On layoffs, very bad attendance, and Iger's legacy being one of disgrace

[flynnibus]

America is a slaves to debt, you can't take it with you mindset. That's why some even I know have no retirement savings or plan to, and complain they can't get ahead.

that would not cover the change in spending.

people are buying more big luxury items

 

[flynnibus]

because people aren’t traveling. Whatever discretionary income that is available is being re-routed to other safer forms of entertainment at the expense of the travel industry amongst others

spending 5k on a vacation is not the sand as spending 10k for a spa or 60k on a pool.

these are not sideways shifts

 

[flynnibus]

I'm not done with the preposterous claim.......

Atlantis in Bahamas is doing just fine right now and its Cove has sold out the random days I checked.

No guest mask requirement there.

i guess you haven't looked attravel to the bahamas before you make stuff up

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

If WDW has been declining since the 1990s how does one explain the increasing levels of attendance year after year?

Because of a continued trend of increasing airline travel and spending beyond means...

...and it’s still better than six flags or myrtle beach

America is a slaves to debt, you can't take it with you mindset. That's why some even I know have no retirement savings or plan to, and complain they can't get ahead.

i think you’re right

Because it’s still better than Six Flags. But even the most casual repeat visitors notice that they’re paying more for lesser quality each year.

Correct

that would not cover the change in spending.

people are buying more big luxury items

I think you’re right too

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

spending 5k on a vacation is not the sand as spending 10k for a spa or 60k on a pool.

these are not sideways shifts

Travel goes first in a recession...it’s by far the most “painless” Sacrifice...and that’s WITHOUT the unprecedented spectre of an invisible boogeyman germ

And here we are. The movie hasn’t even started to run yet.

 

[flynnibus]

But I also reject the notion that everyone should trade in pursuing their dreams in favor of something they don't enjoy just because it is a safer choice. Not everyone wants that.

I don't care if its your dream.., know what hou are getting into and be prepared for what it will extract of you.

you can't deny the numbers that go in and fail because they let their dream turn off their brain

 

[MisterPenguin]

Huge WDI and Creative layoffs happened this week.

This is the first I've seen a report that such layoffs did happen.

But... it's odd that this wasn't more well known. People who get laid off tend to post about it on social media. Then it gets picked up by mainstream mass media.

 

[MisterPenguin]

Well I guess at least a decent amount of people are still visiting from Cuba!

That's where Florida Man thinks he lives... in Southern Florida.

 

[TrainsOfDisney]

I don't care if its your dream.., know what hou are getting into and be prepared for what it will extract of you.

you can't deny the numbers that go in and fail because they let their dream turn off their brain

I would rather spend my life working jobs that I enjoy. If that’s turning off my brain I’m ok with that!

 

[brianstl]

This is the first I've seen a report that such layoffs did happen.

But... it's odd that this wasn't more well known. People who get laid off tend to post about it on social media. Then it gets picked up by mainstream mass media.

don’t know if the layoffs happened or not, but the level of the employee would impact the likelihood of them going on social media and talking about it. The higher up they are, the more likely they are to realize it is better to keep that stuff out of your social media to protect your future job prospects. Plus, there could be specific things in a severance package forbidding the employee from certain actions if they want to get everything in the severance package.

 

[mkt]

If WDW has been declining since the 1990s how does one explain the increasing levels of attendance year after year?

Two reasons:
1- A well integrated communications strategy that has made regular visits to Disney a rite of passage in the US (as well as other countries).
2- Making the parks more accessible to people that are a reasonably short drive away (Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, and Alabama) with monthly payment plans on annual passes

 

[flynnibus]

I would rather spend my life working jobs that I enjoy. If that’s turning off my brain I’m ok with that!

The point is they can't live their life doing it... hence the "failure" part of my post

 

[TrainsOfDisney]

The point is they can't live their life doing it... hence the "failure" part of my post

They can if they choose to?

 

[PhotoDave219]

Spell it out, be specific.

It.

I. T.

It.

