The Spirited 11th Hour ...

[gonzoWDW]

That was a couple days ago.

Well, yeah. Saying it "just" happened is correct, from a certain point of view

Mea culpa if someone else had mentioned it, but I didn't see it anywhere.

 

[Wikkler]

first feature film appearance of the most popular female superhero of all time

Actually that would be The LEGO Movie.

 

[Mike C]

Universal quietly did a ticket price increase today, beating Disney this go around.

 

[asianway]

The AP holders that were disgusted with the money grab were not the 'FL Resident' AP holders (aka Lifestylers who don't pay full boat) but the more profitable ones held by DVC and snowbirds who have discovered that there are OTHER places where their money is welcome and not considered 'Bad Business' OOPS!, Well played Disney, Well played indeed.

Yet the lifestylers are the ones who would pay the most. I know a few who would sleep in their car before giving it up

 

[Cesar R M]

Universal quietly did a ticket price increase today, beating Disney this go around.

wow, really?

 

[ford91exploder]

It's kind of like that guy that keeps predicting the end of the world every few years.

I hear the "but they just love the company sooooo much! That's why they are angry" reasoning thrown around here a lot. And I think that is a fair description for many passionate fans here.

Not sure that applies to Exploder at this point.

Small error, They love the companies PRODUCT, Not the company (that position is held by the 'BRAND ADVOCATES') and frankly 'The Company' is running the product into the ground.

 

[JoeCamel]

Universal quietly did a ticket price increase today, beating Disney this go around.

Interesting that they didn't increase AP prices though. Maybe they want the AP holder in their parks?

They DID take away my 8 bottles of water included in the price though

 

[Mike S]

Interesting that they didn't increase AP prices though. Maybe they want the AP holder in their parks?

They already increased them a while ago didn't they? No more $170 renewal price.

 

[WDWFigment]

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 ...?''

I'm still dropping in from time to time. I'm typically not staying in cabins when I visit the National Parks. I either do tent camping, stay in a lodge, or sleep in the car (if it's a weekend trip and I'm trying to keep costs down).

I don't hear a lot of people (or anyone, really?) defending the Bora Bora Bungalows, so I don't think that's the best example. For me, the prime example of Disney inflation is Paradise Pier Hotel. A former third party hotel, they've slapped "Disney" onto the name and all of the sudden it has a following. With so many hotels in Anaheim upping their game, that hotel is a mid-tier off-site hotel at best, and yet it gets away with charging $250+/night.

 

[GoofGoof]

How/Why is it permissible for the company to claim income and atendance is up $176M even thought its obvious a large chunk of it was due to having additional days added to the quarter? That just seems like flat out cheating to make your numbers look better (for lack of a better term).

It would be like if my wife gives me a honey do list for this week that has 10 chores and I only get 7 of them done in the 7 day (week) period and she is upset I didnt get enough done. But the next week she gives me the same list and after 10 days I have all the chores done and then highlight my victory . My wife would laugh and quickly point out it took me 3 extra days and now Im 3 days behind on the next week of chores. How is different for Disney? If they added days from to this quarter, are they not short those days to profit on the next quarter?

I can only assume the BOD are not ignorant and did not get their position by being morons so why do they (or somebody) not point out that even though profits were up, if you subtract the added days of the quarter you would see that profits were merely from adding days to the quarter? What am I missing?

It goes both ways and they always discuss it when it does happen. They are required to disclose the year over year fluctuation but the periods don't always line up with holidays and even number of days.

 

[WDW1974]

Spirited Drive By (look at those lifestylers ducking under the tables with cupcake frosting on their faces!)

First, and sadly foremost, the second gate at HKDL is indeed on hold. Not that it won't happen, but largely it is in developmental freeze because ... well ... because this is what happens when you get into bed with the Chinese Communist Party (you know, DIS's real 'partner' in Shanghai Disneyland Resort).

Apparently, it has been ordained that HKDL can't outshine SDL and won't be allowed to. I am sure Hong Kongers are thrilled to hear this (anyone see the actual violence in the streets there Monday night?) So, right now all focus in China by DIS must be on SDL. And after it opens and they review what works and what doesn't and what will be part of the first expansion (I'd take it to the bank that some version of EE is part of this ... and, no, none of it is part of that $800 million that went wherever money like that goes), then Disney will be allowed to get back to work with the SAR on a second gate and added attractions in the original.

