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Disney Golf courses to be operated, managed and maintained by Arnold Palmer Golf
- Thread starter wdwmagic
- Start date
Rum Pirate
Active Member
DO WE RUN ANYTHING ANYMORE???? I mean really, we don't even mow the lawn anymore, we subcontract that out, Our cafeteria, Subcontract. Attraction building - Subcontracted, New Attractions - Subcontracted. Just Disapointed, GOOGLE COME SAVE US :shrug:
mickeysaver
Well-Known Member
Of all of the third party subcontracted agreements, this one seems to make really good sense. I don't see this move as being anything other than a win-win for both companies and their customers/guests.
I'll take Arnold Palmer Golf to run, maintain and perhaps innovate these courses any day.....
Pioneer Hall
Well-Known Member
I like the move. Disney still owns the courses, so they will have final say should they not like something. Taking a first class golf operation and letting them run your courses isn't bad at all.
TarzanRocked99-
Well-Known Member
And another division comes off the payrolls, it will be the bus drivers next, the negotiations with Mears are ongoing
freediverdude
Well-Known Member
Ok, maybe we should phrase the question differently. Could someone name the thing(s) that Disney DOES still operate on its own? LOL
Captain Chaos
Well-Known Member
The U.S. theme parks??? And they may be next... :lookaroun
:lol: joking, or am I...
mp2bill
Well-Known Member
"We?" Are you part of Disney management? No sarcasm by the way. I'm genuinely curious.
flFigment
Member
I am completely on the fence with this one. Leaning heavily now towards the fact they shouldn't do this.
I play the Disney courses all the time and not sure how this is going to affect locals from playing the courses. Arnie is a great and amazing man and great business man but I am starting to lean towards the side that they need to keep them under Disney control.
My opinion is that Disney did not want to front the money for a renovation that was needed on the Palm course which I think is needed. First they sell off two great courses then now they are getting rid of them all together to some one else.
This smells like to me another way of MCs way of dismantling Disney magic piece by piece. I am not saying all the magic but she is dropping everything that some of us love about Disney. It seems it is a bottom direct profit line and that is it. I understand it is a business but she has dropped so much for me under her control that it is frustrating the crap out of me. Personally I think it is also smelling of the fact they don't want to actually have to use their brains anymore to come up with something new and let everyone else do it and then they take the credit for it.
I wonder how this is going to affect the tourney they have every year as the Palm is in the rotation of the Walt Disney Classic every year? Are they doing away with the event? Personally I wish they would run it through all the courses with the Mag on the last day only.
I play the Disney courses all the time and not sure how this is going to affect locals from playing the courses. Arnie is a great and amazing man and great business man but I am starting to lean towards the side that they need to keep them under Disney control.
My opinion is that Disney did not want to front the money for a renovation that was needed on the Palm course which I think is needed. First they sell off two great courses then now they are getting rid of them all together to some one else.
This smells like to me another way of MCs way of dismantling Disney magic piece by piece. I am not saying all the magic but she is dropping everything that some of us love about Disney. It seems it is a bottom direct profit line and that is it. I understand it is a business but she has dropped so much for me under her control that it is frustrating the crap out of me. Personally I think it is also smelling of the fact they don't want to actually have to use their brains anymore to come up with something new and let everyone else do it and then they take the credit for it.
I wonder how this is going to affect the tourney they have every year as the Palm is in the rotation of the Walt Disney Classic every year? Are they doing away with the event? Personally I wish they would run it through all the courses with the Mag on the last day only.
stitch2008
Member
:brick:
Disney didn't sell anything. They still own the courses. This just sounds like the deal Cedar Fair has with Gilroy Gardens. They manage things while the City of Gilroy owns the park.
I work in the golf industry, so here's my insight on what may be happening here. I don't think anything is going to change except maybe for the price; and thats a big maybe, cause idk what they are thinking in regards to that. If anyone should be running the Disney courses, it should Arnie. Go golf at one of his courses and you'll know how good of a designer he really is. I have played at two of his courses and they are unbelievable. Best courses I've played to date. I think this is a win win for Disney. They no longer have to pay the costs to maintain the courses(which is a ton btw), and its also the perfect marketing pitch. Saying you have nice golf courses is one thing. Saying you have Arnold Palmer Golf Courses is something else.
This will no affect on the tourney they have. There's no reason to believe that it would. Personally, I cant wait to see what Arnie can do with the courses; especially with the Palm.
menamechris
Well-Known Member
Not being a golfer, I have to defer to the golfers as to whether this a good move or not. What I do know is that Orlando (Central Florida) is currently saturated with golf courses to choose from. And as the core golf demo seems to be aging, I am sure the competition has become even that much fierce. Hopefully, this wasn't just a move by Disney to unload the golf business on someone else, but rather to bring more golfers in who will be attracted to the Arnold Palmer name and brand. I would much rather them create an "alliance" like this than to start closing down more courses...
flFigment
Member
I too have worked in the Golf industry. I have played many of his courses and you are right they are always great. I too am also excited to see what can be done with the Palm. I think that aspect of it is going to be great. I personally think their flagship course being the Mag actually needs work as well. It is a course that sort of lulls me to sleep whenever I play it. There is no thinking about the shots or the way to play the course. It is just hit as far as you can and then get to the green nothing all that exciting about it.
