The Spirited 11th Hour ...

[BrianLo]

I'm going to go out on a controversial limb and say the SDL prices strike me as quite fair. Especially in light of Surge pricing riding both sides of how much HKDL charges quite appropriately. Add one more for the controversy bucket - Tokyo's pricing is currently underpriced. Or at the very least a surge price premium would also make sense for that park on their many, many days the parks are stuffed to the rafters.

Isn't the intent that the park will be a day trip for locals rather than a destination for people traveling long distances? One restaurant is obviously a little light regardless, but I think most people here view things through the prism of WDW and the Shanghai guest profile is much different than the WDW guest profile.

I agree. They at least have quite a few very large dining options (but only one large sit down option). This is first and foremost being marketed as a one-day visit ordeal. If they can get away with that (where the big money really is), why head down all the discount ticket routes like multi-day discounts or APs that have lead in part (underinvestment being the other) to the problems the North American parks have today.

Restaurants are easy to add after the fact if they underestimated the number of days or amount of sit down restaraunts the Chinese are interested in. Keep the APs out of the discussion unless the park is seriously struggling to get guests in the door.

 

[GrammieBee]

You have to understand that many WDW Guests are rubes. They will not go to Bora Bora like our lovely world traveler @alissafalco did for her honeymoon. They would gladly pay 2-3 times the price to sit on a man made lagoon in a swamp with Zephyrhills bottles and popcorn containers bobbing in the muck. That is simply reality. WDW is comfort food for so many people who don't care that there's a whole world out there. They will be the folks lining up to stay at the denuded Wilderness Lodge and Villas and More Villas ... And Cabins too! rather than heading out to a cabin in one of our amazing natural parks that @WDWFigment (just seeing if he is still reading here like so many!) does amazing photography of.

WDW is treated as a safe, simple and easy (no talk about booking rides -- or how insane that entire concept is -- or planning meals six months ahead of time) place to go. What is that song about ''A rube and his money ...?''

It is from a quote, not a song, "A fool and his money are soon parted" by Thomas Tusser, an English poet in the fifteen hundreds. He also is responsible for the one about April showers bringing May flowers.

I have to agree and disagree with you. "Rubes" kind of implies stupidity (and some of the WDW guests, like people everywhere, are indeed stupid). However, there is a world of difference between stupidity and ignorance about something. I think it is rather a case that many have never been exposed to different experiences, have not had the opportunity or finances to travel, don't read much or have been exposed to the idea that there is a great big world out there with many interesting places to go and see. Even if only in our own country. Disney has the power of advertising and "brand" Those you call rubes have heard about Disney since they could first talk and walk but probably couldn't find Bora Bora on a map. If, indeed, they have ever even heard of it.

We very much like the Disney parks, but we are hardly "rubes". When we visit WDW we will usually stay on property for at least a week or two, but we visit only about every two to four years to see what has changed and what is new. There are simply too many other places to visit and things to see and do..We were just there for a three week stay (we move slowly these days) and had a great time except for having to work our schedule around fast passes. If we are still above ground, we hope to be able to go one more time to see The World of Pandora.

 

[Cesar R M]

Here's a great example of poor corporate leadership akin to Disney... I might not be in the entertainment industry any longer, but I'm still kept up to date through various contacts and one of the stories that I was told of recently is about AT&T and DirecTV Latin America. In the AT&T acquisition of DirecTV, the Latin American property was considered to be a hidden gem that will be a long-term cash machine. Over the past couple of quarters, things have slowed down in nearly all of those markets between the strengthening dollar and various economic issues in the majority of all those countries. Regardless, the fundamentals of this asset being a long-term cash machine remain sound, but AT&T's management is now looking to unload this asset as since it isn't doing nearly as well in the short-term, they figure that they can sell the asset and boost the dividend for AT&T.

Exactly what is wrong with Wall St. is contained in that story. Short-term gain coupled with a long-term loss. The head of Black Rock has been really pushing back against the industry for quite some time including his criticism of the corporate cash stockpiling and not reinvesting and now he is calling for an end of quarterly EPS estimates because it's part of the problem destroying long-term vision for companies. Very interesting.

I dont know about you, but they just purchased the 2nd largest cell phone telecom in Mexico (and probably also on most of mid america).
So no surprise if they start then spreading to networking and internet broadband services.

