Pete addressing all the hate on the podcast

[Bella the Ball 360]

Respectfully, Pete goes on so many rants on things and I think this rant missed the mark. Guests fighting in the park and viewers who had a negative opinion about the shows were lumped together. Everyone is entitled to their opinion and I didn’t appreciate the rant chastising viewers for their opinions. I think it would be beneficial if Pete would consider that he voices his opinions often even when it’s very negative and that viewers have the right to do the same. I don’t think saying we needed a gut check was appropriate and it would be nice if there was some reflection on that and they addressed how they just treated the viewers on their last podcast.

I agree and why was it not addressed that people were like animals in the hours before the opening yet there was no problem letting hundreds of them into the stores at once at least two to three hours before the official opening of the park? For me it confirmed the executives at Disney's true colors( Not sure but I remember a quote from The Disney Nobody Knows and while I cannot annotate it was ' I don't care as long as there is a rear end (abridged) in the seat every 12 inches'). That was hypocritical. NO worries for the virus when you allow people to stand shoulder to shoulder packed like sardines and no worries when you put your cast members in peril to make money, I watched the live stream and it really made me sick to see on the part of BOTH parties. I understand Pete's point of view but, I did not hear him address the elephant in the room....unless I missed it. Its's not like Disney opened the doors early for any other reason.

Anyone who has gone to WDW knows they are mercenary but we still go because it evokes feelings from childhood, or a memory of happiness from the past . When I was little, at least ,I thought of Walt on the same level as a favorite uncle and it never occurred to me that his Sunday night face meant anything but sincere.

As I have noted in past posts, we always knew that they hand in our pocket but at least they smiled and distracted us when they took our money. It is the "pay no attention to the man behind the curtain" effect because many of us remember a time when the "man" stayed hidden behind the curtain and much like believing in Santa Claus or the Easter Bunny we want to recapture that same feeling of wonder. NOBODY wants to see that the 50th as just a money making scheme and the sad part is that is all it is and no where did they make it more apparent than the early opening.

I remember the Year of a Million Dreams when they gave little and big surprises which pretty much cost them hardly anything; a stay in the castle, a fast pass, a cookie or even a sticker ( I only got the latter two but at least I could dream about the former) I do not know why they could not do that for the 50th. They give away free buttons so why couldn't they make up a 50th button that they randomly give away? So many little inexpensive touches that could be employed. I wonder if Walt or even Roy were still alive and in charge would they have given a speech? They certainly have enough high paid execs to have had them up on stage revisiting the "welcome to the happiest place on earth" speech. That in itself would have been pretty much free also.

I do not blame fans for feeling cheated. I get Pete's rant, he can be unbiased to a point and that point is when it affects his business. How could he say the 50th was huge disappointment? He owns a travel agency which employs lots of people and he, as the figurehead for that business, he is responsible for their livelihood. I get it. It would have made me feel better to see him do a pros and cons in order to remain neutral and avoid being painted with the same brush as WDW.

I have been going to Disney (land and world) since I was 4 and that is a good 60 plus years and it is multi-generational! I got that "nostalgic feeling" every time I entered and saw Main Street (as I know many people do) often crying (as I know people do) but, sadly the last few times, I did not get it. Disney is an emotionally based business much like a funeral home, wedding venue or dare I say even an escort service as such they have a responsibility to their patrons (yep I said PATRONS), the little people ( who are not members of Club 33 or able to take tours that cost thousands.) to make us feel like they care. EMOTIONS ARE THIER STOCK AND TRADE just watch every ad they put on tv or in print. It is on OUR backs that this empire was built and they have totally trodden on our emotions as well as ignored "One Man's Dream." WE have a symbiotic relationship we get the emotions they get the money.

