WDWZUES comments, as ignorant as they mostly are, are not his/her responsibility- they are Disneys. They interviewed, screened, and investigated him. They hired him. They pay him. They are responsible for his satisfaction. They produce, and more importantly, market, magic. Magic, perfection, and a surreal fairytale experience are a very big hurdles-ones they chose and set for themselves. This is what is marketed, is what the Disney brand is, is the way they hold themselves out to be judged, and is their competitive differentiator. It isnt price. We all pay dearly for this tall hurdle to be met.
I spend no less than $3000 all told for my yearly pilgrimage to Walts place, and others spend much more. I come at the invitation of Disney marketing, and I am demanding- but not rude. It is my biggest variable expenditure of the year. I cant measure the joy I derive from escaping reality with my family, lowering my blood pressure, and re-establishing family as the most important part of my life when that fact can subtly get lost in the stresses of the year. I expect a lot. I forgive and overlook things that are honest error. I dont forgive laziness, rudeness, cut corners, sloppiness, or mismanagement. Nope. Maybe its the Northeast in me, but I remind CMs politely, but also rather directly, when I feel they missed the mark. I dont expect to be comped, I just expect it to be fixed for the rest of you.
Shareholders and Eisner et al need growth/earnings. As that impacts the WDW numerator it translates into more park/resort visitors, spending more on admission and products, more often. We, as DVC owners, provide invaluable stability and predictability of revenues. Our behavior is inelastic- we attend and spend regardless of publicity or economic climate. It is a privilege to have customers, investors actually, like us.
The denominator, cost, equates to squeezing more visitors into the existing parks and resorts, paying employees less, eliminating benefits and perks etc. Cost containment is an economic fact of life. Walt Disney obviously envisioned profitability. But did Walt Disney really dream of shareholders and corporate types as keepers of the magic? Was this his vision? Im not sure there is an alignment of interests in perpetuity, as shareholders demand yearly increases in growth and profitability. Something has to suffer eventually as WDW is a limited commodity, especially the MK. It cant be duplicated.
So how does this weigh on CMs like WDWZUES and the overall experience? My visit the first week of January: debilitating off peak crowds, admission increases in most flavors with the Magic Your Way tix, and though Ive warmed to SSR quite a bit, there is no denying the underlying economics are noticeable in some respects more than at other DVC properties. (size..., space, self-serve restaurant, perhaps themed pool size). Importantly for this ramble, I had a number of less than memorable CM experiences. Are they paid enough to be retained and give a damn about visitors? Are they trained enough? Did HR investigate and screen them enough? Do they work too many hours? Are there enough of them to handle the crowds and guest volume without getting overwhelmed? (I realize they are only human) Most of all, does Disney marketing realize you cant pay Ford wages and expect/market Lexus quality to be delivered by a CM? Im paying for a Lexus, thanks. I want a Lexus, not excuses, not apologies, and not bitter CMs like WDWZUES. I expect to be treated special, to have CMs go the extra mile. While it isnt the case yet, I truly fear that Disney shareholder demands will come between me and my utopia at some point.
Why apologize for or deny our demanding nature when in fact it is invited and paid for? WDWZUES and his manifesto are merely symptoms of a bigger problem: WDW is no longer one mans dream. It is a rational economically self-interested publicly traded business....and it is up to us to politely yet vocally remind Disney what it stands for when it forgets. Don't change a thing, just be respectful. We, DVC members more than anybody, are the keepers of the magic.
Take Care,
Bryan
I spend no less than $3000 all told for my yearly pilgrimage to Walts place, and others spend much more. I come at the invitation of Disney marketing, and I am demanding- but not rude. It is my biggest variable expenditure of the year. I cant measure the joy I derive from escaping reality with my family, lowering my blood pressure, and re-establishing family as the most important part of my life when that fact can subtly get lost in the stresses of the year. I expect a lot. I forgive and overlook things that are honest error. I dont forgive laziness, rudeness, cut corners, sloppiness, or mismanagement. Nope. Maybe its the Northeast in me, but I remind CMs politely, but also rather directly, when I feel they missed the mark. I dont expect to be comped, I just expect it to be fixed for the rest of you.
Shareholders and Eisner et al need growth/earnings. As that impacts the WDW numerator it translates into more park/resort visitors, spending more on admission and products, more often. We, as DVC owners, provide invaluable stability and predictability of revenues. Our behavior is inelastic- we attend and spend regardless of publicity or economic climate. It is a privilege to have customers, investors actually, like us.
The denominator, cost, equates to squeezing more visitors into the existing parks and resorts, paying employees less, eliminating benefits and perks etc. Cost containment is an economic fact of life. Walt Disney obviously envisioned profitability. But did Walt Disney really dream of shareholders and corporate types as keepers of the magic? Was this his vision? Im not sure there is an alignment of interests in perpetuity, as shareholders demand yearly increases in growth and profitability. Something has to suffer eventually as WDW is a limited commodity, especially the MK. It cant be duplicated.
So how does this weigh on CMs like WDWZUES and the overall experience? My visit the first week of January: debilitating off peak crowds, admission increases in most flavors with the Magic Your Way tix, and though Ive warmed to SSR quite a bit, there is no denying the underlying economics are noticeable in some respects more than at other DVC properties. (size..., space, self-serve restaurant, perhaps themed pool size). Importantly for this ramble, I had a number of less than memorable CM experiences. Are they paid enough to be retained and give a damn about visitors? Are they trained enough? Did HR investigate and screen them enough? Do they work too many hours? Are there enough of them to handle the crowds and guest volume without getting overwhelmed? (I realize they are only human) Most of all, does Disney marketing realize you cant pay Ford wages and expect/market Lexus quality to be delivered by a CM? Im paying for a Lexus, thanks. I want a Lexus, not excuses, not apologies, and not bitter CMs like WDWZUES. I expect to be treated special, to have CMs go the extra mile. While it isnt the case yet, I truly fear that Disney shareholder demands will come between me and my utopia at some point.
Why apologize for or deny our demanding nature when in fact it is invited and paid for? WDWZUES and his manifesto are merely symptoms of a bigger problem: WDW is no longer one mans dream. It is a rational economically self-interested publicly traded business....and it is up to us to politely yet vocally remind Disney what it stands for when it forgets. Don't change a thing, just be respectful. We, DVC members more than anybody, are the keepers of the magic.
Take Care,
Bryan
