Is Bob Chapek ruining the Parks experience?

[FiveBearRugs]

I can't help but to feel that ever since Bob Chapek took the helm, Disney has been more focused on short-term profit at the expense of long-term consumer sentiment. As a new CEO, he wants to put up impressive numbers each quarter, especially during the first few years, but I feel all of this is coming at an expense. Am I the only one?

I'm referring strictly to the Parks/Resorts, as I do feel he is doing an excellent job with Disney+.

Please allow me to elaborate.

1) Magical Express. I am sure they will save quite a bit of money on this relatively benign perk. After all, will anybody really cancel or not book their trip because Magical Express is gone? No, they wont.

And that's probably exactly how that boardroom meeting went.

2) Extra Magic Hours. In the past, guests at all Disney resorts were eligible for morning and evening extra magic hours. Now, only guests at Deluxe resorts will be eligible for evening extra magic hours. If Disney were truly concerned about Covid safety, wouldn't they leave the evening hours perk in place to help cut down on crowds during the day? I know that for me, personally, I would arrive at the park much later in the day knowing I can stay later, making everyone's experience more tolerable. Leaving that perk in place would be for the greater good of everyone.

But now Chapek is essentially forcing night owls to either pony up the extra dough to stay late, or be forced out of the parks at regular closing time. Guests who fall into this category will either feel ripped off, or feel pissed off they have to leave the park while other Disney World Resort guests remain. And anyone who's been to the parks knows that lines during evening extra magic hours are not nearly as problematic as daytime lines, which will now be even more problematic, as night owls will now begin their day earlier at the parks, making for a worse experience overall for everyone, regardless of where you're staying.

3) FastPass+ retirement, Disney Genie. This is perhaps the worst of all offenders. Disney got rid of the FastPass when they reopened during covid, citing "covid" as the reason. But this horse manure excuse is illogical, obviously, because FastPass helps to organize riders, reducing the need for lines in the first place. We now know that the true reason they got rid of it was so they can roll out their new pay-for-downgraded-fastpass. That's right, their new system will cost you an extra $15-20 per day for the basic plan that forces you to be glued to your phone at exactly 7am on the day of your visit to get your selection in. Imagine who you'll feel, as a guest, who now has the added stress of knowing that you either need to wake up early after a late night at the parks to make your selection, or if you're feeding your kids breakfast and have to stop suddenly to make your ride selection. And you only get one selection. After your ride ends, you can make another selection.

So, we have to pay an extra $15-20 to help Disney solve their queue organization problem. There is absolutely no way the topic of a paid fastpass system didn't get brought up at a meeting when Bob Iger was in charge. It's obvious. But Iger had the good sense to shoot the idea down.

And if you want to lock in multiple fast passes, that will likely cost you an additional $10-$40 per person per ride. Imagine how you'll feel after that.

4) The Special events are getting shorter and more expensive. We all understand that prices go up over time, but the quality and quantity doesn't need to be reduced as well.

In summary, it appears to me that Bob Chapek is ruining the parks experience in literally every way imaginable. We all expect price increases over time, not just with Disney, but in life. But when those price hikes are accompanied by diminished services that will undoubtedly leave the guests devoid of any magical feelings after, you really have to wonder if they put the right person in charge.

I welcome your comments. And if anybody reading this knows any execs at Disney, feel free to forward this to them. They probably won't care, but it's worth a try.

 

[clapton]

I couldn’t agree with you more! My family has been going to Disney since 1981. It truly breaks my heart to see what has happened to the guest experience, there is none anymore. It’s only how much money can we charge for something.
It’s really disgusting. Shame on you Disney. As people are voicing their opinions I truly hope people will boycott this nonsense. Time will tell, but it really makes me sad and angry

 

[GAN]

What has he done with D+? That's Iger's baby ...anything we're seeing now was probably planned well before Chapek. I'd give it another year...

As far as the Parks ...it's kind of hard to say. Most of what we're seeing is a result of losses during Covid -but sure, it gives him an excuse to do things he probably would have done anyway

 

[ElsasFan]

I agree 100%. Bring back Bob Iger. I used to love WDW, now I just get mad when I think about it, and am questioning whether to book again.

 

[Keckster]

In Disney leadership history, there have been great leader teams: Walt/Roy (naturally); Isner/Wells; and yes even Iger/Chapek (with Iger at the top). In those pairings there seem to be one focused on experience of the customer and the other on the bottom line. The COVID pandemic has reset many things about how companies run, not just Disney. However, there has been so many changes so fast that it is hard to process, let alone accept. So many items that were included (I don't say free, because it was always factored into other products--tickets, resort rooms, food, merchandise) are now addition charges and the existing prices didn't go down. It is essentially like those chip bags and cereal boxes at the grocery store that have gotten smaller and the price is going up. Even without the new upcharges, I'm paying the same or more for tickets and resort room, but getting less. Disney seems to be without the consumer experience guy to offset the bean counter guy (aka Chapek). Josh D'Amaro seems to be the future hope to realign consumer experience back to the front of the discussion. But unless he makes it higher in the leadership chain, he will have to follow Chapek's direction. Right now it feels like the top leader is sucking the magic out of the mouse.