Luigi's Rollickin Roadsters are finally over their tech issues in Anaheim and OPs will begin training on it this weekend. Look for soft openings the first weekend in March.

Finally, you all recall Christie Fletcher, right? Handpicked by Chappie to be DCA and DD VP and show he can select execs for jobs that they are as unqualified for as he is. Well, I have heard she is very nice and gosh darn it nice certainly should count for something. I was also told by an insider that Christie (along with Chappie and Colglazier) would all look right at home in a movie poster for the film 'Clueless.' You all do recall what happened when CP folks got the keys to the kingdom under Michael Eisner, right? People died. Let's hope this group is truly being watched by The Weatherman and The Oddly Waifish Man of Anemic personality.

So, was expecting a WDW price increase about now and got a UNI one instead. Surprise, surprise. I never pay to get in there anyway!

Deadpool looks great (may see it this weekend). Is this a Marvel property that we are supposed to ignore because it isn't part of the (dramatic music) MARVEL CINEMATIC UNIVERSE?!?!

 

[WDW1974]

I'm still dropping in from time to time. I'm typically not staying in cabins when I visit the National Parks. I either do tent camping, stay in a lodge, or sleep in the car (if it's a weekend trip and I'm trying to keep costs down).

I don't hear a lot of people (or anyone, really?) defending the Bora Bora Bungalows, so I don't think that's the best example. For me, the prime example of Disney inflation is Paradise Pier Hotel. A former third party hotel, they've slapped "Disney" onto the name and all of the sudden it has a following. With so many hotels in Anaheim upping their game, that hotel is a mid-tier off-site hotel at best, and yet it gets away with charging $250+/night.

Tom, you have never lived until you've stayed in the cabins in King's Canyon NP. Oh yeah!!!

My point on Bora Bora was simply that many of WDW Guests would rather pay for the crappy (and I know you stayed at one with friends or similar) swamp version because they are afraid to travel. You know this first hand when you dare compare something at WDW to something at TDL.

I certainly agree about the PPH. Loved staying there a dozen years ago on $59-89 a night AP rates. But when I see that it regularly goes for over $300, I am just astounded. I stayed there for a night in August after we hung out (albeit on DVC points, still not a great use) because we were going to the first day of D23. The hotel hasn't changed since my last stay there in 2006 or 2007 except no more comforters on the beds, flat screen TVs added and beach ball pillows that serve no purpose beyond theming. Everything in the room is the same ... except perhaps for some plain hotel carpet that likely was put in as stop gap about 2011 or 2012 and needs replacing again. You can literally stay at dozens of cheaper, nicer places within a two mile walk of the place in almost every direction. But they lack the MAGIC!!!

 

[WDW1974]

Spirited Quickee:

How many Lifestylers will show up for the opening of the two Marriott BRANDED props at Flamingo Crossing Friday? How many will get free nights for reviewing it? How many will be kissing up to the management out there?

 

[DisneyRoy]

Since we are on the topic of box office, a lot was made of how 2015 was going to be Disney's (Buena Vista's) year at the box office. It totally was, just no one saw Universal coming out of no where and out-topping that.

Humour me as I apparently get way too much joy staring at box office numbers.


BV last year became only the third studio ever to cross 2 billion domestically. They still had a fantastic year before Star Wars as they tied for second fastest studio to 1 billion all time. Universal of course blew through those records and managed to hit a billion dollars by June 14th. Something could be made of how BV managed it with a much smaller slate of films than either Uni/Warner have required in the past... For better or worse, the tentpole strategy is currently working with Disney in that regard.

What I'm particularly impressed by is how well position BV is again this year. Studios are a bit boom and bust from one year to the next, Universal as a point of contention will not be speeding past 2 billion again this year. BV actually looks (in part thanks to the spill-over of Star Wars) positioned to do even better this year on certain metrics.

In order to overtake the fastest studio to 1 billion record set by Universal last year, they need to achieve that by June 12th (since it's a leap year), conveniently which is a Sunday. They've already made 284 million and will surely hit 300 as a very low benchmark from the films they still have in theatre now.

