Rumors. Musings. Casual.

[Sirwalterraleigh]

I can only reasonable speculate what the data says in Orlando…

But my strong hunch is it’s telling them that the loss of core customera these last few years leads back to the Bob’s decisions to not only botch the “grand investment” period after avatar…leaving the parks just m as ill equipped/sinking as they were prior (obvious mistakes)…but now not doing anything to get back on the horse.

Yielding an entirely new park/compound to Comcast with nothing under construction?

Unheard of. That’s not Disney…we all know it. Some of us openly admit it…some are slower to absorb the truth serum.

 

[pheneix]

Thanks.

I work in IT, seems Bob has gone with the IT saying of "PEBKAC" aka "Problem Exists Between Keyboard And Chair."

The obvious solution is to replace the user.

Related, its been (kinda) my hunch from years ago. Paraphrasing I think I said something to the effect of it terms of the park goers: "Disney doesn't want repeat customers at the parks, too many expectations. They want a family of four staying 7-10 days, maxed out tickets (now using LL and the other stuff) on premise eating there and no one else and then gone." That way Disney gets a reoccurring cash flow to the parks, just not the same ones and each generation provides the next wave of them.

They want the newer lifers. They spend like we (or I used to). It’s for different reasons.

The ppl who also do other stuff? They’ll take our money too. And those one and dones are also lucrative.

 

[GhostHost1000]

Exactly.

We also have a thread via a travel agent on the site pointing out that since late summer/early fall Disney has been facing some ahem "headwinds" with bookings. We were told we were out of our minds.

Some of us knew that was fact, and some got scolded for saying it. It’s not as good as some think. Disney will hide it the best they can but forecasted Disney vacations aren’t going up that’s for sure.

 

[Willmark]

They want the newer lifers. They spend like we (or I used to). It’s for different reasons.

The ppl who also do other stuff? They’ll take our money too. And those one and dones are also lucrative.

Sure, but it's been my contention that in the past, Disney had a reasonable chance of getting "everyone" as customers?

Now?

I strongly suspect that for various reasons its: "Disney can have Customer A or Customer B. The old option of C (both of them) is no longer possible.

 

[pheneix]

Some of us knew that was fact, and some got scolded for saying it. It’s not as good as some think. Disney will hide it the best they can but forecasted Disney vacations aren’t going up that’s for sure.

DAK’s got real issues. I know this isn’t a rocket scientist take, but USF is gonna have real issues after EU.

And huge numbers of people are postponing trips for EU. It is a source of freak out at UO. But they know what is coming and this year is just gonna have to suck.

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

Exactly.

We also have a thread via a travel agent on the site pointing out that since late summer/early fall Disney has been facing some ahem "headwinds" with bookings. We were told we were out of our minds.

Now this.

Add in a billion dollar lose in the movie division?

Add in yet more acquisitions?

Add in a at least right now, iffy movie lineup for 2024?

Add in a fractured fan base?

Add in no Marvel or SW movie "must see" this year? (I have no idea how Dead Pool 3 will do mind you)

Add in Pixar being a shade of its former self?

I'm not a betting man and I'm not going to count Disney out just yet but the signs are looking too good.

I am not an “insider”…would never claim otherwise.

But do I have some limited access to high level people from my short, prestigious former career?

I’m not saying I am told things.

What I am saying is their bookings are catastrophically low by internal standards.

And they’re out of excuses. It’s not viruses…it’s not the economy(sorta)…it’s not Tallahassee…

It’s their management trajectory. As Spartacus said “leading us to where we always were going to go”

The gimmicks aren’t working either. Especially the dining plan…thankfully.

When you discount 30% and it’s still way too much for you US customers? Whoops.

I warned this 5 years ago here and 10 other places. Don’t get yourself the “ripoff” label

But as willmark just said: I was crazy.

 

[Willmark]

Some of us knew that was fact, and some got scolded for saying it. It’s not as good as some think. Disney will hide it the best they can but forecasted Disney vacations aren’t going up that’s for sure.

Wait, I was told that "the parks were packed when I was last there!"

 

[pheneix]

Sure, but it's been my contention that in the past, Disney had a reasonable chance of getting "everyone" as customers?

Now?

I strongly suspect that for various reasons its: "Disney can have Customer A or Customer B. The old option of C (both of them) is no longer possible.

That’s why I kind of did a devils defense to prove you’re right. Because you are.

 

[Willmark]

I am not an “insider”…would never claim otherwise.

But do I have some limited access to high level people from my short, prestigious former career?

I’m not saying

What I am saying is their bookings are catastrophically low by internal standards.

And they’re out of excuses. It’s not viruses…it’s not the economy(sorta)…it’s not Tallahassee…

It’s their management trajectory. As Spartacus said “leading us to where we always were going to go”

The gimmicks aren’t working either. Especially the dining plan…thankfully.

