Budget cuts at Walt Disney World

[mom2rtk]

TouringPlans data says MK yesterday was predicted 6 of 10, actual 8 of 10. So a pretty busy day, and more crowded than expected based on attraction wait times. Epcot was all the way down at 3 of 10.

Still no excuse for lines like that at all, though - yikes!

They should have seen it coming. Disney has all that prescheduled FP+ info to draw from (TouringPlans does not).

I thought one of the benefits of MM+ was the ability to accurately forecast crowds (and staffing levels).

 

[HopperFan]

The madness that was TTC and Security.... A few more photos. 02.29.2016

That is not acceptable. They need to get their "stuff" together.

 

[MommyinHonduras]

Sad. That is worse than most of the biggest airport security on a bad day. Custom's lines to third world countries are usually better than 40 minutes. In fact, I can't think of another security gate that takes 40 minutes to get through.

You must not have traveled Central America then. It takes 40mintues to pay your water bill. Security takes an hour or more at the airport to leave or arrive through customs on a good day. The rush of a fast paced life is not part of the culture.

 

[Planogirl]

I hope that they get those lines under control. I do NOT ever want to wait in such lines no matter what it's for.

 

[AnnaKat]

Absolutely.... bus cut backs, increased demand for scheduling making time more valuable, and longer lines just to get in the park on top of increased prices? That is a recipe for disaster.

Disney MUST effectively move people around their property and get them into their parks. The model is based on this part working well. And when it doesn't? Everything else becomes that much worse.

If Disney continues to cut staffing for bag check & buses & other transportation, it will be a complete disaster. Guests are already spending much time & effort in planning their "magical" trips, what with booking ADRs 180 days out, FP 60 days out, which park on which day based on Josh's etc. IF even MORE unreasonable waits for buses/ferries, coupled with an unreasonable 40-50 minute wait to get thru bag check, cause families to miss their hard-to-get character ADR or BOG ADR, or EVEN their 7MDT FP,
THEN that is unacceptable!
As an example, we knew that MK buses from Jambo could be problematic. We probably would have missed our late lunch BOG ADR
in Dec. So we took a taxi to the Contemporary, & walked to MK. IF bag check was 40-50 minutes, we would have missed our BOG ADR!! Guests should not have to schedule 2 hours!!!!!!!! to get to a MK ADR or to enjoy their FPs @ MK, from an on-site resort!!

It is not difficult to imagine a customer who gets up early with cranky kids to get to a park for ADR before opening only to be met with a 35 minute wait for a bus, then a 40 minute wait for entry, who misses their ADR, only to be met with a 30 minute line to speak to a rep who is understaffed and instead of spreading magic spends their day dealing with angry (not unhappy - angry) guests. And then... without mentioning costs or hotel rooms or lines or dirty bathrooms or anything else - simply failing on the logistics of moving park guests around - Disney loses customers.

I hope this was an anomaly. If what is shown above becomes anything close to routine, then I will have to shift my thoughts / opinions / recommendations.

 

[AnnaKat]

Oops! Sorry Budshark. Somehow my reply to your quote got sandwiched in the middle of your quote. Don't see HOW, but it did.

 

[lockedoutlogic]

As long as mass customers willingly tolerate the cost cutting and increased prices...

Then complaining is pointless.

The only language that will be understood by Disney at parks is "magnetic strip"

 

[Josh Hendy]

One of the store employees mentioned budget cuts being behind the MAJOR backup at bag check. Today it took over 40 minutes to get through security at the Magic Kingdom.

This may be a case of local WDW managers trying to find a way to express to Burbank that they are not happy with the budget cuts. A kind of job action in other words.

Just speculating, based on the well-known phenomenon that whenever a local school board or municipal department is handed budget cuts by a higher authority, instead of cutting fat that nobody would miss they make the most visible, annoying cut possible. That way, the public expresses outrage, they shrug and blame budget cuts, hoping that the shame will cause the higher authorities to restore their budget.

