Al Lutz: "Management must stop bending over to pick up pennies as dollars fly over their heads"

[TalkingHead]

Well, Flynn and Rapunzel won't be there. Flynn is way too popular to appear anywhere in the parks apparently. And Rapunzel will only meet in a spot where a ride used to be. But you can definitely do your business by the tower where she was held captive for most of her life. Can't wait for Maleficent's Dungeon Potties - coming in 2021.

You mean he won't be standing near the urinals cracking jokes? Get it together, Disney. We want immersive restrooms. Themed toilet-paper holders and such.

 

[flynnibus]

Yes but Kodak only lost it's flare because of the cell phone camera and the digital age.

You are aware that Kodak was an early leader in digital cameras right? You act like this was inevitable due to the market shift. No company leader worth their chair believes their destiny is tied to the lifecycle of a single technology. That's why leaders must invest in research, evaluate complementary markets, and at times PIVOT their company in new directions (Example: IBM).

Universal and Seaworld don't even make as much money as Disney parks make. Numbers compute and espicially when you know were to look

Scale is not a measure of health. Simply because a company is BIGGER doesn't make them better or healthier. You should go look at how much revenue GM had.. or AIG.. and then ask yourself why these companies were in such trouble if they were so big and took in so much money. Or look at a current company like Caterpillar.

I'm sure as a UCF freshman/soph working at Disney you are excited be working for such a globally significant company like Disney. But there is much more you will learn yet about business.

 

[lazyboy97o]

Yes but Kodak only lost it's flare because of the cell phone camera and the digital age. There are 7 billion people in th world. 7 billion ok. Lets say that about 3 billion or so are able to make it to any of the Disney parks around. Hong Kong, Tokyo, Paris, Orlando, Anaheim, the cruise line, and coming soon Shanghai. If each one of those people which according to many sources over 2.5 billion people have made it through the gates of disney parks since the first one in California spent 100 dollars, imagine the amount of money it's brought Disney. And to some people who are forgetting. Disney makes movies, billion dollar movies now that they own Marvel. They make TV programs, ABC, ESPN, and hundreds of companies. At current inflation and market capacity the Walt Disney Co. is over 80 billion dollars. Making Disney a fortune 500 company. Not even tools or mining companies get that close. They are one of the largest entertainment company in the world in terms of revenue and money it makes. So the parks dwindle. Wow not at any other locations around the world. Merlin entertainment is #2 after Disney. Universal and Seaworld don't even make as much money as Disney parks make. Numbers compute and espicially when you know were to look. Tell me have you ever been to any other Disney parks world wide and seen the crowds that are in those?

You're still spinning just as The Walt Disney Company does, discussing about other parks and not Walt Disney World, the focus of this conversation. Also, none of the non-US properties are majority owned by The Walt Disney Company.

 

[CountryBearFan]

You would be surprised to know who Al's sources are.


What's funny is that Disney is spending money on infrastructure, but in many people's opinions it's the wrong infrastructure. Next Gen is primarily an infrastructure improvement. IMO, nearly everything that isn't a Restaurant, Shop, or Attraction should be considered infrastructure for Disney, it's the cost of doing business. This includes things like meet and greets, interactive queues, general theming/beautification of an area, and even napkins, plates and cups. Instead Disney looks at everything like it's a profit center. This started back in the day with attractions always ending up in a gift shop but it's evolved into something more. Now those gift shops don't always sell items from the attraction, but generic merchandise. The One Disney mantra is routed so deeply in Disney World and it's been to the detriment of the parks. There are reasons why much of this has been fought by Disneyland. There's a reason why John Lasseter pushed so hard to make Carsland what it is. There's a reason why Tokyo doesn't have these problems. It's because quality sells.

Whether people are conscious of it or not, the level of quality is slipping. The reason why so many of us romanticize Disney is because of that quality, and it's that quality that brings us back year after year. When that quality goes away, when that "next level" of family entertainment deteriorates, then the parks are no longer romanticized. Adults will no longer want to go on an uber scheduled $7K family vacation because they don't see $7K worth of quality. The see declining park maintenance, cut corners, and attractions that no longer amaze.

Gone are the days where Disney World is an area of wonderment. Where guests were truly impressed by the technology and the break from reality. The world has moved on, and Disney doesn't seem interested in playing catchup.

Sorry, but you're totally wrong once again.

 

[xdan0920]

Sorry, but you're totally wrong once again.

Thanks for this informative counter argument. We are all wiser for having read it.

