News Disney Park Pass System announced for Walt Disney World theme park reservations

[ToTBellHop]

Early April? My ears perked up. What does this mean?

I was just referring to HEA, EF, and TRON. Nothing unannounced. The coordinated timing is meant drive bookings.

 

[dreday3]

…they don’t need to convince you…

…might work on me though

I'm glad you were able to release those feelings.

 

[monothingie]

Disney parks were making record revenue every quarter when allowed to re-open. There are most definitely *not* on razor thin margins.

That is absolutely not true. The cutbacks, layoffs, price increases have been repeatedly documented on this site whenever the bean counters start panicking at TDO.

And Disney is keeping crowd control measures in place either with date-of-attendance tickets or the park reservation system. D'Amaro just doubled down in an interview on the reservation system to keep crowds in check.

Yes, he repeated the talking point. The same one they've been using Park Pass to deal with "unprecedented demand." It's working very well, the parks have never been more enjoyable to be in.

MK is beating guests back with multiple sticks because it's that popular.

If IoA, USF, Volcano Bay, and SeaWorld have not stopped WDW's continued growth, then one more park with 12 rides ain't going to do it either.

WDW is and will continue to be a juggernaut in central Florida. But looking where the trend line for rate of growth, it should be alarming to Disney.

I do want EU to be successful. But its success won't hurt WDW.

So, I would argue that there is at some point an upper limit to the total number of tourists visiting Central Florida. I don't think we're there yet, but at some point it will become a zero-sum game. I do know that people are spending more time at USO, and that will only increase with EU.

 

[Drdcm]

Disney parks were making record revenue every quarter when allowed to re-open. There are most definitely *not* on razor thin margins.

And Disney is keeping crowd control measures in place either with date-of-attendance tickets or the park reservation system. D'Amaro just doubled down in an interview on the reservation system to keep crowds in check.

MK is beating guests back with multiple sticks because it's that popular.

If IoA, USF, Volcano Bay, and SeaWorld have not stopped WDW's continued growth, then one more park with 12 rides ain't going to do it either.

I do want EU to be successful. But its success won't hurt WDW.

Until it doesn’t draw the crowds it once did. MK has had poor attendance in the past, and can poor attendance in the future. All it takes is a lot of people to lose their jobs, or fear of travel. Long term, the loss of a dedicated fan base could make a difference between sinking and swimming.

 

[monothingie]

Until it doesn’t draw the crowds it once did. MK has had poor attendance in the past, and can poor attendance in the future. All it takes is a lot of people to lose their jobs, or fear of travel. Long term, the loss of a dedicated fan base could make a difference between sinking and swimming.

While anything is possible, that won't happen as drastically as presented.

Disney has many levers to pull to deal with scenarios associated with economic downturns and changes in travel habits. That doesn't mean in anyway that the outcome would be good. But each of these contingencies that could be used would certain put Disney in same position it was in, in the late 2000's and early 2010's.

 

[monothingie]

A toddler park in Texas and a haunted house in Vegas are not an issue, though. Epic Universe certainly is. Most won’t skip Disney, but if they skip Epcot to go to Epic Universe, that costs Disney money. They need to be worried that people will just go to MK (keeping it overcrowded) while abandoning the other parks for other attractions in Central Florida.

It's an interesting approach with EU because of the demographics that it may attract.

Disney specifically the MK and through a large chunk of their current popular IP is primarily focused towards girls K-8.
You have USO with IOA and eventually EU which has/will have an appeal to boys K-12 .

IF IP is what guides people to parks, then this is a problem, especially when USO has Nintendo and Marvel. If I were Disney, I'd certainly be worried about how they can get that back.

 

[mikejs78]

the parks have never been more enjoyable to be in

When is the last time you've been to one of the WDW parks?

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

The reservation system is not to limit Attendance…it’s to disperse it.

Good god…believing every sham said from someone behind a name tag is getting to the point it should be covered under ada

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

When is the last time you've been to one of the WDW parks?

Ummm…about a month ago? I think

 

[Drdcm]

While anything is possible, that won't happen as drastically as presented.

Disney has many levers to pull to deal with scenarios associated with economic downturns and changes in travel habits. That doesn't mean in anyway that the outcome would be good. But each of these contingencies that could be used would certain put Disney in same position it was in, in the late 2000's and early 2010's.

Yeah that’s pretty much what I was getting at. All the perks we complain about losing now, came to be because of past economic downturns.

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

Yeah that’s pretty much what I was getting at. All the perks we complain about losing now, came to be because of past economic downturns.

Not entirely

But the past recessions were immediately - upfront acknowledged by the corner suite and BOD as times to go into holding patterns on prices and profits and use the time and circumstances out of their control to build up customer cred on the back end

That’s how it was

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

It's an interesting approach with EU because of the demographics that it may attract.

