Suppose Chapek was fired, and YOU were named CEO…

[Illinois76]

Wow, with everyone complaining about the prices already, all these suggestions would add big $$$'s. I agree that staffing is the main concern but in this country right now, the only way you add staffing is to pay big $'s for it and pass on the cost to the customers. My top five-

1. Magical express- I am fine with letting Mears run it and charge but please let them use the Disney themed busses and video's.
2. Longer park hours
3. Minnie vans- These actually make $$ as it is
4. More Skyliners. I love the boats from OKW, SSR, and PO resorts to Springs, but two legs of Skyliners would work wonders there. Same for AKL to AK.
5. Family oriented hotel rooms like Nickleodean had....

It is pretty hilarious that every suggestion is essentially a combination of add expense and eliminate revenue.

 

[Dis Dragon]

It is pretty hilarious that every suggestion is essentially a combination of add expense and eliminate revenue.

Not really, everything that has changed was a cut in their expense without giving it back to the customer. It's more of a back to a value sense for your customers.

 

[Tigger's ally]

It is pretty hilarious that every suggestion is essentially a combination of add expense and eliminate revenue.

Yeah, just the raise in minimum wage was a million dollar thing with a place as big as Disney. Now they have to use hiring incentives to entice new employees. IF we just assume those costs are passed on to us customers it would be high because it would affect hotel prices, eating prices, ticket prices, transportation costs, etc.... That doesn't even take into account the inflationary costs of food items, cleaning items, power, water, etc.

I think the only thing that has kept Disney from really seeing a downturn in demand is the pent up demand and extra discretionary dollars caused by the pandemic and everybody staying home. I think in order for Disney to do some of these things that people want, there first has to be period where everything evens out. I think with an increasing inflationary period, this just might happen. Cost structures are all out of sorts across the nation. Disney is not alone in having to raise costs for everything and do away with some things.

Every thing they add right now will raise costs to consumers somewhere though! You can bet on that.

 

[MakiraMarlena]

put it back the way it was. One admission, you wait in line for rides. No fastpass, no paid line skipping. It'd be difficult because almost all other parks have some form of paid line skipping.
if there has to be a dining plan, CS and snacks only.
Open some more restaurants.
Have more opportunities for live music and interactive performers. I know a lot of that's been out because of Covid.
Skyliner to Disney Springs.

 

[FCDub]

It is pretty hilarious that every suggestion is essentially a combination of add expense and eliminate revenue.

The board would swiftly fire every one of these CEOs

 

[Schneewittchen37]

The board would swiftly fire every one of these CEOs

It's okay. Disney's on the "Sears 50 Years to Ruin" plan anyway.

 

[OldDisneyFan]

I understand costs increase and am willing to pay. However, it feels like Disney is nickel and diming us to death for a diminished experience. Not to mention how convoluted G+ is. Vacations should not be this stressful.

 

[Jrb1979]

I would get rid of Genie+ and replace it with a system similar to Express Pass. Charge $150 per person to buy it.

I would also add a bunch of off the shelf rides for all parks not named Magic Kingdom.

My biggest thing is I would go back and finish the original plan for World Showcase. I would stop all IP from infiltrating Epcot.

My number 1 thing would be to add an RMC coaster to Magic Kingdom. Having a coaster like Steel Vengeance dominate the skyline and the screams of riders to go with it.

 

[PCFriar80]

What five immediate changes would you direct at WDW to restore the faith of WDW followers and CMs?

1. I'd fire the CFO. What a waist...I mean waste. Let's bring some class back to the Executive Team. I don't know why, but I'm still torqued over that comment!
2. Bring back Magical Express with luggage delivery to resorts. And RAC too!
3. Bring back Off Kilter and British Revolution.
4. More live entertainment in general.
5. And how about some tumble monkeys for the FOTLK!

 

[ZeeWP]

I think the biggest issue is value for the money, which has gone down. It's not that Disney hasn't been expensive, it's that there is a perceived value loss for the amount of cost that has gone up. I would try to fix that by:

1) Refuse to raise prices (in the short term) on things even as inflation has gone up. Yes, it will be at the cost of stockholders, but I would convince them through research and data that this will be long-term beneficial.
2) Get rid of ILL$.
3) Make a universal G+ option, around $60-70 a person.
4) As soon as COVID is "managed" (whatever that may mean), Open up AND add character and entertainment options. What makes Disney Disney is the life that is in the parks, and right now that seems to be missing regardless of masks or other protocols. It's about an attitude of being in another world.
5) Speed up Epcot's changes and Tron. Cause I'm selfish and want them nowwwwww

 

[Devil13]

1. Magical Express for a fee. Not half-assed either: Bags from and to your plane like the old days
2. Kill Genie+ or include it and Photopass for certain levels of APs
3. Raise prices on all sit down restaurants
4. 5th gate
5. Lower out of state AP prices. This is my personal crusade

 

[Dis Dragon]

Disney

1. Magical Express for a fee. Not half-assed either: Bags from and to your plane like the old days
2. Kill Genie+ or include it and Photopass for certain levels of APs
3. Raise prices on all sit down restaurants
4. 5th gate
5. Lower out of state AP prices. This is my personal crusade

Raise prices on sit down restaurants? Is that in response to ADR's being difficult?

