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

[TP2000]

Hi gang. I've been absent for the past few days because I had to fly up suddenly this past weekend to Coeur d'Alene, Idaho of all places for a family issue. (That resort town is heavenly after the summer crowds leave!) While sitting in the Spokane airport's restaurant this morning waiting to fly home, I noticed on the lounge TV that two different Disneyland commercials played. One was a generic HalloweenTime commercial with Oogie Boogie, and one was that Plaza De La Familia commercial we were making fun of last week.

Star Wars Land was never mentioned in either ad, but the lady sitting across from me glanced at the Disneyland commercial on TV and said to her traveling companion (paraphrasing) "Julie wanted to take the kids to Disneyland this summer, but did you know they'll only let you in with a reservation now because it's so crowded?! You have to make a reservation! Kirk refused to even consider it." while the traveling companion clucked her tongue before their conversation wobbled into what grades the kids were in now that school has started.

On the flight home today I stared out the window at the Golden West passing below and thought about what a messy summer Disneyland has had, and what a mess 2019 overall has been for them.

I completely understand their thinking a year ago on how to prevent the maddening crowds from overwhelming the park once Star Wars Land! opened and all of America wanted to get in to see it. Heck, we all thought that was going to happen, we can't just blame TDA and Burbank. But in the biggest surprise since the 1984 Olympics, it didn't happen. Probably due to several reasons (Star Wars fatigue, a phased opening that has the best ride still closed, Mr. Chapek's infamous decision to cut almost all entertainment and interactive elements from the budget, a slightly underwhelming response to the one ride that currently works, etc.)

But I think one of the biggest reasons is the thing that kept Julie and Kirk and the kids in Spokane this summer instead of at Disneyland. Bad Marketing. It was a muddy and messy marketing message that either scared everyone away, reinforced the well-deserved reputation of Disneyland as an overcrowded nightmare of long lines and gridlocked walkways, and/or convinced them that they had to have a reservation that were already all gone. What a mess!

The big cheese, Botox Bob, also didn't help things by insisting that the official marketing be done lightly and cheaply.

“I’m thinking that maybe I should just tweet, ‘It’s opening,’ and that will be enough. I think we’re going to end up with incredibly popular and in-demand product with these two new lands. It’s not going to take much marketing to do that. That’s a signal that I just sent to our parks and resorts people to keep that budget really low.” - Bob Iger, Official Company Earnings Call with Wall Street, February 6th, 2019

The summer marketing strategy that was light on Star Warsy excitement, but heavy on "Must have a reservation that already booked up a month ago! Must stay at Disneyland Hotel at $600 rack rate or else you are steerage trash! Don't even try to get in! Why are you still looking at us?!" obviously didn't work too well.

So how does Disneyland Resort recover from this for 2020?

It's very interesting to me that Disneyland's Star Wars marketing message seems to have gone suddenly silent this fall, and has switched to seasonal Halloween stuff. Barely 100 days after Star Wars Land opened, they are airing TV commercials touting a decorated food court patio in DCA instead of the Billion Dollar Star Wars Land. #DisneyFamilia

 

[Darkbeer1]

But, But Disney is giving away free AP Car Magnets and buttons, just get into the park (aka Turnstile Click) by the end of the fiscal year.....

 

[SuddenStorm]

Let's not forget all the awful publicity Disneyland's gotten this summer as well.

The poor worker who passed away in an accident on property a few weeks ago.

The Matterhorn literally falling apart. The Ward Kimball breaking over GE's entrance.

The Toontown Brawl.

I also wonder if all of the "Disneyland is a ghost town" articles did more to harm the resort's attendance then help. Perhaps it created a public perception that the new land isn't worth the trip, since no one else was going? There's a famous theory that lines create more demand, since it creates the perception that the offering is worth spending time on.

But even with this negative publicity, this should be been the year for Disney. I envision a marketing campaign that focuses on the history and many anniversaries the resort celebrated this year. "For the last 60 years, Disneyland has been delighting children of all ages and bringing families together with world class attractions. This tradition now continues with the park's latest offering, Galaxy's Edge"... and show parents taking their kids on the Matterhorn. Then, those kids taking their kids on the Haunted Mansion. Then, those kids taking their kids on Big Thunder. Then, those kids taking their kids on Splash Mountain. Then, those kids taking their kids to Galaxy's Edge.

