Select photopass locations to be replaced by automated cameras

[firefly_ris]

They are getting hit hard on Twitter as well. @wdwtoday please send a message there as well

Haven't used my Twitter account since 2015 but decided to resurrect it to do just that.... ha.

 

[Farro]

Horrible, horrible decision!!! My profile pic is our favorite series from a character meet. I loved it, they took so many pictures of us - walking up, laughing, hugging! How can they get rid of that!!!

Look at this series, I said it looks like we are walking up to greet an old friend:

 

[Future_WorldPhonencian]

Why does Disney need to do this?! Record profits and SW opening in less than a year... they continue to raise prices and lower quality... they are going to get fewer and fewer repeat guests. I feel like Disney is treating guests like the economy will rise forever and people have bottomless pocketbooks. They dont... there is a breaking point and they are reaching it during a historically strong economy. This shortsightedness is gonna hurt them. When the bottom falls out I will have no sympathy for them.

 

[PrincessArlena'sDad]

Why does Disney need to do this?! Record profits and SW opening in less than a year... they continue to raise prices and lower quality... they are going to get fewer and fewer repeat guests. I feel like Disney is treating guests like the economy will rise forever and people have bottomless pocketbooks. They dont... there is a breaking point and they are reaching it during a historically strong economy. This shortsightedness is gonna hurt them. When the bottom falls out I will have no sympathy for them.

My wife and I were saying the same exact thing to each other today, while discussing this.

We used to go to WDW every year, but no longer because of the new Disney, that treats guests like walking dollar signs, rather than honored guests.

 

[jtwibih]

Welcome to the new corporate America. No long term vision from corporate executives any longer. Just doing whatever Wall Street tells them in order to get their bonuses and stock. It’s a bum out. The current Disney leadership is thriving on a connection that was built with audiences decades ago while providing little to no real lasting creative contribution. I’m not saying some of the things going on are all bad (Star Wars resort) but most of it seems thrown together with no real vision (see EPCOT). This is not sustainable in my mind.

I am not at my breaking point currently but I also have young kids and we still enjoy the place quite a bit.

I’m only speaking to the parks side here of course.

 

[StarSeven7]

I am very disappointed to hear this. I have emailed Disney with my thoughts.

 

[PrincessArlena'sDad]

Welcome to the new corporate America. No long term vision from corporate executives any longer. Just doing whatever Wall Street tells them in order to get their bonuses and stock. It’s a bum out. The current Disney leadership is thriving on a connection that was built with audiences decades ago while providing little to no real lasting creative contribution. I’m not saying some of the things going on are all bad (Star Wars resort) but most of it seems thrown together with no real vision (see EPCOT). This is not sustainable in my mind.

I am not at my breaking point currently but I also have young kids and we still enjoy the place quite a bit.

I’m only speaking to the parks side here of course.

Yes, we’re not at the complete breaking point yet, either. Our kids enjoy it too much. But, we did cut down on frequency, and are enjoying other things instead. I do agree that if they keep going the way they are, they’re going to eventually lead themselves to disaster.

 

[ShadeDK]

Take a case study if you will...

Exhibit A is a fine example of the latest in automated camera capabilities - capturing the decisive moment of one family’s joy riding Toy Story Land’s crown jewel in a photo that rivals Henri Cartier-Bresson’s best work ... their smiles almost visible through the pitch black of the night. Marvel at the technical wizardry and precision it took to mount, frame, time and utterly underexpose this automated on-ride photo from Disney’s newest attraction incorporating recent state of the art engineering in automated photography that will be coming soon to many of your favorite M&Gs.

Exhibit B is a photo using much older technology and equipment subject to imperfections compounded by a human operator. As noticeable from the picture itself, this older methodology is prone to numerous input errors relying on human judgment, such as questionable consideration of lighting conditions, depth of field, composition and artistic flourishes.

In Disney’s apparent view, not only are these photos indistinguishable, but the automated picture should be preferred and adopted where possible.

 

[OSUZorba]

An employee generally costs a company twice what they are paid in wages.

This is still insanely penny-wise pound foolish. There are around 100K guest at the parks every day, if the average trip is 4 days, that is 25,000 new people a day. Even at double the wage cost if only 60 of those people decided to not get PP that "savings" is all gone.

