Has Disney’s Strategies To It’s Loyal Customers Finally Caught Up With It?

[Bibbidi_Boo]

They *could* hire enough people, they are just choosing not to. If they offered housekeepers 60k a year, they would suddenly have enough staffing. They won't do that though, so the "There's not enough workers in Florida" argument will continue to be the excuse given. There aren't enough workers willing to clean rooms or lifeguard for $11 an hour part time, that's the real "issue". If you pay them, they will come.

Because that logic doesn't even work. So housekeepers should be paid more or the same to school teachers that have to get a 4 year degree, test and certify and pay more money to keep their certifications... Applies to alot of other positions that required some for of paid training and often certifications.

Lifeguards usually make more than house keepers but the certification program is short and not expensive to get.

There is a much larger issue at play, so few places want to hire high schoolers and just out of out high schoolers because they aren't reliable anymore or refuse to even want to consider getting a job.

 

[BK2014]

Because that logic doesn't even work. So housekeepers should be paid more or the same to school teachers that have to get a 4 year degree, test and certify and pay more money to keep their certifications... Applies to alot of other positions that required some for of paid training and often certifications.

I am not sure I understand this comparison. Housekeepers and teachers are neither competing for the same jobs nor being paid from the same sources. Housekeepers should be paid whatever their market supports, and same for teachers.

 

[soniam]

I live in southern California, about an hour from any beach, and its high 90s/100s for us this week.

I think we may eventually move to Texas because of the HCOL. It will take me some time to get used to humidity - I'm a more of a horned lizard than a gecko

Depending upon where in Texas, the humidity differs. It’s not Orlando humid though, unless you are in Houston.

 

[john1012a]

I agree that the park reservation system is contributing to the slow down. I also think the restriction on park hopping is a killer. Both just feel way over planned and it takes the fun out of it. I understand the stated reason by disney for why they do it -so they can improve park experience and for staffing, but those reasons seem exaggerated. The park experience has not improved. The free genie service is a waste of time. The genie+ can be a pain and there is a learning curve that most casual goers pay for, realize how complicated it is, think they wasted their money and got ripped off. Finally the experienced park goers just see how expensive it all is and feel that they are getting nicked and dimed to death.
We are here now and yesterday afternoon Safaris wait time was15 minute at 2pm. I have never seen that before. Yes it was hot, but that is Florida in July.
Also next January, dated tickets don't need a park reservation. But if you are an annual pasaholder staying on site, you do. That's ridiculous. Anyone staying on site should not be required to have a theme park reservation

 

[Miffy]

Also next January, dated tickets don't need a park reservation. But if you are an annual pasaholder staying on site, you do. That's ridiculous. Anyone staying on site should not be required to have a theme park reservation

^^^This, times 10 billion. I read the Disney website page concerning this several times, just to make sure I wasn't missing something. But I wasn't. Starting in January, when date-based ticketholders no longer have to make park reservations, if you have an AP, you have to make park reservations, no matter where you're staying or how long you're staying there. It's super rude.

I get that they want local AP holders to make park reservations--although, come on, this was never necessary in the past--but for someone staying on-site? Do they think I got the AP just for the room rate discount? No! I'm going to the parks. Of course I am.

 

[irlandaise]

I get that they want local AP holders to make park reservations--although, come on, this was never necessary in the past--but for someone staying on-site? Do they think I got the AP just for the room rate discount? No! I'm going to the parks. Of course I am.

Well, actually, I got a WDW AP once just because of room discounts, and I live in California. The discounts on the deluxe hotels were so good that I came out hundreds of dollars ahead for a week's stay even after paying for the AP.

Anyway...I am surprised that WDW is keeping the park reservation requirement for AP holders. It isn't like Disneyland where there are so many AP holders they can significantly affect crowd levels on a given day.

 

[Miffy]

Well, actually, I got a WDW AP once just because of room discounts, and I live in California. The discounts on the deluxe hotels were so good that I came out hundreds of dollars ahead for a week's stay even after paying for the AP.

Anyway...I am surprised that WDW is keeping the park reservation requirement for AP holders. It isn't like Disneyland where there are so many AP holders they can significantly affect crowd levels on a given day.

I used to get the AP mainly for the room discounts as well--back in ye olden tymes--but I always went to the parks, so it served many purposes. The dining discounts aren't too bad, either.

 

[disneycrazed139]

Seeing incredibly low wait times and empty restaurants etc on Facebook.

As things stand at this minute, major attractions on 4 July have 25 min wait times. Even ROTR is only 45 minutes.

