Whats Wrong with Disney?

[Planogirl]

Or they (correctly) assume that 90% of their guests are NOT glued to Disney-related discussion boards second-guessing every date, ride, bracelet, app, nook, dragon, yeti, etc...


I would like to mention that I rode Expedition Everest for the first (and last) time a few years ago. The Yeti was not working and I didn't even realize it! It didn't ruin my ride because at that time I wasn't glued to the DIS reading about all the things wrong with Disney. So, unfortunately, I only hated EE for one reason, that it gave me noodle-legs for the rest of the day, when I COULD have hated it for two reasons! And then my vacation could have been ruined properly and I could have started a thread here about how terrible Disney is because of the broken Yeti. But alas, it wasn't meant to be...

Rose colored glasses keep people from caring about less than perfect things. At least that has been the case for me. I believe that on a discussion board you can expect people to actually discuss such things though.

Casual visitors might not care about a broken yeti or a few burnt out light bulbs but they will notice when something is overly crowded or if something costs quite a lot. None of this seems to have affected attendance but those are still things that EVERYONE could complain about. They might just not do it on a discussion forum.

 

[NYDisGuy]

Why does there need to be a "following" for Disney to build something? Was Song of the South required to have one before they built Splash Mountain? Most kids today probably don't even know what the ride is based off of, but love it anyway. Look at Haunted Mansion, POTC and BTMRR. It goes back to what a PP said...if it's themed well, does it matter if it was based on a movie or not?

People aren't going to Disney to ride splash mountain by itself. People ARE going to Universal to visit Harry Potter exclusively, especially now with the induction of Diagon Alley because there is a major following. If Disney put Star Wars land into DHS then that would be a following that would attract new consumers that usually had no interest in going to the theme parks. It's very clear that Disney cares about new consumers rather than pleasing the ones that come every year.

 

[MaryKatesMom]

Or they (correctly) assume that 90% of their guests are NOT glued to Disney-related discussion boards second-guessing every date, ride, bracelet, app, nook, dragon, yeti, etc...


I would like to mention that I rode Expedition Everest for the first (and last) time a few years ago. The Yeti was not working and I didn't even realize it! It didn't ruin my ride because at that time I wasn't glued to the DIS reading about all the things wrong with Disney. So, unfortunately, I only hated EE for one reason, that it gave me noodle-legs for the rest of the day, when I COULD have hated it for two reasons! And then my vacation could have been ruined properly and I could have started a thread here about how terrible Disney is because of the broken Yeti. But alas, it wasn't meant to be...

Do you have a figure for backing the 90% number?

I thought 20% of guests are 80% of a company's revenue.

I can tell you from personal experience that I have friends of friends call me for advice traveling to WDW. Word of mouth shouldn't be dismissed.

 

[ChrisFL]

And yet the aura of Magic Kingdom gets more visitors than USO and IoA combined. Still. Even after Simpsons! Even after Transformers! Even after WWoHP!! (And I'm counting IoA and USO as separate, assuming that they have original visitors and not the same visitor, even though they most certainly are the same guest visiting both parks. I've also left out WDW's other three parks because with those included, the comparison wouldn't even be fair or close.)

But wait, Diagon Alley will be a game-changer! It will single-handedly cause MK's attendance to drop by 10% while both Uni parks will see a 20% increase!

No one said Disney would lose out on MK attendance...it's the other 3 parks that Disney needs to be concerned with.

OR, more realistically..... Disney has an aura. I've said this before and I'll say it again: No one says, "I can't wait to take little Susie to Universal and see her face when she sees the.... Hogsmeade? for the first time."

Yes they do. This was opening day of the Wizarding World in 2010. This was the line GETTING INTO the park.

And even if those same kids as teens prefer the thrills of Universal, when they grow up and have kids they will take them right back to the Mouse. Honestly, what does "Comcast" mean to anyone? It's essentially the Walmart of cable. It doesn't induce the warm fuzzies.

Comcast is just the owner of the company...the same company that came VERY close to purchasing Disney several years ago. They're the ones with the deep pockets, beyond that, no one really cares.

Disney is a mega brand. There are videos, there are parks, there are movies, there are TV networks, and all the related merch. Universal has none of that. No one associates anything with Universal, no matter how awesome a ride is or a land. People go to Disney for the brand that has been cultivated through clever marketing.

