lugnut33
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Jan 17, 2008
I feel like Pete is being especially hard on Meg Crofton and it's not right.
First off, she's not to blame for the tanking economy. And even in this crappy economic climate WDW has done very well attracting guests. Are guests spending as much as they used to? NO, but that 's to be expected. Heck, I bet people going to grocery stores are spending less per visit also. Here in Wisconsin this is the first year since 1964 that sales tax revenues have fallen.
Secondly, Meg has nothing to do with he low occupancy rates around the Orlando area. It's not her fault that there are too many hotels in the area for the current economic conditions. Seems to me though that occupancy rates at WDW are still holding in there if they have to offer the 4 for 7 deal or even free dining. During the podcast Pete made it sound like the occupancy rate at WDW was similar to what the off-site hotels are seeing and that cannot be right. All you have to do is call down and try to book something and you'll know that WDW is still attracting people very well.
Third, there are plenty of people still in the parks. There has to be considering how busy the WDW hotels are. If the parks are still packed (and you just have to look at some of the threads on the Dis Boards describing how people are "surprised" by how crowded it is. Or look what Cory and Julie said about how packed the food and wine festival was) then raising prices is the way for Disney to get more of the guests money if they are not going to spend it in the parks. Makes perfect business sense to Meg Crofton. And I don't think any of the raises have effected crowd levels at all from the sounds of things. I would venture to guess it'll be crowded this upcoming holiday season.
Fourth, raising prices is not just Meg's decision. You can bet that internally those above Meg are looking for ways to help pay for all the expansions going on at both parks. With the addition to Fantasyland coming how can one not expect to pay more for that?
Fifth, I doubt that Meg magically rose through the Disney organization by being an idiot. If she's able to navigate the WDW parks through these choppy economic waters without sinking, then her bosses will be happy. Apparently she's done a good enough job that she still has the helm. Last quarter the parks side of the business took in almost have the profits. They are doing something right and hence she is doing something right. People are still coming in droves.
I personally don't want to see prices increasing at WDW because it will eventually limit the amount of trips we take there. However, if there are richer people than myself that will take my place then that's what Disney needs to do. Those people will spend more money than me and hence make the corporation more money. I'm sure Meg knows that also. Nowhere does it say at WDW that Lugnut33 or any Dis people should always be able to afford to visit WDW.
While it's fun to hear you baggin' on Meg I don't think it's fully deserved. You are discrediting her simply based on increasing prices, but the net effects of those increases has really only been to decrease the amount of off-site guests. The parks are still packed and doing just fine. My guess is upper management is happy with the returns Meg is producing and those are the only people she has to answer to.
Oh, and here's a picture of Meg so we can put a face to a name:
First off, she's not to blame for the tanking economy. And even in this crappy economic climate WDW has done very well attracting guests. Are guests spending as much as they used to? NO, but that 's to be expected. Heck, I bet people going to grocery stores are spending less per visit also. Here in Wisconsin this is the first year since 1964 that sales tax revenues have fallen.
Secondly, Meg has nothing to do with he low occupancy rates around the Orlando area. It's not her fault that there are too many hotels in the area for the current economic conditions. Seems to me though that occupancy rates at WDW are still holding in there if they have to offer the 4 for 7 deal or even free dining. During the podcast Pete made it sound like the occupancy rate at WDW was similar to what the off-site hotels are seeing and that cannot be right. All you have to do is call down and try to book something and you'll know that WDW is still attracting people very well.
Third, there are plenty of people still in the parks. There has to be considering how busy the WDW hotels are. If the parks are still packed (and you just have to look at some of the threads on the Dis Boards describing how people are "surprised" by how crowded it is. Or look what Cory and Julie said about how packed the food and wine festival was) then raising prices is the way for Disney to get more of the guests money if they are not going to spend it in the parks. Makes perfect business sense to Meg Crofton. And I don't think any of the raises have effected crowd levels at all from the sounds of things. I would venture to guess it'll be crowded this upcoming holiday season.
Fourth, raising prices is not just Meg's decision. You can bet that internally those above Meg are looking for ways to help pay for all the expansions going on at both parks. With the addition to Fantasyland coming how can one not expect to pay more for that?
Fifth, I doubt that Meg magically rose through the Disney organization by being an idiot. If she's able to navigate the WDW parks through these choppy economic waters without sinking, then her bosses will be happy. Apparently she's done a good enough job that she still has the helm. Last quarter the parks side of the business took in almost have the profits. They are doing something right and hence she is doing something right. People are still coming in droves.
I personally don't want to see prices increasing at WDW because it will eventually limit the amount of trips we take there. However, if there are richer people than myself that will take my place then that's what Disney needs to do. Those people will spend more money than me and hence make the corporation more money. I'm sure Meg knows that also. Nowhere does it say at WDW that Lugnut33 or any Dis people should always be able to afford to visit WDW.
While it's fun to hear you baggin' on Meg I don't think it's fully deserved. You are discrediting her simply based on increasing prices, but the net effects of those increases has really only been to decrease the amount of off-site guests. The parks are still packed and doing just fine. My guess is upper management is happy with the returns Meg is producing and those are the only people she has to answer to.
Oh, and here's a picture of Meg so we can put a face to a name:
Just because you don't agree with someone else's views or opinions does not make them or what they say stupid.
