A Spirited Perfect Ten

[WDW1974]

What's going to be the fate of 50's Prime Time and Hollywood Vine?

50s Primetime is very popular (I even like it!) ... I don't see it (or Hollywood and Vine, a place I have never dined at) going anywhere.

New food options at Harambe Market! And your favorite snowman will be appearing at Frozen Summer Fun

See, I know you are being sarcastic. But WDW Social Media and its BRAND advocates actually think those type things count for something. And they don't. No matter how many Tweets you get saying otherwise.

 

[WDW1974]

Dammit, Tron 3 got derezzed.

http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/heat-vision/disney-not-moving-forward-tron-798941

Somehow I blame Lindelof. Tomorrowland's muddy reception probably made the execs think Disney can't do science fiction that isn't related to capes or Star Wars on their own anymore.

Leave Damon alone. T-land wasn't bad and if he's responsible than so is Brad Bird.

As to Tron 3, I couldn't believe they were even interested in a script. Two lousy movies 30 years apart. Why would you want a third. The only thing they had was visual appeal, something better for a theme park than a film.

 

[John]

My opinion on this "surge pricing" scam? Yes a scam....there is no doubt Disney is looking at more ways to separate you from your dollars then a lifestyler pretending to be a Park guide....They have put more money into how to seprate you from your $ then figuring out ways for you to give it voluntarily.

The CM front gate pass and comps? They have been weening the CM's off of these the past few years with more blackout dates and restrictions. Remember these so called raises the CMs have been getting? You don't think Disney was going to take that lying down did you? Someone....somehow was going to pay for those raises. I know a few senior CMs that only work at the parks for this perk. So they can bring their families to WDW. This will further shrink the number of good long time CMs. Oh they don't spend no money? Well I am one of those families and in January I brought other magical guest as well. In total we spent upwards of 6-8 g's.....stayed at AKL for 8 days.

This is a sham of epic proportions. Dave is right......there is now slow times anymore....and there will be even less now. People will move their vacations to those lesser visited times that will of course make them a not so slow season which will just trigger the "surge pricing" structure....walllaha! Price hikes across the board. Its a sham!

 

[WDW1974]

So you're saying that the idea of how Disney priced previously was wrong? Have their offerings improved at a rate that demands a 67% premium over the previous pricing model?

I'd argue, and have in this thread, that their quality/offerings are lower quality than they were in 1994.

1994 when it cost $38 a day to enter a park.

 

[WDW1974]

They have sex with their tails!!! Sex with their tails, damn you!!!

Well, so do many fanbois ... I don't see your point!

 

[John]

Well, so do many fanbois ... I don't see your point!

You know Marcia isn't going to give you any pies for that one....

 

[PhotoDave219]

