Disney Parks getting rid of chairs and benches

[DawnStorm]

Disney taking out benches and chairs in order to widen walkways and paths for guests.

https://www.businessinsider.com/disn...t-park-2018-10

[crocoduck_hunter]

So if they're doing "demand pricing," can I get a major discount if I go there on an unpopular day?

[Sue]

I guess they're figuring their key demographics are not the elderly and the less physically robust because not having a place to sit down and rest is going to really cut down on people in those groups going to their parks.

[rhiandmoi]

These have always been problems, but they have tons of cast members to keep traffic flowing and they probably think that people will buy more food by having the only seating in the eateries.

[Seaboe Muffinchucker]

My experience at Disneyland (I've never been to Disneyworld, alas) is that the supposed available seating is never available anyway, and that the only real way to find a place to sit down is to get on a ride or go to a restaurant. I don't see how that will change.

Sue, for the elderly or not physically robust, I suspect the park expects them to use scooters, and that use will probably increase.

Seaboe

[E. Q. Taft]

At the risk of sounding like an overly privileged abled person, when I used to frequent the park, I used to wish they would have occasional days where strollers and wheelchairs were banned. OK, with wheelchairs I'm being unreasonable, and there usually aren't that many -- but the strollers make a pretty major contribution to the congestion, and they have to allocate a fair amount of space for stroller parking near attractions as well. When I'm being particularly grumpy, I will also note that a kid too young to walk around isn't old enough to appreciate the park anyway. (Though to be fair, even kids who are mobile and aware can tire out, and I don't blame parents for using strollers even for kids who can walk much of the time.)

And scooters -- hoo boy.

But taking benches and planters out seems like a bad solution. Rearranging them to keep them out of the traffic flow, sure. I can think of some other steps that might help, too, but that's getting off-track.

[kitap]

Originally Posted by DawnStorm

Article here.

I get their reasoning, but I also see unintended consequences such as people bringing their own seating, using restaurant chairs without ordering food, or just plain sitting down on the ground.

Disneyland is never going to let you bring in your own seating. I don't think they even allow walkers.

[Lainie]

Originally Posted by E. Q. Taft

When I'm being particularly grumpy, I will also note that a kid too young to walk around isn't old enough to appreciate the park anyway. (Though to be fair, even kids who are mobile and aware can tire out, and I don't blame parents for using strollers even for kids who can walk much of the time.)

Also, kids who are old enough to walk/appreciate the park often have younger siblings.

[Sue]

I totally hear you on being annoyed by strollers. Anyone who has ever tried to use public transit and ended up hemmed in by three enormous strollers can identify with this. It does seem like for many people a stroller isn't just a way to move their child from point A to point B but it also has to be large enough to keep half the contents of their home with them at all times! That said I don't see strollers not being used anytime soon. And not that anyone has suggested it but Disney may think the elderly and infirm can just suck it up (or not come to their parks) but there is no way they would ever ban strollers and risk alienating half their client base!

[Beachlife!]

I tend to think of Disney as something that is for kids first. I'd hate to see them make it difficult for families to go there because able-bodied adults are inconvenienced. I wasn't much of a stroller user for my kids and we almost never use them for the God-kids, but I can see how they are extremely useful if not necessary for some families.

[Morning]

I am old and infirm and I love the Disney parks. I was a bit less infirm when I visited about 6 to 10 years ago, but I used those benches often, at both Disneyland and DisneyWorld. It makes for a leisurely day without the rushing to rides and attractions.

And how else are we to enjoy our Dole Whips, Cinnamon Churros, and turkey legs if not comfortably seated watching the world go by? I know that there are rental scooters, but I would annoy other park visitors and I would feel a bit unwelcome in ways. And the rentals are an added cost, of course.

I would guess that the Disney powers that be will regret the decision and will lose noticeable money when the less able and older folks stop visiting.

Morning
is a bit broken, but I danced with Donald Duck, hugged Eeyore, and got a selfie with Tigger.

[Seaboe Muffinchucker]

Originally Posted by Morning

And how else are we to enjoy our Dole Whips, Cinnamon Churros, and turkey legs if not comfortably seated watching the world go by?

Those are food items, and the OP explicitly stated that they were increasing the food seating (the restaurant cited more than tripled their seating capacity).

Part of the problem with the huge strollers is that they have to be parked while the occupants and their parents are on the rides. Heaven forfend they should force young parents to use folding strollers instead (some of which are quite large when unfolded).

I was never a parent, but my sister, who was, thinks strollers shouldn't be allowed into restaurant seating areas. That the children should either walk or be carried to the table (note: if the child cannot walk and is too big to be carried, well, that's a wheel chair, not a stroller).

