So Many Changes at Walt Disney World

[belloq87]

Two questions:

1. Beyond speculation, what actual evidence is there that Disney might be interested (now) in selling off the theme parks?

2. If they are, what would that look like?

 

[Parkscope Joe]

Two questions:

1. Beyond speculation, what actual evidence is there that Disney might be interested (now) in selling off the theme parks?

2. If they are, what would that look like?

Mostly speculation based on seeing overhead (WDI) being slashed while additional profit is being found everywhere to make the sale appear better.

What would it looks like? Depends on a lot. Best case it'll be like OLC owning TDLR where standards will be raised and more attractions will open on a regular schedule. Worst case is Blackstone owning UOR in the mid 2000s.

 

[Joel]

Mostly speculation based on seeing overhead (WDI) being slashed while additional profit is being found everywhere to make the sale appear better.

What would it looks like? Depends on a lot. Best case it'll be like OLC owning TDLR where standards will be raised and more attractions will open on a regular schedule. Worst case is Blackstone owning UOR in the mid 2000s.

What's OLC and TDLR? :shrug:

 

[Mad Dog]

What's OLC and TDLR? :shrug:

Occidental Land Company, the owners of Tokyo Disney Land Resort in Japan. ...Took me a minute to figure that out too.

 

[JoeCamel]

What's OLC and TDLR? :shrug:

The Oriental Land Company - Wikipedia

 

[rhino4evr]

I can't fathom Disney selling their parks...I mean that's almost like selling off Mickey Mouse.

 

[Parkscope Joe]

I can't fathom Disney selling their parks...I mean that's almost like selling off Mickey Mouse.

Selling to another operator and then leasing the name and characters. Already happening more or less in TDLR, HKDL, Shanghai, and used to happen at DLP.

 

[Yabbadabba Doh]

Don't forget, there was also a time when the Disney Stores were run by the company that owned Children's Place stores.
So glad they are back in Disney control, much better run, and much better products.

 

[Parkscope Joe]

Don't forget, there was also a time when the Disney Stores were run by the company that owned Children's Place stores.
So glad they are back in Disney control, much better run, and much better products.

Great example of how this could go wrong. A lot of the issues I've seen the stores face also have parallels in the parks, mainly due to cross pollination in the company and the transition of Paul Pressler from stores to parks.

 

[Yabbadabba Doh]

I'll be curious to get a more "first hand" perspective from my daughter. She is starting her culinary externship at WDW in April.

 

[Joel]

I'll be curious to get a more "first hand" perspective from my daughter. She is starting her culinary externship at WDW in April.

Congratulations goes to her! I also learned a new word today.. externship

 

[bob albert]

How is Tokyo the cheapest park in the chain yet isn't directly owned. Are Japanese people just less greedy?

 

[s8film40]

How is Tokyo the cheapest park in the chain yet isn't directly owned. Are Japanese people just less greedy?

I would imagine it has to do with being built around the same time Disney was heavily invested in building EPCOT Center.

 

[ChrisFL]

How is Tokyo the cheapest park in the chain yet isn't directly owned. Are Japanese people just less greedy?

Do you mean admission price?

 

[misterID]

Disney has had year over year of record attendance and thus incentive from investors to increase prices until the breaking point. We are probably at the breaking point. I used to advocate staying on property in the value season as a great deal. Now the limited hotel capacity has driven the value rooms scarcer at that time and they have made the free dining more limited and harder to book.

The increase in ticket prices is based in pure greed, because they could get away with it for so long, with the mindset they could offset anything by raising ticket prices. I've learned the lesson to stay off property about 5 years ago. And it increased my vacation enjoyment infinitely, not to mentioned is far better on my vacation costs (like, way better) and I wasn't stuck on Disney Island. It's not worth, to me anyway, to be subjected to an overpriced value resort when I could find a kick ass three bedroom condo for less. It cut my Disney days in half, and as a born Floridian and Disney lifer, I'm spending less time at MK, and more at EPCOT and AK and replacing my other park days at UNI -- though UNI needs to stop with the screens as its wearing my party's skin thin with redundancy and motion-sickness. And in a very unDisney like move, it seems they're actually listening to their guests to improve enjoyment and not treating us like sheep they can easily replace.

