More cutbacks at the MK???

[Bob O]

Besides the stores, we also have rides and Rests. opening later and some Rest. closing earlier. What this does is make a few more pennies foe eisner but it reduceas options and magical experiences for the guests who apparently arent part of the equation with the current regime in power.
More of the same old pay more and we will give you less for your money!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[raidermatt]

In the "real world" they don't charge admission either.

Hours have already been cut, and now its ok to not even operate more attractions/stores for all of those already reduced hours?

Okay, if they feel they are forced to make cuts......

Who is forcing them to make cuts?

The parks are making big bucks, and even did so in the months immediately following 9/11. Yet hours were being reduced even back in the days before the economy soured.

Now, attendance and occupancy are supposedly on the rise, but more cuts are necessary?

 

[cindyfan]

Who is forcing them to make cuts?

I don't have access to their accounting books....so I can not say what part of their expenses they are not making.....

But obviously they felt there needs to be cuts in payroll......somewhere......therefore closing a shop that is not profitable for a few hours makes sense.

I agree about cutting the hours of the parks and attractions.....at peak season...........That IMHO is wrong.
But the retail shops I feel is a whole other issue.

I don't think they are too concerned with if each hour is profitable.

Actually.....they are very concerned. They do a lot of research into traffic patterns.
Malls in our area have adjusted their hours quite a few times in the past. No, they don't change the hours weekly like a park, but they definitely do the research.......
They are not going to keep the mall open if it shows no one shops at that time.
And....the retailers themselves are very much aware of sales per hour! Most mall stores have hourly sales goals and if not met......well....then.....this is what happens....

but newer "open air" centers, where stores set heir own hours, seem to be thriving.

If a store is not profitable...and can't pay the rent....they will close or move.

So you see.....that is why I think the stores closing really has nothing to do with the Magic or "getting what you pay for" during "peak season".

Is it a good business decision to shorten park hours or close attractions during peak season.....NO.

BUT....is it a good decision to close a store that is not making payroll or not doing any business during a certain time of day......YES, I think so.

 

[raidermatt]

The Magic Kingdom is not a shopping mall full of independently operated retail outlets.

Its a SHOW. The ENTIRE park is part of that Show.

Unless you want it to be like your local shopping mall, you probably shouldn't compare it to your local shopping mall. (Who, by the way, know very well the negative effect closed stores have on their overall business.)

I don't have access to their accounting books....so I can not say what part of their expenses they are not making.....

Yet you assume there is some need to close stores and attractions...

 

[MELSMICE]

Unfortunately, you can't please everyone.

The shareholders would complain if WDW is not making money therefore, asking where cuts can be made to change this. Thus, the decision to have the retail shops open later.

The consumers complain because the shops/attractions are closed.

Does anyone go to the parks to "shop" at park opening? It seems to me most people do their souvenir shopping later in the day or evening.

 

[cindyfan]

Yet you assume there is some need to close stores and attractions...

I never said there was any need to close ATTRACTIONS
Quite the contrary.....I don't want any attractions closed.

If you go back and read my posts......I totally disagree with closing any attractions!

BUT I think everyone here will agree there are too many shops.

Does anyone go to the parks to "shop" at park opening? It seems to me most people do their souvenir shopping later in the day or evening.

Exactly my point!

so I still say.....it is a good business decision to keep the shops closed during the times when no one is in there shopping.....
SAVE a few bucks to spend on the "attractions" that everyone doesn't want closed!

Think of it.....the CM that is wasting their time standing in an empty shop could be working Space Mtn or Dumbo....speeding things up a bit and adding to that Magic.
Or he could be on Main Street answering questions and adding to that "guest service".

Or...how about this.....have them work Carousel of Progress.....keep that open!!

OR....would you rather they stand in an empty store!

 

[mudhen]

Melsmice...That's the problem and why so many
people are upset with this, WDW is making money,
it's the other aspects of the corporate Disney
side that are sucking the theme park division dry.

