Discuss what Disney is doing wrong part II

[Karlzmom]

Err, yes, I had noticed there is a recession going on. Doesn't that mean you might appreciate your customers MORE.

To somehow claim that without this cost cutting that Disney might conceivable have to shut down is not born out by the facts

Disney's gross profit
2005 $3,931B
2006 $5,355B
2007 $6,829B
2008 $7,404B
2009 $4,102B (with last quarter still to report)

Egads they are making oodles of money, so one can't claim that they are cost cutting to survive.

I really hope that people reading this recognize what GROSS PROFIT is....its the difference between revenue and the cost of making the product/providing the service BEFORE DEDUCTING overhead, payroll, taxation and interest ....so the "big money" doesn't really give any sort of snap-shot into how much Disney is really making.

 

[SuperTink]

so the "big money" doesn't really give any sort of snap-shot into how much Disney is really making.

I'm pretty sure those "real" numbers are available.

But you know, how much net profit is enough? As a company, DW has to try to maximize their profits. As consumers, we decide when enough is enough.

 

[GRUMPY PIRATE]

judging by the amount of people at the parks, it seems they are doing something right!

 

[emmabemmainc]

I know I'm going to get flamed, but I wish they'd just stop the Mickey parties after hours---the Halloween and Christmas ones. I understand it's a great way to make money, but it's the only thing I hate planning my trip around.

That's all.

 

[needtogomore]

I would like to see the parks close for an hour to clear the crowds before a MNSSHP, MVMCP, etc night.

How is that fair to people who paid for a day ticket?

 

[GRUMPY PIRATE]

How is that fair to people who paid for a day ticket?

I am pretty sure that those parties are usually after the posted times that the park is going to be open.

we went to MNSSHP last trip and they made a point of telling us when we checked in that the regular hours for that day were different, and had been posted that way for many months! (on line)

 

[needtogomore]

Err, yes, I had noticed there is a recession going on. Doesn't that mean you might appreciate your customers MORE.

To somehow claim that without this cost cutting that Disney might conceivable have to shut down is not born out by the facts

Disney's gross profit
2005 $3,931B
2006 $5,355B
2007 $6,829B
2008 $7,404B
2009 $4,102B (with last quarter still to report)

Egads they are making oodles of money, so one can't claim that they are cost cutting to survive.

Just think how much they would of made if they didn't give all that free dining away.

 

[TDC Nala]

They give all that free dining away because it gets people into the parks who wouldn't ordinarily be there.

It may be telling (or it may not) that there isn't any public free dining for Aug/Sept 2010...yet.

 

[tndisneyfan]

I think one of the things WDW is doing wrong is not keeping the parks as clean as they used to. I had noticed a decline over the last couple of years but really noticed it on our Spring Break trip. Also I don't think they are doing a good job keeping some of the rides looking good. The Buzz Lightyear cars look awful. Every trip we go they look even worse. They look dirty and the pain is peeling or just wore off. I've noticed that more and more over the last couple of years.

I don't like this new Fantasyland expansion either. It seems like its mainly going to be nothing but a character meet and greet. I want some more rides the whole family can enjoy.

 

[TDC Nala]

There is a Little Mermaid "dark ride" planned for the Fantasyland expansion (last I heard)

 

[scarlet_ibis]

I go back and forth on this -- there are a lot of windows of opportunity that they are letting slide to private industry, but that could be seen as a good thing. For instance, they have raised the stroller rental prices so high that they have edged themselves out of a portion of the market and really opened that area up to competition. Similarly, the DVC Owners' Locker people have a real corner on an area that Disney could so easily have provided themselves. But I sort of like that it allows for smart businesspeople to jump in and fill that hole.

 

[MeanestMomEver]

While there last month there were a lot of times that I thought, "Why don't they set up the room key cards to handle this?"

I can't think of all the examples now but here are a couple:

Instead of having to fill out that green slip of paper when you want to send a package to your resort, why can't they set if up so you just swipe your room card and they get the info from that? It seems like they could then print out a slip with that info and it would really speed up things at the registers and make for easy pick up at the resorts - just have them swipe your card and they could see that you have 3 packages waiting.

Also, it would be nice if we could return an item using the room card for receipt look up. I lost a receipt for a return I wanted to make and the CM was not happy. It took her a long, long time to process the return.

(By the way, hee hee, my return was the crocs flip flops that I bought after reading great reviews here. Turns out after wearing them for 2 minutes in the hotel room I decided they were not for me.)

And I am not sure about this one, but couldn't the photo pass info also go on your room card?

