Disney As A Corporation

[eliza61nyc]

Your 28 years as an engineer at a chemical company means you know how to run a hotel?

So you are saying if you worked some where for almost 30 years you would not have picked up a clue about what works and what doesn't ??

Okay then you guys are double doomed.
Why do you think folks still go.

 

[xdan0920]

If, as an adult you punctuate all your posts with multiple “lolz”.... I am not 100% certain you should be taken seriously.

 

[eliza61nyc]

Well I just saw a cool Disney commercial so maybe marketing is their forte. Lol

 

[kap91]

Because the company, particularly around the opening of WDW and Epcot specifically eschewed those type of penny-pinching, make as much money as possible, corporate values. Their business philosophy was offer the best experience possible at a reasonable price and the profits would come. There’s even an article out there from the 70s talking about how they’d price a fancy dessert below cost just so everyone could have the luxurious experience and they figured people would spend more and appreciate the experience more, come back again and again, and they’d make their money that way. They weren’t interested in making absolutely as much money as possible.

I don’t blame the company for changing its ways, indeed some of that philosophy was surely responsible for the crisis that instituted Eisner and Wells - but I don’t think it’s all that curious why fans who grew up with that Disney (its features extended through most of the 90s and still in many of the people that work there) to be disappointed that the company they loved has turned very much into the kind of company it used to espouse to hate.

 

[lazyboy97o]

No but I did move up in my company and learn different functions. Im saying according to the other poster Paul what's his name as been in the theme park business for 28 years and learned not a thing about theme parks??

And yes if I was in the hotel industry for 28 years I would hope to know something.

Lol oh I did go back to culinary school and learn French pasteries. So yeah I would expect this Paul dude to know a bit

Are you talking about Paul Pressler? Pressler's entire career in theme parks lasted 8 disastrous years. He was made president of Disneyland in 1994, promoted to head of the parks in 1998 and left in 2002. He came from The Disney Store and had no prior experience. During his tenure two guests were killed at Disneyland due to the management practices he initiated and were retained by his loyal second, Cynthia Harris, who took his job as president of Disneyland. He left Disney to be CEO of The Gap, and his tenure there ended with the company in near financial ruin.

Jay Rasulo, a man who rather openly detested theme parks, is probably the most experience head of the parks in over 20 years. His background was primarily in real estate but he did do stints at Disney Regional Entertainment (those huge success of DisneyQuest and ESPN Zone) and Disneyland Paris before getting the top parks position. Result was also part of the reviled Strategic Planning Group.

Tom Staggs had no prior industry experience. He was a key figure in the Strategic Planning Group.

Bob Chapek had no prior industry experience.

The created, removed and recently created again position of overseeing the American and European resorts tapped resort leaders. In each case a person who, while in the industry, had no prior operations experience before leading the resort. Meg Crofton's background was in in Human Resources and Catherine Powell's background is publicity.

 

[Chef Mickey]

They do deserve to make money, and they do deserve to make profit. No question about it. Unfortunately, they do seem to be the standard for parks, everyone knows this. Remember when Disneyland hit $100 for a day at the park? Well, other places follow. It means Universal then becomes more expensive than before, or Sea World or Six Flags. Granted, Disney is still the best experience overall of course.

There are some things they could change of course. Parking does not have to be $22 for instance.

Disney Parks’ margins are public information and they aren’t even close to insane.

Imagine the capital requirements, labor costs, maintenance, r&d and insurance costs to run a small city? It’s why parks only profit about 20 cents for every dollar BEFORE paying taxes.

Price increases have definitely happened, but I don’t see a problem with it, particularly because the parks are so crowded. I’d pay double to reduce crowds 30%.

 

[Chef Mickey]

Are you talking about Paul Pressler? Pressler's entire career in theme parks lasted 8 disastrous years. He was made president of Disneyland in 1994, promoted to head of the parks in 1998 and left in 2002. He came from The Disney Store and had no prior experience. During his tenure two guests were killed at Disneyland due to the management practices he initiated and were retained by his loyal second, Cynthia Harris, who took his job as president of Disneyland. He left Disney to be CEO of The Gap, and his tenure there ended with the company in near financial ruin.

Jay Rasulo, a man who rather openly detested theme parks, is probably the most experience head of the parks in over 20 years. His background was primarily in real estate but he did do stints at Disney Regional Entertainment (those huge success of DisneyQuest and ESPN Zone) and Disneyland Paris before getting the top parks position. Result was also part of the reviled Strategic Planning Group.

Tom Staggs had no prior industry experience. He was a key figure in the Strategic Planning Group.

Bob Chapek had no prior industry experience.

The created, removed and recently created again position of overseeing the American and European resorts tapped resort leaders. In each case a person who, while in the industry, had no prior operations experience before leading the resort. Meg Crofton's background was in in Human Resources and Catherine Powell's background is publicity.

I’d argue Chapek has been the worst of the ones you listed.

 

[lazyboy97o]

I’d argue Chapek has been the worst of the ones you listed.

