2020:
Peak active cases - 9,034,460
Vaccinated - 0%
2021:
Peak active cases - 9,243,682
Vaccinated - 71%
I hate to break this to you, but this not a "pandemic of the unvaccinated."
I honestly think Iger is considering killing Genie+. You shouldn’t have to think about spending money to ride something you just already spent money to ride. Other theme parks do it but that’s why they are “other” theme parks.
As a Walt Disney World Resort Guest, you get the privilege of waking up before sunrise to pay us $30 per person to pick a single attraction to ride. But not the actual attraction you want to ride, you'll have to pay another $20 for that one. See, the Magic® is waiting for you!
The USA is alone in:
- masking children under the age of 12
- vaccinating 12-15 year olds with 2 doses
- not recognizing natural immunity from previous infection
The USA is about to be alone in:
- vaccinating those under age 12
At what point do we admit we have a problem?
I never viewed FastPass+ as a free product. To me, it was an intrinsic part of the larger premium offering. One ticket price, tap that band, hear that chime and you can experience it all.
Genie+ is a sleazy way to do business and frankly tarnishes the history of these parks.
It's amazing that The Walt Disney Company hired a CEO who was dumb enough to think they could charge more for less with no lasting repercussions. Remarkable, really.
Your move,
@RobertIger
. I can think of a dozen things you can do to repair the relationship with your guests.
Let's start with acknowledging the mistakes made at the parks by removing:
- Ability to visit any park, any time
- Complimentary airport transportation
- Extra Magic Hours
- Free FastPass
- Complimentary MagicBands
- Dining Plans
All amongst unprecedented price increases.
The Walt Disney Company has suffered in recent years. This is a good time for us to remember the words of Walt Disney who said, “Everybody falls down. Getting back up is how you learn to walk.”
Effectiveness of masks by type via Univ. of Waterloo study:
Cloth masks - 9.8%
Blue surgical masks - 12.4%
KN95 - 46.3%
N95 - 60.2%
Please spare me the 'safety' argument regarding Disney when most of you are wearing a cloth mask with a picture of Mickey Mouse blowing a whistle.
3 weeks from today, guests at Walt Disney World will ride Splash Mountain for the last time. These are words I never thought I would type, it still doesn't feel real.
I wish WDI the best of luck in creating Tiana's Bayou Adventure; and for everyone's sake, I hope they succeed.
Disney Resort Benefits
2019:
- Extra Magic Hours
- Disney's Magical Express
- Advance FastPass+ Reservations
- Complimentary MagicBands
2023:
- 30-minute early entry
- 7am Genie+ reservations (with additional daily per person fee)
Why would anyone stay at a Disney Resort?
I'm not suggesting the vaccine doesn't do what it is designed to do (which is keep people out of the hospital).
What I am suggesting is that forcing vaccination on people is not going to stop cases from spreading.
So let people make personal health decisions for themselves.
3 years ago, around this time, Josh D'Amaro alongside many Disney characters, waved goodbye to a packed Town Square.
Since then a lot has happened. A lot has changed. And then a lot has reverted back to the way things used to be. Most of you gave Disney a second chance and I
A friend of ours (family of 4) just priced out a week to Walt Disney World for a week at Caribbean Beach.
With flights: $8,000. Total estimates (transportation, food, reasonable merch): $10,000.
I seriously don't understand how people afford this stuff.
I've seen the term "Disney Adult" thrown around in a few posts lately so I'd like to remind folks that this is the time of year where grown men scream and throw things at their TV because kids half their age didn't play the game with a ball good enough.
For those asking what my source was about DAS abuse being off the charts, well now you have it. Yes, nearly 60% of all LL scans are currently DAS scans. And according to Disney, this number is 3x higher than what it used to be just 5 years ago.
It's 3PM. I am denied entry at MK because I have no Park Pass; none are available.
I look on the app and see EPCOT passes are available.
I take the monorail to EPCOT, enter, go back to MK and am allowed entry because it's after 2PM.
This is very, very silly
@WaltDisneyWorld
.
.
@SirBrayden
is 100% correct. Disney is completely losing its way with the theming inside of its resorts.
Resort benefits were completely stripped first. Now the unique theming is on its way out.
What's the point anymore?
I honestly don't think I realize how much of an asshole Bob Chapek was until today. The guy is finally gone from the company and for the first time in literally years,
@DisneyParks
announces a slew of massive changes that are all positive. Not a coincidence.
Galaxy's Edge is basically like if Universal Orlando built some brand new witchcraft and wizardry school that you've never heard of with characters that are distant cousins of Harry Potter. The more I think about, the more I seriously don't know what they were thinking.
