Is Bob Chapek ruining the Parks experience?

[maui2k5]

I can't help but to feel that ever since Bob Chapek took the helm, Disney has been more focused on short-term profit at the expense of long-term consumer sentiment. As a new CEO, he wants to put up impressive numbers each quarter, especially during the first few years, but I feel all of this is coming at an expense. Am I the only one?

I'm referring strictly to the Parks/Resorts, as I do feel he is doing an excellent job with Disney+.

Please allow me to elaborate.

1) Magical Express. I am sure they will save quite a bit of money on this relatively benign perk. After all, will anybody really cancel or not book their trip because Magical Express is gone? No, they wont.

And that's probably exactly how that boardroom meeting went.

2) Extra Magic Hours. In the past, guests at all Disney resorts were eligible for morning and evening extra magic hours. Now, only guests at Deluxe resorts will be eligible for evening extra magic hours. If Disney were truly concerned about Covid safety, wouldn't they leave the evening hours perk in place to help cut down on crowds during the day? I know that for me, personally, I would arrive at the park much later in the day knowing I can stay later, making everyone's experience more tolerable. Leaving that perk in place would be for the greater good of everyone.

But now Chapek is essentially forcing night owls to either pony up the extra dough to stay late, or be forced out of the parks at regular closing time. Guests who fall into this category will either feel ripped off, or feel pissed off they have to leave the park while other Disney World Resort guests remain. And anyone who's been to the parks knows that lines during evening extra magic hours are not nearly as problematic as daytime lines, which will now be even more problematic, as night owls will now begin their day earlier at the parks, making for a worse experience overall for everyone, regardless of where you're staying.

3) FastPass+ retirement, Disney Genie. This is perhaps the worst of all offenders. Disney got rid of the FastPass when they reopened during covid, citing "covid" as the reason. But this horse manure excuse is illogical, obviously, because FastPass helps to organize riders, reducing the need for lines in the first place. We now know that the true reason they got rid of it was so they can roll out their new pay-for-downgraded-fastpass. That's right, their new system will cost you an extra $15-20 per day for the basic plan that forces you to be glued to your phone at exactly 7am on the day of your visit to get your selection in. Imagine who you'll feel, as a guest, who now has the added stress of knowing that you either need to wake up early after a late night at the parks to make your selection, or if you're feeding your kids breakfast and have to stop suddenly to make your ride selection. And you only get one selection. After your ride ends, you can make another selection.

So, we have to pay an extra $15-20 to help Disney solve their queue organization problem. There is absolutely no way the topic of a paid fastpass system didn't get brought up at a meeting when Bob Iger was in charge. It's obvious. But Iger had the good sense to shoot the idea down.

And if you want to lock in multiple fast passes, that will likely cost you an additional $10-$40 per person per ride. Imagine how you'll feel after that.

4) The Special events are getting shorter and more expensive. We all understand that prices go up over time, but the quality and quantity doesn't need to be reduced as well.

In summary, it appears to me that Bob Chapek is ruining the parks experience in literally every way imaginable. We all expect price increases over time, not just with Disney, but in life. But when those price hikes are accompanied by diminished services that will undoubtedly leave the guests devoid of any magical feelings after, you really have to wonder if they put the right person in charge.

I welcome your comments. And if anybody reading this knows any execs at Disney, feel free to forward this to them. They probably won't care, but it's worth a try.

Yes, he is ruining the park experience in favor of short term profits.

 

[ajiuo]

He is absolutely going to ruin the parks. Bob Iger was in favor of having creative people in charge. Chapek wants all numbers people in charge. Disney is a data driven company now… I just hope that they don’t continue to get their data from Twitter. As loud as the Twitter mob can be they are fairly out of touch with reality.

 

[goofyernmost]

The Corporate running of a publicly held company seems to be misunderstood. Either one of the Bob's remains there at the pleasure of the Board of Directors. It is fun, perhaps to put the blame on those individuals, but contrary to belief their power is projected from the BOD. They may be idea people or surround themselves with idea people, but for anything as big as Genie or billion dollar expenditures that is run by the BoD. Now either one, particularly Iger right now has considerable influence and by succession Chapek does as well. But, make no mistake about it, they don't make major decisions without the blessing of the Board. The Board, in turn, owes their cushy, big check positions to the stockholders. The Board will usually go with whatever the see as being the biggest return for the stockholders.

 

[lorileahb]

The Corporate running of a publicly held company seems to be misunderstood. Either one of the Bob's remains there at the pleasure of the Board of Directors. It is fun, perhaps to put the blame on those individuals, but contrary to belief their power is projected from the BOD. They may be idea people or surround themselves with idea people, but for anything as big as Genie or billion dollar expenditures that is run by the BoD. Now either one, particularly Iger right now has considerable influence and by succession Chapek does as well. But, make no mistake about it, they don't make major decisions without the blessing of the Board. The Board, in turn, owes their cushy, big check positions to the stockholders. The Board will usually go with whatever the see as being the biggest return for the stockholders.

