A Spirited Perfect Ten

[PhotoDave219]

Gotcha.
If somebody is actually spinning that line of nonsense, I need to know who it is so that I can intervene. Strongly. Possibly with colorful language.

What the devil are you talking about?

 

[PhotoDave219]

Know how we've discussed merchandise policy & the eBay'rs before?

I came across this site -> http://www.magicalearscollectibles.com/ And it seems to sell nothing but Disney Merchandise, including limited/special edition stuff. Appears to be directly competing with the Disney Store's Park Merchandise, with quite a nasty markup.

You would think Disney Legal would be on it. (Lurkers, this is where you screengrab that site and send to your boss)

 

[ItlngrlBella]

$15.95 for a piece of crap "Mickey Shoe Dog Toy?" My little Westie would destroy that in 2 seconds! Nasty markup indeed - that isn't worth $5 let alone $15.

For $15 that better be handcrafted with fine Corinthian leather and filled with gold.

 

[asianway]

Know how we've discussed merchandise policy & the eBay'rs before?

I came across this site -> http://www.magicalearscollectibles.com/ And it seems to sell nothing but Disney Merchandise, including limited/special edition stuff. Appears to be directly competing with the Disney Store's Park Merchandise, with quite a nasty markup.

You would think Disney Legal would be on it. (Lurkers, this is where you screengrab that site and send to your boss)

Unless a cm runs it should ok.

Unlike the girl on twitter shilling orange bird sun dresses of her own design, and having imagineers promote it

 

[Bairstow]

I'm days behind like always but why are you advocating stagnation? The facts are staring you in the face. I'm not sure I get your stance.

Yes, Disney is a business. I think we *all* get that. No one is arguing they aren't doing well financially. That's what makes their lack of investment appalling to most of us.

It comes off like you want to argue the opposite point just to argue the opposite point.

I've sent you a PM.

 

[EPCOTCenterLover]

It's an assumption. Would you spend billions on three theme parks with the hope that they would lag behind your first park by almost 50%? The point of multiple gates is to get more guests to come and stay longer - and spend more money.

The horrible performance of Epcot, DHS and DAK indicates they are not doing their job. Millions of guests come and just go to the MK. That's money left on the table for Disney.

There is no universe in which it makes good business sense to aim for what's presently happening at WDW. It makes good business sense to have four strong gates, each successfully forcing higher guest spending by bringing in more guests who stay longer.

I was at a dinner part last night with friends who live in an entirely different (upper class) financial world than my wife and I. The discussion came up about Orlando and Disney vs Universal. Almost all of us had been to WDW at least once. The most vocal guest piped up, "If I ever went to Orlando again, I'd do Universal and call it good. Epcot? (shrug) Nothing worth seeing anymore." No mention of MK or the other Disney parks. Nodded heads all around.

 

[PhotoDave219]

Unless a cm runs it should ok.

Unlike the girl on twitter shilling orange bird sun dresses of her own design, and having imagineers promote it

Here's where I have a problem with it: When you're a guest and you are there to purchase a limited or popular item and instead its been purchased by people like this, for resale on the internet. So you walk away missing that one thing you wanted while these people are making money off it.

 

[ItlngrlBella]

This:

 

[Lee]

What the devil are you talking about?

I was responding to questions about this right here regarding the Yeti...

Wait, you didn't hear the latest spin? This is the intended state. The movement was an experiment during testing and development that didn't pan out.

 

[EPCOTCenterLover]

More Spirited TEA Musings:

I had a lot of time to think today, most of it not about theme parks but a bit was, and I think the point about Disney largely being a failure for not taking advantage of the 19 million Guests the MK gets to visit its other parks is really a key issues that NEVER gets talked about when these annual number releases become Twit fodder.

How is TDO not an abject failure for neglecting the resort year in and year out?

From a capacity standpoint EPCOT can fit tens of thousands of more Guests into it daily. And because of a smart layout, provided the Promenade is not full of festival kiosks, it can be a comfortable 'more' ... And that doesn't include all the dead areas that have been removed ... let's see we have the entire WoL pavilion, we have the second level of Imagination, we have a chunk of Innoventions, we have the Odyssey complex, we have the World Showplace, we have numerous retail locations in the U.K., in Canada, in France ... that are no longer open.

And the 'answers' for EPCOT right now are a third theater for Soarin and a toon replacement for Maelstrom.

I could go into all the ways The Disney-MGM Studios have been butchered. Or how DAK needs to keep expanding the best park at WDW. But why?

It's all about that Kingdom, bout that Kingdom, no where else (sung to the beat of one of @Lee's pop faves ''All about that bass.'').

WDW has six gates in the swamps along with a mall/lifestyle center and those 30,000 plus rooms. What the TEA numbers make absolutely clear is that looking at the WDW Resort as the standalone resort it believes it is (Universal? Disney knows not of what you speak? Sea World? Of couurse I can see all of the World from the beach at the Poly if I just sit on the patio of one of those 20 bungalow/huts. I Drive?Are you asking me if I have a license?) can only be described as a staggeringly underperforming asset of The Walt Disney Company. Just look at the numbers. You have a mall that needs to be reinvented yet again. And five of the six gates are glaring examples of Disney failing to capture and capitalize the VERY Guests it already has staying on its property and in its own owned and operated resorts.