Had a great visit to
@WaltDisneyWorld
this week and I'm always so inspired by our spectacular cast members, who bring such talent and dedication to everything they do. Thank you!
I still maintain that Disney's BoardWalk is their best resort overall. None of their resorts are perfect and each has a list of pros and cons. But I really think with all factors considered, this resort lands in my
#1
spot.
I adore Rachel Zegler but this film should not be happening. Period.
Some things are actually untouchable and Walt Disney's first full-length animated film that captivated millions and sparked a century of amazing storytelling is one of them.
Regardless of what side of the political spectrum you reside, the fact is that Ron DeSantis has taken this fight with Disney to a level that is completely and utterly disproportionate with the original thing that caused it. It is now an unhealthy obsession.
It's 6PM and here are some notable wait times at Disney World:
Flight of Passage - No wait
Everest - No wait
Slinky Dog Dash - No wait
Splash - No wait
Thunder Mountain - No wait
Pirates - No wait
Space Mountain - No wait
Tower - No wait
Haunted - No wait
🤯
Is Disney really surprised that Disney Vacation Sales have been struggling?
- Absurd resale restrictions added to contracts
- Guests no longer get things like FP+ or Magical Express
- The AP made available to members went up $200
- No Moonlight Magic at Magic Kingdom
Shocking!
I won’t pretend to be an expert on this and what’s right or wrong but the abuse of this service at WDW is off the charts. I was told a ridiculously high proportion of LL scans are DAS; way higher than any national trends would lead you to expect.
I don't think
@DisneyParks
has ever seen this much positive feedback from guests/fans. Congrats to the team for making the right and gutsy calls, even if it means sort of admitting you got things wrong. Making it right is all that matters. 👏
Attraction reviews aside, I am mentally still struggling so much with the concept of Princess and the Frog replacing what was a hallmark Walt Disney project and produced one of the most iconic Disney songs that would be more or less the anthem of the company for nearly 100 years.
.
@RobertIger
, then do something about it.
Remove the sleazy micro transactions that exist in Genie+ and Lightning Lane, reduce event entry fees, reduce food and beverage pricing.
“So I pay $200 for a ticket to get in and then I pay $25 to get access to FastPass or whatever you call it now and then another $20 to ride the good rides because apparently that first $25 doesn’t count everywhere? You see how crazy that sounds, right?”
Disney's stock price is down nearly 50% since Happily Ever After was replaced by Disney Enchantment.
Correlation does not always equal causation but in this case it 100% does.
This is what Disney is marketing as Disney Resort Benefits (not kidding):
- Immerse Yourself in the Magic
- Add More Magic
- Move Around Easier
- 30 minute early entry
😂😂
I’m not really an anti-masker. I was among the first people wearing a mask when this pandemic broke in March 2020.
But I do have one burning question:
If masks work so well, then why haven’t they?
My struggle with comparing Disney to anyone else is that for as long as their theme parks have existed, they've been in the business of selling emotion. The rest of the industry, Universal included, sells theme park tickets. Time will tell if that's still the case; on both sides.
2023 WDW predictions:
- No reservations (except APs)
- Castle painted back to original colors (no dream lights)
- Happily Ever After returns (not just the song)
- Genie+ resort perk
- Year round AH events
- EPCOT show has drones + increased pyro
- New reservationless AP tier
Turns out when you try to run a 100 year old creative company like a data science company, it doesn't work so well! Who would've thought.
Oh - Iger - who told Chapek to not do this when he recommended him for CEO.
I'm sure people will laugh and try to pretend it's not true, but it is. In reality, Universal added 2 Harry Potter themed lands and 3 meaningful attractions in the last 10 years. In that time, Disney's added 4 new lands and at least 7 E-ticket attractions.
I’ve stayed quiet on the latest developments regarding WDW’s district not because I believe Disney has lost. I’m not a lawyer and this has gotten so ridiculous that it would be silly for me to comment on.
I will say Ron DeSantis is now completely unhinged and frankly
Average cost to a family of 4 for a 1-week trip to
@WaltDisneyWorld
:
Flight: $1,000
Moderate hotel: $1,750
Park tickets: $2,400
Food & Beverage: $1,750
Merchandise: $250
$7,150
People *should* complain if the experience stinks.
