ppete1975
Well-Known Member
sigh.... like all of the buildings in Epcot.. its awe inspiring and beautiful. Sigh I wish they could see that, and stop destroying buildings and turning them into guardians.... or test track...
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Rumor Wonders of Life getting an attraction soon?
- Thread starter Bacon
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Kman101
Well-Known Member
Heaven forbid we hold them to some standards? Is it truly sky is falling big deal? No, but I'm glad to hear guests complaining. As they should.
Thenextimagineer
Member
I’m just saying, with what we pay for those tickets, it would take something that actually impacted the enjoyment of my trip (which the state of a mostly unused pavilion’s ceiling does not), to make me take the time to complain to guest relations about it. They really have you paying for every minute with those ticket prices.
Kman101
Well-Known Member
Thanks for explaining it a little better. I get where you're coming from now. I agree actually, but I'm glad they are, lol.
muddyrivers
Well-Known Member
And I think that's part of the problem and why a guest is justified for nitpicking over minor details. If they are making you pay through the nose, while at the same time taking more and more away (look at all the recent budget cuts to live entertainment while simultaneously raising prices), you can bet more people will expect what is left to be absolutely spotless and 100% show quality. When it isn't, you start to feel even more cheated.
geekza
Well-Known Member
Yeah, I see several folks mention a "sense of entitlement" when talking about "bad guests," but I can totally empathize with most people (except people like the Poodle Lady) because, unless you are very fortunate, a vacation in WDW is an investment of thousands of dollars and probably something you can only do a few times during one's lifetime. I can only speak for myself, but I haven't been able to go in over twelve years and can only go this year because of some money that came my way due to terrible circumstances. For me, the $5,000 or more I'm spending for the whole trip is a huge amount of money and not the kind of money that I expect to be able to spend in the future, especially considering the constant price hikes. I'm not unreasonable when it comes to my expectations, but if I'm one of several thousand people in the parks on any given day, some of whom paid substantially more than even I have, the Disney company certainly owes us the best possible experience that they are reasonably able to provide.
Bender123
Well-Known Member
Agree completely. We are paying Waldorf Astoria rates (sometimes more for the hotels...oddly), so expecting WA service isn't exactly out of bounds for an expected service level. For some reason, people tend to accept Holiday Inn quality, simply because its wrapped in Disney and built for families.
Being picky should be accepted. I don't go to Six Flags and pick on the theming, ride down time, lights being out and quality issues, simply because I can get the whole family season passes for the same price as two one tickets for WDW parks. There is a cost to quality ration that is quickly spinning out of whack at WDW and its finding itself fighting Universal Studios where that equation is currently going in a steady march the other way. At some point, the cost to quality ration is going to force people to re-evaluate trips.
I don't think we are there yet, but TDO seems completely invested in finding the point where people start walking away...
Kman101
Well-Known Member
I think many people have walked away (or claimed to) but they've had people basically ready and willing to fill that void so I don't think it's hit them too hard yet. I do see little things that make me think they've been hit a tiny tiny bit, but not to the point most want to see.
I think they're teetering right now and I'm not even sure if they realize it.
It may sound silly but having followed some vloggers/bloggers and reading various trip reports here and elsewhere over the years and my own experience just talking to people, there's a lot more "griping" so to speak about the prices (and most try to awkwardly laugh it off and say "well it's Disney"; no, stop making excuses for them). Could you imagine the day where it's $10 for a soda? Personally I'm really shocked people are willingly paying $25 for parking (I know if you don't have a pass that includes parking you *have* to pay to park but people could start complaining about it in droves).
Imagine if Twitter got together for the day to bombard Disney about something. They'd listen. But too many vloggers and lifestylers want to keep their night job and I get it. I appreciate the coverage. But instead of getting a cupcake trending, how about getting poor service trending?
Rich Brownn
Well-Known Member
A friend of mine who used to be an executive at WDW said in the old days pricing was the 10% rule - prices were ok if 10% or less turned away either at parking or at the ticket booths.
Lensman
Well-Known Member
I believe you, but that still sounds like a huge number! I'm shocked!
Rich Brownn
Well-Known Member
Well, in those days the real money was made once inside the park. he said the average guest spent 2-3 times as much as they did on admission on food and merchandise. After the Bass Bros. came in and jacked up the ticket prices, what the guests spent as a percentage went way down. (My friend was a merchandise ex. Orders came down to generic the merchandise since people were buying less in order to spread the costs around).
EPCOTCenterLover
Well-Known Member
Aside from two coffee mugs (one from Starbucks) and a gift for the kids, we bought nothing. So different than days past when merchandise was unique and I would easily drop $100. They certainly haven't learned anything yet.
Goofyernmost
Well-Known Member
Sure, they did that, but, you aren't everybody. The unique stuff was neat to look at, but, if sales had been strong, they would still be offering it. The generic stuff was what they were primarily selling and that is what they went to. I know some people did buy the other stuff, you are a case in point, but, I never understood the Theme Park/Unique item combination.
When DL first opened the stores on Main Street sold real items. Everything from Grand Pianos to Bras. Although someone might buy a bra on impulse, I can't imagine that they made a trip to a Theme park to get one and certainly wouldn't have purchased a Grand Piano on impulse and then carried it out to their car and took it home. Walt had convinced merchants to stock the stores with unique stuff for the purpose of atmosphere. Before to long, the merchants were going broke and one at a time they left because they simply couldn't sell enough to pay the bills. But, it sure did look nice. One thing you can be sure of is that if something is selling well, they will continue to sell it for as long as they can. They won't drop anything that is generating sales.
EPCOTCenterLover
Well-Known Member
A balance of the two types would be nice.
Goofyernmost
Well-Known Member
First rule of retail... If it ain't sellin, it ain't stayin!
Rich Brownn
Well-Known Member
Actually the unique stuff was selling. But as disposable income was spent more at the front gate, less and less of it was. So more and more of the same stuff showed up in each store. And as more and more of the stuff became the same, less and less of it sold, so prices increased. And now its a never-ending cycle. Hopefully GE will break that (Worked for Potter at Universal, which now offers different stuff depending on the store).
Please please PLEASE let some of the unique items return! I'm so sick of seeing the same overpriced cr... merchandise in every store, in every park. But with Chappie in charge, I fear the chances of that happening are slim to none, and slim is heading towards the door.
Hatbox Ghostbuster
Well-Known Member
Bob Chapek became Chairman of Parks and Resorts in 2015. When WDI absorbed DCP (Disney Consumer Products), his title changed to that of Chairman of Parks, Experiences, and Consumer Products. That change occured in March of 2018. Prior to his 2015 appointment to Chairman of Parks job, he ran Consumer Products.
All that to say, the man is owed a LOT of disdain and its years in the running.
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Goofyernmost
Well-Known Member
There is another rule in Retail and the is rate of turnover. If something doesn't sell quickly and in quantities it is just taking up valuable space where something that will sell can occupy. Everyone must remember that the minute one steps into the stores they have left the theme park and have entered a retail establishment. They exist to make money. If they want to make a museum then they should stock a place or two with unique items and not include those places in the profit/loss part of the scenario. You can't take a Dumbo Ride vehicle home with you when you leave the park because that is part of the show and not for sale. However, everything in the shops is for sale and that is the only reason for their existence. Walt and followers had outside retailers own the merchandise and the responsibility to make a profit. They needed that to pay Walt rent for the space. That is all Disney wanted at that point. They took that over themselves when the vendors left and eventually decided that they didn't want to lose money so a few could wax nostalgic. Thus they no longer try to sell them. Fantasy is the parks themselves, the stores are economic realities.