Sure, the MK is doing great. No argument there. Nothing to debate. Some here might state that it's current often ghetto state is because it's a victim of its own success. As the resort is currently managed, the MK can only be viewed as the vibrant beating heart that it is. You know what the rest of the gates are? Well, you know that staleness that I have talked about ... that going out of business vibe that lingers in the air like the stench of desperation? Those are the rotting limbs that are on the body of the WDW Resort.

So, WDW Co., how far are you going to get when the only thing people are interested in is the myth of Dizzy World and the majestic fiberglass castle?

I guess to a certain extent I am a business person because I've never looked at these numbers quite the way I did this year. And if you work in P&R and the people above retail managers like George Kalogridis, then you should be very concerned. Not by all the great stuff your true only competitor in the market is is coming up with on an annual basis, but by the fact you can't get your own (already bought) customers that most of your resort is worth their time and vacation dollars.

Talk about lost opportunity. Do they even see it as they shutter more parts of more parks and limit offerings and just raise prices to make up for the New Disney Difference?

Long term, that just isn't going to work. And looking out just 3-4 years from now ... folks, let me put it this way: when you find yourself in a well after you ask yourself ''How did I get here?'' you might want to ready yourself for the inevitable SPLAT!

This is a spot on post! I think one of the reasons MK continues to grow in popularity is that the suits of the company 1- Are lazy and add attractions and characters based on Disney princess movies but 2- Could be lazy and add Disney IP attractions at the Studios but don't because they don't want to invest cash. Why 1 and 2? It would take immense creativity and innovation to produce something compelling and in theme for Epcot, and they don't want to do it. For DAK, animal investment is very expensive long term, so those kind of additions will be small or few and far between in the future. Therefore, with the current mindset, MK will always come first, keeping the guest numbers at least stable.

 

[Disneyhead'71]

You know what would be hilarious? What if Universal plopped down a massive Hard Rock Casino where Wet n Wild is?

 

[EPCOTCenterLover]

Do we have anyone here who wants to defend Disney for this? Anyone?

BTW, a bit surprised the NYT did that story. Of course, it wasn't done by anyone who normally 'covers' (i.e. works PR for) Disney. Yes, Brooksey baby, talking 'bout you as a pillar of everything that's wrong with print journalism today.

Interestingly, this was our follow up conversation to the Disney/Universal one. The response from a guy with decades in IT: "Disney's full of slimy leadership to do something like this. All about quick profit"

 

[Brewmaster]

Here's where I have a problem with it: When you're a guest and you are there to purchase a limited or popular item and instead its been purchased by people like this, for resale on the internet. So you walk away missing that one thing you wanted while these people are making money off it.

This.
Why won't Disney enforce a purchase limit for these types of merch. It's really not that hard to say "limit 3 per person, per day", or something of that nature. It's not fail safe, but it's a deterrent. I detest parasites that turn a buck by manipulating the market this way (not specifically the disney collectables market, I'm looking at you beer traders)

 

[Bairstow]

This:

View attachment 95889

I suppose that makes HIM the new pumpkin king, doesn't it?

 

[Brewmaster]

Wait, you didn't hear the latest spin? This is the intended state. The movement was an experiment during testing and development that didn't pan out.

I say the same thing regarding my hair

 

[Funmeister]

This.
Why won't Disney enforce a purchase limit for these types of merch. It's really not that hard to say "limit 3 per person, per day", or something of that nature. It's not fail safe, but it's a deterrent. I detest parasites that turn a buck by manipulating the market this way (not specifically the disney collectables market, I'm looking at you beer traders)

I agree, but why would Disney care? They still make their money no matter what.

 

[hopemax]

I agree, but why would Disney care? They still make their money no matter what.

Exactly. And if you're a manager and your bonus is on the line why wouldn't you prefer to sell everything in 1 day, guaranteed?

Are you guys aware of what happens at the Soda Fountain in Hollywood?

 

[Bairstow]

I agree, but why would Disney care? They still make their money no matter what.

Disney might care.

The entire point of limited-edition in-park exclusive merch is that it generates interest in the trading community AND encourages collectors to actually go into the park, hopefully with the aid of a season pass, to acquire the merch. If one or two enterprising individuals are able to defeat their fellow collectors and corner the market too often, that purpose is thwarted.

 

[PhotoDave219]

Exactly. And if you're a manager and your bonus is on the line why wouldn't you prefer to sell everything in 1 day, guaranteed?

Are you guys aware of what happens at the Soda Fountain in Hollywood?

Because it's about Guest Service, not simply sales.

You also can't have another company competing with your online sales business too.

So what about the Soda Fountain? They clip everyone looking for Mickey Cohen's missing H?

 

[PhotoDave219]

This:

View attachment 95889

What the what?