A fitting quote for the current WDW?

[dock]

I thought this was interesting from Shark Tank's Mark Cuban and his thoughts today on the NFL. It seems fitting in how it relates to my recent thoughts on WDW.

"So the conclusion?" Cuban wrote.

"It's the same thing I tell my businesses and would tell every business. You shouldn't try to get every last second of a person's attention or every last penny that you can squeeze from them.

"There is a big difference between optimizing the relationship you have with your customers and maximizing short term revenue. Building customers for life is about building relationships and anticipating customer wants and needs.

"Customers/Fans/Advertisers know when they are being pushed. They know when they are being squeezed. It always ends up costing the business in the end."

 

[tlady]

I thought this was interesting from Shark Tank's Mark Cuban and his thoughts today on the NFL. It seems fitting in how it relates to my recent thoughts on WDW.

"So the conclusion?" Cuban wrote.

"It's the same thing I tell my businesses and would tell every business. You shouldn't try to get every last second of a person's attention or every last penny that you can squeeze from them.

"There is a big difference between optimizing the relationship you have with your customers and maximizing short term revenue. Building customers for life is about building relationships and anticipating customer wants and needs.

"Customers/Fans/Advertisers know when they are being pushed. They know when they are being squeezed. It always ends up costing the business in the end."

Words of wisdom that WDW would do well to heed. Disney cannot afford to alienate too many of its long-time, repeat customers/guests, but I fear that this is exactly what is happening to a certain percentage of them. The bigger question is - Can WDW still draw in enough newbies to offset the negative reactions of so many Disney vets? If they can, then I expect these unwelcome policies/practices will continue.

 

[Minniekins]

I thought this was interesting from Shark Tank's Mark Cuban and his thoughts today on the NFL. It seems fitting in how it relates to my recent thoughts on WDW.

"So the conclusion?" Cuban wrote.

"It's the same thing I tell my businesses and would tell every business. You shouldn't try to get every last second of a person's attention or every last penny that you can squeeze from them.

"There is a big difference between optimizing the relationship you have with your customers and maximizing short term revenue. Building customers for life is about building relationships and anticipating customer wants and needs.

"Customers/Fans/Advertisers know when they are being pushed. They know when they are being squeezed. It always ends up costing the business in the end."

Thanks for sharing this! I think it fits the situation as it is with Disney these days, and I can only hope that Disney can find their way back to these ideals. The greed I'm seeing with Disney lately is rather stifling, and strangely, almost makes me root against their success, and that's something because I own a little Disney stock. Tired of the gimme, gimme, gimme but oh, hey we're cutting something else out and lucky you, we're gonna charge you more! Sadly, even though somehow I still love going to Disney, I'm disappointed in Disney and find it hard to admire the Disney business these days.

Words of wisdom that WDW would do well to heed. Disney cannot afford to alienate too many of its long-time, repeat customers/guests, but I fear that this is exactly what is happening to a certain percentage of them. The bigger question is - Can WDW still draw in enough newbies to offset the negative reactions of so many Disney vets? If they can, then I expect these unwelcome policies/practices will continue.

Well, at this time they are drawing new people though I think that could change in the not too distant future, and I would think eventually, these practices would come back to haunt them and cost them long time and new disney customers. The word of mouth of unhappy disney guests/customers will spread. Heck, when people used to say to me how expensive disney is, or complaining and being anti-disney, I would point out ways to afford disney via discounts and such and how worth it was. I don't do that so much anymore. I hate not being able to 'have their back', so to say(not that they need me, I realize that).

 

[sonnybruce]

the big question we have to ask is Disney listening to the people who have been loyal and coming back year after year or do they just take us for granted. I hope they read these blogs and boards as my family has been making the trip from Maryland to Disney at least once a year but now we are having thoughts of maybe skipping Disney and start looking at alternatives ways to spend our entertainment $ as we just do not feel Disney is providing the value and concerns for us in having an true "Disney experience"

 

[kbelle8995]

I thought this was interesting from Shark Tank's Mark Cuban and his thoughts today on the NFL. It seems fitting in how it relates to my recent thoughts on WDW.

"So the conclusion?" Cuban wrote.

"It's the same thing I tell my businesses and would tell every business. You shouldn't try to get every last second of a person's attention or every last penny that you can squeeze from them.

