Bob Iger “Alarmed” By Disney World Price Increases & Disliked Layoff Plans
With each passing day following Disney’s Bob Swap–firing Chapek and rehiring Iger–new revelations come to light about what led to the board ousting one Bob and bringing back the other, as well as the fallout between the dueling Bobs. Today, we have an update on that drama, along with Iger’s next moves as he looks to restore the “soul” of the Walt Disney Company.
We aren’t going to recap everything that has transpired thus far, just the details pertinent to understanding today’s drama. Late Sunday night, Disney Fired CEO Bob Chapek and Rehired Bob Iger as CEO. In case you missed it, that article recapped this saga dating back to 2020, covered why we weren’t surprised by this development, and also offered words of ‘warning’ for overly-excited Walt Disney World fans about the changes that might be on the horizon (more on that last point towards the end of this article).
Following that, Disney’s Battle of the Bobs: Why Chapek Was Fired, How Iger Returned & What’s Next offered more palace intrigue about the sequence of events since this summer when Disney’s board of directors renewed Chapek’s contract. It also covered Bob Iger’s new salary, how much Chapek was paid to go away, alternate candidates Disney’s board considered, who Iger fired on day one, restructuring changes he has planned, how he’s already made a positive difference, what else Iger can do to score easy wins as he reclaims the throne, and more…
This brings us to the third full day of Iger’s second reign as CEO, which has brought with it a slew of new revelations about the fallout between the Bobs, pictured together above. (Hey, we warned you that it was going to be a slow-trickle of rumors about the downfall of Chapek and Iger reclaiming the throne!) There’s also new cause for optimism about the future of Walt Disney World, Disneyland, and the company as a whole.
Let’s start with the past. According to a new report in the Wall Street Journal, there was tension from the beginning between Iger and Chapek. It all began a few weeks after the stunning change in CEOs, when the two sparred over layoffs. Iger wanted to delay any COVID-related layoffs until the CARES Act, a massive spending bill making its way through Congress meant to blunt the pandemic’s economic impact, was signed into law.
Iger argued that this would allow laid-off Disney Cast Members and employees to take full advantage of its statutory protections and government relief. At this point in time, there was already bipartisan agreement on providing an economic safety net so as to avoid mass unemployment and cataclysmic consequences–it was a foregone conclusion that relief was on the way, it was just a question of when and how much. Iger’s calculation was that it was better to wait–both for the sake of Cast Members and the company.
Chapek, pictured above, wanted to rush the layoffs, feeling enormous pressure to cut costs and preserve cash. As you might recall, the international parks were all closed–some for a couple of months–by this point, and the company was hemorrhaging money. Then in mid-March, both Walt Disney World and Disneyland closed.
In the end, Iger “overruled” Chapek, and convinced Disney’s board of directors that it was pragmatic to wait. Disney continued to pay Cast Members from then until late March, despite the closure. Iger ended up being vindicated, in both the short and long term. Had Disney laid off tens of thousands of Cast Members then, they would’ve been among the first high-profile companies to do so; even in that climate, it would’ve been highly controversial.
That’s to say nothing of the human impact on Cast Members. Then-President Trump signed the CARES Act into law on March 27, a little over a week after the domestic parks closed. Once the CARES Act was signed into law and Cast Members would have protection via that, Disney began to furlough tens of thousands of workers in early April. Disaster averted–or at least delayed.
Ultimately, both Walt Disney World and Disneyland laid off over 28,000 Cast Members in Fall 2020, which was one of several waves of company-wide layoffs. It was heartbreaking news then, and one we said was chosen from a “veritable buffet of least-bad choices” at the time. Now we know how much worse things could’ve been if Chapek had gotten his way.
As a result of the layoffs at Disney, Universal, SeaWorld, and area hotels, Central Florida had the highest unemployment rate in the country. This has been quickly forgotten as the broader economy and theme parks have bounced back, but that was truly a tough fall and holiday season–and one that saw many Cast Members reliant upon food banks to survive.
With the benefit of hindsight, the layoffs were also a bad long-term decision for Walt Disney World and Disneyland. On both coasts, the parks have struggled to rehire and retain new Cast Members. Capacity is reduced as a result in a multitude of ways, most of which have meant Disney is leaving money on the table during a period of unprecedented demand and consumer spending on travel. (The more vindictive among you might experience a sense of schadenfreude at Disney experiencing financial loss due to the decision to lay off Cast Members. Sadly, I doubt that’s the lesson learned by many at the company.)
