Guest Surveys as way to gauge interest in new rides/shows: how does this work?

[Nubs70]

Doing surveys takes a lot of time and a lot of money. It is not simple or cheap for Disney to do, even when the surveys are electronic and sent by e-mail.

I very seriously doubt that Disney would spend all that time and money just to try and generate a phony survey result that says what they want it to say. Some might say that they are doing it to justify their decisions with "well, it's what the fans wanted." But let's be honest. The majority of Disney's customers don't know or care what some survey said, nor do they know or care why Disney makes the decisions it does.

There simply is nothing to be gained by Disney, and a lot of time and money to be lost, by engaging in that practice.

If I may share my experience from the Frozen Summer campaign at DHS. I was approached for a survey. The question revolved around motivation to visit. My motivation was not Frozen but the surveyor kept asking leading questions which result would be Frozen.

The poor girl was about in tears that none of my responses were Frozen related.

 

[Castle Cake Apologist]

They still do.

They simply don't give you what you didn't know you wanted.

You're no longer "the average guest" and it must be quite disappointing but that doesn't justify ignoring the reality that millions of other guests are "the average guest" today and place the quality of what they're offered as high as you ever put Disney in the past.

Do you think that the business model of primarily original storytelling in the parks that they followed for many decades was somehow inherently flawed? Throughout the company's history, the parks have consistently been the one division that always performs well.

Do you truly believe that creating Journey of the Little Mermaid took the same amount of creativity and ingenuity as creating The Haunted Mansion? Do you think that the work of WDI in the 90s-10s lives up to the standards set by WED from the 50s-80s?

Weird how all those "not Disney" rides they built have lasted for 50+ years and only get more popular as time marches on...

 

[MisterPenguin]

They tend to ask questions while guiding you to their desired response.

That hasn't been my experience. So, no. They don't always do that, if at all.

Their poll on new names for DHS effectively killed the name change.

SGE sits empty because the MK gets higher satisfaction scores without it being open. And I can see why.

That Disney would spend money simply to go through a charade of listening to guests is tinfoil hat territory. And they do spend a lot of money on this, not just with CMs asking the survey questions in the parks, but their help-wanteds show they hire pollsters and statistical analysts.

Yes, I know polls aren't perfect and always contain some bias (e.g., simply chosing what to ask means inquiring about some things and not inquiring about others). But that doesn't mean polls are useless.

But the idea that they purposefully and willfully include a bias in order to get responses that they're going to ignore anyway and spend a lot of money on that? That's pretty silly.

 

[monothingie]

Yes, I know polls aren't perfect and always contain some bias (e.g., simply chosing what to ask means inquiring about some things and not inquiring about others). But that doesn't mean polls are useless.

Absolutely Biased.

I always get ignored when I respond in the surveys that I demand Mellow Yellow put back in the drink carts. When I talk to the CM conducting the survey and they tell me they're asking about interactive apps, I always say, they are just cherry picking what they want to hear and not being honest with the guest.

 

[Rupert901]

But the idea that they purposefully and willfully include a bias in order to get responses that they're going to ignore anyway and spend a lot of money on that? That's pretty silly.

Who said anything about the bias being "willful?" Confirmation bias is by it's very nature unconscious.

 

[MisterPenguin]

Who said anything about the bias being "willful?" Confirmation bias is by it's very nature unconscious.

A very smart person agreed with you when they said:

Yes, I know polls aren't perfect and always contain some bias (e.g., simply choosing what to ask means inquiring about some things and not inquiring about others). But that doesn't mean polls are useless. ​

 

[wdwtopten]

Their poll on new names for DHS effectively killed the name change.

Do you mean a name change in general, or that it killed a particular name?

 

[MisterPenguin]

Do you mean a name change in general, or that it killed a particular name?

A name change in general. The choices given were all truly awful and there was such a big internet kerfuffle over it, that DPB had to come out and say the name isn't changing.

 

[wdwtopten]

A name change in general. The choices given were all truly awful and there was such a big internet kerfuffle over it, that DPB had to come out and say the name isn't changing.

I remember that. I just wanted to be sure there wasn't more to the story that I had missed somehow.

 

[bUU]

Thanks for proving my point.

"Proven" only within the echo chamber.

Do you think that the business model of primarily original storytelling in the parks that they followed for many decades was somehow inherently flawed?

Your question presumes your implicit opinion that things have changed in a manner inconsistent with changes of the past as opposed to the more likely scenario, that things have evolved just as they have always evolved over time.

Even though you may prefer that things stopped changing as a specific point in time you remember fondly.

That Disney would spend money simply to go through a charade of listening to guests is tinfoil hat territory.

Of course, but the tinfoil hat is necessary to defend the projections of doom and gloom that are the lifeblood of some.

