW.

I love being at Disney. I love the smells, the views, the feeling you get walking in the parks. I just hope that "They" open their eyes that if they keep increasing prices and taking away, people are going to go other places.

And for the record, FQ is my favorite resort (beats even the GF in my book). I would be if they closed it down.

[JROriole8Fan]

People here are always complaining about (1) crowds and (2) cuts and threatening to stop coming. Please honor your threats and we fix 2birds with one stone.

Change is the only constant and I would love the parks to be less crowded!

[Ms. Mode]

People here are always complaining about (1) crowds and (2) cuts and threatening to stop coming. Please honor your threats and we fix 2birds with one stone.

Change is the only constant and I would love the parks to be less crowded!

Ditto!
Also, if they stop the free dining maybe we could keep the room price down some?

[ChipNDale79]

People here are always complaining about (1) crowds and (2) cuts and threatening to stop coming. Please honor your threats and we fix 2birds with one stone.

Change is the only constant and I would love the parks to be less crowded!

Here's what I think some people here don't get, and sometimes I don't think Disney does (I know they do though), if people do stop coming, it means less and less things for people like you to enjoy because Disney won't make the money to be able to create new things, keep the parks open longer, or keep things like they are supposed to.

I hate large crowds, so there are times of the year I'll never go again (week of Christmas), but crowded parks are a good thing and just about any other time of the year is not that bad.

Ditto!
Also, if they stop the free dining maybe we could keep the room price down some?

The dining at Disney is one thing our family really looks forward to, its good food and great time with the ones we love. We like to prepay for our food so everyone can order what they want and not really have to worry about how much they spend at dinner. So yes, there are people that are going to purchase the dining plan, and for people like us the discount is better with free dining then most room discounts that are offered. So it does work for some people.

As someone who typically stays at a moderate resort, free dining typically works out better for us, and we'd rather have that than room discounts.

[Mousemates]

Here's what I think some people here don't get, and sometimes I don't think Disney does (I know they do though), if people do stop coming, it means less and less things for people like you to enjoy because Disney won't make the money to be able to create new things, keep the parks open longer, or keep things like they are supposed to.

I view that a little differently. If people stop coming (and the overall number of people available to come has not declined...and it hasnt--the population has increased) then the reason for the decline is that the park has become less appealing to he masses (either for economic or recreational reasons).

At that point, Disney then either has the choice to shut down things to cut costs (and thus risk greater decline in revenues as more folks step back due to diminished options) or begin to truly reinvest in the parks and lure folks back. I hope we are in the beginning of a cycle that will begin to accomplish a bit more luring.

[Polynesian Dweller]

First it was the monorails stopping service early. Now, I just read that beginning on Sunday, Splash Mountain will no longer be open for evening Extra Magic Hours at the Magic Kingdom.
I also read that the Turf Club at Saratoga Springs will switch to dinner only on Sept. 30.
The Splash Mountain move kind of caught me by surprise, because it's such a popular attraction. Anyone have any ideas why they would do that?

The ride did not get its annual refurb this year because if BTMRR being down for a major refurb. Splash is showing the effects of not being refurbed for almost two years. It needs more time for continuous maintenance and to limp it though until the major annual refurb in January. It might get a major one then.

Whether this is permanent remains to be seen. Disney has been getting a lot of pressure from its major investors to reduce operating costs. The way you do that is reducing paid man hours. More people are needed at Splash than Tiki so reduced operating costs. That is a second factor.

[Aurora]

Disney has been getting a lot of pressure from its major investors to reduce operating costs.

Oh yes, because the company's $1.8 BILLION profit last quarter had them shaking in their Guccis.