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

[Mr Mindcrime]

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

FTFY

 

[Tiggerish]

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.

With zero snark and only respectfully asking for your experience, how exactly do you reconcile this?

We spent probably a decade going to WDW at least twice (sometimes 6x) a year. We own DVC, we have been APs. To be clear, we love WDW.

But the price hikes that started pre-Covid were unpalatable, and now the park reservation thing really p!sses us off. We have two trips planned for December, one to meet up with internet friends (ok, WDWMagic friends, I said it), and the second a family trip initiated by my SIL before her nest completely empties. Time was, we could've purchased a 10-day park hopper that would’ve covered both trips. Now, we can only buy tickets that expire after 14 days, so we will be resort and Disney Springs only for the first visit, and because of the cost, no park hopping on our second visit. I’d really like to strangle my SIL for deciding that her emptying nest needed to visit between Christmas and New Years, making our tickets that much more expensive.

My DH and I are already saying that we’re done with WDW, that we are dreading the trip because of park reservations, and this will be our last go. Been renting out our points for a few years now, and it’s likely that we’ll just do that for the remainder of our contract.

I hate that we’re so disillusioned about WDW, considering all the great times we had there over many years.

 

[Mr Mindcrime]

So it’s up to everyone to accept it…or withdraw your business. Everybody has that freedom.

BINGO! My family withdrew our business and we're not coming back. But one family here and there won't move the needle. Until Bob feels the pain at the gate, this is what will keep happening. If you keep going, Bob and Josh interpret that as you like what they are doing. The ball's in our court.

 

[TrainsOfDisney]

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.

Wherever I go, I don’t book my trips in advance. Everybody travels and plans differently.

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.

I wish Disneyland could be operated by the Disney Family Museum!

 

[Mr Mindcrime]

Of course, it would be nice if Chapek was actually honest about it

"Corporate Speak" and "Politician Speak" are both about one thing only....telling you what they want you to believe while dancing around the outright untruths.

 

[GimpYancIent]

I mean, this is the only reason I haven’t booked a Disney trip.

Reservations aren’t anywhere near a worry for me. But the cost…

Yes. Fully understand. Disney as a destination vacation / trip is not a casual thing and it carries a hefty price tag. Plus, the cost is not going down sooooo if determined to go enjoy and deal with the expenses made later. The cost is going to be there.

 

[Poly1974]

I am just waiting for the snarky ads that Universal is gonna run targeting the reservation system. It's not a matter of if they, but when they will do this. The low hanging fruit is ripe for the picking. If I'm Universal, I'm doing everything I can to open Epic Universe as soon as possible.

 

[EdnaMode]

Florida Locals, I look forward to your reports on the New "Festivals Between The Festivals" when you are once again called upon (roughly around the time Epic Universe fires up their Opening Day TikTok team to thumb their noses at Disney) to save the parks.

The 10% discount on funnel cakes between 7 and 8 pm every Thursday night will have tens of guests streaming into EPCOT.

 

[GimpYancIent]

Florida Locals, I look forward to your reports on the New "Festivals Between The Festivals" when you are once again called upon (roughly around the time Epic Universe fires up their Opening Day TikTok team to thumb their noses at Disney) to save the parks.

The 10% discount on funnel cakes between 7 and 8 pm every Thursday night will have tens of guests streaming into EPCOT.

What if UNI has a funnel cake offer simultaneously?

 

[Vegas Disney Fan]

With zero snark and only respectfully asking for your experience, how exactly do you reconcile this?

We spent probably a decade going to WDW at least twice (sometimes 6x) a year. We own DVC, we have been APs. To be clear, we love WDW.

But the price hikes that started pre-Covid were unpalatable, and now the park reservation thing really p!sses us off. We have two trips planned for December, one to meet up with internet friends (ok, WDWMagic friends, I said it), and the second a family trip initiated by my SIL before her nest completely empties. Time was, we could've purchased a 10-day park hopper that would’ve covered both trips. Now, we can only buy tickets that expire after 14 days, so we will be resort and Disney Springs only for the first visit, and because of the cost, no park hopping on our second visit. I’d really like to strangle my SIL for deciding that her emptying nest needed to visit between Christmas and New Years, making our tickets that much more expensive.

My DH and I are already saying that we’re done with WDW, that we are dreading the trip because of park reservations, and this will be our last go. Been renting out our points for a few years now, and it’s likely that we’ll just do that for the remainder of our contract.

I hate that we’re so disillusioned about WDW, considering all the great times we had there over many years.

Many reasons but primarily two..

1) despite the changes we still have a lot of fun while we are there.
2) we‘ve done the RunDisney races for nearly a decade so we have Disney friends from all over the country, run weekends are like a huge reunion. I think we’d still do room only runDisney weekends even if the parks got so bad we didn’t step foot in them during operating hours.

