Disney / Doc

[Doc]

Probably good news for Disney fans. Not everyone loved Iger, but I'm not sure anyone loves Chapek

I suspect they will use this to correct some changes fans do not like. But for those thinking Disney will become "affordable" again...I doubt the prices will go down. Not all of that was on Chapek.

https://allears.net/2022/11/20/break...6gEyspYqS1l1jM

It's not affordable, hasn't been for a long time. We are here now for the Dopey race, which my daughter is doing. I was just checking for prices for the next group of races in early Nov. Cheapest Disney room is $249 ( for a 400 sf single queen with a table that convert to a bed). Looked at the midrange ones and they go for 500-800 a night and the premiums going for over a grand. This is during the slowest time of the year. We grabbed an off site Marriot for $120 a night which is a suite with pullout in livingroom....and our resort has a golf course we can play! We hear tons of complaints from people, but they still come. Just don't do a week. 2-3 days seems to be the norm.

I will say though hat the wokeness has been turned way down.

[Doc]

I should add that this trip was a Timeshare swap. Are staying at Marriot Vacation by Seaworld. Two bedroom suite, 3 pools, etc... We spend most our time at Universal Studio as we have passes (love Mardi Gras, my wife love Halloween Horros so is best for us). When our kids were young, we had Disney passes, and will if or when we get grandkids. Those now run about $1400 so a family of four gonna throw down nearly $5K yearly. Although current you can not get a new annual pass. Probably due to covid

[KentuckyWildcat]

It's not affordable, hasn't been for a long time.

We first started going about 5 years ago. And "affordable" is definitely in quotes, even 5 years ago. But darn it has doubled since we started going. The budget rooms have doubled and they often ran some sales back then. Plus flights for us. I've not checked lately but the last time we flew it was triple from the previous time. Oh, and the girls are getting bigger, so the budget rooms are getting small.

I think we will start going to the beach and drive over for a day or two. We did that once and enjoyed it. Problem is, we prefer the west coast and that is a decent drive.

I will say though hat the wokeness has been turned way down.

This is good to hear.

Side question. How is Universal without the express passes?

[Doc]

We first started going about 5 years ago. And "affordable" is definitely in quotes, even 5 years ago. But darn it has doubled since we started going. The budget rooms have doubled and they often ran some sales back then. Plus flights for us. I've not checked lately but the last time we flew it was triple from the previous time. Oh, and the girls are getting bigger, so the budget rooms are getting small.

I think we will start going to the beach and drive over for a day or two. We did that once and enjoyed it. Problem is, we prefer the west coast and that is a decent drive.


This is good to hear.

Side question. How is Universal without the express passes?

Allegiant flys from both Lexngton and Louisville into Orlando -Samford (not Orlando International). We are headed to Louisville in April for $94 round trip on them (out of FLL). Looking to get Keeneland tickets for April 22, if you know anybody. Disney properties jack the hell out of you. Sure, the Disney experience is great but expect 1/2 as much time for the price compared to you staying off Disney property, and if you look you can find some nice options. This trip we Marrioted by SeaWorld. 10 min from Disney, 10 min from Universal, 2 min from SeaWorld. 2 bedroom suite that sleeps up to 6, on a Timeshare swap. Had all we needed including 3 pools, hot tubs, grills, etc......


I just peeked....May round trip runs about $150 each. Less than I can drive for

[VirginiaCat]

OUCH!

I am going to be at my sons house in JAcksonville on Feb 19-22. Was considering taking my Granddaughter out of school for one day (Monday the 20th) and take her to Magic Kingdom for a day. I have an Annual Pass so I am a sunk cost... But a Single Day pass for an 8 year old now costs $190 for that day...and that is before paying for Genie+ and Lightening Lane.....


Wow!

[dan_bgblue]

Somebody has to pay for your Wife's salary.

[dan_bgblue]

One person's opinion and her visit to the park experience.

[blueboss]

One person's opinion and her visit to the park experience.

Gutfeld, and company “gutted” Disney last night


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[CitizenBBN]

Walt is spinning in his grave.

[CitizenBBN]

Gutfeld, and company “gutted” Disney last night


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Regardless of politics, it's simply a horrible business model. I recently read about an interview with one of the members of ABBA back in the day when they were the biggest band in the world. He was asked why they didn't comment more on politics and social issues in their music and otherwise.

His answer was honest and simple. He said the second they do that they alienate half their audience, so they stick to happy and positive things.

That's Disney's job. To entertain. It's bad business to alienate your customers and it's also very bad for the production of entertainment to be more focused on moralizing then entertaining.

You can't lose sight of having good stories, but Disney at every level is changing the story to fit "the message", and it's simply not as entertaining, and turns off a lot of potential customers to boot.

It's a losing gig, and when you combine that with the lower production values and promoting people within the organization on the basis of their politics and not their ability to produce, manage or create a story, you will get bad results.

