News Disney CFO Hugh Johnston Says Dynamic Pricing Is Coming to the Parks

[DisneyHead123]

q


Aren't nearly all cruises mostly inclusive amenity-wise? As someone who doesn't frequent cruises, that's stated as part of the appeal (outside of excursions) from my friends who consider it a hobby/lifestyle.

Surely, a Regent or Oceania cruise doesn't work like this, does it?:



... although second class in that video does feel like most of Orlando... I'm clearly a second-classer, soon to be aspiring second-classer/steerage at the rate the economy is going.

It’s kind of like saying “Don’t most clothing stores sell you marked up pieces of fabric?” I mean yeah, they do, but Abercrombie, Brooks Brothers, and Chico’s are clearly not selling the same vibe and narrative.

 

[MrPromey]

It’s kind of like saying “Don’t most clothing stores sell you marked up pieces of fabric?” I mean yeah, they do, but Abercrombie, Brooks Brothers, and Chico’s are clearly not selling the same vibe and narrative.

I'm not understanding.

The comparison of physical goods is difficult for me to mentally translate to purchasing an experience since you'd normally buy a different pair of pants made of a different material for a different purpose and obviously, when you spend more for a pair of pants intended for the same relative purpose (casual/casual vs. dress/dress vs. office/office vs. labor/labor), you expect both a better buying experience and a better quality of product for that higher price*... but I don't think most people consider the "vibe" of their shopping experience while wearing their purchase six months later.

Do they?

Are you saying a casual pair of jeans from Brooks Brothers have a different "vibe" than a casual pair of jeans from Abercrombie to you, generally speaking?

Are you saying the crew on the other cruise lines look down on some of their guests? That they're less accommodating or kind to some people vs. others?

I'm trying to understand where they lack in, as you put it, "kindness, creativity, acceptance, joy and wonder".

Again, I'm not saying they don't lack it. Cruises aren't my thing and I've only been on a couple so I have little context to compare (and none that's recent). I'm just trying to understand the meaningful "Disney difference" in that regard aboard the ships these days.

*of course, expecting and getting are two different things.

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

q


Aren't nearly all cruises mostly inclusive amenity-wise? As someone who doesn't frequent cruises, that's stated as part of the appeal (outside of excursions) from my friends who consider it a hobby/lifestyle.

Surely, a Regent or Oceania cruise doesn't work like this, does it?:



... although second class in that video does feel like most of Orlando... I'm clearly a second-classer, soon to be aspiring second-classer/steerage at the rate the economy is going.

The lower end lines typically lean heavy into upsells…

The real pamper boats are all inclusive upfront

 

[Touchdown]

Luxury Hotel is not a nebulous term it’s very defined. You can find rating agencies that set them. Luxury require a full service restaurant, room service, spa, and exceptional service and comfort. The Grand Floridian ain’t that people (it fails at the last two terms. Some Universal Hotels come closer to this, as does the Grand Californian but still don’t quite rise to the standard. I haven’t stayed there but it certainly looks like the 4 Seasons meets that standard. The Disneyland Hotel (Paris) is also a luxury hotel, should you jump the pond believe me the service is night and day compared to what we get here.

 

[Tha Realest]

Luxury Hotel is not a nebulous term it’s very defined. You can find rating agencies that set them. Luxury require a full service restaurant, room service, spa, and exceptional service and comfort. The Grand Floridian ain’t that people (it fails at the last two terms. Some Universal Hotels come closer to this, as does the Grand Californian but still don’t quite rise to the standard. I haven’t stayed there but it certainly looks like the 4 Seasons meets that standard. The Disneyland Hotel (Paris) is also a luxury hotel, should you jump the pond believe me the service is night and day compared to what we get here.

When Disney executives want to impress valued guests/potential customers when visiting Orlando, they take them to the Four Seasons, not GF.

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

When Disney executives want to impress valued guests/potential customers when visiting Orlando, they take them to the Four Seasons, not GF.

Run by bill gates and the playboy prince of Persia?
…can’t go wrong there

 

[DisneyHead123]

I'm not understanding.

The comparison of physical goods is difficult for me to mentally translate to purchasing an experience since you'd normally buy a different pair of pants made of a different material for a different purpose and obviously, when you spend more for a pair of pants intended for the same relative purpose (casual/casual vs. dress/dress vs. office/office vs. labor/labor), you expect both a better buying experience and a better quality of product for that higher price*... but I don't think most people consider the "vibe" of their shopping experience while wearing their purchase six months later.

Do they?

Are you saying a casual pair of jeans from Brooks Brothers have a different "vibe" than a casual pair of jeans from Abercrombie to you, generally speaking?

Are you saying the crew on the other cruise lines look down on some of their guests? That they're less accommodating or kind to some people vs. others?

I'm trying to understand where they lack in, as you put it, "kindness, creativity, acceptance, joy and wonder".

