Expect more premium events with recent organizational changes

[rael ramone]

I looked into him a bit more and it seems he's very involved in the CBR & CSR expansions. In my opinion, these are moves that both enhance profit and guest experience. A new rooftop restaurant for fireworks viewing, more moderate room availability, new waterfront dining and more centralized access at CBR- all of these things sound like positive improvements to me. Yes, there is the short term inconvenience for guests with the construction going on, but that seems to have been handled very well with large incentives (high value gift cards, greatly reduced room rates) for guests. I'm not sure who to give credit to the express bus transportation to, but as D'amaro has been overseeing transportation, I'm sure he must have been involved in this as well. It's another thing I feel enhances both guest experience & profit and I plan on doing it for my next trip. I also don't feel that it negatively impacts the experience for those who don't wish to pay for it.I'm feeling optimistic about this move. There will always be misfires but I think there is great potential as well.

And that's just brilliant

If that monstrous tower at CSR is his idea, he should be fired for cause.

And once complete that tower is certainly not going to be 'moderate' pricewise, even by $DIS standards...

 

[larandtra]

I always watch the fireworks in all parks from exactly where I used to watch them. And since you can still watch them or even use an FP yourself, thats not a loss. I realize you are not on either side of the debate, just saying that I dont see that as a loss of anything. Nothing my AP gave me access to before is no longer available or do I have to pay extra for. INitially I wasnt happy about the price going up and including the photo pass without a choice, but, now that I have it, its much cheaper for me than a regular day guest and its been a great addition for a fraction of the cost. I use TIW but the APs this past year included an extra month, more discounts on food and merchandise, and deeper discounts on properties. If anything they have given me more for my money which makes sense since they are profitable. But the misnomer that Ive "lost" things I now have to pay for is a false premise.

 

[rael ramone]

Josh D'Amaro is a name I am familiar with as being a previous VP for DAK. I know that Pete Werner on the Dis Unplugged podcast always talked very highly of him, and he isn't one to do that sort of thing very often.

I will be interested to see if he adds some new variety for these events. I can't believe that the Harambe Nights was never continued beyond that one year. It was expensive, but it really was a truly unique experience. I would hope that they would look into doing more types of upcharges like that. I will pay for upcharges if I feel that the experience is worth it. The Wild Africa Trek is another perfect example, or the Caring for Giants.

For this to be a 'positive', he would have to be someone who commits to have genuine, quality additions that deliver a perceived value without taking something away from the general day guest (and has the backing to do so).

They should feel 'organic' to the overall experience...

 

[Kman101]

I didn't say it was. This topic is about WDW, so that's what I was commenting on.

If you'd like to see my posts viciously railing TDA for their BS like Tomorrowland Skyline Lounge, feel free to join us in the DLR forum some time!

I have. I know you are against it, most there are. Was just using an example and saying DL isn't immune. You wanted to be snarky about WDW and that's fine but I wasn't trying to be. Sorry if my comment bothered you

 

[FigmentJedi]

Here's a question: which has been worse for WDW, the destruction of EPCOT or MM+? It's pretty close - MM+ was not only a terrible idea, it is the motivation behind a seemingly endless series of terrible ideas.

I experienced some hell waits I've never dealt with before because of Fastpass+ holding up standby waits on stuff that didn't really need it like Pirates or Star Tours. It's just been spread over too many attractions.
The system also isn't that good at recognizing different card tickets and it lead to a trip to Guest Relations to sort things out for my Dad, who spent a couple days in the park with me before the convention he took this trip for. You see, for whatever reason, our AAA office doesn't sell two-day tickets anymore. Immediate skip from 1 day to 3 day, so he had to get a one-day Magic Kingdom and a one-day Hopper. However, because of how the App prioritizes tickets depending on your entry order or whatever and having to toggle it on there, it read the Magic Kingdom ticket he used on our first day as being the Hopper ticket. They handled things pretty well to get it all sorted out with little trouble, but it's pretty jarring that for all that money they blew on creating this new system, they didn't have the oversight to take that into account.

 

[GiveMeTheMusic]

I have. I know you are against it, most there are. Was just using an example and saying DL isn't immune. You wanted to be snarky about WDW and that's fine but I wasn't trying to be. Sorry if my comment bothered you

Not bothered at all! The resorts are not in competition to see who can make the guest experience entirely miserable first, although it may appear they are to people like us who follow both.

I'm snarky about both resorts as at this point they're both so poorly run it beggars belief, but WDW is working overtime. I can't go to WDW and get away with not spending any money, so I'm not going there anymore. I vote with my wallet.

Now is a great time for Disney fans to spread their wings and visit any of the international parks, all of which are in amazing destinations with much to offer.

 

[Roknrollrghostr]

And once complete that tower is certainly not going to be 'moderate' pricewise, even by $DIS standards...

If its going to have suites and concierge service, I certainly wouldn't think so either. My expectation is that it will be similar to how AoA's suites are considered "value". Still a much more expensive option than a regular room, but much less than a suite at a higher tiered resort. Another in between option for guests depending on their needs, budget, interest, etc. But I agree, not what we normally consider moderate.

