Category — p. News and Changes

Disney’s quarterly earnings release and analyst call (today at 5p) showed strong results in the parks and resorts in the last three months of 2013, and strong bookings for the first three months of 2014.

This suggests no changes in Disney’s core short term strategies for Walt Disney World.

That is, based on the solid economics from the last three months of 2013, and good 2014 trends so far, Disney will continue cutting back on discounts, and rolling out FastPass+ and the overall MyMagic+ program, pretty much along the lines we’ve seen so far.

The last three months of 2013 showed a 6% increase in revenues and 16% in operating income at the parks and resorts, largely from the domestic parks. There were no particular calendar comparability issues in the two years, although at the park level 2013 had a full three months of New Fantasyland, while 2012 had less than a month.

Walt Disney World set a new attendance record for the quarter, but, I infer, not by much, because while the record was referenced in the call, increased attendance was not mentioned in the quarterly earnings release as a driver of results.

Profitability at the parks and resorts was up strongly. Excluding implementation costs and some pension increases, it was up almost 360 basis points—that is, an additional 3.6% of revenues. This was largely driven by higher spending per day per visitor and higher realized hotel prices per night.

And bookings for the current quarter are strong, with hotel bookings so far for the current quarter up 7% compared to the same quarter last year. Since a week of the Easter crowds were in this quarter last year, but not this year, that’s pretty remarkable.

Disney is pleased with MyMagic+ and FastPass+. Improvements–other than a much higher per-capita use of FastPass+ than legacy Fastpass ever saw–remain still largely anecdotal, but the anecdotes make sense.

A couple of other comments I noted, and perhaps read too much into:

• In one of Iger’s responses to an analyst’s question, he implied that it would continue to be true that only Disney World resort guests would be able to book beginning 60+ days ahead of time, and not off site guests. That’s the status now, and widely expected to be what will continue in the future, but nothing has been officially announced. This comment supports the thought of the continuing major differences between FastPass+ for on and off-site guests.
• Jay Rasulo mentioned that Seven Dwarfs Mine Train would be opening in “a few” months. There’s no legal definition of “a few,” but this continues to make me hope it will be open for the Easter crowds in late April, and even better for the Spring Break crowds beginning in early March!

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As detailed here, the two monorail loops serving the Magic Kingdom began closing on weekdays from 11.30a til 7p last week.

I was at the Contemporary Thursday through Saturday, experienced the closures on Friday, and so thought I’d give a bit of an update, with photos. Along the way, there’s detours into the new buses, and Polynesian construction!

But the short version is that there’s lots of buses and all seems to be going fine.

Friday I started the day with a visit to the Wilderness Lodge to pick up a few more photos for the re-review. While in line for the boat from the Wilderness Lodge back to the Contemporary, I heard another guest complaining that because the monorails were down at TTC, the boat was the only way she could get back to the Contemporary.

I couldn’t think of any sensible scenario where getting from TTC to the Contemporary included a boat from the Wilderness Lodge, so I thought I’d better check out how the outage was going…

I started at the Contemporary bus stop, where you can now find buses to the Magic Kingdom and to TTC.

I walked to the Magic Kingdom, and saw along the way two different track gang vehicles–here’s the one I got a better shot of.

At the Magic Kingdom bus stop, I saw the buses heading to the monorail resorts and to TTC.  The Polynesian and Grand Floridian shared one bus at spot 1, and the Wilderness Lodge and Contemporary Resort shared another at spot 2.

There was also a different bus stop for TTC, at spot 28.  Here’s the slot assignments the day I was there. (As always, click the photos to enlarge them.)

As I walked up to the TTC slot, one of the new articulated buses pulled away from it.  I was bummed to not get a ride in one of these–they are enormous!

But I did get this photo of three of them lined up at the bus stops.

Here’s a closer shot of the new buses.

Then I took a regular bus from the Magic Kingdom to TTC.  The rolling time was 5 minutes.

Here’s the TTC signage for the buses to the monorail resorts.

The bus sharing is the same here (or at least it was when I was present).

I suspect the poor woman who took the bus to the Wilderness Lodge, and then the boat to the Contemporary, got that idea from a Wilderness Lodge guest on the bus who didn’t realize the bus went both places…and only knew about the boat…

There’s also buses to the Magic Kingdom at TTC (plus, of course, the ferry).  These have better signs than the buses to the monorail resorts, including this one.

From TTC I walked to the Polynesian–despite the construction at the Polynesian, the walkway is still open. When they need to move stuff from the staging area to the construction area, they’ll shut it down for a bit.

The only new thing about Poly construction I noticed, by the way, is that Tahiti is now sealed off behind construction fabric.

Here’s a shot of the construction from Tokelau, which remains open.

Then I went to the Polynesian bus stop and grabbed a bus to the Magic Kingdom.  As was the case at the Contemporary, Magic Kingdom, and TTC, I waited less than five minutes for the bus.  I’d guess average waits will be on the order of ten minutes.

The bus to the Magic Kingdom from the Polynesian heads first to the Grand Floridian, then backtracks around the Seven Seas Lagoon to the park.  Rolling time plus the time at the Grand Floridian was about 15 minutes–the return trip, where the Poly will be visited first, will be about ten minutes.

