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

[CastAStone]

I've been told the property as a whole is profitable right now, but just, and is improving for the most part.

Disney is straight up using quantum math to claim this operation is profitable. It is not. We all see the deserted theme parks and lack of guest spending.

Define profitable. Like, Net Income profitable? That’s hard to believe. But Gross Margin profitable, like they’re losing less money open than closed? That’s pretty easy to believe.

 

[CastAStone]

They would be wise to allow park hopping to Epcot. Perhaps let guests come there for “free” after departing one of the earlier-closing parks?

I think earlier in this thread I suggested charging $14.99 and selling it through MDE. That way they could still manage the capacity and cover The cost of transporting the guest from AK/MK to Epcot at the same time.

 

[CastAStone]

Food and Wine sales are dismal. The only exception is possibly Disney Springs, where some things have gone better than expected.

Who wants to do Food and Wine when it’s 96 out? The locals know it will still be there in October.

Disney Springs isn’t charging the same price for a reduced experience. Well, I guess technically they are, but you know what I mean.

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

Like record setting attendance in February?

A month?

Overall attendance has been close to flat since about 2017.

That’s the pricing...as no other economic turmoil can be blamed for the attendance plateau. It always goes up fairly consistently over time without some type of economic disruption.

Remember they Opened big “lands” that bob promised would be the best ever too.

 

[hopemax]

The cocaine blackmail story is the conspiracy.

My version is a fairly straightforward case of corporate succession planning.

I don't know why I am responding to this, but I took the advice to Google...

So it is part of normal corporate succession planning, for the person being shown the door to give an interview, 3 months later, with the Hollywood Reporter saying that it was cocaine extortion?

Why in this situation is the standard, "I'm leaving to spend more time with my family," and then quietly disappear not enough?

Why is Skipper a willing participant in this cover up vs "keeping his mouth shut?" It must be one heck of a golden parachute.

Why would any future executive take a high ranking position with Disney knowing that, "We may need to cover your sudden dismissal by putting forward a story that implicates you in criminal activities. You will need to do interviews that corroborate this story."

If pheneix's OP is right about Chapek "taking out the trash," I can't wait to see what the departing executives will cop to, as part of their normal company exit.

 

[Castmbr]

The only exception is possibly Disney Springs, where some things have gone better than expected.

Interesting......
Cast can go to Springs unrestricted and it is free for everyone in the area to go an visit if they are OK with a mask to walk to a restaurant. Cast CANNOT go with family to EPCOT, heck, APs are having issues getting reservations for EPCOT as well....so no surprise IMHO that rev at Food and Wine is way down. Bad execution/decisions and hubris is causing things to be even worse.

 

[CastAStone]

Define profitable. Like, Net Income profitable? That’s hard to believe. But Gross Margin profitable, like they’re losing less money open than closed? That’s pretty easy to believe.

One other thought - if the resort is breaking even, despite too many hotels open, too many buses running, too many F&Bs open, too many merch stations open, and too many ops CMs working (and honestly too many parks open at once on the weekdays), imagine what it will be doing when they “optimize”.

Disney didn’t know what to expect. Now they do and they can scale staffing and operations appropriately.

 

[techgeek]

Disney didn’t know what to expect. Now they do and they can scale staffing and operations appropriately.

This is a company that only knows how to operate with 5 levels of management and by using seemingly unlimited numbers of cast members as traffic cones. I’m not convinced they know how to scale any further then they already have and maintain health protocols.

 

[Kamikaze]

Everyone gets a magic band that they need to scan for every ride. After 4 hours they cant go on any rides.

They don't want to be giving anything out currently. That was my point. It doesn't matter if its a magic band or a wristband.

 

[peter11435]

I see what the confusion is.

I never said Skipper was "in on it." I also never said that his cocaine habit was fiction. I said there was a reason WHY his cocaine habit came to light when it did.

Do you honestly think he had a decades-long cocaine addiction and Bob Iger didn't know about it until December 2017?

So why not bring the habit to light before you sign him on a new contract?

 

[CAV]

Here’s the difference: You don’t have to wear a damn mask when you go to a waterpark. The masks are the single most annoying thing that people absolutely hate for their vacations. If you get rid of the mask requirements when you are outside, everyone will come back fairly quickly. That’s why the national parks are doing such amazing numbers this year. That’s why water parks are doing well. No masks when outside.

