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

[Californian Elitist]

Not surprising. WDW doesn't seem to exist as far as the current management is concerned. It's just some mythical thing that spits out a few billion into the coffers every few months.

Someone said he mentioned Topeka, so it’s very possible that he’s referring to both resorts.

 

[TQQQ]

He's nuts. I live less than an hour away from WDW. Our family has had at least 6 people with AP for about 20 years. We buy stuff at WDW for gifts. We go to F&W several times a year and buy all kinds of food.

You can't tell me that I spend less there then someone who goes only once every 5 years. I may not spend as much in one day but it adds up fast over time.

All I can say is that if they keep this up, Universal may start getting my money instead of WDW.

I’ve heard AP holders say this a lot. You are missing the point. On a daily basis, they would rather have the once every five year person than an AP holder. So if they could fill the parks every day with the once every five year person or you, you would be at universal.

Think of it this way. There’s tickets for one family. Week one it’s the family from Denver and they spend way more than you so you are out. Week 2 is the family from Boston and so do they so you are out. Week 3 it’s NY so you are out and they do that for all 52 weeks and then the same thing. and then again the following year.


They think they have that kind of demand

 

[TQQQ]

Unfavorables (time for our fanbase to get over that comment) and super fans will keep complaining but keep going. There is zero reason for Disney to do anything different until enough of these people stop coming. It won’t happen.

We won’t go. We haven’t been since 2020 and won’t be this year or next and we went multiple times every year

 

[TQQQ]

There are 12.9 million people in the metro LA area and only about 85K max occupants per day for Disneyland, naturally, DL won't have as many APs for sale compared to WDW if they want customers other than AP holders.

I think it’s the hotel allocation. Florida has almost 35k rooms I think I read. Cali is like 10% of that

 

[Br0ckford]

We won’t go. We haven’t been since 2020 and won’t be this year or next and we went multiple times every year

We are all paid up for our November trip. But I think the next couple years will be hang out around home and make some much needed family visits up north.

 

[Stevek]

He's nuts. I live less than an hour away from WDW. Our family has had at least 6 people with AP for about 20 years. We buy stuff at WDW for gifts. We go to F&W several times a year and buy all kinds of food.

You can't tell me that I spend less there then someone who goes only once every 5 years. I may not spend as much in one day but it adds up fast over time.

All I can say is that if they keep this up, Universal may start getting my money instead of WDW.

You can't assume that your behavior is representative of all APs. There are obviously outliers. Disney has a pretty darn good idea what the AP population spends per visit or else they would jam the parks as full as possible with them. People have been threatening to take their money to other parks for years...we left and got APs at Knotts for a year. Know what, we came right back to Disney because it was worth paying a significant premium over Knott's to get a much better Disney experience. There aren't enough people leaving for other parks to make a dent financially for Disney.

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

I also would not conflate WDW and DL into the same bucket either. They are run by the same company, share the same organizational budget, and both have a mouse problem, but are very different beasts.

Just consider the metropolitan area populations for each 2.03 million for Orlando (4 parks, 2 water parks, and Disney Springs and 32 hotels) vs 12.9 million for the LA area( two smaller parks, Downtown Disney, and a few hotels). That's quite a difference in the scale of consumer supply and demand. DL = Locals, WDW=Destination

DVC exists to gobble up those excess hotel rooms and have someone else pay the maintenance on them. Still a timeshare.

Who’s claiming they’re the same?

That’s not really a debate. The problem is burbank tries to play then off against each other for some alternative agenda…usually price increases or corner cutting…

 

[THEMEPARKPIONEER]

Think it’s time for a third US location

 

[Stevek]

Think it’s time for a third US location

Really no reason for one given they could significantly expand Orlando. They could theoretically expand Anaheim quite a bit as well. Really the only other place it makes sense is Texas, but they'd have to know that they will fill those parks up vs just pulling from people that would have visited the west or east coast parks.

 

[larryz]

I thought so too but the more I read, the more im thinking WDW. DL is less of a destination than WDW and I think AP will return there......

but Anaheim is where TWDC has the worst issue with people just camping out at their two parks

 

[larryz]

I think it’s the hotel allocation. Florida has almost 35k rooms I think I read. Cali is like 10% of that

20,383 according to www.anaheim.net, and that's just in Anaheim.

