Prices up…profits down…

[Phonedave]

Disney has finally burned through all its good will (earned over 70 years) and now they are not even "just another company," but instead actively disliked by a large portion of their formerly most loyal patrons. Couple that with pricing the middle class completely out of the resorts and declining by degrees every year since 1994ish and you have a parks division that is in a death spiral.

Specifically, their biggest errors include:

1. Moving from a "we're trying to turn every family (even lower middle class families) into repeat customers for life" model to a "we're going to pressure young moms into taking their kids to WDW once and spending their life savings on the trip" model - wringing every last dollar out of a guest,

2. Stratifying the guest experience (closing parks for separate-ticket events, paying to skip lines, etc) and then chasing whales (who are fickle) at the expense of less-wealthy devoted Disney fans,

3. Building half-day and quarter-day parks with the "we'll add more over time" attitude - only they hardly ever add more, they simply remove and replace occassionally, and

4. Attacking their most loyal customers in the culture war.

I wrote this in 2021 and it's even worse now ...

I 100% agree. I have told this story multiple times before. When I first started going to WDW, it took up a much larger chunk of my disposable income, but I did so because I enjoyed it because the VALUE was there.

Now, even at current prices, WDW takes a much smaller portion of my disposable income. But I go less and less. The value is not there, the 4 points you made above are in effect, and they keep cutting out experiences that I used to enjoy. My wife and I used to go to F&W 2 out of 3 years, and dropped some serious coin doing so by booking seminars, experiences, dinners, and buying merch. We have not been to F&W since the pandemic, and have no desire to go, until they bring back those experiences.

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

Do you not understand that folding strollers on a bus is a Florida law ?

…a strict “law and order” kinda place

 

[Disneylover69]

…a strict “law and order” kinda place

It’s not even a Florida law. Plus if it was the mouse I’m sure could lobby for the Florida law being changed, but again it’s not a Florida law unless someone can cite which law it is.

 

[networkpro]

It’s not even a Florida law. Plus if it was the mouse I’m sure could lobby for the Florida law being changed, but again it’s not a Florida law unless someone can cite which law it is.

FDOT REGULATION 392.62 REQUIRES THAT ALL STROLLERS BE FOLDED AND CARRY ON ARTICLES BE SECURED KEEPING AISLES AND EXITS CLEAR.

 

[Chi84]

FDOT REGULATION 392.62 REQUIRES THAT ALL STROLLERS BE FOLDED AND CARRY ON ARTICLES BE SECURED KEEPING AISLES AND EXITS CLEAR.

It’s your time, but I have a feeling it’s being wasted here.

 

[networkpro]

It’s your time, but I have a feeling it’s being wasted here.

A lone reed standing against the entitled tide...

 

[John park hopper]

The issue with strollers was never a problem when my kids were little we used a compact umbrella stroller (that was the norm). Now some will say OMG they are unsafe well we never had a problem --never tipped over- no child ever injured.

 

[BrianLo]

Oh look, another piece of absolute drivel from Caroline Reid. This is not the first time I’ve complained about her “journalism”. But since she’s another ranting fan girl who somehow has found ongoing employment, I’m not surprised there’s barely a critical look at it.

What you can’t understand from the article, because she is trying to force a point is that OI domestically was up. International was down. Why? It’s basically explained that Paris collapsed that quarter with the Olympics. End of article; but she wanted to rant about WDW I suppose.

Globally - experiences remains 20% up over 2019, despite the large international decline.

Then she starts trying to draw weird quarter on quarter conclusions with known seasonal variability. Surprise. Halloween and Christmas is always their biggest quarter.

But we do know the quarterly report was weeks ago? I’d say she shouldn’t quit her day job as a journalist to pretend being a financial analyst… but she has no skill in either. Jake from Nebraska and a tweet from Jim Schull are certainly worth farting out an article. My one compliment is this one is less meandering and wordy than her usual schlock.

 

[Chi84]

Oh look, another piece of absolute drivel from Caroline Reid. This is not the first time I’ve complained about her “journalism”. But since she’s another ranting fan girl who somehow has found ongoing employment, I’m not surprised there’s barely a critical look at it.

What you can’t understand from the article, because she is trying to force a point is that OI domestically was up. International was down. Why? It’s basically explained that Paris collapsed that quarter with the Olympics. End of article; but she wanted to rant about WDW I suppose.

Globally - experiences remains 20% up over 2019, despite the large international decline.

Then she starts trying to draw weird quarter on quarter conclusions with known seasonal variability. Surprise. Halloween and Christmas is always their biggest quarter.

But we do know the quarterly report was weeks ago? I’d say she shouldn’t quit her day job as a journalist to pretend being a financial analyst… but she has no skill in either. Jake from Nebraska and a tweet from Jim Schull are certainly worth farting out an article. My one compliment is this one is less meandering and wordy than her usual schlock.

That’s what you get for actually reading the article.

