Universal Attendance down 20%... read on

[drfrightner]

Go here and read...

http://blogs.orlandosentinel.com/bus...-calendar.html

[Kevin Dells]

Ya Think!

Major Attractions are going to be down on numbers everybodys out of work!

Hell my kids will be lucky if they see the end of the street!

[Barry]

Universal, Disney, etc... are destination "resort" type of places. I would expect them to be down. However, more regional/local places should do better as more people take "staycations" and stay closer to home.

I do not think this is an overall indicator of our our industry will do as we should benefit as people look for less expensive forms of entertainment.

[Mr Nightmarez]

Barry - I like STAYcations!

But I agree, as I work for a year round tourist trap (Ruby Falls) their numbers are up and the cars in the parking lot are w/ tags locally or surrounding states. A few from further out but still 70% within a days drive.

The entertainment aspect of the industry is actually up locally. (Not everyone) but we are building 2 new Movie Theaters in Chattanooga - why would you build if things were gloom? When you speak to local tourism and hotels - things might be off projections due to the past few years of spending madness, but in all entertainment aspects are doing better than other industries.

This may not be true across the board, but I believe entertainment / tourism will continue to be ok as people WANT to get away and want to forget how the world is falling apart....

IMO

[Mr Nightmarez]

Not only the above but reading the responses: Costs go up and parking fees go up. And an overall item haunter's should take in: "They don't add or change anything - its the same thing from 5 years ago!" Change - "As Obama would say" is necessary. Now I don't believe BAD changes are good, but to increase attendance you have to make an effort and not gouge your attendees.
We plan on hitting Dollywood and Six Flags over Georgia this year instead of an Orlando trip. Plus both are 2 hours from us... and both have made additions and changes in the past 2 years.

[Gore Galore]

We live within 2 hours of Holiday World, and I saw they had their best year in their history last year.
And their marketing is up already this year.

[storm]

Go here and read...

http://blogs.orlandosentinel.com/bus...-calendar.html

Any down turn in people spending money on entertainment is concerning, but from the Blog, definitely looks like it’s a reflection on people budgeting for travel. Hopefully this will not translate into a down turn for our friends with haunted attractions at more localized amusement parks this season.

I subscribe to the box office take for summer movies as an economic indicator to relate to haunts. If there is a down turn in movie attendance that might be an indication families are making cuts that could effect haunted attractions. Regardless, even this news out of Orlando highlights the importance of good marketing principles and showcasing the value of our haunted attractions.

[chuck weber]

Good !

Hopefully all of these damn overpriced ripoff parks will suffer in this economy.
Great adventure six flags, new jersey, without a coupon is $70.00 for an adult... And they have the nerve to charge you $15.00 to park!...what a rip! You have to wait almost 2 hours to get on any of the good rides... Forget it !!!

Give me Knoebel's (family owned) Elysburg, pa (near Bloomsburg, Pa) or Holiday World in Indiana.... Now those are "amusement parks" !!!! Family owned, family priced, and still lots of fun.. I dont mind paying for anything, just dont rip me off.

[skullman]

Knoebles ROCKS!!! Its my fave park around . Their Haunted House dark ride is the bomb!



Give me Knoebel's (family owned) Elysburg, pa (near Bloomsburg, Pa) or Holiday World in Indiana.... Now those are "amusement parks" !!!! Family owned, family priced, and still lots of fun.. I dont mind paying for anything, just dont rip me off.[/QUOTE]

[Kevin Dells]

You would think places like Disney would be offering decent rate cuts to help the people still vacation but they really aren't.

And i agree the Amusment parks prices are way out of hand we haven't been in years, we just can't swallow a 300 dollar day for our family to ride a couple rollercoasters. Thats where the problem lies too i believe, all these parks still trying to outbuild each other which drives the prices up.

So we plan trips to see smaller venues such as Captain Spauldings, he has awesome chicken!

[poison]

No loans for movies

As far as the MOVIES and our economy goes we have a bit of a problem.....
See movies aren't getting the funding they need because banks usually give the loans. And as we all know banks are at a stand still with giving out any loans.

So until we get our banking system back in check and online again we wont see too many NEW MOVIES, especially Blockbuster ones.

I'm a Sound Effects Editor and work mainly on TV right now. So im safe but man.......
As far as MOVIES go all my friends are hurting for work right now.
Its dead out there.

[Boni]

Holiday World in Southern Indiana is an awesome little park.

One price gets you the water park and the rides, plus soft drinks are free and sun tan lotion is free too. Can you believe that, soft drinks for free. That has to be one of the highest margin offerings anyone can offern and they dole it out for free.

At one time they had the #2 and #5 best rated wooden roller coasters in the world, I think those were the numbers.


Michigan Adventure is another nice park about half way up the coast of Lake Michigan from Indiana, 25 bucks a person, water park included, hardly any wait for rides. We waited longer to get on the train than we did the new roller coaster.

[Jim Warfield]

Tourism Businesses are closing.

Yesterday at Blackhawk Waterways, a state funded tourism promoting organization, I was told several bed& breakfasts and nice restaurants around this area had closed for lack of business.
These businesses are only an hour from the Chicago suburbs and had been successful businesses most of them with years of good income behind them.
Business is always slow this time of the year here for us too, but it has been real slow this year.
Ridiculously slow. I am considering pimping myself out to elderly wimmen, if I could find any much older than me, that is...sort of like that Sat. Night Live character of Dan Aykroyd's, "Fred Garven, Male Prostitute , from Bettendorf, Iowa". complete with multiple trusses and physical maladays.
And yes, there is a "Bettendorf, Iowa, (I cal it "Better Dwarf") just an hour down the road from here! It's part of the Quad-Cities (Quasi-moto-Cities)

[mindtumor]

It is getting harder to go and see movies around me because of theaters closing. Right now we have lost two plus a drive-in all with the last few months. If the last couple close ones close down as well I will have to travel to far for me to even bother going and seeing movies unless they are a huge movie like Dark Knight or something. So I guess what I am saying is I may be able to afford to do it but I won't bother unless there is a theater withing 20 miles or so.