I have been on these boards for almost 20 years ( and gotten my wrist slapped a few times) but I think that Pete's rant was not balanced however, it too came from a place of emotion and I feel a responsibility to his own employees. I admire him for that BUT, it is the millions of us who scrimp and save (just look at the Budget Board) in order to take a trip to "The Happiest Place on Earth" and our emotions and opinions have validity too (this is our escapism). That is until all of Disney becomes an elitist Club 33 for the beautiful people. In my opinion, the Beautiful People have tons of other places to go and Disney is just a one stop deal for them. It's the little people who built Disney and once you lose the person who works an extra job, clips coupons or wears that 10 year old winter coat to go there you lose not only the business but the soul of One Man's Dream. (I promise not to use anymore metaphors or similes for the next three posts)

 

[PrincessNelly]

So, for all of the folks who are disappointed in the new fireworks, castle projection shows, water cannons on octopus arms etc., when's your next trip to WDW?

Is there no space for those of us who were disappointed by the shows but still enjoy the other parts of a Disney vacation? I feel like that is part of the issue. People often feel like it has to be "don't like it, don't go" but why?
We've all seen Pete critique Disney a lot and we love him all the more for it. But even with his critiques - he keeps buying DVC points and continues to make a living off Disney vacations.

If he can do that, why can't the rest of us?

 

[Aluminum Falcon]

I agree and why was it not addressed that people were like animals in the hours before the opening yet there was no problem letting hundreds of them into the stores at once at least two to three hours before the official opening of the park? For me it confirmed the executives at Disney's true colors( Not sure but I remember a quote from The Disney Nobody Knows and while I cannot annotate it was ' I don't care as long as there is a rear end (abridged) in the seat every 12 inches'). That was hypocritical. NO worries for the virus when you allow people to stand shoulder to shoulder packed like sardines and no worries when you put your cast members in peril to make money, I watched the live stream and it really made me sick to see on the part of BOTH parties. I understand Pete's point of view but, I did not hear him address the elephant in the room....unless I missed it. Its's not like Disney opened the doors early for any other reason.

Anyone who has gone to WDW knows they are mercenary but we still go because it evokes feelings from childhood, or a memory of happiness from the past . When I was little, at least ,I thought of Walt on the same level as a favorite uncle and it never occurred to me that his Sunday night face meant anything but sincere.

As I have noted in past posts, we always knew that they hand in our pocket but at least they smiled and distracted us when they took our money. It is the "pay no attention to the man behind the curtain" effect because many of us remember a time when the "man" stayed hidden behind the curtain and much like believing in Santa Claus or the Easter Bunny we want to recapture that same feeling of wonder. NOBODY wants to see that the 50th as just a money making scheme and the sad part is that is all it is and no where did they make it more apparent than the early opening.

I remember the Year of a Million Dreams when they gave little and big surprises which pretty much cost them hardly anything; a stay in the castle, a fast pass, a cookie or even a sticker ( I only got the latter two but at least I could dream about the former) I do not know why they could not do that for the 50th. They give away free buttons so why couldn't they make up a 50th button that they randomly give away? So many little inexpensive touches that could be employed. I wonder if Walt or even Roy were still alive and in charge would they have given a speech? They certainly have enough high paid execs to have had them up on stage revisiting the "welcome to the happiest place on earth" speech. That in itself would have been pretty much free also.

I do not blame fans for feeling cheated. I get Pete's rant, he can be unbiased to a point and that point is when it affects his business. How could he say the 50th was huge disappointment? He owns a travel agency which employs lots of people and he, as the figurehead for that business, he is responsible for their livelihood. I get it. It would have made me feel better to see him do a pros and cons in order to remain neutral and avoid being painted with the same brush as WDW.

I have been going to Disney (land and world) since I was 4 and that is a good 60 plus years and it is multi-generational! I got that "nostalgic feeling" every time I entered and saw Main Street (as I know many people do) often crying (as I know people do) but, sadly the last few times, I did not get it. Disney is an emotionally based business much like a funeral home, wedding venue or dare I say even an escort service as such they have a responsibility to their patrons (yep I said PATRONS), the little people ( who are not members of Club 33 or able to take tours that cost thousands.) to make us feel like they care. EMOTIONS ARE THIER STOCK AND TRADE just watch every ad they put on tv or in print. It is on OUR backs that this empire was built and they have totally trodden on our emotions as well as ignored "One Man's Dream." WE have a symbiotic relationship we get the emotions they get the money.

