The Spirited Sixth Sense ...

[Captain Neo]

Eisner is a clown who nobody should listen to. I will never forget his attitude and actions in the early 00s. If anyone wants to blame anyone for the current state of Disney's parks division blame Eisner.

 

[WDW1974]

FP+ needs to be tweaked. In some ways it is better than the old system (not running around the park, not having to get there early to get a FP that won't be good for many hours - i.e., TSMM, etc.), but in some ways it is inferior (limited to 3, no park hopping, the necessary evil that is tiers, etc.). And, if you are staying offsite and have to use a kiosk, then, well, it sucks.

But, with FP+, the "good" thing is the major investment has been made -- tweaking should be relatively easy. I don't think pay for access is the answer, though. What I think they should do (though a bit controversial) is use FP+ to push its resorts. They already sorta do this by allowing booking 60 days out. They should also add extra FPs for each resort level. Mods get 4 (1 tier 1, 3 tier 2s) and Deluxes get 5 (2 tier 1s, and 3 tier 2s). As well, I'd add that park hoppers can get 2 extra FPs at an additional park (though this might require tiering AK). Nonresort guests get day of access once they enter the park, but enable access through smartphones.

Frankly, if they did this, which is really just software, I'd be pretty happy with FP+. Then, they should also add attractions/capacity at DHS and Epcot and AK so the tiers can be eliminated.

FP+ looks like something that truly could be perfect for me. I think it isn't a secret that I have very little use for the MK of the 21st century. Or TPFKaTD-MGMS. Only slightly more for EPCOT and DAK because simply walking around in beautiful surroundings works for me.

But thanks to FP+, I can totally game the system (just like I have always been able to). I can book three attractions that I have some interest in, stop into the MK for the 3-4 hours it is worth, ride and leave to go elsewhere ... all without dropping a single penny at the park unless I am generous and buy an ice cream. Do I need this? No. Do I want this system? No. But is it going to help Disney's bottom line where I am considered? Not at all ... again, this begs the question of how this system is going to make the billions it cost back, let alone result in ANY appreciable and direct increase in revenues let alone the 11% figure that was cited in internal Disney docs.

 

[Funmeister]

Eisner is a clown who nobody should listen to. I will never forget his attitude and actions in the early 00s. If anyone wants to blame anyone for the current state of Disney's parks division blame Eisner.

What about his attitude in the 90's? Call him what you want. You have to give him (and FW) credit for saving the company. Who would you prefer? Eisner or Iger?

 

[WDW1974]

Has anyone seen any numbers for video sales of Frozen's opening week? Any comparisons to the 'classics' original VHS/DVD releases?

... the usual suspects, @ParentsOf4 @WDW1974 @marni1971

I just know it is Disney's best number in a decade ... but that isn't saying as much because DVD sales aren't what they once were. Hell, I saw Disney blu rays in the $5 bin at a Big Lots recently, albeit not big hits.

All that really matters is Disney will make a small fortune on the franchise (DVDs included).

 

[Cesar R M]

Our bill for food, drinks and souveniers alone was a grand. That's for 2 days in the parks and 2 add'l half days. They'd be stupid to ignore us.

a grand for just 2 days?

I hear you and I would like your way better, but the battle is over and the princesses won.

I'm pretty sure that the BATHROOMS actually are the things that won.

I'd also add that adults without kids aren't stupid either. Just because they have more money doesn't mean they're going to throw it away. What is offered to adults has to have value to them.

A nice couple staying at WL and visiting Epcot to "drink around the world" is one thing. . ., but when it costs as much (or more) than actually TRAVELLING to Europe or Asia, many adults are going to pass on Disney. That's a no brainier for most who have the means and the freedom to make those choices.

I like Disney, but I would only go without my kids IF the price was actually reasonable. Otherwise, I have to compare it to an overseas trip. I think that's the real reason why Disney has an uphill climb selling to to adults without kids. A new E-ticket "themed to x, based on movie y, with animatronic z" simply can't compare to the rich culture and experiences that can be offered around the world for real.

I will second this.

The competition for the adult travel market is a lot stronger and a lot more diverse. Not saying WDW shouldn't or doesn't appeal to adults traveling without children, but they aren't going to be as successful in reaching a large chunk of that market no matter what they do. For me personally, if I get a weekend away without my kids WDW wouldn't be high on my list. If I'm getting some time to relax away from the kids I don't want to go somewhere and deal with other people's kids. I want some combination of peace, luxury, good food and booze and some adult oriented entertainment like gambling and live music.

Imho, its almost feels like disney is firing at his own foot.. making themselves less and less attractive for many groups and categories.. and only catering to the "single visit in their lifetime" group.

Just lost my appetite.

Yeah that will make us all embrace the Band. Oy. Wonder where these people studied marketing.

Id say they tried to go for the "cool kids of the 90's" style of marketing campaign.

More benches in all the parks please. They are such a minimal expense and make things so much more comfortable for grandparents and other senior adults. Grandparents used to be a marketing focus for WDW. Not anymore. The focus is on families of four. Disney doesn't seem to realize that it is the grandparents who may be DVC members who are footing the bill for the whole trip.

