ABD around the world trip.

[PixieDustD]

I really enjoyed the show yesterday and found your story about the ABD trip around the world very interesting. Here is some perspective:

As Pete said this is a very specialized trip for the top .01%. In my line of work, which is the luxury travel market, these numbers are not out of line. There are several companies that offer around the world itineraries in private jets. Abercrombie and Kent offers a 24 day around the world trip on a private jet (maximum of 46 guests) for $165,000.00 per person, making the ABD trip look like a bargain. National Geographic’s RTW itineraries for 21 to 24 days price out at $87,000.00 to $94,000.00. Smithsonian, $110,000.00, Four Seasons $173,000.00

BUT, as Pete mentioned, the optics for the Disney Company don’t look great. As Ryno said, it is the price of a house. The cuisine and the Disney hotels could be an issue as well, but I have a feeling that anyone planning a Disney parks trip would know this.

These are trips that I will never be able to afford, but there is a market for them, otherwise they would not be offered by so many different companies.

 

[BadPinkTink]

I really enjoyed the show yesterday and found your story about the ABD trip around the world very interesting. Here is some perspective:

As Pete said this is a very specialized trip for the top .01%. In my line of work, which is the luxury travel market, these numbers are not out of line. There are several companies that offer around the world itineraries in private jets. Abercrombie and Kent offers a 24 day around the world trip on a private jet (maximum of 46 guests) for $165,000.00 per person, making the ABD trip look like a bargain. National Geographic’s RTW itineraries for 21 to 24 days price out at $87,000.00 to $94,000.00. Smithsonian, $110,000.00, Four Seasons $173,000.00

BUT, as Pete mentioned, the optics for the Disney Company don’t look great. As Ryno said, it is the price of a house. The cuisine and the Disney hotels could be an issue as well, but I have a feeling that anyone planning a Disney parks trip would know this.

These are trips that I will never be able to afford, but there is a market for them, otherwise they would not be offered by so many different companies.

I was thinking the same, that while most of us laugh at this and think good gravy what are Disney thinking, I also know there is a market for this.

I have a client who is high end in her industry. When I tell people what she charges for things, I get laughed at and told who would pay that price, you can get the same thing for much cheaper at xyz store / company.

But my client has a very successful business and has survived the Covid shutdowns. She knows her target market, she knows the people who can afford her prices and she is unapologetic for charging the prices she does. Yes there are many people who are priced out when they see what she charges, yes there are many people who come into her shop but then discover they cant afford the items. But at the same time, there are a lot of people who have no problem paying what she charges and over the years she has built up a large amount of repeat customers.

Its the same with this ABD trip. I know some of my clients customers would be the target customers for this.

Me, I cant afford to stay onsite at Disneyland California

 

[OKW Lover]

The cuisine and the Disney hotels could be an issue as well, but I have a feeling that anyone planning a Disney parks trip would know this.

Looking at the detailed itinerary for this trip, it looks like most of the meals are in upscale restaurants

 

[BadPinkTink]

Looking at the detailed itinerary for this trip, it looks like most of the meals are in upscale restaurants

Upscale to ordinary people like you and me. But for the uber rich, people who have personal chefs in their homes on a day to day basis, this would not be upscale, its everyday food. Pete mentioned about Michelin Star restaurants and he is right, theres no Michelin Star restaurants on this trip. Michelin Star restaurants and hotels are on a very different level. If I had the money to do this ABD trip, I would be making sure that there would time on your own away from the organized activities to book a 1 or 2 Star Michelin Restaurant in some of the locations.

 

[wiihoo888]

Sigh….I honestly was put off a bit by the discussion yesterday. I can’t afford the trip, so I won’t be going. It definitely is not the only thing Disney offers that I can’t afford. Would love to be able to afford it though, and will live vicariously through anyone posting experiences they have on this adventure.

Yes, the announcement of this adventure came at a time when Disney is in a PR slump. Was it being tone deaf? Meh….not really. I mean, there are announcements all the time of things I can’t afford at Disney. Is the press and coverage of Disney a little over the top negative right now? For me….yes. I can’t go anywhere on social media or otherwise without seeing a “scandalous” post about Disney. Media outlets have milked a “ring theft” in Disneyland Paris for about two weeks now. Its a bit ridiculous. Oh, and the Chapek thing…I guarantee he is not a lone wolf sitting at the top of the boardroom throne. He does have no problem making himself a really convenient scapegoat though. Like, he specializes in it. Really, he could offer courses on it.

