New Four Seasons Timeshare on Disney Property and Value Oriented West Side

[DisOrBust]

Do they care about the number of chicken fingers? Nope, that's just silly. The one point that seems to be ignored is that the parks are doing very well for the Disney company and therefore keeping shareholders (including most of us here) happy.

But they should care how the guest feels about the lack of value(aka ripoff) by that missing chicken finger. If the guest finds the value lacking they won't return to WDW and definitely complain hard to their other "7 friends" what a ripoff WDW was. They may even find the whole "brand" a ripoff.
Yes the parks are doing well, bottom line wise BUT they are giving dining away and 40% discounts away to get people there. In the process the parks are keeping the rest of the boat afloat to the point that they are SELLING THE LAND OFF!!!

I'm sorry I just don't see any good in it. I was hopeful with Iger/Lasseter but that is now gone. I know I really shouldn't give a dam but our first trip was in the 90's with my DD and it was so "magical". I guess you really can "never go home again."

 

[Mickmse2002]

I'm sorry I just don't see any good in it. I was hopeful with Iger/Lasseter but that is now gone. I know I really shouldn't give a dam but our first trip was in the 90's with my DD and it was so "magical". I guess you really can "never go home again."

I feel your pain, really I do. I first starting taking my family there in the early 90's and things are different today, very different. We still go several times a year and the magic comes from being there with my family and the memories we make. Disney traditionalists can argue until we're blue in the face about what we think should happen but some credit has to be given to the success of the management model. We may not agree with it but it is working.

Parks are crowded, restaurants are crowded, WDW is making tons of money and the stock is at a 52-week high. The masses ARE responding. Look at the activity on websites like this. Look at the success and expansion of DVC resorts. I wonder what the overall customer satisfaction is?

 

[raidermatt]

Attendance has still not reached pre-recession levels. Guests are happy, but not as happy as they could and should be. They should have hit that mark several years ago, and should have blown past it with all of their recent marketing moves. This could have very serious implications when the next downturn hits. Think how rough things were at WDW as the economy slowed in 2000 and then tourism crashed in 2001. And that was coming off record attendance.

The stock was at a 52-week high before the recent slip, but its really only been on a run for about a year or so, and lagged behind for at least a decade prior to that. We can't just say everything is alright because of a relatively short term streak.


Here's the point. In keeping things simple, there are two ways to make money. The easy way, and the hard way. Disney has moved towards the easy way. Its not that Wall Street has forced them in that direction, it's that Disney has CHOSEN to move in that direction because it's, well, easier. The Street presents them with the challenge of making money, and Disney responded in its chosen way.

Others respond differently because they believe in their ability to execute the hard way, and in doing so, they believe they will achieve greater long term success.

Of course, as Disney continues down this path, Disney's actual ability to execute the hard way diminishes. It's not a switch you can just flip on and off.

That's not to say everything can be the same as it was back in the day. The overriding concepts however, have not changed out of necessity, they have changed out of choice.

 

[Another Voice]

The masses ARE responding.

Free food, discount codes, multimillion TV ad campaigns to tell people that sixteen hundred dollars is an "affordable" vacation, unfinished hotels that sit rotting in the sun, firesales on land to direct competitors, record airline travel, record international travel, record number of tourists in Florida, record number of tourists in California - and Disney has yet to reach it's 2001 levels, let alone its highes from 2000.

The masses AREN'T responding. Long lines because of closed attractions and shortened operating hours, filled tables because of giveaway program, converting hotel rooms into time shares are NOT the sign of strong business. They are a sign of weakness. Hell, the stock market is at all time historic highs, and Disney (a DOW component) can't even do better than what it did ten years ago. That too is a sign of weakness.

This is all the result of bad business decisions that have been forced onto Attractions. Walt Disney World and Disneyland are the only units keeping Disney alfoat these days. All the money to bail out the studios, all the revenue increases needed to offset the latest ratings decline at ABC - all of that has come out of the parks. The constant need for more and more cash has forced the parks to operate on margins that are not sustainable and hurt the business.

 

[MassJester]

Assuming that you are correct, and I don't, where does the bemoaning get us?

