I think Disney was always bottom line focused (at least while it was a public company), but at one point the strategy to maximize profit was to focus on guest satisfaction so guests would come back and back and back.
At some point, I think WDW decided that guests would keep coming back even if guest satisfaction was not made as much of a priority. That is when the strategy moved to ways to increase profits even if there was a negative impact on guest satisfaction.
I am very confident that if guests stop visiting to WDW and attendance plummets, then WDW will get back to focusing on guest satisfaction.
That’s my family and we are already squeezed out after this next trip. If we go to Florida again, we are looking at Universal, Sea World and Kennedy space center. If my DH decides he wants to ride Tron and it is not an impossible feat, we may go to MK for one day. But that is a big maybe.
I think it is more than an argument that could be made … I think it is clear that this is what is has been happening.
There are so many examples, but I think about the price increases in the deluxe resorts over the past 10 years and the price increases (while also increasing the number of tickets sold) in special events like MNSSHP.
I see what you’re saying, but I wish they didn’t see it that way.
Just because I’m not happy wasting money, doesn’t mean I’m not willing to spend a lot for a good product.
The problem is they are raising prices while reducing returns.
This was my original assessment after my first trip. I got why Disney was expensive, because you got value for the money. I never had a place send a bus JUST for me to my destination. Never would have expected a hotel to send up a plate of strawberries cause I was celebrating something.
That’s still there, for the most part, but there is definitely some “belt tightening” being felt too.
I’m not saying it is a good thing … I was merely expressing what I think it going on. I don’t think it is a good long term business plan, but I’m not sitting behind the executive desk or in the boardroom.
OK up front I’ll point out that I’m not in this group.
But I wonder if Disney thinks that this group is the least likely to produce a profit because even if they’re happy with their experience, over time the likelihood of them returning diminishes as their children age.
In other words, if giving families ROI is a race against the clock, you have to hit them for a big payout (trip of a lifetime) or - like slot machines - enable repeat investments on a small-scale (AP frequent visitors).
Before my kids were born, DW and I went with my preteen niece and nephews to Universal for 5 nights (with 1 night at MK for MVMCP) and we had a blast. We didn’t miss Disney and felt like we got way more for our money. I’d do it again, but with 2 young kids Universal isn’t a good option so we will likely wait a few year to switch from WDW to Universal.
In 2014 when we cancelled due to change on FP, we instead bought season passes to SW/BGT/Aquatica. We still went to FL and rented a house for two weeks. We had a 4-night cruise inside those dates. We did one day Aquatica, and two days SW and BGT. It was much cheaper than WDW and we had so much fun. It felt like we had permission to not do disney. The other parks weren’t fit in around WDW. We just totally sunk into these parks. I’d love to do it again and do Discovery Cove, too, now that kids are older.
My kids are currently 9 and 12. In 2-3 years, when we would be considering another trip there, they would be 11/12 and 14/15. I was concerned regarding the same issue with Universal, as we discussed possibly going there for our current trip that was supposed to occur in May 2020. My youngest would have been too short for a lot of attractions.
Great ages for Universal. We stayed at The Hard Rock Hotel (comes with express passes). It was short walk to Citiwalk and the parks. We felt immersed, everything was convenient, and we didn’t have a long wait for anything except the Harry Potter rides. It was a reminder of what Disney was like decades ago.
To a certain degree, I feel bad for Chapek. He has his work cut out for him. He has to convince the board / investors that he has their interests in mind if he has any chance at sticking around long term. And he doesn’t exude the same warmth as Walt Disney or (to a lesser extent) Bob Iger, or the competence if Michael Eisner. And I say that in reaction to his mannerisms and physical presence, not anything he has done. So he is starting out at a disadvantage.
But he is going to have to prove to guests and customers that he has our interests at heart first and foremost. It can’t all be about “maximizing shareholder value,” as necessary as that is. A business will only thrive long term if it focuses on customer satisfaction. And for Disney specifically, it can’t just be satisfaction - it has to be “magic.”
So I really hope they stop and think before they implement paid only options for FP or price everyone out of a Disney vacation. And I hope they’ll implement some measures to make the customer experience less frustrating and more pleasant. More shade, more seating, more water, more bathrooms, etc.
Very good comparison. I would much rather wait in three 20 minute lines than one 60 min line even if the other two rides are walk on.
I understand the argument that the total wait does not change, but my perception of this total wait when stuck in an hour long line does.
We waited until our youngest was tall enough, but it turns out he isn’t a thrill ride kid so he still wasn’t doing the vast majority of UOR. Our older daughter is a ride or die girl so she and dh did it all while ds and enjoyed Minions, Spiderman, Simpsons, and Men in Black over and over and over and over again.
UOR just isn’t a good park for us as a family with one person that can’t enjoy the majority of the attractions. I am not a fan of family vacations where we are split up most of the time.
AND YET…when you (not you specifically) use Touring Plans to optimize your day, it will very often pick LONGER wait times for an individual ride or two because it will reduce your overall wait time across all rides.
We see questions from folks here a lot about that very thing…and in THOSE cases, people say to trust the plan…because it makes sense to. Everyone wants to reduce overall wait times, even if it means you will wait LONGER for any given ride.
Not sure why people don’t see it with FP.
Personally? I don’t care if I have to wait 60 minutes for one if it is means walk-on for the other two. It comes to the same amount of waiting.