Agree with the business behind it, but I do think that Chapek influence makes an impact - gives the BOD something to approve.

To a previous poster's grinch reference, maybe Chapek's heart will grow three sizes at some point...

 

[overdisney]

YES

 

[Wendysofftoneverland]

Let's not forget merch. Pretty sure he played a major role in seeing what they can get away with quality-wise. Some of the products we bought the last few years were utter junk. Had one Disney subscription and the shirts were horrible, one in particular crossed the line into disgusting. The material was like some kind of disposable one use fabric, the stitching was crooked and almost the whole thing not correctly finished, had 3 buttons which were 2 inches skewed from center and the buttons didnt align with their holes causes a big pucker of fabric. That's insulting they send that for $50/month. Same with the masks. We put our order in Day 2 they went on sale at the start of the pandemic. $80. They came months late without any communication in the interim, and well after they knew the first batch had major sizing issues. But they still sent the garbage ones, months late and fully knowing at that point they they were unusable. Bought a pair of leggins, $40 washed twice gently and they are full of pills. Bought a sundress for $85 and the seems falling apart before even washing, the pockets actually had gaping holes because because the seem was sewn a millimeter from the shredded fabric cut. Hem crooked and falling out. Cheap material that holds wrinkles.

Thanks Bob! Great job

Yup, I have noticed the merchandise quality from about 2018 and later is way worse than earlier shirts and stuff.

 

[Wendysofftoneverland]

I don't know who is to blame, but the parks just aren't the same. Pay more for fewer experiences. I'd like to think that postpandemic it will get better, but free FastPasses are gone forever, regardless of whether more entertainment comes back. At least I have my Seaworld AP for their Seven Seas Food Festival and concerts.

My son has a beloved Mickey plush he got at Epcot 4 years ago, and we have an ongoing bit where we blame Mickey, and I have his Mickey tell us it's all Uncle Scrooge's fault. The kids love Disney, but we are spending 1 park day there (plus a character breakfast) in a 7 day trip on property. Good thing Ft. Wilderness has plenty of fun (though we look forward to Chip and Dale's return). We tried Universal, but it's not a good fit for kids ages 2 and 5. Fun for a few days though. Legoland and their hotel had the kind of immersive magic that we had been missing, but it is so small compared to the Disney resorts. We also enjoyed visiting Seaworld, but it's not Disney.

We've been spending a lot of time in Florida lately, but as out-of-state residents, we have found we can get Universal, Legoland, Seaworld, Aquatica, and Busch Gardens annual passes and still have hundreds of dollars to spare compared to a Disney AP. We are less than 3 months away from a planned Disney trip, and I don't know how many park days we will get, since they still haven't released the military discount. For the past 5 years, we have averaged 6 or 7 days on property, though we only go to the parks about half those days. We've done a few character breakfasts, 3 rundisney races (plus a kids run...and we would have added more rundisney races to the total if 2021's Star Wars run hadn't gone virtual), and my child's first (and 2nd) haircuts were at Harmony Barber Shop. I buy Memory Maker almost every time. Yet I feel like Disney is sending me a message that I am not good enough anymore, I'm cheap, and I don't spend enough money for them.

 

[720L]

Yes.

 

[goofyernmost]

Agree with the business behind it, but I do think that Chapek influence makes an impact - gives the BOD something to approve.

To a previous poster's grinch reference, maybe Chapek's heart will grow three sizes at some point...

That is what I said, but they are not beholding to Chapek's opinions and presentations. The Board will make the absolute final decision on major things. The Bob's will both make the attempt to persuade the Board that their plan is the thing to do. That is why they both are influential and if both Bob's agree then they will rubberstamp it, but it is still their ultimate responsibility.

 

[Princess Merida]

Yes, the removal of the magic is so very sad. I will keep my DVC because I love the Boardwalk, but my time in the parks will likely be half of what it was.

 

[DavidNYC]

I’ve not really complained about prices at Disney for nearly 30 years as I felt the increases were paired with great improvement in the guest experience. Now I feel we’re seeing unprecedented price hikes with a reduction in nearly everything other than the addition of a few nice rides. But otherwise - it’s going backwards.

 

[BingoJoe]

A lot of the items people complain about are essentially cost increases. Magic hours for deluxe only, magic express chasing to a paid Mears services, pay for rides, etc. I care less about those, that isn't changing the quality of the product, just charging more for it and in different ways.

