Mouse Trap
Well-Known Member
With the stock being up anywhere from $6-7 dollars today she's made herself a cool 700 million + today. Not a bad day at all....
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A Spirited Perfect Ten
- Thread starter WDW1974
- Start date
With the stock being up anywhere from $6-7 dollars today she's made herself a cool 700 million + today. Not a bad day at all....
ULPO46
Well-Known Member
Couldn't Have said it better myself. I think it's poor management and it's not just happening at Disney and Universal. All companies are doing the same thing. Focusing on making improvments that fail, firing good employees, and loosing a sense of what their buisness model was. This is the future of corporate America, and sadly i don't think it will get any better. Unfortunately I believe Disney will begin to realize this when its too late. But the amount of people at the MK is disgusting, i never remeber disney having been so full.
GoofGoof
Premium Member
Amen brother. This is something we most definitely agree on. To take it a step further it's not just maintenance Capex. Operating expense is down too. Maintenance items can only be capitalized if they extend the useful life of the asset. Smaller maintenance like changing light bulbs or dusting things that have collected dust for way too long would be part of operating expenses. A big driver of the decline in operating expense is probably related to not having MM+ ramp up costs this year, but some of it is still from cutbacks. Somewhere down the line someone (not named Iger) is going to need to spend on major refurbs that could be delayed or prevented completely with better routine maintenance.
Wall Street seems pretty happy with the results. Stock's up over 8% and over $100. Not good news for anyone hoping for meaningful changes for WDW. Especially with the attendance, hotel occupancy and guest spending numbers all rising. One bright spot could be a reduction in free DDP if the hotels are really doing that well. At least I might be able to eat a meal at some restaurants without booking 6 months in advance.
GoofGoof
Premium Member
Based on @ParentsOf4 post on the last page it looks like the rooms out of inventory are only driving the rate up by 1% if I read his analysis correctly. DVC helps since they naturally have a higher rate, but there aren't that many additional DVC rooms between this year and last.
ParentsOf4
Well-Known Member
Six Flags reported the following in its 2013 annual report:
"The vast majority of our capital expenditures in 2014 and beyond will be made on a discretionary basis. We plan on spending approximately 9% of revenues on capital expenditures during the 2014 calendar year."
From fiscal years 1973 (Disney spent quite a lot in 1972 to finish phase 1 of WDW so I'm skipping that year) until 2005 (Michael Eisner's last year as CEO), Disney averaged 21.3% of domestic Parks & Resorts (P&R) revenue on domestic P&R capital expenditures.
From fiscal years 2006 (Bob Iger's first year as CEO) until 2014 (the most recently completed fiscal year), Disney averaged 13.3% of domestic P&R revenue on domestic P&R capital expenditures.
Disney reported 7.4% in its latest quarter. As I previously wrote, "This is getting into Six Flags territory."
Sorry, I was mistaken. Disney's most recent capex level is actually worse than Six Flags.
Sorry, I did not mean to insult Six Flags by suggesting that they would stoop to Disney's pitiful investment levels.
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flynnibus
Premium Member
I'm cross posting this here because it is a frequent point of contention in these threads. I'd love to hear @WDW1974 and even @wdwmagic 's take on my analysis of our audience. None of this is meant to be pro/con of one vs the other... but rather be able to understand where the motivations differ, and why different parties approach things differently with different takeaways.
Those who like to throw out labels frequently too... I'll not name individuals for fear of including/excluding someone to harm... I'd love to hear your inputs as well. Personally I think there is a tier beyond 'student of walt' and 'disney fanatic' that are our extreme cases... but to keep it to a single novel.. I didn't elaborate on those
---------
On the topic of 'why are people here' - What throws people is a forum like this is an outlet for many different types of people.
I'm putting this bit up top for the TL;DR crowd...
-----
An analogy people might relate to is Motion Pictures. Most people goto the movies to be entertained. They are not interested in the process of movie making, just the movie OUTPUT. But behind the movie there is all sorts of disciplines, theories, principles that are work together. Most consumers have no interest in these things, or even take them for granted. A movie being 'good' or 'bad' is a subjective topic usually based on if the viewer enjoyed it.. and they are less interested in understanding why the movie did or did not connect with them. These are simply the movie consumers.. or movie fans.