And I don't have to go to WDW. I didn't this year for the first time in forever. Disney doesn't care, I'm sure, but I'm the dolt who goes with my family and buys their overpriced merch, and I'm spending less and less time at their parks. They've already lost me staying on property. That ship has sailed. It just isn't worth the price to me.

 

[Ashleigh]

The increase in ticket prices is based in pure greed, because they could get away with it for so long, with the mindset they could offset anything by raising ticket prices. I've learned the lesson to stay off property about 5 years ago. And it increased my vacation enjoyment infinitely, not to mentioned is far better on my vacation costs (like, way better) and I wasn't stuck on Disney Island. It's not worth, to me anyway, to be subjected to an overpriced value resort when I could find a kick ass three bedroom condo for less. It cut my Disney days in half, and as a born Floridian and Disney lifer, I'm spending less time at MK, and more at EPCOT and AK and replacing my other park days at UNI -- though UNI needs to stop with the screens as its wearing my party's skin thin with redundancy and motion-sickness. And in a very unDisney like move, it seems they're actually listening to their guests to improve enjoyment and not treating us like sheep they can easily replace.

And I don't have to go to WDW. I didn't this year for the first time in forever. Disney doesn't care, I'm sure, but I'm the dolt who goes with my family and buys their overpriced merch, and I'm spending less and less time at their parks. They've already lost me staying on property. That ship has sailed. It just isn't worth the price to me.

If you're unhappy with the direction of the parks, I think voting with your feet is definitely the best thing to do. I have also found that my time spent at the parks has also reduced somewhat.

I don't buy that Disney (or any business really) is ever 'greedy' just because they increase the price of something. As a business, aren't you trying to find that balance between guest satisfaction in terms of value for money while maximising profit? Even if you aren't looking to line your own pocket, you can reinvest that surplus into the business which, in theory would lead to even higher guest satisfaction and repeat visits. It's only greedy if you increase the price of something and decide to take all that extra profit, reinvest none of it and give yourself a pay rise. I don't think we're at the point yet where Disney are doing nothing for our extra dollars and simply laughing at us schmucks - but instead, that money is (wholly or at least partially) reinvested into questionable large scale technology projects or attractions/events that do not appeal to everyone. As fans, we aren't getting a fast enough return for all the cash we part with - that's why I love being a Universal Orlando fan at the moment.

If increased prices were a large-scale issue that prevented people from going to the parks, we would be seeing attendance decline. Without going back to check reports for the last few years, I don't think we have seen that yet. So right now, sadly, Disney is probably pretty happy with the balance.

 

[misterID]

If you're unhappy with the direction of the parks, I think voting with your feet is definitely the best thing to do. I have also found that my time spent at the parks has also reduced somewhat.

I don't buy that Disney (or any business really) is ever 'greedy' just because they increase the price of something. As a business, aren't you trying to find that balance between guest satisfaction in terms of value for money while maximising profit? Even if you aren't looking to line your own pocket, you can reinvest that surplus into the business which, in theory would lead to even higher guest satisfaction and repeat visits. It's only greedy if you increase the price of something and decide to take all that extra profit, reinvest none of it and give yourself a pay rise. I don't think we're at the point yet where Disney are doing nothing for our extra dollars and simply laughing at us schmucks - but instead, that money is (wholly or at least partially) reinvested into questionable large scale technology projects or attractions/events that do not appeal to everyone. As fans, we aren't getting a fast enough return for all the cash we part with - that's why I love being a Universal Orlando fan at the moment.