Later that evening, when the monorails were running again, I took it both ways. It took about two minutes to get back to the Contemporary from the Magic Kingdom, and 13 minutes to get to the park in the first place.  Crowds were light both ways.

At the Contemporary, I heard a different woman complain to the monorail cast members–“How can you call yourself a monorail resort with monorail closures?” she asked.  A fair question.

But maintenance needs to happen, and, at least on this quiet Friday with no evening parade at the Magic Kingdom, the buses filled in just fine.

I’m a little worried about how this will work on days when people are trying to get to a 7p parade…and I’m really concerned about the week of President’s Day, when both the hotels and the parks will be mobbed–but at least on Friday, all was well.

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Josh of easyWDW.com and I have begun working together on a big new secret joint project.

I can’t even hint at the details now, but if all goes as we hope–and if I don’t die of laughter in the meantime–we’ll be able to fill you in on the full scoop in six weeks or so.

In the meantime, this big new super secret thingy will absorb a lot of my spare time.

Thus I may end up posting new stuff here a little less often than usual–perhaps three to four times a week instead of five to seven times a week.

Or maybe it’ll take less time than I’m thinking, and all will be the same…

We’ll see–but for sure, I’ll still be here for you!

Now I have to go write Josh a memo, schedule a meeting with him…and otherwise get busy driving him crazy!

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With the parks tearing out their old “legacy” Fastpass machines and converting entirely to FastPass+ by January 23…well, I’ve had to adapt and change my Disney World  itineraries!

I’ve now got you covered until the end of August—and likely, I think, through Thanksgiving week, though I won’t know that for sure until the September, October, etc. calendars come out.

But just as in the rest of the year, there’s always the possibility that in a given week you’ll need to swap things around in response to operating pattern changes that week.

My basic approach has been to keep park days the same for dates up to 180 days ahead (as of the time I started publishing these new itineraries, in November), so that dining recommendations remain valid, but take this opportunity to completely re-do itineraries for dates that were beyond 180 days. Since I started this in November, that means all-new itineraries beginning for arrival dates May 31, 2014 and later.

So here’s the details—but double check here for suggested or required changes

• Most arrival dates between now and the week before the week before Easter: Supplement the Autumn-Winter-Spring Itinerary with this
• The two weeks before and after Easter: Supplement the Summer Itinerary (not a typo!) with this
• The weeks from the week after the week after Easter through Memorial Day Week: Supplement the Autumn-Winter-Spring Itinerary with this
• The weeks from May 31 through mid-August: Use the new FastPass+ Itinerary for High Crowd Weeks
• The second half of August: use the new FastPass+ Itinerary for Lower-Crowd Weeks

As Disney’s operating calendar continues to roll forward every month (it publishes about six and a half months ahead), you’ll be able to find recommended itineraries for the upcoming months after August here.

There’s also multiple seven night variants (all the above are the recommended eight nights)—these are all either supplemented or newly created too:

• Autumn-Winter-Spring Seven Night Variant, Saturday AND Sunday Arrivals —supplement with this.
• Seven Night FastPass+ Itinerary for High Crowd Weeks
• Seven Night FastPass+ Itinerary for Lower-Crowd Weeks, Saturday Arrival
• Seven Night FastPass+ Itinerary for Lower-Crowd Weeks, Sunday Arrival

I still need to do the “daily details” and finalize the To-Do Lists for the brand-new itineraries—these will come out well before the 60 day FastPass+ mark for them. Sixty days before the earliest new itinerary arrival date is early April—I’ll be done with these daily details by then, and likely by the end of February.

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I’ve recommended my “Summer Itinerary” for the weeks before and after Easter, not because it’s summer then, but because up until this year these two weeks had the same high-crowd operating patterns in the Disney World  parks as the busy summer weeks do.

Well, as noted here, the summer itinerary doesn’t work for summer any more…and with the parks shifting to Fastpass+ only, it doesn’t quite work for the weeks before and after Easter either.

There’s two basic issues.

1. Earlier openings than currently posted, and added Extra Magic Hours–both of which might even change the night before–mean that you may need to be at the parks one or even two hours earlier than the Summer Itinerary indicates. You need to keep aware of Disney’s operating and Extra Magic Hours calendar if you are going these weeks, even checking the night before.
2. The itineraries are designed around old style Fastpass–and those will be entirely gone by then. It’s be FastPass+ or nothing…

On the first point, you just need to stay close to these hours.

On the second, below is an approach for how to handle Fastpass+–which you can begin booking, if you are staying at a Disney owned-and-operated hotel, 60 days before your arrival date.  (All dining and park days stay the same–what’s different is FastPass+)

First Saturday

• If you have time to see them, given your dining reservations and Orlando arrival times, see Soarin with a Tier One FastPass+–and if your times don’t work for Soarin, book as your Tier One Illuminations.
• If you don’t or can’t book Illuminations tonight, see it as scheduled Tuesday night.  If you do see it tonight, the viewing area is as close as you’ll find to the bus stops and monorail station, so head for them the moment Illuminations ends, walk fast, don’t stop, and you should miss most of the crowds departing Epcot!
• If your schedule permits additional FastPass+, for Tier 2, aim for Spaceship Earth and Mission Space Green, planning to see one before dinner and the other after.

