ToTBellHop
Well-Known Member
oh yes...they'll have to AT LEAST do better than the Year of a Million Toilet Flushes if they have ANY hope.
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Next Celebration?
- Thread starter starwood
- Start date
Nicole220
Well-Known Member
:ROFLOL: Are you serious? According to Disney and others, it's a big flop right now. Not very many people know it's going on or what it is about.
Now the 50th celebration, that's a hard one to top!
ToTBellHop
Well-Known Member
and Disney was rewarded for their efforts during the 50th (at least in the USA) with major attendance increases. One would think that would've convinced them to make future celebrations of its calibre...but Jay Rasulo doesn't live on Earth.
Kristi Kay
New Member
Really? :veryconfu Are you kidding? How in the world is it a flop? Like every commerical is a Disney commerical about YOAMD! HOw do ppl not know about it? I think it's the best idea ever! I mean, you could win a night in the castle's suite! How does it get better than that?
ToTBellHop
Well-Known Member
It's a flop b/c it's not profitable--it is costing more than the return.
Kristi Kay
New Member
Ah....gottcha...
disneydudette
Well-Known Member
I won two dream fast passes back in January, one at MGM the other one at AK. We didn't even get to use the pass at MGM due to low crowds. I tried to use it for Star Tours and the CM just laughed at me and told me to keep it since it was a walk on. I couldn't even "give" them away!
None the less I'm a fan of YOMD and I really like the idea of "making every guest feel like the only guest"... Disney could do some good stuff with that idea. I loved winning those passes... it was such a great feeling!
I can understand how this may not be financially strong but I see no signs of poor attendance. Maybe it's not as "big" as the 50th but don't forget that the 50th brought new "big name" attractions and shows into the parks.
None the less I'm a fan of YOMD and I really like the idea of "making every guest feel like the only guest"... Disney could do some good stuff with that idea. I loved winning those passes... it was such a great feeling!
I can understand how this may not be financially strong but I see no signs of poor attendance. Maybe it's not as "big" as the 50th but don't forget that the 50th brought new "big name" attractions and shows into the parks.
speck76
Well-Known Member
ok....working in the hotel industry in Orlando for about a dozen local hotels...
the two weeks of Easter this year have been stronger than any Easter vacation since 1999
Leisure demand is stronger going into the summer than it has been since 1999
I do not think YoaMD is a failure....I think there are a lot of fanboys that do not like it because it did not add a ton of E-ticket attractions....well...neither did ANY marketing campaign prior to HCOE.....
the two weeks of Easter this year have been stronger than any Easter vacation since 1999
Leisure demand is stronger going into the summer than it has been since 1999
I do not think YoaMD is a failure....I think there are a lot of fanboys that do not like it because it did not add a ton of E-ticket attractions....well...neither did ANY marketing campaign prior to HCOE.....
unkadug
Follower of "Saget"The Cult
Good point.
Did the parks actually get those attractions because of the HCOE celebration?
Or....did the opening of the attractions just happened to coincide with the celebration?
The latter. If the funds are there to greenlight an attraction or port one over from another park, those funds are not going to be dependant on a celebration. Look at the Epcot refurbs for evidence of this.
I find it hilarious how people are calling the current celebration a flop. WDW is going to have its highest attendance ever in 2007, and you're saying the celebration is a flop? Pure comedy. If you're going to say that they don't get money by giving stuff away for free, well, thats correct. But don't I always hear about how Disney can't be in it only for the money?
What people fail to grasp is that celebrations are not meant to influence anyone who would visit a Disney fan site.
There are two different points to a celebration, and neither are for Disney fans.
1. A celebration is a marketing scheme, meant to get people to say "Hey, that sounds great! Lets go to WDW, we haven't been there in X long."
2. Making a guests visit unique. Whether they go once in three years, five years, ten, or a lifetime. Having a celebration makes the guest feel that something "special" was going on for them that trip. And you know, it influences Disney fans too. I hear often about how the HCoE was so great (HHoE is different). Why was it great? They put some decorations on the castle and sold gold Mickey ears? WOW!!! They are definitely doing more than that for YoaMD. You have a much better chance of having a unique experience during the YoaMD then you did during the HCoE (again, the HHoE was different) And who went during the MK's 25th and can't remember the castle cake? Good or bad, you remember it. And thats why they do it.
speck76
Well-Known Member
Great post!
ToTBellHop
Well-Known Member
You are grossly oversimplifying. You need to use college statistics, not middle school math. You have to calculate how much attendance levels were naturally headed up (which was significant) and then determine if there is a significant deviation from the historical model that a computer spits out (i.e. a statistically significant increase in the slope of that historical trend). You then have to factor in the tremendous cost of this campaign, and the fact that you get little return for that cost--you spend $80,000,000 to build Soarin', and you get returns over many years because it stays there, so in the long-term, it's a worthwhile investment. A free churro has only momentary returns and creates an expectation that you will get a free churro next year, which will likely not be the case. You then have to factor in survey results suggesting that the average guest does not understand what the Year of a Million Dreams is (and why should they--there's no reason for it; WDW isn't turning 25, it's not the turn of the millennium, Walt didn't turn 100--there is no reason to expect a celebration and no explanation). Of course, you can disagree with me and I don't honestly care. My job doesn't depend on the success of YoaMD, but the true results will come out later this year. Clearly, making the guest feel special is a good thing, but there are far more cost-effective ways to do so without funneling money away from new projects in the parks.
speck76
Well-Known Member
and you need to learn the market, and realize what makes people buy.....
ToTBellHop
Well-Known Member
Again...I don't care if you agree with me or not, but there are a lot of smart people who agree with me and only a very small handful of people who would suggest the YoaMD is a success. Maybe they are right. I don't have the numbers but neither do you. If I had to hazard a guess, I would say, however, that the Twilight Zone Tower of Terror and the Haunted Mansion, not free churros, makes people return to WDW. Just a guess.
unkadug
Follower of "Saget"The Cult
And you're not grossly over-complicating ?
I have to take issue with one point - you said the "tremendous cost of this campaign". :veryconfu
Most of the 1 million prizes really have a nominal cost to the company, but they still report the retail value of the prize. (as if a fastpass has a retail value)
Other than that, I agree . :wave:
I have to take issue with one point - you said the "tremendous cost of this campaign". :veryconfu
Most of the 1 million prizes really have a nominal cost to the company, but they still report the retail value of the prize. (as if a fastpass has a retail value)
Other than that, I agree . :wave:
ToTBellHop
Well-Known Member
a million prizes, the marketing, the new CM positions, and overall support for the system costs millions of dollars.
unkadug
Follower of "Saget"The Cult
But in the greater advertising scheme of things for TWDC....nothing.
ToTBellHop
Well-Known Member
is it nothing? I see a lot more commercials up here in Connecticut than I have in the past...the question is--how much return do they see out of the guest's wallet for each advertising dollar? And let's not forget, while many prizes are essentially free for Disney, they are not free in terms of guest spending. While Disney can make a Mickey Mouse hat for dirt cheap, by handing one out for free they are losing the $10 someone might have spent on one, so in many cases, the cost of a prize ends up effectively doubling--if you get a free churro and eat it, odds are you would've bought a snack anyway, and now are not, so Disney has effectively lost two churros. I don't think I'm making things overly complicated. This is a multi-billion dollar company. It is complicated. This is why they hire people with Ph.D.s to chug the numbers.