Bob hasn't killed anyone.

 

[wdisney9000]

No matter what we think of the current leadership, we still go. And, every year more and more families attend. I suppose what I'm trying to say is that it doesn't matter what any of us think about leadership.

The current leadership should practice less hubris and more humility. They seem to not view their lack of theme park experience as being part of the problem. When faced with a situation such as the recent (slight) drop in attendance, panic ensues and as @lazyboy97o pointed out, nobody knows how to explain it to the shareholders/BOD. Their solutions is a "one size fits all" business strategy which is cutback on spending and raise prices, which may balance the bottom line for the moment and smiles return to the execs faces while they pat each on the back for doing little more than putting duck tape over the hole in the bottom of the boat and all the while their hubris blinds them from even attempting to ascertain how the hole got their in the first place and what should be done to actually repair it and/or prevent it from occurring again.

"Success is one of the worst enemies of success, because success tends to breed complacency and lack of humility,” - C. Koch

 

[DisneyDoctor]

The current leadership should practice less hubris and more humility. They seem to not view their lack of theme park experience as being part of the problem. When faced with a situation such as the recent (slight) drop in attendance, panic ensues and as @lazyboy97o pointed out, nobody knows how to explain it to the shareholders/BOD. Their solutions is a "one size fits all" business strategy which is cutback on spending and raise prices, which may balance the bottom line for the moment and smiles return to the execs faces while they pat each on the back for doing little more than putting duck tape over the hole in the bottom of the boat and all the while their hubris blinds them from even attempting to ascertain how the hole got their in the first place and what should be done to actually repair it and/or prevent it from occurring again.

"Success is one of the worst enemies of success, because success tends to breed complacency and lack of humility,” - C. Koch

What do you think the “hole in the bottom of the boat” is though? As far as I can tell, WDW isn’t hurting whatsoever.

 

[lazyboy97o]

What do you think the “hole in the bottom of the boat” is though? As far as I can tell, WDW isn’t hurting whatsoever.

Then why the panic?

 

[DisneyDoctor]

Then why the panic?

I'm not panicking.. Who is panicking?

 

[larryz]

It is a business. Its main goal is to make money. In a world dominated by money, whether we like it or not, of course their main concern is money. I'm not sure where this disconnect is originating from.

I don't care if you are the most morally ethic person in the world, if your main goal isn't making money you won't have a business for too long.

So, are you becoming a doctor to make money?

 

[DisneyDoctor]

So, are you becoming a doctor to make money?

Among other reasons yes. Entering medical school would be a foolish decision if doctors didn't make a lot of money. 60k a year for medical school + undergrad is tough to pay off. By the end of it all I estimate I'll be around 400k in debt. So, yes, money plays a substantial role.

Anyone who denies money's role when deciding to pursue medicine is lying both to you and themselves. Or, they were fortunate enough to have everything paid for by their parents. There are plenty of other ways to change lives and help people become healthier.

 

[lazyboy97o]

I'm not panicking.. Who is panicking?

Disney is panicking about their dip in attendance.

 

[DisneyDoctor]

Disney is panicking about their dip in attendance.

Hmm I haven't heard that. Do you have an article or something else I can read to catch me up to speed on it?

 

[winstongator]

Disney Parks’ margins are public information and they aren’t even close to insane.

Imagine the capital requirements, labor costs, maintenance, r&d and insurance costs to run a small city? It’s why parks only profit about 20 cents for every dollar BEFORE paying taxes.

Price increases have definitely happened, but I don’t see a problem with it, particularly because the parks are so crowded. I’d pay double to reduce crowds 30%.

You can also look up the parks & resorts segment margins going back a fair time - easily 10 years. I looked it up once when I was interested in how the price increases might be impacting it.

 

[RustySpork]

Among other reasons yes. Entering medical school would be a foolish decision if doctors didn't make a lot of money. 60k a year for medical school + undergrad is tough to pay off. By the end of it all I estimate I'll be around 400k in debt. So, yes, money plays a substantial role.

Anyone who denies money's role when deciding to pursue medicine is lying both to you and themselves. Or, they were fortunate enough to have everything paid for by their parents. There are plenty of other ways to change lives and help people become healthier.

That, or they're passionate about helping people. Lots of doctors live modest lives because helping people is more important to them than driving a flashy lambo. Money is a means to an end, it's not the meaning of life.

 

[wdisney9000]

Hmm I haven't heard that. Do you have an article or something else I can read to catch me up to speed on it?

Your passion to defend Disney as a business should be matched by a healthy knowledge of current affairs within the company itself. Otherwise, why speak up?

 

[DisneyDoctor]

Your passion to defend Disney as a business should be matched by a healthy knowledge of current affairs within the company itself. Otherwise, why speak up?

That's a cop out. Admittedly I'm a little behind on current affairs outside of healthcare. So, if you could please share what you've been reading I would appreciated it.

Edit: a quick search revealed an article from this August stating attendance was up..