On layoffs, very bad attendance, and Iger's legacy being one of disgrace

[mkt]

People are forgoing vacations. Famlies are home. Try to buy a swimming pool or home playground set.

This is it. We swung by Aldi a few weeks back when they were advertising inflatable pools. I thought it'd be cool to have one in the backyard. We were at the store within an hour of open the day the ad came out, and they were already sold out.

 

[Brer Panther]

Definitely not. Eisner was a great CEO for both the studios and the parks for the early part of his tenure and vastly superior to anything Iger has done.

Well, I basically meant post-Disneyland Paris Eisner.

 

[mkt]

Nintendo Switches have been sold out, or in limited supply, for months. Home gym equipment is also hard to get.

Anything to keep people busy at home was snatched up months ago and there's still a drain in some products.

We were able to buy one in April on amazon, at regular retail price. Miraculously. Use nowinstock.net on a computer and set it up desktop alerts + pop open the purchase window. That's also how we've been able to get stuff on Amazon that's in short supply, like hand sanitizer and disinfectant spray and wipes.

 

[Animaniac93-98]

I wonder how long it would take a few busloads of protesters to lock up the entrance to the MK parking lot...

Chapek: Any publicity is good publicity!

 

[pheneix]

Remember when so many posters were drooling over Touring Plans view of what crowds would look like when the parks reopened.. making references to absolutely bonkers past data points like hurricanes? lol

And how people were filling pages of threads of just how they couldn't wait to get back into the parks.. and it was a daily thing about what day they could reschedule for??

Yeah... suckkers... This kind of massive correction was on the board as soon as governments started closing borders and commercial activity. This was going to happen even with a short shutdown.. and now with the future so uncertain, and borders shutdown effectively indefinitely at this point... All of this was like predicting the sunrise.

The one surprising thing out of this shutdown is just how strong luxury good sales continue to be. Economic uncertainty hasn't hit all job types equally.... Try going out and buying things like hot tubs, home entertainment stuff, etc... inventory is drained everywhere.

Last part not a surprise. The rich are getting richer, and the poor are getting poorer.

 

[pheneix]

On the ppl staying at home and buying expensive stuff relative to their means -- a lot of income losses got replaced by the government UI program. Some of the Wall Street analyst critters think that represents 4% of American GDP that was saved from total income losses. Changes in govt benefits could have an immediate adverse effect on the economy. Massive reductions in spending overnight. Perhaps 1-2% off the GDP immediately.

This in-home spending surge is probably already coming to an end. Supply should meet demand soon.

And if I'm wrong, holy crap all our global government stimulus programs were successful.

 

[mickey0825]

Definitely not. Eisner was a great CEO for both the studios and the parks for the early part of his tenure and vastly superior to anything Iger has done.

Eisner saved Disney...he and Frank Wells rebuild the company, saved in from corporate takeover and laid the groundwork for everything it is today.....I give Iger credit...he expanded in areas no one foresaw but Eisner was a true pioneer

 

[tirian]

Well, I basically meant post-Disneyland Paris Eisner.

Even in that case, Eisner’s reaction was more about self-preservation than simply not caring about the company’s heritage and trying to make it his legacy.

I do agree with your post-Paris sentiment, though. Nearly everything from 1997 onward was a disaster. His main problem stemmed from trusting the MBAs too much and pigeonholing himself as a creative, and ignoring WDI and film execs who tried to explain the company had to innovate again. Eisner became scared of taking risks.

(Edit: The MK went through dark times because Phil Holmes was a terrible VP. DL suffered under Pressler too.)

Iger, on the other hand, wanted people to think he was a creative/corporate genius he never was and never will be. Buying IPs and befriending Steve Jobs doesn’t make someone a genius. It makes them the annoying kid always hanging around the cool ones.

 

[techgeek]

The one surprising thing out of this shutdown is just how strong luxury good sales continue to be. Economic uncertainty hasn't hit all job types equally.... Try going out and buying things like hot tubs, home entertainment stuff, etc... inventory is drained everywhere.

It's not just luxury goods -- home appliances are also almost impossible to get. I know someone who hasn't had a dishwasher for almost 3 months. Ordered it immediately after theirs broke and it won't be shipped until August.

