Is Bob Chapek ruining the Parks experience?

[stinkpickle]

As long as they're making the same amount of money by catering to fewer people, we can expect this to continue.

 

[Viking7641]

The "park experience" matters as little as the "storytelling"

The parks are themed mall vehicles to sell merchandise that are marketed by franchise films. Do they accomplish this goal? Do they sell Funko Pops? Yes? Then that's all that matters.

Unfortunately the way IP has been hoarded and influencing people and how much capital is needed park experience can't really be exploited by an upstart competetior, the same way there are limited theater screens and anything outside the MCU will be smothered and eventually won't be made (see Dune)

 

[hhisc16]

Bob is trying to make up for Disney+ not showing the right numbers to the shareholders...

 

[Bete]

Last time I went to Disney World was Dec. 2018. I don't believe I'll be returning for many of the reasons stated above. Through the years I've done over 40 trips there living in the Midwest. I'm grateful I did the trips when I did.

The planning that needs to be done now is insane. It's really getting rather complicated to get the most out of a trip.

The cost is prohibiting and you don't even get the full experience as pre-Covid. I know it's getting better but it's still not up to par.

In the long run I do believe many mistakes are being made now by Disney management. They are very short-sighted. It is what it is.

I will speak with my pocketbook by not going.

 

[aalan]

YES! The soul of Disney is slowly being sucked dry v

 

[revdon64]

"People will vote with their wallets and their feet." - every church growth presenter I've ever heard. I think it applies here as well. As to the timing of it all, yes there's inflation but the price increases of a Disney trip have far outpaced inflation for years, if not decades. Covid was a convenient catalyst to implement lots of increases and cost cutting measures that were already in the works. Blame Chapek. Blame Iger. Blame Covid. Doesn't matter. The value has been systematically stripped away and a Disney trip is no longer a family vacation - it's a luxury. If you own Disney stock, sell while it's high because it's not going to stay there. Add my family to those who won't be returning any time soon if ever. Much better value elsewhere for my vacation dollar.

 

[gharter]

As much as we all want to blame Bob, the full blame goes to the entire Executive Team that makes the decisions.

 

[goofyernmost]

Yeah - I suspect the same - hard to know if they truly had a succession plan - maybe they just threw in Cheapek to fill the seat and keep it warm as Iger leaving did not seem well planned at all.

Id assume much of this stuff was already being thought about before Cheapek took over and COVID accelerated it.

Im sure he was involved in the discussions and planning of it all, but there were many others involved in it - he just takes the blame as he is an easy target.

I think that Iger had sources in China that warned him about the virus starting to spread quickly.

 

[carlosalonsor]

YES and this video sums it up perfectly:

 

[Delirium]

Why yes.

Yes, I believe he is.

 

[goofyernmost]

Yeah - I suspect the same - hard to know if they truly had a succession plan - maybe they just threw in Cheapek to fill the seat and keep it warm as Iger leaving did not seem well planned at all.

Id assume much of this stuff was already being thought about before Cheapek took over and COVID accelerated it.

Im sure he was involved in the discussions and planning of it all, but there were many others involved in it - he just takes the blame as he is an easy target.

Now with the actual introduction of the Genie and Genie+ I'm starting to think that they might have been talking about this system before the Pandemic roared in. I almost feel bad for Bob #2 because all the anger and hate for this system is going to fall directly on #2. Bob #1 knew that and dodged the bullet while he was off trying to firm up the creative department.

 

[k5xs]

Disney stock is up 46% since Chapek took over.

That's all that matters to him and to those who determine his (obscene) level of compensation.

 

[puertorican00676]

I feel that the disney parks experience has been devalued.
When I was a kid I remember hearing my dad say that even though it was expensive (in 1980’s money) it was worth it for all the experience at the parks. Now we are getting less value per dollar. Is the reason why I cancelled my trip for the 50th. When adding up everything, for what I was going to pay for hotel and tickets I could pay for a cruise for the same amount of time on the most expensive room short of a suite. And it includes all meals!
It certainly breaks my heart, I really want to go and enjoy the parks but I can get so many better deals elsewhere that financially does not make sense spending it at Disney Parks. I get we are at the heel of a pandemic, but what has been taken away is too much value without much benefit.

 

[TiggerBouncy]

Unfortunately this is a gross undersimplification and based on a lot of things that are inaccurate.

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.

Very, very wrong. As I have mentioned on other threads in the past, Magical Express was a BEAST of a thing. It was a conglomeration of companies all working together. For the baggage parts - One of them went out of business. Two were purchased. It relied on agreements from the TSA with at least one of those companies that held a patent which is protected, but they are not using it now. In the easiest terms "the fellowship is broken". Rebuilding that egg is - if not impossible - at the very least very, very difficult and Disney can not go it alone since they do not hold the patents or the agreements. Magical Express without the baggage is just a very expensive bus ride that takes 2-3 times longer than an uber and thus does not leave a good experience and that's what ME was becoming - a bad experience with no possible guest benefit.

