For those that say "Disney doesn't spend money on the parks"

[disneynutz]

The problems I have with the Disney company are entirely within their management. They don't run the place as if they have any vision or insight. So much of it now seems like it is right out of an MBA curriculum. Walt Disney didn't have one and MBA school doesn't teach you how to be a Walt Disney. They've been raising rates, sometimes at twice inflation, for a few years now. They continue to slash costs by reducing quality of merchandise and the variety of it. They've turned to more part-time CMs than ever before, just to save the overhead of fulltimers.

I am still very much a Disney fan, but it is becoming clear to me that it is much more of an appreciation of the history than what they are doing today.

My thoughts exactly.

Bill

 

[Peter Pirate 2]

The problems I have with the Disney company are entirely within their management. They don't run the place as if they have any vision or insight. So much of it now seems like it is right out of an MBA curriculum. Walt Disney didn't have one and MBA school doesn't teach you how to be a Walt Disney. They've been raising rates, sometimes at twice inflation, for a few years now. They continue to slash costs by reducing quality of merchandise and the variety of it. They've turned to more part-time CMs than ever before, just to save the overhead of fulltimers.

I am still very much a Disney fan, but it is becoming clear to me that it is much more of an appreciation of the history than what they are doing today.

I totally agree too. Excellent but somehow brief summation!

 

[Donut23]

The problems I have with the Disney company are entirely within their management. They don't run the place as if they have any vision or insight. So much of it now seems like it is right out of an MBA curriculum. Walt Disney didn't have one and MBA school doesn't teach you how to be a Walt Disney. They've been raising rates, sometimes at twice inflation, for a few years now. They continue to slash costs by reducing quality of merchandise and the variety of it. They've turned to more part-time CMs than ever before, just to save the overhead of fulltimers.

I am still very much a Disney fan, but it is becoming clear to me that it is much more of an appreciation of the history than what they are doing today.

Brilliant summary. Spoken by someone who obviously loves disney and currently frustrated as many of us are.

Thank you.

 

[TisBit]

I completely agree that if you are not happy with Disney you have to show that in the way you vacation and spend your money. If there was a large decline in ressies and restaurants were not filling up, Disney would evaluate why and see how to address the issues. But if they decline the value of their products or increase their prices, but the restaurants stay full, where is the the problem? If people begin flocking to Universal or other vacation destinations and attendance drops, Disney will being to look at how to get people back through price decreases, special or addressing the concerns of cleanliness, etc etc that people may have.

Some may see this already happening and that is why Disney is offering so many specials, free dining, etc. Truth is that it might be to some extent and it is disquised by the decline of the economy.

 

[disneynutz]

Disney has such a strong brand that IMHO they know that for every Guest that they lose, they can attract a new one.

The new Guest doesn't know what Disney use to be like so they are very happy. They don't know that the DVC has changed or that the food was better before. They don't know that there use to be resort and park specific merchandise or that there are less Christmas decorations.

If we were newbies walking into WDW today, we would fall in love with the place just like our family did in 1996.

Bill

 

[Tekneek]

But if they decline the value of their products or increase their prices, but the restaurants stay full, where is the the problem?

I suppose it depends on what you're trying to accomplish. The world is full of businesses that just want to make a buck. Disney had a reputation for aiming higher than all others. If their new strategy is just to be good enough to keep making a profit, then that is certainly their right to do so. Let's not pretend that they are the kind of company that is setting new standards for innovation and quality then, though. Apparently, Disney is willing to bank its brand on quantity over quality and hope nobody notices the difference.

 

[skier_pete]

The problems I have with the Disney company are entirely within their management. They don't run the place as if they have any vision or insight. So much of it now seems like it is right out of an MBA curriculum. Walt Disney didn't have one and MBA school doesn't teach you how to be a Walt Disney. They've been raising rates, sometimes at twice inflation, for a few years now. They continue to slash costs by reducing quality of merchandise and the variety of it. They've turned to more part-time CMs than ever before, just to save the overhead of fulltimers.

I am still very much a Disney fan, but it is becoming clear to me that it is much more of an appreciation of the history than what they are doing today.