 

[Kman101]

Not bothered at all! The resorts are not in competition to see who can make the guest experience entirely miserable first, although it may appear they are to people like us who follow both.

I'm snarky about both resorts as at this point they're both so poorly run it beggars belief, but WDW is working overtime. I can't go to WDW and get away with not spending any money, so I'm not going there anymore. I vote with my wallet.

Now is a great time for Disney fans to spread their wings and visit any of the international parks, all of which are in amazing destinations with much to offer.

They are very poorly run. It's really disappointing to see. And we can all be snarky with how they're run lol.

I spend as little as possible when I'm at the parks. I'm not at the point of not visiting quite yet but I have taken long breaks before. I luckily and thankfully didn't pay for my last two Weekday Select annual passes or I may indeed have been on another break lol.

My goal is to start seeing the other Disney parks like you said. It's long overdue.

 

[GiveMeTheMusic]

They are very poorly run. It's really disappointing to see. And we can all be snarky with how they're run lol.

I spend as little as possible when I'm at the parks. I'm not at the point of not visiting quite yet but I have taken long breaks before. I luckily and thankfully didn't pay for my last two Weekday Select annual passes or I may indeed have been on another break lol.

My goal is to start seeing the other Disney parks like you said. It's long overdue.

It's so worthwhile! They're truly wonderful and each in their own way. Tokyo is the gold standard, and Japan is so awesome it's hard to come home! And with exchange rates being what they are and international airfares at near all time lows, now is the perfect time to start planning.

 

[Kman101]

It's so worthwhile! They're truly wonderful and each in their own way. Tokyo is the gold standard, and Japan is so awesome it's hard to come home! And with exchange rates being what they are and international airfares at near all time lows, now is the perfect time to start planning.

Very true. I've been pricing things out and it seems like it's a great time to go. I really can't wait to explore Japan and it having the two best parks is icing on the cake.

 

[njDizFan]

I see a list padded by shops and cafés because we've been through this many times in other threads: DHS isn't down by a dozen attractions because of construction. Of things that are signficant, a show, a ride, and a playground were demolished. DHS has since added more shows than what was lost (and more M&Gs than what was lost). Everywhere else in the park where an attraction has been shut down in the past three years has been replaced with a different attraction. And several attractions have been upgraded. So, they're down in rides but up in shows.

But when you pad your 'lost' list with shops and cafés, you're making Fake News.

I'm sorry I had to single this post out for the egregious use of the phrase "making fake news". Fake news is an actual definable thing. Certainly a random poster on a Disney forum who uses a few extra examples to reinforce an argument is not fake news. The continuous warping of the term that is now part of our modern lexicon has become obnoxious.

 

[RSoxNo1]

Dear Disney,

Maybe don't spend $2 billion (and counting) on an infrastructure project that is struggling to avoid obsolescence. Ignore my business degree and focus on my 3rd grade education. That 3rd grade education told you at the outset that Next Gen was a dumb idea.

Love,
Tim

P.S. If you are looking for advice on how to spend $2 billion in Epcot, I can help you there too. Just e-mail me through my website.

 

[21stamps]

I always watch the fireworks in all parks from exactly where I used to watch them. And since you can still watch them or even use an FP yourself, thats not a loss. I realize you are not on either side of the debate, just saying that I dont see that as a loss of anything. Nothing my AP gave me access to before is no longer available or do I have to pay extra for. INitially I wasnt happy about the price going up and including the photo pass without a choice, but, now that I have it, its much cheaper for me than a regular day guest and its been a great addition for a fraction of the cost. I use TIW but the APs this past year included an extra month, more discounts on food and merchandise, and deeper discounts on properties. If anything they have given me more for my money which makes sense since they are profitable. But the misnomer that Ive "lost" things I now have to pay for is a false premise.

I'm looking forward to an answer as well. Outside of a few small roped off areas for firework/parade viewing, I don't know what else could be "lost".
Also, with the sheer volume of people who visit the parks- a very slim amount would actually fit in those small roped off areas..so it's not a loss to the general public. I think I said this yesterday- the positive way to look at a dessert party would be that less people will be in line for attractions or bumping into you on a pathway .

 

[HauntedPirate]

I gave an example earlier in the thread of something guests can no longer do without paying.

 

[njDizFan]

To the main point...

Disney is a publically owned company. They like to make money(they always have), the more money they make the more other people want to own their stock.....duh.

So you guessed it Disney is part of the free market capitalist system. BTW there are more than several different types of recognized forms of capitalism...but anyway. There are many different ways for a corporation to make money. Some of us disagree on the best way for them to make money. Sometimes long term growth is best realized by making the best product in the industry. Calculating the ROI on every aspect of the park has left it stagnant for more than a decade, not to mention helped remove some the glory and charm of classic WDW. A company like Disney made itself into the global conglomerate by enforcing it's own rules on premium customer satisfaction.