 

[Goofyernmost]

Even "rubes" talk to each other. I hear non-fans complain about their once-in-a-lifetime trip all the time. Too expensive, the lines are too long, couldn't get a sit-down meal, why does Disney let people jump in line. Some complaints are more valid than others. But I am constantly hearing from people who tell me they will never go back to that place again.

If that experience becomes common enough, the rubes will eventually catch on. WDW will stop being a place everyone has to visit once in a lifetime. It will develop a reputation as a place to avoid. Hopefully the course is corrected before that happens. But to some extent, it is happening already.

Point taken, but the Rubes that "74" was referring to are the ones that return again and again oblivious to the problems and still feel that everything is perfect. To them it is and those are the ones that Disney would like to see as opposed to those that are always on the lookout for problems to about. They nay sayers may be right but it's not something that anyone wants to hear. Hear it they must, but, it doesn't mean that they want too.

 

[Kuhio]

I thought the Grinchmas show was fine -- high production values, yes. But I'm also not a fan of the Jim Carrey Grinch movie, so that probably factored into my feelings. And the Whoville people just look strange. The actors were definitely engaging, but there's just something about those noses.

Yeah, the noses were freaky. Even odder was the fact that two of the actresses didn't have them... a fact they tried to lampshade (to use a TV Tropes term) with a throwaway line that really didn't help.

Very interested to see how Antarctica turns out. Judging by the construction walls, it has a huge footprint in the park.

After visiting all the WDW parks, both Universal parks, and SW on successive days, I'm more convinced than ever that the 7DMT's slow construction schedule is artificially induced. SW has the huge Antarctica construction site in the middle of the park, and USF has the Transformers site in the middle of the park, plus the HP additions at the periphery.

It's abundantly clear to anyone visiting those parks that lots of work is being done on big, new, exciting projects. I'm sure Disney wanted to have its own ongoing construction going on over the same time period, just so it can demonstrate to uninformed guests that "Hey, we're building new stuff over here too!"

 

[jmb2676]

Sorry, but you're totally wrong once again.

Care to expand? I thought the poster made several valid points.

 

[Lee]

Care to expand? I thought the poster made several valid points.

He never does. Just pops in and says "You're wrong" or some such, then clams up.
Pointless, really...

 

[lebeau]

What's funny is that Disney is spending money on infrastructure, but in many people's opinions it's the wrong infrastructure.

Exactly! There are elements of Disney's infrastructure that are crumbling apart. And Disney slaps bandaids on them. I'm sure there will be elements of Next Gen that are very nice. But given the current state of Disney transportation, they really need to fix that first. My not-so-magical bus experiences have just about pushed me off property at this point.

 

[WDW1974]

There is a certain irony hidden in these two statements. When WDW's quality was second to none, it's appeal was limited. When WDW's business culture changed to 'run it as cheaply as possible and exploit it to the last penny', it's appeal is...still limited. It didn't make any difference for WDW's appeal. The difference is that the latter model makes far more money.

It would appear that the highest levels of both P&R and TWDC are, in fact, not mistaken in their 'tude that discerning guests can be replaced by rubes who spend just as much.


WDW's once near-sophisticated experience has dumbed itself down to appeal to a dumber audience. They pay just as much but demand less. The ECV cart Walmart tourist has as much dollars, if not more, burning in his wallet to spend on turkey legs and Duffy plush as guests hoping for a more upscale experience.

Sadly, I do think this is true to a point, although I wonder how long this will last. WDW has been counting on a lot of income from defense contractors on the US side and the lower/working class of the UK and most of those folks I'd put squarely in the Walmart clientele. But there's no saying how long those groups will have the money to come considering the economies and policies in those nations.

The point I focus on is Disney's belief there is a never-ending supply of rubes who will gladly replace us and accept today's product as WDW quality. I don't believe it. There are millions and millions of and millions of people who have no desire to ever set foot in a Disney theme park.

 

[WDW1974]

Hey, Rubes is peoples too! Not to mention they spend more, complain less and take Pixie Dust intravenously. If it were me, that's who I would target as well. Everyone else can intellectualize at home listening to classical music and calling each other buffy!

There are over 300 Billion people in this planet, most of them "rubes". I don't think all of them have been yet. There are plenty to draw from and won't run out in the near future.

Except rubes diminish the BRAND and that can lead to erosion and eventual disintegration of it. It's fine to go after their business. But not at the expense at folks who remember when Mickey didn't extort Christmas from you. Or that you could just show up and walk in a table service restaurant and the prices would have a premium over the real world, but not a 42% one. Or that all guests were treated as VIPs and not stratified based on where they stayed and how much they spent.

