Disney World is in much bigger trouble than the company or its shareholders may want to recognize. And the problem isn't really Universal or Harry Potter. It is Disney themselves. The company has let Walt Disney World decline, become stale, and has failed to invest in keeping the parks vital.
While I agree with a lot of the things you are saying (see rant above) I think you're looking at things a little too much from the perspective of the fan.
Disney World is a money pit at the moment.
I think you're mis-using the term "money pit" here. WDW is a cash cow. It would be a money pit if they were sinking money into it (which they are not) and not getting any return on their investment (which they are even though they are making minimal investments).
And now that Harry Potter has made Disney World's failures obvious to the average visitor, it will be difficult for Disney to recover quickly.
The "average" visitor may not even know the distiniction between Universal and Disney. It will take more than Potter to make a dent on the average tourist. But it's a step in the right direction for them.
The budget allocated to fix DCA is nothing compared to what it would take to put a suitable amount of dazzle and magic back into Walt Disney World.
Disagree. DCA is in a sorry state. WDW just needs a little TLC.
Unfortunately, the new Fantasyland expansion will likely be a public relations backfire for Disney. Universal builds a MAJOR E+++ ride and land which is fun for the WHOLE family. Disney counter-strikes with a Fantasyland expansion targeted at 10 year old girls. Total misstep on Disney's part.
Totally and completely disagree with you here. The average tourist will not associate the FLE with WWoHP at all. They won't see it as an answer to Potter (which is good because it isn't). They don't think about those kinds of things.
The response to the FLE may end up being underwhelming. But it won't backfire.
I'm not saying that the Fantasyland expansion won't be lovely, but it certainly won't address the real problems at the resort. It is a cheap attempt to fix a problem which it doesn't even come close to addressing.
Disagree again. It is a very cost effective solution to some of MK's nagging problems; capacity and lack of dining chief among them. Also, Disney has a huge population (princess fans) that is not being served very well at the parks these days. FLE will help meet the demand for princess experiences.
It's not meant to "fix" the resort. It's a modest project that will keep MK from having to turn away visitors (or as many visitors) on its busiest days.
But one or two amazing new rides is NOT what Disney World needs at the moment. It needs a major comprehensive redevelopment plan on a massive scale. Everything from resort transportation, entertainment zones, theme park redevelopment, and staff member training should be included. And those in Orlando management who stand in the way should be very quickly swept aside.
This would be a terrible business decision. Anyone suggesting such a thing would (rightly) be laughed out of a meeting. Why do you think this is *needed* when WDW is the most visited tourist spot in the world?
Sure, all those things would be great if money grew on trees. But Disney is a business. There's no need to totally revamp something that is working.
However, Disney may be working on something that comes close to what you're talking about. Let's not forget all that secrecy surrounding the "Next Gen" project. It will supposedly change the way WDW guests experience their vacation (whatever that means). If so, I stand corrected.
The next manager who cheerfully presents PowerPoint slides showing how much money was saved by incrementally cutting food portions or delaying maintenance should be thanked for their time and then fired.
Why? If they really made the company more profitable, why should they be fired?
Disney World needs to refocus from an organization 100% focused on the bottom line into one which focuses instead on quality of show.
Disney World is not 100% focused on the bottom line. Be fair. They also focus on quality of show.
But of course they have their eye constantly on the bottom line. They would be fired if they didn't.
It is one thing to overcharge for a product which is clearly better than what anyone else is capable of offering and quite another to overcharge for a product which it is increasingly difficult to justify its sliding level of quality.
The day you no longer feel the product justifies the cost, stop going. It's the only way Disney will ever change.