Upsells cater to the elite customer. Innovation, expansion, cleanliness, safety, caters to everyone. Growing it's base for decades to come. As noted by our resident economist,historically even with a much higher CAPEX they had far better margins in the decades prior to Iger. Invest on cutting edge entertainment and theming and customer service and they will come and create lifetime fans, which will be shared with future generations.

Upsells are lazy plain and simple.

 

[MisterPenguin]

It was nice knowing you WDW!

Can I have your Mouse Ears?

The title of this thread has a built in premise that an upcharge overseer means more upcharge events. Up until now, it seems each department was coming up with their own upcharges, some good, some awful, some silly. What if this overseer makes the upcharges all good and worthwhile? Yeah, I know there's no promise of that, but, there's no promise, at this time, of simply *more*.

I'm sorry I had to single this post out for the egregious use of the phrase "making fake news". Fake news is an actual definable thing. Certainly a random poster on a Disney forum who uses a few extra examples to reinforce an argument is not fake news. The continuous warping of the term that is now part of our modern lexicon has become obnoxious.

My apologies for my fake semantics.

 

[asianway]

I didn't say it was. This topic is about WDW, so that's what I was commenting on.

If you'd like to see my posts viciously railing TDA for their BS like Tomorrowland Skyline Lounge, feel free to join us in the DLR forum some time!

Does mickey visit every night, or was that only the first day for a blogger photo op?

 

[contrariwise]

I am not sure why everyone is in an uproar.

I'm not sure I've seen the uproar. I've seen people expressing their opinions and offering funny, sarcastic jokes, but nothing I would categorize as an "uproar".

What are you waiting for? Why dont you tell me what experiences I have lost in the parks or resorts that I previously had with my AP that I do not have now???? Crickets...If you have an issue with a company making money, Im sorry, thats business and capitalism. Even Walt understood that. You dont think he started the company to sit in a farmhouse and make 10 dollars a day do you? They try anything to generate revenue and give guests options of new experiences. That is how business works. I have seen the P&L reports for Disney Company. As a stockholder, I should see them, look at them, and understand them. The fact they are making a profit thrills me to no end. Would I like to see more fo it put into WDW to improve the parks and give us a greater experience for our dollar? Sure, but, I also understand that employees need to be compensated. The wage scale to keep talented people isnt an easy one to manage. I think some of you really do nto have a good grasp of business principles and see WDW as a bottomless pit of money they can spend to give you whatever you want as cheaply as you want it.

Oh, ok. NOW, I've seen the uproar.

 

[Sonconato]

Someone? I thought there was a whole multi-story warehouse full of people whose sole job it was to separate people from more of their money while offering little to nothing in return.

Someone has probably said it more eloquently than me, but I'll try to put my feelings into words. We have paid for "upcharge" events before they became ubiquitous. I have found value in some, and virtually none in others.

I don't hate all "extras". I don't hate "extras" in principal. I especially don't hate extras that are truly extras (not things that used to be free and now require a surcharge). And I don't give a flying flip about extras that don't impact MY experience as a guest who has not ponied up the surcharge.

Here's what I hate:

(1) Charging for things that used to be free. What a lazy and greedy way to do business. And from a company that used to be the gold standard for creativity.
(2) "Extras" that negatively impact the guests who have not bought in - whether by impacting a view or making us feel like second class citizens;
(3) "Extras" that insult the intelligence of the customer. You may as well just call us rubes and be done with it. It used to feel like we (customer and company) were in it together. Sometimes, it now feels like company vs. customer.
(4) The fact that "extras" seems to be the primary business focus, rather than the bread and butter of the business. Again, lazy and greedy.

You can call me a gloom and doomer if you want. This newest wrinkle does not make me optimistic.

Very, very well said!

 

[rael ramone]

To the main point...

Disney is a publically owned company. They like to make money(they always have), the more money they make the more other people want to own their stock.....duh.

So you guessed it Disney is part of the free market capitalist system. BTW there are more than several different types of recognized forms of capitalism...but anyway. There are many different ways for a corporation to make money. Some of us disagree on the best way for them to make money. Sometimes long term growth is best realized by making the best product in the industry. Calculating the ROI on every aspect of the park has left it stagnant for more than a decade, not to mention helped remove some the glory and charm of classic WDW. A company like Disney made itself into the global conglomerate by enforcing it's own rules on premium customer satisfaction.

Upsells cater to the elite customer. Innovation, expansion, cleanliness, safety, caters to everyone. Growing it's base for decades to come. As noted by our resident economist,historically even with a much higher CAPEX they had far better margins in the decades prior to Iger. Invest on cutting edge entertainment and theming and customer service and they will come and create lifetime fans, which will be shared with future generations.

Upsells are lazy plain and simple.

The 'whales' don't go to the swamps to experience 'Upsells'. They go to experience the base product. If they find the base product lacking, the upsells won't make a difference with them (though if placed poorly as many of us have said it can degrade the base product).

The focus should be on the base product that everyone, including the whales, enjoy.