Don't take it out on park and resort Cast Members, but when the CM with a tablet asks you if you are willing to answer a few survey questions when you enter/in the park. Give them respectful honest answers. No amount of complaining in social media will make it to the board room focused on bean counting. Their own survey data and customers chosing to vote with their money is what will win out.

 

[Ninja Mom]

I cannot agree with the Original Poster more.

I used to stay on site and go 4 times a year. Then some idiot cancelled Star Wars Weekends and I had no reason to come for that. Then the idiots came for my beloved Osborne Lights.

Disney has ACRES of USABLE LAND and they had to take away the streets of America and replace it with the Galaxy's Edge FAIL, where in the words of Gertrude Stein "There's no there there... " except there are upsells and a signature attraction that maybe it's working, maybe it's not, maybe you can ride it, probably you can NOT!

Don't even get me started on Oga'$ Cantina where, if you move from the spot you are crammed into, you are kicked out. What a DISGUSTING turn off. For God's sake, what MORON designed a place where everyone would want to come and then throttled down on its capacity?

Now they are destroying everything that is great about the Halloween and Christmas parties.

No one goes to the parks in the summer because they are no longer open during the cooler hours of the night. I was thinking that that that $150 dollar a day park ticket is only going to cover 2/3rds of a day now and Disney will start selling evening park hour tickets every night for each park. It's only a matter of time (and straight up greed).

If I wasn't tied into a group meet up that happens every year, I doubt I would even go at all. Some of us in the group are lobbying to switch over to Universal, but the members of the group who got suckered into buying DVC can't envision a future outside of their beloved bubble... only for some of them, their bubble is perilously close to popping, because they too have had it with all the Disney cuts and price gouging.

People whom I never thought would sell their DVC are now seriously entertaining that thought because they finally realize that Disney is now only about fleecing its guests by offering way less and charging way more. It's just not the same place anymore and the decline started way before Covid.

Disney's entire focus is how to offer the least and charge the most for it. Think about that for a minute... They could have been focused on how to improve capacity and the guest experience but that was too much to ask for when you can run the experience into the ground and mine it for performance bonuses when the stock price goes ever higher.

I don't even have the words for how they are destroying the Cast Members. These are the folks who love the parks, and they want to give the guest the best Disney experience. And Disney runs them into the ground by paying them poverty wages and asking them to work 50 or 60 hours a week.

Disney can't get people to work for them, because it's terrible reputation as an employer precedes any consideration of working there.
PS. Stop giving the front-line CM's crap about your Disney vacation problems. They didn't make the decisions that are causing all the problems. It's MANAGEMENT you want to beef to. wdw.guest.communications@disneyworld.com

Keep in mind that management has long since stopped caring about the guest experience. They already have your money. That's that most important thing. You can complain all you want. No one cares anymore.

Shall we talk about how they aren't doing a decent job cleaning the resort rooms in between guests. (I’m not even talking about DURING your stay). Yeah, sure they make a little more of an effort at the deluxe resorts, but turn on your phone's flashlight and take a look under the beds at the values. Maybe walk on the hospital grade linoleum floors and watch your white socks turn black and stick to all the previous food spills from the prior guests. Then go talk to the housekeeper who explains that all Disney gives her to clean the floors in a dry Swiffer and 15 seconds to use it. So that's why the rooms are as comfortable as prison cells. Industrial grade designs for minimum maintenance. The heck with the guest's comfort or room cleanliness.

How about that parks reservation system if you're an Annual Pass holder? In the words of Yoda Totally screwed you are. Yesssss.

And now we have Genie, whose sole purpose is to herd you into upsells. See past the marketing spin and understand that EVERYTHING Disney is doing is focused on offering less and charging more for it. I've decided that every time someone mentions Disney Genie I'm going to moo, as a reminder that it only exists to herd you into more Disney upsells.

The reality that Disney is no longer the place that it used to be is becoming more apparent to an ever-increasing number of people. Bob Chapek and his minions are destroying the experience by carving out every great thing and trying to monetize it or eliminate it if they can't do that. It's soul crushing to Disney devotees. I can only hope that it's unsustainable.

Disney used to be great without gouging the guests in every conceivable way. It was a profitable company. What's happening now is obscene.

~NM

 

[twincruisers]

I do empathize with everyone’s anger about all the changes, but I gotta admit I don’t see how Iger gets out of this smelling like roses while Chapek gets the blame. Genie was created and mostly built during Iger’s era and released under Chapek.

Going back further, think about the last US theme park expansion (not new land, but new park) and you’ll notice that instead of opening another theme park, Iger went after ESPN. While Marvel and Star Wars were big wins for Iger, the park experience that we are unhappy with today is more of a function of Iger’s lack of investment in parks and going after media and content.

To blast Chapek and not put Iger in the same boat seems very short-sighted IMO.

 

[TheDailyMoo]

Exactly this right above. Anyone that thinks Chapek is more than just Iger's puppet and fall guy is not seeing the bigger picture. Do you know what single individual had the most to gain all these years from the "business" of Disney expanding it's numbers? That's right Iger. Yes he sold off many of his shares but the man had over 1 MILLION shares. Say that like Dr. Evil and it has an even greater effect. Chapek is almost like the bumbling sidekick. Don't give him that much credit. This is all Iger's world and we're just eating turkey legs and churros in it.

