Same price - less hours - no after dark magic

[Dad 2 M & M]

Disney laid off thousands of people but most of them were non-skilled labor that are easy to replace. I don't know if you read the post but the point is that Disney has eliminated a lot of services that are important to guests. Prices are not going down so guest have to decide if going to Disney is still worth it. In the end the consumers will vote with their wallet. Disney has always been special for a lot of reason. Some call it magical. If they remove things that make it "magical" will people still come or will WDW be just another park like Six Flags or Cedar Point?

Consumers will vote with their wallet....

In the question you pose above "if they remove....like Six Flags or Cedar Point" ..... Disney just doesn't fit in the Classical Substitution Theory as there isn't a direct substitute. MAYBE, this (people see Disney as just another Cedar Point/Six Flags) will FINALLY happen, but it never has, or certainly hasn't been sustained in the past. Those who leave and never come back a very few, and they are "replaced" by more "newcomers" anyhow. The net has been +guests, not -guests.

What seems to happen with Disney is:

Consumer
The Classical "helping the organization do more of what they're doing". By continuing to go the consumer is helping Disney do more of the things they are doing. When they stay away, things will change, but they don't stay away.......

Disney
Current COVID times have led to Economic Scarcity on Disney's Supply Curve (on the Curve, the Curve hasn't moved), as the Quantity Supplied has been reduced. If the Quantity Supplied has changed, certeris paribus, the Price is supposed to go up. Disney has chosen, in addition to the reduced Quantity Supplied, to cut hours, services, staff, etc....

And yet, the people still come......

 

[Dad 2 M & M]

Your labor classification is quite a bit off. The competition of being a regular cast member is high, that's one of the items that keep the hourly remuneration lower. Each labor market is different. If you've been in a dark box for the past year, there has been a disruption in the supply chains and government-imposed restrictions on what can be open and what can be closed. You need to adjust to present conditions vs what was. If you live in an area where dining is available you would see fewer items on the menus at greater prices as they also are dealing with the new reality.

Well done

In this day and time, as well as the mid-term future, Quantity Supplied should drive prices inversely (less QS=Higher Price, more QS=Lower Price). The next question is will result in less suppliers in the future? We are currently moving along the existing Supply Curve; a shifting of the Supply Curve to the Left will have a Long Term increase pricing.

 

[Lilofan]

Consumers will vote with their wallet....

In the question you pose above "if they remove....like Six Flags or Cedar Point" ..... Disney just doesn't fit in the Classical Substitution Theory as there isn't a direct substitute. MAYBE, this (people see Disney as just another Cedar Point/Six Flags) will FINALLY happen, but it never has, or certainly hasn't been sustained in the past. Those who leave and never come back a very few, and they are "replaced" by more "newcomers" anyhow. The net has been +guests, not -guests.

What seems to happen with Disney is:

Consumer
The Classical "helping the organization do more of what they're doing". By continuing to go the consumer is helping Disney do more of the things they are doing. When they stay away, things will change, but they don't stay away.......

Disney
Current COVID times have led to Economic Scarcity on Disney's Supply Curve (on the Curve, the Curve hasn't moved), as the Quantity Supplied has been reduced. If the Quantity Supplied has changed, certeris paribus, the Price is supposed to go up. Disney has chosen, in addition to the reduced Quantity Supplied, to cut hours, services, staff, etc....

And yet, the people still come......

The huge cutbacks in service, staffing , hours of operation, etc I've noticed more and more visiting over the years (30) was immediately after Sept 11. And yes we the guests still come..

 

[Dad 2 M & M]

The huge cutbacks in service, staffing , hours of operation, etc I've noticed more and more visiting over the years (30) was immediately after Sept 11. And yes we the guests still come..

Short term, in your Sept 11 example, there was a noticeable short-lived decline, but we see and agree Long term....they always come back....either in person or their new substitutex3

 

[Dad 2 M & M]

Do have to respond to the Thread Title

It is one of the bigger bummers of the cutbacks....no Pandora World of Avatar after dark. That place is amazing after sun goes down

 

[HuffsAhoy]

The lack of nighttime extravaganzas is the main reason I let my annual pass expire back in December. I don't go to the parks, always, for the rides, I go for the entertainment. And, since none of that is available right now there is no point in visiting.

