can Disney bring it all back.. or have they gone TOO FAR...

bjlc57

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
so we have a change in CEO's this week.. and the promise of "fixing things" .. but i honestly want to know.. HAS DISNEY GONE TOO FAR.. have they "jumped the shark" so to speak.. can they really bring back the true magic? How much Pixie Dust is going to fix this because just a little ISN"T ENOUGH.. I mean its time to bring out the shovels of the Dust.. mountains.. i honestly don't know if Disney can recover from all of this.. but its gonna take a big change of heart.. and it better be filled with Magic and Dreams and Visions and NOT BEAN COUNTING.. because one more bean counting session may be enough... again.. GM went Bankrupt.. Sears was the number one store in my lifetime.. So was Penneys.. Kodak.. the list goes on and on.. Gateway computers.. all for different reasons but they all were number ONE at one point in time.. Gimbal's .. Macy's is a shell of its self..
I love Disney.. I have never had a bad day there. I cry when i look at my old photos of the arch or gateway entering the park..
Has Disney gone too far..? i really really want to know..
 

Goofyernmost

Well-Known Member
They can but the chances are very slim that they will. They might decide that the park reservation and the no hopping before 2pm might be dropped due to massive amounts of unpopular responses, but they will never give up a cash cow until it stops producing. They might have to rethink Genie and Lightning Lane both in how it is administered and cost, but it is probably here to stay in some form.
 

Chi84

Premium Member
so we have a change in CEO's this week.. and the promise of "fixing things" .. but i honestly want to know.. HAS DISNEY GONE TOO FAR.. have they "jumped the shark" so to speak.. can they really bring back the true magic? How much Pixie Dust is going to fix this because just a little ISN"T ENOUGH.. I mean its time to bring out the shovels of the Dust.. mountains.. i honestly don't know if Disney can recover from all of this.. but its gonna take a big change of heart.. and it better be filled with Magic and Dreams and Visions and NOT BEAN COUNTING.. because one more bean counting session may be enough... again.. GM went Bankrupt.. Sears was the number one store in my lifetime.. So was Penneys.. Kodak.. the list goes on and on.. Gateway computers.. all for different reasons but they all were number ONE at one point in time.. Gimbal's .. Macy's is a shell of its self..
I love Disney.. I have never had a bad day there. I cry when i look at my old photos of the arch or gateway entering the park..
Has Disney gone too far..? i really really want to know..
I don't think they've gone too far to bring it back, but things change. The Disney of the 1970's and 1980's that a lot of people are talking about here will never return. Doesn't mean they can't recover enough to provide an excellent experience.
 

JIMINYCR

Well-Known Member
Can it be fixed….sure. Will it be… now that’s the question to ask. The answer is a resounding… No. I very much doubt you will see Dis return to the wonder years ( or even come close to that) everyone on here reminisces about and wants to see. Some changes are coming to placate the bad press and bad feelings but nothing has happened to show they have to pull a 180.
And you can’t put Dis in the same grouping as Sears, Pennys , Kodac and others. It just isn’t the same because the competition isn’t the same that drove them out. Dis can manage against Uni, as well as all the other parks in the US . They aren’t surrounded by enough others that can chip away critical business. They have the brand and attraction that will not be lost. No matter the competition they can manage. It will take a calamity of Covid or 911 or massive recession to affect them.. yet they can still hold on and manage through it.
Those who claim they will never return because it’s not Walt’s parks anymore doesn’t phase Dis because their numbers aren’t enough and they are replaced by others in similar numbers. As long as Dis continues to give just enough to keep people interested and willing to pay out they will survive.
 

AdventureHasAName

Well-Known Member
I don't think it'll be fixed (if ever) until Disney is forced to sell off major assets because of the company's poor performance. Boiled down to its essence, the problem is that Disney has decided to price the middle class out of the parks (to alleviate crowding) and try to replace the lost revenue with whales. Long term, that's a death sentence for the parks division. Even longer term, it's problematic for the Disney brand name (as is other issues, that I will stay out of because it obviously involves politics) - it's a problem that affects the entire company over time. WDC has lived off of good will that Walt and Eisner built for decades and multiple generations. It arguably had the best brand in the world. If future generations (today's 8 year old from a lower-middle class family that can't afford to take a trip to WDW anymore) do not hold the same affinity for the brand, the entire company (but particularly the parks division) is in for a rude awakening.

If I had to guess, the theme parks will be sold off before it's ever fixed.
 

Tom P.

Well-Known Member
Gfd.gif
 

Uncle Scrooge

New Member
If the world or the US in particular enters a deep recession then changes may happen for the better however that is only "if" as suddenly there will be fewer customers with the funds and they'll want value for what they are spending. Factors like this are completely out of Disney's control but are the most likely to drive change.

As a Brit I have seen the exchange rate in 2005 be close to $2 for each £1 whereas today that number sits closer to the $1.15-$1.20 range. This seriously impacts on budget. Add in the rising ticket, parking, food and merchandise costs and suddenly travelling over the Atlantic becomes extremely expensive and Paris looks more attractive.

You also have to consider Disney has global appeal and since Magic Kingdom opened in 1971 the global population has more than doubled increasing the number of potential customers with funds to spend on Disney property. As that population growth continues (admittedly more in lower GDP countries however Brazil population has more than doubled since 1970 and we all know they come to Florida in their droves) the pool of potential customers continues to grow. With no fifth gate on the horizon pricing and service are based on continually being at or around capacity across all major parks. This still allows for gouging as for every customer who gets fed up is replaced by other potential/aspirational customers willing to travel long distances to experience the magic. Whilst this dynamic continues to favour Disney don't expect major changes

Finally and most unfortunately, Disney is beholden to their share holders. And with no major voice(s) advocating for delivering a quality product/service above profit then change is highly unlikely to happen. Disney fans are lucky to have Iger but when he inevitably goes profit will become the buzz word again. Very much like a sports team Disney needs a benevolent leader to put the fans/customers first and give them what they want rather than just taking advantage of them and ripping the heart out of the brand.
 

