Disneyland's Marketing Strategy for 2020??? Because 2019 Was A Mess!

[TP2000]

It's funny - it's like Batuu is Radiator Springs BEFORE Lightning McQueen got there. And Carsland is Radiator Springs AFTER, when the place got all spruced up and happy. Very minimal change would be needed. They just need it to be a bit more festive. I really think the land is terrific, they just were off target by imbibing a wee bit too much of the "Tattooine & Jakku are wastelands that nobody wants to be at" ethos.

Yeah, exactly. I had thought of the Radiator Springs before Lightning McQueen too. It's a perfect analogy.

That's all they have to do to add in the Star Wars characters the majority of us know and love. Turn Batuu into a happening and hip trading town and give up on the forgotten backwater plotline.

More Vegas, Less Reno. Fixed! (With apologies to the good people of Reno)

 

[DanielBB8]

True, but whatever physical changes they make to Star Wars Land, if they even make them, will be on a much smaller scale than what they did at DCA like turning the Sunshine Plaza into Carthay Circle. Even the analogy of Condor Flats to Grizzly Peak Airfield is a bit of a stretch compared to changes needed at Star Wars Land.

They don't need to turn arid Batuu into a swampy, watery new planet at huge expense. All they'd need to do is spruce the place up a bit, make it more of a happening trading town instead of a forgotten decaying backwater, and then get some drama students from Fullerton Junior College to dress up like Luke and Leia and Han Solo.

The bones are good with the current Star Wars Land. It's just the execution out in the walkways and plazas and shops and restaurants that has fallen flat. Once Mr. Chapek leaves to spend more time with his family they can just build a swanky supper club on the vacant lot, spruce the place up a bit, and add the roaming droids and a raucous Stormtrooper stunt show and the interactive characters that WDI had originally planned. Fixed!

But that's all stuff for 2021 or beyond. For 2020 they need to relaunch and remarket this land with American consumers. That will be easy for them if they spend a bunch of money, return to network TV instead of neckbeard bloggers, add in some roaming characters and an alien band, and never utter the word "reservation" ever again.

My feeling is it needs more iconic landmarks from Original Trilogy. Build Luke’s house where blue milk can be sold. Build Jawas’ large tank. Have walkabout Jawas and Sand People. Have a Death Star building to walk around with garbage chute.

The restaurants and stores are clearly not a feature in the movies so why emphasize them at all. The other parts of the land should be about interactivity with lightsabers, droids, and solving missions.

 

[DanielBB8]

But even if GE had the worst case scenario diagnosis, it would need, as @TP2000 said, a mild reworking à la Soarin' and Grizzly Peak. That's a far cry from the Buena Vista Street / Carsland investment that required 8-9 years of bad reputation to get TDA to change things.

Sorry to disappoint detractors, but GE is not the failure DCA 1.0 was.

Then what would you call it’s failure to attract visitors? If it doesn’t make more visits, then the point of Star Wars Land is lost and it should be converted into something more interesting. At this point, it’s neutral to worse.

 

[britain]

My feeling is it needs more iconic landmarks from Original Trilogy. Build Luke’s house where blue milk can be sold. Build Jawas’ large tank. Have walkabout Jawas and Sand People. Have a Death Star building to walk around with garbage chute.

The restaurants and stores are clearly not a feature in the movies so why emphasize them at all. The other parts of the land should be about interactivity with lightsabers, droids, and solving missions.

Sorry but I don’t think building a Death Star is on the table.

 

[britain]

Then what would you call it’s failure to attract visitors? If it doesn’t make more visits, then the point of Star Wars Land is lost and it should be converted into something more interesting. At this point, it’s neutral to worse.

Fine, but we’re saying it needs a $10M-$25M refreshing investment. Not another billion like DCA did. Therefore it’s not a failure like DCA was.

 

[Figments Friend]

I've seen the top secret plans for the upcoming marketing push for early next year.
Here is a recap -

1. - 'Rise of The Resistance' marketing push begins in December (DLR ) to hype the opening.
Big splashy print ads, expensive tv ads, ads plastered everywhere.
Every man, woman, child, dog, and vertibrate life form on the planet is aware of it's opening date...and 'No Reservations Required!' becomes a catchy jingle used in the advertising.

2. - 'Rise' hype bottoms out, or fails to deliver, so by February 2020 marketing is forced to promote 'Plan B' - new cupcake designs themed to iconic Past Attractions.
You heard it here first!
( wait until you see the House Of The Future cupcake! )

3. - Spring Break 2020 marketing begins, and when the promotion starts with the tag line ' The ULTIMATE Experience In The Universe!' (c) , tipsy college kids rush to the Park thinking it's some kind of kinky young adult orientated dating service.
This drives up attendence slightly, but Guests and fans complain in earnest at the misleading campaign.
The college kids complain too....as they didn't 'get any action'.
Attendance bottoms out within two weeks.