I suppose it depends on what you're trying to accomplish. The world is full of businesses that just want to make a buck. Disney had a reputation for aiming higher than all others. If their new strategy is just to be good enough to keep making a profit, then that is certainly their right to do so. Let's not pretend that they are the kind of company that is setting new standards for innovation and quality then, though. Apparently, Disney is willing to bank its brand on quantity over quality and hope nobody notices the difference.

Good comments...and I should just leave it at that, but of course I won't.I have always argued when people say "Disney only cares about the bottom line now..." that that statement has been true for 30 years, maybe more. The Difference is now is in how they go about acheiving it, and Tekneek hits it RIGHT on the head here. Current business models do not necessarily say give the customers the bare minimum they expect, but DO say give the employees the bare minimum they expect. And in an industry that involves the customer experience being so directly linked to the employee experience, this WILL effect the customer experience, and clearly HAS for many here. A co-worker once said "It's like all business leaders have now gone to the same business school to be lobotimized."

 

[Tekneek]

A co-worker once said "It's like all business leaders have now gone to the same business school to be lobotimized."

Stepford Executives.

 

[nytimez]

A lot of good comments here. From a personal point of view, having worked at a Disney-owned company for a decade until recently (covering the back end of the Eisner years and the first part of the Iger years), I can say that the bottom line was always the bottom line. Short-sighted shareholders (and that's most of them) will be happy to know that, internally at least, it is a ruthless company that will cut people and positions and anything else at the drop of a hat to meet short-term targets set by these MBA lobotomy victims.

Remember, this is a company that essentially wiped its TV network, ABC, clean of all talent and did virtually no long-term planning when they went five nights a week with "Who Wants to Be a Millionaire."

That mentality is still alive and well.

 

[skier_pete]

A lot of good comments here. From a personal point of view, having worked at a Disney-owned company for a decade until recently (covering the back end of the Eisner years and the first part of the Iger years), I can say that the bottom line was always the bottom line. Short-sighted shareholders (and that's most of them) will be happy to know that, internally at least, it is a ruthless company that will cut people and positions and anything else at the drop of a hat to meet short-term targets set by these MBA lobotomy victims.

Remember, this is a company that essentially wiped its TV network, ABC, clean of all talent and did virtually no long-term planning when they went five nights a week with "Who Wants to Be a Millionaire."

That mentality is still alive and well.

So, this comes back around to my original point...these brainless execs COULD just say...hey everyone is coming to the parks...let's not spend any money...but they realized the mistake with DCA...and are ACTUALLY spending the money to correct it. So there's not much being added in FLorida the last few years - but they are at least the money is being spent SOMEWHERE!

 

[nytimez]

So, this comes back around to my original point...these brainless execs COULD just say...hey everyone is coming to the parks...let's not spend any money...but they realized the mistake with DCA...and are ACTUALLY spending the money to correct it. So there's not much being added in FLorida the last few years - but they are at least the money is being spent SOMEWHERE!

So the glass is half full?

 

[Peter Pirate 2]

So, this comes back around to my original point...these brainless execs COULD just say...hey everyone is coming to the parks...let's not spend any money...but they realized the mistake with DCA...and are ACTUALLY spending the money to correct it. So there's not much being added in FLorida the last few years - but they are at least the money is being spent SOMEWHERE!

Perhaps, but the machine does have to be oiled. I mean marketing, the key to all things branded "Disney," needs to have something to work with. Even the MBA beancounters know that they can't make lemonade without the lemons...

 

[nytimez]

Even the MBA beancounters know that they can't make lemonade without the lemons...

Yes, but the MBAs probably think they can paint the rocks yellow and call them lemons!

 

[skier_pete]

So the glass is half full?

I suppose...I could choose to look at it as..."Disney is only going to get worse, why do I go...oh woah is me!!" or "Look, it's still one of the most amazing places created by man, and I'm going to enjoy it when I go, or else why am I going?"

Sorry if that makes me an optimist. Oddly enough at work I am considered mostly a pessimist (Not Disney, but another Fortune 50 company, which is how I understand how Disney is run). Guess that is the difference between reality and fantasy.

 

[ChrisFL]

The problem with the spending on the parks wouldn't be so bad if they were still the best (cleanest, best attractions, best food, merchandise, etc.) parks in the world...but ironically they aren't if you compare them to OLC's Tokyo Disney parks.

Now I fully realize that we're comparing 2 parks and 3 resorts at TDR to 4 parks and 20+ resorts, etc. at WDW, but still, it's a pretty large difference.

