What is going on with Disney parks?

[Jrb1979]

My theory is that vacation planners should all marry non-vacation planners.

I LOVE planning vacations - the anticipation is almost as good as the vacation itself. Poring over websites, review, blog posts etc... is my jam. My husband just gets to show up. He literally has no idea of what my plans are for our trip in two weeks and he doesn't want to know. However, part of that is understanding his requests and preferences. He hates the extreme heat, so as you can see, all of our trips are in Nov, Dec. He doesn't like to go, go, go morning and night, so we do 1/2-3/4 days at the park with rest mornings/evenings. He gets headaches, so if he gets one, we slow down or he goes back to take a nap. Otherwise I have carte blanche. I have spent tons of time in the past year planning this trip, and he is oblivious. It works for us.

That is the exact opposite of me. I do research for my vacations but don't do big planning for them. Last February I went to Orlando to Universal for 3 days and Magic Kingdom for one day. Other then booking my hotel and my flight, I never planned any of my days. I love doing what I want when I want. That's really the only thing I don't like about Disney is how much planning you have to do. IMO the best vacations are ones with no planning other then you room and flight.

 

[DisLiss]

I like how on that list of 15 items, Pete mentioned that the free entertainment out about in the parks were part of what made Disney "better". And I think that's what it has come down to for us. Is Disney still trying to be better? Or are they happy to just be standard. Just be like the other guys.

This coming trip of ours is being taken before one of our kids starts their senior year in high school, because we know after that their life will explode with things that they are doing (even more so than now!) and one of my younger kids asked if we could have a trip like this before they start their senior year, and we said "Of course.", and then said kid piped up with "Maybe we can go to Universal then instead." Now this kid's not into high or scary rides, so typically Disney is a better fit, but right now there's hype for the new park there and updates to the existing parks and more visible (in his mind) entertainment in the parks (or as he calls it "fun & crazy stuff") and so he's thinking that might be the "better" park by then. And I'm thinking of all of the recent cuts that my kid doesn't even know about for WDW and I'm wondering if after our trip he may have wished we had gone to Universal this time. Because I feel like Disney's not interested in being better than any other park anymore. They aren't interested in any extra Disney magic. Just fill that park to capacity, get people's money, and if they find one more place to spend money while doing it, then great! And I feel like no matter how many people are crowding the parks right now, there is a limit to how much you can cut and still be able to count on those crowds.

 

[Heather07438]

Signs of bookings down? For the first time in a very long time, I got a pin code last night.

The promo is for $150 a night at Coronado Springs from November - December 20th.

I was shocked at that rate, i also passed on it.

Wow. Coronado must be suffering. It's consistently the cheapest relative option when I've looked at different dates over the past 4 months.

 

[Heather07438]

And I think that's what it has come down to for us. Is Disney still trying to be better?

Walt's famous quote "Good 'nough." lol

 

[snappy]

This would be a great business school study on the Law of Diminishing Returns: how much can a company charge more and provide less before the customer has had enough.

The sad part is, Disney doesn't care about park attendance, except as a matter of optics. If the total number of visitors is down 6%, but due to price increases, new fees, and reduced service, the complex's profit rises 10%, then Disney wins. The breaking point is when the profit itself drops. That is when they will re-evaluate.

Galaxy's Edge is a perfect example today. I think off the record, Disney would admit that attendance has been lower than expected (I mean, just look at the "boarding" concept which is almost never used). But, they are getting far, far more demand for the canteen and lightsaber and droid building- which all carry an insane added cost to the consumer. So, despite lower attendance (which, frankly, I think will change when Rise opens), they are likely making a bigger profit than expected.

I agree with your thoughts. And I think your Law of Diminshing Returns is the best characterization of what this thread is about. The title of the thread should be changed.

 

[rteetz]

Wow. Coronado must be suffering. It's consistently the cheapest relative option when I've looked at different dates over the past 4 months.

Everyone must be focused on the tower and rightfully so. I was sort of amazed with that offer I could even get Christmas week for $200 a night at Coronado.

 

[sponica]

Got the same offer

So did I, not that I could make it work, also couldn't find any dates at coronado.

It's also in my maiden name at the address I lived at two homes ago...

 

[Brianstl]

Everyone must be focused on the tower and rightfully so. I was sort of amazed with that offer I could even get Christmas week for $200 a night at Coronado.

The deal is unbelievable for the Christmas season. 5 nights for under $800 at a moderate the week before Christmas? I was disappointed when it hit me the wife wouldn't be able to get off work that week.

 

[snappy]

So you have to have received the email with the pin to take advantage of this, right?

 

[Brianstl]

So you have to have received the email with the pin to take advantage of this, right?

I believe so. When I went to book the rooms it said my name and address had to match the one they assigned the code to.

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

So you have to have received the email with the pin to take advantage of this, right?

I believe so. You have to have your code, last name and zip code checked and address verified to search for the dates. It's called something like Coronado Holiday something or rather offer and it doesn't appear on the Special Offers page.

 

[snappy]

I believe so. You have to have your code, last name and zip code checked and address verified to search for the dates. It's called something like Coronado Holiday something or rather offer and it doesn't appear on the Special Offers page.

Thanks, I don't seem to have it.

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

Thanks, I don't seem to have it.

I'm sorry It seems to be a toss up on the offers I get and the offers other gets. I could go a while without offers. I was actually getting DL offers more this spring and summer because I had gone in March. Prior to that none of my offers were for DLR. I suspect I'll continue getting DL offers for a bit before that will wear off.