Dan's article is also right that there's no placating the "woke" extremists, so you end up in a really losing battle to engage in it. You end up taking stands to make them happy which in turn alienates larger numbers of other people who won't spend their time protesting (they have jobs and stuff) but will vote their dollars. Then the woke people push for the next thing and an endless cycle is created.

Disney needed to hold the line on not being political and let that be their stance internally and otherwise. Yes some of their employees would gnash their teeth. Far better to replace some of them than to get caught up in the current cultural schism in this country. Don't take sides in it as a business or you will end up worse off no matter what you do.

As a company Disney has a fiduciary duty to the shareholders, and they are failing that duty miserably.

[blueboss]

Regardless of politics, it's simply a horrible business model. I recently read about an interview with one of the members of ABBA back in the day when they were the biggest band in the world. He was asked why they didn't comment more on politics and social issues in their music and otherwise.

His answer was honest and simple. He said the second they do that they alienate half their audience, so they stick to happy and positive things.

That's Disney's job. To entertain. It's bad business to alienate your customers and it's also very bad for the production of entertainment to be more focused on moralizing then entertaining.

You can't lose sight of having good stories, but Disney at every level is changing the story to fit "the message", and it's simply not as entertaining, and turns off a lot of potential customers to boot.

It's a losing gig, and when you combine that with the lower production values and promoting people within the organization on the basis of their politics and not their ability to produce, manage or create a story, you will get bad results.

Dan's article is also right that there's no placating the "woke" extremists, so you end up in a really losing battle to engage in it. You end up taking stands to make them happy which in turn alienates larger numbers of other people who won't spend their time protesting (they have jobs and stuff) but will vote their dollars. Then the woke people push for the next thing and an endless cycle is created.

Disney needed to hold the line on not being political and let that be their stance internally and otherwise. Yes some of their employees would gnash their teeth. Far better to replace some of them than to get caught up in the current cultural schism in this country. Don't take sides in it as a business or you will end up worse off no matter what you do.

As a company Disney has a fiduciary duty to the shareholders, and they are failing that duty miserably.

Never mind 7000 layoffs and why.

https://www.forbes.com/sites/qai/202...s-restructure/


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[KentuckyWildcat]

That's Disney's job. To entertain.

Iger has talked about getting back to that. Time will tell what that entertainment looks like.

[CitizenBBN]

The other mistake was their rampant acquisitions of property they then didn't know how to manage. They bought up Lucas, Marvel, Pixar and many other lesser entities and then, rather than let them do their thing that made them successful, started trying to run them like Disney.

I did work back in business school in the 80s during a big leveraged buyout phase on the impact of these acquisitions, but I focused not on the target company as most did but on the parent company. On average stock prices and valuations actually FELL when companies did acquisitions. THere were several reasons, but Disney has managed to check almost every box on the list of things that will turn your purchase into a poison pill.

They have turned Marvel's MCU into the "MSheU" for many fans, same with Star Wars. It has alienated the hard core followers and fans of those properties which tainted the very asset they bought. Their return on investment is terrible b/c they didn't understand those properties and universes and were outright disdainful of their existing fans. Why pay billions for something and then slash the income stream that made them so valuable by running off those customers?

They are a mess and just brought back the man who oversaw the creation of the disaster, which makes me think they are going to go down with the ship of wokeism and activism and moralizing versus storytelling.

[CitizenBBN]

Iger has talked about getting back to that. Time will tell what that entertainment looks like.

We will see. He was in charge when all of this happened, both the wild acquisition spree and the woke moralizing. It's hard to believe he now sees the light.

[KentuckyWildcat]

We will see. He was in charge when all of this happened, both the wild acquisition spree and the woke moralizing. It's hard to believe he now sees the light.

Well, he has yet to say if it will or won't be woke entertainment lol

To the point in your other post. They have put themselves in a position where they can't say "we are staying woke or we are moving away from woke".

[KentuckyWildcat]

Oh, they are also looking at buying the rest of HULU and supposedly Harry Potter. Which they totally dropped the ball on Harry Potter going to Universal. They wanted the creative control but Rowling said no. Personally, I'm not sad it went to Universal. They nailed it.

[KentuckyWildcat]

He was in charge when all of this happened, both the wild acquisition spree and the woke moralizing.

And it isn't like he has been gone the last few years. He was chair of the board while these stupid park decisions were happening.

[KentuckyWildcat]

I'll be at Epcot and Universal during Fall break. Anyone else?

[VirginiaCat]

You have to see this about Dsiney Movies and the Babylon Bee..

https://babylonbee.com/video/how-dis...ew-movie-ideas

[dan_bgblue]

Or This one about Threads

Linklage

[KSRBEvans]

Crowd levels seem lower than usual this summer, so hopefully that will continue into the fall for you, KW.

[VirginiaCat]

I'll be at Epcot and Universal during Fall break. Anyone else?

My wife and daugher will be at Disney in Mid-October celebrating my daughters Sweet 16. No Universal for them but will be in all parks. I think they are staying at Beach Club.