Edited to add that one of the reasons we’re doing a couple days at Universal is because a lot of our friends are also doing a couple days at Universal. It feels like one person can’t make a difference but it’s not one person, I’d say more than half the “Disney people” I know are spending less time than ever at the parks. The question is whether thousands of regulars going less will be offset by non regulars going more.

 

[TrainsOfDisney]

It seems generally he has a dismissive attitude towards the company's entire film and television side.

He has a dismissive attitude towards everything about the company as far as I can tell.

 

[DisneyDebRob]

With zero snark and only respectfully asking for your experience, how exactly do you reconcile this?

We spent probably a decade going to WDW at least twice (sometimes 6x) a year. We own DVC, we have been APs. To be clear, we love WDW.

But the price hikes that started pre-Covid were unpalatable, and now the park reservation thing really p!sses us off. We have two trips planned for December, one to meet up with internet friends (ok, WDWMagic friends, I said it), and the second a family trip initiated by my SIL before her nest completely empties. Time was, we could've purchased a 10-day park hopper that would’ve covered both trips. Now, we can only buy tickets that expire after 14 days, so we will be resort and Disney Springs only for the first visit, and because of the cost, no park hopping on our second visit. I’d really like to strangle my SIL for deciding that her emptying nest needed to visit between Christmas and New Years, making our tickets that much more expensive.

My DH and I are already saying that we’re done with WDW, that we are dreading the trip because of park reservations, and this will be our last go. Been renting out our points for a few years now, and it’s likely that we’ll just do that for the remainder of our contract.

I hate that we’re so disillusioned about WDW, considering all the great times we had there over many years.

I could have wrote this. Thank you for saving me the time.

 

[GimpYancIent]

Many reasons but primarily two..

1) despite the changes we still have a lot of fun while we are there.
2) we‘ve done the RunDisney races for nearly a decade so we have Disney friends from all over the country, run weekends are like a huge reunion. I think we’d still do room only runDisney weekends even if the parks got so bad we didn’t step foot in them during operating hours.

The very last straw for me, myself and I that kept us motivated to go to the Disney properties was run Disney. Sadly, even that has been diluted to a shadow of what once was. There is a veritable smorgasbord of run events all over the country easily taking care of my running urges. 2019 was my last run Disney year and I don't miss it. It will take a major change and overhaul on many levels for Disney to get my interest again.

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

BINGO! My family withdrew our business and we're not coming back. But one family here and there won't move the needle. Until Bob feels the pain at the gate, this is what will keep happening. If you keep going, Bob and Josh interpret that as you like what they are doing. The ball's in our court.

It’s not something like this that matters. It’s when they analyze, process it, and make a new policy or price based on it.

It’s the slippery slope that gets you in the end.

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

With zero snark and only respectfully asking for your experience, how exactly do you reconcile this?

We spent probably a decade going to WDW at least twice (sometimes 6x) a year. We own DVC, we have been APs. To be clear, we love WDW.

But the price hikes that started pre-Covid were unpalatable, and now the park reservation thing really p!sses us off. We have two trips planned for December, one to meet up with internet friends (ok, WDWMagic friends, I said it), and the second a family trip initiated by my SIL before her nest completely empties. Time was, we could've purchased a 10-day park hopper that would’ve covered both trips. Now, we can only buy tickets that expire after 14 days, so we will be resort and Disney Springs only for the first visit, and because of the cost, no park hopping on our second visit. I’d really like to strangle my SIL for deciding that her emptying nest needed to visit between Christmas and New Years, making our tickets that much more expensive.

My DH and I are already saying that we’re done with WDW, that we are dreading the trip because of park reservations, and this will be our last go. Been renting out our points for a few years now, and it’s likely that we’ll just do that for the remainder of our contract.

I hate that we’re so disillusioned about WDW, considering all the great times we had there over many years.

I could have wrote this. Thank you for saving me the time.

…there’s always a big “but” to these types of posts…

Temptation is the devil’s “vessel”

 

[EdnaMode]

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).

It's brilliant, brilliant, brilliant!!

If they're selling too many $6.49 Dole Whips and not enough $13.50 Cookies-n-Cream funnel cakes, they can shut off the Dole Whip machine.

 

[Tha Realest]

I wish the Disney family in general were still involved with the company, like The Schulz family is with Peanuts or the Ford family.

Based on some of the more vocal living Disney family members, nah

 

[Coaster Lover]

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 try to squeeze just a bit more blood from the rocks...

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

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.

It would take shockingly little to actually end a policy. Small percentages of drops.

But you have to say “no”. There is no need to “well…why not?” All the time.

Don’t book boo bash.

Don’t book after hours.

Don’t buy “rise of the lame ride”


Not really anything hard or new to understand.

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

I get the impression that Diane and Ron Miller's kids are a little more stable and certainly more celebratory of the legacy of their grandpa's company.

Or they were told not to care…as grandpa’s name was essentially bought by their great uncle for company use in the 60’s…board fighting forced mom’s cousin to stand down in the 70’s…and then Cous came back and had Dad fired in the 80’s


…and that is sadly NOT making something more twisted than it actually is.