The Spirited Sixth Sense ...

[Jimmy Thick]

Absolutely insane crowds.

I went to Epcot last night with a sports writer friend. The place was wall-to-wall people. World showcase around 6 o'clock was full. Almost food and wine festival full.

Epcot during Food and Wine is terrible, I wonder if Marrakesh was booked through. Then you know its busy.

Jimmy Thick- Avoiding week like this.

 

[PhotoDave219]

Now in all seriousness about the whole Disney vs Comcast debate, people do know that in 2012 Disney and Comcast signed a unheard of 10 year agreement for providing and distributing content? Comcast is paying like over 6 bucks per sub for ESPN's family alone. So...

By 2022, Comcast will more than likely be an afterthought in the cable distribution business anyway as the cable box will be completely phased out by then.

Just letting people know some facts, now please carry on the current D&G line of what's really not going to happen.

Jimmy Thick- 10 years, there won't be any negotiation in at least 10 years. Think of it as a perpetual contract for 10 years. * Jimmy chuckles *

I never said That i actually looked up The details…

 

[PhotoDave219]

Epcot during Food and Wine is terrible, I wonder if Marrakesh was booked through. Then you know its busy.

Jimmy Thick- Avoiding week like this.

The new Moroccan spiced road table was about half to two thirds full last night around 530 to 6 o'clock. However was also chilly as the wind was coming off the water… and Morocco is definitely be brand-new chokepoint on the world showcase…

 

[steve2wdw]

Apparently Presidents' Day weekend is coinciding with some winter breaks in the northern states… so not only do we have Argentinian tour groups, cheerleaders, Florida locals here for the weekend, we've got tourists. So yeah.

Not quite Christmas week insanity but very few things are…

President's Day weekend is always the beginning of the week long February vacation for just about everyone in the Northeast...We do it again in April with another week off. That's why you'll see so many un-tanned New Englanders this week.

 

[Jimmy Thick]

I never said That i actually looked up The details…

Oh no biggie, I was just letting people know because the whole subject is taking a life of its own and I was poking it as well, but Iam just setting the record straight.

Its good for a while, by 2022, I doubt it will matter.

Jimmy Thick- Now about Iger getting Marvel to WDW...

 

[71jason]

I find it interesting that high schoolers can openly express a liking for what could be considered children IPs. Based on my contacts throughout the country, it doesn't seem to be an isolated phenomenon either.

Funny you mention this, a film critic I follow put out a Tweet a couple days ago that's really stuck with me (paraphrasing here, and I'm pretty certain he's in his mid 30s):

"My dad's generation got stuck at age 19. My generation is stuck at age 13. The next generation looks like they'll be stuck at age 7."

Not sure what to make of it, but you're not the only one to notice it at least.

 

[71jason]

Wow that sounds incredibly embarrassing. Is she young or uh reliving her youth?

Is there a lifestyler who isn't?

 

[tirian]

Many within the company believe there's always room for prices to go up.

Big "yes" to this one.

Wall Street has been questioning MyMagic+ every chance they get.

Repeatedly.

Let’s see if anyone can answer these questions from the last 5 straight earnings calls. I know I can’t after listening to Iger’s and Rasulo’s replies.

February 5, 2013: “On the parks, I guess it was mostly cost-related. Could you clarify on the technology spend -- or MyMagic+ or however you want to refer to it -- how much more to go is -- the press reported it's something like $800 million to $1 billion of spend on that effort. How much more is there to go?”

May 7, 2013: “Bob, if you could talk about the timing of the rollout of My Magic Plus. Is there any way to give us a sense of the potential impact from that initiative? It's not the easiest thing for us to model.”

May 7, 2013: “Perhaps then, Bob, just in terms of timeframe, would that be something where by fiscal 2014 you would think we start to see some impact?”

August 6, 2013: “You didn't mention MyMagic+. Any comment on how that's impacting business at this point?”

November 7, 2013: “And just a follow-up question on the domestic parks. I think in the past, you've sort of called out some incremental expense that we may see in different initiatives. I guess is there something incremental we should look out for in fiscal 2014? I guess, where are you on the spending around Magic+? And then on Magic+ when we might see, I guess, some signs or data points of how it's impacting the business?”

February 5, 2014: “Then for Bob, you guys had talked about the cost of MyMagic+ this quarter, but can you give us some indications of how the rollout's going on revenue and customer behavior, because per capita is really good at this point, so what's going on with MyMagic+?"

