Theme Park Bookings Down

[Isaac]

Even Mickey Mouse is feeling the economic pinch


LOS ANGELES (Reuters) – The Walt Disney Co on Thursday said bookings at its theme parks have declined "considerably" in the last month as the global economy has soured, and its shares slid 9 percent in extended trade.

The news came as the No. 2 U.S. entertainment company reported a 13 percent decline in quarterly net income due in part to a bad debt charge. Revenue for the period, however, topped Wall Street analysts' estimates.
Disney said the advertising climate had softened the performance of its cable and broadcast networks, and that its U.S. theme parks and resorts suffered under higher labor and fuel costs.

In addition, on a conference call with analysts, executives said attendance at its U.S. theme parks is down 1 percent so far in the current quarter and that bookings for the first two quarters of fiscal 2009 are down "a little under 10 percent" from last year.

"We are seeing a marketplace that is clearly tougher than it was in fiscal year 2008 and our ability to predict is very limited." Chief Executive Bob Iger said.


http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20081106/media_nm/us_disney

[madmonkeygirl]

Gee i'm not surprised with the economy the way it is. I mean times are tough. If i were planning a family vacation would rather do something less expensive with the whole family than theme parks. My parents used to drag us kids camping in the summer for an entire week of roughing it. That was our vacation. No theme parks.

[wolfy999]

It sure doesn't seem like it at Disneyland...I've heard WDW is slow though.. We have been having some very large crowds during the weekends, more than normal.

They could all be pass holders, so that wouldn't help the bottom line of course.

[Kevy Baby]

They could all be pass holders, so that wouldn't help the bottom line of course.If Annual Passes didn't help Disney's bottom line, they wouldn't sell them.

[wolfy999]

I agree of course, I'm one of those people that spend a lot at the Parks. But as far as bookings are concerned....the individual Ticket Sales & Hotel Occupancies may not be happening.

[CoasterMatt]

Annual Passes do help the bottom line, but in the theme park industry; main gate tickets and hotel bookings are the main source of revenue.

[NickO'Time]

Possibly more state taxes on Theme parks in the works at the state capital, might not help this either.(part of the bailout for the state deficit.)

[belleh5]

Priceline is offering $35 Hotel rooms. They keep sending me e-mails. I wonder where the hotels are?

[Stan4dSteph]

I have certainly gotten more emails from WDW about travel offers over the past few months than I recall getting at any other time.

[€uroMeinke]

Priceline is offering $35 Hotel rooms. They keep sending me e-mails. I wonder where the hotels are?

I think those are the one's where the girls cost extra

[wolfy999]

WDW is offering "pay for 4 nights, get 3 free". The Florida Parks are really hurting.

[bewitched]

WDW is offering "pay for 4 nights, get 3 free". The Florida Parks are really hurting.

Ooooo, really? :Goes to check this tidbit out:

eta: the system doesn't seem to be working at the moment BUT, if you travel between
1/4/09-3/29/09, you also get a $200 gift card!

[Moonliner]

I would expect to see attendance go up while at the same time profits to go down at DLR.

In a recession people stop traveling as much, but they still want to have fun. So local parks (like DLR) can see a rise in attendance but guests buy less souvenir crap and don't stay in the hotels.

For WDW I would expect attendance to go down along with profits to a much higher degree than WDW. It could be a good time to plan a trip.

[Moonliner]

I think those are the one's where the girls cost extra

Soo, umm, errr just out of curiosity exactly which hotels include the girls? Do you have their number?

[Stan4dSteph]

WDW is offering "pay for 4 nights, get 3 free". The Florida Parks are really hurting.Just in case anyone is interested, Mark Goldhaber has info. on his blog here (http://mousepad.mouseplanet.com/blog.php?b=302). I was thinking of going down for the Princess Half Marathon, but I'm not sure I would take off a whole week for that.

[Ghoulish Delight]

Crap, we wanted to hold off on a trip to Florida until 2010 in hopes of being around for the final space shuttle mission, but damn!

[wolfy999]

The Wolfpack owns a Travel Agency if anyone needs any help at all with booking a WDW package or has any questions.

[Kevy Baby]

The Wolfpack owns a Travel Agency if anyone needs any help at all with booking a WDW package or has any questions.And they do a damned fine job! I highly recommend them :)

[Kevy Baby]

I hope that theme park bookings cheer up soon

[Prudence]

Dammit! Of all the times to be in a new job with no leave saved up. :mad:

[RStar]

Priceline is offering $35 Hotel rooms. They keep sending me e-mails. I wonder where the hotels are?
Ranch Cucamonga

;)
Ooooo, really? :Goes to check this tidbit out:

eta: the system doesn't seem to be working at the moment BUT, if you travel between
1/4/09-3/29/09, you also get a $200 gift card!

What is the weather there like at that time?

[Sohrshah]

The weather is always lovely here in SoCal...

[JWBear]

The weather is always lovely here in SoCal...

Yes, when neither rain nor ash is falling...