But there is a whole other audience that is aware of the science or techniques used.. and are interested in or maybe simply have a more heightened awareness to those topics. They can label a film not just on the enjoyment factor but also on merits of its elements or assembly. They may label films 'good' or 'bad' based on more of the components of the project rather than simply their personal tastes. They may find their conclusions a bit more objective, even if the individual gradings are still subjective. IE: A movie critic that has to review a Romantic Comedy they have no interest in and tries to critique the film's elements like actor performance, photography, set/costumes, writing, etc.. Because they are looking at components that can be argued individually on their own merits, they tend to be more conclusive in their labels. A fan might simply say "I didn't like it"... a critic might say "Its a bad film"
The pinnacle of this is the Award Shows. The voters are critiquing films on dimensions the 'movie fan' are oblivious to or don't care about. The fan largely cares only if the film worked for them personally. But because these award folks are in the industry of creating that stuff and or admire the process itself, they grade each other on merits of portions of the project. They focus in on the 'art of the show' and less about 'what resonated with the public'. And we have the classic "why did the english patient get best picture??? I hate that movie" situation
---------
Ok, now how does this map out in Disney terms? TL;DR readers check out now...
These are categories... not necessarily hard boundaries. Many may have motivations fed by multiple categories, but most people with self-study would probably associate themselves with one more strongly than another.
What confuses people is there are other categories of users that appreciate Disney as not just CONSUMERS of the product, but as students of the HOW behind the output of Disney. Be it students of the ART behind things, the SCIENCE, the BUSINESS, the SHOW. Many consumers of Disney don't look at Disney ITSELF as if it were a Model itself to dissect and analyze. People forget, Disney is/was a trendsetter in establishing entire new industries. Disney is/was a role model for many types of trades.... be it artists, producers, designers, engineers, or business managers.
This is an entirely different side of Disney that attracts many people. The "art of the show" so to speak. Their interest in the product is not primarily driven as a CONSUMER of it, but motivated by the creative or business processes themselves. Disney is a leading producer of things they are interested by. They are interested in the technical merit of things, the reasons behind choices, the art of the show that when applied correctly has established concepts and products that are loved the world over.
Where the friction comes in is when these later categories can be CRITICAL of the Disney product... and not from a consumer view, but from the view of product creation and management. They are critical of the process that lead to the attraction/experience. In doing so they often label things as 'good' or 'bad'. People who are just looking at it as a point of consumption... can take offense when someone calls something they appreciate 'bad'. They think it's a reflection on them as well in a negative connotation. "you like THAT??"
Disney FANS may be less critical in the sense of things that don't interest them, they can simply pass over unless it directly blocks them. Disney GEEKs may be more critical of all products, even if they don't directly consume it. The topic of interest for the Geek is the process or output itself.. not necessarily their personal consumption of it.
Those who like to throw out labels frequently too... I'll not name individuals for fear of including/excluding someone to harm... I'd love to hear your inputs as well. Personally I think there is a tier beyond 'student of walt' and 'disney fanatic' that are our extreme cases... but to keep it to a single novel.. I didn't elaborate on those
---------
On the topic of 'why are people here' - What throws people is a forum like this is an outlet for many different types of people.
I'm putting this bit up top for the TL;DR crowd...
-----
An analogy people might relate to is Motion Pictures. Most people goto the movies to be entertained. They are not interested in the process of movie making, just the movie OUTPUT. But behind the movie there is all sorts of disciplines, theories, principles that are work together. Most consumers have no interest in these things, or even take them for granted. A movie being 'good' or 'bad' is a subjective topic usually based on if the viewer enjoyed it.. and they are less interested in understanding why the movie did or did not connect with them. These are simply the movie consumers.. or movie fans.