G00fyDad

Well-Known Member
According to the bank accounts of the BoD they have gone too far with WDW to turn back now. You'd be asking them to give up a lot of that money and there is not an Olaf's chance in hell they'll ever do that.
 

John park hopper

Well-Known Member
Ultimately it is the consumer (guests) who have allowed Disney to become what it is. The guests hold the purse strings they have themselves to blame. Iger or Capek or whoever will continue down the current road -charge more- give less pander to the latest cause. Just my opinion but I don't think Walt had that as a vision
 

Disstevefan1

Well-Known Member
The only ones in power to change things is the consumer. As long as we keep buying, keep going, nothing needs to change.

My family has not been to the parks since Dec. 2019 and we let our three APs go in 2020, and we never returned to the movie theaters, but I did renew D+ and we do still buy merch with our Disney Visa 😀

So I too am part of the problem.
 

SamandplanningUK

Well-Known Member
The biggest loss in my option was Fastpass+, this really made Disney stand out among all other competitors who charge for the privilege. The price (although already expensive) to stay in Disney owned resorts was considered more 'worth it' for the pleasure of securing those 'gold dust' ride reservations in advance, bolstered by the excitement of logging on as soon as the times were released and snagging that all important Slinky Dog/Mine Train/etc reservation.

The loss of this and the complexity of Genie/LL, not to mention its accompanying charges, paying for resort parking, the loss of the Magical Express from the airport, less reliable and frequent maid visits, etc, dropped the ball BIG TIME.

Part of the 'magic' of the parks is having everything in place beforehand, dinner reservations booked, fast passes planned, being able to enter those gates and just enjoy. Genie/LL removes that joy and places pressure on the guests continuously during the day.

THAT right there, along with the incredibly exceptional service and friendliness of the staff at the parks and resorts, the quality of the shows and parades, the frequent and exciting updates to the parks and rides, down to the minutest details, has been waning but CAN be recovered, however the invisible 'knife' in the backs of Disneys consumers may leave a permanent scar.
 

Chi84

Premium Member
The only ones in power to change things is the consumer. As long as we keep buying, keep going, nothing needs to change.

My family has not been to the parks since Dec. 2019 and we let our three APs go in 2020, and we never returned to the movie theaters, but I did renew D+ and we do still buy merch with our Disney Visa 😀

So I too am part of the problem.
Don't beat yourself up too much. Disney would be going strong even if you dropped Disney+ and their Visa. Too many people still enjoy it.
 

Disstevefan1

Well-Known Member
Don't beat yourself up too much. Disney would be going strong even if you dropped Disney+ and their Visa. Too many people still enjoy it.
Agreed. Too many folks still go, view, spend. I think there will never be enough folks to turn away from Disney to make a dent. Disney’s problems are all self inflicted. They spend far too much money on content for D+ that gets nothing in return.

She Hulk was a funny silky series that I watched because it was there and I already had D+

Did anyone sign up for D+ specifically to see She Hulk? I don’t think so.
 

jpinkc

Well-Known Member
Will it be fixed? No they think WDW/DL are bulletproof. They dont see Universal as a threat. They dont see the Harm done to the Disney Brand as the parks are "full", the Hotels are "full", (excluding the Star Wars disaster). They spent WAY TO MUCH on Genie + to shelve it. The CFO certainly wont allow that, (Miss cutting portions for our customers waistlines comment). I think they will maybe remove the Reservation system and remove the Park Hopping limits, and thats about it. They wont walk back any price increases, and they certainly wont be freezing any prices. I am almost tempted to believe Iger is there to find a buyer for TWDC. The people who knew how to really run the company have DIED or left. The SOUL of the company is dead or on the last vestiges of Life Support. The only way we get anything good out of it is "IF" Iger finds a successor who is like Walt, A Dreamer, A Visionary and with the belief that these places are for EVERYONE to enjoy, not just the top 10% of the population.
 

monothingie

Proxy War 2024: Never Forget
Premium Member
What does it matter? It's all going to be spun off once Disney sells to Apple and Bob Iger makes his hundreds of millions cause the stock price will shoot higher than an Elon Musk SpaceX rocket.
 

Minnesota disney fan

Well-Known Member
The biggest loss in my option was Fastpass+, this really made Disney stand out among all other competitors who charge for the privilege. The price (although already expensive) to stay in Disney owned resorts was considered more 'worth it' for the pleasure of securing those 'gold dust' ride reservations in advance, bolstered by the excitement of logging on as soon as the times were released and snagging that all important Slinky Dog/Mine Train/etc reservation.

The loss of this and the complexity of Genie/LL, not to mention its accompanying charges, paying for resort parking, the loss of the Magical Express from the airport, less reliable and frequent maid visits, etc, dropped the ball BIG TIME.

Part of the 'magic' of the parks is having everything in place beforehand, dinner reservations booked, fast passes planned, being able to enter those gates and just enjoy. Genie/LL removes that joy and places pressure on the guests continuously during the day.

THAT right there, along with the incredibly exceptional service and friendliness of the staff at the parks and resorts, the quality of the shows and parades, the frequent and exciting updates to the parks and rides, down to the minutest details, has been waning but CAN be recovered, however the invisible 'knife' in the backs of Disneys consumers may leave a permanent scar.
I agree with your completely. I could have written this post. I think it's not one area, but ALL those things that you said that is needed to come back for disney to be magical again. Without them, it's just another theme park.
 

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