When are all these cutbacks not about COVID anymore?

[CaptainAmerica]

Now? I agree with you.

But there is a high likelihood that travel will be depressed for awhile. Not 6 months. It’s the standard.

And as far as economics goes...that’s gonna throw gas on the fire. No “V-shape” (which is academically stupid and intellectually near impossible), the regime is going to rollover, and there are significant cracks in the real estate damn and even the mighty markets...to say nothing of the labor and manufacturing underlying...

Now it’s a pain to travel...soon the pain is going to hurt travel.

But the pain is all service sector and other low income industries. Not Disney's customer base.

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

But the pain is all service sector and other low income industries. Not Disney's customer base.

“Trickle up”, brother...have to have the bottom rungs on the ladder or you can’t use it...

Even if the lower steps never sniff Orlando.

Nobody is cashing out their Tesla stock at 25% penalty to buy a trip to beach club

(And if they do...I’ll smack them)

Somebody spending is still the engine to “wealth” for most.

 

[Chomama]

I continue to be flabbergasted at the suggestion that gingerbread houses aren’t a social distancing nightmare. The one at the Grand Floridian, in particular, is mobbed all day when it is there. And unlike Space Mtn., it has to be a functioning hotel, too, so they can’t install spacers in the lobby and outside around the pool and down the path to MK. Imagine, you go to check in at the flagship resort and have to maneuver around a huge line spread throughout the lobby and beyond. Further, they are working their butts off to get guests from their resort into the parks without huge crowds. They don’t have the capacity right now to allow resort hopping, which is why the don’t allow it. That won’t magically change in 2 months.

Welcome to reality. Christmas can return next year.

Agree. They do not want people trying to visit hotels who are not hotel guests. It encourages too many people to come
On property as well as resort hop. Although this is also clearly a labor and cost issue as well. It can be true that it is all
Of the above

 

[donsullivan]

But the pain is all service sector and other low income industries. Not Disney's customer base.

And every single business event and convention that would normally visit Orlando has been canceled for the foreseeable future. This impacts Disney as well with countless private events being canceled.

And in addition to all of that are the massive costs Disney has and continues to incur for environmental barriers and the epic cost of cleaning throughout every single one of their buildings. Not just in the parks but every single administrative building they occupy throughout the country has to deal with the same sanitizing and cleaning protocols. All of that increase in spending is a part of the cost they are trying to manage against.

And then we can add the fact that most tourism industry analysts (not bloggers/vloggers) are not expecting the central FL tourism economy to begin an appreciable rebound until mid-2021 and not get close to previous numbers until mid-2022 and you have a stack of reasons Disney must aggressively manage costs to stay afloat.

And despite what all those who want to deny it think, this is ALL caused by the impacts of COVID-19 on the US and international economies.

 

[HarperRose]

Not to totally disagree with you (I'm actually in a round about way agreeing with you) but there prices don't seem to aggressive given theme parks of the same level charge similar prices. A great example of where I personally reject prices, while not a theme park, is the Biltmore Estate in Asheville. I planned to surprise my wife for her birthday but the pries were $114 a person, $243 total for the both of us. To see an old building and go to a winery. There is no value there for me so I'm not going to reward that crazy pricing.

Goodness, I don't know where you were looking, but prices start at $64 per person for what you were looking at. Describing it as "old building" is like saying Disney is nothing more than a Six Flags.

Tickets & Pricing

Biltmore ticket pricing varies by type and season. Explore ticket options for Biltmore House in Asheville, NC.

www.biltmore.com

 

[fngoofy]

Cheap is one thing....the company is now using COVID to explain away everything theyre doing. They are not cutting costs of admission or hotels....some of these cuts shouldn't be happening

Settle down

 

[bryanfze55]

But the pain is all service sector and other low income industries. Not Disney's customer base.

The *all* part isn’t entirely true. While low income sectors were hit the hardest, the pandemic has hit people in other income brackets, too.

 

[Horizons '83]

Goodness, I don't know where you were looking, but prices start at $64 per person for what you were looking at. Describing it as "old building" is like saying Disney is nothing more than a Six Flags.

Tickets & Pricing

Biltmore ticket pricing varies by type and season. Explore ticket options for Biltmore House in Asheville, NC.

www.biltmore.com

Look at December 12th

 

[HauntedPirate]

The *all* part isn’t entirely true. While low income sectors were hit the hardest, the pandemic has hit people in other income brackets, too.

Tell me about it. I've had to cut back to only 9 maids and butlers on staff at all times, and I've only golfed 12 full rounds so far this week at the country club and they won't even open the bar for me in the clubhouse because of these stupid COVID rules. Not to mention, both my Rolls Royce and Ferrari are in need service and none of my usual shops are open. It's madness, I tell you!!

/sarc

Sorry, needed to inject a little humor.

