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

[Sirwalterraleigh]

Remember when you could buy a park hopper ticket and decide what park you wanted to visit that morning, and then go somewhere else a couple hours later if you wanted to?

That was just 3 years ago.

That is gonzo, Bud…

They have wanted this for decades and used a Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome to shove in something that was but a dream prior.

So I’ll never ride RNRC and tower and go to San Angel or Alfredo’s (whatever it’s called) for lunch again…

No Biergarten at 12…and it was so nice to beer and Oompa

 

[Model3 McQueen]

That is gonzo, Bud…

They have wanted this for decades and used a Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome to shove in something that was but a dream prior.

So I’ll never ride RNRC and tower and go to San Angel or Alfredo’s (whatever it’s called) for lunch again…

No Biergarten at 12…and it was so nice to beer and Oompa

And tower is pretty neglected nowadays. It was a shining example of brilliant design, engineering, and storytelling, and they let the show quality of it turn to dust.

 

[JAN J]

There's not a direct relationship between park capacity and the number of park reservations. Disney manipulates the number of reservations to ensure the right number of guests in each park. So even if the MK is below capacity, if the AK demand is too low relative to the labor they're paying for, they'll shut off MK reservations to encourage guests to go to AK (and the other parks).

How do I know this? A conversation with someone in Disney's Yield Management team about how their data scientists have rotating pager coverage one weekend a month. I was like "What kind of data emergency would there be for a statistician to be on call on a weekend?" He said that if park caps needed adjusting and re-modeling the financials at the last minute, someone was on call to do it.

This is actually sad. Not only you can’t decide on what park to go on the day of your visit, but they will shut down reservations in one park and prevent it from reaching capacity just to try to force people into another.

 

[Grumpy4196]

…you can get rooms. At least as of like last week.

What are you seeing?

Plenty of the value and moderate have availability while the deluxe do not. Isn't it typically the other way around 2 months out?

 

[Sir_Cliff]

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 this captures it perfectly. When you hear Chapek talk in that WSJ clip, what he's saying actually sounds reasonable in terms of managing capacity in order to improve guest experience and avoid turning people away at the gate. The problem is, I haven't heard anyone at all suggest the park-going experience has gotten better with the reservation system in place. If anything, most of the comments are that the parks feel more crowded than ever, lines longer than ever, and maintenance worse than ever. So, it seems more like 'managing the miserable' so it is kept within what they consider acceptable limits to maximise their profits without destroying the business rather than 'improving guest experience.'

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

Plenty of the value and moderate have availability while the deluxe do not. Isn't it typically the other way around 2 months out?

Maybe something changed?…but I saw a lot of deluxe when looking recently

If there are no deluxes…they might have taken them off the rack

 

[Nubs70]

Short lines don't sell Genie+ or ILL... the reservation system ensures they can spread crowds around so no park is significantly emptier than any other park and staffing can be reduced to keep lines at just the right length to drive Genie+ sales... and when they look at year over year guest PerCap spending, they will see that it is up some obnoxious amount and Chapek will be lauded by the board as the company's lord and savior... the big question is what they do next to dry to squeeze just a bit more blood from the rocks...

Chapek hasn't tested this system in a recession, yet..

 

[GhostHost1000]

Chapek hasn't tested this system in a recession, yet..

He’s about to

 

[MrPromey]

The guests / customers / consumers / patrons / vacationers / fans etc. (whatever descriptor anyone wants to use) ultimately have the power to impact all Disney decision making. Stop going and stop buying, turn off the money spigot. It will not need to be turned off very long before there is a reaction and a change in attitude. Yes, it will take public will power, lots of will power, but it can happen. Until then BC & Co will be thumbing their nose at everyone.

Protest cancellations (voting with our dollars) will never work.

This isn't a real moral fight and consumers are collectively too weak-willed to pull it off.

You can do it as you but as many here are all too eager to point out, someone will be happy to take your place - "have a magical day!"

People just go and say "Sure it's more expensive and not as nice as it used to be but I think it's still worth it." and they will continue to until they either individually decide it isn't worth it anymore or until they're individually priced out and can't afford to go.

That's just the way it works.

You're not going to get a mass of people saying "I want to go and can afford to go but I'm going to hold out until they start making things better instead of worse so that they don't take things to my breaking point.".

Until they actually alienate enough of their customer base to the point that those people no-longer want to visit or can't visit under the pricing and conditions Disney wants to dictate, there will be no material impact for the company and no change to the way they operate.

Sucks but it's the reality.