 

[Trackmaster]

Consumers will vote with their wallet....

In the question you pose above "if they remove....like Six Flags or Cedar Point" ..... Disney just doesn't fit in the Classical Substitution Theory as there isn't a direct substitute. MAYBE, this (people see Disney as just another Cedar Point/Six Flags) will FINALLY happen, but it never has, or certainly hasn't been sustained in the past. Those who leave and never come back a very few, and they are "replaced" by more "newcomers" anyhow. The net has been +guests, not -guests.

What seems to happen with Disney is:

Consumer
The Classical "helping the organization do more of what they're doing". By continuing to go the consumer is helping Disney do more of the things they are doing. When they stay away, things will change, but they don't stay away.......

Disney
Current COVID times have led to Economic Scarcity on Disney's Supply Curve (on the Curve, the Curve hasn't moved), as the Quantity Supplied has been reduced. If the Quantity Supplied has changed, certeris paribus, the Price is supposed to go up. Disney has chosen, in addition to the reduced Quantity Supplied, to cut hours, services, staff, etc....

And yet, the people still come......

I'm not sure if the curve is completely linear though. I actually do believe that more theme parks and higher quality across the industry helps all parks out. If great things are happening, and parks are satisfying guests and capturing their hearts and imaginations, there will be more of a positive opinion of theme parks in the country, and it will get into the DNA and zeitgeist of our culture. If parks aren't doing what they're supposed to be doing, and its just a stupid way for Xanax'd up soccer moms to drop their brats off for the day, then the industry suffers, and a stigma rises against them.

The parks shouldn't see each other as competitors. Their competitors are other forms of entertainment, and apathy.

 

[Dad 2 M & M]

I'm not sure if the curve is completely linear though. I actually do believe that more theme parks and higher quality across the industry helps all parks out. If great things are happening, and parks are satisfying guests and capturing their hearts and imaginations, there will be more of a positive opinion of theme parks in the country, and it will get into the DNA and zeitgeist of our culture. If parks aren't doing what they're supposed to be doing, and its just a stupid way for Xanax'd up soccer moms to drop their brats off for the day, then the industry suffers, and a stigma rises against them.

The parks shouldn't see each other as competitors. Their competitors are other forms of entertainment, and apathy.

It's definitely a Curve, not the Econ 101 Linear, but the Curve is flatter than most.

Good take on the competition being other entertainment, and especially the apathy point; never really considered apathy, but it's obvious that would be competition.....

 

[FutureCEO]

Anyone else feel a way about the park prices being the same but the hours being reduced? My wife and I are heading back in April and most of the parks won’t even be open past dark. I see the hours have slowly been extended over the past few weeks but I can’t assume that will be the same in April. I just wish I could see Pandora at night and enjoy a few extra hours at Epcot.

fingers crossed they’ll continue extending the hours and maybe even further than they have already. Magic Kingdom after 7pm please!

Soon Disney will realize they don't need fireworks.

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

Unless people stop going, they’ll continue to charge full price.

This should have closed the thread...and every similar one.

I'm going in May and hope for the hours to be extended as well. Also hoping for the 30-min early entry before official park opening for resort guests to begin as well. We want to get all the Disney we possibly can for the dollars we are spending. I see the frustration with pricing and limited experience, but we have to realize this is what is keeping Disney's Parks division afloat. They are generating $0 revenue in California and other parks around the world. This is why we see the cut in EMH and DME; they have to cut some of the free services offered to stay afloat and allow people to even come into the parks during this crazy time.

Staying afloat is not the issue. Really at all.

Fewer*

Thank you, Stannis

I find the hour slashing very odd for sure. If they're argument is "we can't let more people in because... well Covid" then what is their argument for slashing hours? They're clearly profiting (excluding fixed, unavoidable costs) by running, wouldn't they make more money with more hours? The parks are crowded too. I would think that if they really cared about Covid, than extra hours (or just a full day of hours) would help them spread crowds out, instead of making sure everybody is in the park for the same 8-9 hours.

