News Disney CEO Bob Chapek reiterates his belief that park reservations are now an essential part of Disney's theme parks business

[Lilofan]

Maybe not even then. The one thing this pandemic is showing them, is how much more people are willing to pay when they can't visit for a couple years.

Very true. Some in family has been working at home for last 2 years, saving quite a bit on commuting costs , dry cleaning, daily lunches, wear and tear on vehicles and have money to spend even with high prices on vacation.

 

[drizgirl]

I can see this being annoying for locals and APs, but as a “tourist”, out of country visitor, this really makes no difference for me.

Whether I go to Italy, New York, or Disney, I book my events in advance, with date / time slots set.

Much of a muchness for a traveller like me.

It does when you show up and lines are all longer than your last trip because the yield management team cut staff in the parks based on those reservation numbers.

 

[Disney Analyst]

It does when you show up and lines are all longer than your last trip because the yield management team cut staff in the parks based on those reservation numbers.

I think at this point staffing is going to be an issue, reservations or not.

It's an issue everywhere.

I am looking more long term in my view. Hopefully by the time I am ready to book a trip and spend the money required, staffing will be sorted out, and reservations managed well.

 

[Disstevefan1]

Maybe not even then. The one thing this pandemic is showing them, is how much more people are willing to pay when they can't visit for a couple years.

THIS!
The pandemic SHOULD have killed the theme parks. As stated above, the closure worked more like taking the drugs from the addict.
The pandemic will go down in Disney history as a positive turning point for TWDC. For the guest, not so much.

 

[Disney Analyst]

It may not, now, but it does have an effect when you want to be spontaneous. I am the "family in CO." Not the once every 5 years, but I do live in CO. There is a new Gargoyle mug that is coming out at Trader Sam's at DLR Friday. They announced it on Tuesday. Due to SWA shredding our bag on our last trip, we have over $600 in LUV vouchers burning a hole in our pocket. If it weren't for the dang reservation system, I would have booked the flight, and bought a 2 or 3-day DL ticket and flown down. But no reservations for this weekend. I don't even need to ride a bunch of rides, but I do want to get in the parks at least. So they could have sold a mug to me, and pocketed several hundred dollars by the time I got done shopping and eating. Instead, they will sell it to a local who doesn't even do Disney but a buddy told him to download the app, reserve a slot, go buy the mug and then flip it on the secondary market.

Again, I can fully empathize with the fact this has changed the long held and more spontaneous habits of many on here, who otherwise would visit Disney on a whim as needed or wanted.

I am just sharing from the perspective of an out of country visitor, who would be planning in advance, this is just like any other travel I would do, needing to book something in advance.

 

[UNCgolf]

Disney big fear among others is an outsider coming in , breaking up the company and selling parts of the company to the highest bidder.

I don't think that's a fear.

It was a fear 40 years ago, but current Disney is essentially beyond that level. There aren't many companies that could afford to buy even parts of current Disney.

 

[Disney Analyst]

WSJ really called out the message boards, haha:

 

[Lilofan]

I don't think that's a fear.

It was a fear 40 years ago, but current Disney is essentially beyond that level. There aren't many companies that could afford to buy even parts of current Disney.

When Iger became CEO years ago , he even had an idea of selling off the parks. Then why the fear of hiring an outsider? Still can't see a list of outside candidates other than insider Chapek who got the top job .

 

[MerlinTheGoat]

I have to think this is a case of protecting him is somehow protecting them. As if another leadership change so soon would make investors even more concerned about the company's future.

Either that, or there's money being shadily shifted around at the top of the food chain. With the everyday non-board shareholders being kept out of the loop. Might sound a bit conspiratorial, but it's hardly unprecedented in the corporate world.

 

[jpeden]

I wish they would sell the parks off or at least Disney World. I imagine they’ll never sell DL, but wouldn’t it be great if they could get OLC to buy WDW? Imagine having all four of those parks run on the same level and quality as Japan.

 

[the.dreamfinder]

It's the truth. He's of the belief the parks are for carnies.

Walt Disney World is the Coney Island of the 21st century.

