A Spirited Summer Special (AKA Phil Holmes Takes Anaheim!)

[Filby61]

The Disneyland forum seems to involve a lot of wading through the effluence of Laughing Place.

You got that right!

 

[Nj4mwc]

Spot on.

@Rodan75 , in consumer branding psychology, little things like the napkins might not seem important to some, but besides the mere classiness and not being Walmarted, it's another piece of the branding puzzle. Trust me, this is where my livelihood comes from in consumer products and the difference between the blank napkin and a bleed print napkin is nominal in the volume that Disney needs produced. The issue is that the spreadsheet bean counter sees that that nominal cost adds up to a tidy sum with such a high volume and they discount all of the human psychology out of the equation.

If I'm in a restaurant and paying Michelin star prices for Wendy's quality, I, in the least, should have nice silverware and a pattern and/or logo on the plate.

The amazing dumbing down of expectations and how consumers and people as a whole are treated and treat one another in the U.S. is a mess. I certainly don't want some rewind to a socially messed up 50's nor do I want to wear a suit and tie to Disneyland, but it sure is nice when people seemed to have a little more self-dignity.

I totally agree and many social expetiments have shown how little details and ambiance will elevate a meal. So with nice branded cups, napkins, trays etc. Your mind will think much higher of that expensive Wendy's quality burger. Without all the details you are quickly reminded you severely over paid (even for a theme park) for sub par food

 

[HMF]

As to the GotG Tower tale, they'll make up an elaborate backstory that makes no sense and takes an absurd amount of man hours and research and development $$$ to shoehorn it in where it does not belong.

Ah, The "Pirates Lair on Tom Sawyer Island" method.

 

[FigmentJedi]

Ah, The "Pirates Lair on Tom Sawyer Island" method.

And just think, in the midst of that Rivers of America work, they're removing the treehouse that was pretty much the one thing actually connected to the loose "Tom and Huck playing Pirates" premise they came up with because safety/accessibility problems.

 

[PhotoDave219]

Exactly. If Iger had built Disneyland, there would have been no Frontierland -- it would have been Davy Crockett Land, a promotion for the megahit Crockett franchise. There would have been no Fantasyland, it would have been Sleeping Beauty Land, to promote the upcoming film (and certainly no Snow White, Peter Pan, Toad or Alice rides). There would have been no unifying theme of America's cultural take on nostalgia, history, exotic faraway adventure, childhood fantasy and the optimistic future -- just a grab bag of lands that promoted whatever was hot at the Studio at that time.

That's the essential difference with Star Wars Land. It's a continuation of Iger's flaccid vision of Disneyland as IPLand -- a platform for any and every hot IP that the company can buy and jam anywhere on the property, regardless of thematic appropriateness or how it affects the overall experience of the Park.

Sounds like Future World at Epcot.

 

[PREMiERdrum]

I totally agree and many social expetiments have shown how little details and ambiance will elevate a meal. So with nice branded cups, napkins, trays etc. Your mind will think much higher of that expensive Wendy's quality burger. Without all the details you are quickly reminded you severely over paid (even for a theme park) for sub par food

It's been several years since I've had a burger at a Disney park that I would consider to match Wendy's quality. The $15 burger I had at Pecos Bill's in May would have embarrassed the kid in the paper apron at the local McD's.
- PREMiERdrum, who lives and works a hop, skip, and a jump from Wendy's corporate HQ.

 

[dreamfinder]

Its a matter of drowning out dissent...

There are plenty of companies that help to "improve your online presence" by charging you an astronomical amount of money to do the same thing. Get enough good press/links, pushes the negative ones down in Google search results. And really, who makes it past the first page when searching for something about a vacation costing them thousands of dollars. Just think how much money Disney saves by paying for this service in cupcakes and light up gizmos.

 

[Bocabear]

Well regarding the Star Wars Land expansion, the ship has sailed for Disneyland... Shame though they didn't just add a new Tron ride to Tomorrowland and build the whole Star Wars Land at DCA replacing the very mixed failure that is their Hollywood Studios area...they would have had a TOT to overlay, the Monster ride to redo, and tear down everything else to make a Galaxy far far away with it's new signature attraction...leaving Disneyl;and to at least be coherent and giving DCA another hit to make it an actual match to Disneyland for crowd dispersal... But alas...too far along to ever turn back now.

 

[marni1971]

Will the expansion be done in time for D23?

That article says SWL is opening in 2017...

Would it kill them to do some fact checking?

Oops....

 

[Travel Junkie]

Assume this is what @WDW1974 was referring to in regards to a shakeup in Anaheim.

http://www.ocregister.com/articles/disneyland-722465-sales-marketing.html

 

[BlueSkyDriveBy]

Assume this is what @WDW1974 was referring to in regards to a shakeup in Anaheim.
http://www.ocregister.com/articles/disneyland-722465-sales-marketing.html

Let me guess:

The big boys in P&R increased prices earlier, in spite of household discretionary income trailing off for the past several years. Then when park attendance inevitably slowed... they decided to fire the marketing team who couldn't create a warm and fuzzy pixie dust ad campaign that made parents want to file for bankruptcy in order to afford that Disney Park vacation?

Way to CYA your overpaid executive hineys, Burbank!