According to the Wall Street Journal, Chapek was infuriated by Iger doing an end-run around him to prevent the layoffs in March, complaining to his inner circle that “he was being undermined from the minute he was promoted.” Chapek was frustrated because Iger had indicated he would focus exclusively on creative work in his new role as executive chairman, but was interfering in day-to-day matters that were supposed to be the CEO’s domain. This was something we covered back in April 2020–turns out those rumors were very much accurate.
Over the past two years, there were multiple stories like this. Iger made it known to friends and former colleagues that he disapproved of changes Chapek was making at Disney, setting off a whisper campaign across Hollywood that never allowed Chapek to escape his predecessor’s shadow. Chapek also never escaped critique, as these ‘whispers’ were inevitably published in the Hollywood trades, New York Times, and elsewhere. Meanwhile, it doesn’t really seem like Chapek had any friends or allies in Hollywood.
Iger’s disdain for Chapek was an open secret in the entertainment industry. Several people who dined with Iger in Los Angeles over the past several months have told a multitude of media sources that Chapek’s mishandling of the Disney brand and legacy was a frequent lunch conversation topic. Iger felt that Chapek was taking Disney in the wrong direction, and Iger would fixate on the topic so much that it became “uncomfortable,” according to some associates. (Perhaps Iger should’ve dined and with some of the folks in the comments section here for proper and mutual commiseration!)
Iger felt that Chapek had prioritized streaming business growth at the expense of the rest of Disney, like cable television and the theme parks. Disney+ was one of the few bright spots for the company, and Chapek dramatically boosted growth projections. Honestly, it was difficult to fault Chapek for that at the time–the theme parks were closed or slowing recovering and losing billions of dollars per quarter at the time. Streaming was really the only card he had to play for at least his first 6 months as CEO.
Nevertheless, Iger thought Chapek’s projections went too far, and that he was too beholden to changes in Disney’s stock price. Iger was also “alarmed by increases in prices at Disney theme parks that Mr. Chapek argued would boost revenue and limit overcrowding,” according to people who spoke with Iger.
As previously mentioned, Iger received countless calls from creative executives and former colleagues at Disney who were frustrated with Chapek. The feeling was mutual. “He’s killing the soul of the company,” said Iger on more than one occasion. This refrain might as well have come from Walt Disney World and Disneyland fans, as it echoes so much sentiment shared here over the last couple of years. (Doesn’t it feel vindicating to know that someone in a position of power–the position of power–at Disney agrees with you?!)
In another move that might as well be pulled from the fandom, Iger drove a car with a customized license-plate frame that asked: “Is there life after Disney?” It appears that Iger’s life outside Disney mirrored his final years inside the company, when it appeared that he did not want to leave, and repeatedly delayed his retirement plans.
Bob Iger has wasted no time in reshaping Disney after returning as CEO. In a memo to division leadership, Iger announced restructuring will begin “in the coming weeks.” As part of that, Kareem Daniel, chairman of Disney Media and Entertainment Distribution and protege of Bob Chapek, was fired.
Prior to leaving, Chapek sent a memo to executives that “tough and uncomfortable” cost-cutting decisions would be made, including a hiring freeze, layoffs, and other austerity measures. This mandate reportedly blindsided multiple high-level leaders and alienated them even further from Chapek. (However, it is what many unprofitable tech ventures are doing right now, which is how you’d categorize the Disney Media and Entertainment Distribution that currently controls Disney+ and other streaming services.)
Iger now has the chance to undo this yet-unmade decision. He has indicated that correcting the company’s finances is a top priority, and it’s widely expected that Iger’s early emphasis will be to stem the bleeding and ensure that Disney’s streaming businesses are actually on a path to profitability. That might mean more layoffs are in store for DMED, as well as more scrutiny over spending, production, and distribution plans for media.