 

[lambdabeta]

As far as Universal using this technology, there is one at the Delorian and one at the Jurrasic park jeep. You have to push a button and then jump back into the photo and hope you made it. It worked for us but I wouldn't have done it for a meet and greet. An inanimate object yes but an interactive character, it doesn't work. Even if it is taking multiple pictures. It will be the luck of the draw if you get one you like. I guess I won't be seeing Tink this trip. What other characters are getting these booths besides Tink? Anyone know?

 

[OSUZorba]

Gotta love Disney thinking sometimes...

Disney: We are raising the price of the AP's an average of 15%, but don't worry, we are now throwing in Memory Maker.

Us: Don't really like the price hike, but it is nice having the Memory Maker

Disney: Ok, now we are raising the AP's an average of 10-15% again, not giving you anything else, and we are now going to cheapen the memory maker product

Us: TBD

I am going to have 6 week long trips in three years, with APs. But I am pretty sure I am not going to be renewing after they expire in Sept. We're probably going to at least take a few year off, but I am willing to pay out the nose due to the extra things that other parks don't do. Disney has some cool rides, but if I was going just for the rides they would be way down my list. The cost cutting, hour cuts, changes to baby swap, price increases are taking their toll on me.

 

[TheMaxRebo]

When I was last there in September, the minions had a live photographer with the tripod carried out and an attendant there who was willing to play with my cell phone taking photos. Same thing with sponge bob storepants

I picture Sponge Bob Storepants and some guy will I’ll fitting slacks clearly bought off the rack

 

[TheMaxRebo]

Why does Disney need to do this?! Record profits and SW opening in less than a year... they continue to raise prices and lower quality... they are going to get fewer and fewer repeat guests. I feel like Disney is treating guests like the economy will rise forever and people have bottomless pocketbooks. They dont... there is a breaking point and they are reaching it during a historically strong economy. This shortsightedness is gonna hurt them. When the bottom falls out I will have no sympathy for them.

Welcome to the new corporate America. No long term vision from corporate executives any longer. Just doing whatever Wall Street tells them in order to get their bonuses and stock. It’s a bum out. The current Disney leadership is thriving on a connection that was built with audiences decades ago while providing little to no real lasting creative contribution. I’m not saying some of the things going on are all bad (Star Wars resort) but most of it seems thrown together with no real vision (see EPCOT). This is not sustainable in my mind.

I am not at my breaking point currently but I also have young kids and we still enjoy the place quite a bit.

I’m only speaking to the parks side here of course.

The e-mail I sent focused on this - that we are willing to pay the high prices because of a superior product ... but as that lessens so does my desire to pay higher prices.

Also, as a shareholder, the negative impressions this is leaving is concerning me and wish you would focus more on the long term brand value and less on next quarter’s earnings

 

[OKW Lover]

Wondering if this change is just part of the fallout from raising CM wages to $15/hour

 

[1lilspark]

Wondering if this change is just part of the fallout from raising CM wages to $15/hour

Sadly probably as it seems more and more that paying the cast a living wage means taking it out on the consumer

 

[siren0119]

Wondering if this change is just part of the fallout from raising CM wages to $15/hour

they aren't going to be making $15 an hour until 2021, they will see a $3 an hour increase this year and then it will be raised incrementally through 2020 up to $15. B

It's more likely this is to recoup losses from recent acquisitions.

 

[OKW Lover]

It's more likely this is to recoup losses from recent acquisitions.

I'm not familiar with any losses from recent acquisitions. Could you say more about that?

 

[tink2]

I received the standard email response from a Disney representative this morning- we value you as a guest, this new automated camera will be at 9 different locations, we will still have over 100 photo pass photographers to capture personalized photos for our guests.... yada yada yada
At least they are getting tons of emails and our view on this.
I also emailed the CEO of WDW yesterday, no response from there yet.
Maybe they will reconsider this with all the feedback they're getting. I have seen this subject on twitter and FB as well.

 

[dlavender]

e will still have over 100 photo pass photographers to capture personalized photos for our guests

Got the same thing, called it! Even though in my email I tried to head that off with a "I know you are going to reply with "there's still many photographers so please resist doing that" and I still got it. lol

 

[siren0119]

I'm not familiar with any losses from recent acquisitions. Could you say more about that?

ESPN has been flagging pretty badly. It's fairly well publicized.