Disney Does (Historically) Listen - Be The Change

[Mousetopia]

I am hopeful that the Disney that cares about Guest experience still exists. I also believe all businesses effected by covid need patience. I will not complain about issues like slow mousekeeping just yet for example. Those of us on the DIS are most often uniquely qualified to see changes made and their effects on the magic. Please share your experience with the effect /impact of the MDE LL changes, limited park hopping hours and park reservations, etc. with Disney directly. I have seen many posts expressing disappointment saying no more trips for a while due to the changes, Tell Disney please! Yes you will get a canned response, but your comments will be passed on. If there are enough they may just listen. May be a complete waste of time, but what if you do make a difference? Worth it to me to try!

 

[chris benton]

I agree with you that if it's important enough for anyone to let Walt know verbally, they should.
I'll just happily spend my money elsewhere, and Walt probably won't care, OR, they'll start to care after it's too late. My personal opinion is that execs these days care about short term gains to boost their payouts, because their long term lifestyle is already set in stone with the payouts they can get. There might not be any incentive to look to the future of the business, if your contract is structured to make you zillions of dollars NOW if you bleed the revenue stream correctly. There could be many other places that will provide a different experience that might be better and cheaper for our family, so it's time to happily explore them. The resorts and parks are still crowded, Walt won't miss us. We'll be just fine, and maybe even better off. We've had great vacations at Wallytown, and I hope they can one day continue the same level of fun for families in the future, but right now, it's just a shell of what it once was, and it costs more. If more of the attractions that we like return, and the prices are right, we'll definitely go back, but for the time being, we're happy to use our dollars elsewhere for a better experience.

 

[Mrs.AMC]

It can't hurt to let them know but I will say, do not get your hopes up

 

[MiraclesTakeTime]

I agree, but I don't think it matters how much feedback they get unless attendance begins to drop. Hard to argue change when the dollars are rolling in. They can't keep people out.

 

[Jennasis]

They know.

Until it costs them money or extreme bad PR, they don't care.

 

[TiggerBouncy]

They do know. You are correct though that writing does have an effect. Exec's will almost never see individual letters, but they do get summaries of the emails / complaints. But what others have said is ALSO true - as long as the money is coming in and the parks are at what Disney can handle, they won't make any drastic changes. They will always tweak things, and the complaints help guide them on what needs tweaking.

If you are looking for big changes, that will only happen if and when people vote with their wallets. And not a few noisy individuals on a message board - enough people that it has a serious detrimental effect on the bottom line. Enough that the shareholders get concerned.

 

[BrightMorningStar]

As long as people are willing to pay their inflated pricing, I do not see a reason they would make changes. After hours parties are a good example. People were willing to pay almost double for the "parties" while being offered half of the previous experience. It is a like a drug addiction. Regardless of how much they increase pricing, the addicts will pay it. When people speak with their dollars and attendance, Disney may start to listen.

 

[fumanchu2488]

As long as people are willing to pay their inflated pricing, I do not see a reason they would make changes. After hours parties are a good example. People were willing to pay almost double for the "parties" while being offered half of the previous experience. It is a like a drug addiction. Regardless of how much they increase pricing, the addicts will pay it. When people speak with their dollars and attendance, Disney may start to listen.

And based on the earnings call today dollars and attendance are going to go up for the foreseeable future. They even referenced the lack of international travel and how much tailwind that is going to give them for the future.

 

[BrightMorningStar]

And based on the earnings call today dollars and attendance are going to go up for the foreseeable future. They even referenced the lack of international travel and how much tailwind that is going to give them for the future.

If mask rules are lifted, Disney will hit capacity, which will result in $$ hikes.

 

[DCLMP]

And based on the earnings call today dollars and attendance are going to go up for the foreseeable future. They even referenced the lack of international travel and how much tailwind that is going to give them for the future.

The lack of international travel has helped them. Many people thought it would do the opposite. I know quite a few families that vacationed in Orlando for the first time last year. Other vacations were canceled and Florida was open so why not. I've replaced three international trips with WDW and I'm sure I'm not alone.

 

[RoseGold]

If APs don't come back, I'm selling my DVC. I don't see how a product like this is sustainable without some form of APs, even a DVC exclusive one, or an only weekday one or a really expensive one.

For decades, DVC has been sold with an AP/ticket discount. And now Chapek is punching down to the cheap seats, DVC and APs, which they sold! Disney is now competing with itself with legacy DVC, and it's not something I'm thrilled to be in the crossfire about. What did they think would happen when they sold FIFTY YEARS OF HOTEL ROOMS!?