Nintendo Switches have been sold out, or in limited supply, for months. Home gym equipment is also hard to get.

Yeah, but I'm sure alot of that is the lack of inventory in the supply chain. Plant shutdowns, slowdowns, etc. Things like appliances people 'need' so while they slow down, they don't go cold turkey (like say... a vegas vacation). But big big dollar items.. like pools, etc - people don't need, they could easily put off. Yet, those industries are going bonkers. It's pretty wild.

Unexpected demand speaks to some of these issues, but supply chain and manufacturing side of this is huge. A lot of industries are still playing catchup from China being off-line for months at the beginning of all of this. Experts were saying back in Jan / Feb that it would take 6 months for some of those shutdowns to be felt, since that's how long those supply chains lead shelf-dates, or how far out parts are ordered for assembly... and here we are.

The worldwide economy would have seen a massive hit from this even if it had stayed contained in Southeast Asia, because of the massive scope of the initial factory and shipping shutdowns there.

 

[TheDisneyDaysOfOurLives]

Last part not a surprise. The rich are getting richer, and the poor are getting poorer.

It's all fun and games until we find out ten years from now that Bezos created COVID-19 and massively profited off of it.

 

[TrainsOfDisney]

Well, I basically meant post-Disneyland Paris Eisner.

Even then... compare wilderness lodge and animal kingdom lodge to Riveria. Eisner still cared, he was just scared after Paris.

DCA 1.0 and Studios Paris are both embarrassing though....

 

[DisneyDebRob]

I think that's a big issue, actually (well, not so much for Disney -- it's a great thing for the company).

So many people don't realize how incredibly good WDW was in the early 90s. They have no memory of EPCOT being absolutely incredible, nor do they realize how much has been lost at the Magic Kingdom -- not as much in terms of rides (there are a few gone), but in terms of all the other interesting experiences like all of the themed stores that have been replaced with shops all selling the same merchandise everywhere.

They don't have that as a comparison point, so they don't know how far downhill things have gone.

Epcot was incredible in the early 80’s. Showing my age but what I wouldn’t do to experience that again.

 

[Ldno]

Clearly these people didn't pay any attention to the Post 9/11 Crowds of 2002-2005.

Things will not even begin to return to some sense of normal until this public health emergency ends.

But this is different than those times, only the travel industry was hurt, this is a multifaceted attack on all ways of life, not only travel, but international travel, entertainment, everyone in some way or form is being affected.

Nintendo Switches have been sold out, or in limited supply, for months. Home gym equipment is also hard to get.

Anything to keep people busy at home was snatched up months ago and there's still a drain in some products.

Yeah, it's definitely the supply chain with home appliances.

I would think there are supply chain difficulties with stuff like home entertainment systems too, although obviously no one needs one of those the way they would need something like a refrigerator.

People were and are stuck at home. They splurged (wisely or not) on something to do to distract them from all this.

Luxury items just as Nintendo Switches were produced at a limited quantity amount, All of a sudden the Waitlist for Rolex is Months now and a switch‘s asking price is 700bucks, There’s not enough workers in warehouses to keep up with demand, Sony already stated they will limit 1 ps5 per household, Lego are waitlisted for 60 days even longer because to make a lego set requires parts from Europe, Asia and Mexico and the Mexican factory is shut down, everything is being affected, I literally got a figure I have been waiting to get since April just because of back orders, just found out a guy who serviced his watch back in February got his watch last week, the problem will be keeping up with the demand.

I still can’t get a Turbo Grafx 16 at retail price. Online retailing can only keep up for sooo much, everything selling out was dead stock IMHO

 

[mkt]

Luxury items just as Nintendo Switches were produced at a limited quantity amount,

We were able to get ours on Amazon, and sold by Amazon, miraculously, but we think it's a gray market unit. It shipped from a warehouse right on the border with Mexico and it had a lot of Spanish language documentation included.

But whatever, it works and that's what I care about.

I still can’t get a Turbo Grafx 16 at retail price. Online retailing can only keep up for sooo much, everything selling out was dead stock IMHO

I want one, and they are impossible to get. Like more impossible than the original NES Classic.