4. - May 2020 rolls around, and the big marketing push for Summertime begins.
'Galaxy's Edge' is neatly referred to in the lineup after the new 'Dumbo' inspired cotton candy sugared 'Circus Churros' and before the new series of Small World 'Pop' vinyl figure releases.

5. - July 2020, and TDA makes a sudden announcement -
'Galaxy's Edge' will have it's first major refurbishment, and over the course of several months slowly be turned into 'Discovery Bay'.
Completed by December 2022.
Expect another major marketing campaign tied into that launch, climaxing on February 1st 2023 as 'Discovery Day'.
( super special event still being worked on currently )

Yes, please.

 

[DanielBB8]

Fine, but we’re saying it needs a $10M-$25M refreshing investment. Not another billion like DCA did. Therefore it’s not a failure like DCA was.

I’m saying it might be more like $100 to $200 million since the $1 Billion was already spent. They need to redo Smugglers Run and many little things throughout the park.

 

[SuddenStorm]

I've seen the top secret plans for the upcoming marketing push for early next year.
Here is a recap -

1. - 'Rise of The Resistance' marketing push begins in December (DLR ) to hype the opening.
Big splashy print ads, expensive tv ads, ads plastered everywhere.
Every man, woman, child, dog, and vertibrate life form is aware of it's opening date...and no reservations required.

2. - 'Rise' hype bottoms out, or fails to deliver, so by February 2020 marketing is forced to promote 'Plan B' - new cupcake designs themed to iconic Past Attractions.
You heard it here first!
( wait until you see the House Of The Future cupcake! )

3. - Spring Break 2020 marketing begins, and when the promotion starts with the tag line ' The ULTIMATE Experience In The Universe! (c) , tipsy college kids rush to the Park thinking it's some kind of kinky young adult orientated dating service.
This drives up attendence, but Guests and fans complain in earnest at the misleading campaign.
The college kids complain too....as they didn't 'get any action'.

4. - May 2020 rolls around, and the big marketing push for Summertime begins.
'Galaxy's Edge' is neatly referred to in the lineup after the new cotton candy sugared churros and new Small World 'Pop' vinyl figure release.

5. - July 2020, and TDA makes a sudden announcement -
'Galaxy's Edge' will have it's first major refurbishment, and over the course of several months slowly be turned into 'Discovery Bay'.
Completed by December 2022.
Expect another major marketing campaign tied to that.

Yes, please.

Honestly, I think this whole debacle reaffirms my belief that Baxter needs to be given creative control of Disneyland... Yes, I know that's a foolish dream that will never happen. But dang, would that be cool.

 

[britain]

I’m saying it might be more like $100 to $200 million since the $1 Billion was already spent. They need to redo Smugglers Run and many little things throughout the park.

Smugglers Run is great as is.

It just can’t be the land’s only attraction. RotR needs to come online and the land itself needs to be a more dynamic place to be. That’s all.

 

[THE 1HAPPY HAUNT]

Ward Kimball died on the train tracks outside GE. He was 88.

The Curse of the Falcon Ramp's first victim. R.I.P.

 

[DanielBB8]

Smugglers Run is great as is.

It just can’t be the land’s only attraction. RotR needs to come online and the land itself needs to be a more dynamic place to be. That’s all.

Here’s what needs to change with Smugglers Run.

1. Change out Hondo with OT character.
2. Change seating arrangement in cockpit to allow better views.
3. Add front facing controls or remove entirely.
4. Gunners need targets on the screen to shoot at. Passengers in the back seats should be able do both shoot and engineer in the ride. Get scores on individual performance.
5. Add a sense of danger and peril that is a hallmark of Han Solo.

RoR might save the land, but it’s like if that’s it, it isn’t enough. We already seen the failure of everything else.

 

[Californian Elitist]

It’s very clear and obvious what needs to happen. Disney should cancel the second ride that’s opening and tear down SW:GE. Destroy it. Dismantle it. Take it apart, piece by piece. Then burn the rubble.

The third step would be to hire someone like Tony Baxter as creative lead/director. Next, fire Bob.

 

[THE 1HAPPY HAUNT]

It’s very clear and obvious what needs to happen. Disney should cancel the second ride that’s opening and tear down SW:GE. Destroy it. Dismantle it. Take it apart, piece by piece. Then burn the rubble.

The third step would be to hire someone like Tony Baxter as creative lead/director. Next, fire Bob.

Can I have the ramp as a souvenir??