What is happening, and has Disney upset so many visitors, is it losing the repeat visitor it previously relied upon, particularly with the economy as it is?

Or is this just Disney’s much trumpeted crowd reduction plan in action and this is what they want?

I’d like to know what booking numbers are looking like with Dreams, I know Pete has mentioned these before recently on his YouTube shows

It may be a combination of factors-and I think in this order.
1. The heat is oppressive, and air quality in a lot of places has affected people's health and made travel intermittently not so enticing
2. Covid let ups initially led to very high demand. It's out of people's systems now. Now they're done and broke And they don't want to go back to the crowds for a while because it was crazy for a little!
3. Let's face it--politics may be a contributing factor on several fronts. I believe this will let up eventually.

Disney has geared its products to the trip of a lifetime visitor for a few years now. Disney would be smart to bring back more of the best perks to the dedicated Disney enthusiasts!

 

[jerry557]

People only seem seem to be going for the blockbusters now. There best best is to stop including new movies with D+. Make them available for rent for $20 when released on D+ for the first 8 months.

A few things going on. One of the first things to get shuttered during COVID was movie theaters. And they were one of the last things to fully reopen. So that forced people to seek out other avenues for entertainment. The void was quickly filled by streaming. But now that bubble is bursting largely for the reason below. But people didn't rush back to the theaters because they already replaced them as a form of entertainment. There is no reason to go out to a theater, and pay for overpiced popcorn, when you catch it at home.

There is an issue in Hollywood of less originality or creativity. The movies today are bad. And Hollywood has become reliant on remakes and sequels. That was an increasing issue even before COVID but has now become even worse. Movies have become overdone, stale, unoriginal, and infused with political activism. There are a few successes. Things like Super Mario, Avatar, and Top Gun did well recently. But they are islands in a sea of failure. Comedy is quickly becoming a dead genre. Hollywood is now too afraid to make those movies for fear someone could become offended by a joke. Budgets have gotten out of control. The movies are heavily reliant on CGI to a point they look cheesy.

And there is also boycotting going on. Politics is all that matters now. I mean look at the Oscars. It has turned into a complete farce! It's now a 4-hour political pep rally and a competition over which actor can make the most outlandish political comments during an acceptance speech. Who the hell wants to watch that? People are sick of this kind of thing, and so they just aren't watching the movies anymore.

 

[DL1WDW2]

I agree with the AP restrictions currently and in January…unless they increase from 5 to 10 .
Okay APholders has to make sure they have certain holidays and birthdays or family visits… Bingo I can’t survive with just 5 park pass reservations It is beyond stupid but Universal seems to be happy to invite me to visit.

 

[shh]

Comedy is quickly becoming a dead genre. Hollywood is now too afraid to make those movies for fear someone could become offended by a joke. Budgets have gotten out of control.

1000% Every snowflake is offended by something these days:. It's almost impossible to create anything comedic without backlash and cancel culture actions. So the only "safe" comedy framework left for Hollywood is the easy targets: scatological/gross humor or sexual. I guess others like it, but I just don't find either funny. I prefer content that's subtle, clever, smart, well written.

 

[peder]

They *could* hire enough people, they are just choosing not to. If they offered housekeepers 60k a year, they would suddenly have enough staffing. They won't do that though, so the "There's not enough workers in Florida" argument will continue to be the excuse given. There aren't enough workers willing to clean rooms or lifeguard for $11 an hour part time, that's the real "issue". If you pay them, they will come.

From a micro econ perspective, the Disney "factory" might be too large in Orlando... it creates excess demand for labor to the point of inefficiency. All the talk of a 5th gate at WDW are probably pure fantasy when it seems clear that Disney already doesn't want to pay the marginal rate for labor.

Iger just this past week said the parks still have lots of room to grow financially (which seems at odds with closing Galactic Starcruiser and not paying market rate for housekeeping, etc.) and with Universal's new park concept in Texas, I wonder if Disney isn't intimating that a Texas expansion is just around the corner.

 

[namelessoracle]

People only seem seem to be going for the blockbusters now. There best best is to stop including new movies with D+. Make them available for rent for $20 when released on D+ for the first 8 months.

Cocaine Bear, Meaghan and Insidious all made money.

Universal seems to be playing it right with smaller reasonable focused releases with sane budgets that get tidy returns alongside stuff like Mario thats the top movie this year.