Seaboe

[crocoduck_hunter]

Originally Posted by Seaboe Muffinchucker

Those are food items, and the OP explicitly stated that they were increasing the food seating (the restaurant cited more than tripled their seating capacity).

Those are all food items that are sold by the park's vendor stalls and carts, not by the restaurants.

[Beachlife!]

I've never seen a stroller that wasn't a folding stroller. I think you are referring to umbrella strollers which often have no room to put things that little ones might need. It'd also be a pain to work out a way to store the folded stroller so that they are easily retrievable.

When adults are outnumbered by little ones a stroller within a restaurant can be close to necessary.

[Morning]

Originally Posted by crocoduck_hunter

Those are all food items that are sold by the park's vendor stalls and carts, not by the restaurants.

Exactly, Crocoduck_hunter. The food items I mentioned are all treats from vendors without set seating. I didn't usually go to the Disney sit-down rests restaurants due to not wanting to have to be on time for a reservation. What if I saw something worth delaying a meal? Also, those restaurants are all expensive.

Morning
is craving a Mickey ice cream.

[Esprise Me]

Originally Posted by Morning

I know that there are rental scooters, but I would annoy other park visitors and I would feel a bit unwelcome in ways. And the rentals are an added cost, of course.

I would guess that the Disney powers that be will regret the decision and will lose noticeable money when the less able and older folks stop visiting.

Morning
is a bit broken, but I danced with Donald Duck, hugged Eeyore, and got a selfie with Tigger.

I don't know if they'll lose money, as there seem to be plenty of people who want to visit Disney parks and could figure out a way to do without the benches. But I do suspect that a fair number of those folks will end up bringing or renting scooters, strollers, and wheelchairs where they might have otherwise been able to make do with rest breaks on the benches that are being removed. This of course will be inconvenient for everyone, including able-bodied adults who never used the benches.

[E. Q. Taft]

I certainly wouldn't realistically urge them to bar either strollers or wheelchairs, even if I thought they would (or could) do so. But the occasional "adults only" night for some premium price might be a worthwhile thing (they could sell adult beverages, too, and maybe bring in some entertainment acts that are on the edge of family-friendly).

I know for many of us the switch from the days when they had ticket books for rides to a single price was a good thing, but it did have a bad impact on some older folks. My grandmother used to enjoy going and would ride perhaps two rides, Small World (she collected international dolls) and Pirates of the Caribbean, and maybe the railroad or something. But she liked the shops and the entertainment. When she could just buy a general admission, or buy a ticket book and give us kids most of the tickets, she was much more apt to go. Of course with prices and crowds these days, offering some kind of seriously reduced-price admission for senior citizens just wouldn't be cost-effective. If they can fill the park at a hundred bucks apiece, why go lower?

(Ah, and I remember the days when Knott's Berry Farm didn't even have an admission charge -- you just paid for the rides. Even after they put up the fence and started charging, for a long time there was a large shopping area and some amusements that could be reached without paying, and plenty of free parking. In general I think society is advancing, but there are some things I do miss...)

[crocoduck_hunter]

I always thought Knott's Berry Farm was a weird name for an amusement park.

I went there when I was six or seven during a family trip to California, but I no longer remember anything about it.

[Seaboe Muffinchucker]

Originally Posted by E. Q. Taft

they could sell adult beverages, too

You can buy adult beverages at California Adventure, even without it being an adults only event.

There are only so many people you can pack into a limited space. Having to eliminate benches so that those people keep moving (or go sit somewhere that won't get bottle-necked) makes sense, even thought it's not a good choice for everyone.

IMO, removing the planters and leaving some of the benches would help with the bottle-necking, but the only real way to eliminate it is to reduce the number of people in the park. They have no incentive to do that, as long as people put up with the crowds.

Seaboe

[E. Q. Taft]

It is a weird name, though of course I grew up with it, so I tend to "hear" it as a theme park name rather than considering the literal meaning.

The basic story is that originally the land was in fact a berry farm. (Walter Knott began making his fortune by popularizing the boysenberry.) They then opened a chicken-dinner restaurant, which became so popular that there was frequently a long wait; so Knott built a "ghost town" to keep the crowds entertained. It sort of evolved from there. It's a pretty odd origin, and in a way it's surprising they never changed the name. (It's also in a way kind of odd the place has been so successful despite being only a few miles from Disneyland. These days it's probably an asset -- an additional attraction to bring people into the area in the first place -- but in the sixties, you might think the Disney park would have sucked all the business away. Somehow though they managed to come through.)