I don't ride thrill rides anymore, but my family does. A bench is so welcome while I am waiting for them to ride.

Pretty sure the benches thing already as been answered.
Why put benches if you can force these people who want to sit down.. to the restaurants .. where they are FORCED to pay for food or drinks to sit down.

Spirited Wednesday Musings:

So, a little birdie told me that Michael Eisner's little Tweetfest while at WDW also had a behind the scenes motive (shocking!) and one I didn't quite anticipate. Seems Michael still cares about the company and the direction of it and doesn't want either Jay 'Bottom Line' Rasulo or Tom 'Sorry fanbois, I am not into your kind, even if I am pretty' Staggs replacing The Weatherman.

Seriously, look for the volleys to continue both in public ways and in private. MDE isn't going to sit still while two men that worked for him, but don't have the mettle to do his job are being sold to Wall Street (and fanbois) as Bob's replacement. Bob Iger is losing this battle -- remember, Michael tweeting from SDL? -- and he's likely to lose it in the end too.

Again, Michael was afforded no company special benefits on his visit. ... Except that you can be sure he was tailed by some of Iger's goons. They are so damn obvious, a Tommy Bahama shirt with a wire down the shirt up to the earpiece ... like out of some 1980s crime drama. I've had it myself before, so amusing.

Speaking of missing things, has anyone on this site commented about the new Star Wars character meals coming to TPFKaTD-MGMS? Both? Either? Anyone?

So, Willow Bay ... a woman who epitomizes fine journalism ... if you don't know what fine journalism is was just named to head USC's journalism school because ... wait for it ... wait for it ... she married Bob Iger.

How much fire has that new MK dragon been spewing in that amazing new parade?

Splash Mountain reopened recently after its annual closure. Anyone know what was done? How it looks? Anyone?

How about Blizzard Beach? Closed for three months. Was anything done to plus the place? Fix things that needed it?

I know some people don't like to hear what I have to say. I get it. The truth doesn't often wrap you in a warm blanket with that just out of the dryer feeling. More likely it is like stepping into a German shower in January and turning the water all the way to cold (yes, I did this daily ... great way to wake up!)

Can't recall if I mentioned this yet, but look for another WDW DVC to be announced (at least to the Wall Street analysts) before the end of the fiscal year.

I know people love ripping on DLP, especially those who have never been. But looking at pics from their Spring Festival as well as the finishing work on the Ratatouille area looks great.

Micechat has an interesting column up on Despicable Me Minion Mayhem opening soon in Hollywood and featuring an expanded area around it with two food locales, a spinner and a water play area (ICK!!!) that at least has the sense to include changing rooms.

If Paltrow and Martin can't find happiness, then really what hope is there for Disney fanbois and their plush?

I always like reading your long musing posts.

 

[WDW1974]

So I actually ran into Michael on Monday at the Paris Pavillion in Epcot. Said hello to him, no response. I'll give him the benefit of the doubt that he just didn't hear me. Was there with his wife eating ice cream, no plaids anywhere to be seen. Below is what I posted on Twitter.

https://twitter.com/DarthDopey/status/448173120298684416/photo/1

I am sure that was it. Michael isn't going to ignore someone in the parks ... he's older, he's in a loud place, and he's having overpriced ice cream with Jane.

Michael loved visiting the parks during his early years, before his face became too popular and before the management teams would host and push him into seeing what they wanted him to see and not seeing what they didn't want him to see.

Just ask, how many times have you see Bob and Willow out enjoying the parks?

That one answer speaks for all you need to know about Disney's leader.

 

[lazyboy97o]

What about his attitude in the 90's? Call him what you want. You have to give him (and FW) credit for saving the company. Who would you prefer? Eisner or Iger?

Cultures do not shift over night and the foundations for what would happen were being laid in those early years.

 

[Nemo14]

I actually saw Michael Eisner once at CBR. I was impressed that he would be there, because at the time it was the cheapest Disney hotel.

 

[WDW1974]

Just lost my appetite.

Yeah that will make us all embrace the Band. Oy. Wonder where these people studied marketing.

That makes me cringe in the same way that 'Homeland Security' does ... it just isn't something that works the way they think it does. But what do I know? Everyone that posts here must be a loser that wears Mouse Ears daily and gets government disability checks, right?

 

[WDW1974]

More benches in all the parks please. They are such a minimal expense and make things so much more comfortable for grandparents and other senior adults. Grandparents used to be a marketing focus for WDW. Not anymore. The focus is on families of four. Disney doesn't seem to realize that it is the grandparents who may be DVC members who are footing the bill for the whole trip.

I don't ride thrill rides anymore, but my family does. A bench is so welcome while I am waiting for them to ride.

If you are sitting, then you are not spending. ... Unless you weigh 500 pounds and are on top of an ECV.

 

[Funmeister]

Cultures do not shift over night and the foundations for what would happen were being laid in those early years.

Cultures do shift overnight. Look at the differnce pre-Eisner to post-Eisner. Are you saying that the end of Eisners run were ditated by his early years with the company? If so...I cannot disagree more. Sorry.

