Disney Calling...

[Shanti]

Poster above says he got the call. Page 3.

Got it!

 

[Jennasis]

Are they adding FP for headliners at the other parks? Because anyone taking the offer to cancel their MK ones and move over to another park are likely to find slim pickins' elsewhere.

 

[Shanti]

Do they have monkeys running the place??

No. Mice.

 

[Shanti]

Thanks for posting this. A lot of people here on the forums assume that Disney is just a monolithic entity. In reality there are a lot of very hard working people behind the scenes who are not perfect but they do care. Sentiment on this board has turned very negative and I don't blame the board for frustrations. But Disney folks do care what guests think and I know this first hand as well.

Yes, I've experienced this, too.

 

[MermaidMommy]

So let me get this straight. Seeing the upcoming crowds and knowing that MK will likely reach capacity, thereby shutting people out from being able to use their scheduled FP+ there for that day, Disney calls future guests and offers them a pretty sweet back-up plan just in case that happens. They offer them 3 additional FP+ in the park of their choice for that day, so that if MK reaches capacity and people get shut out from using their FP+ there, the day isn't a total loss. Correct me if I'm wrong, but they aren't asking guests to cancel their MK FP+ are they? Just giving them 3 extra ones elsewhere? Or do they cancel the MK FP+? Or ask them to schedule them after 5pm, as one poster said.

Either way, it seems like Disney is trying to look out for guests and offer them alternatives during such a hectic time.

But, the problem is that part of the reason this year is going to be more "hectic" than usual is Disney's own fault. This isn't a case of normal Easter crowds and Disney is proactively trying to help guests. They have cut hours, entertainment, and staffing -- thereby CAUSING the problem they're now trying to alleviate by asking guests to go to other parks. It's crazy, and unprecedented.

There's no 7 am openings at MK, no early openings at HS or AK, fewer showings of nighttime entertainment, and CM reductions of 25% according to reputable sources -- all during one of the busiest weeks of the year. Instead of adding hours, entertainment, increasing CM's -- all of which would actually benefit their guests -- they're now just trying to shuffle people to other parks.

And, while the CM's who are doing the calling sound like they're actually concerned about their guests, the cutbacks show that Disney as a whole certainly doesn't care about guests' experiences. And, I definitely can't applaud them or think that they're trying to "help" us, when they caused the problem in the first place, and are apparently unwilling to do the simple things -- that they've done in many other years -- to actually improve the situation.

 

[bryanb]

But, the problem is that part of the reason this year is going to be more "hectic" than usual is Disney's own fault. This isn't a case of normal Easter crowds and Disney is proactively trying to help guests. They have cut hours, entertainment, and staffing -- thereby CAUSING the problem they're now trying to alleviate by asking guests to go to other parks. It's crazy, and unprecedented.

There's no 7 am openings at MK, no early openings at HS or AK, fewer showings of nighttime entertainment, and CM reductions of 25% according to reputable sources -- all during one of the busiest weeks of the year. Instead of adding hours, entertainment, increasing CM's -- all of which would actually benefit their guests -- they're now just trying to shuffle people to other parks.

And, while the CM's who are doing the calling sound like they're actually concerned about their guests, the cutbacks show that Disney as a whole certainly doesn't care about guests' experiences. And, I definitely can't applaud them or think that they're trying to "help" us, when they caused the problem in the first place, and are apparently unwilling to do the simple things -- that they've done in many other years -- to actually improve the situation.

Plus the price increases have failed to reduce demand for the product.

I would be interested in learning more about the 25% cuts in CMs during the busiest weeks of the year. Is that 25% compared to last year's Easter week? That number seems really unworkable and I'd be curious to find out more about how we know this.

 

[bfost87]

Does no one realize that Disney is a company? They have shareholders to answer to. I know most people on here don't care that Shanghai is way over budget but the people buying stock in Disney do and that's why they have to make up the money elsewhere. Shareholders care more about the QoQ/long term financial GROWTH of the company than anyone's FP for the Easter Weekend.

 

[Ellwood970]

Does no one realize that Disney is a company? They have shareholders to answer to. I know most people on here don't care that Shanghai is way over budget but the people buying stock in Disney do and that's why they have to make up the money elsewhere. Shareholders care more about the QoQ/long term financial GROWTH of the company than anyone's FP for the Easter Weekend.

A company also has customers to answer to. In Disney's case many of the customers are also shareholders.

 

[PrincessWithABlaster]

Does no one realize that Disney is a company? They have shareholders to answer to. I know most people on here don't care that Shanghai is way over budget but the people buying stock in Disney do and that's why they have to make up the money elsewhere. Shareholders care more about the QoQ/long term financial GROWTH of the company than anyone's FP for the Easter Weekend.

There is actually a triangle to balance - employees, customers, and shareholders. There are a lot of different theories on how to balance them. The current prevailing one in corporate America is that the first two don't matter and they must only care about shareholder value. That is a fairly recent development in corporate business strategy. Personnally, I subscribe to the theory that if you take care of one and two, three takes care of itself. Disney has done very well on creating a reputation for taking care of customers throughout it's history. I don't really know much on how it does with employees (or has done with employees until recently - current reports don't sound so good).

Parks has record profits even with Shanghai and other issues. Not sure a change in strategy is warranted but that's just my take.

 

[GPC0321]

But, the problem is that part of the reason this year is going to be more "hectic" than usual is Disney's own fault. This isn't a case of normal Easter crowds and Disney is proactively trying to help guests. They have cut hours, entertainment, and staffing -- thereby CAUSING the problem they're now trying to alleviate by asking guests to go to other parks. It's crazy, and unprecedented.

