Your Predictions re Changes to DVC now that Iger is back as CEO

[LPnerd]

Boy y'all are optimistic. The parks were the only thing making money. That's the only thing that was working.

have you seen these numbers? If so, could you post that link or tell us where. I'd be very curious to see these numbers.

 

[MICKIMINI]

The biggest immediate effect will be the morale boost amongst CM's. There are already plenty of positive reactions in the Cast community over Bob's return. Happier CM's = a better guest experience.

After that, Bob's focus will be on the more macro moves to boost investor and shareholder confidence. The Street needs to know that there is light at the end of the tunnel.

Lastly, I'm guessing Bob will reach out to his senior leadership team (probably sooner rather than later) and ask each of them for a moving forward plan that will increase consumer/guest confidence and mitigate the bad vibes/experience/perception created during the Chapek regime. I think THAT will be the point where we will see what Josh D'Amaro and Bill Dierkson have on their wish lists and what on those lists is ultimately implemented. Some of those moves will be easier, and quicker to be implemented and others may be slow to follow.

Cast Members are grinning from ear to ear. We chatted with a few and they are thrilled. I overheard several CM's stating it was their first day back. There was plenty of street entertainment at Harambe Village today and over at The Tree Of Life. Guests were clapping and cheering. It was a great day to be at Disney!

 

[wabbott]

have you seen these numbers? If so, could you post that link or tell us where. I'd be very curious to see these numbers.

I did this calc for last quarter's earnings, and this is for the latest quarter and year

THE WALT DISNEY COMPANY REPORTS FOURTH QUARTER and FULL YEAR EARNINGS FOR FISCAL 2022
https://thewaltdisneycompany.com/app/uploads/2022/11/q4-fy22-earnings.pdf

Disney Media and Entertainment Distribution Division

For quarter ended 9/30/22: Revenues: $12.725 billion - Operating profit: $.083 billion (0.67% return)
For year ended 9/30/22: Revenues: $55.040 billion - Operating profit: $4.216 billion (7.66% return)

Parks, Experiences and Products Division

For quarter ended 9/30/22: Revenues: $7.425 billion - Operating profit: $1.514 billion (20.39% return
For year ended 9/30/22: Revenues: $28.705 billion - Operating profit: $7.905 billion (27.54% return)

 

[LPnerd]

Cast Members are grinning from ear to ear. We chatted with a few and they are thrilled. I overheard several CM's stating it was their first day back. There was plenty of street entertainment at Harambe Village today and over at The Tree Of Life. Guests were clapping and cheering. It was a great day to be at Disney!

hopefully this will mean no lay offs!

 

[drommer0]

We at least know that he will consider whether to bring back Annual Passes, because the New York Times mentioned the controversy of the Unfavorables in its article about his return.

Disney’s best customers have been printing T-Shirts in Disney script, proclaiming themselves as Disney Unfavorables.
(Because of a Chapek statement about annual pass holders producing an unfavorable mix)

I count myself in that group, but I don’t have a T-shirt yet.

Do you know how to get a t-shirt. Been DVC member since 1998. I liked it better when they treated us better.

 

[RanDIZ]

I'm sure it definitely added to cost by scrapping Reflections. Land was cleared and plans were set and totally abandoned it. That was not a financially smart thing to do, especially when you're in cost cutting mode. Rather than continue with the original plan they moved on with POLY tower. Some could argue that the new POLY tower is similar, and the plans might be used in some aspect. But I'd be willing to bet that the cost will come out far ahead of Reflections.

 

[Slippery Yak]

I think with the economy turning, the direct points requirement will be lowered from 150 to 75ish.

I also wish they would implement where you could buy a blue card to upgrade resale points. Might as well make some money on resale.

 

[sndral]

I love Joe, he's an absolute genius. but as CEO? Nah it's a completely different skill set. Now if Joe could somehow be talked into coming back as head of Imagineering, with someone like Iger as CEO that values creativity and "magic", that would be amazing. I don't see it happening, but I would love it.

Over budget Joe would be a disaster as CEO - but it’d be a sweet ride until the money ran out & some corporate raider like Peltz swooped in and destroyed the company.