 

[TP2000]

But, But Disney is giving away free AP Car Magnets and buttons, just get into the park (aka Turnstile Click) by the end of the fiscal year.....

And that's the thing. There's the local AP crowd that still shows up for all the Halloween stuff. Just look at the Wait Times Are Low thread and what's happened with the crowds the last two weekends. And tonight is the first Halloween party in DCA. It was reported that AP's now make up about 35% of the annual attendance at Disneyland Resort, and that seems accurate.

But then there's also the tourist crowd, which makes up the rest of the attendance. Anaheim hotel occupancy was down this summer, while sales of cars and appliances increased by double digits this summer over last, which tells you that Americans are still spending money on big ticket items. But the big ticket vacation to Disneyland wasn't a priority for them this year.

The marketing message was messy and cheap this summer, and the low crowds reflect that. In the Spokane airport this morning I saw two Disneyland commercials on TV, and neither one mentioned Star Wars at all. The Star Wars message has gone silent very suddenly this fall.

That tells me that the lessons have been learned, but the problem is so big it's going to take some time to fix.

I can imagine that they are regrouping and reorganizing for a relaunch of Star Wars Land this winter once the Resistance ride opens. They're going to have to try a different approach to marketing in 2020 and try and fix all the confusion and bad messaging they created for themselves in 2019. I can just imagine the panic that spread through the halls of TDA this June, and spread to Burbank by August. Especially after the cloned version of the land opened in WDW two weeks ago to almost identical crowd response.

 

[Darkbeer1]

I am looking forward to the 100th celebration at Knott's, and the 150th at Cedar Point.....

Should be interesting to see how they compare to the "Big Boys"

 

[TP2000]

Let's not forget all the awful publicity Disneyland's gotten this summer as well.

The poor worker who passed away in an accident on property a few weeks ago.

The Matterhorn literally falling apart. The Ward Kimball breaking over GE's entrance.

The Toontown Brawl.

I also wonder if all of the "Disneyland is a ghost town" articles did more to harm the resort's attendance then help. Perhaps it created a public perception that the new land isn't worth the trip, since no one else was going? There's a famous theory that lines create more demand, since it creates the perception that the offering is worth spending time on.

But even with this negative publicity, this should be been the year for Disney. I envision a marketing campaign that focuses on the history and many anniversaries the resort celebrated this year. "For the last 60 years, Disneyland has been delighting children of all ages and bringing families together with world class attractions. This tradition now continues with the park's latest offering, Galaxy's Edge"... and show parents taking their kids on the Matterhorn. Then, those kids taking their kids on the Haunted Mansion. Then, those kids taking their kids on Big Thunder. Then, those kids taking their kids on Splash Mountain. Then, those kids taking their kids to Galaxy's Edge.

Yeah, the whole year has been a PR mess for them. We've joked that Disneyland is cursed in 2019, but it really does appear to be true. But putting aside this weird year they've had with some really junky PR messes, the Star Wars Land debacle is the giant elephant in the room.

They have a huge mess to clean up for 2020. I just have to think the sudden media silence on Star Wars Land is on purpose while they reel it all back in, regroup, rethink, and eventually relaunch with a very different message for 2020.

 

[Darkbeer1]

Why promote something that is half done?

Expect a large Galaxy Edge push in Early 2020 when RotR opens.

So now Halloween Time, followed by Christmas, then a second attempt for SWGE, this time with NO reservations required.

 

[Disney Irish]

....then a second attempt for SWGE, this time with NO reservations required.

And then watch it'll end up being what everyone feared, 8 hour waits just to get into the park.... And then Disney will be blamed yet again for not handling the crowds properly. For all we like to criticize management for the bungles of this summer, Its a no win for them....

 

[TP2000]

Why promote something that is half done?

Expect a large Galaxy Edge push in Early 2020 when RotR opens.

So now Halloween Time, followed by Christmas, then a second attempt for SWGE, this time with NO reservations required.

