News Bob Iger talks about attendance declines, ticket pricing, the feud with Ron DeSantis, and his huge optimism for Disney Parks and Resorts

[Lilofan]

Ok, maybe you do spend $12,000 a year on disney sales within the parks... but do you really think that is representative?

So is the family that drops $12K as opposed to the local resident spending their income on a regular basis any special ? All who spend money to feed the Mouse are important to the company bottom line regardless of what they spend and if they are a local or someone out of state.

 

[AEfx]

All who spend money to feed the Mouse are important to the company bottom line regardless of what they spend

That statement just couldn't be any more incorrect.

Where have you been for the last 20 years, where Disney has hyper-focused on guests who stay onsite for a week or more?

There is a reason the cost of an AP has tripled in the past decade - they want to do everything they can to discourage it, because by and large local passholders just don't spend nearly as much as vacationers.

 

[el_super]

These takes are always so funny…. I’m a “free loading local”, I pay $75/mo for my AP, visit the parks 1-2 times per month and spend anywhere from $300-$500 on F&B/Merch each trip. Some trips I spend more and stay at a Disney hotel, sometimes I buy special event tickets, like I just purchased for Jollywood Nights. There is no “free-loading”. I’m also one person, so think about families who are local, they’re spending more.

You spend about $35 to get into the parks for the day? And some people are paying$140+?

If they doubled your admission to about $70 dollars a day, which is still a 50% discount, how would that significantly impact your spend at Disney? You'd go from $12k a year to 12.8k a year?

Outrageous!

 

[Lilofan]

That statement just couldn't be any more incorrect.

Where have you been for the last 20 years, where Disney has hyper-focused on guests who stay onsite for a week or more?

There is a reason the cost of an AP has tripled in the past decade - they want to do everything they can to discourage it, because by and large local passholders just don't spend nearly as much as vacationers.

Sure the breakdown is more attractive if one stays longer but for Disney to not regard locals as spenders is off base.

 

[Professortango1]

The entire industry has changed. Not only is the cable industry dead but so is over the air TV and the movie industry is shrinking. People will soon have 100 inch TV's with great sound. Then add the reality that free ad supported streaming services and a few paid streamimg services being the revenue source for all this. Plus internet service costs will be lower as cord cutting 2.0 takes off. No longer will people pay $100 plus a month for cable and another $50 plus for internet. The future is $25 for internet and $25 for paid streaming along with a few free streaming services. Where will the money come from to pay all the people who work in the industry? The highest paid actors will have to take pay cuts as will all executives.

Or studios adjust their model and quit throwing things on streaming so quickly. When I was growing up in the 90's, it was 6 months to a year to buy the VHS or DVD. Another month before you could rent it on Pay Per View and another month before it hit a premium cable service. If you wanted to be part of the conversation and experience, you saw it in theatres. And then, half a year later or so you were hungry to re-experience that and you bought the DVD to enjoy again. Now, its dumped in streaming just weeks after it came out. And since we are all sharing passwords, I basically just wait a month and watch it for free.

Studios need to realize that the streaming wars has led to everyone casually consuming content for little to no cost rather than being eager customers. If they want to make money off of movies and TV, they can't just keep dumping content quickly. It makes it so they can't market their material effectively and nothing becomes a cultural phenomenon that generates sales.

 

[Tha Realest]

Or studios adjust their model and quit throwing things on streaming so quickly. When I was growing up in the 90's, it was 6 months to a year to buy the VHS or DVD. Another month before you could rent it on Pay Per View and another month before it hit a premium cable service. If you wanted to be part of the conversation and experience, you saw it in theatres. And then, half a year later or so you were hungry to re-experience that and you bought the DVD to enjoy again. Now, its dumped in streaming just weeks after it came out. And since we are all sharing passwords, I basically just wait a month and watch it for free.

Studios need to realize that the streaming wars has led to everyone casually consuming content for little to no cost rather than being eager customers. If they want to make money off of movies and TV, they can't just keep dumping content quickly. It makes it so they can't market their material effectively and nothing becomes a cultural phenomenon that generates sales.

I feel like the shortened window is so the studios don’t have to remarket the movie. By releasing it so close in time to the theatrical window they can drift off of the marketing from the theatrical release

 

[TrainsOfDisney]

So far Iger isn’t doing much better than Chapek as far as public statements. Probably not a good idea to talk negatively about the writers and the actors who you rely on to create content that fuels every part of your business.

 

[Tha Realest]

So far Iger isn’t doing much better than Chapek as far as public statements. Probably not a good idea to talk negatively about the writers and the actors who you rely on to create content that fuels every part of your business.

