WDW Taking a Hit Over Gator and Massacre ...

[rob0519]

I've noticed that about the cruise line. I still don't agree with it though, seems stupid to me. These are people that could be eating at the restaurants and buying the merchandise. I'm not talking about free nights either, $200 a night is still a lot of money.

By not discounting staterooms closer to the sailing date, it forces people to book at full price. Additionally, it eliminates the customer service issue of "I booked 18 months ago and paid $5,000 for this cruise. The people in the stateroom next door booked two weeks ago and only paid $2,500. I want a refund."

 

[GhostHost1000]

People think with their emotions, not with their brains. A dead toddler is a tremendous tragedy, that's absolutely correct. But cartoon alligators that play the saxophone have absolutely nothing to do with that.

This

 

[LAKid53]

Does this mean UF will need to change its mascot too?

 

[Brad Bishop]

The issue is WDW was already in a state of decline before the incident. It's not the incident that's the long term problem, people in general got tired of the product/value of it. The incident accelerated a problem that was already coming.

There's a reason Disney's charging less for hotel rooms, hasn't raised AP prices this year, lifted summer blockout dates for residents, etc. A lot of these moves occurred before the incidents too.

You can bet though, that Disney will use the nightclub/gator stories as the real excuse for the declines, but it would have declined regardless, just probably not to the same extent.

I got the AP email today trying to get me to come and stay at All Star Movies for $74/night. I had no intention of going back to WDW but when I received this email I seriously considered doing it before my pass expires at the beginning of September. I went online and looked at the prices and I could do it and it wouldn't cost a lot. Then I thought about the price of the restaurants and how I'd pretty much be leaving to get something to eat and the hassle of scheduling everything and, while I don't have to buy, the money grabs like premium parking, $150 E$H, etc., in addition to all of the too-little, too-late construction and stagnation (EP) and I came to the conclusion, "Nope. I don't have any plans to go anywhere else right now but I'm not hitting WDW."

The problem is that it's all a huge turn off to me.

I'm sort of mulling Savannah or maybe a trip to the mountains or something. No hard plans yet. No WDW, though.

 

[mousehockey37]

Now that has me SMH. Things in the actual vicinity of the attack are one thing. This is just overreactive.

Sadly, idiot guests now outnumber the intelligent ones but their cash is just as green.

This is getting ridiculous. What happened with the kid is sad but stuff happens. It's an all out war against anything alligators with Disney right now, but bad parenting is being overlooked. How about bad guest behavior with feeding animals from the bungalows?

Leave the alligator things alone! Louis the gator is the spirit of Louis Armstrong and jazz in New Orleans, but no one sees taking this away as racist? The gator is gone but now that creates an issue historically and racially, again, since the gator is gone I guess it's OK now to insult the jazz musicians of the world.

Irate guests in California? Good heavens... go back to your special snowflake homes.

Disney needs to grow a set and defend their brand. The WWE is still alive and well and you know kids get hurt everyday from not listening to the "Don't try this at home" warning. Gators are part of Disney culture and shouldn't be taken away because of a random incident that a set of parents were stupid and let their guard down.

This is the reason we can't have nice things! To those that agree with the removing of anything gator, please, remember, it was human error that led to this tragedy. Gators weren't just at a board meeting earlier in the day saying how it'd be fun to eat a kid. There's worse sharks that work in the offices of Disney!

Edit:. If you're one of the offended who has a dedicated DVC reservation for early December and wants to cancel, PM me... I'll gladly go to WDW in your place! A bad day at Disney is better than a good day anywhere else!

 

[VJ]

Don't call me Shirley,

I love you (and yes, I just now started reading, give me a bit to catch up).

 

[mousehockey37]

While I agree with your post, could you please edit the offensive word "Sharks" out of your last sentence. They have attacked people before too.

To think, next week is SHARK WEEK!!!!!!

I hope these snowflakes don't watch River Monsters.... They've done a couple episodes from Florida of all places .

 

[CJR]

By not discounting staterooms closer to the sailing date, it forces people to book at full price. Additionally, it eliminates the customer service issue of "I booked 18 months ago and paid $5,000 for this cruise. The people in the stateroom next door booked two weeks ago and only paid $2,500. I want a refund."

If you book 18 months in advance, you're paying for a guaranteed room that you get to pick out. If you wait until the last minute, you might not get a room, let alone the one you want. Most people can't take vacations on a whim, so when they pay the advanced price, they're paying for the security of having a room. Most places actually have policies to cover their butts so that customers can't ask for a refund. If it was really that big of an issue, the airline industry would collapse.

I know what you're saying, but it only works to an extent, in terms of business. If a good portion of your hotel rooms are empty, your price point is off. Finding the price that fills the most rooms is important and something that's going to cause Disney a lot of problems in the long term with DVC.

 

[mousehockey37]

People think with their emotions, not with their brains. A dead toddler is a tremendous tragedy, that's absolutely correct. But cartoon alligators that play the saxophone have absolutely nothing to do with that.

PSA: He plays the trumpet! Aka, why he's portraying Louis Armstrong.

Back to the gator hate and emotionally special snowflakes.

 

[rob0519]

If you book 18 months in advance, you're paying for a guaranteed room that you get to pick out. If you wait until the last minute, you might not get a room, let alone the one you want. Most people can't take vacations on a whim, so when they pay the advanced price, they're paying for the security of having a room. Most places actually have policies to cover their butts so that customers can't ask for a refund. If it was really that big of an issue, the airline industry would collapse.