Exactly. We live just over an hour away. AP holders. At least once a month visitors. As long as a mask is required , we aren't going. We have Beach Club ressies at the end of September. If the mask is still required, we will cancel.

 

[FettFan]

So... this means the Splash overhaul is getting canned, eh?

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

Perhaps anecdotally, as an international traveler, closed parks are definitely worse than photos with pathetic crowd numbers. Even the appearance of things running normally goes a long way.

The second the mask restrictions are lifted (no objection to them at all, I'm just a pasty Northern Irish guy who sweats a lot in the humid heat in Orlando) and the nighttime entertainment returns I'll weigh up whether or not a trip to theme parks are worth it.

I can see that as a comfort.

But to many of us statesiders...it’s just “eerie” to see the videos and pictures of empty parks with a general sense of awkward.

Define profitable. Like, Net Income profitable? That’s hard to believe. But Gross Margin profitable, like they’re losing less money open than closed? That’s pretty easy to believe.

Now here I can agree...not “wrong”...merely misleading.

 

[GSP Guy]

Here’s the difference: You don’t have to wear a damn mask when you go to a waterpark. The masks are the single most annoying thing that people absolutely hate for their vacations. If you get rid of the mask requirements when you are outside, everyone will come back fairly quickly. That’s why the national parks are doing such amazing numbers this year. That’s why water parks are doing well. No masks when outside.

This right here! I have no desire to put my personal or business life on this forum but for the sake of this conversation I'll share some tidbits. My business is 100% tourist dependent. It's located in Florida and is an outdoor activity and absolutely no masks. From the second week of May to present visits to my website are up over 550% from previous years. Normally handle 12-15 calls a day. During this timeframe we are receiving 40-50. Now the last week of March, the entire month of April, and the first week of May were wrecked by travel restrictions to be clear. Also the calls for the fall season are through the roof. Just food for thought.

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

Exactly. We live just over an hour away. AP holders. At least once a month visitors. As long as a mask is required , we aren't going. We have Beach Club ressies at the end of September. If the mask is still required, we will cancel.

407-wdisney is standing by to help you with that

So... this means the Splash overhaul is getting canned, eh?

Sadly...I think that’s set in stone. There was a great analysis of this that took into account PR and brand loyalty that really made the case for it in the original thread about the announcement.

 

[mikejs78]

Exactly. We live just over an hour away. AP holders. At least once a month visitors. As long as a mask is required , we aren't going. We have Beach Club ressies at the end of September. If the mask is still required, we will cancel.

Since we're dealing in anecdotal evidence, I know multiple people who canceled trips, not because they had to wear a mask, but because their states required a 14-day quarantine after visiting any hot spot state. it's that fact that's keeping tourism down to the levels that they are, not the fact that everyone has to wear flipping mask. I'm sure the mask had something to do with it for some people, but it's not by any means the only reason.

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

This right here! I have no desire to put my personal or business life on this forum but for the sake of this conversation I'll share some tidbits. My business is 100% tourist dependent. It's located in Florida and is an outdoor activity and absolutely no masks. From the second week of May to present visits to my website are up over 550% from previous years. Normally handle 12-15 calls a day. During this timeframe we are receiving 40-50. Now the last week of March, the entire month of April, and the first week of May were wrecked by travel restrictions to be clear. Also the calls for the fall season are through the roof. Just food for thought.

My “thought” is if the yutz at the top had just shut up and gotten inline from the start...you’d be a lot closer to normalcy right now.

(You’re not the “yutz”...to be clear)

 

[Piebald]

I was surprised to see so many higher risk people at the parks. Elderly people, morbidly obese people, etc. At least they all wore masks, I guess. IMO the mask thing is a nonissue. It's so hot right now I didnt feel any more miserable than if I didnt have a mask on. It's just so hot right now that I didnt even realize I had it on.

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

I was surprised to see so many higher risk people at the parks. Elderly people, morbidly obese people, etc. At least they all wore masks, I guess. IMO the mask thing is a nonissue. It's so hot right now I didnt feel any more miserable than if I didnt have a mask on. It's just so hot right now that I didnt even realize I had it on.

..:I noticed this too...

But shhhhhhh! ...many don’t necessarily consider this “at risk”

 

[DVCakaCarlF]

My Honda and Toyota are proof of that.

You can’t kill a Honda engine...i think it could run without oil.