I think the first thing Iger will do is tell the Parks division to reinstate Annual Pass sales. He needs to keep attendance numbers up. Even though AP owners may spend less per capita, they are "bodies through the gate". If Park average revenue per customer falls, Iger will blame it on the recession, or spin it that even though the average revenue per guest is down, total attributable revenue is up. This minor change will erase lots of ill will among the most loyal fans.

The problem is that there are too many ‘bodies through the gate’ right now resulting in a diminished experience for all. They don’t want those higher per capita visitors’ experiences diminished so much that they don’t come back. I glanced back at the Q3 & Q4’s earnings calls - CFO McCarthy (of ‘smaller portions are good for our customer’s waistlines’ fame) was part of the coup that ousted Chapek, so she’ll still be around & there’s nothing in her remarks that leads me to believe APs will suddenly be freely available. Maybe a limited offering like we saw w/ DL recently. But unless they feel they need to rely on the less lucrative APers due to a fall off in the higher per capita regular ticket guests I don’t see it near term.

Of maybe they can do a hybrid of FP+ and GP+,?

Allowing some rides done ahead..less popular with other day of?

That’s my biggest problem w/ G+, you now pay up to $30 per person per day & you have no idea what you’ll get. Last year at WDW it was $15 & we did not get near the experience we’d gotten w/ FPs & the lines for the rides we didn’t get were longer. We paid $20 at DL last month & had a much better experience - but it’s much easier to jump back & forth between the parks there & to get to all the rides.
From what I’ve read DAS folks can preschedule 2 rides for up to six people & thereafter schedule rides - for free, I wish they’d have a similar preschedule ability w/ paid G+ so at least you’d know you were getting a couple of rides you liked w/out waiting in hour+ queues before you paid your $$.

Regarding the question of what Iger will change - I’m really not expecting much, parks profit is offsetting the losses elsewhere, so he’ll want to keep that goose laying the golden eggs, but most of the recent changes started during Iger’s first tenure as CEO, however Chapek was in charge of parks during that time, so I have a very small hope things will change resulting in a better park experience for visitors.

 

[Sandisw]

Over budget Joe would be a disaster as CEO - but it’d be a sweet ride until the money ran out & some corporate raider like Peltz swooped in and destroyed the company.

The problem is that there are too many ‘bodies through the gate’ right now resulting in a diminished experience for all. They don’t want those higher per capita visitors’ experiences diminished so much that they don’t come back. I glanced back at the Q3 & Q4’s earnings calls - CFO McCarthy (of ‘smaller portions are good for our customer’s waistlines’ fame) was part of the coup that ousted Chapek, so she’ll still be around & there’s nothing in her remarks that leads me to believe APs will suddenly be freely available. Maybe a limited offering like we saw w/ DL recently. But unless they feel they need to rely on the less lucrative APers due to a fall off in the higher per capita regular ticket guests I don’t see it near term.

That’s my biggest problem w/ G+, you now pay up to $30 per person per day & you have no idea what you’ll get. Last year at WDW it was $15 & we did not get near the experience we’d gotten w/ FPs & the lines for the rides we didn’t get were longer. We paid $20 at DL last month & had a much better experience - but it’s much easier to jump back & forth between the parks there & to get to all the rides.
From what I’ve read DAS folks can preschedule 2 rides for up to six people & thereafter schedule rides - for free, I wish they’d have a similar preschedule ability w/ paid G+ so at least you’d know you were getting a couple of rides you liked w/out waiting in hour+ queues.

Regarding the question of what Iger will change - I’m really not expecting much, parks profit is offsetting the losses elsewhere, so he’ll want to keep that goose laying the golden eggs, but most of the recent changes started during Iger’s first tenure as CEO, however Chapek was in charge of parks during that time, so I have a very small hope things will change resulting in a better park experience for visitors.

Just to add about DAS. There is a limited number of spots for the rides allowed for pre selection..and you may not get them.

When I was attempting to set mine up last trip about 20 days out. my only option were Spaceship Earth at Epcot and at a time we would not be in the park any longer so nothing got scheduled.

But I do think it would be nice to have everyone a chance to pay ahead and at least pick a few of the less popular ones so you have some level of your day organized.

