The Spirited Sixth Sense ...

[alissafalco]

Boy, that disappeared faster than I could even edit ... amazing!

I saw it The post that is...

 

[bhg469]

Bummer I missed fun! I also noticed someone mention that ricky was invited to the mine train press unveiling.

 

[WDW1974]

From what I can see, Disney is investing in the parks, and spending quite a bit of coin in the process. They just are not building new rides, big deal, they are poised for the long run, not short term fads.

Actually, they are investing. It's how they're investing that many rational, intelligent and knowing Spirits take issue. Two billion dollars and counting on MAGIC bands that track you and your spending and trip planning apps isn't the same as spending two billion dollars on concrete and steel attractions.

But you know that, of course. That's not why you are here.

However, your conclusion is quite incorrect. Disney is very much in it for the short term, not the long. It's all about squeezing ever more revenue out of largely the same audience. It isn't a successful determinant of a company's health or the abilities of those leading it.

Again, though, you aren't likely ignorant of that.

 

[WDW1974]

I saw it The post that is...

You must have been the only one. And whomever was/is moderating must have not been watching any other threads. I don't quite understand what the issue was beyond the fact the Tweet referenced a tacky guest, but no bad language was used. I thought it was quite funny and spoke to the trashy kind of guests that seem to be in vogue at WDW these days.

 

[alissafalco]

You must have been the only one. And whomever was/is moderating must have not been watching any other threads. I don't quite understand what the issue was beyond the fact the Tweet referenced a tacky guest, but no bad language was used. I thought it was quite funny and spoke to the trashy kind of guests that seem to be in vogue at WDW these days.

I think it was the word to describe what we saw...but yes the mods are clearly only reading this thread.

 

[WDW1974]

They'll pay it. Maybe with a fight but they'll pay. CBS's CEO said today that Iger can still sleep easily because ESPN is so huge that it could damage Comcast to not carry it.

I do not get all this talk of a battle between Comcast and Disney over ESPN coverage. A deal is in place for years to come. They'll negotiate a mutually satisfactory deal when the contract is up as it is in BOTH their interests to do so.

Sounds like a lot of Disney vs. UNI fanboi arguments from theme parks being thrown onto something totally different.

 

[twebber55]

Actually, they are investing. It's how they're investing that many rational, intelligent and knowing Spirits take issue. Two billion dollars and counting on MAGIC bands that track you and your spending and trip planning apps isn't the same as spending two billion dollars on concrete and steel attractions.

But you know that, of course. That's not why you are here.

However, your conclusion is quite incorrect. Disney is very much in it for the short term, not the long. It's all about squeezing ever more revenue out of largely the same audience. It isn't a successful determinant of a company's health or the abilities of those leading it.

Again, though, you aren't likely ignorant of that.

question
do you think Disney feels they cant add more guest to WDW? or that they ve just stopped trying to do so?

 

[WDW1974]

I think it was the word to describe what we saw...but yes the mods are clearly only reading this thread.

I love being watched (but usually only by fanbois with binoculars when I am showering!)

 

[doctornick]

Besides, Disney has soooo much unused IP, what makes people think if they even did have the rights they would utilize them in WDW? Marvel has already been pushed aside by Starwars in Anaheim.

I'm under the impression they are "saving" Marvel for a third gate.

 

[jlsHouston]

Whatever it is it's GOOD stuff I want some...

Oh I missed all this last night.

 

[WDW1974]

ESPN still has Monday Night, while not the product it used to be it is still pretty popular. Sunday night football is now the flagship NFL property. It also remains to be seen where the CBS thursday night pecking order will be; Sunday night, Monday, Thursday or Sunday, Thursday, Monday.

ABC and Iger badly misplayed the Thursday Night package (so did NBC for that matter). CBS has a very strong Thursday night lineup and paid very little (by current standards) for the package. ABC could have absolutely used this to strengthen a weak lineup, but opted to low-ball. So, the strong got stronger ... Meredith and McDreamy don't have the same drawing power they did in 2006!

 

[danlb_2000]

I do not get all this talk of a battle between Comcast and Disney over ESPN coverage. A deal is in place for years to come. They'll negotiate a mutually satisfactory deal when the contract is up as it is in BOTH their interests to do so.

Sounds like a lot of Disney vs. UNI fanboi arguments from theme parks being thrown onto something totally different.

The Thick One thinks that Disney will eventually use the ESPN leverage with Comcast to get the Marvel theme park rights back.

 

[WDW1974]

I've always wondered how many people know the daily attendance number and also how they keep it quiet.