 

[asianway]

Let me guess:

The big boys in P&R increased prices earlier, in spite of household discretionary income trailing off for the past several years. Then when park attendance inevitably slowed... they decided to fire the marketing team who couldn't create a warm and fuzzy pixie dust ad campaign that made parents want to file for bankruptcy in order to afford that Disney Park vacation?

Way to CYA your overpaid executive hineys, Burbank!

Global would indicate to me a One Disney initiative. Maybe its just now going to be done locally at each resort?

 

[BubbaQuest]

More info on recent US retail sales jumps: http://www.wsj.com/articles/u-s-retail-sales-jumped-0-6-in-june-1468586181

Mostly building supply stores and restaurants without bars (restaurants with bars declined 0.3%).

Very interesting quote from the article:

“As we suspected, that earlier weakness was weather-related, with the awful spring in the Northeast temporarily depressing spending,” Capital Economics chief U.S. economist Paul Ashworth said in a note to clients.

So people can finally get out of their house to spend money because the rain stopped by they're not going to Disney World

 

[ford91exploder]

Let me guess:

The big boys in P&R increased prices earlier, in spite of household discretionary income trailing off for the past several years. Then when park attendance inevitably slowed... they decided to fire the marketing team who couldn't create a warm and fuzzy pixie dust ad campaign that made parents want to file for bankruptcy in order to afford that Disney Park vacation?

Way to CYA your overpaid executive hineys, Burbank!

And we are surprised why?

 

[ford91exploder]

Assume this is what @WDW1974 was referring to in regards to a shakeup in Anaheim.

http://www.ocregister.com/articles/disneyland-722465-sales-marketing.html

Well Phil Holmes IS out at DL so why should anyone be surprised that the cutting has begin, I know @WDW1974 was hopeful that the TDO people would be schooled in how DL, does things but remember Wall St is Disney's customer these days NOT the guests so I think it's more likely that Phil is on a mission to eliminate 'Waste and Excess at DL ' you know the things that to most of us are the 'Disney Difference'.

 

[ford91exploder]

700 room luxury hotel? Can they actually fill that? Its NOT Disney World. Unless you have money to burn and/or don't know any better, you can actually have hotel room closer to the parks staying OFF property and for 1/2 the price. I know they want to push that they are a resort there, but it isn't. Two or three days and your done at both parks that are within walking distance of your hotel. I actually like DL for the very reason I don't have to wait for buses to go to/from my hotel and I can walk like1 or 2 blocks to get to my room. Plus plenty of places nearby to eat at NORMAL prices rather than $19 burgers.

Regardless, giving 70% back to TWO companies for 20 years is ridiculous. Its not like Disney is going to pull up stakes and leave anytime soon. Why act like they have all the leverage?

Campaign Contributions for one, Vote against Disney and suddenly you have an incredibly well funded challenger for your seat even in Anaheim so it's easier to go along with the monster.

 

[ford91exploder]

Judging by the occupancy levels and rates at Grand Californian (that was expanded six years ago) and the Disneyland Hotel, they can fill it.

The new luxury hotel is also not just aimed at people going to the park. It's aimed at the convention business and the 22,000 other hotel rooms currently in the Anaheim Resort District.

The Anaheim Convention Center is the largest center on the West Coast, by a long shot. And it's currently being expanded again, to be completed in 2017. When the expansion opens, you could fit the square footage of the Seattle, Portland and San Francisco convention centers combined inside the Anaheim Convention Center, with room to spare.

Agree, This hotel is aimed at the convention market as the GC is heavily used as a convention hotel, I'd say that GC probably has more convention guests than 'Disney Only' guests at any point in time except perhaps christmas/easter

 

[rael ramone]

Well Phil Holmes IS out at DL so why should anyone be surprised that the cutting has begin, I know @WDW1974 was hopeful that the TDO people would be schooled in how DL, does things but remember Wall St is Disney's customer these days NOT the guests so I think it's more likely that Phil is on a mission to eliminate 'Waste and Excess at DL ' you know the things that to most of us are the 'Disney Difference'.

I'm inclined to think what Spirit said - that Phil is to learn the 'Disneyland Way'.

Doesn't mean that they want to spend the cash necessary to do so. It's not unusual for corner office types to demand things to be done and at the same time refuse to provide the resources necessary to accomplish it.

 

[ford91exploder]

I'm inclined to think what Spirit said - that Phil is to learn the 'Disneyland Way'.

Doesn't mean that they want to spend the cash necessary to do so. It's not unusual for corner office types to demand things to be done and at the same time refuse to provide the resources necessary to accomplish it.

You can say THAT again, The 'It's gonna cost WHAT!!!' conversation....

 

[Soarin' Over Pgh]

I'm inclined to think what Spirit said - that Phil is to learn the 'Disneyland Way'.

Doesn't mean that they want to spend the cash necessary to do so. It's not unusual for corner office types to demand things to be done and at the same time refuse to provide the resources necessary to accomplish it.

Every now and then, an employee needs a little gentle... reminder... on how to do their jobs. Sending him to Disneyland to see how it's done is a good way of doing that. Whether it'll change anything, we will certainly see, right?

I'm going through this with our 13 offices next week. Long standing secretaries who suddenly forgot how to secretary.