News Disney CEO Bob Chapek suggests price hikes are coming to the parks thanks to guest demand

[dreday3]

I usually book in July for January and there's usually a ton of availability. I've never done October and spring is always weird depending on the timing of Easter and breaks.

I'm not saying it's nothing, but it's not necessarily something.

Yeah I'm probably just used to October bookings which normally fill up pretty fast. And the days we are going, Spring Break should pretty much be over, so maybe we are in a sweet spot!

 

[CaptainAmerica]

Yeah I'm probably just used to October bookings which normally fill up pretty fast. And the days we are going, Spring Break should pretty much be over, so maybe we are in a sweet spot!

Are you going the week following Easter, or the week following that one?

 

[CaptainAmerica]

We arrive the Tuesday after the Tuesday following Easter.

Easter is on April 9th, we arrive April 18th. Run Disney is also the weekend before we arrive, so hopefully those crowds gone by Tuesday. Although I don't know how crowded they make things.

Should be dope, I love that time of year. 25% chance of scorching heat and you might have the odd school district with a late Spring Break, but otherwise that's my preferred week. Our kids' school breaks are occasionally attached to Easter and occasionally one week removed. When it's one week removed we go to WDW, otherwise we're trying to find something to escape the crowds like a cruise or camping.

 

[MrPromey]

"Don't pay thousand dollar signing bonuses to entry-level QS F&B unless you absolutely have to"?

My employer has offered a $1,000 referral bonus on all positions for over a decade - including non-skilled warehouse work.

Bonuses are easy. What's harder is actually raising that standard wage because a one time payout of $1,000 selectively to only newhires and only in certain positions (likely paid in pieces over time as milestones are met) is nothing compared to committing to a permanent higher competitive wage.

That is what Disney doesn't want to do - uniformly raise wages across property to something compelling enough to fill all those positions.

It might be understandable if not for the whole record-breaking profit thing.

 

[CaptainAmerica]

My employer has offered a $1,000 referral bonus on all positions for over a decade - including non-skilled warehouse work.

Bonuses are easy. What's harder is actually raising that standard wage because a one time payout of $1,000 selectively to only newhires and only in certain positions (likely paid in pieces over time as milestones are met) is nothing compared to committing to a permanent higher competitive wage.

That is what Disney doesn't want to do - uniformly raise wages across property to something compelling enough to fill all those positions.

It might be understandable if not for the whole record-breaking profit thing.

They literally just did what you're accusing them of not doing.

Disney workers to see raise to at least $15 an hour

The new minimum wage starts Sunday.

www.mynews13.com

Every employer in the country is having trouble filling open headcount right now. "Disney being uniquely stingy" has absolutely nothing to do with it.

 

[Cliff]

You want longer park hours and later closing times? Easy.....avoid buying food a merch until later in the evening. If we do this in very high numbers, Disney analytics will pickup those metrics and adjust their park hours to meet our spending patterns. That's how WE influence Disney and "beat the system", so to speak.

It's "OUR" habbits that are causing many of the things we complain about. High prices, over crowding and short park hours are a byproduct "OUR" park habbits.

If we want Disney to change...."we" need to start that change. Disney is just reacting to the patterns that we gnerate.

Blaming Disney for everything is super easy....but "we" as consumers are equally to blame as well.

 

[Lilofan]

You want longer park hours and later closing times? Easy.....avoid buying food a merch until later in the evening. If we do this in very high numbers, Disney analytics will pickup those metrics and adjust their park hours to meet our spending patterns. That's how WE influence Disney and "beat the system", so to speak.

It's "OUR" habbits that are causing many of the things we complain about. High prices, over crowding and short park hours are a byproduct "OUR" park habbits.

If we want Disney to change...."we" need to start that change. Disney is just reacting to the patterns that we gnerate.

Blaming Disney for everything is super easy....but "we" as consumers are equally to blame as well.

Nice post. You run your business well. If sales towards the evening are not hitting hourly targets then shorter park hours , cut in staff workload schedules are part of the deal.

 

[bhg469]

You want longer park hours and later closing times? Easy.....avoid buying food a merch until later in the evening. If we do this in very high numbers, Disney analytics will pickup those metrics and adjust their park hours to meet our spending patterns. That's how WE influence Disney and "beat the system", so to speak.

It's "OUR" habbits that are causing many of the things we complain about. High prices, over crowding and short park hours are a byproduct "OUR" park habbits.

If we want Disney to change...."we" need to start that change. Disney is just reacting to the patterns that we gnerate.

Blaming Disney for everything is super easy....but "we" as consumers are equally to blame as well.

They do plenty to shift the consumer habits though. One example I gave in another thread, Ronto Roasters closes at 3PM..