"There is a big difference between optimizing the relationship you have with your customers and maximizing short term revenue. Building customers for life is about building relationships and anticipating customer wants and needs.

"Customers/Fans/Advertisers know when they are being pushed. They know when they are being squeezed. It always ends up costing the business in the end."

What an excellent statement and very on target.

 

[mom2rtk]

I thought this was interesting from Shark Tank's Mark Cuban and his thoughts today on the NFL. It seems fitting in how it relates to my recent thoughts on WDW.

"So the conclusion?" Cuban wrote.

"It's the same thing I tell my businesses and would tell every business. You shouldn't try to get every last second of a person's attention or every last penny that you can squeeze from them.

"There is a big difference between optimizing the relationship you have with your customers and maximizing short term revenue. Building customers for life is about building relationships and anticipating customer wants and needs.

"Customers/Fans/Advertisers know when they are being pushed. They know when they are being squeezed. It always ends up costing the business in the end."

I can see why that made you think of Disney.

Wise words the management at Disney would do well to heed long about now. Yet it seems 180 degrees from what is currently happening in the parks.

 

[HM]

Thanks for sharing that. I agree it's appropo.

We do not have a Disney trip on our radar anytime soon. We've been to WDW at least once every year since 1999 (some years we went multiple times). I just have no desire to go anymore (and it's not the FP+ that changed our minds....it's the upsurge in costs).

 

[Texas Barbie]

Mark Cuban is brilliant. Love him on Shark Tank.

I suspect Disney is not worried about loyal, long-term customers because they are going to great lengths to attract the world market, which is huge. I don't have any statistics, but each time we go there and more and more foreign visitors, and that is where they see the growth.

I am sure Walt would not have agreed with this philosophy, though. Each guest was equally important to him.

 

[ArwenMarie]

Mark Cuban is brilliant. Love him on Shark Tank.

I suspect Disney is not worried about loyal, long-term customers because they are going to great lengths to attract the world market, which is huge. I don't have any statistics, but each time we go there and more and more foreign visitors, and that is where they see the growth.

I am sure Walt would not have agreed with this philosophy, though. Each guest was equally important to him.

I think so too. I think repeat customers from the U.S. aren't the target. First-timers from any country...that's the goal.

 

[Disneyfanatic108]

I feel the same way. Disney needs to find a different way to attract new guests without driving the loyal ones away. We been there many times since 2005 and have seen a slow decline. We are going in October, and I feel that this will be out last trip. We will probably start going to Universal and visit DTD to get our fix.

 

[davedmaine]

Yes, unfortunately Disney World doesn't learn from its own history. Soon it will be the 1980s all over again and they'll be wondering where all the customers went..

 

[Mom2Stitch]

Excellent quote and could have been written about Disney.

Anyone watch the extra stuff on the Frozen DVD?

There is a segment where they are talking to Marc Davis's wife,Alice Estes Davis. If you don't know, Marc was one of the Old Wise Men who worked with Walt Disney, Alice was a costume designer and worked on projects like Small World among other things. Anyway, she quotes Walt as saying "if you make them feel cheated, you will never see them again." My jaw dropped-with what's going on right now I thought it was just a little funny that they put that on video for the world to hear.

Kinda makes me think Walt wanted repeat guests along with the new ones. And I'm not sure paying through the nose to be a test subject would really be in line with his thinking either.

 

[Karabee]

Definitely nodding as I read this thread. My sister and I are going for our trip like we do every other year and something tells me that this will be the last year in awhile. I'm excited of course, but something seems off. The fact I can stay at the Ritz for half the price as some of the Deluxe is one of the most off putting things to me (we now rent points). Plus I refuse to stay off-property, so the more hotels are built and prices go up, and the less the parks grow, the more squeezed out I feel. Sure I realize that wanting to have it "my way" is causing me to feel this way, but I also know that a vacation is "my way" when I'm paying to have a great time and be relaxed. Only time will tell..

 

[glvsav37]

Spot on quote for dis and any business.

What I would love is for dis to start promoting and enhancing the "resort" aspect of a stay there. Not just come and shove everyone into the theme park. Our vacations have become so much better since we started doing things like renting watercraft and other resort specific things It's a shame to hear some of the Sammy's are closing bc I find it a more well rounded vacation.