They aren't that much of a secret. Most CMs that work frontline will know what the day's projection is (let's say today was 41K at MK) and many will know what the day's tally was. Not as big a secret as you'd think.

 

[lazyboy97o]

The Thick One thinks that Disney will eventually use the ESPN leverage with Comcast to get the Marvel theme park rights back.

Only one with no clue regarding how such companies operate would ever think of this as being a serious possibility. ESPN doesn't care about what properties Walt Disney World gets to use and the same goes for Comast's cable division and Universal Orlando Resort.

 

[maxairmike]

The Thick One thinks that Disney will eventually use the ESPN leverage with Comcast to get the Marvel theme park rights back.

I had a feeling that's where at least two people were going with it, but that is about as laughable as Comcast actually dropping ESPN coverage, even for a day.

 

[WDW1974]

@WDW1974 Topic for discussion:

WHY does the Cruise Line still understand and practice the 'Disney Difference', but
the parks in Fla. don't get it? Just different management? Can they not charge
enough at the parks, but they can on the ships, to justify it? Why do people get
off the ships and say 'that's the way you do that', and it doesn't apply to the parks?

My only guess is, people spend more on cruises, they must be more profitable
per guest. So, if, say, admission to the parks was 20 dollars more a day--50
dollars more a day--what? Would that 'allow' them to give that level of service
in the parks? Would they?

Or can they, now, with the income level, and for whatever reason, they aren't?

Or are the cruises 'higher level' now, and the parks are consigned to stroller hell
at this point? Meaning, it's 'give the people what they want' taken to its sad extreme.

It seems like 'blue ocean', oddly enough, isn't applying to the cruise ships. Yet?
Only time will tell.

The management is the same. DCL is actually run out of Celebration Place by Karl Holz, who came up in the Disney ranks at WDW from 1995-2002 and then ran Euro Disney before being moved over.

I think the answer is complex, but they believe they have a blue ocean product to begin with. They are unique at sea in many areas (from having lavish entertainment -- something others are catching up on -- to no casino to fireworks etc).

Also, they are able to command HUGE and I do mean HUGE premiums over the competition. Cruising can be a very inexpensive vacation, but not on Disney (with a few exceptions that I generally take advantage of). I see folks spending more on 4-night Dream cruises to the Bahamas than I have spent on 9... 11 ... 14 night cruises with other lines (and in some cases with DCL). When you are charging so much more than other lines, well, you better deliver a top notch product.

It's the opposite of WDW where they keep raising the prices and now ... well, they barely have a market for their deluxe resorts so they DVC them all and keep raising prices at all tiers. The idea that the rooms at the value motels are now well over $100 much of the time and over $200 at the moderate motels is just evidence of this model. They can still put rubes into the lower category rooms at absurd premiums. But getting those folks to pay $900 for a parking lot view room at the Poly for Christmas just ain't happening.

They wrongly believe they can keep raising the price points in O-town with no pushback. If they actually studied their business and the market, then they'd know they've already gone long past the tipping point.

 

[Funmeister]

Only one with no clue regarding how such companies operate would ever think of this as being a serious possibility. ESPN doesn't care about what properties Walt Disney World gets to use and the same goes for Comast's cable division and Universal Orlando Resort.

Why would ESPN or ABC Sports care what Walt Disney Animation thought when it traded Al Michaels for Oswald the Rabbit? I am not saying that DIsney will use this as leverage but this day in age nothing surprises me. Besides, does Disney REALLY seem like a company that is interested in expanding attractions/parks/lands? If they get the rights to Marvel back (for Florida) they will do a meet and greet and sit on the rest.

 

[WDW1974]

I think it comes down to cruising being a legitimate and acceptable form of recreation to many Disney executives.

Never thought of it like that, but you may well be on to something!

 

[lazyboy97o]

Why would ESPN or ABC Sports care what Walt Disney Animation thought when it traded Al Michaels for Oswald the Rabbit? I am not saying that DIsney will use this as leverage but this day in age nothing surprises me. Besides, does Disney REALLY seem like a company that is interested in expanding attractions/parks/lands? If they get the rights to Marvel back (for Florida) they will do a meet and greet and sit on the rest.

That was an extraordinary scenario because Iger was trying to show himself as somebody who cared for the legacy of Walt Disney and win over the Save Disney crowd.

 

[Funmeister]

That was an extraordinary scenario because Iger was trying to show himself as somebody who cared for the legacy of Walt Disney and win over the Save Disney crowd.

So you do not think he could do it again to win over the Marvel crowd? I mean...you have to admit anything is possible. Improbable? yes. Impossible? no.