Agreed. It's just the sudden media silence on Star Wars Land this fall is notable.

And this isn't just a Disneyland problem. Current wait times on both coasts;

Disneyland - 5:00pm Pacific
Millennium Falcon - 25 Minutes
Haunted Mansion Holiday - 45 Minutes
Hyperspace Mountain - 55 Minutes
Radiator Racers - 60 Minutes

WDW - 8:00pm Eastern
Millennium Falcon - 20 Minutes
Slinky Dog Dash - 35 Minutes
Test Track - 40 Minutes
Flight of Passage - 60 Minutes

The regroup, rethink and relaunch of Star Wars Land for 2020 has to be a slam dunk. They only get one chance at this, and the huge delays of the Resistance ride are now a blessing in disguise for them.

Ford tried hard to relaunch Edsel for the 1959 model year after its disastrous 1958 debut, but by 1961 it was gone. Coca-Cola spent a fortune to relaunch New Coke, but gave up by late 1985. Disney added Bug's Land and Tower of Terror to DCA in a panic, and tried multiple relaunches of DCA through 2004, but had to admit defeat. Because those products weren't good enough to withstand a relaunch and the free market simply dismissed them.

Is Star Wars Land in its current form with the Resistance ride added to it a good enough product to withstand a relaunch? Or do they need to dig even deeper than the superficial marketing mess they created?

Entertainment? Interactivity? Showmanship and presentation? Do those things also need to be addressed and fixed before they try a relaunch? Or do they just wait for the Resistance ride to work and then flood the airwaves with Star Wars Land commercials without doing anything else to the land?

 

[George Lucas on a Bench]

 

[Disney Analyst]

This is an interesting discussions for sure. Everyone’s been harping on music, droids, and the OT. I believe the issue with marketing you outlined is the biggest issue that hurt the launch.

They over complicated this, and the general public don’t understand simple things at the best of times.

Mind you, I don’t fault Disney for the efforts they took to help with crowding, but I think they should have been a bit more hush hush. Have AP previews not a month of reservations. Open with boarding groups but announce only a week before. Don’t tell the media about project sparkle to get Disneyland ready for insane crowds.

 

[Travel Junkie]

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.

 

[Darkbeer1]

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.

I wish I could share what is being discussed in the Visit Anaheim/Chamber of Commerce/Non Disney Hotel Owners/city officials/SOAR and the TDA suits that attend these meetings. I guess I can say the mood and tone is not good, that serious errors have happened, and now they still are making downward plans.

I won't use the word panic, but it was close earlier this year.

Last Friday's DLR PR lunch to the movers and shakers was specifically done to try and calm us down. The CSUF study helped, but everyone is looking at lower income revenue for the rest of the year.....

Next year, you have SFMM finally opens West Coast Racers, USH opens Secret Life of Pets, and Knott's has its biggest Marketing plan for its 100th. With Disney AP's keep going up, and other parks are in the $100-200 range for SoCal residents, the tide is turning a bit away from the DLR to other options.....

 

[TP2000]

This is an interesting discussions for sure. Everyone’s been harping on music, droids, and the OT. I believe the issue with marketing you outlined is the biggest issue that hurt the launch.

They over complicated this, and the general public don’t understand simple things at the best of times.

Mind you, I don’t fault Disney for the efforts they took to help with crowding, but I think they should have been a bit more hush hush. Have AP previews not a month of reservations. Open with boarding groups but announce only a week before. Don’t tell the media about project sparkle to get Disneyland ready for insane crowds.

Perfection!

In TDA's defense, hindsight is 20/20 and we all thought the place would be drowned in crowds once Star Wars Land opened. But...

This summer was a mess for them, the cherry on top of a messy year regardless of what was happening with the "Frontierland Expansion" a la' @SSG.

You could write a business book on this whole thing and how not to market and debut a Billion Dollar expansion to the general public.

The silver lining here is that their big headliner E Ticket is a disaster of reliability and WiFi connectivity and software engineering. That gives them a six month reprieve to dog paddle before they get to relaunch this land again.

From the overheard casual conversations this morning in the Spokane airport to the ongoing and more enlightened discussions here in this forum, I'm now convinced that Bob Chapek's Parks, Experiences and Products Division has totally bungled what should have been an easy win for both Disneyland and Disney World in a booming economy.