After hitting the ground running, Iger sent out an email before the Thanksgiving break informing employees and Cast Members about an upcoming town hall on November 28, 2022 at 9 am Pacific. During this, Iger will discuss his vision for the future of the Walt Disney Company and field questions from employees. He’s expected to use the discussion as an opportunity to further boost Cast Member morale, which has already jumped considerably since Iger’s return.
Iger says that he is focused on building on the company’s rich history and legacy of “creativity, innovation, and inspiration.” Thus far, he hasn’t offer specifics about his plans for the future, beyond the “organizational and operating changes” coming to DMED and other areas of the company that will “restructure things in a way that honors and respects creativity as the heart and soul of who we are.”
When it comes to commentary, there’s a lot to unpack here. I already peppered the portion about layoffs and furloughs with my personal thoughts, but want to underscore what a significant positive difference Iger made there. While it’s fair to say we don’t know the full story, we do know that it would’ve been worse had Iger not intervened. (And it was already pretty bad back in mid to late 2020.)
From my perspective, this anecdote is a worthwhile prism through which to view much of the last two years. If you asked many fans for their ‘reaction’ to the furloughs and layoffs at the time, and how they viewed Bob Iger and Josh D’Amaro as a result, the majority likely would’ve had unkind words (mild understatement) to say. To be sure, we certainly wouldn’t have been lavishing praise on either of them at that specific moment. And yet, behind the scenes, at least one of them was fighting to do the right thing.
More recently, we have repeatedly expressed confidence in both D’Amaro and Jeff Vahle, the president of Walt Disney World. We’ve also repeatedly noted that, as difficult as it might be to believe, there are individuals who care and are pushing for positive changes at the parks, but their hands are tied due to orders from above.
Hopefully the anecdote about layoffs illustrates how even high-level leaders are powerless when there’s a mandate from above. In this case, Chapek was overruled by the board of directors by way of Bob Iger, literally the only person on earth who could’ve pulled off such a move. Does anyone now have any doubt that other Chapek mandates were unpopular with his subordinates, but they didn’t have the leverage or influence to do anything about it?
In case there’s any question about where Josh D’Amaro stands with Iger, it’s worth noting that he was promoted multiple times (including to the high-profile position of Walt Disney World President) under the first Iger regime. He also was not fired as soon as Iger returned, a la Kareem Daniel. Most notably, D’Amaro was floated as a potential CEO successor in recent reporting, much of which was almost certainly sourced from the Iger camp.
Knowing that Iger was in active communications with past colleagues and that he was “alarmed” by Chapek’s price increases, it wouldn’t surprise me in the least if Iger and D’Amaro spoke directly about this topic over the last two years. This could be one reason why D’Amaro kept a low profile when it came to most unpopular decisions. (As I’ve said before, I will readily admit it if my defense of D’Amaro ends up being a bad take–but I’ve heard enough positive things about him from people I trust that I’m willing to go out on a limb and believe that he was backed into a corner over the last couple years.)
Bob Iger will have the chance to undo more of this damage in the days and weeks to come. Next week’s town hall will be particularly illuminating in that regard. While I’m expecting it’ll be mostly a morale booster that’s vague on specifics, it will presumably reveal some insight into the future of the media divisions and parks & resorts, if not direct details.
In an earlier post, we wrote that “Walt Disney World fans should not overestimate what’s in the purview of the Walt Disney Company’s CEO. Bob Iger is not going to come in this holiday season and give the gift of Disney’s Magical Express, free FastPass, unlimited Park Hopping, Annual Pass sales, reservation-free visits, lower prices, or the Disney Dining Plan.”
Honestly, I’m now much less confident in that assessment today than I was two days ago. I still think it’s probably true that none of those things will immediately change. Even though I believe Iger was being sincere about his alarm over the pace and degree of price increases, I also think he’ll have a difficult time rolling back any of that.
It’s very difficult to put the genie back in the bottle–both literally and figuratively–once the company gets a taste of that sweet upcharge revenue. Many of the highly-touted 40% increases to per guest spending have been driven by ticket and resort price increases, and further fueled by monetizing FastPass.
Given that he was brought it to stem the bleeding and improve Disney’s financials, I have a difficult time believing that Iger is going to take the immediate hit on Genie+ and the other upcharges just to improve goodwill among Walt Disney World fans. It’s very difficult to envision a way that he does that in the near-term given the uphill battle that Disney+ and Hulu face.