There is no argument...no reasons...no justification. Blue Ocean.

 

[eliza61nyc]

Consumers will vote with their wallet....

In the question you pose above "if they remove....like Six Flags or Cedar Point" ..... Disney just doesn't fit in the Classical Substitution Theory as there isn't a direct substitute. MAYBE, this (people see Disney as just another Cedar Point/Six Flags) will FINALLY happen, but it never has, or certainly hasn't been sustained in the past. Those who leave and never come back a very few, and they are "replaced" by more "newcomers" anyhow. The net has been +guests, not -guests.

What seems to happen with Disney is:

Consumer
The Classical "helping the organization do more of what they're doing". By continuing to go the consumer is helping Disney do more of the things they are doing. When they stay away, things will change, but they don't stay away.......

Disney
Current COVID times have led to Economic Scarcity on Disney's Supply Curve (on the Curve, the Curve hasn't moved), as the Quantity Supplied has been reduced. If the Quantity Supplied has changed, certeris paribus, the Price is supposed to go up. Disney has chosen, in addition to the reduced Quantity Supplied, to cut hours, services, staff, etc....

And yet, the people still come......

Because visitors must find some value.

 

[eliza61nyc]

The huge cutbacks in service, staffing , hours of operation, etc I've noticed more and more visiting over the years (30) was immediately after Sept 11. And yes we the guests still come..

Hey Lilofan,
so let me ask you, did you enjoy your visit? did you find it was worthwhile or had value?

I guess the reason I ask is that from the tone of some post I get the feeling (and I could be way way off) that posters think that visitors to the world are stupid and are blindly charging up their credit cards and if they would just stop things would get better".

 

[Lilofan]

Hey Lilofan,
so let me ask you, did you enjoy your visit? did you find it was worthwhile or had value?

I guess the reason I ask is that from the tone of some post I get the feeling (and I could be way way off) that posters think that visitors to the world are stupid and are blindly charging up their credit cards and if they would just stop things would get better".

I did, we had a good time but it took a while to get used to the changes post 9/11 - Fantasmic show only offered a few days a week, restaurants not operating 7 days a week . I could feel a more patriotic feeling watching the Voices of Liberty at Epcot. The songs really moved people.

 

[Dad 2 M & M]

Because visitors must find some value.

Right....as with any transaction, a sale can’t happen without value

 

[eliza61nyc]

Right....as with any transaction, a sale can’t happen without value

lol, I guess they can but the ones that come to my mind are illegal.

 

[Trackmaster]

It's definitely a Curve, not the Econ 101 Linear, but the Curve is flatter than most.

Good take on the competition being other entertainment, and especially the apathy point; never really considered apathy, but it's obvious that would be competition.....

It all depends. I think its a chaotic curve. It can't be a coincidence that there are exactly two chains in the country that provide elite, luxurious, high level theme parks that are international tourist destinations, and they both found their way to exactly two cities in America: Orlando and Los Angeles. Every other city in the country either doesn't have a theme park or has a regional, cheaper theme park or amusement park mostly for locals. LA even has Magic Mountain and Knotts (which are two of the best parks in the country) and Orlando kicks in SeaWorld (BGT may get some spillover, but I think its more or less regional). If demand was that elastic and competition was that pure, than I'd imagine that Universal would have found other options to get as far away from Disney as possible.

While I know that the weather plays a huge role in it, there are other parts of the country that have the weather for 12 month operations. Plus, the overseas Disney parks have very cold winters and still operate 365 days. I honestly think that Disney and Universal either don't lose customers from their competition, or if anything, they benefit from Orlando being seen as the theme park capital of the country (LA is a difference case, its mostly locals and it would be a tourist destination anyway due to Hollywood and the nightlife).

I always think of Scorpio in the Simpsons when he realizes that there's just a "Hammock district" in town, that everybody just goes to if they want a hammock.