Travel Trends: Theme park attendance down, Disney remains strong

by Gadling Staff on

The outlook for theme parks in 2010 is quite upbeat compared to 2009. Last year, attendance slipped as the rough economy forced millions of people to stay home and snap shut their wallets.

This year, the improving economy, coupled with dozens of new attractions opening at parks around the country, is expected to pump up attendance figures at North American theme parks.

“The industry is well positioned to have a good year this year,” says Gene Jeffers, executive director at the Themed Entertainment Association. “They actually did well last year, considering the economy.”

In 2009, attendance at North America’s 20 most-visited theme parks slipped 1.1% from 2008, to 121.4 million visits, according to newly released data from the TEA.

Disney’s parks in Florida and California, however, bucked the downward trend by posting year-to-year increases.

In fact, the number 1 amusement park was Magic Kingdom at Walt Disney World with just over 17.2 million visitors, up 1% from 2008.These parks are less affected by downturns in the domestic economy than many other parks since so many visitors come from overseas. Disney, and other parks, also worked hard to attract visitors with favorable pricing.

“Disney has so many resources that they can make hotel-park combo deals,” explains Jeffers. “They tried to make sure that, even in difficult times, people could come for the day and enjoy the park.”

Still, many other destination parks posted declines. The same was true for many regional parks that heavily rely on locals to lift attendance figures.

For instance, Busch Gardens Tampa Bay posted a 12.3% decline, to 4.1 million visitors. Kings Island in Ohio was down 4%, to 3 million visitors.

In 2010, the outlook for the theme park industry is good due in part the improving economy.

But another factor playing into this is that dozens of new attractions are opening this year. Among these is the 5,100-foot-long rollercoaster Intimidator 305 at Kings Dominion in Virginia; the first phase of the new Luna Park Coney Island in New York City; and of course the Wizarding World of Harry Potter in Orlando.

“That’s a fairly large factor in our outlook,” says Nima Samadi, industry analyst at research firm IBISWorld. He expects U.S. attendance at all theme parks to increase 2.8% over 2009, when attendance by his estimate slumped 4.6% from 2008.

“Nearly everyone has been to a theme park before,” says Samadi. “So, the parks really need to entice people with new attractions to get them to come back.”

%Gallery-86600%

Data source: Themed Entertainment Association

See more Travel Trends.

Midsommar: The very best time to visit Stockholm

by Grant Martin on

Deep in the lowest latitudes of the Earth’s extremities, the far reaches of the planet where temperatures begin to plunge and where human populations drop precipitously, seasons have deeper meanings. Spring, Winter and Fall are plain, solid facts of life, the cold months during which fires are built, hard work is complete and the foundation of the year is laid. These are the months where Lyle and Scott sweaters are worn proudly by light skinned Swedes, where bicycles are ridden furiously through the blinding snow, puddle jumping from one warm abode to the next, conserving every last bit of warmth.

It’s preparation in a way, ten long months of good hard work for a two month reward, a swift, vanishing summer than can easily be missed in the blink of an eye. In Sweden, these months are June and July.

Swedes take their summertime very seriously, especially in Stockholm where cooped up urbanites use their stored up vacation to escape from the nation’s bustling, stark capital. Activity hits fever pitch around Midsommar, the traditional festival held once a year celebrating the longest day of the summer, fertility and the general release of energy stored up over the long, winter months. During this time, tempers even out, jovial residents take to the streets and the celebration spills through the country like a tidal wave of happiness, with dinner parties, drinking events and sales unlike any other time of the year.It is inside of this precise window that Sweden is often best to visit. It’s true that not all attractions are open and not all services will be at fever pitch, but the atmosphere, in short, is Godly. From the high, fluffy Atlantic clouds to the clean, bright architecture to the festivals and the sales and the never ending stream of herring and aquavit, Sweden is at its best during summertime festivities, and is a destination unrivaled in aesthetic and experience.

Getting there, however, can be tricky. With limited routes to the Scandinavian nation and demand at a seasonal high, tickets tend to be expensive for travel during summer months. But creative routing, fare sales on SAS and good planning doth an inexpensive trip make, so plan ahead, set up a fare alert and save your allowance for vacation; though Sweden is an expensive country there are plenty of budget options for the savvy traveler.