 

[lumberguy5]

Why is nobody mentioning the Resident Ticket offer? If they bring that out at the older prices they will fill the park. Most crowded weekends this year were the weekends before SWGE opened.

 

[SuddenStorm]

Smugglers Run is great as is.

It just can’t be the land’s only attraction. RotR needs to come online and the land itself needs to be a more dynamic place to be. That’s all.

I have to disagree... When we got New Orleans Square, both attractions were able to stand on their own. Both cost a fraction of what Smuggler's run cost, and both use a similar amount of space.

 

[RobWDW1971]

A couple points.

1. Yes, Disney's marketing for 2019 was historically bad and one they should study for years to come as what not to do.
When talking about GE marketing at a shareholder meeting Bob Iger said all the advertising that was needed was to say it's now open. The hubris combined with doing everything possible to warn the public that StarWarsgedden would invade Disneyland for the first year, led to an unprecedented marketing strategy. It appeared they were pushing aways guests instead of asking them to come. For Disney's sake, they would be wise to never repeat that strategy.


2. The result is not nearly as bad as been made out in these parts. The overreaction by some is beyond ridiculous.
On a recent podcast Len Testa said according to Touring Plans from late May to September 1st, Disneyland crowds were basically flat year over year with 2018. From another source I had heard attendance was down 3% in June. So attendance is not up double digits that some may have predicted. However, Disneyland is not having a going out of business sale. Things are not as dire as portrayed around here. And once again, wait times are not the sole indicator of how busy a place is despite what someone wants us to believe.

What you describe here is dire and a complete disaster. You don't spend a billion dollars of capital and millions of incremental operating expenses to be "basically flat" to the prior year.

 

[RobWDW1971]

.

You're telling me a marketing campaign that features this implausibly-breathless family is a dud?View attachment 411687

Oh look! There's a roaming alien behind them! Can't wait to see that when I visit!

 

[Darkbeer1]

Q3 results:

Overall company revenue. Up year over year. Figures are in millions.

View attachment 411895


More importantly to our discussion. Broken down by segment. Operating income year over year up.

View attachment 411896


The sky is falling indeed.

You forgot the official comments that show that domestic parks had a major issue, saved by Consumer Products (Merchandise like the Disney Store), DL Paris, the full Easter Break, Price creep inside the parks, and the offer of a guaranteed reservation to SWGE with an overpriced room...

>>Parks, Experiences and Products revenues for the quarter increased 7% to $6.6 billion and segment operating income increased 4% to $1.7 billion. Operating income growth for the quarter was due to increases at our consumer products businesses and Disneyland Paris, partially offset by a decrease at our domestic parks and resorts. Results included a benefit from a shift in the timing of the Easter holiday. In the current year, the entire Easter holiday fell in the third quarter, while the third quarter of the prior year included only one week of the Easter holiday.


The increase at our consumer products business was due to growth at our merchandise licensing and retail businesses. Growth at merchandise licensing was primarily due to higher revenue from merchandise based on Toy Story, partially offset by a decrease from Star Wars merchandise. The increase at our retail business was due to higher comparable store sales and online revenue.


Higher operating income at Disneyland Paris was primarily due to higher average ticket prices, partially offset by labor and other cost inflation and lower attendance.


The decrease in operating income at our domestic parks and resorts was due to higher costs and lower volume, partially offset by increased average per capita guest spending. Higher costs were driven by labor and other cost inflation and expenses associated with Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge, which opened at Disneyland Resort on May 31. The decrease in volume was due to lower attendance, partially offset by higher occupied room nights. Guest spending growth was primarily due to higher average ticket prices and increased food, beverage and merchandise spending.<<

 

[Sailor310]

That's Dok-Ondar. He's walking to his Den of Antiquities. Now he sits there 24/7

 

[RobWDW1971]

Q3 results:

Overall company revenue. Up year over year. Figures are in millions.

View attachment 411895


More importantly to our discussion. Broken down by segment. Operating income year over year up.

View attachment 411896


The sky is falling indeed.

That quarter only reflected one month of SWGE at one park (June at DL) and, as Darkbeer mentioned, domestic parks OI was down for the quarter.

You won't be able to get any sense of the SWGE financial impact until October 2020 when all assets are put in service so the annual depreciation hits (half year for ROTR put in service in FY20) and you see a full year of operational expenses. And even then, there are cruise lines, the massive WDW parks/hotels engine, consumer products, and other businesses in that number.

The company could lose hundreds of millions of dollars on the SWGE investment and you won't see it on the P&L until you account for the depreciation and free cash flow of the division over time (and even then good luck parsing out the spend for SWGE vs new cruise ships, hotels, other attractions, etc. out of their capital invested lines).