We've taken 20 or so vacations to Disney World since 1975. The first two were offsite. Then somewhere around 1980 we stayed in Fort Wilderness and since then never stayed off property.
We also have never used EE.... I've seen some people on these discussion boards stay off property but reserve a campsite for one night so they can get the "perks" of on-property guests. The draw for us was always in the TRANSPORTATION.
Think about it. Back in '75 and '76 we would leave the parks and wait in the longest lines you could ever imagine to get on the monorail. Back then there was no standing room on those things either. After that wonderful experience, you waited for your tram. Like cows to slaughter we stood there, tired, worn out, hoping beyond all hope that maybe you will make it on the next one. Then you rode around a sea of cars listening for your section to be called. Just awful!
Then we stayed at the campground. In the morning instead of sitting in traffic, we stood along the dock waiting for our boat. To a kid, there's your first ride of the day already! When it was time to leave, we bypassed the masses and sat on benches waiting for our boat.(Those staying at CR and the Poly had shorter waits too for the monorail, back in those days, you had to show your "resort ID" to get on the resorts monorail). Riding the boat on the way home thinking of all those poor people still waiting to get their cars we'd think, "This is wonderful! Why would anyone stay off property? And tomorrow, instead of sitting in some hole in the ground pool, we are going to walk to River Country! You'd have to be a fool to do it any other way!
Now fast forward to 2002. My parents are DVC owners, a major jump up from our old pop-up camper at FW. But AGAIN we are driven like cattle to the busses. There we wait in huge lines choking on fumes hoping beyond all hope that the next bus is the one with your resorts name on it. Reminds me of waiting for that tram. If the line is long enough, you start wondering if you are going to have a meltdown in front of everyone if your family doesn't make it on. Then you are stuffed on a dark bus with a million stinky sweaty people. It made sitting in your own comfy car, waiting in traffic to get out look mighty good.
I had an old WDW brochure or book or something that would boast that "half the fun was getting there" talking about their monorails and other methods of transportation. If you ask me (bet you wish you didn't). EE isn't affecting low occupancy rates, it's the transportation system.
I know that it is impossible to totally eliminate the bussing system. Even in the 80's trips we had to take the bus to the Lake Buena Vista shopping center (now Downtown Disney). If I were the Big Cheese, I would find someone who organized a good public transportation system say for a university or city and have them give the monorail system a major overhaul, maybe even move the TTC to a more central location within WDW. Utilize the peoplemovers in smaller areas (such as around DD with 3 stops and maybe around the MGM-Boardwalk-Epcot area). Make getting around the "World" the pleasureable experience it once was. And I'd do something like give resort guests exclusive use of the fastpass at the parks (I think Universal did this). You know, something to make us feel special like we used to.
But that is my opinion. Yours may differ (but I don't see why
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