Chapek's comments - he doesn't want anyone on this board at WDW any more

[el_super]

So again it is also somewhat comparing apples to oranges because people didn't even have televisions in 1946.

You are right, and it is sort of silly to try to compare the two. Song of the South's future potential earnings are pretty close to $0 now, and The Princess and the Frog could still bring in millions (or billions) of dollars in the next 40 years.

 

[flynnibus]

The annoying bit is that the advent of twitter and other social media platforms where a tiny sliver of society can trumpet their hatred in a magnified way provides spineless companies ample ammunition to justify all sorts of decisions. Now throw on some board members that have forgotten that they have duty to shareholders and not squawking parrots and you've got a problem.

Disney isn't running from anyone or reacting... Disney is trying to lead.

It's up to each person to decide if they like the path being forged.

 

[el_super]

What I was saying is that people often don't buy what they don't know. It isn't about saving up for a trip, it is more balking at paying for something that isn't familiar.

Huh? People go all the time on their first visits. There isn't some hurdle of unfamiliarity to be addressed. This isn't a clear cut delineation between the people who go all the time and the people who will never go. There is a whole spectrum of people that fall in between. And the goal here for Disney, is that people who are inclined to only go once, or maybe two or three times in a decade or more, could be encouraged to go more often if the experience changed for the better.

This is more in line with getting the people who go one or two times in a decade, to maybe make three or more visits. To do that though, comfortably, they need to convince the people going 15 times today, to ... go less.

They say spending $50 to eat breakfast is absurd. They think paying for a MK party ticket, on top of paying for a day ticket is absurd.

People buy absurd things all the time. Doesn't really mean anything.

 

[MickeyLuv'r]

You are right, and it is sort of silly to try to compare the two. Song of the South's future potential earnings are pretty close to $0 now, and The Princess and the Frog could still bring in millions (or billions) of dollars in the next 40 years.

Yes, but future earnings isn't relevant.

That SotS was only released in the USA + Canada vs. a film that was released globally after 63 years of population growth, are two very important variables.

The original quote was someone saying SotS wasn't as successful as PotP. Given all of the above, it was. SotS was so successful, that Disney re-released 5 more times.

We have no idea how PatF will be received 40 years from now. PotF is full of stereotypes.

 

[el_super]

Yes, but future earnings isn't relevant.

Of course they are.

The original quote was someone saying SotS wasn't as successful as PotP. Given all of the above, it was. SotS was so successful, that Disney re-released 5 more times.

Yeah but you admitted that it was an apples to oranges comparison. Box Office visits was generally the only way to see a film for 50 years. That isn't true anymore. A more direct comparison of how much money a movie made would be to compare Song of the South with all the home video sales of Princess and the Frog. You start to throw in merchandise sales and potential future earnings and it's clear to see that Princess and the Frog is the real winner here.

Even if you want to subscribe to the most cynical view, that it was being done for money, PatF is going to make Disney far more money than Splash Mountain did.

 

[Disstevefan1]

No one is forcing them - This is Disney's own moral initiative as they try to project what they want things to be. It's all PC stuff - but don't try to paint that as 'forced on them'. This is Disney behind the wheel and the one pushing the gas pedal.

Moral initiative thank you for bringing some laughter into my day

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

I have to say his plan is working. The parks are enjoyable again. I’ve been 3 time in the last month and half and the crowds are less and yet they are making money. More importantly even my partner says he’ll go back because the crowds are being controlled.

Slowest time of the year…however. With a few exceptions here or there

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

Moral initiative thank you for bringing some laughter into my day

…todays winner

 

[crazy4disney]

Disney isn't running from anyone or reacting... Disney is trying to lead.

It's up to each person to decide if they like the path being forged.

You really think Disney was “leading” when they made the decision to destroy Splash?!?

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

You really think Disney was “leading” when they made the decision to destroy Splash?!?

I think it served many purposes…at least “part” was leading…

I honestly think the largest two factors were 1. PR for Hollywood
2. Getting rid of a high maintenance cost ride and “justifying” the expense of replacing it.

 

[crazy4disney]

I think it served many purposes…at least “part” was leading…

I honestly think the largest two factors were 1. PR for Hollywood
2. Getting rid of a high maintenance cost ride and “justifying” the expense of replacing it.