So then we come to the Disney vs Universal debate. Just two different animals. If you have been to the parks anytime recently, you know that Disney is still bringing them in. They will make cost changes at parks when it hits their pockets. It has not yet. That nostalgia and pull are strong. I do think things will change once the anniversary passes, and once we see Mario and Yoshi showing up over at UO. That third gate opening will probably be when we see the current course really changing…I think. But there I go thinking again.

That all being said, I look to the podcasters for their Disney takes and advice. Will I always agree? No. Do I still have full respect for the podcasters integrity? Absolutely. The world would be a boring place if we all agreed all of the time.

 

[butterscotchcollins]

I would love to be able to afford something like this, but that’s not happening in this lifetime Agreed though that it’s not necessarily tone deaf…if I hadn’t heard it on the podcast I doubt I would’ve known about it at all. I’m not their target audience, this is targeting Club 33 members and Golden Oaks residents.

 

[EWR2AUS]

As always, I enjoyed the podcast yesterday and was really interested in this trip. I'm lucky to have been to all of the parks, but this just isn't something that is in my budget and it's also not how I would want to visit the parks.

I think one thing that's really interesting here will be how people react to the "private jet experience". I am lucky in my line of work that I travel first and business class a lot. There are some very long segments on this itinerary and the seats on this plane are not going to meet most people's expectations of first class or even business class travel.

This plane (TF-FIS) appears to have been configured by Icelandair for Nat Geo's private jet trips. Nat Geo's website describes the seating as "Comfortable VIP-style leather seating with adjustable leg and headrests and a 45-degree recline." This is a seat that would have been acceptable in business class 20+ years ago, but no longer is. Flying from Oakland to Tokyo (with a stop over in Alaska) in a 45-degree reclining seat is going to be very frustrating for people that typically fly premium internationally in seats that go fully flat.

The flight from Shanghai to Hong Kong is going to be a charter flight (hopefully on Cathay rather than China Eastern or another mainland carrier) - and I'm guessing a sizable number of people are going to be (gasp) stuck in coach. It's a short flight, although the tarmac delays trying to get out of Shanghai can be brutal.

 

[OKW Lover]

I'm a bit confused about why people are thinking the seating on the plane is just basic standard seating. I thought I read that this plane, a 757, was especially equipped for luxury touring and was not a run of the mill aircraft interior. Its equipped with only ~70 seats? Perhaps I was reading into it?

 

[Jrb1979]

I would love to be able to afford something like this, but that’s not happening in this lifetime Agreed though that it’s not necessarily tone deaf…if I hadn’t heard it on the podcast I doubt I would’ve known about it at all. I’m not their target audience, this is targeting Club 33 members and Golden Oaks residents.

It's not so much time deaf as it's the change in who they are marketing to. As Ryno said on the podcast at one time they marketed and catered to the single mom or family of 4 who saved to go. Now they have pretty much said we don't want you, is those who have money that are more important. They have really lost touch on what made them what they are.

 

[OKW Lover]

It's not so much time deaf as it's the change in who they are marketing to. As Ryno said on the podcast at one time they marketed and catered to the single mom or family of 4 who saved to go. Now they have pretty much said we don't want you, is those who have money that are more important. They have really lost touch on what made them what they are.

As much as I love Ryno, I don't believe this for a minute. Visit the parks and look around. What do you see? The usual makeup of park guests you've always seen. I think this is just an attempt to tap another specific market, not an abandonment of their existing base.

 

[afan]

As much as I love Ryno, I don't believe this for a minute. Visit the parks and look around. What do you see? The usual makeup of park guests you've always seen. I think this is just an attempt to tap another specific market, not an abandonment of their existing base.

I would also say the commercials I see on TV for dlr, wdw or dcl are their normal family plus other groups that are the mainstay of their average person marketing. If not for Disney bloggers most people probably wouldn't even be aware of this round the world trip.

 

[Jrb1979]

As much as I love Ryno, I don't believe this for a minute. Visit the parks and look around. What do you see? The usual makeup of park guests you've always seen. I think this is just an attempt to tap another specific market, not an abandonment of their existing base.

Yes they still market to same usual park guests. In terms of perks and new offerings lately it's been aimed at the affluent crowd.

 

[OKW Lover]

In terms of perks and new offerings lately it's been aimed at the affluent crowd.

Willy Sutton would be proud

 

[CampbellzSoup]

If you can afford it great there are many options for everyone.