Has Disney changed its focus on the Guest?

[iheartglaciers]

Did you call (407) 939-4357? I had a problem with MDE where I tried connecting my account with a family member and it messed a lot of our hotel and fastpass reservations. I called twice (because I missed something the first time) and both times the CM was really nice, super patient, and fixed the problems. When my cousin separately called he said they couldn't fix the problem, but I'm wondering if he called a main number and I called the MDE/FP specific help line.

However, I do agree with your overall sentiment. I totally understand Disney is a business and profits/shareholders always come first, but I do think there has been less of a focus on the customer and quality of experience as compared to previous years.

 

[ChallengerHK1]

Thanks everyone for replying and for voicing your thoughts.

I specifically did not mention what I was asking for because I didn't want to get into a discussion of whether it was important, possible or worth canceling a trip over. Suffice it to say that my wife has had a serious back injury, and she needs to be able to lie down often, especially during travel. I asked for something that would make that possible and take less than 5 minutes of a CM's time and no other resources. As I said, it was impossible, until I threatened to cancel, and then it suddenly became possible. That tells me it was possible all along. Of course, since they have yet to make good on it, they can always come back to me during the trip with "We would never have promised you that." With the way they're behaving I'd call the odds of that happening 50/50...and if it did, this would be the very last Disney trip for me.

I agree with the comments, in this thread and elsewhere, that Disney is a business, and should be acting as such. I also agree with those who have said (elsewhere) that they need to be very careful about maximizing profits at the expense of their reputation. Finally, I also agree with the comments that the Disney reputation may have become a curse for them.

 

[OldsDr]

As an Oldsmobile man I feel compelled to respond to the Mopar man.

Their focus on growing their business through innovation and superb customer service has yielded to squeezing every last drop out of the customers wallet.

 

[manning]

My first visit was March 1972 and many more thereafter the 70s and 80s were the golden years. Compared to ow it is like night and day. The saying was that Disney was not the cheapest vacation BUT YOU GOT WHAT YOU PAID FOR.CMs bent over backward to help you. And I mean backward. The quality was high. I can remember when meals were top notch. Today run of the mill. An item on the menu is called one thing and on another called something else. They do have something in common. They are the same.

 

[manning]

Any mention of "magic" at this juncture is pure nonsense...that's a PR trick used by the management at this point.

However...I do concede part of your point: it is possible that Disneys reputation for "first class service" is a curse they hate...

It has driven sales...but also likely driven expectations beyond where they want them moving forward.

In the future, they will look to increase prices more and also shave services down to achieve maximum profits...they have been doing it hard for 20 years...

That "reputation" may be on their mind as a curse more than a benefit now.

Then supply and demand kicks in. Prices go up demand goes down.

Quality and service goes down. Demand goes down.

 

[lockedoutlogic]

My first visit was March 1972 and many more thereafter the 70s and 80s were the golden years. Compared to ow it is like night and day. The saying was that Disney was not the cheapest vacation BUT YOU GOT WHAT YOU PAID FOR.CMs bent over backward to help you. And I mean backward. The quality was high. I can remember when meals were top notch. Today run of the mill. An item on the menu is called one thing and on another called something else. They do have something in common. They are the same.

Here, here...

 

[lockedoutlogic]

Then supply and demand kicks in. Prices go up demand goes down.

Quality and service goes down. Demand goes down.

That could be manifesting now...time will tell.

When was the last time there was any hint of flat/declining attendance of occupancy during a travel boom and bull economy?

Yeah...as in this is the first. Never ever has happened before...always "growth" on the way up the mountain.

 

[BigAlsGal]

You asked for a special accommodation? Hmmm...

Thanks everyone for replying and for voicing your thoughts.

I specifically did not mention what I was asking for because I didn't want to get into a discussion of whether it was important, possible or worth canceling a trip over. Suffice it to say that my wife has had a serious back injury, and she needs to be able to lie down often, especially during travel. I asked for something that would make that possible and take less than 5 minutes of a CM's time and no other resources. As I said, it was impossible, until I threatened to cancel, and then it suddenly became possible. That tells me it was possible all along. Of course, since they have yet to make good on it, they can always come back to me during the trip with "We would never have promised you that." With the way they're behaving I'd call the odds of that happening 50/50...and if it did, this would be the very last Disney trip for me.

I agree with the comments, in this thread and elsewhere, that Disney is a business, and should be acting as such. I also agree with those who have said (elsewhere) that they need to be very careful about maximizing profits at the expense of their reputation. Finally, I also agree with the comments that the Disney reputation may have become a curse for them.

 

[wilkeliza]

I can respect and understand your wives need for a rest but I can also see Disney saying they can't have 1 CM following you around to make sure that accommodation is what you want. I can see them saying that there is first aid or you could rent a reclining wheelchair from an off site provider since they don't have them.

I'm not sure what accommodation they suddenly had to offer you but I would have a back up plan just in case it doesn't come through.

 

[Barbara76]

Thanks everyone for replying and for voicing your thoughts.

Suffice it to say that my wife has had a serious back injury, and she needs to be able to lie down often, especially during travel. I asked for something that would make that possible and take less than 5 minutes of a CM's time and no other resources. As I said, it was impossible, until I threatened to cancel, and then it suddenly became possible.

May I ask what one can request for Disney to do about this? My friend who is planning a trip for early 2017 has a back issue and some days this would be really helpful.

 

[whiporee]

While not to minimize the issue, I will say that a lot of threads like these start like yours did, with a reasonable complaint and a lot of agreeing and bashing. And then the next detail comes out -- the poster had some sort of special accommodation that WDW is unwilling or unable to address. A kid with special needs, a back issue, bad knees, heart attack, whatever -- people complaining not that service is bad, but that service doesn't go above and beyond to accommodate a specific and specialized request.