 

[Disstevefan1]

Then you have to reject the prices...which is what I have been screaming (via keyboard...I have witnesses) for over a decade.

But the consumers failed...and I bet they fail again.

The one good thing about this thread, WDW and its fans are getting back to normal; WDW making cuts and raising prices and WDW fans complaining that WDW is making cuts and raising prices..

Ah, its good that things are slowly getting back to normal...

One last thing we need back at WDW.. The MOBS. Once the MOBS are back, all will be right with WDW

 

[easyrowrdw]

Not to totally disagree with you (I'm actually in a round about way agreeing with you) but there prices don't seem to aggressive given theme parks of the same level charge similar prices. A great example of where I personally reject prices, while not a theme park, is the Biltmore Estate in Asheville. I planned to surprise my wife for her birthday but the pries were $114 a person, $243 total for the both of us. To see an old building and go to a winery. There is no value there for me so I'm not going to reward that crazy pricing.

You gotta find the discount weekend. I think if you go before April it's cheaper, though still ridiculous. I held out for years, but eventually succumbed. Once was enough (too many actually), but you do what you gotta go sometimes.

Oh, some friends went in the winter. They said it was miserable. I guess that old house isn't very well heated.

 

[HarperRose]

Look at December 12th

Just like Disney, you pay extra for special events.

 

[Horizons '83]

Just like Disney, you pay extra for special events.

Its not a special event, it's standard daytime admission. Point is, that is simply not a good value to me, so I will speak with my wallet there. $116 (which I paid last Thursday) for Epcot was. A $100 dessert party at MK is not a good value so I vote with my wallet there too.

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

Its not a special event, it's standard daytime admission. Point is, that is simply not a good value to me, so I will speak with my wallet there. $116 (which I paid last Thursday) for Epcot was. A $100 dessert party at MK is not a good value so I vote with my wallet there too.

$116 for a half wrecked parked with upsell booths selling fish under warming lamps is NEVER a good value, boo boo

 

[King Panda 77]

Tell me about it. I've had to cut back to only 9 maids and butlers on staff at all times, and I've only golfed 12 full rounds so far this week at the country club and they won't even open the bar for me in the clubhouse because of these stupid COVID rules. Not to mention, both my Rolls Royce and Ferrari are in need service and none of my usual shops are open. It's madness, I tell you!!

/sarc

Sorry, needed to inject a little humor.

Why do you need 9 butlers ?
One good one is enough

 

[Horizons '83]

$116 for a half wrecked parked with upsell booths selling fish under warming lamps is NEVER a good value, boo boo

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder my friend! (while fully admitting its not and hasn't been in a good place for years). Walked on everything, never really had to interact with another human except for food and beverage, got to stroll the WS with no crowd, got to take time to chat with CM's, had a few more spins on SSE. It was a top 5 WDW experience for me so the $116 was quite justified.

 

[JenniferS]

In my business a lot of our customers and my employees keep inquiring about doing the things we used to do before the pandemic especially things related to the season or anniversaries and I have to keep reminding them we're still in a pandemic and the answer is 'absolutely not.'

In the tri-state area, the cases are pretty much under control and everybody wants to let their guard down. And I keep telling them we're still in a pandemic and it's easy for community spread to restart, so, let it go. We're only doing those things that are necessary or urgent and we continue to do them with masks and distancing and sanitizing.

There are weddings pushed off for a year and people who still haven't had a proper funeral for their dearly departed and schools that aren't opening in person, but some want to start having friendly socials.

And when I say no to them, it's not at all about the money.

Thank you for being responsible.

 

[HarperRose]

Its not a special event, it's standard daytime admission. Point is, that is simply not a good value to me, so I will speak with my wallet there. $116 (which I paid last Thursday) for Epcot was. A $100 dessert party at MK is not a good value so I vote with my wallet there too.

It's Christmas, which is a special event at Biltmore. Your wife may disagree about the value.

Moving on.

 

[erasure fan1]

They need to be cheap until attendance and spending returns to a respectable level.

In your heart of hearts, do you really believe that when attendance is back to normal, Disney is going to reinstate the things they've cut? A lot of what they are cutting, I truly believe will not be back. Do they need to adjust because the pandemic? Of course. But call it my gloom and doom side, I just see disney using this to cut costs, even when the need is over.

 

[JoeCamel]

In your heart of hearts, do you really believe that when attendance is back to normal, Disney is going to reinstate the things they've cut? A lot of what they are cutting, I truly believe will not be back. Do they need to adjust because the pandemic? Of course. But call it my gloom and doom side, I just see disney using this to cut costs, even when the need is over.

Once all these pesky boomers die then we can move on with people that have no actual memory of Disney of yore and accept a park experience vs the Theme Park experience they would have had years ago. It is tough to lose your collective memory - I feel old.