I have been on these boards for almost 20 years ( and gotten my wrist slapped a few times) but I think that Pete's rant was not balanced however, it too came from a place of emotion and I feel a responsibility to his own employees. I admire him for that BUT, it is the millions of us who scrimp and save (just look at the Budget Board) in order to take a trip to "The Happiest Place on Earth" ) and our emotions and opinions have validity too (this is our escapism). That is until all of Disney becomes an elitist Club 33 for the beautiful people. In my opinion, the Beautiful People have tons of other places to go and Disney is just a one stop deal for them. It's the little people who built Disney and once you lose the person who works an extra job, clips coupons or wears that 10 year old winter coat to go there you lose not only the business but the soul of One Man's Dream. (I promise not to use anymore metaphors or similes for the next three posts)

There is an awful lot to unpack in your post haha, i just personally believe that Disney is a business first and foremost, and that goes all the way back to Walt. Disney was never a place that every family could afford, and people get priced out all the time. There prices are still in line for most of middle class america to afford. I understand that Disney plays on peoples emotions, and that is a solid business tactic, but I feel like people hold that against Disney, because if you change, you are affecting my personal feelings/ emotions, (even if it's what's best for the business) what was once should never be changed is how it plays off.

If Bob Chapek, or any other person in management gave a speech on the 50th they would be torn apart for "trying to be walt" something that Eisner paid for when he tried it. If they limited store capacity, people would have complained that the lines were to long to get into a store, (a lot worse than the actual day). I just feel like people on these boards hold Disney at a loss no matter what they do, unless they cut prices, and gave more away.

In the end, Disney lost $7 Billion last year, so anyone who thought they would just spend out of control in this unprecedented time we're in, needs to rethink the situation, and understand that Disney doesn't owe anyone a dollar

 

[Jrb1979]

There is an awful lot to unpack in your post haha, i just personally believe that Disney is a business first and foremost, and that goes all the way back to Walt. Disney was never a place that every family could afford, and people get priced out all the time. There prices are still in line for most of middle class america to afford. I understand that Disney plays on peoples emotions, and that is a solid business tactic, but I feel like people hold that against Disney, because if you change, you are affecting my personal feelings/ emotions, (even if it's what's best for the business) what was once should never be changed is how it plays off.

If Bob Chapek, or any other person in management gave a speech on the 50th they would be torn apart for "trying to be walt" something that Eisner paid for when he tried it. If they limited store capacity, people would have complained that the lines were to long to get into a store, (a lot worse than the actual day). I just feel like people on these boards hold Disney at a loss no matter what they do, unless they cut prices, and gave more away.

In the end, Disney lost $7 Billion last year, so anyone who thought they would just spend out of control in this unprecedented time we're in, needs to rethink the situation, and understand that Disney doesn't owe anyone a dollar

I'm sorry but I am tired of the lost 7 billion and Covid excuses. When a certain other park can go all out for their 150th this year it says that Covid is just an excuse. Other parks lost lots of money too but are still doing their normal Halloween events. So why is it ok the Disney doesn't?

 

[KittyKitty]

I have an idea. Disney give us all 1 share of Disney stock. It opened at $176.02 today. Then we become owners!

 

[Aluminum Falcon]

I'm sorry but I am tired of the lost 7 billion and Covid excuses. When a certain other park can go all out for their 150th this year it says that Covid is just an excuse. Other parks lost lots of money too but are still doing their normal Halloween events. So why is it ok the Disney doesn't?

i think Disney shut up all plans when Covid hit, (because who could have known when that would end) and then had to patch things back together for the 50th. I also think that what other companies pay would be a drop in the bucket to what was expected at Disney. CP isn't really offering all that much for their anniversary from what i can see, and it only lasts a few months, not 18. I also think that other parks, aka Universal have to offer their typical Halloween lineup, they wouldn't be able to compete in the slow season with Disney without it, it's a cost they have to put in place to make money. It seems pretty clear based on Boo Bash, that no matter what Disney puts out people eat it up, ( i don't love it either but it is what it is), i can't imagine that Universal would have been able to offer a watered down HHN's, and expect their attendance to not take a big dip. $7 billion is not an excuse, those are real dollars, that Disney will be expected to get back, they have a legal obligation to do so for their shareholders.