When you discount 30% and it’s still way too much for you US customers? Whoops.

I warned this 5 years ago here and 10 other places. Don’t get yourself the “ripoff” label

But as willmark just said: I was crazy.

"Truth conquers all things."

 

[ChrisFL]

DAK’s got real issues. I know this isn’t a rocket scientist take, but USF is gonna have real issues after EU.

And huge numbers of people are postponing trips for EU. It is a source of freak out at UO. But they know what is coming and this year is just gonna have to suck.

I'm hoping the rumors of Pokemon replacing the Simpsons land are true for USF then

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

They want the newer lifers. They spend like we (or I used to). It’s for different reasons.

The ppl who also do other stuff? They’ll take our money too. And those one and dones are also lucrative.

Of course they do…but there is a supply problem

Not enough of them to keep the engine going.

It’s like a Ferrari with one gallon of gas…how far are you gonna get?
And the Mechanics taking care of it only know the amc gremlin.

 

[mkt]

This shouldn’t be possible at

[insert major company here]

Disney got complacent. Disney got too many MBAs who played it safe.

Disney spent too much to acquire “competitors”.

Disney stopped innovating and got lazy.

Disney rested on its laurels and expected to general growth by the same products to the same people instead of attracting a new customer base.

Disney is in need of a shakedown and several divestments badly.

 

[ChrisFL]

Making vacations less of a chore would certainly help guest satisfaction

 

[pheneix]

I'm hoping the rumors of Pokemon replacing the Simpsons land are true for USF then

No comment until a future time when some stuff has played out. Alicia Stella as legit as it gets tho. I refer to her.

 

[ChrisFL]

No comment until a future time when some stuff has played out. Alicia Stella as legit as it gets tho. I refer to her.

thats why I trust it and it makes sense that if they did get a Pokemon deal, to properly put it in a separate park from Super Mario, the same way they're doing with Harry Potter (and most likely putting Legend of Zelda in IOA)

 

[HauntedPirate]

DAK’s got real issues. I know this isn’t a rocket scientist take, but USF is gonna have real issues after EU.

And huge numbers of people are postponing trips for EU. It is a source of freak out at UO. But they know what is coming and this year is just gonna have to suck.

Good thing they will have $9 billion of Bob's money to play with soon.

They want the newer lifers. They spend like we (or I used to). It’s for different reasons.

The ppl who also do other stuff? They’ll take our money too. And those one and dones are also lucrative.

Yep. They want the people who have 287 different sets of Mickey Ears on shelves and 93 different Loungefly's hanging on their walls. Thankfully, that market is small. But for me, a larger problem is quality of merchandise. Without quality merch, they're dead. Between the utter crap they put out, the prices, and the nickel and diming that's been going on far too long, it's hard to regain goodwill once it's lost.

Bob said it best - They want the family of 4 from Denver on their once-in-a-lifetime trip. But what they all have failed to realize is, they are making it so that the connections that were made by the previous generation aren't created in the newer generation. My kids were lucky and have had many, many trips in their young lives. But now that they are older (late teens, early 20's), they see the prices and recoil in disgust.

Message to Bob - You have failed.

 

[pigglewiggle]

I have no idea what any of this means as I'm not a finance person, but when I read this I can't help but immediately think that I better go to WDW this year before they shutter it. Helps me justify a trip.

 

[GhostHost1000]

Good thing they will have $9 billion of Bob's money to play with soon.



Yep. They want the people who have 287 different sets of Mickey Ears on shelves and 93 different Loungefly's hanging on their walls. Thankfully, that market is small. But for me, a larger problem is quality of merchandise. Without quality merch, they're dead. Between the utter crap they put out, the prices, and the nickel and diming that's been going on far too long, it's hard to regain goodwill once it's lost.

Bob said it best - They want the family of 4 from Denver on their once-in-a-lifetime trip. But what they all have failed to realize is, they are making it so that the connections that were made by the previous generation aren't created in the newer generation. My kids were lucky and have had many, many trips in their young lives. But now that they are older (late teens, early 20's), they see the prices and recoil in disgust.

Message to Bob - You have failed.

They are killing DVC as well with the path they are on. They just don’t realize it….yet.

 

[pheneix]

I have no idea what any of this means as I'm not a finance person, but when I read this I can't help but immediately think that I better go to WDW this year before they shutter it.

Nah not at all. But we’re at an inflection point. A big one.

Epic Universe is not the only part of it.

 

[ChrisFL]

I have no idea what any of this means as I'm not a finance person, but when I read this I can't help but immediately think that I better go to WDW this year before they shutter it. Helps me justify a trip.

They'll never shutter it. Worst case scenario they'll close a park one day a week to save costs, different park on different day, or even worse case, sell off the parks to a third party that they can license (like they do overseas)