Warning... What I am about to theorize may not be popular.

[mouse_luv]

Except, we actually have real jobs that pay money.

THIS!

 

[21stamps]

Of course, maybe I'm not the psychographic Disney wants as their customer. Maybe they perceive the Six Flags customer as more profitable and easier to please. To which there's nothing I can say or do.

I don't think that Disney is going anywhere near the direction of Six Flags, Cedar Fair, etc.
People on these boards seem to want them to..but they haven't in the past and I severely doubt they ever will.

But anyway, most "Six Flags (and similar) customers" are also the same people who you will see at Disney or Universal. So I don't think it's accurate to say they are going after a crowd who is already in their market. People go to WDW because it is different. It has never been about huge thrill rides.

 

[wdisney9000]

It has little to do with "targeting" any specific generation. The parks are being ran by men and woman with ZERO experience in how to operate a theme park. Thats all. There was once a good balance of creative thinkers mixed with business executives. Walt had Roy, Eisner had Wells. That is no longer the case.

They have all but eliminated or silenced any person who dare dream and think big. They want mathematical, easy and safe decisions that are driven by charts and graphs born of data collection on how often kids go to the bathroom or how many ounces of salad a 35 year old person eats.

 

[Laketravis]

It has little to do with "targeting" any specific generation.

I agree with this - they aren't necessarily targeting a specific generation as much as they are targeting specific demographics. They want guests who can afford to come to the parks and spend money, whoever they may be. I think there is some merit to the OP's theory that baby boomers and affluent retirees comprise the group most likely able to afford it but are shrinking in numbers. Younger guests may desire more virtual reality and 4D experiences than nostalgic themes but are roadblocked by cost.

 

[JIMINYCR]

Great points you make, when all the new technology hit, I said, theyre targeting an entirely new demographic and what will please me doesnt count much any more. I was talking to DS the other evening about a return tip to WDW and reminiscing about our previous trips when he was a just young kid. AND started realizing ... how many more years do I have left to enjoy Disney. How many trips are there that I can fit into my life. How long will my aging body withstand rides, walking distances, exotic meals, crowded pathways... etc. So yes, Disneys moved on to meeting the desires of the next generation, and working on how they can be attracted to spend their time & money at the parks. We had our days. Think of how the 9 old men felt being replaced.

 

[Goofyernmost]

Great points you make, when all the new technology hit, I said, theyre targeting an entirely new demographic and what will please me doesnt count much any more. I was talking to DS the other evening about a return tip to WDW and reminiscing about our previous trips when he was a just young kid. AND started realizing ... how many more years do I have left to enjoy Disney. How many trips are there that I can fit into my life. How long will my aging body withstand rides, walking distances, exotic meals, crowded pathways... etc. So yes, Disneys moved on to meeting the desires of the next generation, and working on how they can be attracted to spend their time & money at the parks. We had our days. Think of how the 9 old men felt being replaced.

Like most of them we will also die our way out. Shocking, but, that is what happens. At 68 and in relatively good health, I have to constantly ask myself, when will my last trip happen, if it hasn't already? If, by some wild chance, the execs are looking into the future, you can bet that we are not part of their thoughts.

 

[ProjectXBlog]

Honestly, I'm struggling to grasp the point of this thread.

i think the point is

 

[chrisbarry]

It just saddens me to see it become just like every other park.

Sorry, but in no way is Epcot just like every other park.

 

[TaoBoxer]

Jeez, take a deep breath & chill. Disney knows what it's doing............ok, maybe not.

 

[rnese]

Sorry, but in no way is Epcot just like every other park.

It isn't now. I'm referring to the apparent direction it seems to be heading.

 

[King Panda 77]

Honestly, I'm struggling to grasp the point of this thread.

 

[G8rchamps]

As part of the forgotten/war/bubble/recession struck gen X I agree that at least we do try to have "real jobs that pay money." Our parents (the boomers) worked hard for what they have - and have no problem reminding us of that on a regular basis. We are the first generation that will not out earn the previous...but in 20 years we may just have some of that disposable income in out hands. I agree that Disney markets to income or assets rather than generation, but they better not pi** us off.