That's assuming that the precise budget cuts were not dictated by Burbank ... combined with ramped-up security requirements that left them no choice.

 

[lockedoutlogic]

Is that like:

"Centuries ago...Dutch workers threatened by automation flung their wooden shoes called "sabots" into the machines to stop them..."

??

 

[Budshark]

This may be a case of local WDW managers trying to find a way to express to Burbank that they are not happy with the budget cuts. A kind of job action in other words.

Just speculating, based on the well-known phenomenon that whenever a local school board or municipal department is handed budget cuts by a higher authority, instead of cutting fat that nobody would miss they make the most visible, annoying cut possible. That way, the public expresses outrage, they shrug and blame budget cuts, hoping that the shame will cause the higher authorities to restore their budget.

That's assuming that the precise budget cuts were not dictated by Burbank ... combined with ramped-up security requirements that left them no choice.

Entirely possible... and seen in all areas right. The first thing that happens when we have budget cuts around my neck of the woods (layoffs) is the same people that used to be in at 7 and leave at 5:30, suddenly work 8-5 with a 1 hour lunch. They are "holding" their ground that if we cut staff the company won't get anything more out of them. So they actually end up working less and complaining about the job demands more... this goes on for about 6 months. Every time.

 

[Maineiak]

One of the store employees mentioned budget cuts being behind the MAJOR backup at bag check. Today it took over 40 minutes to get through security at the Magic Kingdom.
Have included a photo that shows how long the lines stretched for bag check....View attachment 154012

Playing a bit of devil's advocate...

Can this really be attributed to the budget cuts? I only say that as we experienced the exact same thing back in November. We were in MK back on November 20th about a week before Thanksgiving. The monorail was down, so they were directing everyone to the ferries. I think this was part of the issue as the ferries were packed and you had them dumping all those people at once, plus everyone getting off the buses. That was the only day we experienced the issue...it was fine for the rest of our stay, including Thanksgiving day.

 

[lockedoutlogic]

Playing a bit of devil's advocate...

Can this really be attributed to the budget cuts? I only say that as we experienced the exact same thing back in November. We were in MK back on November 20th about a week before Thanksgiving. The monorail was down, so they were directing everyone to the ferries. I think this was part of the issue as the ferries were packed and you had them dumping all those people at once, plus everyone getting off the buses. That was the only day we experienced the issue...it was fine for the rest of our stay, including Thanksgiving day.

Probably not specifically to "budget cuts"...

But Disney operations has been tinkering with "only when needed" staffing policies on the whole for far too long. So they do cut it too short far often than not. You see that mostly in transportation and hotel staff...but it leaches/bleeds out into more noticeable areas now.

I'll tell you what - their marketing department hasn gotten the message to promote "adequate staffing"...and never will. Bet on that.

I think this is a phenomena related to "Leap day"...in this case.

Remember that they had an all day event the last time around...so it's possible a small elevated crowd assuming it was a "special" day - when it wasn't - around 2/29 might be the simple explanation culprit.

 

[mom2rtk]

Remember that they had an all day event the last time around...so it's possible a small elevated crowd assuming it was a "special" day - when it wasn't - around 2/29 might be the simple explanation culprit.

I think that's possible. But remember, Disney gets at least a rough indication of what's coming because of the number of FP+ reservations and hotel occupancy each day. We all operate blind because we have to. Disney might not have a crystal ball, but they have far more of an indication than we do.

 

[lockedoutlogic]

I think that's possible. But remember, Disney gets at least a rough indication of what's coming because of the number of FP+ reservations and hotel occupancy each day. We all operate blind because we have to. Disney might not have a crystal ball, but they have far more of an indication than we do.

True...but their average internal levels (from experience) are 90-95% hotel occupancy by day of and I would bet the fastpass + levels has been pretty static...as in those that fill are filled and those that people are uninterested in "booking" always tend to be that way.

I would say that restaurant reservations are more indicative of a spike...but psychologically many people still aren't paying "all that money" to book lunch. It's a bit more of a wildcard that day.