With that said, I’m heartened by the very fact that price increases are on Bob Iger’s radar as something he disliked at all. To be sure, prices increased a lot under throughout Iger’s first tenure as CEO (a trend that really got going at the end of Eisner’s run), so it’s not like he’s totally “innocent” in that regard.
However, I can recall at least a couple of times when the Iger regime made comments about deliberate and measured (or something to that effect) price increases that were below what the market would bear. At the time, I wrote this off as posturing, but maybe there was truth to it? Perhaps there was a reason why paid FastPass was long-rumored under Iger, but never actually came to fruition?
In short, this has me believing that Iger will specifically roll back some of the unpopular changes at Walt Disney World and Disneyland over time. I’m not going to pretend to know when or what form that’ll take, as this is a really difficult needle to thread and bell to unring for investors and other stakeholders.
Perhaps Iger will pause the previously-announced but not yet implemented ticket price increase slated for Walt Disney World in December 2022? Maybe other, bigger changes will occur next spring, coinciding with an expected economic downturn or exhaustion of pent-up demand? This would be my guess. I doubt we see many, if any, tangible fruits of Iger’s return at Walt Disney World or Disneyland until 2023. I think Iger will have his hands full with streaming and other problem points until then.
Ultimately, this opens the door for a lot of positive, guest-friendly changes at Walt Disney World in the not-too-distant future. A lot of revealing information has come to light in the last few days, and it further reinforces what many of us suspected for a while about the night and day differences between Chapek and Iger. Even if they carried out some similar initiatives, there are very clear contrasts between how the two view the history and legacy of the Walt Disney Company, and their visions for its future. Personally, I’m excited to see a return to Iger’s version of that, especially now that he is thinking more about his legacy and knows how things could go without him.
With that said, just as I warned you against getting overly excited about the tangible improvements resulting from Iger’s return, I’m now trying to do the same, myself. While this may simply seem like a rumored statement or insignificant remark, the important thing to remember is that Iger is nothing like Chapek when it comes to communications. Everything Iger does is meticulously scripted and choreographed–the man is a master at messaging. He would not have allowed his camp to leak this without there being any greater purpose. I don’t know about you all, but I’m once again optimistic for what the future holds with the Walt Disney Company’s leadership.
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YOUR THOUGHTS
What do you think about the Iger’s efforts to thwart Chapek from laying off Cast Members? What about Iger’s claim that he was “alarmed” by price increases at Walt Disney World and Disneyland? Thoughts on anything else discussed here? Think Iger will bring back Disney’s Magical Express, free FastPass, unlimited Park Hopping, Annual Pass sales, reservation-free visits, lower prices, or the Disney Dining Plan? Or, do you think we’re reading too much into his comment? Are you bullish or bearish about the company’s future as the Walt Disney Company enters its 100th year? Think things will get better or worse throughout 2023? Do you agree or disagree with our assessment? Any questions we can help you answer? Hearing your feedback–even when you disagree with us–is both interesting to us and helpful to other readers, so please share your thoughts below in the comments!
I am going to drop some real facts on here.
Readers on this blog are NOT the typical Visitor.
The MAJORITY of first time visitors have a GREAT time, and only go a FEW TIMES IN THEIR LIFE.
Case in point: my co-worker took his 10yr and 6yr old for FIRST time. He figured out Genie+ with 1-2 YouTube videos. Felt it was worth every penny. And loved it. May go again in a FEW YEARS.
but no one in America NEEDS to visit >2/year.
You are setting yourselves up for disappointment by endless comparisons.
And remember that there are 100,000,000 people alive today than when most GenX’ers visited in late 1980s.
There are NO OTHER VIABLE SOLUTIONS to handle the hordes than:
1. Raising prices to limit demand
2. Dynamic Pricing
3. Price discriminating to cater to different income levels.
If you are unhappy with the experience… STOP VISITING. Go to Europe. See Yellowstone and USNPS.
If you cannot afford it, STOP GOING EVERY YEAR. Or visit 2 parks per trip rather than all 4. Don’t pay for park hopping:
Or even better yet. Visit every 5 years. And go crazy.
If WDW was “affordable”…. The crowds would be unimaginable, the lines and wait times would be 2+ hours, and everyone would be miserable enjoying their affordable vacation.