They have four major releases between now and then (Zootopia, Jungle Book, Civil War [which will have had 5 weeks since release] and Alice [which will have wrapped a full 3rd week in release]. It's also nice because we have really solid comparables for all films to at least gauge a starting point for what they might make:



Even being on the extreme conservative side: Civil war performs the same as Cap 2 (ok that's really conservative), Alice sheds nearly half the audience and is more like Cinderella (probably more on the likely side), BV is going to absolutely blow that fastest studio to 1 billion record out of the water. In fact, being that conservative they should be passing 1.1 billion by June 12th.

There's an off chance if Zootopia/Jungle Book perform impressively, and Civil War is the hit we are generally expecting - that they could overtake that record a full three weeks earlier! Certainly the opening weekend numbers for Alice should do the trick if they can't quite get there.

Awesome post! I love reading about movies and the box office biz. Highly interesting to me. That and I find myself at the theater every other weekend it seems in the summer to watch as many tentpoles as I can. My guilty pleasure.

 

[wdisney9000]

Spirited Quickee:

How many Lifestylers will show up for the opening of the two Marriott BRANDED props at Flamingo Crossing Friday? How many will get free nights for reviewing it? How many will be kissing up to the management out there?

The tragedy, or maybe its irony, is that social media streetwalkers (I cant use the word wh*re) will simply give a positive review for getting a free night stay with a few comped drinks. It kind of defeats the whole purpose of having/desiring an audience of followers that trusts your opinion. Unless your whole intention was to simply get freebies.

Thats not to say the hotels will be bad. but they will get a glowing review regardless. It mimics the behavior of major media. Scared to ask a tough question or give a negative review in fear of not being invited to the next event.

 

[GiveMeTheMusic]

Spirited Drive By (look at those lifestylers ducking under the tables with cupcake frosting on their faces!)

First, and sadly foremost, the second gate at HKDL is indeed on hold. Not that it won't happen, but largely it is in developmental freeze because ... well ... because this is what happens when you get into bed with the Chinese Communist Party (you know, DIS's real 'partner' in Shanghai Disneyland Resort).

Apparently, it has been ordained that HKDL can't outshine SDL and won't be allowed to. I am sure Hong Kongers are thrilled to hear this (anyone see the actual violence in the streets there Monday night?) So, right now all focus in China by DIS must be on SDL. And after it opens and they review what works and what doesn't and what will be part of the first expansion (I'd take it to the bank that some version of EE is part of this ... and, no, none of it is part of that $800 million that went wherever money like that goes), then Disney will be allowed to get back to work with the SAR on a second gate and added attractions in the original.

Luigi's Rollickin Roadsters are finally over their tech issues in Anaheim and OPs will begin training on it this weekend. Look for soft openings the first weekend in March.

Finally, you all recall Christie Fletcher, right? Handpicked by Chappie to be DCA and DD VP and show he can select execs for jobs that they are as unqualified for as he is. Well, I have heard she is very nice and gosh darn it nice certainly should count for something. I was also told by an insider that Christie (along with Chappie and Colglazier) would all look right at home in a movie poster for the film 'Clueless.' You all do recall what happened when CP folks got the keys to the kingdom under Michael Eisner, right? People died. Let's hope this group is truly being watched by The Weatherman and The Oddly Waifish Man of Anemic personality.

So, was expecting a WDW price increase about now and got a UNI one instead. Surprise, surprise. I never pay to get in there anyway!

Deadpool looks great (may see it this weekend). Is this a Marvel property that we are supposed to ignore because it isn't part of the (dramatic music) MARVEL CINEMATIC UNIVERSE?!?!

That's some serious bummer news about HKDL. Not surprising, but depressing. Such a great property with so much potential.

 

[WildcatDen]

Spirited Quickee:

How many Lifestylers will show up for the opening of the two Marriott BRANDED props at Flamingo Crossing Friday? How many will get free nights for reviewing it? How many will be kissing up to the management out there?

7
Sorry, that it my "Go To" answer. . .

 

[jakeman]

7

More here will track the number than will actually show up at the Fairfield Inn.

 

[ford91exploder]

Spirited Quickee:

How many Lifestylers will show up for the opening of the two Marriott BRANDED props at Flamingo Crossing Friday? How many will get free nights for reviewing it? How many will be kissing up to the management out there?

The OC Sheriff will be needed for Lifestyler traffic control...

 

[wogwog]

wait.. what?
I do not understand your post.

Oops. Bad at typing and proof reading. Meant to say "You are not supposed to notice that."
Disney does not like alert guests like you