I was laughed at and mocked and eventually banned from the Splash chat for partly saying maintenance was definitely a factor in this decision hiding behind the do good PR spin they tried to play…

 

[networkpro]

Yes, but future earnings isn't relevant.

That SotS was only released in the USA + Canada vs. a film that was released globally after 63 years of population growth, are two very important variables.

Just doing a quick check of EU, China, UK, India, and even Ozon in Russia I see Song of the South DVD and Blue Ray for sale.

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

Just doing a quick check of EU, China, UK, India, and even Ozon in Russia I see Song of the South DVD and Blue Ray for sale.

You do understand discs are obsolete now, right?

Is the “Remus collection” gonna pop up on D+?

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

I was laughed at and mocked and eventually banned from the Splash chat for partly saying maintenance was definitely a factor in this decision hiding behind the do good PR spin they tried to play…

I think it’d just a noticeable trend…without anything to do with PATF.

The canary in the coal mine for me was runaway railway. No real reason to put it there UNLESS it was because you wanted rid of the movie ride. Would have made more sense to put it in dead animation courtyard.

 

[crazy4disney]

I think it’d just a noticeable trend…without anything to do with PATF.

The canary in the coal mine for me was runaway railway. No real reason to put it there UNLESS it was because you wanted rid of the movie ride. Would have made more sense to put it in dead animation courtyard.

Used the exact same reference in my comparison. They let it rot to make the transition “justifiable” same way they doing w Splash. Believe Martin even chimed in saying/correcting me by adding Horizons to the example

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

Used the exact same reference in my comparison. They let it rot to make the transition “justifiable” same way they doing w Splash. Believe Martin even chimed in saying/correcting me by adding Horizons to the example

You sure he was “correcting”? They absolutely wanted rid of horizons due to maintenance and building decay - if I recall? (That was a long time ago)…

Or right next door, they canned the entire wonders of life pavilion simply to dump the cost…there was no other “reason” that held water.

There are only a couple of spots where they seem to “bear the cost” anymore…most are “classic” in magic kingdom…the other is the American adventure.

 

[crazy4disney]

You sure he was “correcting”? They absolutely wanted rid of horizons due to maintenance and building decay - if I recall? (That was a long time ago)…

Or right next door, they canned the entire wonders of life pavilion simply to dump the cost…there was no other “reason” that held water.

There are only a couple of spots where they seem to “bear the cost” anymore…most are “classic” in magic kingdom…the other is the American adventure.

Think he may have given us the 1st example of this as an addition but i agree. WoL still
Empty a disgrace. GMR replaced Not refurbed a disgrace especially when you had the space and needed the capacity

 

[thomas998]

Disney isn't running from anyone or reacting... Disney is trying to lead.

It's up to each person to decide if they like the path being forged.

From what I've read about some of the decisions they aren't driven by management having agendas, but are sometimes are driven by lower level employees complaining. That appears to have been the catalyst for Disney getting all bent out of place with the Florida law on gender education in elementary school... unless Chapek was lying.

 

[Club Cooloholic]

I think this is very personal and depends on someone's tech savviness. I've joked before that I can book Lightning Lanes with one hand while I pee.

So it would seem you CAN'T avoid the phone that much if you can't even use a bathroom in a normal way. But what do I know, I usually require 2 hands when I pee...lol.

 

[HM Spectre]

Sad, but not surprising. Like all large corporate value engineers, Chapek is betting on the brand.

He thinks the brand is so strong that it will sell tickets despite massive price increases. He thinks the brand is strong enough that reduced quality and service won't stop people from coming. And he's trying to push the envelope as far as he can. Honestly, he probably thinks you could slap the Disney brand on a Six Flags park and still have people foaming at the mouth to get in.

So far, he's unfortunately been proven right... but it takes a lot of guts (or stupidity) to do this into a coming recession. Right now, Disney is living off the brand while being transformed into a terrible value proposition. If people are ever forced to consider the value in what they're getting from a Disney vacation vs. an alternative, Chapek is in big trouble. It's barely affordable as-is for regular folks and it's only going to get worse.

Regardless, it's a terrible situation for anyone who loves the parks. Until people vote with their wallets and stop paying regardless of what Chapek puts in front of them, we're going to keep getting less while being charged more until the experience is just a shell of what it was (if it's not there already).