Or you could compare when Tokyo DisneySea opened to DCA...talk about a night and day difference, yet these parks opened very nearly the same time, both were second gates to very good Disneyland parks...one had massive attendance from the opening, the other is now having a massive overhaul to try to GET attendance.

It seems that Disney doesn't learn from it's mistakes very quickly.

 

[Tekneek]

I suppose...I could choose to look at it as..."Disney is only going to get worse, why do I go...oh woah is me!!" or "Look, it's still one of the most amazing places created by man, and I'm going to enjoy it when I go, or else why am I going?"

For me, it isn't about being a pessimist. It is about looking at the history of the company and contrasting it with the company of today. I don't hate Disney. I am just disheartened when I see them appearing to, by their own choice, fall short of their own historical standards. I am disheartened when I see them lose focus or interest in innovation, in lieu of building more timeshare properties. I am bored when it seems virtually every new attraction has to be tied to a movie property. I am confused when they trot out (what appears to be) an ordinary luxury home development, not unlike the kind you might find elsewhere around America (on property intended for an experimental prototype city that they could never figure out how to build). Also rather disappointed that the company has mistaken Walt's intention to not spend time repeating themselves as a reason to go around the globe building replicas of Disneyland.

The OLC parks are what happens when Imagineering is able to escape Disney's beancounters and deal with a company that is willing to pay for quality.

 

[mousermerf]

The OLC parks are what happens when Imagineering is able to escape Disney's beancounters and deal with a company that is willing to pay for quality.

Umm, not quite.

The people overall in charge of DL/WDW creatively are both known for being ridiculous about budgets, insisting on pet projects, and focusing on their own desires as a designer then any interest in the growth and good of the resort as a whole.

That has nothing to do with TDA/TDO/etc.. It's those people making bad decisions about where the money is used. It's one thing to have tight budget - it happens - but these people act out in their work, throw fits, and feel justified in putting crap in the parks when they don't get what they want. God forbid anyone questions their judgement. They act like children and for reasons unknown are allowed to keep acting that way.

OLC's portfolio is under a different lead. It used to be that all of them were under one person, but he left and had to be replaced by several people. Funny, right around that time the stateside parks started creatively going to crap.

 

[Donut23]

A lot of good comments here. From a personal point of view, having worked at a Disney-owned company for a decade until recently (covering the back end of the Eisner years and the first part of the Iger years), I can say that the bottom line was always the bottom line. Short-sighted shareholders (and that's most of them) will be happy to know that, internally at least, it is a ruthless company that will cut people and positions and anything else at the drop of a hat to meet short-term targets set by these MBA lobotomy victims.

Remember, this is a company that essentially wiped its TV network, ABC, clean of all talent and did virtually no long-term planning when they went five nights a week with "Who Wants to Be a Millionaire."

That mentality is still alive and well.

DH was broken hearted after Disney bought ABC and he discovered "disney suits" were basically vampires for $$$$$$ at the expense of quality and service ..... broke his heart.

 

[Tekneek]

The people overall in charge of DL/WDW creatively are both known for being ridiculous about budgets, insisting on pet projects, and focusing on their own desires as a designer then any interest in the growth and good of the resort as a whole.

Ah. So the problem isn't that Disney tries to go cheap in the domestic parks, but that Imagineering is intentionally trying to destroy them? Just trying to make sure I follow this.

 

[mousermerf]

Ah. So the problem isn't that Disney tries to go cheap in the domestic parks, but that Imagineering is intentionally trying to destroy them? Just trying to make sure I follow this.

Intentionally trying to destroy? No.

The actual "powers" being oblivious and in their own world where they think they're great artists who the plebes shouldn't offend or question - yes.

These are the people who honestly thought Pixie Hollow as a major area of MK was a good idea to promote "synergy" and who love to crank out film-based attractions because their experience is with production studios and they love working with big name directors like Lucas as they're film fanbois.

They constantly chase small consumer subgroups - they had to be told by Staggs to be "all things to all people."

I suppose the MBA lobotomy got them too. But they are the ones making creative decisions, not TDA/TDO. The parks management does not choose scripts, change audio on the TTA, remove light strips from Space Mountain vehicles, or think chili dogs at Stitch would be funny. That's actually creative's decision.