I can understand the frustration in that situation, and I sympathize with it. But when you're posting a title that says "Disney changed it's focus from the guests" you're making a broad generalization that doesn't apply to this circumstances. Disney isn't shorting guests -- it was hesitant to provide a special service that you feel is reasonable but perhaps WDW does not. While Disney has many faults, I think not having the resources or ability to help each and every special needs situation translates to the company having changed focus or becoming greedier. It just mean they've made a cost/ability decision that is not every helpful to a specific potential guest.

 

[Wdwfan2016]

I don't agree with the original poster at all. Disney still prides it's self on Guest Service. I have well over 200 trips under my belt and still find them more then willing to go above an beyond. I find that today Guests expect them to bend over backwards for them all the time, even when the request is not practical.

 

[lockedoutlogic]

Disney guest service is not "premier"...it is overall not as good as it was 20 years ago...nowhere near what it was 40 years ago...

The reason is that good guest service COSTS MONEY...and they are able to skirt that and not pay based in the structure of their operation and still "get by".

However...I do have to agree that the further explanation from the OP changes the whole tone of the discussion. Respectfully, Disney has no way to accommodate that type of situation efficiently or even effectively. Short of checking you in remotely a day early - there is no way to have a "rest area" available for the needs. And that is 100% an opinion born from Disney resort operations experience.

 

[jade1]

Disney guest service is not "premier"...it is overall not as good as it was 20 years ago...nowhere near what it was 40 years ago...

The reason is that good guest service COSTS MONEY...and they are able to skirt that and not pay based in the structure of their operation and still "get by".

Esp CP IMO-great folks, great program even, but sorry-many maybe most have minimal WDW experience and are not always much help IMO. Disney's fault they are put in that position though.

 

[DisFanDad]

That could be manifesting now...time will tell.

When was the last time there was any hint of flat/declining attendance of occupancy during a travel boom and bull economy?

Yeah...as in this is the first. Never ever has happened before...always "growth" on the way up the mountain.

I have thought about this myself. If Disney is hurting now for attendance, when the US economy is doing (and has been for several years) quite well, how would they be doing if the US was in recession, which it will undoubtedly be in again as the business cycle continues.

Sure we know the south American economy isn't doing that well, and that certainly hurts, but domestically the economy is doing quite well, I fear how bad this could get if/when the US economy goes into recession next.

 

[jade1]

I have thought about this myself. If Disney is hurting now for attendance, when the US economy is doing (and has been for several years) quite well, how would they be doing if the US was in recession, which it will undoubtedly be in again as the business cycle continues.

Sure we know the south American economy isn't doing that well, and that certainly hurts, but domestically the economy is doing quite well, I fear how bad this could get if/when the US economy goes into recession next.

Hope it stays/holds until the expansions are done.

 

[wilkeliza]

I have thought about this myself. If Disney is hurting now for attendance, when the US economy is doing (and has been for several years) quite well, how would they be doing if the US was in recession, which it will undoubtedly be in again as the business cycle continues.

Sure we know the south American economy isn't doing that well, and that certainly hurts, but domestically the economy is doing quite well, I fear how bad this could get if/when the US economy goes into recession next.

I don't think they are hurting due to domestic attendance or anything in their control. The first attendance drops came from Europe and South America and then the newest are over fears of Zika with a very very very small amount over the alligator. I don't think it is due to the level of service.

 

[DisFanDad]

I don't think they are hurting due to domestic attendance or anything in their control. The first attendance drops came from Europe and South America and then the newest are over fears of Zika with a very very very small amount over the alligator. I don't think it is due to the level of service.

I'd disagree that it has nothing to do with service, long time fans and fan sites have been complaining regularly of late about the downturns they perceive in service and offerings AND the increase in prices, that has to have an impact at some point.

I agree that it would be hard to trace the drop off just to "service", and rather there are other international factors impacting them as well, but I think that was kind of my point. The domestic sales / revenue is doing fine, but its doing so due to increased spending per guest (according to the last investor call), not because domestic attendance is keeping up. And this is despite the American economy being the strongest it has been in a decade. There in lies the rub, if you will. If they are at best teetering domestically right now, just breaking even or increasing revenue but not on increased attendance on increased prices, when the economy is the best its been in a decade, I really do worry how it will do if / when recession hits.

And I very much agree its impossible to isolate any of this to "service" i think its more of the big picture, all the cuts, all the increases in prices, its a total sum thing.

 

[DisFanDad]

Hope it stays/holds until the expansions are done.

Agreed. I think one of my fears (even though I'd like Disney to reconsider the latest spat of increased prices and upcharge events) is that Disney has now (late to the game) entered into all this expansion, and what if just as its coming online the economy falls out from under them ? I worry it will make them less likely to enter into such investments again, or even to scale back or cancel the various phase 2s, and 3s we have heard about in development or blue sky.

 

[lockedoutlogic]

I have thought about this myself. If Disney is hurting now for attendance, when the US economy is doing (and has been for several years) quite well, how would they be doing if the US was in recession, which it will undoubtedly be in again as the business cycle continues.

Sure we know the south American economy isn't doing that well, and that certainly hurts, but domestically the economy is doing quite well, I fear how bad this could get if/when the US economy goes into recession next.

Well...some...around here have postulated this since about 2012 when the promos ended and the price increases continued and/or accelerated...

It's gonna hit the fan...is the legitimate guess.

Recessions always hurt and they promo...but if the regular prices in a strong economy are too much...then no promos can save them when travel dries up...and it will. At some point.