 

[mikebb]

Signs of bookings down? For the first time in a very long time, I got a pin code last night.

The promo is for $150 a night at Coronado Springs from November - December 20th.

I was shocked at that rate, i also passed on it.

We got that same offer. Since we are already doing a quick trip 11/29-12/1 at Coronado, we were interested to see if we could do better than the ~$180/night passholder rate.

DW clicked on the link in the email and put in the PIN/Zip/Last Name and the offer immediately came back invalid (wrote that off as typical Disney system glitch.) Decided to call and was told by rep after about 20 minutes of searching for it that "the offer must be sold out." Was also told that we could not convert our existing rate to this new rate since that's just not possible.

Disney, this is the kind of stuff that really turns me off. I would have been happy with my original rate. But offer me something better, ensure that I have to jump through hoops to try and redeem it, and then tell me what you JUST offered me is not available? Ridiculous...

 

[Leigh L]

Everyone must be focused on the tower and rightfully so. I was sort of amazed with that offer I could even get Christmas week for $200 a night at Coronado.

I think you're right. And that sounds like a fantastic rate for that week!

We stayed in August at Coronado for the 1st time. We'd originally booked a discounted standard room two nights and then flights worked better, so we added a day and came early. Got an Express Deal on Priceline for around $110 and it was Coronado preferred room. On arrival, I asked if we could please combine reservations and stay in one room for the three nights (fully expecting to be placed in a standard room). The CM put us in the preferred room without blinking an eye. We were in Casitas on the third floor (building 3 I think?) and we never saw another guest on our floor for 3 days and it was very quiet. The tower, not so much. Lots of people always around .

 

[middlechild]

Was reading an article about Boeing, but could not stop comparing to Disney, and this thread too. I kept replacing Boeing with Disney as I was reading. Here is one example:
"Like many of its corporate contemporaries, Boeing's institutional culture has come to prize financialization, profits, cost reductions, and corner-cutting. "1
If you follow that link over to the New Republic, an even more lengthy diatribe about how Disney (sorry, Boeing...) got this way over years, and not some recent poorly thought out decisions.

Someone earlier mentioned what a cash cow WDW was to TWDC. Take that cash cow, and put obstacles in the way of the majority of customers, and watch them flee. Lines for rides? Put in Fast Pass, and watch as the average customer grows impatient at lines, and becomes entitled with anger. Put smaller portions on plates, and raise prices. Offer hard tickets at night, so now a one day admission is really a four hour admission, with afternoon tickets flooding the parks and prohibited from rides at night. There are plenty more examples, making the Autopia track shorter and shorter is an example of short changing customers. Tie in IP to every corner, and deter anyone not in that fandom. Parking fees when you are in the middle of square miles of land, what a hoot! I can see a parking fee in NYC, where empty lots pay in taxes, but in Reedy Creek? How cheap can you be? How petty, and oblivious to the customer? Cutting live entertainment is pure corner-cutting.

The parks have come down a long way, losing the status of the most magical to become the most nickle and dime at premium prices, from the first visit to DLR around 1979. And now TWDC has had a bite of the apple, they are never putting this stuff back into place. Not at the cost of reducing profit.

Sources:
1. https://theweek.com/articles/873442
2. https://newrepublic.com/article/154...-air-ethiopian-airlines-managerial-revolution

 

[Heather07438]

Not at the cost of reducing profit.

As long as they're seeing profit they don't worry about tomorrow. They can just offer great sale packages to get bookings. With the massive price increases the 'sale prices' will still be plenty profitable and would win guests back.

A wrench in this plan would be Universal pulling ahead with their 4th gate nailing them as the better value and experience. Continued bad PR for WDW and DL should also concern TWDC. Do they appreciate the risk of alienating what had been a multi-generational following? Just because it's unlikely doesn't absolutely mean the tides couldn't turn.

 

[DVC_HK]

My theory is that vacation planners should all marry non-vacation planners.

I LOVE planning vacations - the anticipation is almost as good as the vacation itself. Poring over websites, review, blog posts etc... is my jam. My husband just gets to show up. He literally has no idea of what my plans are for our trip in two weeks and he doesn't want to know. However, part of that is understanding his requests and preferences. He hates the extreme heat, so as you can see, all of our trips are in Nov, Dec. He doesn't like to go, go, go morning and night, so we do 1/2-3/4 days at the park with rest mornings/evenings. He gets headaches, so if he gets one, we slow down or he goes back to take a nap. Otherwise I have carte blanche. I have spent tons of time in the past year planning this trip, and he is oblivious. It works for us.

Luckily my soon to be DW loves Disney as much as me but I'm the same way as a planner. I pour over every detail and just ask what main highlights does she want in the trip and I work around those. Her family thinks I'm absolutely ridiculous but we are taking her father and his gf to Disney for New Years this year and I will show them why you need a well planned trip then instead of their wing it attitude to this trip

 

[Tiane]

Our breaking point was last year. We went October 1st-10th 2018. The crowds were horrendous. It wasn't fun anymore. I'm not spending a ton of money to not have fun. We used to go every two years. Now it may be every 5 or more. We're done.

 

[snappy]

Our breaking point was last year. We went October 1st-10th 2018. The crowds were horrendous. It wasn't fun anymore. I'm not spending a ton of money to not have fun. We used to go every two years. Now it may be every 5 or more. We're done.

We were there the week after you last year. It was so crowded. Unbelievable. It was mid nineties for the high each day too. Not ideal for Toy story area where there is little shade to wait. Not enjoyable. We ended up spending more and more time in the pools.