 

[PepperjackDragon]

I'm sorry, but no gut check is required when DISNEY, themselves, LIVE STREAMS (badly, I might add) the debut of their 2 new nighttime spectaculars. Both shows missed the mark. They put the shows out there to be seen and people are gonna say what they want about them.

Guests being awful in the parks isn't something Pete needs to discuss on his show. DIS channel listeners/viewers are not the people behaving badly, I'd wager. But it is precisely this demographic of passionate Disney fans that is going to crap all over a bad show. We know what Disney can do. We've seen it. If they aren't going to raise the bar, or at least maintain the status quo, they really shouldn't make changes. Wishes ran for like 20 years. And in the last 5 we've now had 2 MK fireworks shows? It's unnecessary, unless they were going to do something COMPLETELY different for the anniversary, which they didn't. They used the same 6 songs they keep recycling for everything.

The majority of the reviews on these 2 shows are negative. That's a problem for Disney. People are done being nice and giving them the benefit of the doubt. It's been a long 18 months but at every turn, rather than just trying to spread some magic, Disney is taking literally EVERY opportunity to line their pockets at the expense of the guest experience and its crystal clear that they cut corners with Enchanted, in particular, as well as Kite Tails.

We don't need to feel sorry for the massive media conglomerate that lost billions during the pandemic. Spare me. The Disney corporation will be fine. But if they are going to continue to whittle away at the in park experience and the resort experience, while charging more and more, they'd better be ready to hear about it when they get something wrong.

Of course, this is going to fall under the classic "apple polisher" phenomenon. What are the odds that Chapek and other's in his circle are surrounded by people that are going to report-let alone share-negative feedback? Most likely everyone is telling everyone else that it was amazing. 100%, no one can even tell that they made any budget cuts, they were incredibly wise and brilliant. That is ALL they are going to hear.

 

[PepperjackDragon]

i think Disney shut up all plans when Covid hit, (because who could have known when that would end) and then had to patch things back together for the 50th. I also think that what other companies pay would be a drop in the bucket to what was expected at Disney. CP isn't really offering all that much for their anniversary from what i can see, and it only lasts a few months, not 18. I also think that other parks, aka Universal have to offer their typical Halloween lineup, they wouldn't be able to compete in the slow season with Disney without it, it's a cost they have to put in place to make money. It seems pretty clear based on Boo Bash, that no matter what Disney puts out people eat it up, ( i don't love it either but it is what it is), i can't imagine that Universal would have been able to offer a watered down HHN's, and expect their attendance to not take a big dip. $7 billion is not an excuse, those are real dollars, that Disney will be expected to get back, they have a legal obligation to do so for their shareholders.

Also, they do not have an obligation to get back 7 billion dollars. They have an obligation to put the welfare of corporation above themselves. However, when money is lost it is lost. They can't make up for the past, all they can do is move forward from where they are, which has nothing to do with making up money lost during a pandemic. If they are strapped for cash as a result and are forced to build up from a weaker financial position, then obviously they have to made modifications accordingly, but that has nothing to do with "getting back" money that they already lost (or rather, never got)

 

[Aluminum Falcon]

I'm sorry, but no gut check is required when DISNEY, themselves, LIVE STREAMS (badly, I might add) the debut of their 2 new nighttime spectaculars. Both shows missed the mark. They put the shows out there to be seen and people are gonna say what they want about them.

Guests being awful in the parks isn't something Pete needs to discuss on his show. DIS channel listeners/viewers are not the people behaving badly, I'd wager. But it is precisely this demographic of passionate Disney fans that is going to crap all over a bad show. We know what Disney can do. We've seen it. If they aren't going to raise the bar, or at least maintain the status quo, they really shouldn't make changes. Wishes ran for like 20 years. And in the last 5 we've now had 2 MK fireworks shows? It's unnecessary, unless they were going to do something COMPLETELY different for the anniversary, which they didn't. They used the same 6 songs they keep recycling for everything.

The majority of the reviews on these 2 shows are negative. That's a problem for Disney. People are done being nice and giving them the benefit of the doubt. It's been a long 18 months but at every turn, rather than just trying to spread some magic, Disney is taking literally EVERY opportunity to line their pockets at the expense of the guest experience and its crystal clear that they cut corners with Enchanted, in particular, as well as Kite Tails.