Sorry, I completely disagree...there's PLENTY of things people associate with Universal....E.T., King Kong, Jurassic Park, Jaws (RIP), Despicable Me, Universal Monsters. They've been making movies and giving Studio tours since 1906....decades before Mickey was even born.

Every time I wear any Disney shirt, I always have babies and little kids pointing at the Mickey on my shirt and smiling. It always takes me a few minutes to figure out why the kid is staring at me, but they are always looking at the Mickey! And when those same kids get to DisneyWorld, what are they looking for? Mickey. Universal doesn't have a Mickey. It has Harry Potter, which will resonate with some but not all 10 year olds. It has some very well-themed rides and lands. Fine. It doesn't have the Disney brand...the aura, if you will, that will draw people in regardless.

Yes, that is true...it's just too bad that WDW's greatness and innovation has been squandered for the past decade or so. People, even the most die-hard Disney fans should be happy there's some competition down the road...it helps all of us in the end....that is, IF Disney decides to actually innovate at WDW again.

Of course, they don't HAVE to innovate when people are so addicted that they go back no matter what Disney does.

Why does the best ride technology go to Tokyo, Hong Kong and Paris, but not Orlando?

 

[flicx]

Or they (correctly) assume that 90% of their guests are NOT glued to Disney-related discussion boards second-guessing every date, ride, bracelet, app, nook, dragon, yeti, etc...


I would like to mention that I rode Expedition Everest for the first (and last) time a few years ago. The Yeti was not working and I didn't even realize it! It didn't ruin my ride because at that time I wasn't glued to the DIS reading about all the things wrong with Disney. So, unfortunately, I only hated EE for one reason, that it gave me noodle-legs for the rest of the day, when I COULD have hated it for two reasons! And then my vacation could have been ruined properly and I could have started a thread here about how terrible Disney is because of the broken Yeti. But alas, it wasn't meant to be...

Perhaps some guests give Disney a pass no matter what they do!

 

[DOOM1001]

Do the math...there is hot rumor going around about a Frozen overlay in Maelstrom...to take advantage of the "hysteria". Does anyone in their right mind think 1)It would do justice to that (overrated IP) and 2)have any longevity?

.

Were you around the boards years ago when there was a rumor of RnRc being rethemed to Hannah Montana,thankfully that never happened.I never gave that rumor too much credence but to even think that it may have gone through a Disney execs mind who had the power to make it happen just blows my mind.

 

[Planogirl]

Universal is of course using Harry Potter to lure people to their parks but I would bet that they hope that they will try and enjoy other attractions too. It's no different than Disney using the new dwarves ride in their ads.

Personally, I like quite a bit in the two parks more than the WWoHP. I'll have to see about the new area but it does look amazing.

 

[MaryKatesMom]

People aren't going to Disney to ride splash mountain by itself. People ARE going to Universal to visit Harry Potter exclusively, especially now with the induction of Diagon Alley because there is a major following. If Disney put Star Wars land into DHS then that would be a following that would attract new consumers that usually had no interest in going to the theme parks. It's very clear that Disney cares about new consumers rather than pleasing the ones that come every year.

Yep. My DD dragged us to Universal kicking and screaming 2 years ago just because of HP. Guess what. Wasn't as awful as some of the Disney Extremists made it out to be.

We are now doing a split trip in August BECAUSE of Diagon Alley and our enjoyable stay at Portofino bay last time. It does NOT have to be an either/or. Unless you have to justify a DVC membership to your SO. I BEGGED to join BC DVC when it opened and the DH said no and I'm glad I'm not locked into it now. I had no idea they could put up other DVC structures so quickly and not attractions.

 

[MaryKatesMom]

Perhaps some guests give Disney a pass no matter what they do!

Yep. There are those who snort pixie dust.

 

[Mad Hattered]

No one said Disney would lose out on MK attendance...it's the other 3 parks that Disney needs to be concerned with.




Yes they do. This was opening day of the Wizarding World in 2010. This was the line GETTING INTO the park.

Comcast is just the owner of the company...the same company that came VERY close to purchasing Disney several years ago. They're the ones with the deep pockets, beyond that, no one really cares.



