The Parks are like a Sports Team

[JIMINYCR]

If only like sports teams, after experiencing a losing season the owners would dump the coaches, managers and back room staff that caused the mess and go on a search for better staff that showed potential for turning the team around the next season. Bob C got canned but Bob I came back. Bad players who underperform have contracts go unsigned and they lose endorsements. Fade away into obscurity.

 

[Walt Disney1955]

I thought in in 2009 we got a bit more bang for our buck. It was less expensive of course. That being said, people demanding the whole world shut down for two years was nothing short of a disaster that we are still feeling. I hope people realize this by now. Companies have to make up their money somehow. Ballgames are the same thing. Empty stadiums for at least a year are going to hurt your profit. Ticket prices go up. You feel like you have to take a second mortgage out for these things.

 

[Pepper's Ghost]

When a sports team constantly loses and is seemingly neglected by its owners, the fans notice and the support wears off. The die hards stick on, but most people move on for greener pastures.

Then some winning happens, some excitement brews, perhaps the team makes an unexpected playoff appearance to end their decade long drought. Even though the team was a first round exit, that didn’t matter, the team got there.

The next year, there are real expectations, the team makes the playoffs, makes the semi-final game and loses. No one cares, everyone is super excited the team got this far. Sure, would’ve been nice to go all the way, but that’s what next year is for.

And they do. The team is on top of the world. Everyone is happy, everyone is thrilled, people are buying merchandise like crazy, everyone is happy to support their team. Some crazies are even willing to buy dirt from the big game.

The next year the team has a lot of support and continued excitement. The team as a result increases ticket prices, parking, etc. The team makes a late playoff exit and the fans are disappointed.

The next year the prices stay high and the team gets an early playoff exit. Now the fans are annoyed, angry, and frustrated.

I think this hypothetical cycle I have witnessed elements of in both myself and many other people (like my professor who hilariously bought World Series dirt for an astronomically high price after a surprise win) but is now disappointed with even superb performance.

It’s no secret that Disney parks were neglected in the early 2000s, especially after Everest opened in 2006. Really nothing new came to the parks. Attendance was low, profits were low, etc.

Then in 2012, New Fantasyland opened, and while I wasn’t on the forums back then, having something new, anything at all, was very welcome. It showed a lot of potential. It wasn’t the best thing since sliced bread, but it included incredible and beautiful theming. Only if we got more.

In 2017, Pandora opened. An exceptional land with arguably the best simulator in the world, fantastic place making, just overall gorgeous execution by Joe Rhode. Attendance soared at AK. People loved it. Absolute winner. We want more.

In 2018, Toy Story Land opens and people, on here especially, are disappointed by its one-dimensionality and lack of depth. “Is this is?” and “why didn’t they do more?” comes to mind. The land opens without real merchandizing capabilities, but people just want more.

In 2019, Galaxy’s Edge opens featuring Rise of the Resistance (eventually) and Smuggler’s Run. There’s much debate over Galaxy’s Edge, but based on the scope of the expansion, assume this is essentially winning a championship, just perhaps sloppily. This time, though, Disney came prepared to profit off their expansion, announcing something called “Disney Genie” would eventually arrive at the parks, and the plethora of merchandise locations and up-charge experiences available to guests.

In 2020, MMRR opens, covid shuts down the world, etc.

In 2021, Ratatouille arrives to a very warm reception, especially with the creation of its new area, but Disney Genie arrives as well, creating headaches and frustration for all kinds of fans.

In 2022, Guardians of the Galaxy opens.

In 2023, Tron opens.

Guests and general sentiment among the fans are extremely negative at the moment, even surrounding seemingly positive features, and I honestly think we’ve entered a phase where Disney needs to deliver a championship-level win consistently, and not rely on small projects to hold its guests over, especially now that they’re reaping the rewards of past experiments. During the championship times, it’s easy to squeeze the fans and demand championship prices, but failing to deliver on championship expectations while your prices reflect those ambitions, really sours your fan base.

In summary, a bizarre fever-induced connection.

I've always said that the parks are very similar to sports teams, but for a different reason altogether. I'll get to that in a second, but let me just say that I understand your comparison and kind of agree with parts of it, but there's a huge difference in my opinion. For the last 20+ years, Disney hasn't come close to an equivalent of winning a championship. It's nowhere close. Maybe a successful new land can be compared to winning a first round series, but that's about it. They've hit a couple of home runs with certain rides perhaps, but they've ruined far more rides than they've added good ones. What's that the equivalent of? Disney has essentially let some of their best players walk in free agency, while replacing them with subpar free agents? As far as Splash goes, they traded a current MVP for a backup catcher. Same with TT and Soarin'. All those were replaced with inferior "players". They haven't had any huge wins to fill the stands, but the stands are still full.

The more apt comparison to a sports team IMO is from the perspective of the fans. Let's rewind the clock to circa 2015 and the Chicago Cubs. Before finally winning their first championship in over a century, they were perennial losers. They had some great players through the years, but they never put the effort or money in because the park was always filled, and the money was rolling in. Why spend the money to improve the product if people are perfectly happy accepting an inferior product, or at least a product always seemingly in decline? Disney hasn't had to put a championship team on the field because the stands are always full. They don't have to spend the money necessary to win. They're already winning at the gates. That was the Cubs for so many years. The 2016 Cubs happened for several different reasons including an actual fan (billionaire) purchasing the team. Sure the new owners wanted to win, but they realized that the Cubs were an absolute goldmine. Put a one-year wonder together to win a championship, and they'll be cashing checks for another 100 years before the hope runs out.

Now, like the Cubs, I suppose Disney could be a winner again, but if the fans are still paying premium prices for an inferior product, it ain't happening. Like I've always said, I'm not suggesting people who enjoy the parks in their current state should stop going or that they're wrong in feeling that way. My experience of the parks is likely very different from theirs. They may not care about rides, etc., or just have different tastes. I'm just saying that those who don't like the parks in their current state, or complain yet still open their wallets once a year or for APs... those are the folks who are more to blame. Feel free to keep giving Disney your money, but as long as you're attending the parks you can't continue to complain trip after trip.

My thought is that once Epic opens, those Disney turnstiles might slow considerably. They better start thinking about putting a better product on the field before the stands are empty and then they'll be desperate. I just don't think Disney feels the urgency. I think they're too arrogant at the moment given their record revenues and they don't think they need a response to Epic. They may be very sorry in the next couple of years.

Just my opinion anyway.