 

[Goofyernmost]

You missed the point Goofyer,

The whole MyMagic was touted as a single package, and the most touted "plus" was the FP+ evolution.
They sold it as "best thing ever since sliced bread"... when in reality most of that money went to required upgrades on the entire networking structure of Walt Disney World.

I think people are complaining about the first part.. not the second (aka, trying to claim MyMagic was something to exclusively improve the user experience, when it was mostly an upgrade for ancient systems used in the backend of the Disney World area).

The problem with that is that Disney never really said that. Those that reported the overall cost implied worded it in such a way that it sounded like that. They were making changes and that those changes were going to enhance the experience for everyone. They didn't say that the entire project was for the specific enhancement to the guest, but, I suppose if systems are upgraded (and they work properly) everyone is going to get some degree of enhancement. It was this crowd that decided that all that money was being spent to dazzle the guests when only parts of it were. The rest was supposed to work silently in the background to make the overall experience better. How successful that part has been is anybody's guess, but, to say it's a failure is as incorrect as saying that every nickel was suppose to make everything magical. If I had to guess and, you as an IT guy probably understands, if it wasn't working at least in some form of efficiency the place would have closed down by now.

Just look at this week alone if you want a measure of how tilted the reporting on the boards can be. Someone reported that the system was down completely and made it sound like it is still going on, instead of a glitch that is correctable and expected in systems of that sophistication. The expectations of the system were totally fabricated by us, using the social media and although unable to deliver all that was promised, I can feel relatively confident in saying that over time, everything will be in place. Anyone that thought that the entire expense was just for direct guest usage, was living in a technical world that they just don't understand.

 

[RandySavage]

Not sure whether this was posted, but it is a good read from a (still) good newspaper:

http://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/...-two-disneys-can-shanghai-and-hong-kong-theme

And from the which of these doesn't belong and is pandering department:

http://www.nytimes.com/2016/02/02/travel/8-new-destination-hotels-for-2016.html?partner=IFTTT&_r=2

The thing about the SCMP infographic is that the text of it goes to lengths to buck up HKDL's offerings in comparison to SDL's: listing atmosphere entertainment (Mystic Freight), photo-ops (Toy Story Barrel, Wild West) and double counting (railroad twice, main st animation twice, tarzan twice), while limiting SDL's list to actual attractions. At the same time, the visuals make HKDL look extra puny by showing its map in smaller scale.

 

[brb1006]

Shanghai Disneyland announces Ticket Prices.
http://www.laughingplace.com/w/news...announces-ticket-sale-date-pricing-structure/

 

[RSoxNo1]

You are confusing your Bobs.

They are in order:

1.) Bob Iger (Pure unadulterated blandness and ... evil! An egomaniacal IP purchaser who would have almost no accomplishments in a decade running Disney if he didn't buy other people's creations and buy back his own stock. Married to a lovely talking head/trophy wife -- who loves Yoda! -- with new young kids that you'll never see photographed and most people would assume are his grands);

2.) Bob Chapek (Former head of Consumer Products who had never worked a day in his life in a theme park, resort hotel or on a cruise ship, yet now runs a worldwide empire because he's great at moving Thor toys, Tink hoodies and Olaf plush. Despite his total ineptitude in his current role, the jury is out on him because he is smart and has some good ideas),

3.) Bob Weis (The great white hope. A true creative running WDI for the first time this century. One familiar with Disney's problems in China. One who did an amazing job at reviving DCA. One who has shown he can deliver the goods when given the opportunity. The Good Bob.)

Does that help?

Do you have any insight into what Bruce Vaughn did or didn't do in his role? What projects does he have to his name? As far as I can tell he was big on the interactivity stuff and living character initiatives (like the SSE descent and Lucky the Dinosaur). Was he involved with Next Gen? New Fantasyland? DCA redo?

 

[Cesar R M]

Additional observations on Shanghai Disneyland tickets:

• One Day tickets are the only available denomination at this point. When available, the two day ticket will have a 5% discount or 703RMB for standard days and 948RMB for peak days. When additional days are added, it will likely follow the pricing structure used at Disney parks around the world.
• Child pricing is being determined by the child's height as opposed to age with the child/adult cut-off being 1.4 meters or 4'6". If you don't want to go with Tokyo's child-student-adult pricing structure and want to cut down on fraud, this is a very good option which I could see coming our way.