Of other interesting Data thoughts,M̶K̶ ̶h̶a̶d̶ ̶a̶ ̶H̶a̶r̶d̶ ̶T̶i̶c̶k̶e̶t̶ ̶e̶v̶e̶n̶t̶ ̶1̶2̶.̶6̶%̶ ̶(̶4̶6̶ ̶n̶i̶g̶h̶t̶s̶)̶ ̶l̶a̶s̶t̶ ̶y̶e̶a̶r̶.̶ ̶O̶u̶t̶ ̶o̶f̶ ̶t̶h̶o̶s̶e̶ ̶d̶a̶t̶e̶s̶,̶ ̶t̶h̶e̶y̶ ̶s̶t̶i̶l̶l̶ ̶d̶r̶e̶w̶ ̶a̶n̶ ̶a̶v̶e̶r̶a̶g̶e̶ ̶c̶r̶o̶w̶d̶ ̶(̶4̶+̶)̶ ̶1̶4̶ ̶t̶i̶m̶e̶s̶,̶ ̶o̶r̶ ̶3̶6̶%̶ ̶o̶f̶ ̶t̶h̶e̶i̶r̶ ̶h̶a̶r̶d̶ ̶t̶i̶c̶k̶e̶t̶ ̶d̶a̶t̶e̶s̶.̶
̶
̶S̶o̶ ̶l̶o̶o̶k̶i̶n̶g̶ ̶a̶t̶ ̶M̶K̶,̶ ̶5̶4̶ ̶d̶a̶y̶s̶ ̶l̶a̶s̶t̶ ̶y̶e̶a̶r̶ ̶w̶e̶r̶e̶ ̶t̶r̶u̶e̶ ̶"̶O̶f̶f̶-̶P̶e̶a̶k̶"̶ ̶d̶a̶y̶s̶ ̶t̶h̶a̶t̶ ̶w̶e̶r̶e̶ ̶n̶o̶t̶ ̶i̶n̶d̶u̶c̶e̶d̶ ̶b̶y̶ ̶a̶ ̶H̶a̶r̶d̶ ̶T̶i̶c̶k̶e̶t̶ ̶c̶r̶o̶w̶d̶ ̶l̶a̶t̶e̶r̶ ̶t̶h̶a̶t̶ ̶e̶v̶e̶n̶i̶n̶g̶ ̶o̶r̶ ̶1̶7̶%̶ ̶o̶f̶ ̶a̶l̶l̶ ̶n̶i̶g̶h̶t̶s̶ ̶o̶f̶ ̶t̶h̶e̶ ̶3̶1̶9̶ ̶N̶i̶g̶h̶t̶s̶ ̶M̶K̶ ̶d̶i̶d̶ ̶n̶o̶t̶ ̶h̶a̶v̶e̶ ̶a̶ ̶H̶a̶r̶d̶ ̶T̶i̶c̶k̶e̶t̶ ̶E̶v̶e̶n̶t̶.̶

By comparison, DHS had 123 Days that were off peak, if you discount the One Night they had a hard ticket event.

Edit: I really Messed that up. Also, learned how the COUNTIFS command instead of hand counting.

MK had 47 Hard Ticket Events, 12.8% of the year. MK drew an average crowd drew 16 times, 34% of the time. You take out the 31 Hard Ticket Induced Crowds from the MK from the total of 69 Off-Peak Crowds for the year, leaves you with 38 actual Off Peak Crowds out of 318 Nights the MK did not have a Hard Ticket Event. So MK had an off-peak crowd for 12% of the time on Non-Party Days.

 

[WDW1974]

The strategic planning group was a product of Eisner. One of his biggest mistakes.

Absolutely. And still one of his blind spots to this very day (hence his infatuation with Tom Staggs).

The thing is (for the trillionth time) Bob Iger has kept and elevated the SP guys and gone forward with many of their BRAND damaging initiatives. Blame MDE away for starting the cancer. But he's been gone for a decade now ... isn't it about time his replacement gets his blame?

 

[WDW1974]

Honestly, it will be hard for any new additions to NOT make that place a madhouse right now. WDW needs to make sure crowds are spread out at DAK/DHS/Epcot at NIGHT. More often than not, guests go to DHS/DAK and then skip on over to MK for the nighttime stuff and because it's open the latest.

MK can't be the only night park. That in and of itself is the reason for the capacity problems the park is facing.

Back in the 80s and 90s, EPCOT and Disney-MGM were full day (if not multiple day) destinations and they had late hours (for ALL guests) when they were needed (like summer, spring break, holidays).

MK is a madhouse not simply because it is DIZZY WORLD!!!! to most people. Or even because it has the most attractions. It's the only place that is ever open past 9 p.m. for 90% of the year. Disney could, even now, force Guests to EPCOT if four days a week (for argument sake) they kept it open until 11, but closed MK at 8 or 9. They won't.

The schedule I put out a few nights ago from October 1994 (yes, things were slower back then, but WDW wasn't a tiny resort in a backwater like it was in 1974) had MK closing every night of the month at 6 or 7. Guests had no choice but to go to EPCOT (or MGM on Saturdays) IF they wanted to be in a park at night. If not, there was Pleasure Island for adults and resorts and Disney Village for families.

