Disney cutbacks...

[lugnut33]

That's a Straw Man. There is nothing here about "running a business into the ground".

No one has suggested that either.

No, that has nothing to do with what I wrote.
Please stick to the topic. Thanks.

With respect, that's because you've decided to infer something utterly unrelated to what I wrote.

Dude, you were the one who wrote:

By law, unless the corporate charter explicitly says otherwise, directors of corporations are not allow to have decisions made based on any considerations other that (1) what's legal, and (2) what's best for the owners of the company.

Violate #1, and you'll face criminal prosecution. Violate #2, and you'll face civil lawsuit.

Violate #1, and you could lose your personal freedom. Violate #2, and you actually could lose your personal assets.

 

[Stittsville]

This will come as news to the myriad law firms that make loads of money on shareholder lawsuits.

Uh, no. Shareholder lawsuits are generally filed against companies for things such as misleading investors through bad accounting practices, knowingly giving bad earnings and guidance numbers, or committing fraud. The Sarbanes-Oxley Act is one piece of legislation intended to put these charges through criminal court and not just civil court.

If a company says, "We will not be laying off people in the short term for this recession, because it would hurt the company in the long term. Unfortunately this will reduce profits and affect the stock price.", you cannot successfully sue the company for such a reasonable business decision, even if it hurts your investments.

 

[bicker]

However, if you go to someplace like cruisecritic.com, you will see the same complaints about the cruise industry. Things just aren't like they were back in "the good old days".

And remarkably, they never were.

I am trying to figure out what vacation experience is getting better because everything I seem to do people complain about them getting worse.

A tidal wave begins slowly too.

So does a good risotto.

I was once a Rose-Colored Glasses Disney Cool Aid freak.

I feel that referring people who disagree with you in that manner is abusively insulting.

We each have our moment when the bubble bursts and reality steps in.

You mean, the point in time when you realize how things have always been. Things don't always get worse, as alluded to -- rather, people were perhaps deluding themselves into believe in a perfection that never was.

Bob Iger is taking the company - all cost centers - to a place we are not comfotable with.

Replace "Bob Iger" with "Michael Eisner" and it could have been ten years ago. Everything you've said has an analog that was said routinely every year for the last twenty. There is nothing new here.

 

[bicker]

Dude, you were the one who wrote:

Yes, that's what I said... i.e., nothing close to what you claimed I said.

Uh, no. Shareholder lawsuits are generally filed against companies for things such as misleading investors through bad accounting practices, knowingly giving bad earnings and guidance numbers, or committing fraud.

You're trying to claim that shareholders don't sue companies for mismanagement. You're wrong.

There is way too much fabricated doom-and-gloom on the Rumors Board. Let's take this discussion back to the Community Board, where it belongs. If you want replies to anything I've posted, please post your question there.

 

[Stittsville]

never mind.

 

[Mouseaholic!!!]

And remarkably, they never were.


I feel that referring people who disagree with you in that manner is abusively insulting.

Disney fans can easily take on the airs of a cult following. I was once part of that cult but happly, I now prefer the truth.

 

[redrosesix]

Disney fans can easily take on the airs of a cult following. I was once part of that cult but happly, I now prefer the truth.

Me too!

I will never be one of those who believes that WDW, or any business for that matter, can do no wrong.

 

[mickey2000]

Folks have been saying the same thing, online, for over twenty years. Hasn't happened yet.

Oh yes it has !
Just look at DCL

 

[disneyfan67]

In the 50's America's #1 beer maker Blatz saw a never ending stream of profits in their beer, what happened to them?

Pabst Blue Ribbon was once the #1 selling beer in America. How'd that turn out for them.

In the 70's there were over 40 snomobile manufacturers in the US. Now there are 5 worldwide.

K-Mart used to be the #1 retailer in the US.

How many aircraft manufacturers are left?

Wasn't Banff supposed to be a great airline? What about PanAm?

Let's look at General Motors today, how are they surviving?

The list goes on and on. Sometimes the consumer is right no matter what the brilliant CEO's and shareholders say about a company. Investor value is zero without paying customers.

I'm not saying that Disney is going bye bye tomorrow, but the above companies should be a warning to Disney that there is more to it than just being there for shareholder value.