 

[elenex]

I don't think there will be many immediate changes to the parks, but here are some low cost moves that would gain goodwill with CMs and DVC members. I also expect zero price decreases and that's G+ the systems in place aren't going anywhere, and that his highest priorities rest in Disney plus and the studios.

APs return after the holidays, and not for less than a freaking day like magic keys did.
Guaranteed access to APs for DVC members
Cancel Chapek's layoff plan
Cancel WDI move to Florida
Lure back some of the imagineers that chapek chased away, but he won't get Rohde

Reservations
1/2pm park hopping restriction eliminated
Add the ability to modify park reservations to another park without cancelling first (this has led to some scares for me at DLR)
Allow park reservations for all nights booked on property at DLR like they are at WDW

G+
Introduce the prebooking ability for 2-3 rides per day from FP+ to G+
Allow G+ purchase and booking outside of the park, before entry
Allow additional G+ bookings beyond the 1 per day limit on non-E ticket attractions. If someone wants to ride small world 30 times in a day, let them do it instead of begrudgingly taking a place in line at space mountain ahead of someone waiting for 2 hours

 

[Simba's Mom]

Crazy thought here - please don't flame me;
2-ply toilet paper in the DVC bathrooms

Don't underestimate the positive effect that "good" TP can have on your trip! We were at DHHIR last year for 12 days with that c*****y 1 ply stuff. This year we went to Kroger the first day and bought some nice, soft 2 ply. Boy, are we having such a more enjoyable trip this year!

 

[DonMacGregor]

have you seen these numbers? If so, could you post that link or tell us where. I'd be very curious to see these numbers.

Be sure to take a really close look at park-specific revenue for the quarter, versus DPEP as a whole.

 

[BamaGuy44]

I

Don't underestimate the positive effect that "good" TP can have on your trip! We were at DHHIR last year for 12 days with that c*****y 1 ply stuff. This year we went to Kroger the first day and bought some nice, soft 2 ply. Boy, are we having such a more enjoyable trip this year!

I try to be pretty frugal when it comes to household supplies and stuff, but TP is one thing I will NOT skimp on. Life's too short for substandard TP. Luckily the Kirkland from Costco is good quality at a decent price. (As long as you don't mind buying like 40 rolls lol)

 

[hglenn]

I
I try to be pretty frugal when it comes to household supplies and stuff, but TP is one thing I will NOT skimp on. Life's too short for substandard TP. Luckily the Kirkland from Costco is good quality at a decent price. (As long as you don't mind buying like 40 rolls lol)

Well, you're not alone! Costco's best-selling item is its Kirkland Signature Bath Tissue. It sells more than a billion rolls every year, bringing in over $400 million dollars in revenue.

 

[kes601]

Add the ability to modify park reservations to another park without cancelling first (this has led to some scares for me at DLR)

Don't know if DLR is this way still, but WDW no longer requires cancelling a park reservations to schedule a new one. You can modify all park reservations now.

 

[sndral]

…
Allow G+ purchase and booking outside of the park, before entry
…

At WDW you can purchase G+ & book your first ride before you leave your on site hotel. At DL last month we couldn’t start booking LL until after we’d made it through the hoards & entered the parks. DL’s ‘early entry’ for resort guests (we were at the GCH) was…unpleasant…they let everyone in & ‘hold’ the non on site people on Main Street, I guess so they can start making their LLs? It made trying to take advantage of early entry a very negative experience IMO.

 

[eticketplease]

Don't underestimate the positive effect that "good" TP can have on your trip! We were at DHHIR last year for 12 days with that c*****y 1 ply stuff. This year we went to Kroger the first day and bought some nice, soft 2 ply. Boy, are we having such a more enjoyable trip this year!

Charmin Ultra Soft is always in our Grocery Delivery order!!

 

[3 Hobbits 2 Disney]

Iger’s moves today seem to indicate a return to story telling and creatives vs abacus and beans — within budgets.

 

[TinkB278]

Iger’s moves today seem to indicate a return to story telling and creatives vs abacus and beans — within budgets.

What moves??

 

[RanDIZ]

Lure back some of the imagineers that chapek chased away, but he won't get Rohde

Maybe Joe Rohde comes back for the ride with Iger. Re-right the ship that got ship wrecked by Chapek.