I literally can barely stand the MK these days, yet if you checked my records (I am sure George Kalogridis does just for blanks and giggles) it is the park that has the most clicks for me by far. Why? Because when it is open until midnight or 1 a.m. and the other parks close at 6, 7 and 8, you have no other choice if you aren't a morning Spirit (and Angie will tell you that I most certainly am not!)

 

[WDW1974]

Can we continue the discussion now about how smart the Marvel and Lucasfilm purchases were, and just how desperately Disney needs them?

Nope. Because Disney used to actually be able to make quality and successful films that were released under its own banner and later under Touchstone, Hollywood and Miramax.

If you're saying that Disney simply can't do that, then I'd say that they need better management.

Even Tomorrowland had a very good concept and talent both behind and in front of the camera and was fun ... but it didn't end well and it wasn't marketed well.

Of course, I wonder if you had switched its release with Cinderella how they would have each fared as that March date has proven to be a good one for Disney of late ...

 

[wogwog]

Disney recently made the black out dates public

https://blockoutdates.disney.com/

Interesting that this data was made public. Does Iger know? So days available to Cast Members to bring in friends and family June 2014, 14---June 2015, 2. July 2014, 3--July 2015, 0. I think I see a trend. I will let @PhotoDave219 or @ParentsOf4 play with the numbers on that site, I have a meeting in six hours and am retiring for the night. Benefit reductions indeed.

 

[WDW1974]

I am already hearing negative buzz from CM friends about potential impact on Maingate Passes and comp tickets. I have a feeling CMs are going to get shafted. Thoughts?

CMs have been getting screwed (in O-Town) regularly of late. Now, I don't even need the Hub to check blockouts because they're available for all to see. Many dates during the last few months saw days when two parks were blocked out. The only park that was clear literally for threes months was EPCOT. Gee, could that be because they're trying to pump up booze and food sales and think CMs will 'party' when off the clock? MK availability was an absolute joke. There were so few days when you could use a Maingate, it was like why?

And also, look, Disney is reading social media. They read every post on this thread (even the trolls to see what strategies they think work against me and other powerful voices on this thread). They hear me tell people to 'make friends with CMs ... a free day for 2-3-4 people is worth you buying a CM friend a nice meal or a concert ticket or just a present' and they realize just like avoiding parking fees, stealing Coke or pool-hopping that they can look good to middle management by suggesting that too many CMs are using too many of their 'Disney Difference' benefits (you know, the ones that make up for having enough money from their paychecks to actually pay the bills and such).

Disney is looking to close any/all loopholes and take away any/all things that have value.

They just better not to that after my summer visit to SoCal because I intend to visit DLR for 4-5 days, KBF for one and UNI for one and I don't intend to pay a penny to visit any of them. That's how Faux Top One Percenters roll.

 

[truecoat]

At the end you were saying it was almost double capacity. It's not really the point though...

The big concern for this, aside from the obvious inclusion in the country in the first place, is going to be the wait-times. With such poor capacity, they're going to need to do something drastic to meet demand, otherwise, you're going to be looking at 2 hours waits daily.

They sent imagineers to India prior to construction. They have a plan to increase capacity greatly...on all rides.

 

[WDW1974]

I'm going to take a guess and say that the changes coming aren't Spirited in any way (whatever happened to the "Big Spirited Change" anyway?).

I wouldn't jump to any conclusions about Big Spirited Change. As I tell Angie all the time, ''Baby, I'm not dead yet!''
(Sorry to my friends at Disney who wish otherwise as I'm not close to being done with you -- any of you!)

Oh Disney, why does it seem you're actively trying to push us away?

Oh, because they are. They want rubes with money and no standards/perspective/point of reference.

