I’ve Got Disney News Exhaustion

[Brocktoon]

Although disappointed, like most of us I'm hardly surprised by the price increases. What does grind my gears is how rapidly they're releasing the increases. Not sure what Disney's communication team is thinking, but I was expecting to be slow boiled. Take a few weeks or a month or so and raise the prices here or there under the radar. Raising all this stuff at once is obviously going to bring unwanted attention with social media. Do they really not care about the bad press that could have been avoided with just a little better planning of the price hikes?

 

[HIRyeDVC]

And that's the real issue - still criticism is still warranted for some of these moves. The answer isn't just to raise and raise and raise prices, especially when not delivering on service aspects. If more and more people are coming, they will need things to do or they will have bad experiences. Those will add up after a while and impact customer satisfaction and intent to visit. I honestly wouldn't complain a bit about prices if hours, staffing levels, and entertainment options were also higher than ever!

Talk is cheap. If customers are unhappy, they need to put their money where their mouth is by not paying. But people continue to pay more saying we love the parks! I’m not sure how else the executives can interpret that. Perhaps more people will leave by recent negative experiences. But that’s only an assumption. One can also assume that other families will easily replace them and Disney won’t skip a beat. You’re right though. It doesn’t mean people can’t vent and complain. All I’m saying is, it doesn’t do much.

 

[Aluminum Falcon]

Although disappointed, like most of us I'm hardly surprised by the price increases. What does grind my gears is how rapidly they're releasing the increases. Not sure what Disney's communication team is thinking, but I was expecting to be slow boiled. Take a few weeks or a month or so and raise the prices here or there under the radar. Raising all this stuff at once is obviously going to bring unwanted attention with social media. Do they really not care about the bad press that could have been avoided with just a little better planning of the price hikes?

I think from a PR perspective it's better to take your lumps all at once and move on, over constantly fanning the flames with price increases strewn out over multiple months

 

[BrianL]

Talk is cheap. If customers are unhappy, they need to put their money where their mouth is by not paying. But people continue to pay more saying we love the parks! I’m not sure how else the executives can interpret that. Perhaps more people will leave by recent negative experiences. But that’s only an assumption. One can also assume that other families will easily replace them and Disney won’t skip a beat. You’re right though. It doesn’t mean people can’t vent and complain. All I’m saying is, it doesn’t do much.

You are right - right now people are coming and paying for the privelege - however if prices continue to increase as service levels/product decline, then that is a recipe disaster. It's not happening yet, but I do think that Disney execs are playing the short game at the expense of the long one. A million things can change at any time though, but that's my current assessment.

 

[New Mouse]

The parks are more crowded then ever, despite the price increases. I see no reason why Disney would lower prices.

They are crowded for reasons other than attendance. We haven't seen proof that attendance is up this year, capacity is just down at the moment.

 

[HIRyeDVC]

They are crowded for reasons other than attendance. We haven't seen proof that attendance is up this year, capacity is just down at the moment.

Fair, but I don’t think Disney is hurting for business these days

 

[New Mouse]

Fair, but I don’t think Disney is hurting for business these days

Wall Street thinks otherwise but I agree they are hitting good profit #s but raising prices with decreased attendance. It's the way of every sports franchise these days as well.

 

[HIRyeDVC]

Wall Street thinks otherwise but I agree they are hitting good profit #s but raising prices with decreased attendance. It's the way of every sports franchise these days as well.

Yes. No difference from any other businesses these days. We pay more for less. It’s the sad reality of the times

 

[Aluminum Falcon]

Wall Street thinks otherwise but I agree they are hitting good profit #s but raising prices with decreased attendance. It's the way of every sports franchise these days as well.

Wall Street plays in the futures market, not the here and now. They think the entire country is in for it shortly down the road, far from a Disney issue.

 

[Kpatenaude]

Right. Completing Dinoland is one thing, a big project, but putting Belle in her cottage seems like it should have happened by now. Or filling the Little Mermaid theater. Where is all of that?