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

I usually book in July for January and there's usually a ton of availability. I've never done October and spring is always weird depending on the timing of Easter and breaks.

I'm not saying it's nothing, but it's not necessarily something.

I’ve noticed a shift in availability for years. Often times “dead” times are booked when “mobbed” times are not. The public has seemed to achieved reinventing the wheel. And nobody likes a square wheel.

 

[CaptainAmerica]

I’ve noticed a shift in availability for years. Often times “dead” times are booked when “mobbed” times are not. The public has seemed to achieved reinventing the wheel. And nobody likes a square wheel.

DVC being the prime example of this. You can get studios over Easter and Christmas all day long, but you better be beating down the door at 11 months if you want Boardwalk the first week of November.

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

DVC being the prime example of this. You can get studios over Easter and Christmas all day long, but you better be beating down the door at 11 months if you want Boardwalk the first week of November.

October, November, January and February as officially the worst times to use DVC - for me - when they used to be the very best

 

[CaptainAmerica]

October, November, January and February as officially the worst times to use DVC - for me - when they used to be the very best

Sometimes you got to Live Aloha, knowwahmsayin?

 

[larryz]

So let me just make sure I’m following:

Yesterday I was told that “value” was subjective - some psychology nonsense there, but whatever. Ok.

Now I’m gonna accept that.

Today, Bob says “we may HAVE or increase prices”
So say they go up 20% in the next year…high but not impossible.

So if it costs 20% more next year than today…doesn’t “value” become objective and declining?

…use small words to explain arguing all sides to me, please?

Value is what you're willing to pay.

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

Value is what you're willing to pay.

If you can’t make any correlation to time and money

 

[Lilofan]

Value is what you're willing to pay.

Value , moderate and deluxe resorts have same limited cleaning services in hotel room .

 

[Cliff]

They do plenty to shift the consumer habits though. One example I gave in another thread, Ronto Roasters closes at 3PM..

There is very likely a customer metric behind this. There is a cutomer buying pattern that tells Disney that operating this after 3pm is not what customers are interested in. (In strong numbers anyway)

Practically every decision that Disney makes is based on "our" patterns and "our" habbits. Its the old "cause and effect" principle. "We" are the "cause" and Disney implements the "effect".

If 50% of the crowd leaves the park every day before 8pm...that "action" has a calculated financial "reaction" for that habbit or pattern.

 

[larryz]

Why should value increase? When a 12 ounce can of Coke goes up in price, do you expect a bigger can?

Coca-Cola, now with 20% more enjoyment!

 

[larryz]

B.C. is no actor or even good speech maker. When he attempts to all he succeeds in doing is coming off as disingenuous.

At least The Weatherman could be smooth in front of audiences...

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

Why should value increase? When a 12 ounce can of Coke goes up in price, do you expect a bigger can?

That’s a price increase. Less product/less capacity for more price is a tad different.

(no need to go get your frosh Econ book…I know what you’ll say )

 

[Sir_Cliff]

You want longer park hours and later closing times? Easy.....avoid buying food a merch until later in the evening. If we do this in very high numbers, Disney analytics will pickup those metrics and adjust their park hours to meet our spending patterns. That's how WE influence Disney and "beat the system", so to speak.

It's "OUR" habbits that are causing many of the things we complain about. High prices, over crowding and short park hours are a byproduct "OUR" park habbits.

If we want Disney to change...."we" need to start that change. Disney is just reacting to the patterns that we gnerate.

Blaming Disney for everything is super easy....but "we" as consumers are equally to blame as well.

I don't really think there's any way for guests to game the system and make Disney operate the way they prefer through strategic mealtimes or anything like that. This is such a volume business that 4 or 5 families a day buying dinner a few hours later isn't going to do anything.

I think it's more that they are trying to maximise profits in a way that minimises benefits for guests beyond what they feel is necessary to keep them happy and spending. In this case, they figure out how many hours they need to give guests for them to experience X number of attractions which they believe results in a sufficient level of satisfaction and plan accordingly. After a certain point they see it as diminishing returns and increasingly judge the cost-benefit equation is not favourable enough for them.

The only thing that will change any of that is a major shift in guest sentiment and behaviour. As the recent quarterly results have shown, they can shrug off people here and there deciding to stop visiting at the moment because they have more demand than they can handle. My suspicion is this management approach will eventually cause problems because they seem to have taken it to such an extreme degree in trying to micromanage and monetise almost everything in the interests of efficiency in a way that seems almost oblivious to the how this feels for the guests actually visiting the parks. That said, I've been around Disney forums for enough years to have seen many tipping points that weren't.