We don't need to feel sorry for the massive media conglomerate that lost billions during the pandemic. Spare me. The Disney corporation will be fine. But if they are going to continue to whittle away at the in park experience and the resort experience, while charging more and more, they'd better be ready to hear about it when they get something wrong.

I'm pretty sure they didn't actively spend money to come up short on new shows, (I haven't seen them yet, we are going down this week, and we wanted to see them in person), but to think they would spend all that money on a show that they knew would come up short is lunacy.

There has been study after study showing that people are a lot more likely to post a bad review then a good one, so i'm sure Disney weighs that as well

I don't feel sorry for Disney that they lost billions, but I can understand that they are expected to get that money back, i find it funny that everyone talks about not caring that Disney lost money, but in the same breath then expects them to spend even more, so that they as an individual can feel satisfied, I just think people let their emotions get in the way, if you look at all the moves Disney has made recently from a business perspective, they are doing what's best for the corporation, (i say this a lot, but they are legally responsible to make that happen), on a personal level I'm not thrilled, but i can understand where they are coming from.

 

[Aluminum Falcon]

Also, they do not have an obligation to get back 7 billion dollars. They have an obligation to put the welfare of corporation above themselves. However, when money is lost it is lost. They can't make up for the past, all they can do is move forward from where they are, which has nothing to do with making up money lost during a pandemic. If they are strapped for cash as a result and are forced to build up from a weaker financial position, then obviously they have to made modifications accordingly, but that has nothing to do with "getting back" money that they already lost (or rather, never got)

I'm sure that they were moving money around from other areas of the business to support their theme park division during the worst of it, and that money would be something earmarked to be payed back. That line of thinking is a little to simplistic for business, no company looks back on money lost, without a plan forward on how to get it back. There's definitely not an "o well, it's gone now, better spend like it's any other year" approach

 

[Aluminum Falcon]

Of course, this is going to fall under the classic "apple polisher" phenomenon. What are the odds that Chapek and other's in his circle are surrounded by people that are going to report-let alone share-negative feedback? Most likely everyone is telling everyone else that it was amazing. 100%, no one can even tell that they made any budget cuts, they were incredibly wise and brilliant. That is ALL they are going to hear.

I'm not in love with Chapek, but I can't imagine that happens either. People on these boards make out Disney management to be a literal Disney Villain, I can understand why people are upset, but come on haha

 

[PepperjackDragon]

I'm not in love with Chapek, but I can't imagine that happens either. People on these boards make out Disney management to be a literal Disney Villain, I can understand why people are upset, but come on haha

I am not saying that because he is a villain. Rather, it is just a part of life. In any organization the more power that people have the less likely you are to have people around them criticizing their decisions. In some cases that is the fault of the people with power, but no matter how open minded and receptive those people are, most of the people under them will always be afraid of speaking up. When we look at a corporation as massive and culturally and financially significant as Disney there are a lot of people with a lot of power. It isn't just Chapek that has power and wealth, but many layers beneath him. As a result, it is only natural that at lower levels people are trying to please their bosses and holding back criticism. The larger the corporation/organization/government and the more layers insulating the people at the top, the harder it is for honest criticism to reach the people that need to hear it. It isn't anything about Chapek specifically, but a reality of life that is seen all throughout history. The reality is that very little of this criticism will ever reach his ears, and probably NONE of it without a positive spin or filter over it.

 

[Aluminum Falcon]

I am not saying that because he is a villain. Rather, it is just a part of life. In any organization the more power that people have the less likely you are to have people around them criticizing their decisions. In some cases that is the fault of the people with power, but no matter how open minded and receptive those people are, most of the people under them will always be afraid of speaking up. When we look at a corporation as massive and culturally and financially significant as Disney there are a lot of people with a lot of power. It isn't just Chapek that has power and wealth, but many layers beneath him. As a result, it is only natural that at lower levels people are trying to please their bosses and holding back criticism. The larger the corporation/organization/government and the more layers insulating the people at the top, the harder it is for honest criticism to reach the people that need to hear it. It isn't anything about Chapek specifically, but a reality of life that is seen all throughout history. The reality is that very little of this criticism will ever reach his ears, and probably NONE of it without a positive spin or filter over it.