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

Boiled down into 3 points

1. People who had money because they did not travel during the pandemic have spent that money.
2. The people who want to go to Disney Parks as a regular vacation do not have the money to do so.
3. The people who can afford to go to Disney Parks are more likely to do something else (international travel) than go to Disney Parks

…yeah…that’s what I got on my bingo card

 

[monothingie]

I was told they were trying to reduce attendance on purpose to make more money and it would be more magical for the aristocrats still attending…

I showed up to Epcot today wearing my aristocratic crown and with a slice of Cake Bake Shop cake in hand, but alas none if my fellow aristocracy was present. No capes, crowns, or thrones!

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

Oh look, another piece of absolute drivel from Caroline Reid. This is not the first time I’ve complained about her “journalism”. But since she’s another ranting fan girl who somehow has found ongoing employment, I’m not surprised there’s barely a critical look at it.

What you can’t understand from the article, because she is trying to force a point is that OI domestically was up. International was down. Why? It’s basically explained that Paris collapsed that quarter with the Olympics. End of article; but she wanted to rant about WDW I suppose.

Globally - experiences remains 20% up over 2019, despite the large international decline.

Then she starts trying to draw weird quarter on quarter conclusions with known seasonal variability. Surprise. Halloween and Christmas is always their biggest quarter.

But we do know the quarterly report was weeks ago? I’d say she shouldn’t quit her day job as a journalist to pretend being a financial analyst… but she has no skill in either. Jake from Nebraska and a tweet from Jim Schull are certainly worth farting out an article. My one compliment is this one is less meandering and wordy than her usual schlock.

…you feeling ok?

 

[monothingie]

Oh look, another piece of absolute drivel from Caroline Reid. This is not the first time I’ve complained about her “journalism”. But since she’s another ranting fan girl who somehow has found ongoing employment, I’m not surprised there’s barely a critical look at it.

What you can’t understand from the article, because she is trying to force a point is that OI domestically was up. International was down. Why? It’s basically explained that Paris collapsed that quarter with the Olympics. End of article; but she wanted to rant about WDW I suppose.

Globally - experiences remains 20% up over 2019, despite the large international decline.

Then she starts trying to draw weird quarter on quarter conclusions with known seasonal variability. Surprise. Halloween and Christmas is always their biggest quarter.

But we do know the quarterly report was weeks ago? I’d say she shouldn’t quit her day job as a journalist to pretend being a financial analyst… but she has no skill in either. Jake from Nebraska and a tweet from Jim Schull are certainly worth farting out an article. My one compliment is this one is less meandering and wordy than her usual schlock.

 

[Chi84]

@BrianLo Expect some articulate responses.

 

[Jrb1979]

@BrianLo Expect some articulate responses.

Like Disney is no better then Six Flags Great America. Families in Illinois pack that park and it's much cheaper.

 

[Mark Dunne]

Really?

Financially no, but story telling yes. Sorry imo frozen 2 is overblown . Not every one will agree, but it’s not a patch on the first movie .

 

[BrianLo]

…you feeling ok?

Thanks for the critical appraisal support, guys!

Before I’m accused of WDW favouritism, the first time we collectively ripped into this writer was about Tokyo in the Asia sub forum.

 

[Jrb1979]

Thanks for the critical appraisal support, guys!

Before I’m accused of WDW favouritism, the first time we collectively ripped into this writer was about Tokyo in the Asia sub forum.

Her point is still right. Yeah profits are up but attendance is down. Bobby has even said so. Continuing to raise prices and attendance dropping isn't sustainable. Disney parks are no different than Universal or any regional park, they need big crowds to work.

Cause Bobby said they want lower attendance everyone believes that to be true.

 

[BrianLo]

@BrianLo Expect some articulate responses.

I heard Disney did poorly at the box office last year thanks to Genie+. Another Caroline article inbound! But Forbes lacks editorial oversight.

I’m somehow getting a reputation, but it’s not that people don’t have valid criticisms of many arms of the company… it just annoys me when we have to start lying and contorting data that in no way is related to the gripe(s) at hand.

The data is right there for the picking, but not when you lack financial literacy or critical appraisal skills. It’s easy just to make things up that “sound right”, but very clearly are not.

 

[BrianLo]

Her point is still right. Yeah profits are up but attendance is down. Bobby has even said so. Continuing to raise prices and attendance dropping isn't sustainable. Disney parks are no different than Universal or any regional park, they need big crowds to work.

Cause Bobby said they want lower attendance everyone believes that to be true.

And I have never, ever argued to the contrary. Walter is always annoyed at me, but I actually don’t deny the real data.

The resort is clearly down from its 2019 peak. Albeit somehow stymied a further freefall this year. Universal has really been in decline this year awaiting epic. Which is hardly a surprise.

This wasn’t actually what the article analyzed. She was talking about Q4. She somehow got confused about the difference between domestic OI and global, or chose to ignore it to rant about WDW.