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

Disney operates about 33K in wdw alone

They only have maybe 2500 in-house in Anaheim

 

[MrMichaelJames]

What cracks me up about these threads is that you all still continue to go and then complain about it. Either vote with your wallet or stop whining. We continue to go because its fun. I would love for massive amounts of people to stop going, it would be great for those of us that continue, but this is a business and has to be run like that. It's not a charity.

 

[PuertoRekinSam]

Really no reason for one given they could significantly expand Orlando. They could theoretically expand Anaheim quite a bit as well. Really the only other place it makes sense is Texas, but they'd have to know that they will fill those parks up vs just pulling from people that would have visited the west or east coast parks.

Reason #1: the labor market… go back 50 years ago with 1 park, 2 hotels and a camp ground… Disney could hire the cream of the crop, the top of the labor pool and demand the best service from them for the pay they offered. Now with 4 parks, 2 water parks, dozens of hotels, a shopping district, etc, not to mention a lot more competition for that same labor market, they need to dip deeper into the barrel and be less choosy. We complain about the quality of Disney service the last few years, this is part of it.
The lessening of the Disney look may fit the narrative of inclusion, but let’s be honest, they also needed to be able to widen their casting nets (unintentional pun) to fill those positions and try to maintain some of that service. Yes they could pay more, and offer more incentives, but that is a discussion for a different time. Another park will require more labor from a strained pool of quality affordable options.

Reason 2: More gates in Orlando will not substantially increase the length of stay for Guest. Many people are limited on how long they can/are willing to visit for, and instead of extending another day, will result in cannibalism from one gate to another. So the offset of the cost will not be recouped as easily. The goal of Universal at this point is for the family visiting for a week to swap their DAK Day for Epic. A 5th gate at Disney would likely result in a Guest to also swap DAK for the new park and not from IOA.

 

[larryz]

What cracks me up about these threads is that you all still continue to go and then complain about it. Either vote with your wallet or stop whining. We continue to go because its fun. I would love for massive amounts of people to stop going, it would be great for those of us that continue, but this is a business and has to be run like that. It's not a charity.

Actually, no. Because, as Bob and Josh are counting on, for every Superfan or Unfavorable family that doesn't go, there's a family from Dubuque or Duluth that will.

That's their theory, and they're sticking to it.

 

[TheGuyThatMakesSwords]

See why we gave away (to children) and sold our DVC interests? We just don't want to go through the effort to FLY to a place where we are really not wanted...

 

[Disstevefan1]

WDW is evolving to a place that is not for everyone.

I do think they will end the AP products.

There are plenty of visitors who are willing to pay top dollar for tickets and rooms, plenty enough to crowd the parks.

Time will tell.

 

[GSP Guy]

He's nuts. I live less than an hour away from WDW. Our family has had at least 6 people with AP for about 20 years. We buy stuff at WDW for gifts. We go to F&W several times a year and buy all kinds of food.

You can't tell me that I spend less there then someone who goes only once every 5 years. I may not spend as much in one day but it adds up fast over time.

All I can say is that if they keep this up, Universal may start getting my money instead of WDW.

So here's my take....based on your description here you sound like a perfect AP holder if I was looking at it from Disney's standpoint. Why would they not want you and your family spending money buying gifts and even more so at Epcot festivals! There's nothing negative for Disney in this scenario. However I'm afraid you are in the minority in Disney's eyes. I'm reminded of various threads here most notably the Virtual Queue/Rise where some locals would regularly gloat about how many rides they were up to going day after day after day and how the visitors were just "lazy' for not getting there early enough! Then some would state they hit a couple more rides and maybe grabbed a churro and headed home! Now from Disney's standpoint why would I want these folks taking up space and perhaps creating a lesser experience for those staying in a resort?


So I think it's a case of some folks ruining it for others when it comes to APs.

 

[CampbellzSoup]

WDW is evolving to a place that is not for everyone.

I do think they will end the AP products.

There are plenty of visitors who are willing to pay top dollar for tickets and rooms, plenty enough to crowd the parks.

Time will tell.

Won’t eliminate but surely won’t allow you to get new ones for quite awhile

 

[TQQQ]

20,383 according to www.anaheim.net, and that's just in Anaheim.

Disney owns 20k hotel rooms in Anaheim?