If increased prices were a large-scale issue that prevented people from going to the parks, we would be seeing attendance decline. Without going back to check reports for the last few years, I don't think we have seen that yet. So right now, sadly, Disney is probably pretty happy with the balance.

Oh, they've been at that point for over a decade. I know for a fact they do voodoo book keeping to get their bonuses. Like shutting down half a resort when it's half filled, thereby filling said resort. They've gotten away with raising prices and not investing in the parks forever, because they could. They've been forced to make additions before, like the Fantasyland expansion. People just kept coming to WDW from overseas. Now that's starting to change.

 

[Ashleigh]

Oh, they've been at that point for over a decade. I know for a fact they do voodoo book keeping to get their bonuses. Like shutting down half a resort when it's half filled, thereby filling said resort. They've gotten away with raising prices and not investing in the parks forever, because they could. They've been forced to make additions before, like the Fantasyland expansion. People just kept coming to WDW from overseas. Now that's starting to change.

Sadly the bonus thing is true with nearly all large corporations - that's not unique to TDC.
I still personally think they have invested - just in different ways that as guests we haven't necessarily seen the benefits from but has changed the style of vacation planning dramatically than say it was in the 90s/early 2000s.
Your point regarding overseas visitors - very true! I know this year has seen a slow-down in the growth South American visitors and generally there are a lot of external factors that have led to a decline in international visitors that TDC have little to no control over.

Let's hope some of the thoughts in this thread are true - that Disney is worried and we're at the beginning of rapid expansion! Avatar, Star Wars etc is certainly a good start.

 

[epcyclopedia]

Some random changes I came across today that the internet has not told me about:

Mitsukoshi has expanded - what looks like it was possibly a stock room behind the wall near the large glass collectible item case is now store space and sells what i'd call "otaku bait." It's all manga/anime poseable figures and Gundam models.

Port of Entry (or whichever Tower at World showplace it was) has turned a register into a wine bar, the Mercantile at Canada is now subtitled "Refreshments" and has a wine bar back amid the plush huskies and moose. There's like a wine bar in every nook and crannie.

The Living Seas has a christmas tree, santa clause, reindeer, and candy canes in its tank. How, why.. what...? It's cute i guess. It's in the dolphin enclosure. They also hand you a mini-map of Seas the moment you step off the ride and try to get you to go on a hunt for Nemo/Dory film characters in the various tanks.

Similarly - the greenhouses at Living with the Land are festooned with garlands and twinkle lights. There is little more disturbing than seeing the hyper-crowded fish farm tanks adorned with boughs of garland and lights. The large acrylic tubes with the giant shrimp in them have twinkle lights going through them. The hanging air garden that sprays nutrients on the hanging roots has streams of silver snowflakes hanging between the plants. It's fricken bizarre.

Refurb walls all over Mexico, the promenade, lagoon waterfront, and all the area of showcase plaza - particularly the rose garden walkway. I think it's for the Art festival thing in January but it's not helping holiday crowds.

Universe of Energy has given up. They dont have any queue ropes at the front of the building and people just go in and out whenever they want. The CMs don't even make people move in to the preshow area, just letting them stop and leave the big center space open.

Test Track has removed the references to the random RFID cards they had before from the pre-design studio video and instead say magicband or ticket. They also post-studio have screens that tell you how to board (move all the way across, how to scan your ticket/card/band to see your vehicle at load, how each seat belt buckles and in what direction, how seat belt check works, etc..)

And not a change, but i finally got my butt on Frozen and the thing that stood out to me was how sparkly Olaf is. He looks like he went into a Victoria Secret and rolled in the body glitter.

 

[epcyclopedia]

Also, every sngle Joeffrey's coffee at Epcot had its own liquor-filled coffee drink. Gingerbread, Crazy Elf, Peppermint Cocoa - each one (and Epcot has lots of these locations) had its own unique drink and a giant 6ft tall sign telling you it was offering it.