I think your logic is a little flawed, Disney has a board, they keep an eye on everything, and the CEO answers to them, on behalf of the shareholders. So in a private company, maybe your logic adds up, but not at a publicly traded company. The board is literally how Disney got rid of Ron Miller and Michael Eisner. On top of that, typically people come to the CEO with ideas, pitch them, and then get them approved or denied at that point, if things are failures, they would be reported back to the CEO through other channels, so that appropriate changes can be made, this makes it easier on the CEO to make changes. It's not like Chapek has all these ideas, and everyone is afraid to upset him, he wouldn't have gotten to the level he's at operating that way

 

[josa3279]

Look I dont give Disney a pass here. I believe that they were hit hard by COVID, cruise lines still not operating at capacity, Disney Land was closed for over a year! Movies didnt get released in the theatre, no annual passes sold for a year, and so on
NOW I believe Disney, like many other companies is using COVID as an excuse to institute changes they have been wanting to make.
But look at where food prices are now, gas prices, new minimum wage, all the extra COVID protocols they had to pay for. Look at your weekly or monthly expenses, you gas for cars, insurance, food, home heating and cooling how much all that has gone up. Imagine that on the scale of a place like Disney.
Someone here posted about how can they cram all those people in the park during these times its a pandemic?? So think about it, people want better shows, more entertainment, less crowds, better service, better food, everything open BUT want to pay less and have less people in the parks spending money.

People said if Disney couldnt make the new shows better they could have just kept the old shows. Could you imagine if they didnt put out new shows for the 50th! People would be all over saying "how can they not have new shows for the 50th?"
They are dammed if they do dammed if they dont.
Yes everyone is entitled to their opinion and I understand why people are getting upset but lets not forget that as many people have said here we are still in a pandemic. Nothing is back to normal and I think thats part of the reason for peoples frustration. But realistically, think about it, how can you have new rides, better shows, better food better everything, keep the parks less crowded, give away more BUT dont raise prices.
On facebook groups people did nothing but complain about Magical Express, its terrible, you have to leave hours early etc. so Disney stops it and all hell breaks loose, How can they!
People say they dont care they lost $7 Billion dollars and so on. Well if a company keeps losing $7 Billion a year guess what those companies tend not to stay in business for to long.Its not a good business practice to lose money then not try and make it back, somewhere somehow it will have to be accounted for somewhere else and something will suffer as a result. You dont just say "well we lost $7 Billion so what lets move on"

Now all that said where I do take offense at Disney is the way cast members were treated thru COVID. I get they had to stop the bleeding, BUT had they put future projects, expenses on hold and figured out a way to keep their employees on the payroll I think the reopening would have gone much smoother as they didnt have to be in a situation where they had to hire and retrain all new people. The the parks, hotels could have opened with experienced people giving guests the experience they have come to expect. I mean come on at this point the parking lot trams are still not running! I heard that they are trying to find people to operate the trams. What I found missing in my recent trips were the little things, the cast members in Animal Kingdom showing different animals and explaining the care to guests around the parks, the little kiosks that kids could color and all (If its safe to go in the stretching room in Haunted Mansion you could have someone sitting on the other side of a table coloring with kids, all Im saying). To me its these little things that make Disney the better experience that we all have come to enjoy. Had they been able to keep their cast members on the payroll these enhancements would be back sooner and I believe elevating the whole experience. The entertainment could be there if they kept the employees, they have some huge theatre's where they could have limited attendance. This would have reduced lines in parks and given more entertainment etc.

Would this have even been feasible, I dont know this is just my opinion. I dont know the inner workings of the Disney Corporation I just think that we can all convey our own thoughts and feelings without being rude to each other

 

[annekablam]

My issue is not with the budget cuts tbh but with the apparent creative bankruptcy being demonstrated by Disney. That's JMO, I think the contrast alone between Harmonious and Illuminations demonstrates this more clearly than any other change. I give Harmonious points for being a visual spectacle, but it's actually hard to compare the 2 shows fairly. One is a work of 100% original art that speaks about, and to, the human spirit. The other is a glorified clip show of existing IP with a loose theme that ends on the incredibly depressing selection of Someday.