 

[WDW1974]

Do you think this new ticketing idea is a band-aid to make up money for something else (NextGen)?

Could be. I really need to know more about when and where this sprang from and who is pushing it. ... But the speed at which major media has it tells me that it is coming, just a question of what form and where (Fl? CA? Both?) it happens ...Disney wants this pushed and wants it to look as organic as Willow Bay suddenly wearing a Yoda dress, which suddenly made the last vestiges of a column critical of her husband drop off the face of the Internet. If Time and USA Today are already talking about, then it must be real news, right?

 

[Spark70]

With all of this Spirited talk of reduced CM benefits and potential impact of "surge" pricing on guests I wonder if we should adjust our language to more accurately reflect the relationship of TWDC to those with whom it interacts. After all, a "guest" implies someone that carries some level of respect, someone that you desire to impress. A "cast member" is an integral part playing a significant role in the "show". I posit in light of today's Disney that there are no longer "guests" but "customers" (and I feel that may even be generous). And certainly "cast members" (I used to be one) are merely "employees". Using these historic terms in the current setting feels like spin, at best. Just food for thought...

 

[Mike S]

With all of this Spirited talk of reduced CM benefits and potential impact of "surge" pricing on guests I wonder if we should adjust our language to more accurately reflect the relationship of TWDC to those with whom it interacts. After all, a "guest" implies someone that carries some level of respect, someone that you desire to impress. A "cast member" is an integral part playing a significant role in the "show". I posit in light of today's Disney that there are no longer "guests" but "customers" (and I feel that may even be generous). And certainly "cast members" (I used to be one) are merely "employees". Using these historic terms in the current setting feels like spin, at best. Just food for thought...

I'd say the "cast members" are now "lackeys" and the "guests" are now "cows to be milked."

Is that too far or spot on?

 

[Funmeister]

With all of this Spirited talk of reduced CM benefits and potential impact of "surge" pricing on guests I wonder if we should adjust our language to more accurately reflect the relationship of TWDC to those with whom it interacts. After all, a "guest" implies someone that carries some level of respect, someone that you desire to impress. A "cast member" is an integral part playing a significant role in the "show". I posit in light of today's Disney that there are no longer "guests" but "customers" (and I feel that may even be generous). And certainly "cast members" (I used to be one) are merely "employees". Using these historic terms in the current setting feels like spin, at best. Just food for thought...

On that note I am going to "ER" before I go 101 which may or may not include a protein spill requiring me to call an alpha unit. >sigh<

Sad to say you are correct.

 

[Funmeister]

I'd say the "cast members" are now "lackeys" and the "guests" are now "cows to be milked."

Is that too far or spot on?

I would not say "lackey." There are still good people working for the company that do a great job and are hard workers. As far as the "lackey" CMs out there? Can't blame them...how long is Traditions now? A half hour? lol

Training is a minimum when it comes to guest service satisfaction. I helped roll out "No Strings Attached" at the MK years ago and hat required a considerable amount of time in developing the training sessions and also training the front line Cast. Nothing like that now.

The old rule of thumb was if you do not know the answer then find the answer for the guest or get them to someone who can.

Now you are lucky to get the attention of someone and hope they can at least point you in the right direction to get an answer.

 

[Mike S]

I would not say "lackey." There are still good people working for the company that do a great job and are hard workers. As far as the "lackey" CMs out there? Can't blame them...how long is Traditions now? A half hour? lol

Training is a minimum when it comes to guest service satisfaction. I helped roll out "No Strings Attached" at the MK years ago and hat required a considerable amount of time in developing the training sessions and also training the front line Cast. Nothing like that now.

The old rule of thumb was if you do not know the answer then find the answer for the guest or get them to someone who can.

Now you are lucky to get the attention of someone and hope they can at least point you in the right direction to get an answer.

I thought the conversation was about how CM's and guests are viewed by upper management. I meant no disrespect myself. I always try to be as nice as possible to CM's.