Sorry, I completely disagree...there's PLENTY of things people associate with Universal....E.T., King Kong, Jurassic Park, Jaws (RIP), Despicable Me, Universal Monsters. They've been making movies and giving Studio tours since 1906....decades before Mickey was even born.



Yes, that is true...it's just too bad that WDW's greatness and innovation has been squandered for the past decade or so. People, even the most die-hard Disney fans should be happy there's some competition down the road...it helps all of us in the end....that is, IF Disney decides to actually innovate at WDW again.

Of course, they don't HAVE to innovate when people are so addicted that they go back no matter what Disney does.

Why does the best ride technology go to Tokyo, Hong Kong and Paris, but not Orlando?

Nice reply, Chris! But in all honesty....don't waste your breath on her. She has absolutely no experience with Universal and makes stuff up as she goes. Take this for example...

OR, more realistically..... Disney has an aura. I've said this before and I'll say it again: No one says, "I can't wait to take little Susie to Universal and see her face when she sees the.... Hogsmeade? for the first time." But seriously, the second question people ask new parents, just after "is it a boy or a girl" is "when are you taking them to DisneyWorld!?'

I'd like a link to the source that states this is what actually happens. I know for a fact that I have 3 women sitting within 35 feet of my office that can't wait to take their children to UNIVERSAL so that kinda blows her statement right out of the water.

Aura - any invisible emanation, especially a scent or odor

 

[MichiganDVC]

Rose colored glasses keep people from caring about less than perfect things. At least that has been the case for me. I believe that on a discussion board you can expect people to actually discuss such things though.

Casual visitors might not care about a broken yeti or a few burnt out light bulbs but they will notice when something is overly crowded or if something costs quite a lot. None of this seems to have affected attendance but those are still things that EVERYONE could complain about. They might just not do it on a discussion forum.

Um, it can't be "rose-colored glasses" if I didn't know the Yeti was broken!! If I didn't know what it looked like working, how can I tell if it's broken?! I wasn't choosing to overlook it, I didn't know because I didn't spend all my time listening to other people constantly complain about pointless, little things!

And FYI - casual visitors are 90% of visitors to WDW. I know crowds might be an issue for those travelers who go only in July or on Christmas day and arrive at the park at 11:00am and stay until 5:00pm and don't make any ADRs or FPRs. Friends of mine with three girls under the age of 7 went to WDW last year under my direct supervision and had a great time! The only problem they had was overextending themselves one day because there was TOO MUCH TO DO. TOO MUCH!! As well know, WDW can be done correctly (which may be different depending on your age and touring style.)
Note the bolded: None of that has affected attendance. People might complain, but.... Well? Please explain to me why Disney is feeling ANY sense of urgency right now?

And btw, of all my first-timers who have gone recently with their kids, the first thing they say when they get home is "how can I convince my husband to go back...soon??" No one comes home moaning about crowds or broken lightbulbs or Yetis or Magic Bands.

MK averages 18-19 million visitors a year. There are 350 million people in this country. There are about 1 billion people in the Western Hemisphere. There are 7 billion people on Earth. Do you have any idea how small 19 million is compared to that? Disney has an outstanding brand that is worldwide and continues to draw people who can afford to go to their parks.

 

[mom2rtk]

I'd like a link to the source that states this is what actually happens. I know for a fact that I have 3 women sitting within 35 feet of my office that can't wait to take their children to UNIVERSAL so that kinda blows her statement right out of the water.

Something else that hasn't been considered. The Harry Potter generation is in their early 20's right now. I wonder how many of them will be having babies in the coming years and will consider taking them to WWoHP as their OWN rite of passage.....

 

[Mad Hattered]

Um, it can't be "rose-colored glasses" if I didn't know the Yeti was broken!! If I didn't know what it looked like working, how can I tell if it's broken?! I wasn't choosing to overlook it, I didn't know because I didn't spend all my time listening to other people constantly complain about pointless, little things!

Uhhhhh...because that Stacy chick shoves the "working" Yeti down the throats of anyone that turns on their TV in the Disney hotel room?

 

[surferdave]

Why do they need to stop announcing projects so early? If its a go its a go... Its likely done on their side because of the business side of things wanting stockholders to see where some of the investment in the theme parks is going.