 

[doubletrouble_vb]

Bemoaning gets us back into the real world notion that there are other places to vacation in Orlando other than Disney World.

Tourists straying from the fold is what it will take to get Disney to turn around...and I plan to do plenty of that over the next few years.

 

[Another Voice]

Bemoaning works - look at Disneyland.

The place was literally falling down and killing people ('Columbia, 'Big Thunder', 'Space Mountain'). The place looked dirty, nothing was open, the service was horrible and then they opened the insulting California Adventuere demanded that everyone begin paying premiums for their "wonder park".

People in Southern California stayed away in the millions. Attendance cratered. Disney was embarassed every day on the Internet - and soon in the general press. Disney tried cheap, easy and stupid "fixes" to its problems (like the Electrical Parade in DCA and 'XGames Xtreme Xperience). They got laughed into the ground.

The park hit rock bottom - and Disney knew it had to change or it was going to be permanently hurt. Helped by the hype of the 50th Birthday - rides were fixed, rotten wood was replaced. Buildings that hadn't seen paint since Reagan was in office suddenly got a fresh coat. We started to get better shows, we started to get better merchandise. Suddenly, it was fun going to Disneyland again.

And the place saw record attendance. We're getting our sub ride back - bigger than ever. There's all kinds of pressure to keep the revenue momentum going - meaning we'll see a new ride every year for the next ten years.

This can happen at WDW. The ultimate power lies with the consumer. Pretending we don't ming what is happening just encourages the Company to do more of the same. But keeping our money - and telling Disney why and how we would prefer to spend it - is the only way their going to re-learn how to please us guests.

Disney has choice. It can either grow by gaining new fans and recovering those that have slipped away - or it can cut expenses faster than we give up on the parks. Sure, some people will always "find the magic there" - but some people will always buy Cheez-Wiz and think The Dukes of Hazard - The Beginning is an evening's entertainment.

To capture a real audience, a large audience - a profitable audience - Disney knows it has to please us.





(and that's why they're scared).

 

[MassJester]

I see no evidence that they are scared.

 

[Another Voice]

I see no evidence that they are scared.

Psst - then why do they hire marketing firms to post nice things on Internet fan boards.

 

[paulh]

erm the middle easten rulers have used there oil to buy tussards,legoland,london eye ect to form the second largest theame park group.Will disney be next to surcome to the oil billions.then have everthing mortgaged to the hilt then floted back to public erm i wonder

 

[Mickmse2002]

Psst - then why do they hire marketing firms to post nice things on Internet fan boards.

paranoia is a beautiful thing.

 

[cristen]

paranoia is a beautiful thing

Have you never seen their job postings for it on their web site?

 

[EUROPACL]

paranoia is a beautiful thing.

 

[MassJester]

Psst - then why do they hire marketing firms to post nice things on Internet fan boards.

::shrug:: the same reason any organization might -- marketing.

 

[manning]

years.

This can happen at WDW. The ultimate power lies with the consumer. Pretending we don't ming what is happening just encourages the Company to do more of the same. But keeping our money - and telling Disney why and how we would prefer to spend it - is the only way their going to re-learn how to please us guests.

You kind of have to wonder who is dumber, Disney or the people. I have certainly cut down on my visits.

 

[raidermatt]

I see no evidence that they are scared.

What would you consider evidence? A press release that says "We're scared"?

Let's just say there is concern.

 

[MassJester]

What would you consider evidence? A press release that says "We're scared"?

Let's just say there is concern.

It's been my experience that when publicly traded companies are "scared" executives are removed.

 

[EUROPACL]

It's been my experience that when publicly traded companies are "scared" executives are removed.

You mean like how Eisner was forced out before his contract was up or how the Weinsteins leave to form a new company or how Disney had to spend over 7 billion dollars to hire back former employees.

 

[raidermatt]

Matt Ouimet also left. Rumors are starting to surface that Mr. Rasulo maybe "under some pressure".

 

[larry_poppins]

Nothing would make me happier if that incompetent Rasulo was forced out. If you have witnessed his creation, the Walt Disney Studios Paris, you would not be surprised by the equally lame year of a million dreams and wasting money on Vanity Fair shots. If we could only get Judson Greene back.