Chapek participated in a Q&A today at the Paley Center for Media’s International Council Summit in New York - here are a couple paragraphs from the article. More at the linked article below -
Chapek defended new pricing and reservations systems at theme parks developed during Covid while they were shut. They’ve helped manage attendance and improve the guest experience, but also generated some controversy. The old systems were antiquated “and treated everyone as one size fits all… We would wear it as a badge of courage,” he said. “The one thing that was clear is that people do not want to be treated the same,” he said. Some patrons are on a budget, others want a more “bespoke” experience.
He said virtual theme park visits are unlikely, even with the burgeoning metaverse. But some behind the scenes looks are possible. “People like to get off attractions and see exactly how those ghosts in the Haunted Mansion work. [They] say, ‘I want to check that out. It’s usually the reason why rides stop… We can give you that ability, to exit the theme park virtually and figure out what makes that tick.”
Then, when you’re watching Disney+, The Haunted Mansion movie will be served up as your first choice, not buried on page four.”
Bob Chapek Talks Streaming Headwinds, Next Generation Storytelling And Virtual Theme Parks After Disney Earnings Misfire Spooks Wall Street
The CEO sat for a Q&A at the Paley Center the day after the company reported disappointing quarterly earnings.deadline.com
In layman's terms, he seems to be saying "we want to give people the best experience that they can afford."The first paragraph is all you need to read to know he truly doesn't get it.
@HauntedPirate What do you want them to change in order to go back to treating everyone the same?
And now according to Chapek , “ small staff reductions “ ( aka layoffs ).
They could start by more park hours for everyone. Disneyland is open to midnight for everyone. Not just “deluxe resort” guests.
The entire point of Club 33 used to be that it was SECRET, not another generally advertised product. By and large the people using it were industry big shots and folks being wined and dined by the company, not wealthy day guests ducking in after riding Pirates.
A not so "SECRET" secret designed to glean big $$$$ off of high-end customers / guests. The board and B.C. are more than happy to allow the not so "SECRET" Club 33 to be marketed to the folks that have a few extra $$$ for a different more reclusive experience at a Disney Property.
No, Club 33 was not created for customers. It was for business partners. Even when membership was opened to the public it was not advertised, it was something one had to know about. Expanding and rather openly selling membership came much later.
Original concept maybe. Over the last 5 years there has been advertising, though I would not call it marketing, of Club 33 emphasizing its exclusivity plus price of membership. So, though not created for "customers" it evolved into something for a particular niche of high-end customers.
Prior to 2010 I’d agree, for the last decade + it’s been an exclusive experience for wealthy guests though.
Yes. The entire point is over more then the last decade, Disney has been heavily stratifying the park experience, creating multiple classes of customers. The resorts used to cater to a very broad "middle class." Club 33 was not an example of stratifying the park experience because, until recently, it was not intended for guests and was kept largely sectet.
Eisner built a lot of half day parks. The current situation is very much a result of building parks as small as possible to count as a full day on a spreadsheet.