Just wondering. I really don't know how much info the cards can hold or how many different applications. But it seems like they could at least be used for some of the simpler processes like the receipt look up.

There are more ideas I had but I be darned if I can remember them now. LOL

 

[mickeyluv'r]

While there last month there were a lot of times that I thought, "Why don't they set up the room key cards to handle this?"

This is a great suggestion. I actually wish the dining cedits were seperate from the park ticket (so one person could get food while another gets fastpasses) but otherwise, I also had the same thoughts. I think some resorts DO use one pass in a combined fashion as you describe. At one resort, we got a wristband to wear for the duration of our stay. That was very convenient, and you could do a number of things with it.

Like you, I also have since forgotten some of the applications I had considered, but I know Photopass and room delivery were two I considered as well. The green papers take forever to fill out,and the process is cumbersome. My sister and I made a small purchase of postcards. (and a few pens) We didn't want them to get damaged, so we sent them to the resort. Wouldn't you know, they had to go in two different - and rather large plastic bags. They could NOT go in one bag. I kind of understand the rationale, but it did seem kind of silly too, since they were going to the same room. Had I known, I would have gladly just paid for them all in one transaction. I am sure we could have picked a better time to buy them too - like when we wre headed back to the room.

 

[eddiemcgarrigle]

I would also like to see a dinner package for the boys, loads of things for the girls and the boys seem to be getting leftout.

I'd also like to see the return of park and resort specific merchandise instead of the generic 'get them at any Disney store' items we see at the moment.

Bring back the monorail toy, my son would love one.

 

[rie'smom]

2 things I'd like to see improved:

1. Better tv-Disney World resorts have the worst tv of any of the places we've visited.

2. Better food- The food has gone from a 9 to a 3. If it would mean getting rid of the DDP in all of it's variations, I'm good with that.

Ok, I thought of a 3rd thing-why doesn't Disney have a smoking lounge in each of the parks. This way, smokers ( I'm one although I do not smoke in the parks) would have some place to go where they could enjoy a smoke w/out dirty looks and w/out the smoke bothering anyone else. It would also help because they keep changing the DSAs but don't change the spots on the maps.

 

[luvthemouse71]

Not many serious complaints from me..well, maybe one (see item 2)

1) I'd like the resort specific refillable mugs back and while we're at it, please stop homogenizing all of the merchandise .

2) Please be better about sticking to rules of conduct for guests. ie..line cutters, chanting cheerleaders and/or BTGs, rowdy guests who keep others up at the resorts. Yes, these people spend money but so do your other guests..Collectively, the management of WDW needs to grow a pair and keep the bad eggs in line.

That's all-thanks.

 

[preschoolmom]

For me, it's got to be the cleanliness...

I can recall three different bathrooms during our last trip (Feb 2008) that were absolutely disgusting.

I did not expect the bathrooms we used during our drives (from Chicago to Orlando and home) would be consistently cleaner than Disney World bathrooms! Rest stop bathrooms consistently cleaner than Disney???

 

[KellyNY]

I have no complains, no wait I have one, just one, I want more rides and maybe a 5th park.

 

[sissy_42]

My biggest problem with dinning is the lack of decent TS in the parks. I am planning my first big trip and the only decent looking places are in the resorts. (With the exception of Epcot.) I don't want to have to cut my day in a theme park short or leave and come back for a good meal.

I agree with everyone on the merchandise issue. I don't understand why they have so many stores that all have the same junk. Put something different in there! Bring back places like the penny arcade! The one at DL, while smaller then it used to be is awesome! The highlight of my last trip was a Pinocchio machine that was a nickel. It was an actual martinet that sang and danced.

I have not been to a hard ticket even yet but will be trying out MNSSHP this year. For us (DBF and I only) it is not a stretch of the pocket book to add. As a new DVC member I know we will be doing WDW almost yearly so for our 7 night stay we are getting 3 day tickets with the water parks option and we have a pretty full itinerary. But I see how if you are on a once in a lifetime trip how it is a major inconvenience .

But overall I love all things Disney For me comes partly from growing up in SoCal and going to DL so many times as a kid. I am fascinated by the parks and there history so for me just walking down Main St USA makes it all worth it.

 

[DisMN]

I think a big way Disney is goofing up is by not having ALL the ride photos on the Photopass system. I don't buy the 8 X 10 ride photographs but I would and have purchased the Photopass ones online when I got home.

I'm also of the opinion that it's a big mistake to let the quality of dining to go down the way it has been. We used to spend *cash* rather big bucks on our table service meals but we no longer bother. We order groceries for our room or just do a quick counter service meal. Nice to spend less thought! LOL