But there is a whole other audience that is aware of the science or techniques used.. and are interested in or maybe simply have a more heightened awareness to those topics. They can label a film not just on the enjoyment factor but also on merits of its elements or assembly. They may label films 'good' or 'bad' based on more of the components of the project rather than simply their personal tastes. They may find their conclusions a bit more objective, even if the individual gradings are still subjective. IE: A movie critic that has to review a Romantic Comedy they have no interest in and tries to critique the film's elements like actor performance, photography, set/costumes, writing, etc.. Because they are looking at components that can be argued individually on their own merits, they tend to be more conclusive in their labels. A fan might simply say "I didn't like it"... a critic might say "Its a bad film"
The pinnacle of this is the Award Shows. The voters are critiquing films on dimensions the 'movie fan' are oblivious to or don't care about. The fan largely cares only if the film worked for them personally. But because these award folks are in the industry of creating that stuff and or admire the process itself, they grade each other on merits of portions of the project. They focus in on the 'art of the show' and less about 'what resonated with the public'. And we have the classic "why did the english patient get best picture??? I hate that movie" situation
---------
Ok, now how does this map out in Disney terms? TL;DR readers check out now...
These are categories... not necessarily hard boundaries. Many may have motivations fed by multiple categories, but most people with self-study would probably associate themselves with one more strongly than another.
- You have the trip planners - I need info or advice on trip specifics. I'm not seeking a lecture on history or why such and such is a bad art choice. These people can be anything from Disney first timers.. to those looking to enhance their vacations. These people come to the forum just when they have a need. Some users switch into this mode when focused on a single objective.
- You have the 'discovery phase' for newer guests - They've enjoyed Disney as a customer, and now they seek out more and more details about 'what is available'. These are the people that are eager to find out 'what else does Disney offer'. They are lured by a taste of the good stuff.. and they are desperately seeking more. They may have a budding interest in the company's past, but are more driven by seeking out the experiences. They may not be actively planning a trip... but they are building out their "wish list" of activities and are excited to see change as it represents new opportunities. These people will be heavy forum users who ramp up their time here.
- You have the "in search of..." crowd - Typically users who may be trying to find some detail about memories of old.. or maybe come from a related topic that is crossing over into the Disney business and are just trying to find info. These people are usually transient.
- You have the 'fanatic customer' - These are the customers that just can't get enough Disney. They go to the parks as much as they can... they look at disney news, fan talk, etc because it gives them 'their disney dose' when they aren't at Disney. They consider themselves well educated in Disney's offerings and will retain a lot about the past offerings as they experienced them. They may appreciate nostalgia, or throwbacks especially to things they experienced... but it's mostly about what they will experience or look forward to experiencing. They are eager for news, sharing, and details because the internal motivation is they want to consume the product themselves. They like Disney communities as they can surround themselves with people with similar interests and likes. They'll love the 'what is your favorite XYZ' thread, etc.
What confuses people is there are other categories of users that appreciate Disney as not just CONSUMERS of the product, but as students of the HOW behind the output of Disney. Be it students of the ART behind things, the SCIENCE, the BUSINESS, the SHOW. Many consumers of Disney don't look at Disney ITSELF as if it were a Model itself to dissect and analyze. People forget, Disney is/was a trendsetter in establishing entire new industries. Disney is/was a role model for many types of trades.... be it artists, producers, designers, engineers, or business managers.
This is an entirely different side of Disney that attracts many people. The "art of the show" so to speak. Their interest in the product is not primarily driven as a CONSUMER of it, but motivated by the creative or business processes themselves. Disney is a leading producer of things they are interested by. They are interested in the technical merit of things, the reasons behind choices, the art of the show that when applied correctly has established concepts and products that are loved the world over.
- 'fans of WDI' - the early stage of geeking over Disney. They will be interested in all the backstage magic. They will be interested in understanding HOW things are done. They can be motivated by 'the knowing the secret behind the magic', they are interested in how its achieved. The thirst for knowledge or personal attachment drives them. They get enjoyment from seeing how the magic is made. Typically these fans will eagerly seek out all details on attractions, their background, their histories, their evolution. Driven by wanting more.. more examples, more variations, etc. Interviews are about finding the details you couldn't see, or learning the tricks behind it all, etc.