BBB reopening was a big step IMO.

I seriously doubt that staffing is the issue. They have park people day revenues down to a science and that includes everything….ride capacity, ride queues, restaurants seating, restaurant queues, people traveling between places in the park, people in stores, and no doubt 20 other ways to figure out what the right number of people to put in the parks is. With that, more of those things in the parks (rides, restaurants, stores, walking spaces) the more AP’s will be authorized and the more people will be let in. Current demand keeps them smiling. I think it’s short sighted.

 

[RoseGold]

I seriously doubt that staffing is the issue. They have park people day revenues down to a science and that includes everything….ride capacity, ride queues, restaurants seating, restaurant queues, people traveling between places in the park, people in stores, and no doubt 20 other ways to figure out what the right number of people to put in the parks is.

So why isn't Belle in her cottage? It's already built. All they have to do it put people back in it.

 

[DL1WDW2]

Belle would be a paid performer plus all the other costs.
Obviously price point does not satisfy the equation.
Focus should be on the bigger venues to help with crowd flow.
Maybe that’s why they haven’t been in a hurry to bring back the MK Train .
Cause when that opens I’m claiming my seat and sitting for a very long trip.

 

[BrianL]

Belle would be a paid performer plus all the other costs.
Obviously price point does not satisfy the equation.
Focus should be on the bigger venues to help with crowd flow.
Maybe that’s why they haven’t been in a hurry to bring back the MK Train .
Cause when that opens I’m claiming my seat and sitting for a very long trip.

But that's the thing - they want to raise and raise prices and they can't pay to have an additional attraction operational? Yes, it requires staff and a performer - that is what the guests pay for, right?

 

[DL1WDW2]

I guess I wonder if the experience was valuable enough to create cash flow . How many guests actually wanted to pay for that photo opportunity that was offered at the end of the performance ?

 

[BrianL]

I guess I wonder if the experience was valuable enough to create cash flow . How many guests actually wanted to pay for that photo opportunity that was offered at the end of the performance ?

Well, even if they just brought it back as an elaborate Meet & Greet without the show, that would at least be something - better than sitting empty!

What they should REALLY do is port over that new Beauty and the Beast dark ride from Tokyo - that would be amazing, and no doubt super-popular!

 

[Smugpugmug]

What they should REALLY do is port over that new Beauty and the Beast dark ride from Tokyo - that would be amazing, and no doubt super-popular!

I read on another forum that in order to have space for that, Disney would have to remove Be Our Guest and Enchanted Tales with Belle. I'm fine with that tbh - I'll take a cool dark ride over a mediocre restaurant any day.

 

[BrianL]

I read on another forum that in order to have space for that, Disney would have to remove Be Our Guest and Enchanted Tales with Belle. I'm fine with that tbh - I'll take a cool dark ride over a mediocre restaurant any day.

Well, I don't think og BOG as Mediocre - it is pretty great! But, yeah, I'd probably rather have the ride. It feels like they would work it out, even if the queue had to go into a tunnel with a show building set a little further away. Maybe not though.

 

[Morieris]

Until people stop going, it won't change.

I haven't gone since 2013. I wanted to go back, but with the price rises and general growth in planning complication, I can go find real culture in visiting Hawaii or real thrills in visiting Universal.

I long said that I'd be okay with going to just a resort only stay, but....yeah, I don't think so.

 

[Jrb1979]

Well, even if they just brought it back as an elaborate Meet & Greet without the show, that would at least be something - better than sitting empty!

What they should REALLY do is port over that new Beauty and the Beast dark ride from Tokyo - that would be amazing, and no doubt super-popular!

That ride would bore me. We need less those type of rides and more Tower of Terror rides.

 

[BrianL]

That ride would bore me. We need less those type of rides and more Tower of Terror rides.

Not in Fantasyland they don't. High-end dark rides are wonderful too. They can build more thrilling stuff elsewhere - MK is already getting a new coaster in TRON.