Again, I'm not saying they don't lack it. Cruises aren't my thing and I've only been on a couple so I have little context to compare (and none that's recent). I'm just trying to understand the meaningful "Disney difference" in that regard aboard the ships these days.

*of course, expecting and getting are two different things.

I think if you don’t see the difference between the marketing narrative of Brooks Brothers and Abercrombie and Fitch, it’s going to be difficult to explain. You’re correct in that at the most literal level, they’re all ships with helpful staff. If you watch ads for them, one has a giant neotenous mouse dancing to songs about wishes from your heart, while the others show sleek, impossibly thin women in gowns gazing at the ocean with champagne. But again, yes, all ships.

 

[Miss Bella]

Then everything north of carnival is “premium”…because they all offer what Disney does or more in some cases. With some notable swaps

Disney offers more kids and all ages things…the others more adult stuff. Kinda offsets.

“Premium” is what the price that they charge is. Nothing more
It worked on a small fleet because they limited supply…we’ll see if they mess with that too much?

What does DCL have that Carnival doesn't....other than a concierge class. I sailed on the Carnival Vista from Athens to Barcelona in it's first season. I was very impressed with the ship, food, and the service. I met a number of Platinum DCL cruisers on that voyage.
Carnival has a quality control issue, but I still read good things about their newer ships like the Mardi Gras and this is coming from people that cruise DCL.
You are going to have a hard time convincing DCL cruisers that DCL is not a premium cruise line. Cognitive dissonance is a powerful thing.

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

What does DCL have that Carnival doesn't....other than a concierge class. I sailed on the Carnival Vista from Athens to Barcelona in it's first season. I was very impressed with the ship, food, and the service. I met a number of Platinum DCL cruisers on that voyage.
Carnival has a quality control issue, but I still read good things about their newer ships like the Mardi Gras and this is coming from people that cruise DCL.
You are going to have a hard time convincing DCL cruisers that DCL is not a premium cruise line. Cognitive dissonance is a powerful thing.

Oh I’m talking about the carnival of 10 years ago…when it had fallen into disrepair as a relic of the Kathie Lee Gifford era. It seems they’ve gotten back on track the last 5 or so years?

What Dcl zealots lean on is that it USED to be better than the rest. I agreed with that. 20 years ago? Overall you had a cleaner, more consistent feel.

But since they’ve been caught on most fronts…massive innovating ships from the other lines and better quality level consistency has left dcl feel lacking in come ways.

But people want the “D” so when you suggest maybe it’s not on the perch it once was…fans pitch a fit like veruca salt

 

[jah4955]

DCL is prime for a lot of families who want their first cruise experience to feel “safe” because they know the Disney name

a lower chance of "adults behaving badly"

 

[monothingie]

a lower chance of "adults behaving badly"

Notice how I never referenced the Spirit Airlines of Seas...Carnival Cruise Line.

 

[lentesta]

What would you approximate in terms of attendance mix?

I would assume it’s 3 people per DVC room and whatever number of DVC rooms we know they have.

I say 3 people because someone else is retrofitting TEA attendance numbers into room availability, and 2.9 to 3.1 guests per room seems to be the sweet spot.

 

[Dranth]

What does DCL have that Carnival doesn't....other than a concierge class. I sailed on the Carnival Vista from Athens to Barcelona in it's first season. I was very impressed with the ship, food, and the service. I met a number of Platinum DCL cruisers on that voyage.

Haven't been on in a long time so it could very well be different now, and I completely acknowledge it may have just been bad luck, but Carnival was terrible the last time I used them and my understanding is that to this day, they can be very hit or miss.

As for what DCL has that Carnival doesn't, if we want to get reductive, Disney stuff. If that is important to someone, you are only going to get it on DCL.

Personally, I also like the smaller ships, generally better service, laid back vibes, and relaxed dress code. All that being said, DCL prices are too high though it seems the rest of the industry is trying to catch up on that front, at least if you listen to some of these earnings calls.

 

[jah4955]

Haven't been on in a long time so it could very well be different now, and I completely acknowledge it may have just been bad luck, but Carnival was terrible the last time I used them and my understanding is that to this day, they can be very hit or miss.

As for what DCL has that Carnival doesn't, if we want to get reductive, Disney stuff. If that is important to someone, you are only going to get it on DCL.

Personally, I also like the smaller ships, generally better service, laid back vibes, and relaxed dress code. All that being said, DCL prices are too high though it seems the rest of the industry is trying to catch up on that front, at least if you listen to some of these earnings calls.

The most I can handle with floating vessels are those like 3C or LwTL ....so I'll never ever be able to offer thoughts on cruises (other than "the happiest cruise that ever sailed")

 

[Ayla]

I would assume it’s 3 people per DVC room and whatever number of DVC rooms we know they have.