There's no 7 am openings at MK, no early openings at HS or AK, fewer showings of nighttime entertainment, and CM reductions of 25% according to reputable sources -- all during one of the busiest weeks of the year. Instead of adding hours, entertainment, increasing CM's -- all of which would actually benefit their guests -- they're now just trying to shuffle people to other parks.

And, while the CM's who are doing the calling sound like they're actually concerned about their guests, the cutbacks show that Disney as a whole certainly doesn't care about guests' experiences. And, I definitely can't applaud them or think that they're trying to "help" us, when they caused the problem in the first place, and are apparently unwilling to do the simple things -- that they've done in many other years -- to actually improve the situation.

Well, they ARE adding hours to the pre-Easter week at MK, and they have added an earlier run of the FoF parade on the days following Easter. It looks like Good Friday, Saturday, and Easter Sunday may wind up with 8am openings, and who's to say they won't spring last minute 7am EMH on Easter? I know it hasn't been done so late in the past, but a week or two ago when everything was still 9am for MK, people were saying that was it and it wouldn't change. It has changed. The 7:30 BOG ADRs appeared and then MK's opening hours started moving up to 8am.
They've also added a second MSEP at midnight and a 10pm Fantasmic.

 

[GPC0321]

They asked me to cancel my MK FP+ and reschedule in one of the other parks. I didn't try to "negotiate" extra FP+ as we weren't changing our plans. I certainly would have made certain that I could get FP+'s of my choice had I accepted their offer.

Ah, gotcha.
I guess by warning folks that they could get shut out and not be able to use their FP+, and offering an alternative plan to them, Disney thinks they're at least trying to address the issue. If people decline the offer and decide to risk it, that's their choice. They know there will likely be a lot of disappointed, clueless people who get turned away from MK and then are left scrambling to figure out what to do at another park. They'll then be canceling their MK FP+ themselves anyway and trying to get new ones at another park. Because unlike the people here on the DIS, average park-goers aren't going to know that it's likely they'll get shut out of MK if they show up mid-morning/day. And some people might want to avoid a park at capacity crowds altogether, and will either decide to hit rope drop at MK and get out when it gets crazy, or just go to another park for that day and then hit MK late that night when the crowds have dispersed. People HERE know to do that anyway during peak holiday seasons, but most do not. This kind of gently guides them in that direction.

 

[mshanson3121]

Ah, gotcha.
I guess by warning folks that they could get shut out and not be able to use their FP+, and offering an alternative plan to them, Disney thinks they're at least trying to address the issue. If people decline the offer and decide to risk it, that's their choice. They know there will likely be a lot of disappointed, clueless people who get turned away from MK and then are left scrambling to figure out what to do at another park. They'll then be canceling their MK FP+ themselves anyway and trying to get new ones at another park. Because unlike the people here on the DIS, average park-goers aren't going to know that it's likely they'll get shut out of MK if they show up mid-morning/day. And some people might want to avoid a park at capacity crowds altogether, and will either decide to hit rope drop at MK and get out when it gets crazy, or just go to another park for that day and then hit MK late that night when the crowds have dispersed. People HERE know to do that anyway during peak holiday seasons, but most do not. This kind of gently guides them in that direction.

It's nothing more than a PR bandaid move. They screwed up, they know it. Now they're hoping that people will be naive enough to not see that, and instead, think "Oh what a nice gesture Disney made, to call me and warn me, and try and help me have a better day elsewhere."

 

[DisDadDVC]

Disney already has everyone's money for this trip. They could have done nothing, and just let MK be packed and say "sorry, we are closed due to capacity". By reaching out to people and at least trying to spread the crowds out, they are doing visitors a favor.

 

[ChloesDaddy]

It's nothing more than a PR bandaid move. They screwed up, they know it. Now they're hoping that people will be naive enough to not see that, and instead, think "Oh what a nice gesture Disney made, to call me and warn me, and try and help me have a better day elsewhere."

I'll bet you didn't know Bob Iger posted here, did you?

 

[Jennasis]

Nothing Disney does is about easing crowds. It's about maximizing profit while minimizing cost. ADDING hours or CM's costs them money. Shuffling people to other parks and giving them FP's costs nothing. Disney would be thrilled to have to close the parks due to capacity every single day.

Wait..scratch that...they'd be happiest leaving the front doors wide open, crowd size be darned, and let the money spending crowds swell unchecked along with the cash registers.

 

[mshanson3121]

Disney already has everyone's money for this trip. They could have done nothing, and just let MK be packed and say "sorry, we are closed due to capacity". By reaching out to people and at least trying to spread the crowds out, they are doing visitors a favor.

I don't see their motive being so altruistic. It's a move that costs them nothing, that ensures people are still in the parks spending their money, rather than being turned away at the gate. It'll also hopefully avoid some bad PR and reduce complaints. All wrapped up in "but we selflessly did you a favor".

 

[strat68]

It will be interesting to see if they have rides running at full capacity. For example, both sides of Space Mtn. or all vehicles in Star Tours.

 

[Livvie]

It will be interesting to see if they have rides running at full capacity. For example, both sides of Space Mtn. or all vehicles in Star Tours.

Rides can't run at full capacity if there isn't enough staff to operate them.

 

[rwdavis2]

Rides can't run at full capacity if there isn't enough staff to operate them.

Exactly, which confirms they really have cut CM hours. I know they do this during slower times but would be surprised at high crowds.

 

[DisDadDVC]

I don't see their motive being so altruistic. It's a move that costs them nothing, that ensures people are still in the parks spending their money, rather than being turned away at the gate. It'll also hopefully avoid some bad PR and reduce complaints. All wrapped up in "but we selflessly did you a favor".

Well, that I agree with. I'm just saying it's not 100% in Disney's favor.