 

[Raineman]

I definitely think it's true that Disney has started to cater it's theme parks to the younger generations, but I think there is something that us Gen X/Gen Y people can do, and that is try as much as we can to pass on our love and appreciation for "classic" Disney to the newer generations. My DD is almost 11, and she is your typical 2016 pre-teen-spends alot of time on her iPad, loves gaming, loves Frozen, etc. She has been to WDW twice, all in the last 2 years. Her favorite attractions? Space Mountain, Haunted Mansion, Big Thunder, etc-non-IP attractions that people of my generation and before have been enjoying for years. I'd like to think that part of the reason for this is the countless times I have told her about these attractions, and the experiences I had on them. If we do not pass on our love of classic Disney attractions, then these attractions will someday be gone. My fear is that younger parents are saying things to their children like "Frozen Ever After is so much better than Maelstrom!" or "I like Winnie The Pooh alot better than Mr. Toad."-this will give the next generation the impression that the only good attractions are newer ones that all have their favorite characters in them.

 

[21stamps]

If you are in your sixties and are already wondering how much longer you will be able to visit the parks, IMO you have given up. Try being in your early eighties and hoping you can manage at least one more visit when ever they open Pandora. While we are not at all happy with many of their current policies, we always have a good time when we are there. As the T shirt says: "It's never too late to have a happy childhood."

Change of subject. Judging from their advertising and the distribution of their mailed discount offers, I do think they are aiming at the relatively affluent family with young children who may come each year for many years. Maybe more than once a year. If it had to do with only income and the amount spent at Disney, they would be beating a path to our door. While ,for many years, we had to do Disney on the cheap, our children are now all educated, independent and married, we have no debts other than what we charge each month and with both of us receiving retirement incomes, we have spent a bundle on each of our last two trips .We stayed for three weeks in a Deluxe resort,(necessary because we now both need ECVs and being on property in a large room is just so much easier) ate at signature restaurants and did up charge events..Even so, I don't receive any questionnaires or mailed discount offers.. As I previously stated, at our age Disney is really not interested in what we like, want, or even if we return at all. We have no future potential.

I think the key words in your post are "Families with Young Children". I don't remember a time when Disney did not market to that demographic.

The same way that Viking River Cruises has always marketed to the retirement crowd.

That's just basic marketing- appeal and reach out to your target, and largest, demographic, give them reasons to spend their money with you.

 

[Goofyernmost]

I definitely think it's true that Disney has started to cater it's theme parks to the younger generations, but I think there is something that us Gen X/Gen Y people can do, and that is try as much as we can to pass on our love and appreciation for "classic" Disney to the newer generations. My DD is almost 11, and she is your typical 2016 pre-teen-spends alot of time on her iPad, loves gaming, loves Frozen, etc. She has been to WDW twice, all in the last 2 years. Her favorite attractions? Space Mountain, Haunted Mansion, Big Thunder, etc-non-IP attractions that people of my generation and before have been enjoying for years. I'd like to think that part of the reason for this is the countless times I have told her about these attractions, and the experiences I had on them. If we do not pass on our love of classic Disney attractions, then these attractions will someday be gone. My fear is that younger parents are saying things to their children like "Frozen Ever After is so much better than Maelstrom!" or "I like Winnie The Pooh alot better than Mr. Toad."-this will give the next generation the impression that the only good attractions are newer ones that all have their favorite characters in them.

That's very true and nicely said, however, there will come a time when they will not necessarily follow the lead of their parents and make a bold decision to like there own things just like every generation that ever existed. Boomer rejected their parent big band music and went after their own, generations that followed adopted their own as well. That doesn't mean that they stopped liking some of the things that they learned to love as a child, just that it no longer was their priority. They wanted their own way. That is what I think is happening in Disney and others. Setting up for later when things that we loved, like The Tiki Room, Country Bears, will not hold any draw for them. Some classics do have a chance of survival, but, ones that are currently not hugely popular or extremely historical and classic will be made to go the way of the Dinosaur.