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

Indeed, months ago our insiders were talking about a Plan B to put the UEU attractions in UO if UEU was delayed or cancelled.

Ok...not to be the front of the middle phalanx...but wouldn’t that be a straight common sense approach for universal and Disney moving forward??

It’s not like cloning isn’t always an option. And to save costs Makes it ohh so palatable.

Some elaboration on Universal rumors:

Sounds like *something* is going down in UC over Epic Universe this afternoon. Given that all indications are that the project is toast and most ppl were laid off anyway..... I hesitate to speculate but I assume the worst.

On the same topic, I am also heating that *deep* layoffs are going to occur at Universal Orlando in the near future. This is in addition to actions already taken a couple weeks ago (was it longer? 2020 is brutal for comprehending passage of time). There are some attraction closures coming in the near future but those seem to be unrelated to layoff action (can't find hourly staff to run them).

Interesting.

I imagine the focus in Burbank - and Philadelphia -
Are now on what to do to address a LONG term travel disruption and loss of revenue. Because the course is set now.

I've had plenty over property but you're kind of right - my main gripes are with the fast service and the fast service offered at Magic Kingdom (in particular), Hollywood Studios and most of Epcot.

The MK though, being the busiest theme park in the world feels like a place that, for the type of people they want to have there, and for what they charge for the food, should be providing something better than they are - both in food and overall experience - especially when reservations are so hard to come by for table service.

Reservations actually have been fairly easy to comeby...If it’s not character meals or “fireworks views”...which isn’t what a person wants anyway.

MK serves what they do because nothing else is demanded of it. Same with MGM...never added anything.

But there is another type that doesn’t like the food...or more accurately - will describe its flaws...

Those that have watched precipitously loss of variety and value become a standard operating procedure.

 

[Sharon&Susan]

I still can’t get a Turbo Grafx 16 at retail price. Online retailing can only keep up for sooo much, everything selling out was dead stock IMHO

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

Clearly these people didn't pay any attention to the Post 9/11 Crowds of 2002-2005.

Things will not even begin to return to some sense of normal until this public health emergency ends.

Honestly...this is not a comparable example. It will be moreso if there’s a recession that sinks in and blasts travel after a solution to the health crisis emerges...like next year.

The 9/11 era Disney business is my wheelhouse...so I’m coming out of the bullpen throwing 99 on this one.

 

[UNCgolf]

Well, I basically meant post-Disneyland Paris Eisner.

Even then he greenlit Animal Kingdom, which I can't imagine Iger approving in a million years. But I get your point.

 

[peter11435]

Even then he greenlit Animal Kingdom, which I can't imagine Iger approving in a million years. But I get your point.

Technically he greenlit Animal Kingdom before Disneyland Paris opened.

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

Even then... compare wilderness lodge and animal kingdom lodge to Riveria. Eisner still cared, he was just scared after Paris.

DCA 1.0 and Studios Paris are both embarrassing though....

Eisner outlived his usefulness and was ineffective when the money associated with Disney got too large and his history in Hollywood was incompatible with adaptation...

...but he was still a creative individual by nature.

You know who else has been around too long?

Epcot was incredible in the early 80’s. Showing my age but what I wouldn’t do to experience that again.

Epcot was...and always will be...the greatest park ever built. Not for what there was to do...but for the trust that Disney (the old guard) put in their audience to consume and accept a park built on learning and investigating. Everyone can “fantasize”...many never bother to consider what can be or what we learn through the lens of history.

Those of us that were “there” in the 80s and 90s are lucky...Those that never see it are missing something and they don’t know it.

Even then he greenlit Animal Kingdom, which I can't imagine Iger approving in a million years. But I get your point.

Technically he greenlit Animal Kingdom before Disneyland Paris opened.

Greenlit? He practically lit it on fire and shoved it down the Board’s throat...

But even some of the mistakes/shortcomings of the DAK area (a waterpark, 5 hotels, etc) not withstanding...building it was a show of faith/hope by Eisner in the audience that I would find refreshing today. That wasn’t a slam dunk like people assume.