 

[PamNC]

all I want to say to Disney right now is "chill out with the IP please...enough"

 

[Aluminum Falcon]

My issue is not with the budget cuts tbh but with the apparent creative bankruptcy being demonstrated by Disney. That's JMO, I think the contrast alone between Harmonious and Illuminations demonstrates this more clearly than any other change. I give Harmonious points for being a visual spectacle, but it's actually hard to compare the 2 shows fairly. One is a work of 100% original art that speaks about, and to, the human spirit. The other is a glorified clip show of existing IP with a loose theme that ends on the incredibly depressing selection of Someday.

In terms of fireworks, potentially, but look at everything Disney has offered over the last decade, ie. toy story land, pandora, star wars land, new fantasy land, and those are just the parks, to say creativity is running dry is a bit of an overstatement IMO, i just think people are overreacting a bit lately

 

[Aluminum Falcon]

Look I dont give Disney a pass here. I believe that they were hit hard by COVID, cruise lines still not operating at capacity, Disney Land was closed for over a year! Movies didnt get released in the theatre, no annual passes sold for a year, and so on
NOW I believe Disney, like many other companies is using COVID as an excuse to institute changes they have been wanting to make.
But look at where food prices are now, gas prices, new minimum wage, all the extra COVID protocols they had to pay for. Look at your weekly or monthly expenses, you gas for cars, insurance, food, home heating and cooling how much all that has gone up. Imagine that on the scale of a place like Disney.
Someone here posted about how can they cram all those people in the park during these times its a pandemic?? So think about it, people want better shows, more entertainment, less crowds, better service, better food, everything open BUT want to pay less and have less people in the parks spending money.

People said if Disney couldnt make the new shows better they could have just kept the old shows. Could you imagine if they didnt put out new shows for the 50th! People would be all over saying "how can they not have new shows for the 50th?"
They are dammed if they do dammed if they dont.
Yes everyone is entitled to their opinion and I understand why people are getting upset but lets not forget that as many people have said here we are still in a pandemic. Nothing is back to normal and I think thats part of the reason for peoples frustration. But realistically, think about it, how can you have new rides, better shows, better food better everything, keep the parks less crowded, give away more BUT dont raise prices.
On facebook groups people did nothing but complain about Magical Express, its terrible, you have to leave hours early etc. so Disney stops it and all hell breaks loose, How can they!
People say they dont care they lost $7 Billion dollars and so on. Well if a company keeps losing $7 Billion a year guess what those companies tend not to stay in business for to long.Its not a good business practice to lose money then not try and make it back, somewhere somehow it will have to be accounted for somewhere else and something will suffer as a result. You dont just say "well we lost $7 Billion so what lets move on"

Now all that said where I do take offense at Disney is the way cast members were treated thru COVID. I get they had to stop the bleeding, BUT had they put future projects, expenses on hold and figured out a way to keep their employees on the payroll I think the reopening would have gone much smoother as they didnt have to be in a situation where they had to hire and retrain all new people. The the parks, hotels could have opened with experienced people giving guests the experience they have come to expect. I mean come on at this point the parking lot trams are still not running! I heard that they are trying to find people to operate the trams. What I found missing in my recent trips were the little things, the cast members in Animal Kingdom showing different animals and explaining the care to guests around the parks, the little kiosks that kids could color and all (If its safe to go in the stretching room in Haunted Mansion you could have someone sitting on the other side of a table coloring with kids, all Im saying). To me its these little things that make Disney the better experience that we all have come to enjoy. Had they been able to keep their cast members on the payroll these enhancements would be back sooner and I believe elevating the whole experience. The entertainment could be there if they kept the employees, they have some huge theatre's where they could have limited attendance. This would have reduced lines in parks and given more entertainment etc.