 

[Cowboy Steve]

Agreed. Walt built a park the public didn't even know it desperately wanted. That is true vision.

Unfortunately, America as whole today seems to have lost its will to be bold and daring. I think a lot of that can be attributed to global politics, economic troubles, and changes in priorities over the past 15 years or so. Its a hierarchy of needs issue. There is no way we can think big and take risks if our basic need of safety, both physical and financial, isn't being met.

The ironic thing is that Disneyland was built in a time of incredible paranoia. I think that really speaks to how powerful escapism and familiarity can be.

There is a lot of excellent points in your post. The competition for your vacation dollar means they sacrifice bold and daring for safe and dependable. Whatever is predicted to provide a steady revenue stream is preferable to taking too big of a risk. The world is a lot smaller than when I was a 6 year old kid visiting WDW for the first time in 1972. Talk about forgotten generations... I don't even know what generation I belong to lol. But with the availability of flights to those with even a modest income, the competition for destination vacations is huge. When I was in my thirties, it was 40 or 50 dollars a head to use the Disney bus transportation to and from the resorts. Now they include it with their packages (well, you pay for it, you just don't realize you are paying for it as it is 'included'). Regardless it makes it easy to skip the hassle and expense (and upcharges these days) associated with car rentals... and keeps you on the property.

I don't mind most of the changes. Change is inevitable. But, as long as some nostalgia remains, it will live forever. Movies of today are a lot different than movies from the 40's and 50's. Doesn't make the old ones any less enjoyable or the new ones any better. They have changed over the years to fit the times. Unfortunately Hollywood seems to be running out of fresh ideas to quench the ever rising demand for more and more movies (NOT a big fan of remakes - lookin' right at you Ben Hur). So thus they keep finding new ways to tell old stories lol.

 

[POLY LOVER]

The only thing that is killing Disney is that the suits have no feel for the products past and don't know how to move forward. The parks create great revenue and it gets drained off to feed the rest of the company. I see many things that are allowed to go unaddressed, it would have never happened in the past. Attention to detail is gone. They are a step behind on everything they do now. Long turnaround time on projects that are needed but they wait until parts of the parks just get to old and not functioning. They let ride components fail and then go into refurb mode for months, I ask what happened to daily maintenance? Walt would be spinning in his grave. The loyal fans still fuel the machine but I predict that is coming to an end soon. I have had 3 visitors in the past month and they wanted universal first. I was at Epcot yesterday, I wanted to see Frozen, woke up early got there at 9 only to see a 2 hour wait time and once again the ride was down.

 

[Disney4family]

We just came back from our annual escape from reality. I'm running on very little sleep and wondering who scheduled the FP+ for me for the dirty laundry attraction here at home. I guess it's my version of the "wash & rinse cycle" that Stacey talks about. (I don't do laundry on vacay).
If this post doesn't fit the 3 pages I glanced at, I apologize in my sleep-deprived, depression-filled state-of-mind.
The biggest change we saw this year at the parks were the Guests themselves. There were still the young families with impressionable, adorable children and the loyal fans who live for the classics and the improved experiences. But - for as many people who were there, who "get it" the way we do, there were so many who had a different expectation and different way of experiencing the parks. I know - to each his own. It just made us sad to see so many people miss out on what made WDW so different than other theme park experiences.
For example - (not to add to the billion threads on the whole cellphone thing) - I guess gone are the days when everyone would enjoy a monorail ride as an attraction in itself. We sat in car after car where everyone had their noses stuck in a phone. Nobody seemed to even realize or care where they were or what they were experiencing. It reminded me of my sister who said The Contemporary is just a hotel with a train through it. Sad.
We also were surprised how many people experienced the parks with alcohol. We only get to go once a year, but we have never seen so many young people walking around with beer, etc. I guess just because they can. This was also the first trip where we had to pace ourselves around World Showcase not just to enjoy each pavilion, but to avoid the many, many groups of "drinkers" who proudly wore their homemade Epcot drinking shirts. There have been threads here about security (which we did see a lot of at each park entry). The security needed around Epcot - especially in the Mexico pavilion with La Cava del Tequila - was really increased.
I won't even talk about the garbage tossed anywhere and everywhere.
Who is WDW catering to? Are they changing because they have to since society is changing or because they want to financially?
Are they changing because the public demands it or because they want to? I don't know. As people here have said, WDW probably doesn't want my two cents. It's just, we've all said here in our own ways that the World is more than attractions. It's a wonderful "state of mind". Just seeing these changes seems to have allowed the real world to enter into our fantasy world.
Since Walt said, "I always like to look on the optimistic side of life, but I am realistic enough to know that life is a complex matter", I am impressed with the extreme diversity of people WDW attracts. We just hope that the Guests - old and new - as well as WDW itself remembers " that we don't lose sight of one thing - that it was all started by a mouse."