I know what you're saying, but it only works to an extent, in terms of business. If a good portion of your hotel rooms are empty, your price point is off. Finding the price that fills the most rooms is important and something that's going to cause Disney a lot of problems in the long term with DVC.

Finding the right price point is difficult. Disney seems to be able to keep pushing their prices to the extreme, yet people are willing to pay. We went on a 4 day Disney Cruise two years ago and would love to go again, but their prices escalated so fast and so high, they're priced us out of even the shorter cruises.

As for the resorts, we still look to stay at the monorail resorts, but instead of 6 or 7 nights every year, it's now only 5 or 6 nights every 18-24 months and only when we can get the 25% off room only rates. I remember the good old days' of the buy 4 nights get 3 free promotion. I don't see that one coming around again.

 

[LAKid53]

The South American economy plays a role in this as well mind you. Not only did WDW see a dip in bookings, SeaWorld and UNI lost attendance as well!

Don't forget that there's this sporting event going on in a month that will keep them home, too.

 

[LAKid53]

And it's tied to the Polynesian, AND the TTC, AND the Contemporary, the MK Monorail station....

And the Wilderness Lodge since we can see it from our room....

 

[trr1]

 

[WDW1974]

I almost fully disagree on your opinion of their response to the gator attack. It was 100% neccessary to remove the joke from the Jungle Cruise. It would've sounded idiotic and foolish to joke about a gator attack days after one happened. That "joke" will likely never return and never needs to.

The chomping gator in the Grand Floridian water show also needed to be removed. It's in a show at the Grand Floridian! And on water, where the attack occured! They would've been almost just as stupid to ignore that.

It would've also looked bad to open a new show with a dancing alligator only days after the attack happened. Can you imagine the negative media attention they would've gotten for that? The parade float thing, I think, was a good idea to temporarily remove. But I can see why you or other people would disagree with that. As long as it doesn't go away permanently, I think it's fine.

But the JC joke and the light show gator needed to go. Unquestionably. I'm glad they don't hire you or some others to run their marketing and PR.

EDIT: originally said that you should've posted this in another thread. However, I now realize that the mods do not want opinions in that thread. So nevermind on that.

STOP!!! Just stop and READ WHAT I POST (not what you see in your head).

Nowhere did I say that (temporarily) removing a float or a joke were bad choices. I see this thread has blown up this afternoon in my absence and having skimmed it I see many, many posts debating this tiny point that in no way was the subject of the thread.

People need to focus on the subjects and what is being discussed instead of inane back-and-forths on small things.

My only issue with these things are that they are PR driven. I want real changes (and closing beaches off or taking every reference to gators off property is just stupidity) that make people safer and keep wild animals, wild.

 

[LAKid53]

To answer your question (this was talked about in another thread): It's known from cell phone data that the gunman was at Disney Springs prior to the attack, and visited in April. The syntax of some news reports suggested that Disney alerted the authorities in April. One or two days later, the FBI quickly stated that the gunman had no other targets than the nightclub.

Wow, those magic bands are really amazing if they gave Disney advanced warning of the attack.

Any "news" organization that made the leap from "he visited WDW and Disney Springs" prior to the attack to "thus Disney alerted the authorities" is demonstrating how many "news" organizations are not.

 

[mousehockey37]

My only issue with these things are that they are PR driven. I want real changes (and closing beaches off or taking every reference to gators off property is just stupidity) that make people safer and keep wild animals, wild.

Let's hope they don't drain the lake and make it a parking lot! Ya know, like they did after the death of the guy at the Speedway. Which was again, human error and a freak "perfect storm" accident.

 

[SirLink]

Personally who cares really if it is some fibreglass or costumed characters. If Little Timmy sees Louie and thinks he is going to be a Lunchable, something is wrong with society.

Still I'm surprised that Disney are blaming themselves for this freak incident. Compared with the child dying in the castle moat in the 80s and Disney blamed the parents. Its not like it is not unusual for guests to well ya know.

 

[asianway]

Rage much? The comparison is legit. I guess one life on property is more valued than 49 off site...even if some of those who were lost were CMs, right? I'm sorry that you're having trouble accepting that I don't agree with you.

People some of which had families to support. Let's not forget the bigger tragedy simply because it wasn't on our precious WDW property

 

[mousehockey37]

Personally who cares really if it is some fibreglass or costumed characters. If Little Timmy sees Louie and thinks he is going to be a Lunchable, something is wrong with society.

Still I'm surprised that Disney are blaming themselves for this freak incident. Compared with the child dying in the castle moat in the 80s and Disney blamed the parents. Its not like it is not unusual for guests to well ya know.

With all the Lionel Hutz attorneys out there that take on any frivolous case, it only took one to win and we now have the "sue happy" society.

 

[SorcererMC]

Wow, those magic bands are really amazing if they gave Disney advanced warning of the attack.

Any "news" organization that made the leap from "he visited WDW and Disney Springs" prior to the attack to "thus Disney alerted the authorities" is demonstrating how many "news" organizations are not.

it wasn't the news organization (WFTV) that made the leap, it was where the phrase 'in April' was placed, which made it misleading. The local story was picked up by other outlets...but it's a moot issue at this point.

Edit - I take that back or need to clarify. It IS a moot issue. But the public perception of Disney as a target and how it is being secured is a real issue, since it is a major tourist destination.