Excellent post and I agree. Disney should take heed, but they're too busy mining all the money they can out of High School Musical, Hannah Montana, and the Jonas Brothers, to keep the parks and the guest experience up to the creativity and standards we older Disney fans, all are accustom to. Stitch's Great escape, Monsters Inc Laugh floor, and the American idol experience aren't signs of creativity. They're signs of doing something on the cheap and it shows. All the while raising prices.

 

[lugnut33]

Excellent post and I agree. Disney should take heed, but they're too busy mining all the money they can out of High School Musical, Hannah Montana, and the Jonas Brothers, to keep the parks and the guest experience up to the creativity and standards we older Disney fans, all are accustom to. Stitch's Great escape, Monsters Inc Laugh floor, and the American idol experience aren't signs of creativity. They're signs of doing something on the cheap and it shows. All the while raising prices.

Sometimes I wonder if Disney thinks WDW is just a cash cow they can milk and milk without feeding it. Out in Disneyland, they are spending 1.1 billion to revamp Cali. Adventure. Look at how much better Pirates is there, also Space Mountain rocks. Love the shows they have there also. Maybe they don't care as much about WDW since it wasnt Walt's baby.

 

[rutgers1]

Lugnut...They are revamping the Cali Adventure because they HAD to. They cheaped out on it initially, and that cheaping out bit them in the butt. You pointed to Space Mountain as being better, but fail to mention that DW is revamping its Space Mountain attraction this year. You also don't mention all of the attractions that California DOESN'T have, nor the hotels, restaurants, etc. One could make a very good argument that California has been the park that has been cast aside in favor of Florida over the years.

I am in the group that feels that there have ALWAYS been people who said "things aren't what they used to be." Heck, my dad is in that group. He's been saying that every year since our first trip, which had to have been around 1980. But let's think for a minute. At the time that he started saying that, all we had down in Florida was Magic Kingdom and River Country...and I believe two hotels. Since then, we've seen the introduction of Epcot, Animal Kingdom, Hollywood Studios, Downtown Disney, two water parks, many hotels, and much more. Yet to some, while the options are going up, the quality is going down, and down and down and down. If you had told someone in 1980 that they'd have ALL this to look forward to, they'd fall over. Although I think parks like Animal Kingdom and Hollywood Studios have room for improvement, I still laugh every time my father points to a stray piece of litter on the ground and says "It isn't what it used to be." In his mind, litter used to vanish before it hit the ground and cast members used to all but carry him from ride to ride. I went to Disney last April (and bought into DVC while there) and found it to be just as magical as the first time.

One thing that I think drives some people to say "it ain't what it used to be" is people's aversion to change. Disney could add five attractions, but if they close one that you liked, then the change - all change - is bad. They could add five items to the menu of your favorite restaurant, but if they take away the one that you liked most, then it was obviously some cost cutting measure that ruined your vacation. Something like Disney Vacation Club is GREAT if that is what you are interested in, but it is the devil if you have no interest and are annoyed by the placement of the kiosks all over the parks. Free dining in the fall is GREAT if it finally makes a Disney trip affordable to you, but it is an annoyance if you are a DVC person (not eligible for free food) and you find the parks to be more crowded because of the giveaway. People complain if a ride isn't refurbished, yet they complain IF it is being refurbished during their trip.

I don't pretend that Disney is perfect, but if you compare it to my last four trips, it kicked each of its butts:
1) Alabama: NO comparison to Disney. We were there for a sporting event that took place in a dilapidated stadium. Nice hotel, but few dining options.
2) Cape Cod: It was pretty and quite affordable, but once again, it was no Disney.
3) Jersey Shore: We had a great time, and our hotel was great, but aside from the huge expanse of sandy beach (much bigger beaches than in Cape Cod), it couldn't compare to Disney.
4) Hershey Park and Lancaster County: I love the Amish area, and I love Hershey Park, but Hersey Park is definitely a few notches below Disney. No comparison!

 

[redrosesix]

Just wondering if anybody could comment on the trends re customer service, etc in other areas of the US. It seems like some chains, parks, etc. have decided to place more emphasis on this in order to compete and steal customers away from its competitors. Others have basically just given up and are competing on price alone. Or is that the way it has always been? In Canada, getting a hotel room for $39 a night is non-existant, but I have noticed that some are placing more emphasis on customer service and guest perks, regardless of the room rates. It has certainly made a difference in which ones we choose to return to.