 

[jimmymc]

That is definitely part of it. There is no way its the main reason for July 4th being the lowest attended July 4th in 10 years. IMO with most of the world open now people are opting for other places outside of the US

I think that's part of it too, plus there have been some big layoffs over the past few years.

 

[midwestdee]

Because that logic doesn't even work. So housekeepers should be paid more or the same to school teachers that have to get a 4 year degree, test and certify and pay more money to keep their certifications... Applies to alot of other positions that required some for of paid training and often certifications.

Lifeguards usually make more than house keepers but the certification program is short and not expensive to get.

There is a much larger issue at play, so few places want to hire high schoolers and just out of out high schoolers because they aren't reliable anymore or refuse to even want to consider getting a job.

Personally, I’m not throwing young people under the bus. I’m a senior and back in the day, I knew plenty of shiftless idiots then , so that isn’t something particular to the current young generation.

 

[Jrb1979]

I think that's part of it too, plus there have been some big layoffs over the past few years.

The weird thing is travel in general is up. Even parks like Cedar Point are seeing a rise in attendance.

 

[Bibbidi_Boo]

The weird thing is travel in general is up. Even parks like Cedar Point are seeing a rise in attendance.

At this point every ones knows this you have stated it over and over and over again. No one really cares. People are traveling yes, and likely to places they haven't travelled the past 2 summers (which was heavily florida).

 

[NotUrsula]

I can't for the life of me locate it now, but a few weeks ago I read an article about theatre attendance that, among other things, surveyed the parents of young children. The overwhelming response they got was that that demographic would not be visiting any cinemas until their children were old enough to be left home alone for a few hours. They primarily cited the cost and hassle of getting a babysitter for grown-up films, and the cost paired with the inattention and unpredictability of young children for not making it worthwhile to go for children's films. They pretty universally said they were content to invest in a nice TV and watch all movies at home. (We are going to end up with a generation of kids who don't see the inside of cinema until they are old enough to date.)

Interestingly, a poll cited by the BBC recently found that 25% of Americans surveyed said that they were avoiding crowded public places (including cinemas, because they are dark and have limited exits) for fear of random gun violence. I honestly hadn't thought about that aspect, but I do know people who are paranoid about the possibility of that, so I guess it makes some sense that it would be a factor, though I don't think it's a very large one outside of certain high-crime areas.

So, yes, new Disney Pictures releases shouldn't be available via streaming right away, and if they are they should be priced quite high. Beyond that, though, it seems to me that if Disney wants to turn around the fortunes of the film division quickly, the answer is to re-visit the Touchstone model, and even more fruitfully, create a subdivision that takes square aim at older folks, because those of us over a certain age still really like going out to a movie. (Note that I'm not talking about Cocoon-clones, but dramas and domestic comedies that feature adults living adult lives.) Best of all, films for this market are cheap to make, because for the most part they don't require special effects. (Look at "The King's Speech", for example: that cost $24M to make, and grossed a total box office of $430M.)

 

[Cfabar1]

To me it is the budgets that are out of control....

Elemental allegedly cost $200 million to make.

So far, it has made $311 million + worldwide.

There will be some marketing costs thrown in there. A $300+ million box office film should not be a flop. It's the cost structure that is out of control.

People are complaining about Little Mermaid. The budget there was allegedly $250 million to make. So far that movie has made $547 million. I would hope that doubling your production budget would allow your movie to make some money for the studio, yet people are calling the film a box office disappointment.

Both of these movies will likely have licensing opportunities. They'll sell CDs or albums that will be streamed. There are some toys and shirts and other things that should add to the bottom line.

Ant Man Quantummania also had 200 million budget, has made 476 million at the box office. Most of Disney's failures have made tons of money, the cost structure is the problem.

The one that will likely be a flop is Indiana Jones....

Indiana Jones looks like it is heading in the direction of being a huge money loser for Lucasfilm/Disney. Budget may have been around $400 million, and so far it has only made about $300 million. To me going back to my earlier statements.... $300 million should be enough money to make a profitable movie.... but Disney's costs (and most other studios) are way out of control. Harry Potter, when it came out in 2001, and was known that it was to be one of the most successful films ever made cost $125 million in budget or about $215 million in today's dollars. Why anyone thought that Indiana Jones in 2023 would need to cost nearly double that amount and could be profitable is beyond me.... Hollywood spending is totally out of control.

 

[RivShore]

the answer is to re-visit the Touchstone model, and even more fruitfully, create a subdivision that takes square aim at older folks

You would think the Fox studios they bought would have been delivering such things. They really do need to diversify from the big tentpole movies only.