Rumor Hollywood insiders say there's growing tension at Disney as CEO Bob Chapek chafes at Bob Iger's 'long goodbye'

[Sirwalterraleigh]

He is going to make all new shoes. They will tie themselves and have autopilot. The shoes will walk for you, so that you can stare into your phone the entire time while tweeting.

See the master plan now?

Mwha ha ha ha ha <—- maniacal genius laugh

They’ll probably explode on the 405 too

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

Waste of time and resources - Velcro already exists.

Yeah but 3M/DuPont ain’t giving up that patent

 

[TikibirdLand]

Yeah but 3M/DuPont ain’t giving up that patent

I saw Back to the Future... I want my auto-lace-up Nikes!

 

[Ayla]

That’s always my first question when people claim they only want one and done guests, my guess is probably 10-20% are one time visitors, with return visitors and APs making up the other 80-90%.

I don’t think anyone knows what Disneys ”ideal” guest is but I feel confidant saying it’s not one and done guests who will never return, I also feel confidant saying it’s not someone with an AP visiting 50+ days a year.

If I had to guess it’s the repeat visitor that’s visits twice a year, for a week each visit, and stays on property. Repeat visitors are Disneys bread and butter, without them the US parks would run out of one and done visitors within a year.

I am what Disney should consider an ideal customer, but they've lost me after 16 years of 2-3 visits a year, about a week at a time, on property. Being priced out and refusing to pay ridiculous prices are two different things and I'm definitely the latter.

 

[CaptainAmerica]

That’s always my first question when people claim they only want one and done guests, my guess is probably 10-20% are one time visitors, with return visitors and APs making up the other 80-90%.

I don’t think anyone knows what Disneys ”ideal” guest is but I feel confidant saying it’s not one and done guests who will never return, I also feel confidant saying it’s not someone with an AP visiting 50+ days a year.

If I had to guess it’s the repeat visitor that’s visits twice a year, for a week each visit, and stays on property. Repeat visitors are Disneys bread and butter, without them the US parks would run out of one and done visitors within a year.

Repeat visitors who visit every 3 to 5 years are ideal. They're much more likely than multiple-times-per-year visitors to splurge on expensive dining, upcharge events, premium merch, etc.

 

[GimpYancIent]

Repeat visitors who visit every 3 to 5 years are ideal. They're much more likely than multiple-times-per-year visitors to splurge on expensive dining, upcharge events, premium merch, etc.

True, but! BC and Co. are working feverishly to damage that demographic by removing or cheapening classic / long term venues that are nostalgic draw for the 3-to-5-year crowd.

 

[CaptainAmerica]

True, but! BC and Co. are working feverishly to damage that demographic by removing or cheapening classic / long term venues that are nostalgic draw for the 3-to-5-year crowd.

You can't just focus on keeping the 3-to-5 people happy. You also have to create new 3-to-5 people.

More people know and care about Rocket Raccoon than "Tomorrow's Child" and "New Horizons." I wish that wasn't true, but it is.

 

[Tha Realest]

You can't just focus on keeping the 3-to-5 people happy. You also have to create new 3-to-5 people.

More people know and care about Rocket Raccoon than "Tomorrow's Child" and "New Horizons." I wish that wasn't true, but it is.

This is all true. And the creation of 3-5 new people is important, long term. But the current management only appears to be concerned with short term, quarter by quarter ROIs.

To the other issue of eschewing return guests, I do think there's a long term problem when you forcibly break people of ingrained habits (as we've learned from the pandemic). What happens when the people who've routinely come back multiple times a year no longer do so? Yes, current attendance is up, but I think that's a byproduct of cash-heavy folks and revenge travel. What happens during the inevitable economic downturn? Do they raise rack rates at GF and Poly to over $1000/night because their new desired clientele will easily pay for it?

I do think there's a reckoning in store. When that happens is anyone's guess. The current CEO is in his early 60's and feels like a placeholder. These issues will be someone else's to deal with, ultimately.

 

[GimpYancIent]

I am what Disney should consider an ideal customer, but they've lost me after 16 years of 2-3 visits a year, about a week at a time, on property. Being priced out and refusing to pay ridiculous prices are two different things and I'm definitely the latter.

Yes, after many years, many trips, lots of memories last year was it for me. Too many non-Disney venues and destinations that are far more appealing now plus are evolving and getting better. So many wonderful places and ways to spend money, not Disney, and so little time to do it in.

 

[GimpYancIent]

This is all true. And the creation of 3-5 new people is important, long term. But the current management only appears to be concerned with short term, quarter by quarter ROIs.

To the other issue of eschewing return guests, I do think there's a long term problem when you forcibly break people of ingrained habits (as we've learned from the pandemic). What happens when the people who've routinely come back multiple times a year no longer do so? Yes, current attendance is up, but I think that's a byproduct of cash-heavy folks and revenge travel. What happens during the inevitable economic downturn? Do they raise rack rates at GF and Poly to over $1000/night because their new desired clientele will easily pay for it?