And, again, I don't believe everyone out there has any desire to visit WDW. It is supremely arrogant of WDW to assume otherwise.

 

[WDW1974]

Yes. Go see a movie here in New York, and they have an ad for it. Every movie I've seen in the past month (and I see everything) has had the FLE ad.

That's really interesting as in SoFla, I've yet to see one ad on either TV a billboard in a newspaper ...

 

[Pumbas Nakasak]

Sadly, I do think this is true to a point, although I wonder how long this will last. WDW has been counting on a lot of income from defense contractors on the US side and the lower/working class of the UK and most of those folks I'd put squarely in the Walmart clientele. But there's no saying how long those groups will have the money to come considering the economies and policies in those nations.

The point I focus on is Disney's belief there is a never-ending supply of rubes who will gladly replace us and accept today's product as WDW quality. I don't believe it. There are millions and millions of and millions of people who have no desire to ever set foot in a Disney theme park.

We in the UK must be racking it in if the oiks can afford to pollute Disney world with their uncouth presence.

You really are up your own .

 

[WDW1974]

After visiting all the WDW parks, both Universal parks, and SW on successive days, I'm more convinced than ever that the 7DMT's slow construction schedule is artificially induced. SW has the huge Antarctica construction site in the middle of the park, and USF has the Transformers site in the middle of the park, plus the HP additions at the periphery.

It's abundantly clear to anyone visiting those parks that lots of work is being done on big, new, exciting projects. I'm sure Disney wanted to have its own ongoing construction going on over the same time period, just so it can demonstrate to uninformed guests that "Hey, we're building new stuff over here too!"

I think you may well be on to something here. Disney has NOTHING else that is imminently on the horizon. IF the Studios makeover is approved or IF Pandora happens (my money again is that this thing ain't gonna happen) you're talking no construction fences likely before 2014 (maybe later). Disney needs to show 'we're building HUGE MAGICal new attractions' and (we won't discuss the laughability of that statement) and what better place than smack dab in the center of the MK. ... I get why it's taking them years to build a kiddie coaster.

 

[HenryMystic]

Yes. Go see a movie here in New York, and they have an ad for it. Every movie I've seen in the past month (and I see everything) has had the FLE ad.

Same here in Louisiana.

 

[tomman710]

Sadly, I do think this is true to a point, although I wonder how long this will last. WDW has been counting on a lot of income from defense contractors on the US side and the lower/working class of the UK and most of those folks I'd put squarely in the Walmart clientele. But there's no saying how long those groups will have the money to come considering the economies and policies in those nations.

The point I focus on is Disney's belief there is a never-ending supply of rubes who will gladly replace us and accept today's product as WDW quality. I don't believe it. There are millions and millions of and millions of people who have no desire to ever set foot in a Disney theme park.

I am constantly baffled about how little business acumen they have ... let's say they accept the "rubes will come no matter what philosophy" ... OK ... so you have the rubes no matter what, why not go after EVERYONE? I hate to make it so simplistic but the discerning guests, the informed shoppers, the avid fans, the AP holders (they will lose eventually), the DVC owners (who may start looking for a way out) ... these are the people they should be not just attentive of but flat out catering too, especially if the average American rube is coming no matter what, why not shoot for 85-90% of the population instead of being satisfied with 60%?

 

[the.dreamfinder]

That's really interesting as in SoFla, I've yet to see one ad on either TV a billboard in a newspaper ...

Then if that's the case, you can have my ads. I see FLE ads on hulu once or twice a week. My local movie theater plays ads before the movie (which I absolutely hate, I don't care that Lifetime has a Casey Anthony movie). I go to the movies once a week this time of year and every single time I have seen ads for FLE, even before R rated movies!
GRRRRRR!!!!!

 

[WDW1974]

Same here in Louisiana.

Not in FL ... and I've seen a lot of movies in the past month (all good!)

 

[lebeau]

Then if that's the case, you can have my ads. I see FLE ads on hulu once or twice a week. My local movie theater plays ads before the movie (which I absolutely hate, I don't care that Lifetime has a Casey Anthony movie). I go to the movies once a week this time of year and every single time I have seen ads for FLE, even before R rated movies!
GRRRRRR!!!!!

Yeah, when a company pays for those in-theater ads they go on everything. Often with hilarious results. If the ad content is racy, it may be left off the G and PG-movies. But that's pretty rare.