- 'Students of Walt' - Eventually these people might evolve into wanting to understand WHY things are done.. because they often have their own take on creative decisions and things they think would be cool or not. The study of the 'why' leads them to understand the PRINCIPLES involved (vs simply knowing the EXAMPLES) and what steered successful efforts. They will be interested in hearing from the imagineers themselves because they want to understand and get deeper details. They will be interested in the new projects because its another new example to interpret, understand, and make their own critique using their understandings of the principles involved. They will read books and do research to gain more insight, more reference, more knowledge from those that were responsible for things they look up to as such great achievements. These people will GEEK OVER DISNEY vs just be excited to consume Disney as an entertainment experience.
Where the friction comes in is when these later categories can be CRITICAL of the Disney product... and not from a consumer view, but from the view of product creation and management. They are critical of the process that lead to the attraction/experience. In doing so they often label things as 'good' or 'bad'. People who are just looking at it as a point of consumption... can take offense when someone calls something they appreciate 'bad'. They think it's a reflection on them as well in a negative connotation. "you like THAT??"
Disney FANS may be less critical in the sense of things that don't interest them, they can simply pass over unless it directly blocks them. Disney GEEKs may be more critical of all products, even if they don't directly consume it. The topic of interest for the Geek is the process or output itself.. not necessarily their personal consumption of it.
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Rodan75
Well-Known Member
I have a number of pages to catch up on, but finally listening to the earnings call. and wow I'm surprised at how poorly they answer questions to Occupancy and MM+. Rasulo is embarrassing on those questions. The earnings calls is all about deflections, but he is so bad with them and is obviously clueless on the P&R division.
Darth Sidious
Authentically Disney Distinctly Chinese
Yeah I just wanted to add that they could cancel shares since earlier I believe someone said they couldn't. That being said, I've never seen a company cancel them for the reasons you have stated, but I don't know what percentage of companies do or don't.
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PhotoDave219
Well-Known Member
Well thats because they're not theme park people. They just arent. Theyre business guys who wouldnt have the first clue of where you'd find the castle if you were on Main Street.
ford91exploder
Resident Curmudgeon
I really fear for the future of TWDC when a potential #2 as Spirit notes is so uninformed on multibillion dollar assets and expenditures which are are in their scope of authority.
Sounds like a yes man is wanted rather than a competent and possibly dissenting voice in the #2 slot
ford91exploder
Resident Curmudgeon
Eisner was a far more accomplished business person who wore fur and dished out QS and he grew the business 800% As compared to the three Callaberos who grew it 67% and who never stoop to performing guest service
JediMasterMatt
Well-Known Member
I forgot to add one extra tidbit to my long rant from earlier:
- I had two confirmations from different sources that the Disability Access Service card at WDW will be rolled into the Magic Band in the near future and the paper version would be going away. Unfortunately, neither one knew for sure if they were planning on steering the disabled to a FP+ kiosk, the ride entrance, or use of the online app. If it's the kiosk... grab some popcorn as this is going to be good. The FP+ kiosks are already overflowing with Magical experiences.
- I had two confirmations from different sources that the Disability Access Service card at WDW will be rolled into the Magic Band in the near future and the paper version would be going away. Unfortunately, neither one knew for sure if they were planning on steering the disabled to a FP+ kiosk, the ride entrance, or use of the online app. If it's the kiosk... grab some popcorn as this is going to be good. The FP+ kiosks are already overflowing with Magical experiences.
wogwog
Well-Known Member
Sorry, with respect, I disagree with the picture you painted of the Magic Kingdom condition currently, and MM+. I find it worse than you do. You sugar coated it I do think.
I was there for the first time a few days ago in a great long time with visiting family to Orlando. Horrid.
JediMasterMatt
Well-Known Member
Sorry, with respect, I disagree with the picture you painted of the Magic Kingdom condition currently, and MM+. I find it worse than you do. You sugar coated it I do think.
I was being nice for the pixie dusters. I can PM you my true feelings about the sad state of affairs if anyone would like.
PhotoDave219
Well-Known Member
Oh god help the kids working the FP return
Mike S
Well-Known Member
I'm not in Disneyland. We just got the rental car. DLR's not till Friday and Saturday. I'm in LA now.
TP2000
Well-Known Member
Nemo14
Well-Known Member
OK - carry on...
CentralFLlife
Well-Known Member
Reporter is way too nice of label for Darren Rovell.