I’ve been 20x.
And in case anyone forgot: DIS is a for-profit company. It is. Or a vehicle to bring you happiness . It is a vacation destination.
Well said George. So so true !! 🙂
AND WE HAVE A WINNER!!!!
Disney will ALWAYS promote love and inclusivity, with only the rare misstep. That’s at the CORE of what Disney has always been, and is part of the Disney magic. And on the business end, they’ll always make more money doing that than catering to those who feel differently.
And it’s clear that if you plan well (AKA follow Tom’s advice) and go in with the right expectations, you’ll have a great WDW trip. If you go in with negative expectations and plan poorly you’ll be miserable. Would say the same for any vacation. And for the record, the parks have been packed with crazy long lines on holidays for decades. This is not new.
I think some fans are having a hard time grappling with the reality that consumers are a diverse audience, and corporate America’s movement in catering towards that is recognizing underlying demographic changes that make it advantageous (and likely overdue from a purely economic perspective).
Obviously, it’s not a good idea to alienate the core audience or key consumers, but that isn’t really what’s happening–these companies are only upsetting a vocal fringe. Most people are far less partisan (and this absolutely cuts both ways) when it comes to the companies with which they do business.
I just can’t with these comments. Disney’s “woke” agenda?! Teaching inclusivity and portraying families of all types?!? God forbid we make children who have two dads or kids who are gay feel included, loved and SEEN. The ignorance and hate portrayed here is part of the PROBLEM in the parks and if you all are the ones going then I’m out too.
The damage is done. Can’t right the ship now. Too far gone.
I’ve been trying to plan a trip to WDW for years now, first delayed by the pandemic, then by the massive rise in prices. It seemed to me that Chapek was trying to keep people he deemed “too poor” from sullying the Disney properties. Last time we went in 2014 it cost less than $2,500 for hotel, tickets, and dining plan(for 3 people) for a week. It would be nearly triple that amount, or more, today. They’ve priced Disney out of range for most Americans.
Maybe Iger could get the WDW and Disney movie/media groups to get back to FAMILY friendly movies? Sad when you have to preview Disney cartoons to make sure they aren’t indoctrinating 4-10 year olds. As a former AP holder for more years than I can count, as one other commenter said I hope Iger not only brings respect back to DVC members but to us out of State AP holders who had been spending a fortune several times a year to visit.
Indoctrinating 4- to 10-year-olds how? What exactly is in the messaging of these movies that hasn’t been in every Disney movie ever?
Someone’s been “previewing Disney cartoons” on Fox News and Facebook. You left out some key buzzwords. Study your outrage vocabulary lessons and try again.
Fred and Yawn, shall we use Turning Red as an example? Where the protagonist is the child and the antagonist is her own mother? Where she twerks in her mother’s face slapping her own butt yelling, “Yes, mom, I like to gyrate!” There are two types of people in this world: those that think this is inappropriate entertainment for kids and those that see no problem whatsoever. You do you.
Took my 3 visiting adult siblings to Epcot last week – we did not do genie+ and did not wait longer than 30 minutes for a ride ( we did not do frozen though) we had a restaurant reservation for dinner and ate lunch in the Land pavilion. It wasn’t till after the day was done that I said anything about what has been going on – they have all been before and all said they had a very enjoyable day and didn’t really notice anything different – maybe ignorance is bliss?
Tom,
Just wondering what your thoughts might be on Iger’s return possibly stopping the move to dissolve Reedy Creek Improvement District.