Ticket Categories
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Pricing Calendar for 2016
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free kids? thats unheard of!

 

[Cesar R M]

Still can not get over the fact this park will have but one full serve restaurant -- was going to use the word option, but that implies that you have one. ... I guess everyone will head for the Cheesecake Factory instead!

Perhaps their target audience are used to eat on the traditional street vendor stands?
I dunno..

 

[peter11435]

free kids? thats unheard of!

Children under 3 are free here too

 

[Cesar R M]

Children under 3 are free here too

well, under 3.. they say under 1 meter in the list if I read correctly.
That should include kids up to 10 years old?

 

[Andrew C]

well, under 3.. they say under 1 meter in the list if I read correctly.
That should include kids up to 10 years old?

The average 3 year old is close to a meter tall. So some 3 year old's should get in free if it is by height.

 

[lazyboy97o]

well, under 3.. they say under 1 meter in the list if I read correctly.
That should include kids up to 10 years old?

The average Chinese chinese child reaches a meter tall at about 3.5 years old.

 

[Goofyernmost]

The average 3 year old is close to a meter tall. So some 3 year old's should get in free if it is by height.

Now there would be rash of parents cutting off the feet of their kids so they can get in free!

 

[Nubs70]

Now there would be rash of parents cutting off the feet of their kids so they can get in free!

Nah, just soak em in vinegar overnight.

 

[GiveMeTheMusic]

WDI is under serious pressure now from Chapek, who is willing to slash projects and cut wherever need be to make sure everything comes in at or under budget. The blood is already flowing.

They are now bracing for cuts to the SWL project.

While WDI has been playing loose with numbers for too long, the guest experience needs to not suffer for their mistakes. It seems like a more logical approach would be to work through the chain of a project at WDI to see where unneeded excess is occurring and eliminate as you go instead of demanding cuts from the outset.

It's going to be a really interesting few years.

 

[PhotoDave219]

WDI is under serious pressure now from Chapek, who is willing to slash projects and cut wherever need be to make sure everything comes in at or under budget. The blood is already flowing.

They are now bracing for cuts to the SWL project.

While WDI has been playing loose with numbers for too long, the guest experience needs to not suffer for their mistakes. It seems like a more logical approach would be to work through the chain of a project at WDI to see where unneeded excess is occurring and eliminate as you go instead of demanding cuts from the outset.

It's going to be a really interesting few years.

I had a lengthy conversation today with someone going to Orlando and was hoping to see "the new star wars land".... They were not happy afterwards but happy they didnt drop $300+ on something that hasnt been built yet. Theyre going to Universal instead.

 

[lazyboy97o]

WDI is under serious pressure now from Chapek, who is willing to slash projects and cut wherever need be to make sure everything comes in at or under budget. The blood is already flowing.

They are now bracing for cuts to the SWL project.

While WDI has been playing loose with numbers for too long, the guest experience needs to not suffer for their mistakes. It seems like a more logical approach would be to work through the chain of a project at WDI to see where unneeded excess is occurring and eliminate as you go instead of demanding cuts from the outset.

It's going to be a really interesting few years.

What is that saying about doing the same thing over and over expecting a different result?

 

[NearTheEars]

I had a lengthy conversation today with someone going to Orlando and was hoping to see "the new star wars land".... They were not happy afterwards but happy they didnt drop $300+ on something that hasnt been built yet. Theyre going to Universal instead.

The commercials can be very misleading to new potential guests. But for us, you can see pretty easily what's really being shown. I wonder how many have seen them and made the trip only to be disappointed.

But I bet there's also been some so wrapped up on their fandom that they still enjoyed it.

 

[ford91exploder]

WDI is under serious pressure now from Chapek, who is willing to slash projects and cut wherever need be to make sure everything comes in at or under budget. The blood is already flowing.

They are now bracing for cuts to the SWL project.

While WDI has been playing loose with numbers for too long, the guest experience needs to not suffer for their mistakes. It seems like a more logical approach would be to work through the chain of a project at WDI to see where unneeded excess is occurring and eliminate as you go instead of demanding cuts from the outset.

It's going to be a really interesting few years.

By time Chappie is done SWL will be the cantina and a X wing spinner