Let's see how they decide to fix this for 2020. They have their work cut out for them after the mess they made in 2019.

 

[DrAlice]

Is Star Wars Land in its current form with the Resistance ride added to it a good enough product to withstand a relaunch? Or do they need to dig even deeper than the superficial marketing mess they created?

I think it is pretty clear that they will need to dig deeper. When the only thing to do in the land (that doesn't cost money) is ride a ride that, by many accounts, is just "ok", why would people clamor to the parks to see it? ROTR better be freakin spectacular AND they better add back the entertainment to the land if they want to salvage this. Case in point: I was talking to someone that just came back from the parks (a casual fan). She was excited that there were no lines. I asked her about GE and she shrugged and said, "It's ok". Her positive opinions were related to interacting with the storm troopers (but added a shrug and said, "but of course, I can see Storm Troopers in Tomorrowland"). She talked about her experience on the MF ride. When I asked her if it was fun., she said "It is fun if you are the pilot". I asked her what position she got (engineer). She said of being the engineer, "honestly, it kind of sucked. You miss what's going on because you are looking at the buttons.".

Right now, MF ride is the only major thing in the land that doesn't cost money. It's clearly not enough to carry the place. I think that fact combined with the marketing/public perception problems you've described have really put Disney in a hole that ROTR by itself might not be able to pull them out of.

My question for those of you here: Will TDA take the hint? Will they figure out that cheapening out doesn't cut it? Or are their heads too far up their own umm.. financial spreadsheets... to understand that?

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

Well...I’ve said I was all behind Disney buying Star Wars from 2012-2015...I’ve said they have a major Star Wars problem from 2017-present.

I’m told I’m wrong all the time on these types of forums...I’ll let the real world be the judge on this topic.


Disney marketing was awful this year...they believed they had a product that would sell itself, didn’t promote it...and here you are.

But they also have overstepped tolerance of new ways to increase price and generate raw cash.

“We don’t want locals taking up our high money Star Wars space in Anaheim...lets ban them”

Fail.

“We make the locals bleed on passes in California...lets just tear the band aid off and do it in Florida”

Fail.

And nothing big happening in 2020 that’s gonna draw people in at substantially higher pricing.

The pricing is going to be a bigger issue.

The New York federal reserve bank had to - quietly - pump $53,000,000,000 to try and stabilize overnight borrowing interest rates for the markets...
They are doing $75,000,000,000 tomorrow.

In essence...it’s costing too much to borrow money to pump back into a system on a bloated cycle.

These are bailouts disguised as “oversight”...the first since 2008.

Bubble time...stay tuned.

Disney has never been less prepared for this at its parks...in history...not even close.

 

[Kram Sacul]

View attachment 411488

Hey, I would take a Titanic Pier area any day over Pixar Smear. Nightly distress rocket show.

 

[George Lucas on a Bench]

Obviously, it would be the greatest attraction ever built.

 

[BubbaQuest]

Why promote something that is half done?

Expect a large Galaxy Edge push in Early 2020 when RotR opens.

So now Halloween Time, followed by Christmas, then a second attempt for SWGE, this time with NO reservations required.

I too am assuming they are waiting for RotR before doing anymore SW promos. However, I think they are in a worse situation now because of the delayed opening. Are people going to be confused when Disney announces the "New Star Wars Land"? Didn't they already open that 6 months ago and it was so crowded you needed reservations months in advance?

With RotR opening in Dec in DHS, they can't really say "no reservations required" because WDW will already be at capacity during the December holidays. DLR *should* be better because of the January open and I think DLR usually sees a little slowdown during the post-holiday ride transitions -- SW advertising could help. But spring break starts shortly thereafter. If RotR is the new Radiator Springs, how are they gonna handle it?

 

[Darkbeer1]

DLR is busy in January. The first week is still a school break for many, followed by MLK, Jr. Holiday weekend, and the largest convention on the West Coast, the NAMM show.

Disney specifically timed the DL opening for the holiday weekend, to ensure that the lines are long for RotR. Question is, how long will that last?