 

[MisterPenguin]

Of course, but the tinfoil hat is necessary to defend the projections of doom and gloom that are the lifeblood of some.

You know you're not helping when you take the polar and equally extreme counterview?

 

[bUU]

You know you're not helping when you take the polar and equally extreme counterview?

You know you're not helping when you engage in meta-discussion.

 

[Castle Cake Apologist]

Even though you may prefer that things stopped changing as a specific point in time you remember fondly.

Your argument is inherently flawed because none of us are asking for or want that. How is this such a hard concept for you to grasp? We want them to create attractions that are innovative and original, not attractions that lazily retell familiar stories. Nobody wants them to just leave things unchanged and never add anything again. That's one of the biggest things we complain about... how they sat stagnant for years and now have to quickly catch up by creating easy hits.

What you continue to insist upon ignoring is that the vast majority of us are absolutely fine with the concept of studio IP being integrated into the parks. We just want that IP to be used in inventive ways and be placed appropriately. I think Flight of Passage is among WDI's best work in years, and it's completely tied to film IP. In fact, I think all of Pandora is incredible, including Na'Vi River Journey (though it is woefully short).

But we mostly want more attractions like Expedition Everest and Mystic Manor. Rides with original narratives and characters. Rides that blow us away with their uniqueness and impress us with their storytelling. Rides that don't depend upon familiar characters and stories to immerse us.

Do you get it, or are we going to have yet another presumptuous response?

 

[larryz]

That hasn't been my experience. So, no. They don't always do that, if at all.

Their poll on new names for DHS effectively killed the name change.

SGE sits empty because the MK gets higher satisfaction scores without it being open. And I can see why.

That Disney would spend money simply to go through a charade of listening to guests is tinfoil hat territory. And they do spend a lot of money on this, not just with CMs asking the survey questions in the parks, but their help-wanteds show they hire pollsters and statistical analysts.

Yes, I know polls aren't perfect and always contain some bias (e.g., simply chosing what to ask means inquiring about some things and not inquiring about others). But that doesn't mean polls are useless.

But the idea that they purposefully and willfully include a bias in order to get responses that they're going to ignore anyway and spend a lot of money on that? That's pretty silly.

The one question I remember most clearly (in light of recent developments) was, "would you be willing to pay more to enjoy a less crowded park experience?"

 

[NormC]

Time to give the troll the bUUt.

 

[ThemedScream]

If I may share my experience from the Frozen Summer campaign at DHS. I was approached for a survey. The question revolved around motivation to visit. My motivation was not Frozen but the surveyor kept asking leading questions which result would be Frozen.

The poor girl was about in tears that none of my responses were Frozen related.

While I doubt any guest experience CM cares that much about your responses, it would seem you likely misunderstood the point of that particular survey.

 

[Janir]

The average park guest wants more Disney IPs in Epcot. Frozen is the only reason Epcot got any attention in the last 10 years. You’d be surprised how many parents take their little princesses to Epcot, ride Frozen, meet Anna and Elsa and immediately leave after.

The average guest wants more Disney IP's everywhere.
My trip last week we ended it with an in park viewing of the HEA fireworks. The adult ladies behind us, all they were interested in during the fireworks was what characters from whatever movies they could recognize. "Oooo that's Baymax from Big Hero 6! Oh, look, there's Elsa!" Went on the entire time. So I can understand why the Bob's wanted to IP everything they can get their hands on in the Parks it's what the average newbie guests want.

 

[CaptainAmerica]

I would be interested to actually know the answer to this. Is it 1% of guests? 2%?

Exactly.

Steps to becoming a Disney Parks fanatic:

1. Go to a park.
2. Have good time.
3. Inspired by the good time you had, seek out information about the park and talk to others about it.
4. Learn about the parks and gain a greater understanding about how they are designed, the history behind them, etc.

I understand that not everyone will do this. Maybe it is only 10%. But that doesn't mean that Disney should stop trying to build things that are truly special and that are cohesive and inspired. Because once you stop trying to be the best, you'll quickly become less than the best, and then the guests stop coming...so you have to cut costs...and the death spiral begins.

Disney doesn't really want die-hards, nor do they want newbies. Both are too expensive to keep happy.

 

[wdwtopten]

Disney doesn't really want die-hards, nor do they want newbies. Both are too expensive to keep happy.

I don't see your logic.

Die-hards spend a ton of money. Think DVC, APs, on property hotels, weddings, VIP guides.

Newbies are the life blood of the company. Without them, there is no added revenue.

 

[Nubs70]

While I doubt any guest experience CM cares that much about your responses, it would seem you likely misunderstood the point of that particular survey.

After the 4th time being asked if I planned my trip to experience the Frozen Summer festivities, i was pretty sure I understood the point of the survey.