It's obvious Disney wants to get rid of the plebs who have APs and bring their own sandwich. If that includes me, so be it. I can go to Majorca for the cost of going to Disney, and maybe they'll be glad to take my money.

 

[bigbabyblues]

I agree, they do know and they aren't bothered by it. It seems like the last several years they have been more interested in attracting new customers than retaining current/old/former customers. We are planning our 12th trip since 1997 and I know there are others around here who have been many more times and have been going longer than my family. The differences between our trips in the early-mid 2000s and now is insane as far as quality service and value for my money; however, if we stop going, it won't hurt them because there are more people coming for the first time who don't know how it used to be and are willing to pay the prices.

ETA: We all have to look at what it currently is and decide for ourselves if we still want to go. I don't think Genie+ is permanent, but I don't see any sort of fastpass/avoid the line service going back to being free for everyone.

 

[TiggerBouncy]

If APs don't come back, I'm selling my DVC. I don't see how a product like this is sustainable without some form of APs, even a DVC exclusive one, or an only weekday one or a really expensive one.

AP's will come back. Don't know when, but they will come back. That has more to do with the pandemic than cost cutting. Whether they will come back in time for you to change your mind, couldn't say. You do you - I totally get it.

 

[RoseGold]

however, if we stop going, it won't hurt them because there are more people coming for the first time who don't know how it used to be

I mean maybe? Like everyone here, I'm the Disney planner for everyone I know. All of the recent trips I've planned have been Universal heavy, and I've never even been to Universal. I am now planning all of these trips like these families will never go back, because I don't think they will.

 

[simbaella]

I agree. As long as they are getting people to pay for all the extras why would they change things.

 

[TiggerBouncy]

I agree. As long as they are getting people to pay for all the extras why would they change things.

And based on the most recent earnings call, it looks like people are paying...

 

[Wendysofftoneverland]

On a recent prearrival survey, it asked me about my plans while I am there, and after I said I was going to WDW and Seaworld, there was more than 1 follow-up question about why I would go to another Orlando theme park while staying at a Disney resort (which is something we first started doing in the past year or so). Maybe they are starting to notice a trend, or see online the comments from faithful Disney-lovers about going to Universal.

 

[twodogs]

And based on the most recent earnings call, it looks like people are paying...

And this is the answer to all of the questions. The management team needs to show growth and make money. Period. If they are doing this, they don't care if the money comes from guests that have been coming for 30 years or a first time visitor. They just want the money to flow. And it seems that right now, no matter how much they cut out/cut back/dilute about the park experience, someone is willing to give them money to keep coming. And sadly, if that someone is not one of us, they don't really care. I have to stop thinking of Disney as an entity that cares about anything other than making money. When I look at it through that (depressing) lens, it all makes sense. Then we all have to decide if it still makes sense for us to go there...

 

[Shughart]

I am cancelling our resort reservation and for the second time staying off site. I had to book an ASM suite for us to get any kind of space close to what we had in a condo off site but we're spending 3k and we can spend 1300 staying off site and use the excess to pay for our flight + rental car. There's just no perks left to staying on site anymore. I love the magic but I want evening hours, monorail access or walking to a park and I know those are all deluxe perks and 3k is already too much of an ask. I'm so sad. I love the Disney bubble. I'm barely looking forward to our trip. If I didn't already have the discounted gift cards and third party tickets, I'd go elsewhere.

 

[BridgetBordeaux]

I am cancelling our resort reservation and for the second time staying off site. I had to book an ASM suite for us to get any kind of space close to what we had in a condo off site but we're spending 3k and we can spend 1300 staying off site and use the excess to pay for our flight + rental car. There's just no perks left to staying on site anymore. I love the magic but I want evening hours, monorail access or walking to a park and I know those are all deluxe perks and 3k is already too much of an ask. I'm so sad. I love the Disney bubble. I'm barely looking forward to our trip. If I didn't already have the discounted gift cards and third party tickets, I'd go elsewhere.

There are many folks that are pulling back or taking a last trip based on some prior entanglement (like your ticket and GC situation)

I am taking what may be my last trip for a while over the next few days.

I was so "not thrilled" about the trip just a few days before the 5 day room only refund period closed, that I did not even try to save the 5 percent by buying/using Target GCs. I did not want to be stuck with over 1K of them in case I cancelled the 4 night trip. The standard room at Pop was only available at rack rate.....about 300 per night.

If my adult daughter, a teacher, had not really wanted to go during her break, I would have cancelled it altogether.

We will make the most of our trip but are sad about how WDW is being run regarding cost and benefits/amenities.