jtk
We are at WDW right now. In line for TSM as I type. I have been coming here for 35+ years, almost yearly. For several years we were ASPs (we have since moved from Florida to Georgia and usually only visit 1-2 times a year). Last year our family trip (total of 10 people, staying on property) wasn’t great. This year it is bad. Granted we usually go in September and it’s Thanksgiving week (my kids are now in college and don’t have fall break), but as someone who has been coming my whole life I’ve been taking all the “the magic is gone” talk with a grain of salt. Apparently I was wrong. That is not to say there haven’t been bright spots. We’ve interacted with some amazing CMs. But as a whole our trip has been ridiculously expensive (again, I’m someone who comes often) and we refused to buy Genie+ when it jumped to $29 this week (I had every attention of getting it at $15 and even possibly at $22 for a day or two). People in general are in a much worse mood (both CMs and guests) than I have ever seen. Food quality is low and choices are few. Lines are NUTS (again, I do know it’s Thanksgiving, I’ve been during the holidays before) and, most notably, everyone in my family is talking about not returning “anytime soon”, if ever. This has always been an annual trip, and we are done. We are staying at Port Orleans for $350+ a night. We have four rooms. We may not be making the company the most money, but we are right in the target demographic. I never thought I would see the day we were all done, but we’re there. I sincerely hope Iger has plans to fix things because we are definitely not the only ones. The magic is gone. In my case that means all the reasons we have come back for years, the nostalgia, the memories, it’s gone. And I guess we won’t be having any more major family trips until it’s back.
Not sure how Iger rolls this stuff back. In reality, when they has Fastpass they had an idea what the park numbers would be for the day. They charge $25 for parking and to the best of my knowledge, the trams are not back in 2 parks. I truly feel that Genie+ increases the feel that the parks feel more crowded than they actually are. Those lightning pass lanes in some cases are ridiculously long. You pay extra to wait 20 minutes in line. Dining reservations are tough to get, but from some vlogs there are empty tables
There certainly were empty tables when I went a year ago. Food quality is gross. Choices are too. If you have a family usually the choices at a quick service is pizzas only, hot dogs only, burgers only. Is there even a place where you can get burgers and chicken nuggets in each park? Food is cold by the time you get it.
Disney was known for high standards and moving people efficiently through their parks. This has become a joke. I would love to see a comparison chart of each parks ride/attractions capacity throughout the years. Because I feel this has gone down. They need more family friendly rides because just building more roller coasters to compete with Universal isn’t doing it. I personally never liked Universal because they relied too much on projection screens, but now Disney thinks that this is the way to go.
The entertainment end of the business is a whole other story. They keep producing stuff without understanding who their audience is. Then when it bombs, they can’t understand why. Just have Iger look objectively what have been done to Disney. People won’t spend their money on subpar experiences.
Oh I so agree on the food we went in Feb. We scrimped and saved to do sit down restaurants once a day hundreds of dollars on food only to be disappointed every single time. I can honestly say the hype over Disney’s fine dining is just that hype. Never again. I’m so hoping things turn around in a much better way. I’m a huge Disney fan but left sadly with a huge disappointment and shattered heart as I truly did not feel the magic. So we will give it one more shot in September staying off site. Hoping that the magic returns!
Excellent article and really highlights the hopes and concerns many fans hold. Perhaps ‘legacy guests’ will actually be valued and the label a compliment rather than a snide dig. Time will tell. It seems that Iger truly understands when guests pay luxury prices for Disney parks they must receive top quality experiences in return. Or they won’t return. Disney parks have never been a cheap trip. But they had a quality that was worth paying for. The Disney brand meant something. Fingers crossed it can be saved. One other thing of note, if we are shocked by an announcement in the next month or so that Genie+ is dead, or AP sales will be extended across the board, or some other sweeping change, then we’ll know the Board has promised Iger full rein to save the parks and the brand. This type of walk back would be startling. It should also sound alarm bells that the recession will be a deep, multi-year event. When a giant like Disney pivots then everyone needs to sit up. Iger is one of a handful of experienced executives who knows when a storm’s a storm. And when to set anchor. Interesting times. Hopefully, only interesting and not profoundly scary for us all.
I agree with everything Tom says in the article. Though I do think Iger was more concerned about his image and legacy than the brand, CMs and die hard Disney fans. I think his humiliation in “picking” such a failure of a replacement did more to bruise his ego than his actual concern. That is why not much will change, other than the delivery of the message.
The only thing Disney will probably do under the new Iger regime is maybe bring back promos during low season. Something feel-good but not much substances. Iger agreed with everything Chapek did, just not the execution being so harsh and damaging so like Tom says, not much will change if anything.
Disney needs a true visionary at the helm, and that isn’t Iger. He only tells us what we want to hear to give the illusion he cares about the brand, CMs and fans…but his bank account clearly says otherwise.
I love the photo of Grumpy Dwarf and the reference to Chapek! Cheeky writing.