At the very least, be sure to tune into Gadling’s Midsommar coverage as the summer progresses. We’ve got many more wonderful stories to tell.

Find Gadling in Chicago tomorrow and win prizes!

by Grant Martin on

It’s been a long, cold winter in the Gadling labs, bloggers deep in the trenches of travel reporting and writing, editors furiously beating the drum of production, production production. With our noses to the grindstones the seasons have changed, lovers have come and gone, and the lines on our faces have grown deep — but our wanderlust has remained, dormant, hungry, waiting to strike.

Yes, now that the weather has turned it’s time to get out, time to shed the weight of winter past and time to kick the living crap out of the season known as summertime, verano, été, sommer.

We’re doing it this week in Chicago. And we’re dragging you along with us.

This Wednesday, two of Gadling’s editors *in real life* (swoon!) will be taking to the streets of Chicago armed with nothing more than their wits, four cases of Old Style and a shopping cart full of prizes.

Prizes, you say? Oh yes, plenty of prizes. That’s right, we’re hosting a scavenger hunt.

This round will be pretty simple. After work on Wednesday afternoon, sashay over to our Twitter feed (you may know us there as @gadling — we’re kind of a big deal) and perk your ears up. Once every few minutes or so we’ll give you clue or two on where we’re moseying. It may be coordinates. It may be a metaphysical state. It may require you to bring a stuffed squirrel. But we’ll be there. We’ll have prizes. And we may be drinking.

Sound good? We’ll give you more details tomorrow.

[image courtesy Erin Drewitz]

Where’s My Tip – a cashless way to tip when you travel

by Annie Scott on


Tipping when you’re traveling can be an uncomfortable situation. For example, you get to a foreign country and, exhausted, you have to get cash and get it changed into small bills or coins immediately so that you can tip whoever takes your bag when you get to the hotel. Half the time, you don’t even know what an appropriate tip is in that country (I always ask the exchange teller if I’ve forgotten to Google it), and the other half of the time you forget completely and all you have in your wallet is a $20 bill. Even on a domestic trip, having nothing but a $20 bill is a dilemma.

Where’s My Tip is a new company which aims to solve these problems. Upon joining, you get a small box of 100 cards slightly taller and less wide than business cards which say “You’ve just been tipped!” Instructions on the card direct the holder to WheresMyTip.com, where they can click “Request a Tip” and enter the unique ID number on the card.On the “Request a Tip” page, the tipped party enters their name, the email address they use for PayPal, their service and location (like … bellhop service at the Ritz-Carlton, Amelia Island) and their tip request. Yes, the dollar amount. The screen prompt will inform them that the most commonly requested tip is $5.

After the request has been filed with your unique ID number, you will be emailed a PayPal invoice for the amount specified by the tipee. PayPal takes their cut, of course. You will also have the option to modify the amount; if they request a $400 tip, you obviously don’t have to pay it.

There are clearly some kinks to be worked out; I’m sure that the valet at a restaurant would rather the $20 bill than a card with instructions on it. Also, this won’t work in parts of the world where people aren’t hip to the PayPal thing (though that number is always shrinking). Still, this is an innovation we could see growing into, at the very least, a great backup for when you have no tipping cash on you, and maybe, one day, an alternative to carrying cash when you travel at all. Additionally, if someone, like the concierge, gives you service over and above what you have in your wallet, this is a great way to get them that $50 you’d like to give.

We recommend tipping a couple of dollars extra with these, since the tipees have to go online to get their tip.

Membership at WheresMyTip is $100 per year and comes with 100 tip cards per year. Currently, membership is by invitation only. Click here to apply for a membership.