 

[Gentry2004]

Yes, I agree and it’s sad. I’m glad our kids are a little older now (though not that old!) and we go to take them to Disney regularly before all of this happened.

it wasn’t even that long ago that AP’s were affordable (out of state), on-site hotels were relatively affordable, and there were “slower” times you could go to Disney. Out of state AP’s increased 50% just from 2017 (in Dec of 17 we paid $729 plus tax. Can you believe it!!!) and that was BEFORE Covid. Lord only knows what they will be now.

 

[elcapitanJack]

Many people would like to have certain individuals come back right now.

 

[Heather07438]

Let's not forget merch. Pretty sure he played a major role in seeing what they can get away with quality-wise. Some of the products we bought the last few years were utter junk. Had one Disney subscription and the shirts were horrible, one in particular crossed the line into disgusting. The material was like some kind of disposable one use fabric, the stitching was crooked and almost the whole thing not correctly finished, had 3 buttons which were 2 inches skewed from center and the buttons didnt align with their holes causes a big pucker of fabric. That's insulting they send that for $50/month. Same with the masks. We put our order in Day 2 they went on sale at the start of the pandemic. $80. They came months late without any communication in the interim, and well after they knew the first batch had major sizing issues. But they still sent the garbage ones, months late and fully knowing at that point they they were unusable. Bought a pair of leggins, $40 washed twice gently and they are full of pills. Bought a sundress for $85 and the seems falling apart before even washing, the pockets actually had gaping holes because because the seem was sewn a millimeter from the shredded fabric cut. Hem crooked and falling out. Cheap material that holds wrinkles.

Thanks Bob! Great job

 

[TomorrowlandKD]

/edit - it's not even worth it.

 

[Mrs~Incredible]

YES. All the yes.

 

[GAN]

In Disney leadership history, there have been great leader teams: Walt/Roy (naturally); Isner/Wells; and yes even Iger/Chapek (with Iger at the top).

In fairness, Iger was CEO for 10-years before Chapek took the role of Director of Parks/Resorts. So they've only been a team for the last five ..and most of those years were spent with Iger trying to navigate his retirement. Iger's impact was focused on some blockbuster deals -that eventually led to Pixar, Star Wars, Pandora, Marvel. I wouldn't say Chapek had even an ounce of input on any of those decisions, as they were all financial in nature and not directly "Park" moves.

 

[dvc lover 1970]

I was a huge fan of Staggs as I felt he understood disney, yes it was a corporation, but it was built on customer service and satisfaction. I don't think Chapek gets that last part, he is solely driven by the dollar and without customer satisfaction that will minimize the disney brand. I feel Universal is turning into the old disney.

 

[TwoMisfits]

I feel like this is one of those "Is water wet?" questions...

 

[GAN]

I do empathize with everyone’s anger about all the changes, but I gotta admit I don’t see how Iger gets out of this smelling like roses while Chapek gets the blame. Genie was created and mostly built during Iger’s era and released under Chapek.

Going back further, think about the last US theme park expansion (not new land, but new park) and you’ll notice that instead of opening another theme park, Iger went after ESPN. While Marvel and Star Wars were big wins for Iger, the park experience that we are unhappy with today is more of a function of Iger’s lack of investment in parks and going after media and content.

To blast Chapek and not put Iger in the same boat seems very short-sighted IMO.

I totally disagree. Iger worked tirelessly for 10-years or so orchestrating Shangai Disney ...the hurdles dealing with China were astronomical and still are today. He did focus on media and content -and that's why the Company is where they are today. Without those acquisitions, I don't see how they could have survived the last 1-1/2 and be where they are right now. Content that brought -Pixar, Pandora, Star Wars, Marvel ...that's all lol! Iger wasn't sitting behind his desk wondering how much the price of popcorn should be....

 

[DVCkidsMOM]

I remember thinking similarly gloomy thoughts about Bob Iger back in the day. I'm definitely currently in the camp that thinks Chapek = Grinch and therefore needs to go to where the grinch belongs...
However, as the parks became more and more crowded some of Iger's changes turned out for the best, so I'm cautiously not-quite-pessimistic about this round of changes. Sure I wish things were as easy, relatively inexpensive, and uncrowded as when my children were toddlers, but that's not going to happen, so...
I'm willing to see how it goes.

 

[cheryl.UK]

Without question, yes

 

[TheDailyMoo]

I was a huge fan of Staggs as I felt he understood disney, yes it was a corporation, but it was built on customer service and satisfaction. I don't think Chapek gets that last part, he is solely driven by the dollar and without customer satisfaction that will minimize the disney brand. I feel Universal is turning into the old disney.

Funny because I like Kevin Mayer and what he brought to the table and both Mayer and Staggs are currently working together to acquire media companies...they just bough Reese Witherspoon's production company. I'm not saying they're ever going to rival Disney but they're definitely taking what they learned and putting it to good use. Mayer over Cheapek anyday. They snubbed him.