First and foremost, DAS abuse negatively affects folks who have legitimate challenges. Secondarily, it’s a compounding issue that results in increased LL queue pressure, long standby wait times and higher Genie+ pricing related to reduced inventory. In all, DAS abuse results in
I love how people are not believing the high number of LL scans that are DAS. Have you ever in your life seen the FP+ queue stretch and wrap for several hundred feet outside of an attraction? Everyone just assumed it was Disney overselling Genie+. It is DAS.
can we rewind back to the part of the pandemic where we got vaccinated, went back to living our lives and stopped worrying about other people?
because those 3 weeks were awesome
If I were Disney, I would make Genie+ included for all moderate and deluxe resort guests. They represent approximately 20% of all guests at the parks at a given time. Other guests could purchase it at a higher price which could allow them to break even while offering a great perk
@RobertIger
3. The MagicBand that costs you $2 to produce should be free to guests who are spending thousands of dollars at your resort. Especially when said MagicBand is so intricate to your brand and experiencing the Parks.
The notion that Disney is trying to increase Genie+ revenue from legitimately disabled people by implementing stricter DAS rules is complete and utter nonsense.
"I will stand by this, even today, there was not one thing in the ride that in any way was detrimental to anybody. Whatever the controversy is more related to what the film is. And I think we're way overboard on that kind of sensitivity."
Tony Baxter explaining Song of the South did better when it was rereleased in the 80s in movie theaters than when it originally came out “it was very very successful”
Also talks working with the NAACP on Splash Mountain.
Bringing Nick Stewart back for Br’er Bear’s voice.
The way to move on from COVID is simple:
- live your life like it doesn’t exist
- don’t give any business to those who require masks or proof of vaccination
Fin.
Here is Disney’s
#Disney100
Super Bowl commercial.
Disney says the video celebrates “the fans and storytellers who have sparked the joy and magic that is Disney over the last 100 years.”
This attraction will always hold a special place in my heart. Riding Splash Mountain as child after midnight, countless times, soaking wet in an empty Magic Kingdom may be my single most beloved Walt Disney World memory. There's really no attraction quite like it.
💙🐰
There is still a lot of confusion and misunderstanding around DAS at Walt Disney World. To clear it up, there are now three (3) accommodations that Disney offers. Being denied DAS is not the end-all.
🧵
Haven't seen many people talking about it but the DAS issue also is putting Disney in legal trouble. The Lightning Lane queues are so long that they may no longer be considered "reasonable accommodations" under ADA. They must cut these queues down. That starts with curbing fraud.
Here's what I don't understand about reservations. Fans absolutely despise them. To a degree that is actually unprecedented. They ran the parks for 50+ years without them, you'd think they'd just move on from something their guests utterly hate.
To be clear, because I'm seeing some upset people in my replies:
When I'm talking about DAS abuse, I'm not talking about people who only sometimes need it or whose needs are unpredictable. That's still a very legitimate need for a DAS pass.
I am talking about the people who are
@RobertIger
5. Stop "reimagining" beloved resorts with the same blue color palette and discount Home Goods furniture that has absolutely nothing to do with the theme the resort is supposed to represent.
.
@SirBrayden
of
@MickeyViews
on the recently opened World Celebration.
He's not wrong. Folks may be tired of everyone complaining about everything Disney does. When in reality, Disney has simply put out a string of bad decisions; one after another.
@RobertIger
4. Remove Park Reservations and hopping restrictions. The entire idea of Walt Disney World was the bubble; the ability to experience it all. Let the Magic® take you where it does. Yet, you've decided to offload attendance management logistics onto 20 million guests all while
Runaway Railway is a solid and fun attraction, in my opinion.
My biggest gripe with it isn't the ride itself but Disney's Hollywood Studios' departure from being a glimpse inside of the film industry and changing to a hodgepodge of various IPs with absolutely zero cohesiveness.
One day, your favorite castle park won't have Splash Mountain, Frontierland, Liberty Square or Main Street USA. And that's frankly, when I will be done visiting these parks.
Because it is being talked about.
Yes. it seems disney did consider changing DL's Main Street to Mickey Avenue. Check the background of this Magic Happens concept art.
I'm honestly surprised Disney isn't doing away with reservations much, much sooner than 2024. It offers way too much public insight into just how slow their parks are.
I wonder if Disney realizes that moving the hopping time at Walt Disney World to 11am would alleviate 95% of the issues with reservations.
Most of us had our first park psuedo reserved anyways with FP+. 2pm is just too late. I like to spend my mornings at EPCOT.
It’s clear Disney is beginning to price people out of being able to afford long-standing family traditions. That’s a rough spot to be in and I’m not even sure what to say.
There’s a reason Disney built a visit any park you want, ride anything you want model with a single entry ticket. It wasn’t an accident. They chose to not charge for FP for a reason. Chapek just didn’t care.