We just returned from a week at DW. I think our 5th trip. A good chunk of magic had very tangibly evaporated along with soooo much of my money. One day I spent $100 on things that were completely free before COVID. Another day I purchased Genie+ in HS only to have 3 of the top 5 rides down for the entire day. A cast member gave us a little pixie dust without me even asking, but we shouldn’t have to rely on that, should we?
The lines for what used to be one of the slowest weeks were MASSIVE. So much time spent waiting. Which translates into grumpy kids all around the parks, and their equally grumpy parents. Stores were overridden with grinchy Karens snapping at their exhausted littles. My now-teenaged kids noticed the very real change in the atmosphere of DW.
In the end, we all still had fun and love the space Disney gives us to carve out time together as a family in a magical place – but we still expect value – and way more money for a lot less magic just isn’t my definition of value.
Historically we’ve been an “on property” family meaning we knew we were paying more to stay on property but the perks associated with it from booking fastpasses in advance, Magical Expresses etc. were enough to justify the cost. Now with what feels like zero benefits (other than “theming”) there seems to be no point. If Iger found away to restore some of those “perks” such as maybe allowing on property guests with Genie+ to pick a few rides in advance, I’d be more inclined to returning to staying on property and spending the extra money for both Genie+ and an on property hotel. “The Mouse” as we loving refer to WDW, always separates us from our money and we use to do it willing and joyfully because there was a good “rate of return” in the extra magic. Now it just feels like a money grab without any benefits.
Hi Tom! You mention it is unlikely that Iger would reverse a lot of unpopular decisions like end of magical express, paid genie plus, reservation system, etc. and you are probably right but I suspect they would see a surge in reservations for the upcoming year as a result of those reversals, if they did it. The unpopularity of all of those items have real impacts, and have definitely been the impetus behind us NOT making future Disney plans. Aside from the other general increases, a trip is just too inconvenient and annoying with all of those changes for our family. I suspect others feel the same. People have short memories though, so I could see knee jerk reservations if they reversed some or all of those in the near future, regardless of prices still being high for other things (resorts, tickets, food). Here’s to hoping! #fingerscrossed
Anyone who can bring back the positive and fun filled attitude of the Disney employees is welcome . Since Mr. Igor left you could tell the cast members positive attitudes were gone. Maybe he can work with the state of Florida and get back to sensibility. Yes I would like to see Disney Magical Express come back and prices slashed. Also get back the respect of DVC members.
I’ve seen a few headlines suggesting that Christine McCarthy was the impetus behind his removal. Any thoughts or knowledge on that? I’ll admit, I knew nothing about her before her famous waistlines comment. However, now apparently I feel that I “know” her, and assumed she was a Chapek fan. 🙂 Does she have a long history with the company?
Iger seems to want to take care of the people who take care of us- what a concept. Chapek seems like he would make babies cry lol.
The higher prices were inevitable but taking away the “magic” and mistreatment of staff is a recipe for disaster in the long run. You need to take care of your clients snd staff. Things im sure won’t change overnight but at least its comforting knowing someone with character is running the show.
Unlike Chapek, Bob Iger understands Walt Disney’s original vision and purpose in creating Disney World and Disneyland. Chapek saw this company as nothing more than a cash cow and cared nothing about the magic that has been part of Disney at it’s inception. For months, Chapek has made damaging statements regarding the people who done to Disney. It’s about time that he got called on them
Bob Iger has a lot of work to do regarding Disney’s relationship with it’s castmembers and fans. Raising morale and the wages of the castmembers should be Bob Iger s first order of business, and hopefully they will find support during the Town Hall.
He then must mend fences with the fans. The reservation system is a joke. It accomplishes nothing. The lines were worse than ever when I visited. The purchase of Genie+ did nothing. What a rip off. Maybe a good compromise would be to have people purchase passes for extra magic hours, like they did in the beginning.
I also found out during my recent trip that when you check into your hotel online, they charge $100 dollars to your credit card against incidentals. The money is refunded after your stay. Why is that exactly?
I’m not “bullish” or “bearish” on Mr Iger s return, but I am hopeful that there will be better days ahead.
Most resorts are doing this now, I think Disney has been doing it for a few years, it guarantees that if you charge something to your room there is $ to cover it.