Would this have even been feasible, I dont know this is just my opinion. I dont know the inner workings of the Disney Corporation I just think that we can all convey our own thoughts and feelings without being rude to each other

We are cut from the same cloth haha, i just don't see how they could have afforded to keep the cast members, unfortunately cutting salaries is the easiest way to stop bleeding cash, it's why most companies do it in down swings, it gives liquidity back to the company that essentially needs it to keep afloat, we can go back and forth on whether Disney actually needed to cut jobs with how big they are, but they have to give quarterly reports to their shareholders, and having that extra boost in cash to show isn't going to play as a bad thing

 

[josa3279]

We are cut from the same cloth haha, i just don't see how they could have afforded to keep the cast members, unfortunately cutting salaries is the easiest way to stop bleeding cash, it's why most companies do it in down swings, it gives liquidity back to the company that essentially needs it to keep afloat, we can go back and forth on whether Disney actually needed to cut jobs with how big they are, but they have to give quarterly reports to their shareholders, and having that extra boost in cash to show isn't going to play as a bad thing

I agree with you as I said I dont know if it would have even been feasible, I guess I was just trying to say without their cast members and how they are Disney is just another theme park, all be it larger and better, but the cast members make it truly special. The first time I went to Disney I was in my 30's and was expecting it to be more of a six flags type of park. I couldnt imagine the size and scale of the place.It was Super Bowl weekend and the parks were empty. We ran around like crazy and did everything. I remember saying to my wife how my face hurts from smiling at the cast because they are always so happy and helpful, I dont know how Disney does it, to make that many employees care and be happy and helpful. I got home and read everything I could get my hands on about Disney Culture, how they operate, how they instill that pride into all these cast members. I mean I was there recently and it was my birthday so like a child I wore my birthday button every day. If I tell you EVERY cast member I passed even from far away said Happy Birthday, One looked and took my button because it was raining and she put a piece of scotch tape over my name and said this way your name wont get washed away! I mean thats simply amazing! So to me, forego a new ride for a few years and keep those cast members because they make a trip special or to use a word being tossed around "Magical". In my opinion you can have the best attractions but without those cast members you just have an amusement park. Some time later Universal opened Harry Potter, I love the books and the movies and went to see it. This was many years ago, it was cool and fun but seeing an employee at Universal sitting outside a ride in their work outfits smoking a cigarette just made me think "You would never see that at Disney" (Please no piling on here Im sure Universal is great and as I said I havent been there in years sure its better). To me its the people that make it. Am i excited for Tron, absolutely! But I can wait for that if it meant keeping those cast members employed and JUST MY OPINION if you had those people on the payroll the whole time, reopening would have been much smoother.
But again Im talking in my fantasy world and dont know what the real life situation actually was

 

[Aluminum Falcon]

I agree with you as I said I dont know if it would have even been feasible, I guess I was just trying to say without their cast members and how they are Disney is just another theme park, all be it larger and better, but the cast members make it truly special. The first time I went to Disney I was in my 30's and was expecting it to be more of a six flags type of park. I couldnt imagine the size and scale of the place.It was Super Bowl weekend and the parks were empty. We ran around like crazy and did everything. I remember saying to my wife how my face hurts from smiling at the cast because they are always so happy and helpful, I dont know how Disney does it, to make that many employees care and be happy and helpful. I got home and read everything I could get my hands on about Disney Culture, how they operate, how they instill that pride into all these cast members. I mean I was there recently and it was my birthday so like a child I wore my birthday button every day. If I tell you EVERY cast member I passed even from far away said Happy Birthday, One looked and took my button because it was raining and she put a piece of scotch tape over my name and said this way your name wont get washed away! I mean thats simply amazing! So to me, forego a new ride for a few years and keep those cast members because they make a trip special or to use a word being tossed around "Magical". In my opinion you can have the best attractions but without those cast members you just have an amusement park. Some time later Universal opened Harry Potter, I love the books and the movies and went to see it. This was many years ago, it was cool and fun but seeing an employee at Universal sitting outside a ride in their work outfits smoking a cigarette just made me think "You would never see that at Disney" (Please no piling on here Im sure Universal is great and as I said I havent been there in years sure its better). To me its the people that make it. Am i excited for Tron, absolutely! But I can wait for that if it meant keeping those cast members employed and JUST MY OPINION if you had those people on the payroll the whole time, reopening would have been much smoother.
But again Im talking in my fantasy world and dont know what the real life situation actually was

I agree, and it would have been nice if they could have pulled it off