Bob Iger Stepping Down, Bob Chapek New CEO

[HauntedPirate]

Todays musings:

Disney World prices surge 3,871% over 50 years, chart shows | Fox Business

An animated chart posted online shows how prices at Walt Disney World have increased since the park opened in October 1971, compared to other figures such as wages and rent.

www.foxbusiness.com

The Motley Fool's resident Disney defender has already come to the Mouse's rescue on this. Not that he is a full-on Disney cheerleader, but he's not far from it.

Sadly, he's right on this part of his take - They keep raising prices and people keep coming.

 

[el_super]

Sadly, he's right on this part of his take - They keep raising prices and people keep coming.

If the price were to scale with demand, then it's way under where it needs to be.

 

[HauntedPirate]

If the price were to scale with demand, then it's way under where it needs to be.

Pretty much. But doing so years ago they would have priced out a lot of that demand by now, IMHO. Better to have 50 million coming through the gates at $125/each than 20 million coming through at $250/each. Ticket prices also aren't the whole story. They'd have to increase prices of everything at a commensurate rate to keep revenue the same. And the pool to draw from shrinks dramatically at those price points. Not exactly appetizing for a company that relies heavily on their parks for revenue and profits.

The bottom line, sadly, is that they created the mess but think they can rub a lamp and have the Genie get them out of it.

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

The Motley Fool's resident Disney defender has already come to the Mouse's rescue on this. Not that he is a full-on Disney cheerleader, but he's not far from it.

Sadly, he's right on this part of his take - They keep raising prices and people keep coming.

The fool at least Tries to put Disney dealings in context…even if they don’t win Pulitzers

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

Pretty much. But doing so years ago they would have priced out a lot of that demand by now, IMHO. Better to have 50 million coming through the gates at $125/each than 20 million coming through at $250/each. Ticket prices also aren't the whole story. They'd have to increase prices of everything at a commensurate rate to keep revenue the same. And the pool to draw from shrinks dramatically at those price points. Not exactly appetizing for a company that relies heavily on their parks for revenue and profits.

The bottom line, sadly, is that they created the mess but think they can rub a lamp and have the Genie get them out of it.

That is correct…because the gate isn’t where the profits are…

It’s in selling the low cost, communist made crap at high profit to the masses. Another thing lost on the “just raise the prices for my magic…” tact.

 

[HauntedPirate]

That is correct…because the gate isn’t where the profits are…

It’s in selling the low cost, communist made crap at high profit to the masses. Another thing lost on the “just raise the prices for my magic…” tact.

Shocking that they installed a cheap crap peddler as CEO...

I think this becomes the auto-reply to the "just raise ticket prices" crowd - Deliberately reducing the number of people through the gates to buy the stuff that actually generates the profit margins isn't a strategy for anyone looking to keep their job.

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

I think this becomes the auto-reply to the "just raise ticket prices" crowd - Deliberately reducing the number of people through the gates to buy the stuff that actually generates the profit margins isn't a strategy for anyone looking to keep their job.

I actually think that should be printed on the bottom of all those DVC and AP car magnets…there’s a fundamental disconnect there.

But for me…it’s more “primal”: Wall Street will never allow attendance drops. Period.

 

[Lilofan]

Shocking that they installed a cheap crap peddler as CEO...

I think this becomes the auto-reply to the "just raise ticket prices" crowd - Deliberately reducing the number of people through the gates to buy the stuff that actually generates the profit margins isn't a strategy for anyone looking to keep their job.

Disney wants to get more guests of all ages to visit in hopes of getting them to purchase unless one is like Universal Orlando where they are enforcing a weekend curfew of no one under 18 allowed in City Walk unless escorted by parent/ guardian, staying at UO resort or seeing a late movie at CW.

 

[el_super]

I think this becomes the auto-reply to the "just raise ticket prices" crowd - Deliberately reducing the number of people through the gates to buy the stuff that actually generates the profit margins isn't a strategy for anyone looking to keep their job.

Clearly, they could make up the difference in merchandise sales with higher admission prices. The parks are so underpriced that they offered a paid way to skip the line, and that too is now underpriced and overselling. I'd guess the margin on Genie+ is better than any of the toys sitting on the shelves.

The real problem might just be thinking this is a problem at all. Iger seemed concerned that the crowds would eventually eat up into all that good will the brand had banked, but if people keep paying and keep coming, and now spend wildly on Genie+, it's harder to make the case to Wall Street that the parks are too crowded. Disney could want to position themselves to be a premium brand at a premium price, but it's too difficult to turn down all that good will toward middle america.

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

Clearly, they could make up the difference in merchandise sales with higher admission prices. The parks are so underpriced that they offered a paid way to skip the line, and that too is now underpriced and overselling. I'd guess the margin on Genie+ is better than any of the toys sitting on the shelves.

The real problem might just be thinking this is a problem at all. Iger seemed concerned that the crowds would eventually eat up into all that good will the brand had banked, but if people keep paying and keep coming, and now spend wildly on Genie+, it's harder to make the case to Wall Street that the parks are too crowded. Disney could want to position themselves to be a premium brand at a premium price, but it's too difficult to turn down all that good will toward middle america.

…here we go again.

That’s not the model.

And what Bob Iger did - and I have this on good authority - is went to the lords of Wall Street and not only promised unlimited price potential…but also “growth” potential. More at higher prices…across the board. That’s the real conversation…not what they feed squawk box and announce at D23

 

[el_super]

…here we go again.

That’s not the model.

What? The make more money on less people in the park model? Of course it is. They just don't, because they don't want to upset people who would be priced out. Hence the weird confusing pricing schemes.

And what Bob Iger did - and I have this on good authority - is went to the lords of Wall Street and not only promised unlimited price potential…but also “growth” potential. More at higher prices…across the board. That’s the real conversation…not what they feed squawk box and announce at D23

It's the same thing. The parks capacity is pretty much capped where it is, and the demand is still sky-high. The only way they're going to be able to show growth in the long term, is a massive "reset" of the parks business into a premium brand. Significantly raise prices, cover attendance drops with increased revenue, then start to work toward building up attendance again at the higher pricing. None of this is a secret and most of this has been covered by Iger over his last few years.

They got some free dramatics out of the pandemic, but now they're stalled. I'd guess they are worried about an upcoming recession and reluctant to keep pushing prices should they need to pivot quickly into discounting again.

 

[UNCgolf]

The only way they're going to be able to show growth in the long term, is a massive "reset" of the parks business into a premium brand. Significantly raise prices, cover attendance drops with increased revenue, then start to work toward building up attendance again at the higher pricing.

I'm sure they would love to do this, but it's hard to imagine it's feasible. They're not offering premium services (if anything, they're far less premium now than they were 30 years ago despite a higher price tag), and I don't think they can get enough people through the gates, much less sell them enough food and merchandise, at the higher prices to make it work. The parks are built to service the middle class; trying to turn them into an upper class premium brand would essentially require tearing them down and starting over from scratch.

That's all dependent on how high the prices go, of course, but if you're suggesting they start charging $350 a day for a ticket with commensurate increases on merch/food pricing... I don't see how they could attract enough people who could both afford those prices and think the value was there to make it worth it.

I could afford to go to WDW for $350 daily tickets and $50+ mediocre lunches, but why would I want to? There are much better ways to spend that kind of money. Also have to consider that for families it's a price increase that hits repeatedly -- that's not just a $150-200 increase on tickets for one day, it's potentially a $1000 increase for a family of five. They'd be running the risk of pricing out 90% of their customer base.