Disney specifically the MK and through a large chunk of their current popular IP is primarily focused towards girls K-8.
You have USO with IOA and eventually EU which has/will have an appeal to boys K-12 .

IF IP is what guides people to parks, then this is a problem, especially when USO has Nintendo and Marvel. If I were Disney, I'd certainly be worried about how they can get that back.

Two ride rethemes, a restaurant and the xwing coaster…for starters

 

[MisterPenguin]

That is absolutely not true. The cutbacks, layoffs, price increases have been repeatedly documented on this site whenever the bean counters start panicking at TDO.

You see panic. I see greed. That's why their yield per person keeps growing and quarterly revenue keeps rising.

And do you know who has been repeatedly documenting Disney's financials on this site? Me.

You should join us for the regular quaterly call thread in which I and others record and comment on the quarterly calls in real time.

Check out the actual financial statements rather then people reading tea leaves about what a price increase *really means.*

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

You see panic. I see greed. That's why their yield per person keeps growing and quarterly revenue keeps rising.

And do you know who has been repeatedly documenting Disney's financials on this site? Me.

You should join us for the regular quaterly call thread in which I and others record and comment on the quarterly calls in real time.

Check out the actual financial statements rather then people reading tea leaves about what a price increase *really means.*

When you sell emotion…and nostalgia…charts only tell part of the story

Now you get to pass go and I’ll Venmo you the $200

 

[HauntedPirate]

When is the last time you've been to one of the WDW parks?

(I may be wrong, but I think his comment was sarcasm. -2 points for not using the sarcasm font!)

 

[HauntedPirate]

You see panic. I see greed. That's why their yield per person keeps growing and quarterly revenue keeps rising.

And do you know who has been repeatedly documenting Disney's financials on this site? Me.

You should join us for the regular quaterly call thread in which I and others record and comment on the quarterly calls in real time.

Check out the actual financial statements rather then people reading tea leaves about what a price increase *really means.*

Honestly, you're both right - They are greedy, and now in a panic. Not a good combination, from my seat in the nosebleeds. Can't afford anything better because of the prices these days.

Edit: And guess who cast the die on quarterly profits needing to go higher and higher, mostly on the backs of park-goers? Hint: Former CEO who's once again CEO.

 

[monothingie]

You see panic. I see greed. That's why their yield per person keeps growing and quarterly revenue keeps rising.

I see both. Regardless of how you rationalize it, it still has the same end result though when it comes to guest facing impacts.

And do you know who has been repeatedly documenting Disney's financials on this site? Me.

You should join us for the regular quaterly call thread in which I and others record and comment on the quarterly calls in real time.

Check out the actual financial statements rather then people reading tea leaves about what a price increase *really means.*

The FS are high level reporting that never get into or detail what impacts guests and operations. So when you're wondering why that bottle of water is now $5 or the $750/night room has housekeeping every other day, I'm sure that the explanation given on a carefully orchestrated quarterly call will address it.

 

[HauntedPirate]

I see both. Regardless of how you rationalize it, it still has the same end result though when it comes to guest facing impacts.

The FS are high level reporting that never get into or detail what impacts guests and operations. So when you're wondering why that bottle of water is now $5 or the $750/night room has housekeeping every other day, I'm sure that the explanation given on a carefully orchestrated quarterly call will address it.

"Revenues were higher due to higher prices on tickets, food and beverage, and merchandise". They don't get more detailed than that, because then the consumers know what's behind the curtain. Hell, go read the quarterly and annual reports for the past 10 years, and you'll find verbiage similar to that in nearly every one, except for pandemic quarterlies.

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

Honestly, you're both right - They are greedy, and now in a panic. Not a good combination, from my seat in the nosebleeds. Can't afford anything better because of the prices these days.

I hate to be that guy (I’m lying )…

But the absolute worst case scenario is Bobby recalculated and is eyeing another expedited exit.

Wha?
I’ll elaborate.
He’s sucks, he’s an egomaniac…but keeping him has its advantages. Notably stability and the appearance of “fixing it”
He’s gotta do something.

But what if now he’s in ego repair Mode and he simply wants to get SOME of the stock losses back to claim victory and depart?

And who would take over then?

Yep…cruella. And ego score for Bobby.

And they will be worse shape 2 years from now.

We’ll be holding our 2028 PML barbecue/mixer at the Comcast kiddie park…or the Carnival Victory

 

[monothingie]

"Revenues were higher due to higher prices on tickets, food and beverage, and merchandise". They don't get more detailed than that, because then the consumers know what's behind the curtain. Hell, go read the quarterly and annual reports for the past 10 years, and you'll find verbiage similar to that in nearly every one, except for pandemic quarterlies.

Exactly, nice general terms which as intended gloss over the impact to the individual guests. It is just what I'd like to hear if I was on Wall Street.

But I'd rather be on Main Street in the MK, buying a bottle of water that wasn't marked up 800%..