Everyone wins by taking 100% focus off the parks--lines are shorter, other aspects thrive, attention is paid to the beautiful resort properties, etc. but I'm sure the spreadsheets say otherwise.

 

[xie]

Mark Cuban is brilliant. Love him on Shark Tank.

I suspect Disney is not worried about loyal, long-term customers because they are going to great lengths to attract the world market, which is huge. I don't have any statistics, but each time we go there and more and more foreign visitors, and that is where they see the growth.

I am sure Walt would not have agreed with this philosophy, though. Each guest was equally important to him.

I do believe this is true. WDW is now catering to the one-time guest, instead of repeat visitors. I would imagine they extract more money from the one-timers via higher volumes of souvenirs and things that repeat guests don't necessarily engage in, at least not every trip.

It's no accident that there's no Magic Band system or FP+ in place at DisneyLand, where a lot more of their guests are local and repeat.

 

[W.E.D.]

Great article. Thanks for sharing. I agree 100% that Disney needs to listen to it. You can see from my signature line that we're going somewhere else this time around. The Queen is getting my dollars this time instead of Mickey.

 

[Tarheel girl 1975]

Spot on quote for dis and any business.

What I would love is for dis to start promoting and enhancing the "resort" aspect of a stay there. Not just come and shove everyone into the theme park. Our vacations have become so much better since we started doing things like renting watercraft and other resort specific things It's a shame to hear some of the Sammy's are closing bc I find it a more well rounded vacation.

Everyone wins by taking 100% focus off the parks--lines are shorter, other aspects thrive, attention is paid to the beautiful resort properties, etc. but I'm sure the spreadsheets say otherwise.

But this exactly what Disney has been doing lately. I think it's why they made the new resort special that aired on Destination America recently. The really pushed the spas and other activities on property. I think Disney is hoping that everyone will come in, do 6 or 7 attractions, and then spend lots of money at the resorts or DTD. Unfortunately, many people are priced out of staying on property so this may not appeal to them.

 

[Davey Jones II]

I do believe this is true. WDW is now catering to the one-time guest, instead of repeat visitors. I would imagine they extract more money from the one-timers via higher volumes of souvenirs and things that repeat guests don't necessarily engage in, at least not every trip.

It's no accident that there's no Magic Band system or FP+ in place at DisneyLand, where a lot more of their guests are local and repeat.

That does seem to be the case, and it's incredibly blinkered and short-sighted. They're just taking us for granted, as if we don't have other vacation or theme park options. Universal should definitely send them a thank you note.

 

[*disgal*]

What an excellent statement and very on target.

I thought the same.

Excellent quote and could have been written about Disney.

Anyone watch the extra stuff on the Frozen DVD?

There is a segment where they are talking to Marc Davis's wife,Alice Estes Davis. If you don't know, Marc was one of the Old Wise Men who worked with Walt Disney, Alice was a costume designer and worked on projects like Small World among other things. Anyway, she quotes Walt as saying "if you make them feel cheated, you will never see them again." My jaw dropped-with what's going on right now I thought it was just a little funny that they put that on video for the world to hear.

Wow. I couldn't have encapsulated my thoughts any better than that. There's that line for me, ya know? The line that up to it gives you a good feeling like whatever you are experiencing it is worth the money/time/effort. Especially when it comes to value. Now, I know that's not everyone but it is for my family. Our money doesn't grow on trees so we don't just throw it at anything we think will be nice.

That's why we have stayed offsite so much in recent years. Just didn't feel the onsite experience, although wonderful, was a good enough value for us. FOR US. I know others don't feel the same.

Now the only question for my family is....when will the parks actually cross that line. ?? I don't know. Will they ever cross the line in our opinion? We shall see.

 

[*disgal*]

That does seem to be the case, and it's incredibly blinkered and short-sighted. They're just taking us for granted, as if we don't have other vacation or theme park options. Universal should definitely send them a thank you note.

...and others. I have friends that have taken their family on a Disney trip 2 or 3 years in a row but they have gone many times in younger years. Guess where they went this year? Busch Gardens and Sea World. They got this great ticket for both of them for like $120 they said so they took it.