What concerns me is the providing less service with no option to pay.

One of the most concerning thing is lack of room cleaning for me. It is just a basic of a hotel that they tidy your room, make your bed, and give you new towels every day.

 

[DodgerGirl]

Ever since it was announced that Bob Iger was stepping down as CEO of Disney and Bob Chapek was replacing Bob Iger many people thought that he would make Disney better and great but in my eyes I think Bob Chapek is trying to be morphed into the new Michael Eisner but there are some things that Mr. Chapek is doing that could be better,
1. Getting rid of Minnie Van Service,
Just like the Disney's Magical Express I think the main reason why Disney got rid of the Minnie Van Service was because I think they are developing a new better service
2. Character Meet And Greets with no hugs or autographs
This is another thing that Chapek has taken away from guests before the pandemic began people had the freedom to get autographs and hug and meet the characters. But now they will probably be renamed Character Experiences now. Before they were a big deal to people
3. Making Star Wars Galaxy's Edge a paying part of the parks,
Why they made Star Wars Galaxy's Edge be a paying part of parks is odd because it should've been for free
4. Getting rid of Star Wars Weekends
This was a great idea that sadly was taken away and heaven knows when it will be brought back

 

[shawthorne44]

2. Character Meet And Greets with no hugs or autographs
This is another thing that Chapek has taken away from guests before the pandemic began people had the freedom to get autographs and hug and meet the characters. But now they will probably be renamed Character Experiences now. Before they were a big deal to people

I really hope that isn't true. DD will be 11, so old enough to understand she can't hug. But, little kids will be hurt.

In general though, I think Disney has been downgraded to an amusement park. It is no longer on its own level.

 

[JordanClark9]

I agree with most of what you've said, but I much prefer the workings of Genie+ compared to the Fastpass+ system as it's more like the old hard ticket Fastpass system. Booking rides 60 days in advance and having to micro-manage vacations without being able to be spontaneous on the day made it feel much less like a vacation. In saying that, Genie+ should have just replaced Fastpass+ without the need for an upcharge.

 

[SirDuff]

Ever since it was announced that Bob Iger was stepping down as CEO of Disney and Bob Chapek was replacing Bob Iger many people thought that he would make Disney better and great but in my eyes I think Bob Chapek is trying to be morphed into the new Michael Eisner but there are some things that Mr. Chapek is doing that could be better,
1. Getting rid of Minnie Van Service,
Just like the Disney's Magical Express I think the main reason why Disney got rid of the Minnie Van Service was because I think they are developing a new better service
2. Character Meet And Greets with no hugs or autographs
This is another thing that Chapek has taken away from guests before the pandemic began people had the freedom to get autographs and hug and meet the characters. But now they will probably be renamed Character Experiences now. Before they were a big deal to people
3. Making Star Wars Galaxy's Edge a paying part of the parks,
Why they made Star Wars Galaxy's Edge be a paying part of parks is odd because it should've been for free
4. Getting rid of Star Wars Weekends
This was a great idea that sadly was taken away and heaven knows when it will be brought back

What does this mean?

 

[Suzabella]

1) Magical Express. I am sure they will save quite a bit of money on this relatively benign perk. After all, will anybody really cancel or not book their trip because Magical Express is gone? No, they won't.


I disagree. People are going to try to save money some place else to compensate for the money grab currently happening at Disney. They'll stay off property and eat off property if they have to provide their own transportation from the airport. Guests are no longer going to be a captive audience. They will explore other options.

Disney timed this well and I believe Covid is not the reason but rather just an excuse to do exactly what they've done. Losses are losses and the accounting book for 2020 has closed.

The other thing Disney couldn't predict was inflation. With the prediction that heating costs are going to go up this winter by 50%, people may be crossing Disney off the list and prefer to feed their families and heat their homes.

Time will tell.

 

[EpcotPhoenician]

The Corporate running of a publicly held company seems to be misunderstood. Either one of the Bob's remains there at the pleasure of the Board of Directors. It is fun, perhaps to put the blame on those individuals, but contrary to belief their power is projected from the BOD.

Exactly this. And, respectfully, none of us are in attendance for these board meetings, so we cannot assume which decisions are originating from Chapek.

It's fun to blame Chapek (e.g., calling him Bob Paycheck or Dr. Evil)... but there are a lot more moving pieces in motion behind the scenes here that none of us have any insight on.

 

[Suzabella]

It all comes under his watch. He is the face of Disney right now.

 

[kbelle8995]

I would love to just blame Chapek for this and I think he does bear some responsibilty for the decisions made. However, this is a company issue. There are others in on the decisions. Chapek is the face of the company on this so yes he is going to catch heat for this