I'm concerned; are you?

[Bete]

Maybe, two years is too far down the road to be concerned but...

I've been to Disney over a dozen times but I never have gone during the Christmas season or the Flower and Garden show time. I've purposely avoided those times for the obvious reason: CROWDS.

I want to do both events in 2003. My concern is with all the cutbacks, now. It didn't take very long for Mr. Eisner to make all his recent cutbacks. What will happen if it takes awhile for Disney to recover?

I've got a bad feeling in my tum-tum right now. October 2000 while at Disney we heard from good resources that there was over 57000 employees at Disney. Now, the Orlando Sentinel is reporting over 40000. What a difference a year makes.

The Christmas season sounds so grand at Disney. Does anyone else share my concern here? I know recently Disney is adding more seasonal employees for this holiday but it's still a far cry from last year.

 

[JeffJewell]

...I am preparing myself and my family for Fourth of July week type crowds next week. With the cuts in hours and shows, everyone is going to be piled on top of each other.

We're not counting on seeing SpectroMagic or Magic Kingdom fireworks this trip.

There are those who would call me pessimistic, but I think this is the wave of Disney's future under Eisner's leadership: close down parts of the resort until they get the guest spending/overhead ratio they're looking for. This will mean more crowded facilities year 'round.

Jeff

 

[All Aboard]

Jeff, I'm really hoping that your experience does not match your description. Crowd reports lately have been mixed, leaning toward the low side. That's a big departure from what most were reporting for Oct/Nov.

It would be really disappointing if cuts/crowd levels combine for long waits now. Imagine the ramifications of such a situation. Guests would quite possibly reconsider future visits. The family that travels every year at this time is accostumed to a certain set of hours/entertainment/crowds. Encountering reduced utility in all three areas would certainly give rise to a reconsideration of next year's trip.

I, for one, am extremely interested in Jeff's trip report.

 

[HBK]

I'm concerned not nessesarily about those times of year....but of the long term health of WDW. I'm also concerned that Orlando has reached it's breaking point and that the company has started to move on to another area to mine.

While I tepidly agree with this, I also think it would be a mistake to just abondon the area to the point of decay rapidly showing (which it is right now). The vacationeers have still been going to Orlando....they just aren't extending their stays.....that doesn't mean you stop competing for their vacation dollars.

Leaving Disney property was never thought of until I read Jim Hill's review of IOA. I went and saw it for myself....and it has replaced Animal Kingdom for my family. It's competition time. You just can't build something and have it blindly accepted by the public anymore. People aren't flocking to the "if you build it they will come" concept anymore.

The potential for tourist dollars still exists for Orlando in my opinion, but you need to compete for them now....where as you didn't when DAK was built. It was just assumed that people would flock to the park just because it was the newest Disney park.

 

[Captain Crook]

You're actually concerned about the same type of thing that worries me. I don't believe we've agreed on much of anything in the past so this is a brave new day in my book!

While I understand the trepidation you feel I don't think any long term planning will pan out to be the worst case scenerio, if you will, much like the rumored cuts have not all come to fruitition. Disney very well may be looking for the nest cash cow - I believe I suggested this to quite negative reviews nearly a year ago. Anyway, that doesn't mean this cow will be killed or simply left to starve as it's quite obvious there is still a lot of milk to be gotten (money to be made) at WDW, just maybe not as much as before.

I still believe the Disney competetion is still no more than a fly in the ointment to Disney (big picture wise), but I'm sure they have taken notice of many things that WERE done properly & even more the number of loyal guests who have switched aliegence - at least where IOA vs. AK are concerned...But I also believe 9/11 was a great equalizer in these terms as it is obvious that everybody is suffering. A big key will be who breaks out first or in sports jargon, who wants it more.