a couple of cutbacks we noticed

[Tiffany]

Hi,

We arrived yesterday and I couple of things we noticed that in our mind are cost cutting measures.

1. The park maps are smaller and the paper quality is thinner. This is something that changed since our last trip in Jan of this year. If you have never been or have not been in a long time you would probaly not notice this change but for someone who visits often it is very noticiable and comes off as a cost cutting measure.

2. The Dasani bottled water now is only 20oz with no sports caps. It used to be the 24oz bottles with the sports caps for $2.00 now it is the smaller bottle.

I battle with the above as I am a big efficiency and maximizing profit person when I am in my business mode and as a stock holder I want Dinsey to maximize profits but I just hate to be nickled and dimed.

Edited to read Dasani instead of Dannon. Sorry about the original typo.

 

[DisneyMommyMichelle]

thanks for that! i look forward to seeing the new map when we go this week!!

 

[Tiffany]

thanks for that! i look forward to seeing the new map when we go this week!!

You are welcome.

 

[Allison]

I say good for Disney on the park maps. If they can find a way to save money in a way that does not affect my vacation experience in a negative way and use those savings to make improvements/additions somewhere else or use those savings to not increase the price of something else-then great. If they can use those savings to increase shareholder return and not affect my experience at all-then great.

The water size change doesn't surpise me. Companies everywhere are doing it, mostly the food manufacturers themselves. Rather than raising the price on an item which people quickly notice, they make the serving size smaller which is harder to detect.

 

[LaraK]

I don't mind about the maps (although I'll have to be a little more careful with the one I bring home), but the water will be bothersome. I believe you get what you pay for and would be willing to pay another 25 or 50 cents to get the sports cap and extra water (I can't drink that much, but DH can)

 

[WhatsaPooh]

The maps won't bother me either. As for the water, that isn't a Disney cut back, the manufacturer is responsible. Just check out most items at the grocery store. Items are now smaller (but the box/can may not have changed) yet the prices remain the same. It's a sneaky tatic they use to make you feel you're still getting your money's worth.

 

[bleeps]

Well, I'll weigh in and say the lighter paper for the maps is a false economy. I think about how well we know WDW and what heavy use we STILL make of the maps -- I have always been able to count on getting through 8 or 9 days at WDW with one "park-use" map for each park (that is to say, a map of each park that we use the whole time and beat the heck out of). I keep one "good" map of each park to bring home. If my park-use map falls apart after a day or two, I'll be burning through several instead of just one. Most consumers will equate something light-weight and cheap feeling as immediately disposable, while thinking that something heavier/more substantial is made for multiple use. Plus, with the kodak advertising sponsorship of the maps, I believe Disney could easily sell other ads on the maps, if they wanted to, and maintain the quality....

 

[pigletforever]

Pop a sports cap in your bag when you hit the parks and replace it with the other cap. Thanks for letting me know. Now I need to grab a couple sports caps at the store we leave

 

[tolookaa5]

Pop a sports cap in your bag when you hit the parks and replace it with the other cap. Thanks for letting me know. Now I need to grab a couple sports caps at the store we leave
__________________
Great idea Pigletforever, thanks!!

 

[LaraK]

I will also bring a couple of sports caps for DH and I. I do love the Mickey straws that screw onto the bottles for DS and DD still.

 

[Pixiedust34]

I wonder how many maps one Disney park goes through in 1 day? I bet it's a lot! People misplace maps and get new ones, some kids get their own maps, and other stock up on maps as souveniers.

I liked the smaller maps. They were easy to open and refold. That was a positive change for me, economics aside.

 

[bicker]

Another vote for less expensive park maps. Wisdom over needless wasting of money.

 

[rcraw45425]

Do you mean Dasani? Please don't tell me they switched water brands too as a way of saving money!

 

[bicker]

A switch to Dannon would be a very substantial improvement IMHO. We always brought our own water specifically because the tap water is undrinkable, and Dasani is only marginally better.

 

[ADP]

Another vote for less expensive park maps. Wisdom over needless wasting of money.

Not only a good cost savings, but also good for us environmentalists and conservationists.

 

[Windy City Heather]

I am pretty sure the 24 ounce sport bottle use to cost $2.50. I mentioned to my dh last week that they dropped the price of water and I was pretty sure that it use to be 24 ounce bottles.

 

[tmt martins]

Most likely the park maps have gone digital instead of press. Press needs a certian weight to be reliable and hold up. Also they can use bigger sheets and get more images on a page to cut down.

Now with digital copy the cost is greatly decreased but the paper size is limited but the weight of the paper can be taken down to 20lb and still be reliable.They can run the higher volumes today that they couldn't do in the past.


Just my thought as I work in the printing field and have no way of knowing that this is happening . I can check when we go down and really look at the maps to tell if they are press or print when I get home.

 

[bicker]

Not only a good cost savings, but also good for us environmentalists and conservationists.

Are the new maps on recycled paper? That would be excellent! :

 

[stinkerbelle]

It's still Dasani water.

I think they changed to the 20oz bottles because they now have 2 sized waters...16oz (i believe) and 20oz. (the 20oz is what you get on the dining plan). I was kinda dissappointed at first, cause I'm a HUGE water drinker, but really, 4oz didn't kill me.

the 20oz was $2..I honestly don't remember how much the smaller ones were, I only bought the 20oz ones on my trip.

And THANK GOODNESS it's still Dasani Water...US sells that Zephrllys (sp?) water and it's just GROSS (IMO) when it gets a bit warm.

 

[LUVMICKEY]

We were there in June and the water was still Dasani, and unless things have changed in the last three months, they still were useing the sports cap. We are very big water drinkers in the park so we did buy quite a few bottles, and at that time they were $2.00 a bottle. We did always purchase the water from one of the vending carts, if that would have made a difference, I don't know.