February 5, 2014: “Then just my second question on MyMagic+, I know you said the benefit of guest satisfaction, but there must be some benefit to revenue to be able to put a device button, get out of the store, run to doors quickly. Is it showing up in the per cap revenues? On the cost side, how much more is there to go? How much more it is there to go now?”​

Wall Street is asking the same basic question again and again because Iger and Rasulo are not giving satisfactory answers.

You think we are the only ones questioning the wisdom of MyMagic+?

Wall Street is with us on this one.

Big time.

 

[GiveMeTheMusic]

Many within the company believe there's always room for prices to go up.

Wow. So they don't have any formal business training?

 

[Nubs70]

Wow. So they don't have any formal business training?

Yes they do and there lies the problem. They are taught business process management in b school. Then they come to the real world and try to cram real world into the business process management textbook. Rather, they should adapt the what they learned to the reality of what is the real world. Use theory that works and can be adapted while discarding the rest.

Additionally, hr hiring practices only reinforce this type of mentality but that is a discussion for another day.

 

[NoChesterHester]

Many within the company believe there's always room for prices to go up.

I agree with raising prices if the value increases. They can do that by adding more attractions or improving quality. Neither seem to be on the forefront.

 

[Funmeister]

I keep wondering what they'll do with the Shrek building if/when they remove it.

You know...one thing that always confused me about Shrek was shortly after they opened the attraction they included the same movie as a bonus add-on to a Shrek DVD release. Sure it wasn't 3-D and did not have in-theater effects but why? Bad move in my opinion. And who in the hell green lit Honey, I Shrunk the Audience years after that franchise peaked? Another waste.

 

[ParentsOf4]

Many within the company believe there's always room for prices to go up.

Wow. So they don't have any formal business training?

Wall Street is nervous with the Price Leveraging strategy employed by Disney over the last few years. It's one of the reasons they keep asking about MyMagic+; to see that WDW is doing anything to generate new revenue besides just raising prices.

They've already seen the impact of higher prices (actually, less generous discounts) on hotel occupancy, dropping from 89% in 2008 to 79% last year. Keep in mind that WDW hotel occupancy was 76% in the 12 months immediately after 9/11, and that was an abysmal time for WDW.

They know theme park prices can go up only so far until there will be an impact on attendance.

Just keep in mind this chart that I've posted before. WDW really is pushing the limits.

 

[PhotoDave219]

President's Day weekend is always the beginning of the week long February vacation for just about everyone in the Northeast...We do it again in April with another week off. That's why you'll see so many un-tanned New Englanders this week.

You have a LOT of weeks of school off.

 

[jt04]

Now in all seriousness about the whole Disney vs Comcast debate, people do know that in 2012 Disney and Comcast signed a unheard of 10 year agreement for providing and distributing content? Comcast is paying like over 6 bucks per sub for ESPN's family alone. So...

By 2022, Comcast will more than likely be an afterthought in the cable distribution business anyway as the cable box will be completely phased out by then.

Just letting people know some facts, now please carry on the current D&G line of what's really not going to happen.

Jimmy Thick- 10 years, there won't be any negotiation in at least 10 years. Think of it as a perpetual contract for 10 years. * Jimmy chuckles *

Facts! Why does it always have to be about facts with you? You could cause this thread to melt down you know?

 

[PhotoDave219]

I'm enjoying True Detective, though I'm disappointed that last week's show didn't follow through with the awesome visuals that ended the previous episode.

I'm two episodes from the end of Season 1 of House of Cards. Just watched 11 chapters in 24 hours. Blown away by it. Simply amazing.
It reminds me so much of The Wire.

A man must have a code.

 

[PhotoDave219]

Come on, you're not THAT shocked, are you?Prior to Twitter threats, my only interaction with Ricky was the time his wife walked into a bar doing Monsters High cosplay.

Wait. He's now a Bronie?

 

[Nubs70]

You have a LOT of weeks of school off.

My kids have had exactly 1 full five day week since Cristmas. They are now in Tampa for a week for mid semester-Presidents Day-pre spring break, teachers mental health week, break.

 

[PhotoDave219]

My kids have had exactly 1 full five day week since Christmas. They are now in Tampa for a week for mid semester-Presidents Day-pre spring break, teachers mental health week, break.

What in the holy $%^%&^%@^*^& are they doing?!?!

 

[Nubs70]

What in the holy $%^%&^%@^*^& are they doing?!?!

Between snow, rumors of snow, and really cold weather, every week they have called off at least one day each week. Granted it has been cold but in my day that meant layer up, walk fast, and don't stay outside. And we have snow, I have so much snow that I have rabbits eating out of my bird feeder. (and the rabbits are not exceptionally tall).