It also takes away from the "magical" experience
to walk by shuttered (closed) aspects of the park,
whether they be attractions, stores, or restaurants, it's just not good show. And "good
show" is something the current TDA management
regime just doesn't get.

 

[MELSMICE]

Originally posted by mudhen
Melsmice...That's the problem and why so many
people are upset with this, WDW is making money,
it's the other aspects of the corporate Disney
side that are sucking the theme park division dry.

Unfortunately, regardless of what is done, not everyone is going to be happy. That's the way society is. You make one group happy but you upset another.

 

[abitjaded]

I find myself spending less and less time in the shops. Why? I have enough Disney stuff and there is nothing else to buy. Remember when most of the shops had new merchandise gathered from around the world instead of a pile of Disney plush? The shops are not profitable to keep staffed because they don't know how to stock them anymore to make a profit! They don't have to open half the rides because not enough people are coming to ride them, either! Yup, don't staff, don't open and imagine all that savings for the stockholders. And eventually they won't have to staff anything because nothing will be profitable. And Comcast can make a killing selling ride parts on Ebay.

Carla

 

[TheRustyScupper]

Maybe ComCast will keep the shops and parks open longer.

 

[raidermatt]

A closed ANYTHING is bad Show.

This isn't a choice between closing store and opening CoP.

There is no problem with the parks bringing in money. Just check the annual reports or quarterly earnings releases. Even when attendance faltered they brought in cash.

The shareholders are not complaining about the parks' financial performance. The questions surround other assets, like the Disney Stores, sports rights fees for ESPN, the Studios, Pixar, etc. The parks are simply asked to make up for the other issues.

Decisions like these are not what make the parks what they became. If the parks had always been run with shopping mall mentality instead of a "Show" mentality, we wouldn't even be here discussing them.

 

[akalucky1]

My DH will be so happy to hear this news. He hates shopping and going into stores.

Reduced hours will keep me to a one-time, one-stop shopping night at DDM not several shopping stops during the day at MK.

 

[C.Ann]

This type of conversation always intigues me because it is "assumed" that all guests visit Disney World with the sole purpose of making a mad dash for the rides..

I hate to burst anyones bubble, but there ARE people - and probably more than you know - that pay a hefty admission to the parks to experience EVERYTHING thing that is there - or whatever "parts" interest them the most..

My sister-in-law is a shopping addict.. She would gladly pay the admission to the parks JUST to be able to browse through EVERY SINGLE SHOP that they have.. She would never set foot on a ride and more than likely, never sit through an attraction.. She likes to SHOP - period..

Some people - like myself - ride very few of the rides.. Therefore I would prefer to be able to spend my time enjoying performances, eating wherever I want - whenever I want, and browsing through the shops that I have "assumed" are going to be open when I purchased my admission..

If the new "trend" is to open and close shops, restaurants, and attractions willy-nilly throughout the day, then that information should be made available to guests prior to their purchasing their tickets (and I don't mean the day before - or two hours before) so they can determine if they are truly getting what they're paying for - or only "half the show"..

As someone else here has already pointed out, "A closed ANYTHING is a BAD show.." Give the guests what they have paid for - don't present them with a "ghost town" effect that screams, "Sorry folks, but Disney World is going down the tubes.."

 

[MELSMICE]

C.Ann - You have made a good point! Thanks for giving another perspective. I enjoy the shops also. I guess sometimes we lose sight (myself included) of the fact that everyone enjoys different things and are in WDW for different reasons.

 

[Bob O]

With disney making 688 million in the first quarter according to released financial info i think wdw could easily afford to have unifrom hours in the parks for all rides/shows/attractions and not make their guests guess what is open or closed on what day they happen to visit!!!

 

[raidermatt]

That's why Disney once viewed EVERYTHING as part of the Show. Its not about what any individual likes, or in some cases, even if many people cared.

Closed doors were considered bad show, so they were to be avoided if at all possible.

There are thousands of little things about the parks that made them special, and its the sum of those that made them so successful.

If you start looking at each individual piece as a singular profit/cost center, you lose touch with the overall vision.