The Avatar expansion was announced before Disney acquired Lucasfilm.

Too bad they announced that project so early.

 

[DisUniversal]

Um, it can't be "rose-colored glasses" if I didn't know the Yeti was broken!! If I didn't know what it looked like working, how can I tell if it's broken?! I wasn't choosing to overlook it, I didn't know because I didn't spend all my time listening to other people constantly complain about pointless, little things!

So it's come to that...Disney has to rely upon the ignorance of their customers now. Sad.

 

[surferdave]

So it's come to that...Disney has to rely upon the ignorance of their customers now. Sad.

It may be their #1 asset.

 

[ArwenMarie]

Disney's biggest problem right now are all of those empty hotel rooms every night. And darn skippy they are worried about UOR shaving hotel days off...that's why they built MM, to lock people in. To keep them from "the other Orlando attractions" once they arrive. But maybe they were talking about Gatorland.

Magic Kingdom will always be a draw, and by default the other 3 parks will be fine due to the way they bundle the tix.

But the real $ is to be made in hotels and food....hence the focus on the resorts, building DVC, upcharge special events and the Epcot drinking festivals. They absolutely do not want people taking a few days off their Dis hotel stay to go to Uni.

 

[practicallyperfect77]

Disney's biggest problem right now are all of those empty hotel rooms every night. And darn skippy they are worried about UOR shaving hotel days off...that's why they built MM, to lock people in. To keep them from "the other Orlando attractions" once they arrive. But maybe they were talking about Gatorland.

Magic Kingdom will always be a draw, and by default the other 3 parks will be fine due to the way they bundle the tix.

But the real $ is to be made in hotels and food....hence the focus on the resorts, building DVC, upcharge special events and the Epcot drinking festivals. They absolutely do not want people taking a few days off their Dis hotel stay to go to Uni.

Yup...lock people in and then go messing with EMH hours and days. Grrr!

 

[MichiganDVC]

Nice reply, Chris! But in all honesty....don't waste your breath on her. She has absolutely no experience with Universal and makes stuff up as she goes. Take this for example...

I'd like a link to the source that states this is what actually happens. I know for a fact that I have 3 women sitting within 35 feet of my office that can't wait to take their children to UNIVERSAL so that kinda blows her statement right out of the water.

Aura - any invisible emanation, especially a scent or odor

Well, at least I wasn't called a "him" as usually assumed.

And, I have no experience with Universal. That is correct. What does this have to do with Disney? See, that's my entire point. The answer: N-O-T-H-I-N-G!!

Sorry, you might know people who dream of taking their 2-year old daughter to Universal. I don't know any. And ALL of my friends (quite literally) have 2-year old daughters. Every time I see them, they say, "Hey, I'm thinking about taking ________ to Disney in the next year or so...we'll have to talk." No one yet has every wistfully dreamed of taking their toddlers to go ride Transformers or visit Seussland.

I'm not saying that these things aren't magical and wonderful and better than anything Disney has ever done or will ever do. I'm just saying that, as a Disney person, I DON'T CARE. I don't think anything is wrong with Disney and it makes me happy. Me, and 18 million people a year. At least 18 million. I'm not spending the money to leave Disney for Universal as an AP/DVC person. I've said this a million times. I don't begrudge Universal or its fans. I DO, however, find myself incredibly annoyed with the constant complainers and the "I hope Disney fails" crowd. And to these people, every Universal gain gleefully means a Disney defeat. I don't really think that they're being tough on Disney because they want and expect more from them. I've seen too many contradictions for this to be true:
"Build something new NOW"
"Not THAT, something ELSE!"
"Not fast enough! Quicker!"
"Why did they build THAT? It could/should have been this, or this or this"
"So they built something...I hated it because it wasn't ___________ enough." (fill in adjective)
"I don't like Avatarland because I didn't like the movie"
"HP is so great, even if you didn't see the movies"
"Avatarland won't be great because they won't spend any money on it!"
"It cost HOW MUCH to build New Fantasyland? What a waste!"

And so on....

 

[clsteve]

Yup...lock people in and then go messing with EMH hours and days. Grrr!

What's the problem? It's a piece of cake to switch all those FP+ reservations around. Right....?!?