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

And tower is pretty neglected nowadays. It was a shining example of brilliant design, engineering, and storytelling, and they let the show quality of it turn to dust.

Tower and splash are the pinnacle of WDI…you can fill out the rest of the commentary on your own

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

Protest cancellations (voting with our dollars) will never work.

This isn't a real moral fight and consumers are collectively too weak-willed to pull it off.

You can do it but as many here are all too eager to point out, someone will be happy to take your place - have a magical day!

People just go and say "Sure it's more expensive and not as nice as it used to be but I think it's still worth it." and they will continue to until they either decide it isn't worth it anymore or until they're priced out.

That's just the way it works.

Until they actually alienate enough of their customer base to the point that they nolonger want to visit under the pricing and conditions Disney wants to dictate, there will be no material impact for the company and no change to the way they operate.

Sucks but it's the reality.

I agree…the “it’s still better than…” mentality is what’s gutting the quality in Disney parks.

It’s the Praetorian manifesto

That sentiment kills any pushback in its tracks. Like apathy in elections.

It’s not a “game changer”…it ends the game before it starts

 

[MrPromey]

I agree…the “it’s still better than…” mentality is what’s gutting the quality in Disney parks...

And unfortunately, that's what gives them the runway to continue lowering standards and raising prices.

It'll have to be well past the point of " it's now worse and way more expensive than" before enough people are willing to step away and there will still be people that insist that everything that isn't Disney "is just not Disney" or fall back on the "I just feel a certain way when I'm there" to justify to themselves and others why it is still worth their money and their time, even then.

Those are just not reasonable or logical positions so there is no reasoning with that argument.*

I guess it's like the saying goes "all good things..." and now, just a matter of where each person decides their stepping off point is.


*and we all have those kinds of feelings about certain things in life. I'm not trying to shame anyone but there will be someone that says it's still worth it well past the point of you thinking it is, whoever you are and wherever your point is.

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

And unfortunately, that's what gives them the runway to continue taking things away.

It'll have to be well past the point of " it's now worse than" before enough people are willing to step away, though.

I guess it's like the saying goes "all good things..." and at this point, just a matter of where each person decides their stepping off point is.

The Management and BOD are awful. That worst in Disney history by a nautical mile.

And Wall Street is leading a charge…from the bow of a glistening yacht…to run the world into the ground.


That being said…I don’t blame any of them for this. They have their interests and they don’t align with ours.

This is on the customers. There has to be boundaries.

 

[Chi84]

And unfortunately, that's what gives them the runway to continue lowering standards and raising prices.

It'll have to be well past the point of " it's now worse and way more expensive than" before enough people are willing to step away, though and there will still be people that insist that everything that isn't Disney "is just not Disney" or fall back on the "I just feel a certain way when I'm there" to justify to themselves and others why it is still worth their money and their time, even then - those are just not reasonable or logical positions so there is no reasoning with that argument.*

I guess it's like the saying goes "all good things..." and now, just a matter of where each person decides their stepping off point is.


*and we all have those kinds of feelings about certain things in life. I'm not trying to shame anyone but there will be someone that says it's still worth it well past the point of you thinking it is, whoever you are and wherever your point is.

I’m at WDW right now. Conditions are much, much improved over my last two visits in October 2021 and April 2022. I’ll try to write more later; have to get to AK today - hoping to do Nomad Lounge for lunch!

 

[dreday3]

I’m at WDW right now. Conditions are much, much improved over my last two visits in October 2021 and April 2022. I’ll try to write more later; have to get to AK today - hoping to do Nomad Lounge for lunch!

Enjoy Topolino's! (I'm going to drink a glass of wine this evening in honor of drinking too much wine).

 

[Lilofan]

Chapek hasn't tested this system in a recession, yet..

If the naysayers are so convinced that recession is here and continuing then if they wanted to make a stock market killing then bet on the market to crash and short it. Some made like bandits in spring 2009. I am not going to join this crowd. The market will rebound and this is a buying opportunity

 

[JoeCamel]

I’m at WDW right now. Conditions are much, much improved over my last two visits in October 2021 and April 2022. I’ll try to write more later; have to get to AK today - hoping to do Nomad Lounge for lunch!

Liquid lunch?

 

[MrPromey]

I’m at WDW right now. Conditions are much, much improved over my last two visits in October 2021 and April 2022. I’ll try to write more later; have to get to AK today - hoping to do Nomad Lounge for lunch!

Glad to hear you're having fun and looking forward to your... should I call it a "report"?

 

[Chi84]

Liquid lunch?

They have excellent small plates but yes, wine will be involved.

 

[Disstevefan1]