I do think there's a reckoning in store. When that happens is anyone's guess. The current CEO is in his early 60's and feels like a placeholder. These issues will be someone else's to deal with, ultimately.

I get what you mean by place holder but the issues continue to evolve and grow ultimately it will need an entire motivated team not just one individual to clean the mess up.

 

[GimpYancIent]

What do the Hollywood insiders leak about BI's SD venture now? No one cares if BC is chaffing about anything.

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

This is all true. And the creation of 3-5 new people is important, long term. But the current management only appears to be concerned with short term, quarter by quarter ROIs.

To the other issue of eschewing return guests, I do think there's a long term problem when you forcibly break people of ingrained habits (as we've learned from the pandemic). What happens when the people who've routinely come back multiple times a year no longer do so? Yes, current attendance is up, but I think that's a byproduct of cash-heavy folks and revenge travel. What happens during the inevitable economic downturn? Do they raise rack rates at GF and Poly to over $1000/night because their new desired clientele will easily pay for it?

I do think there's a reckoning in store. When that happens is anyone's guess. The current CEO is in his early 60's and feels like a placeholder. These issues will be someone else's to deal with, ultimately.

I can’t agree with this more. Well done

 

[Tha Realest]

What do the Hollywood insiders leak about BI's SD venture now? No one cares if BC is chaffing about anything.

Guy went from "I might run for president" to "I should be an ambassador" to "Buy my Xbox Avatar clothing." He's only useful to the media now when they want to run a story on palace intrigue or when he wants to offer himself up as standing for a principled position now that he never took as CEO.

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

I get what you mean by place holder but the issues continue to evolve and grow ultimately it will need an entire motivated team not just one individual to clean the mess up.

The problem with “90 day management“ is that Disney can’t ultimately stop the 91st day from arriving.

So the counter to that is: “well they have to protect themselves…”

Bob chapek doesn’t. If they can him next year…how much does he walk with? Bout $75,000,000 by my guesstimate. What did he pull in 2015-2019? At most probably 20% of that.

What’s the old saying? Follow what?

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

Guy went from "I might run for president" to "I should be an ambassador" to "Buy my Xbox Avatar clothing." He's only useful to the media now when they want to run a story on palace intrigue or when he wants to offer himself up as standing for a principled position now that he never took as CEO.

That’s a exactly what he’s doing. I don’t think Bob likes life in the has been margins too much?

You know who went away gracefully? Yeah…that “evil” guy again.

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

I haven’t checked the share price in about a week…

Damn…they’re getting crushed. And the leads today were all recession watch/warning. That’s inevitable…it’s just a question of time?

“Good news! Annual passes and DVC incentives on the horizon!”

 

[CaptainAmerica]

Damn…they’re getting crushed. And the leads today were all recession watch/warning. That’s inevitable…it’s just a question of time?

“Good news! Annual passes and DVC incentives on the horizon!”

I'm so excited.

 

[Tha Realest]

I haven’t checked the share price in about a week…

Damn…they’re getting crushed. And the leads today were all recession watch/warning. That’s inevitable…it’s just a question of time?

“Good news! Annual passes and DVC incentives on the horizon!”

I'm increasingly of the mindset that if you do not like the direction of TWDC, the only corrective is a painful economic reckoning for them. Whether that comes in the form of a recession/market correction, or trendlines in vacations, or the streaming bubble popping - so be it.

Every criticism of the company's direction is met by its institutional defenders with, "Yeah, but - look at the revenues! Look at attendance!" Okay. Let's see how you handle things when discretionary spending dries up.

 

[CaptainAmerica]

I'm increasingly of the mindset that if you do not like the direction of TWDC, the only corrective is a painful economic reckoning for them. Whether that comes in the form of a recession/market correction, or trendlines in vacations, or the streaming bubble popping - so be it.

Every criticism of the company's direction is met by its institutional defenders with, "Yeah, but - look at the revenues! Look at attendance!" Okay. Let's see how you handle things when discretionary spending dries up.

True but that cuts both ways. Just as Chapek is currently benefitting from revenge travel, the streaming boom, fiscal stimulus, etc., it's also true that his entire tenure as CEO has been during perhaps the greatest crisis in the history of the company. I just don't know that we've seen enough good, bad, or indifferent to make concrete conclusions about what the direction of the company would have been with him as CEO during normal times.

 

[pdude81]

I'm increasingly of the mindset that if you do not like the direction of TWDC, the only corrective is a painful economic reckoning for them. Whether that comes in the form of a recession/market correction, or trendlines in vacations, or the streaming bubble popping - so be it.

Every criticism of the company's direction is met by its institutional defenders with, "Yeah, but - look at the revenues! Look at attendance!" Okay. Let's see how you handle things when discretionary spending dries up.

If you don't like the cuts now, just wait for a recession.