First Sunday

• As I write this, there are no tiers at the Animal Kingdom.
• If this is still true when you book, get FastPass+ for Kali River Rapids, Festival of the Lion King (if it has re-opened for your dates; book Dinosaur otherwise), and Finding Nemo—The Musical.
• Set Nemo for the morning after 10, and the other two in the late afternoon—5p or later. This will lead to less backtracking and let you take the early afternoon off!
• If FastPass+ is tiered when you book it, choose Kali River Rapids late in the afternoon as your Tier One selection.
• When the park opens, see Kilimanjaro Safaris first thing, then Pangani Forest Trail, then Festival of the Lion King (if open) next.
• Note that you return to the Animal Kingdom on Wednesday

Monday

• This day is scheduled mostly in Fantasyland.
• If there’s no tiering, book as your FastPass+ Enchanted Tales with Belle, the Seven Dwarfs Mine Train (if open) and Winnie the Pooh.  If the Mine Train is not open, sect Buzz Lightyear instead. Target the times for the afternoon, with the windows ending by 3p, so you can see the 3p afternoon parade if it has re-opened by now. See Peter Pan at park open.
• If there is tiering, then set Seven Dwarfs Mine Train as your Tier One if open (Enchanted Tales with Belle if not open) and see Peter Pan at park open. With tiering, hold on Enchanted Tales with Belle until Saturday morning.

Tuesday

• As written, this itinerary has you at Epcot late to see Illuminations.  If you booked a FastPass+ for Illuminations on First Saturday, that part of today’s evening you’ll be free for rides—or to head back to your hotel!!—instead.
• If you did not get Soarin as your Tier One FastPass+ on Saturday, do it as your Tier One Today, targeting it for late afternoon.  If you did get it First Saturday, pick Illuminations as your Tier One today—that givesyou the option to beat the crowds if you choose to leave the park when Illuminations ends.
• For your Tier Twos, pick Turtle Talk with Crush and Living with the Land, both in the late afternoon, adjacent to your Soarin time if you have one.
• Go to Test Track at park open.

Wednesday

• Set Expedition Everest as your Tier One late in the morning—e.g., at 11a.
• At park open and until Expedition Everest, see anything you missed or want to see again from Sunday.
• If you are a huge roller coaster fan, head to Expedition Everest at open and ride it, on the theory that even with your FastPass+ you’ll want to see it twice!

Thursday

• Book Fantasmic Thursday as your Studios Tier One. This won’t get you better seats—you’ll still need to show up early for good seats—but means you won’t be shut out from the show!
• For your Tier Twos pick Great Movie Ride and Tower of Terror. Aim both for the late afternoon—with that, your visit tomorrow morning, and the absence of an afternoon parade at the Studios, you will then be able to take the afternoon off!
• See Rock N’ Roller Coaster at park open.

Friday

• Set Toy Story Mania as your Tier One selection, and Star Tours and Voyage of the Little Mermaid as your Tier Twos, all in the late morning or very early afternoon (so you can take the rest of the afternoon off.)
• At park open, hit your favorite ride from Thursday a second time.  If nothing from Thursday sharply resonates, hit Toy Story Mania at park open–on the theory that you may wish to see it twice, anyway!

Second Saturday

• If there’s tiering, and if you were not able to book a FastPass+ for Enchanted Tales with Belle on Monday, have it be your Tier One ride today, and see Space Mountain at park open
• If there’s no tiering, set as your FastPass+ Space Mountain, the Main Street Electrical Parade (you’ll also watch the Castle Show Celebrate the Magic and Wishes from this same spot—I got this idea from  Josh), Enchanted Tales with Belle if you haven’t booked that yet, or Space Mountain if you’ve seen Belle.   Set all of these FastPass+ for late afternoon or early evening, so you can take the afternoon off. At park open, see Big Thunder Mountain!

Second Sunday

• If there’s no tiering, book FastPass+ for Pirates of the Caribbean, Splash Mountain, and the Jungle Cruise, with times that suit your departure plans. Try to make Splash Mountain last.  See your favorite from earlier this week at park open.
• If tiering is on, book Splash Mountain as late as you can as your Tier One, and see the Jungle Cruise, and then Pirate of the Caribbean, at park open.

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Update: there’s a new–and much better–version of this itinerary here.

Below is a FastPass+ based Disney World seven night itinerary with a Sunday arrival.

There’s a Saturday arrival version too–but if you could do either, the one here, with a Sunday arrival, is better…)

This itinerary reliably works only during weeks that the normal eight night variant works without changes. To see if that’s true for your week, look your week up here. If your week is listed with changes–e.g. “swap Sunday and Tuesday” then use the comment form below to ask for help!

• Sunday
• Monday
• Tuesday
• Wednesday
• Thursday
• Friday
• Saturday
• Sunday

Thanks are especially due to Josh from easyWDW. With his permission, I picked the targeted park days based on both my own practices and his daily park recommendations.

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