True-Life Adventureland
How Disney could really please its customers
How Disney could really please its customers
Posted Sunday, February 22, 2009 at 7:38p Pacific Time
This past week Disney announced restructuring and layoffs.
In its press release, Disney claimed that what guests want more than
anything is a "One Disney" experience, a relief from the multiple
reservation systems and support infrastructures that each park sports
today, but presumably, will not sport tomorrow. To accomplish this,
they're going to consolidate many parallel park operations under one
roof.
I don't know enough to say whether the consolidation makes sense;
on paper, it very well may. But here's what I do know: the idea that
Disney guests desire a "one Disney" experience is silly, at least for
the 99.5% of Disney park guests that visit only the park nearest to
them. Most guests couldn't care less about whether the way they book
their Disney World reservation is similar or not to how they book their
Disneyland reservation. It just doesn't come up for normal folks that
visit a Disney park once every couple of years. Disney, if you're
consolidating because it's more cost-efficient, just say that. Don't
blame your customers.
I just finished booking a trip to Disneyland. (March 22-25, if
anyone wants to drop by and say hello.) If Disney really wanted to make
vacations pleasant, what they could do is simplify the guest booking
experience. I was inundated with offers for packages, dining plans,
discount coupons, and the like. It's all presented under the guise of
making things convenient for me, but having to consider all of those
options isn't convenient; it's stressful. I just want to book a simple
vacation for my family: what I get from Disney is akin in complexity to
buying life insurance.
I'm certain all of these packages make money for Disney, but that's
not a good enough reason to have them. Disney: just satisfy your
customers, the money will follow. (They knows this; I'm sure their
PowerPoint presentations say it up-and-down.) Don't act so paranoid
about getting every last dollar from me. Make me happy and I'll give it
to you willingly.
11 Comments • permalink • link with comments
Comments
no sizes of families, one , two, three, four, five , six, persons...ect..
Posted By avro_imagineer Tuesday, February 24, 2009 at 8:35p Pacific Time
^^ So I have to pay more then someone who weighs less then me? :P
Posted By TINK-MOBILE Tuesday, February 24, 2009 at 7:29p Pacific Time
I agree with you trekkeruss...a passport
that would allow Disney's Guests access to both DL AND WDW...now that would be a good thing....Perhaps even a Ap pass for
Families.....set rates depending on sizes of course.....
Posted By trekkeruss Tuesday, February 24, 2009 at 5:40p Pacific Time
Maybe I am wrong, but the announcement is about the people at the top, not the bottom.
Posted By TINK-MOBILE Tuesday, February 24, 2009 at 5:19p Pacific Time
One of the first things that was ever told to us after each visit to Disneyland by our friends was the cleanliness of the park, it was spotless and it really stuck in their minds as a great attraction that brings them back year after year, if Disney ever let go of this feature , if would be a crying shame, this would be a turning point with a lot of guests...I agree cut top executive jobs ...not the jobs of the guys and gals who helped to make this WELCOME Place The Happiest Place On Earth .....hope no one loses their jobs..
Posted By avro_imagineer Tuesday, February 24, 2009 at 4:17p Pacific Time
^^ get rid of a handful of executives. You'll get the 800 (and then some) back mousekeepers and custodial. Now I know executives are paid big bucks for hard decisions (including tile colour, selected from a handful presented by a professional designer) but if you think about decisions/effort put in per choice. (Say a mousekeeper does a minimum of 8 rooms, each room with half a dozen decisions) versus the 1 decision an executive makes after a week of golf...
Posted By Kennesaw Tom Tuesday, February 24, 2009 at 9:53a Pacific Time
I"m not ready to throw Disney under the bus. But what thing that annoys me is how the Disney Company says that the laying off of 800 employees and the guest will not see a decline in their experience in either park. Not for nothing but fewer housekeepers and custodial staff is going to mean more messy room and more trash around the parks.
Posted By fkurucz Monday, February 23, 2009 at 5:44p Pacific Time
^^Look forward to me to vacationing elsewhere.
Posted By Hans Reinhardt Monday, February 23, 2009 at 10:02a Pacific Time
Buried in the middle of that press release is this statement: "Economic realities require that we do this in a simplified and streamlined manner that eliminates redundancies."
All flowery corporate rhetoric aside, that line pretty much sums up why this plan is being implemented. Look forward to seeing even more Pixar and Princess nonsense filling up the Magic Kingdoms in the coming years.
Posted By avro_imagineer Monday, February 23, 2009 at 1:33a Pacific Time
^^ Or at minimum give a discount for an AP holder of another resort.
Posted By trekkeruss Sunday, February 22, 2009 at 10:19p Pacific Time
If there was one One Disney thing I wish would happen is to have passport good for both DL and WDW, or better yet, one that would work at any of the Disney parks around the world.
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