 

[The Empress Lilly]

I have been occasionally active on certain individual happenings pertaining to redoing the parks, but, like the rest of you I have been focusing on those individual things. Anyway, I was sitting here thinking (always a dangerous thing) and it occurs to me that if anyone thought that Disney (in general) or WDW (in particular) is changing drastically, you really should connect all the dots here.

Many have said that they no longer care about those of us that have been loyal customers now and that they are destroying their fan base. Well, they needn't bother because age is primarily destroying us anyway. We do not have that many years of active theme park participation left under the best of conditions, so we are no longer a viable concern. What I see is a drastic and complete change in the theme park philosophy that is going to eliminate most all of the things that we hold near and dear to us. They can do that because we are not their current income source. They can do that without worrying about loss in business because they are catering to the newer generations that have a completely different set of requirements for their theme park enjoyment.

Many things are happening in DHS and we can all agree that many things are required to revitalize that park and make it worthwhile to new people. Epcot has changed, slightly so far, but I would guess much more in the future to a completely different mission. Energy to Guardians, possibly more Guardians in the area that once housed Wonders of Life. A completely different approach to the Imagination Pavilion to more of an Emotions Pavilion. So many things attached to an IP of either Disney direct IP connection or outside IP connection. There is a lot going on. Even MK will get a change, not as much, but, certainly different from what we are used to seeing. DAK is and has been since it opened a work in progress. It will continue it's focus on animals, but, also go pretty deep into fictional animals as well.

It's not your Fathers Buick anymore. We are going to be out of the picture before to long anyway and they are putting their money on a different generational desire. So we better be prepared to either accept the NEW Disney or find something else to do with our time. Our time is no longer. All we can do is stand here like the old person standing on his/her porch talking about how the world is gone to hell in a hand-basket and like I said accept it for what it is now or move on. We no longer are the artistic driving force.

Humbug. You are 157 years old and yet Star Wars, Marvel and Mickey Mouse - all that 'new stuff for a new generation' - are so old they are products of your childhood.

 

[ford91exploder]

I wouldn't have so much of a problem with what was going on if there were a focus on quality and imagination. Parks and attractions don't last forever and need to be redone. But using the hot IP of the day and inserting it into a clone attraction is not something that is a long term strategy, unless you're moving to a six flags type expirience.

I wish there was a LOVE THIS POST button, Because this is exactly correct, I would not care so much if the attractions being replaced were BETTER attractions than the ones going in, Example is there any question that Diagon Alley at UNI is a better attraction than Jaws. It does not matter whether I like all of the 'new' attractions but it does matter that the new attractions be an upgrade to what they replaced. Example 'Horizons' vs Mission Space actually I love both but M:S should have been an ADDITION to Horizons along with an update to Horizons, SWSA replaced by a Meet-n-Grope seems to be the model going forward which is what I despise about 'Today's Disney'

Disney was never meant to be a museum, But it was never meant to be the classic 'amusement park' which was cheap and nasty with crude overlays of the current HOT IP either.