 

[AndyS2992]

Whole thing is stupid anyway as it doesn't take in to account that people can park hop at 2pm without a reservation so hundreds of people could flood in to Animal Kingdom at 2pm and the system has no way of knowing or preparing for this so staff levels will be totally inadequate. And the fact you can park hop to 'sold out' parks after 2pm..

 

[Lilofan]

Walt Disney World is the Coney Island of the 21st century.

Need hot dog king Joey Chestnut to promote eating contests in front of the Castle.

 

[the.dreamfinder]

I wish they would sell the parks off or at least Disney World. I imagine they’ll never sell DL, but wouldn’t it be great if they could get OLC to buy WDW? Imagine having all four of those parks run on the same level and quality as Japan.

That was in part a reaction to post 9/11 PTSD in the C-Suite combined with the ‘08 recession creating the real fear that their ATM could be turned off.

 

[lazyboy97o]

It does when you show up and lines are all longer than your last trip because the yield management team cut staff in the parks based on those reservation numbers.

It’s not so much that they cut staffing based on reservations, but that they limit visitation based on staffing. That in and of itself is not a bad idea. The problem is that they still want people to be just the right amount of miserable. They overpack the parks for the reduced staffing so it doesn’t matter if you’re visiting on a lower attended day they make it feel like a busier day.

I think at this point staffing is going to be an issue, reservations or not.

It's an issue everywhere.

I am looking more long term in my view. Hopefully by the time I am ready to book a trip and spend the money required, staffing will be sorted out, and reservations managed well.

This isn’t an issue of current staffing shortages. Disney was working to keep staffing low and increase crowding before the pandemic, it was a big part of NextGen.

 

[drizgirl]

that they still want people to be just the right amount of miserable.

That's really it in a nutshell.

 

[Magenta Panther]

Iger and Chapek have taken the caricature of Disney being an evil greedy empire masquerading as a wholesome family entertainment company and made that caricature a reality.

Walt's company will never regain the sterling reputation it once had for families. The clumsy pandering, the price-gouging, the blatant greed, the political idiocies...jesus. All because of two oblivious, greedy, shallow men and the nutcases they've hired.

It is to weep.

 

[Magenta Panther]

He's not clueless, but he thinks his customers are.

Exactly. It's the not-so-well-hidden contempt that radiates from Chapek that angers me the most. He thinks we're suckers. That our love for Disney will keep us spending no matter how much ticket prices rise and how badly the parks deteriorate. I was so happy to read that Universal's guest attendance is now reportedly greater than WDW's, except for the Magic Kingdom - and this is before Epic Universe opens. I hope that when EU does open, it kicks MK's butt. I truly do. It needs to happen.

 

[Patcheslee]

It's nice to get some actual second hand confirmation of this.

This is why no matter how many message board people grumble, this tool is way more powerful of a control lever than people think. Unless it's drastically causing resort wide attendance loss (sorry, it almost certainly isn't)... they are never going to be motivated to get rid of it.

Of course, it would be nice if Chapek was actually honest about it, but he is not an actual idiot.

I guess because they can pull leavers to adjust availability, it would only take adjusting who reservations are available for. So if they have low resort bookings but show even 1 park at capacity, throw in more for resort guests.

 

[Vegas Disney Fan]

I can see this being annoying for locals and APs, but as a “tourist”, out of country visitor, this really makes no difference for me.

Whether I go to Italy, New York, or Disney, I book my events in advance, with date / time slots set.

Much of a muchness for a traveller like me.

The reservation system isn’t a massive deal for us either, we live half way across the country so we book months in advance anyway, the bare minimum staffing based on the reservations was very noticeable once we got in the parks though, as was the longer lines due to G+, the push for everything to be done via mobile order, the lack of entertainment, etc… all together our last trip last Nov was unfortunately a noticeably diminished experience.

That said, we still love it and will be back in a few months. We just go with lower expectations knowing we’ll spend less time in the (Disney) parks than before. What would have been second days at MK and EP are now booked at Uni (along with a couple nights of Uni hotel rooms) and if this trip is like our last trip we’ll leave HS and AK early to dine at Disney Springs (because the lines were unbearable with genie+ and the loss of entertainment).

We still love it but the fact we are only going for 4 days/5 nights instead of our normal 6 days/7 nights says a lot about how much the changes affected our last trip and our expectations for future trips.