The only “creative” Bob wants to pay is himself

 

[TheMaxRebo]

Or studios adjust their model and quit throwing things on streaming so quickly. When I was growing up in the 90's, it was 6 months to a year to buy the VHS or DVD. Another month before you could rent it on Pay Per View and another month before it hit a premium cable service. If you wanted to be part of the conversation and experience, you saw it in theatres. And then, half a year later or so you were hungry to re-experience that and you bought the DVD to enjoy again. Now, its dumped in streaming just weeks after it came out. And since we are all sharing passwords, I basically just wait a month and watch it for free.

Studios need to realize that the streaming wars has led to everyone casually consuming content for little to no cost rather than being eager customers. If they want to make money off of movies and TV, they can't just keep dumping content quickly. It makes it so they can't market their material effectively and nothing becomes a cultural phenomenon that generates sales.

They just announced Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 3 will be on D+ on Aug 2 ... So will be 89 days from when it was released in theaters.

Still not as long as what you described but better than the 45ish days it has been for a lot of films

 

[Indy_UK]

Loved seeing Iger bury himself slightly over the writers strike.

 

[Ayla]

Or studios adjust their model and quit throwing things on streaming so quickly. When I was growing up in the 90's, it was 6 months to a year to buy the VHS or DVD. Another month before you could rent it on Pay Per View and another month before it hit a premium cable service. If you wanted to be part of the conversation and experience, you saw it in theatres. And then, half a year later or so you were hungry to re-experience that and you bought the DVD to enjoy again. Now, its dumped in streaming just weeks after it came out. And since we are all sharing passwords, I basically just wait a month and watch it for free.

Studios need to realize that the streaming wars has led to everyone casually consuming content for little to no cost rather than being eager customers. If they want to make money off of movies and TV, they can't just keep dumping content quickly. It makes it so they can't market their material effectively and nothing becomes a cultural phenomenon that generates sales.

Yep. Why pay the money at the theater when it will be released to Disney+ three months later (ala GoTG 3, announced today).

 

[Tha Realest]

Yep. Why pay the money at the theater when it will be released to Disney+ three months later (ala GoTG 3, announced today).

That my analysis. It’s $40+ to half my kids to a matinee (with popcorn and drinks). Why not “buy” it a few weeks later or watch for “free” in two months time?

 

[note2001]

Loved seeing Iger bury himself slightly over the writers strike.

I don't think it's just about the writers strike, but yes, that does seem to be the catalyst for his commentary IF he said anything...
What exactly did Bob say about television? I've been digging for a quote and the lead up to it and am not finding it.


In my opinion:
ESPN is a lost cause in Disney's hands. It needs to be sold to a company invested in the sports world.
ABC is Disney's mainstream puppet from which they can make marketing look like news, it's not going anywhere.

 

[GhostHost1000]

Yep. Why pay the money at the theater when it will be released to Disney+ three months later (ala GoTG 3, announced today).

I’m honestly shocked they don’t charge extra for early access to it and then maybe a year later have it widely available to all on D+

 

[Nubs70]

That my analysis. It’s $40+ to half my kids to a matinee (with popcorn and drinks). Why not “buy” it a few weeks later or watch for “free” in two months time?

Or if it's really good, watch it multiple times for free?? When was the last time you watched a really good movie multiple times in the theatre?

 

[TheMaxRebo]

I’m honestly shocked they don’t charge extra for early access to it and then maybe a year later have it widely available to all on D+

Or have like tiers of D+ with only the top tier getting stuff early (and get other benefits), but not pay per movie

 

[Ayla]

Or if it's really good, watch it multiple times for free?? When was the last time you watched a really good movie multiple times in the theatre?

I have never watched a movie in a theater more than once, ever. Now at home? Dozens of times. Any time I come across The Proposal on tv, I'll watch it. (It's on A LOT.)

 

[the_rich]

Or if it's really good, watch it multiple times for free?? When was the last time you watched a really good movie multiple times in the theatre?

All the time. Gotg, mission impossible, little mermaid to name a few.

 

[celluloid]

I have never watched a movie in a theater more than once, ever. Now at home? Dozens of times. Any time I come across The Proposal on tv, I'll watch it. (It's on A LOT.)

I had Regal Unlimited instead of most streaming services for awhile. I did it with a couple of movies I really enjoyed. I saw Cocaine Bear Twice.

Back in the day I saw Peter Jackson's Kong twice in theaters.

 

[Br0ckford]

Nothing beats my trusty old betamax. I can't tell you how many times I've watched Beverly Hills Cop.