I think the RFID readers are much more for directing people to things by adjusting hours and in park, day of tactics at crowd control...more than dealing with flash mobs...which can and do happen outside of their control at times.

 

[newdeal]

we are here this week, I would say that bussing waits are normal and busses are not full when they leave. Bag check lines have been very long, but at the MK they actually have more bag checkers than I have seen during any of my previous trips. The issue is that the bag checkers even though there are more of them are getting people through MUCH more slowly than they used to. It used to be a pat down of the bag and you are off, now they are making me remove each item out of my stroller and looking through each item in the bag. Another issue with the long bag check lines is large families all waiting in the line. When the line gets to a certain point people without bags CAN'T get through so many of the people in those long lines are waiting to go through the no bag line

 

[ldauksch]

The issue is that the bag checkers even though there are more of them are getting people through MUCH more slowly than they used to. It used to be a pat down of the bag and you are off, now they are making me remove each item out of my stroller and looking through each item in the bag.

Normally I just read on the rumors boards but I wanted to comment on this. I was there in November the week that there was a bomb threat at one of the All Stars (we weren't staying at those resorts thank goodness) but I noticed a significant difference in how my bags were checked at the end of the week after the bomb threat compared to the beginning of the week before the bomb threat. At the beginning of the week they didn't even bother with my stroller but at the end of the week they wanted me to take everything out of the basket so they could check it. Better safe than sorry I guess but I understand the frustration for those waiting in the line.

 

[Maineiak]

Normally I just read on the rumors boards but I wanted to comment on this. I was there in November the week that there was a bomb threat at one of the All Stars (we weren't staying at those resorts thank goodness) but I noticed a significant difference in how my bags were checked at the end of the week after the bomb threat compared to the beginning of the week before the bomb threat. At the beginning of the week they didn't even bother with my stroller but at the end of the week they wanted me to take everything out of the basket so they could check it. Better safe than sorry I guess but I understand the frustration for those waiting in the line.

As long as I can remember, they've always made us take stuff out of the bags and have checked the compartments of the stroller. We've been going at least once a year since our daughter was born and she's 7 now.

 

[ldauksch]

As long as I can remember, they've always made us take stuff out of the bags and have checked the compartments of the stroller. We've been going at least once a year since our daughter was born and she's 7 now.

We just had a small umbrella stroller so maybe that was the difference at the beginning of the week? I'm not sure but they definitely just glanced at the beginning of the week and after the bomb threat they were checking a lot more thoroughly. Maybe we just looked really innocent

 

[carmelhp]

I actually don't disagree with any of that. But it points to the problem of being part of a huge company that's beholden to shareholders.

Everything you listed is a problem created either by another part of the company or by going cheap on investment to keep shareholders happy in the short term. Arguably then (at the very least) poor management. None of it really points to a payroll problem.

Have I mentioned this week that I'm not a fan of Wall Street and what it does to companies?

I'll to look at the financial reports when I get home, but as I recall from last year's financials is that the U.S. based Parks were Disney's cash cows, responsible for most of it's profit growth. I don't see how cheaping out the domestic parks is a wise strategic move. Shanghai was a poorly thought through project from the beginning. The Communist Chinese have laid impediment after impediment in building that Park and I doubt Disney will ever make money out of it. Killing the cash cows to save the dogs is a bone-headed move.

 

[carmelhp]

I think that the entire Eurozone is so messed up that there is a very real danger that Iger will only be piling losses upon losses by attempting to "dig out". I question whether Orlando can generate enough profits to carry the Eurozone and PRC debt in the short term, and I'm skeptical whether the Paris and Shanghai parks will be able to pay off their debt in the long term.

For decades now DLP was supposed to be "turning the corner" ... "it just needs to be completed" ... and so on. Now the park is STILL inadequate, we're told, and the financial and ethnic/cultural problems in the EU are the worst they've been since the 1930s.

Maybe the foreign based Parks should be spun off from the domestic operations. That's where the trouble lies, don't sink the whole ship trying to bail water out of a few dinghys.