 

[PhotoDave219]

WDPR will save an enormous amount of expense once they officially sever ties with Actors Equity.

Which would be absolutely awful for the actors who perform at WDW.

... for an entertainment company, Disney sure is getting bad at providing actual entertainment.

 

[PhotoDave219]

Below are some photo's from my son's trip July 19-23 (Sunday to Thursday).

Multiple headliner rides were walk-on. He experienced Flights of Passage 5 times (was even allowed to cut through the FP+ line at one point), Smuggler's Run 5 times, Test Track 3 times, Space Mountain 5 times, Rock n Roller Coaster 5 times, Expedition Everest 5 times. For most, it was a matter of his group simply getting bored with the attraction and deciding to move on.

Mickey & Minnie's Runaway Train was the longest line, followed by Slinky Dog Dash. (This last because it was down for most of the day.)

Crowds were light throughout the trip, with Disney Hollywood Studios feeling the most crowded, by far.

As his photos show, it was possible to encounter moments of modest crowds but also see the parks nearly empty, with many of his contrasting photos taken within an hour of each other.

These give you a sense of what it was like for my son during his weekday trip in mid-July.

Epcot Sunday Evening:

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Bridge to Pandora Monday Midday:

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Leaving Animal Kingdom Monday at 5:30 PM:

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Magic Kingdom Tuesday Opening:

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Walkway To Tomorrowland Tuesday Noon:

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Waiting for Rise Of The Resistance Wednesday at 1 PM:

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Galaxy's Edge Less than 1 Hour Later:

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Disney's Hollywood Studios Wednesday Afternoon:

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One of the more crowded images of Disney's Hollywood Studios:

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Nice.

Those are the crowd levels I remember from 04/05.

 

[mkt]

Which would be absolutely awful for the actors who perform at WDW.

... for an entertainment company, Disney sure is getting bad at providing actual entertainment.

It would be also bad for the Studios, Theatrical Productions and Television divisions, as SAG-AFTRA will likely stand by their AEA colleagues.

 

[celluloid]

This is the first I've seen a report that such layoffs did happen.

But... it's odd that this wasn't more well known. People who get laid off tend to post about it on social media. Then it gets picked up by mainstream mass media.

Universal made an official announcement on it. Some severance also come with NDAs.

 

[MisterPenguin]

Universal made an official announcement on it. Some severance also come with NDAs.

But I thought we were talking about Disney lay-offs.

NDAs don't require people to pretend they're still hired at a company. Their LinkedIn will surely be updated to looking for a new job.

 

[MrPromey]

Then has it gone down hill?? Look one of those psych questions.

It's like my 100 year old Aunt who reminsces of back in the day especially air travel. That means absolutely nothing to me.
I love MK since I first went in 2000 so while I believe you that it was golden but for it's still awesome

Having grown up in FL, I’ve been going to WDW my whole life. Started buying my own annual passes once I was old enough to drive, along with friends, with money from my high school jobs.

Unfortunately for you, you started going after the decline had begun. With that context, your opinions makes total sense.

If you like current WDW, you’d be as crotchety as the rest of us if you’d experienced previous WDW.

The technology and the rockwork have gotten better. Everything else has just continued a slow path of decline.

Disney has always been expensive but it used to be expensive in the way buying popcorn at a movie is - you knew you were getting gouged but it was still possible for many working class people to do it now and then while staying within their means.

Coming from that, seeing them try to spin it as a vacation for the upper crust - especially with a lot they’re trying to sell being the same stuff from 20+ years ago only with less of it and not in as good of condition as the lower middle class once had access to - just feels crazy.

I don’t discount that what they have is impressive. I’m sure they spend more annually on ”free” guest transportation around property than many large regional attractions spend on their entire operations but most of their amazing development came from past decades.

As impossible as it may sound, you used to get more in almost every sense for less in almost every sense (money, stress, crowding, needed planning, etc.)

With WDW, it feels like “Disney - who do you guys think you’re foolin’?” But the sad truth is, the answer is pretty much everybody that didn’t know them back in the day.