I say 3 people because someone else is retrofitting TEA attendance numbers into room availability, and 2.9 to 3.1 guests per room seems to be the sweet spot.

Dumb question ~ are the cash DVC rooms Disney owns considered DVC or not? Or are they just part of a resort's "normal" inventory?

 

[Ayla]

Haven't been on in a long time so it could very well be different now, and I completely acknowledge it may have just been bad luck, but Carnival was terrible the last time I used them and my understanding is that to this day, they can be very hit or miss.

As for what DCL has that Carnival doesn't, if we want to get reductive, Disney stuff. If that is important to someone, you are only going to get it on DCL.

Personally, I also like the smaller ships, generally better service, laid back vibes, and relaxed dress code. All that being said, DCL prices are too high though it seems the rest of the industry is trying to catch up on that front, at least if you listen to some of these earnings calls.

FREE SODA!!!! (Though I don't know if that is still true, but back when I was on CC, lots of DCL people touted that "amazing!!" perk.)

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

Dumb question ~ are the cash DVC rooms Disney owns considered DVC or not? Or are they just part of a resort's "normal" inventory?

There’s hardly any

Prolly because the ripoff level is even higher on those

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

FREE SODA!!!! (Though I don't know if that is still true, but back when I was on CC, lots of DCL people touted that "amazing!!" perk.)

That was always the “core principal” of dvc fans…

 

[MrPromey]

I think if you don’t see the difference between the marketing narrative of Brooks Brothers and Abercrombie and Fitch, it’s going to be difficult to explain. You’re correct in that at the most literal level, they’re all ships with helpful staff. If you watch ads for them, one has a giant neotenous mouse dancing to songs about wishes from your heart, while the others show sleek, impossibly thin women in gowns gazing at the ocean with champagne. But again, yes, all ships.

No. I understand marketing (I work in that industry) but at the end of the day, a casual pair of jeans is a casual pair of jeans. If you've fallen for the marketing and think one pair of jeans makes you a kinder joyful person, well... I guess someone earned their paycheck .

The giant "neotenous mouse" is exactly the kind of novelty and kitsch I was referring to. Similar to my example with the Star Wars bar, for someone not specifically into Disney, that's more likely to be seen as tacky than "kindness, creativity, acceptance, joy and wonder".

Likewise, a theater show on a ship about Frozen or Aladdin isn't them being joyous and creative, it's about appealing specifically to Disney fans.

Unless you've already bought into "Disney Magic" as being a real ethereal thing, rather than a method to push expensive cupcakes and plushies, this should be pretty obvious, even if like many, you're willing to suspend disbelief for entertainment and prefer that kind of entertainment. (which I'm in no way saying there is anything wrong with - most of us here lean that way)

To me, a commercial with Tituss Burgess gently crooning "A dream is a wish your heart makes" is a calculated cynical marketing appeal to the sentimental feelings many people have to the Disney brand. It has nothing to do with what you're experience will be on the ship anymore than the brand of the jeans you buy will automatically matter in any meaningful way to the person wearing them if they don't see the label and the quality is good.

I think Carnival cruse commercials look shockingly full of "kindness, creativity, acceptance, joy and wonder"... Like spring break levels of joy and wonder that for my tastes, seems a bit much. They're the ones who treat bath towels like balloon animals, aren't they?

Are they out-Disneying Disney here on the "kindness and acceptance" front?

I think if we are to go solely by their marketing, they sure seem to want to create that impression.

Similarly, I'm sure many a person has been disappointed when boarding a cruise ship hoping to be surrounded by "sleek impossibly thin women" ready to be romanced only to discover that it's statistically more likely... well lets just say, that's not likely to be the actual experience for most people and I think most reasonable adults can suss out as to whether they are that sleek impossibly thin woman having that experience themselves or not, too - probably not, statistically speaking but it may feel good to pretend that's how strangers will see them for five days.

The difference here is one side is marketing to a more mature audience while the other is marketing more to young families and "Disney Adults" - not that one is somehow a less creative and kind experience.

What you're saying in the last couple of posts is you like Disney's marketing and branding more - not, objectively, their cruises. You might like their cruises more, too but that's not what you're talking about.


I thought you were going to delve into what each had to offer that actually made the experiences so different either in service or amenities, crew attitudes, various accommodations, etc., not try to lead me down the path of their various approaches to marketing hokum.

 

[Dranth]

FREE SODA!!!! (Though I don't know if that is still true, but back when I was on CC, lots of DCL people touted that "amazing!!" perk.)

It was still in place last time we sailed on DCL (mid 2022).

Personally, I'd be shocked if anyone being honest had free soda is a deciding factor on what line to book, but as a non-drinker, I like it as drink packages are often a rip off if you aren't getting some booze along the way. It certainly isn't a "perk" worth paying twice the fare up front to save a few dollars on diet coke, but I'm not going to complain about if I am already going DCL for some other reason.