[Photo by Annie Scott]

Sydney hostel more than budget accomodation: Wake Up! backpackers reviewed

by Laurel Miller on

While I don’t expect anyone to ooze sympathy for the plight of travel writers, the fact is, when we’re not getting hooked up at swanky hotels, we’re often left to sleep on airport floors and bus seats. I actually enjoy those experiences; it’s the eponymous “youth” hostel I’ve grown weary of. I should add that despite their name, hostels (also known as backpackers) aren’t only used by young’un’s. Plenty of middle-aged, and elderly, yet spry, travelers use hostels, because they’re inexpensive and convenient. That said, us oldies need to choose carefully, because many hostels do cater specifically to hard-core partiers.

Hosteling was a blast in my 20’s and 30’s. But sometime around, oh, last year, I hit a wall. As in, sharing a dorm room with a mob of drunk, loutish American frat boys, or squirrelly girls garbed in non-ironic ’80’s attire was not only not fun- it was a form of torture. Such was my recent experience at one Base Backpackers in Sydney. I arrived late at night, with food poisoning, after a long flight. I’d intentionally booked a bed for three nights in a four-person, all-female dorm, with the hope it would reduce my odds of hostel hell. I was wrong.

After paying for three night’s accommodation, I staggered up to the sixth floor, wanting only to crawl into bed. Upon entering my assigned room, I found a gaggle of Scandinavian girls pounding beers, blasting music, and readying for a big night out. One of them gestured toward a dirty, unmade bed (mine), noting only, “It has not been cleaned yet.”

Let’s just say that I was assigned another room. The next morning, I booked a bed for the remainder of my stay at the incredibly kick-ass Wake Up! backpackers mere blocks away.

Confession: I meant to stay there all along, after spotting it on my way to the airport on my last visit. I forgot to write down the name, and for some reason confused it with The Other Place when I looked online, and pre-booked.

Wake Up! is what all hostels should strive to be. It’s not that it offers services and amenities others don’t: it’s that it does a better job, in a better facility, in an atmosphere that isn’t Girls Gone Wild meets Theta Chi. It’s youthful, but the welcoming vibe extends to all ages. The family-owned and -run business opened its doors in 2002, and has consistently racked up accolades ever since.

Located in a historic, seven-story sandstone in the “backpackers ghetto,” Wake Up! sits on the border of Haymarket/Chinatown (inarguably some of the best- and cheapest- eating in Sydney). It’s across the street from the Central Railway Station, five minutes walk to the CBD, and ten minutes to Darling Harbour, and The Rocks/Circular Quay, where the Opera House and Harbour Bridge are located. The bus stop for the beaches is just down the street.

Wake Up’s! staff is friendly and competent, the facilities are clean and modern, and the property offers just about every service a traveler could possibly need: 24-hour web and wireless ($3.50 AUD/hour), travel services, guided city and beach walking tours, a cafe, kitchen, laundry, TV/DVD lounge, storage lockers, airport transfers ($14 AUD), 24-hour
check-in, help line, and security; card access to floors and rooms, job search assistance, and mobile phones and cards for sale. There are also scheduled events like bar hops, beach barbecues, and theme parties.

Rooms range from twins and doubles ($98 AUD/room; $17 for third person), and double en suites ($108/room; $17per extra person) to four, six, eight, and ten-person dorms (some mixed, some female-only) ranging from $38 to $30 per person. Sydney has become heinously expensive, and you’re not likely to find accommodations as nice, and as centrally located, for these prices- a nearby Travelodge is currently listed at $147 USD/night. Note that prices will vary according to season. There’s a 28-day maximum stay, which is convenient for students and job-seekers.

My four-person dorm sported one bunk with a double bed on the bottom (the swinger’s room?), as well as a standard bunk, and a wardrobe. All of the rooms offer great views of Sydney’s southern CBD. Yeah, the decor is a bit tacky- walls painted garish mustard, puce, rose, or swimming pool-blue; white metal bunks, utilitarian carpet, bed linens that look like knock-off Ken Done motifs, but who cares? No one stays in hostels for the interior design, and what’s more important is that this place is CLEAN. The spotless communal bathrooms are massive, well-lit, tiled spaces with functioning shower heads and good water pressure (a rarity in hostelandia).

Should you find yourself in Sydney with a bit of a cramp in your wallet, or if you just want to save your cash for the city’s many other delights, check out Wake Up!
Just be sure to write down the name, first.

%Gallery-94503%