 

[LithiumBill]

Speaking of missing things, has anyone on this site commented about the new Star Wars character meals coming to TPFKaTD-MGMS? Both? Either? Anyone?

Wha-huh?! My Son's head will explode if this happens, he's been stuck too many times eating dinner with Princesses... though he does have a knack for getting hugs with his head in spots that would get me arrested...

 

[WDW1974]

I agree that the marketing focus should be on a broad mix: kids who get excited by the ads and beg for a trip, parents who want to make a "magical" vacation for their kids, grandparents, adults of various ages (25 year olds likely will make different plans than 45 year olds) with no kids, Florida residents, etc.

Disney is supposed to be mass media entertainment ... that means being inclusive and reaching out to as many demos as you can, something that was, btw, done in a very successful manner when Eisner first took over TWDC.

Today, they want families with two parents and between 2-4 kids (although they love those religious folks who won't use birth control and show up with eight of their own!), Lifestylers, Mommy Bloggers and fanbois and the one and dones who are sold on spending $15,000 in nine days and never going to return.

The rest of us? If we come, we come. They don't really care. That should have been apparent to anyone who has been to WDW in the last decade.

 

[WDW1974]

I'd be more impressed with Eisner taking jabs at Iger if he wasn't his hand picked successor pushing the philosophies that were in place.

Except anyone who truly understands history knows that Michael didn't feel that Bob could handle the job and didn't want him to have it ... he really had no say in the matter by the time things went down.

Michael never thought a whole lot of Bob at all, even his ABC work ...

 

[WDW1974]

Is it an EPCOT "Off" Center DVC? Do you think Eisner would ever throw his name in the hat if Skanks and Rosotto are the only two options?

The first one I can only say 'quite possibly, but not definitely' ...

The second I can say NEVER, EVER, EVER ... no way, no how ...

 

[Stevek]

Spirited Wednesday Musings:

How much fire has that new MK dragon been spewing in that amazing new parade?

Splash Mountain reopened recently after its annual closure. Anyone know what was done? How it looks? Anyone?

On Sunday, no fire for the Dragon.

As for Splash, looked great in my opinion. Not an expert on the ride as I'm no expert on the WDW version being a Disneylander, but nothing hopped out at me as broken or missing.

 

[WDW1974]

Eisner is a clown who nobody should listen to. I will never forget his attitude and actions in the early 00s. If anyone wants to blame anyone for the current state of Disney's parks division blame Eisner.

Bull$hit, with all due respect Neo.

Leaving out any personal experiences I have with the man, his history with ABC, Paramount and TWDC speaks for itself. And it's almost all very good.

Yes, his last 5-6 years were filled with plenty of bad, but not all. He overstayed at the worst possible time. It happens.

He's been gone for almost a decade. To say the state of P&R today has anything to do with him is as laughable as saying the current state of Paramount is due to Michael.

Bob Iger has had years to put his stamp on the parks. And he has. If you don't like them, then your issue is with him and the execs he employs.

I think I'll go blame Don Shula for the current state of the Miami Dolphins by your logic!

 

[GoofGoof]

Imho, its almost feels like disney is firing at his own foot.. making themselves less and less attractive for many groups and categories.. and only catering to the "single visit in their lifetime" group.

They are definitely focusing more on attracting the family with young kids crowd. This crowd was always sorta a given for WDW. Other than local amusement parks, national parks and beach/mountain towns they had little competition. I'm talking about the 80s into the 90s. Now it seems like lots of people are getting into the "family vacation" business. I know multiple people who recently took their young kids to resorts in Cancun. Back in the day that was almost purely a get drunk and hook up party town (good time). Lots of all inclusive Caribbean resorts now have large kids clubs or "daycare centers". The cruise industry has evolved and grown and has a large focus on families with kids. Even domestic resorts that in the past mostly catered to adults have started marketing to families. About the only places left that are truly "adult only" are B&Bs and Vegas. Vegas even went through a family phase in the late 90s that actually included an amusement park at the MGM Grand. It was a total bomb and they have returned to their roots, but that's how far the family vacation market has come. I think Disney has to try a little harder to attract families these days and the price doesn't help. That's a big reason why they have heavy marketing directed at children. The once in a while or once in a lifetime crowd has become a much larger portion of their annual customer base. Again, prices have a lot to do with that. When you can book a week for the whole family at an all inclusive beachfront resort in the Caribbean for less than it costs for 7 nights at a WDW hotel (without meals or park tickets) it's hard for a lot of people to pick WDW.

 

[Nemo14]

Wha-huh?! My Son's head will explode if this happens, he's been stuck too many times eating dinner with Princesses... though he does have a knack for getting hugs with his head in spots that would get me arrested...

There's a couple of threads about this - see the StarWars weekend thread and this one:
http://forums.wdwmagic.com/threads/star-wars-weekend-dinning-experience.881978/#post-6009063

 

[WDW1974]

Cultures do not shift over night and the foundations for what would happen were being laid in those early years.

And a true leader, one with vision and the cajones for the job would have come in and immediately put his stamp on the position.

Some might say he did by almost immediately buying Pixar. That set the tone (although I absolutely believe it was the right move to make) for his entire tenure.