I am hoping it wont affect the tournament but if he is doing a major course renovation then it will have to because they use the palm on rotation for the first two days then move to the Mag for the final two days.
I know they will save on maintaining the courses but it seems as if Disney has stopped being a company of being innovative and being a leader and becoming more of a management company of what every one else can do. I think that this has more to do with the renovation which I am guessing is part of the deal then with anything else. I would like to see them add two more courses back so they can actually have the 99 holes of golf.
flFigment
Member
I agree with that on not closing the courses. It sickens me to think that Osprey is going away soon as it is with Eagle Pines was one of their best courses the had and now it is empty building lots waiting for the multi million dollar homes as part of the Bold new plan for Disney World
rob0519
Well-Known Member
This may be good news / bad news for the golfers. They will get updated and well maintained courses, but at what increase in greens fees and associated costs?
Having been "outsourced" and in the outsourcing industry, this usually does not bode well for the employees. While the article does not state anything speicifally, in a situation like this all employees face a loss of job and benefits with the Disney Corporation. This moves stands to reduce Disney payroll and benefit costs. In almost every case I've been involved with, the majority of the employees are not retained and those that are usually receive a lower wage and reduced benefits as the new operator strives to control expenses and profit.
Having been "outsourced" and in the outsourcing industry, this usually does not bode well for the employees. While the article does not state anything speicifally, in a situation like this all employees face a loss of job and benefits with the Disney Corporation. This moves stands to reduce Disney payroll and benefit costs. In almost every case I've been involved with, the majority of the employees are not retained and those that are usually receive a lower wage and reduced benefits as the new operator strives to control expenses and profit.
Just another in a line of letting somebody else run a part of the business that isn't one of Disney's core competencies. Same reason I pay people to feritilize my lawn, paint my house, build my patio, change the oil in my car, and shovel the snow. I could do all those things, but I'm not as good at them as the people I pay to do them.
Of course, it does seem that Disney is constantly narrowing its definition of its own core competencies.
Of course, it does seem that Disney is constantly narrowing its definition of its own core competencies.
Alektronic
Well-Known Member
They said 300 employees will lose their jobs but will be offered other jobs within the company.
stitch2008
Member
But I really don't see how this changes Disney in anyway. Sure they are outsourcing to another company. But Disney really has done that a lot in the past. Go back to the Matterhorn. The coaster was designed really by Arrow Dynamics(now owned by S&S Power). Even today, Disney does a lot of work with Vekoma. Thunder Mountain, Rockin', and Everest had their coaster layouts designed, engineered and manufactured by Vekoma.
It makes sense to do things like that because while you can do things, someone else may be able to do something better. WDI by all means could build the best coaster in the world. But I were an executive, I'd lean towards giving the job of actually designing the coasters to someone like Vekoma, Intamin, B&M, GCI or Gravity Group because they have more experience with that sort of thing. Same thing is true in this case. Disney COULD run the best golf course in the world. But I think you gotta feel more confident with Arnie at the helm in terms of golf courses.
We wont actually know how this will work out. Arnie is no doubt looking at the courses now and considering any changes he'd like to make in terms of management or course layout. No need to worry about the tourney. If he decides to do major construction on the course, it will be back as soon as the course is finished. I think this also opens the door to TDO having a little more money for the parks and resorts. It may not seem like a lot, but the maintence costs for just one course is very high; let alone 5.
alphac2005
Well-Known Member
I used to be a happy golfing Floridian, so it's true that Arnold Palmer's group will do a very good job with the courses. What this announcement shows us is that the company is treating the property as a mature, solid, but not high growth area for the company and they are continuing to outsource various businesses at WDW.
When I used to go to Disney properties, what made them so special besides the obvious, was that everything was done internally and with the utmost highest quality. That is no longer the case. Everything is an issue of maximizing profit from the Florida property.
Coupled with all the other consolidation activity within the theme parks division, what was once absurd to believe, seems to really have legs, that eventually the company will sell off all or a piece of the theme park business. Disney is just another corporation and business in this country has changed a lot over the years. They are beholden to the giant Wall St. investors who only clamor for the most profit humanly possible and could care less about what makes certain companies special and business is no longer about making a fair amount of profit, it's all about maximizing. It's an institutionally held company that is all about branding and cash flow.
As a former FL resident and decade and a half AP holder, what they've done to the property is very disappointing.
When I used to go to Disney properties, what made them so special besides the obvious, was that everything was done internally and with the utmost highest quality. That is no longer the case. Everything is an issue of maximizing profit from the Florida property.
Coupled with all the other consolidation activity within the theme parks division, what was once absurd to believe, seems to really have legs, that eventually the company will sell off all or a piece of the theme park business. Disney is just another corporation and business in this country has changed a lot over the years. They are beholden to the giant Wall St. investors who only clamor for the most profit humanly possible and could care less about what makes certain companies special and business is no longer about making a fair amount of profit, it's all about maximizing. It's an institutionally held company that is all about branding and cash flow.
As a former FL resident and decade and a half AP holder, what they've done to the property is very disappointing.