So the boardroom meeting went very different than you imagine.

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.

Personally, I am happy with the new perk. There was a considerable erosion of benefits for deluxe resorts. So I am glad they are starting to bring those back.

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.

*IF* I agree on Genie - and I am not sure I do since I have not used it yet and think it may have some nice benefits.... But even IF I agreed.... Genie+ has been in development for YEARS. So this is not a Chapek move by any means.

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.

So far this is the closest area I agree with you on, and that's tenuous. I haven't experienced any of the after hours stuff yet, so i can't really comment from experience, and until I can, my opinion isn't worth much. In any event, I think it's also dubious to assume that Chapek was personally responsible for this decision.

 

[carlosalonsor]

*IF* I agree on Genie - and I am not sure I do since I have not used it yet and think it may have some nice benefits.... But even IF I agreed.... Genie+ has been in development for YEARS. So this is not a Chapek move by any means.

I'm not so sure about that.

 

[k5xs]

"Magical Express without the baggage is just a very expensive bus ride that takes 2-3 times longer than an uber and thus does not leave a good experience and that's what ME was becoming - a bad experience with no possible guest benefit."

Maybe I am misunderstanding you, if so I apologize. But saving the expense of Uber'ing a family seems very much a guest benefit. I know we valued it as such.

"Personally, I am happy with the new perk. There was a considerable erosion of benefits for deluxe resorts. So I am glad they are starting to bring those back."

I don't think eroding moderate and value resort benefits and NOT eroding deluxe resort benefits can be fairly considered "bringing back" deluxe resort benefits. To be sure, it reestablishes some differentiation between deluxe and other resorts, but by yanking benefits from the others, it's not "bringing back" deluxe resort perks.

"In any event, I think it's also dubious to assume that Chapek was personally responsible for this decision."

Chapek may not have been involved in any particular decision, but if he is unaware of the overall perceived trend of diminishing guest value he should be ashamed for being that out of touch. Disney U.S. parks and resorts account for nearly 30% of corporate revenue. He should be concerned and needs to get engaged when guests are perceiving a reduction in value.

 

[TiggerBouncy]

I'm not so sure about that.

The announcement was at D23 Expo in 2019 and that was a beta. So if they had a beta in place 2 years ago, then it's been in development for a MINIMUM of 4-5 years.

 

[PaladinButters]

I'm starting to think that they might have been talking about this system before the Pandemic roared in.

They announced Genie before the pandemic roared in -D23 August, 2019. No reason to think Genie+ wasn't built in but not advertised at the time. It was prime time to start charging before the 50th crowds if everything in the world/parks had just been going along like it always had.

 

[TiggerBouncy]

"Magical Express without the baggage is just a very expensive bus ride that takes 2-3 times longer than an uber and thus does not leave a good experience and that's what ME was becoming - a bad experience with no possible guest benefit."

Maybe I am misunderstanding you, if so I apologize. But saving the expense of Uber'ing a family seems very much a guest benefit. I know we valued it as such.

Perhaps to some a bus ride that takes 2.5 hours and requires you to lug your baggage compared to a direct ride in a fraction of the time is a benefit. Disney doesn't see it that way - they are back to what Mears did prior to ME and they have no interest in offering that as it's overall a negative to the brand. Any way you choose to slice it, the decision to cut magical express was not related to cost to Disney, but feasibility of the product offering.

"Personally, I am happy with the new perk. There was a considerable erosion of benefits for deluxe resorts. So I am glad they are starting to bring those back."

I don't think eroding moderate and value resort benefits and NOT eroding deluxe resort benefits can be fairly considered "bringing back" deluxe resort benefits. To be sure, it reestablishes some differentiation between deluxe and other resorts, but by yanking benefits from the others, it's not "bringing back" deluxe resort perks.

Semantics. I understand your point of view. I am just saying that I consider having that distinguishing perk a POSITIVE for me. I was honestly frustrated and upset when they extended those perks to good neighbor hotels. My point being that there are differing views and where there are differing views, you can't say with certainty that the decision is bad for the brand unless you have empirical evidence that shows it's 10-1 against. Do you?

"In any event, I think it's also dubious to assume that Chapek was personally responsible for this decision."

Chapek may not have been involved in any particular decision, but if he is unaware of the overall perceived trend of diminishing guest value he should be ashamed for being that out of touch. Disney U.S. parks and resorts account for nearly 30% of corporate revenue. He should be concerned and needs to get engaged when guests are perceiving a reduction in value.

I am certain he does get reports. But I still think it's dubious to state that a significant number of guests are upset by the latest offerings of after hours parties compared to previous years offerings. Do you have any data to back up that theory other than the squeaky wheels of social media which makes up a very small percentage of guests?

 

[old lady]

Yes, he is making it too expensive.