I'm paying $50+ for a 10 year old to eat passable food, the prices are already ridiculous.

 

[Devil13]

Yeah - It's way too expensive as it is but with all the other cuts I'm making, something has to give. I'm keeping the other food options at the same level so you do have a choice. I'll price people out of marginal food while Chapek prices everyone out of coming to the parks at all. Lesser of 2 evils.

 

[Blondie58]

Lean Six Sigma training department by department. So many times multiple people are standing around here and there and in other areas there is short staffing. Return fast pass. Return Bounce Back. More selections for food for the high cost of concierge. A return to prestigious service. Menus.

 

[gharter]

It becomes your worst nightmare!
To be honest, most of the decisions come from the board and not the CEO.

 

[sweetpeama]

1. Immediately impliment a Did I do my best towards personally improving the guest experience for every CM from the top on down policy this would include a weekly how can I make my best better goal setting for the following week for everyone.

2. Seriously look into developing a program where 4-H and FFA alumni can do internships within the company as well as looking at where members in those programs can be used over breaks even if it is coming for a week and helping with things that need to be done but are not getting done. This could be done in either a similiar way to the cheer groups, sports groups, band, ect with different groups providing chaperones or by using host families that would be screened and have to pass a background check for everyone over the age of 18 in the host homes.

In my local area I have seen a group of about 100 4-H youth ranging in age from 5/6 years old up to 18/19 years old along with parents, leaders, and extension staff work together to clean 30 acres of fairgrounds including picking up all litter some of which was the result of the removal of buildings from the 1930s and 40s that were deplicated and no longer safe to be used. Painting concrete light pole bases in the carnival lot, racking leaves and bagging them up, plus preparing raised garden beds and flower beds for later planting as it was still 2-3 weeks before some of the early plants could be put in due to the usda hardness zone where I live. When the county comissioners along with the fairgrounds board planned this out and asked for help from the 4-H program they had figured on it taking 4 hours and were figuring that a later day would have to be scheduled in a couple of months. Everything was done in 2.5 hours including additional work that they had not planned on being done at that time. I got to witness these kids not only working together often to move larger pieces (I had the job of driving a truck to areas where there were larger pieces that needed to be tossed in and then taking them to the dumpsters where there were teams to unload) including pieces of plywood large enough to take up the entire bed of a short box 1/2 ton pickup that happened to be water logged so were heavy. Those kids would see another one struggling and next thing you know several would be over to help and they would work together to get that job done before going back to what they were doing. This was not just the teenagers but even the 8-10 year olds.

3. Bring back the dining plan with some modifications at least to start. There would only be the 1 Table Service, 1 Count or Quick Service, 2 Snacks option as the top on along with the Quick Service only plan. In addition I would impliment the following dining plan options for day guests with a 3 day minimium that have a 7 day use from the time the first one was used. These would be 1 Quick Service, 2 Snacks, 1 Table Service, 2 Snacks, 1 Table Service, 1 Snack, 1 Quick Service 1 Snack, and a 2 Snacks only options. All Table Services would have the following ADRs which would be set at 30 days from your arrival date plus 10 for staying on property. 50% availability for ADRs made ahead of time. 30% for reservations made within 48 hours including putting a kiosk at each park to assist guest with making these. The remaining 20% would be for walk ups. In Quick Service Locations there would be benches placed behind the order area so that parents could either sit down with their children and look at a closer to them menu and figure out what each kid wanted to eat, these close menus would have tear off pads and both pens and pencils to write on so a parent does not have an upset child because of forgetting to order a cheeseburger with only mustard and now it has all that other awlful (in the kid's opinion) stuff on it and no way am I going to eat it says the kid. This set of benches would also give families the option of allowing one adult or older teen to go and place the order for everyone. (Or am I the only one who has kids who at least when they were little would change their minds several times including when placing the order) As well there would be a button that could be pushed that would alert the CM in charge of that locations allergy menu that someone needs assistance with making an allergy order especially those allergies that are not in the most common ones. The second set of benches would be located behind the pick up area so that there would be a place for those who need a place to sit can wait. From there you would go to find your seat either indoors or where possible even in the covered outdoor seating areas.

4. Bring back options for everyone for annual passes.

5. Spontinaiety this would range from CMs giving radom surprises to guests similiar to a year of a million dreams to street performers and even keeping the cavocades and surprise appearances of characters throughout the parks. While there still would be scheduled meet and greets starting with socially distanced ones and when it is determined to be safe moving to pre pandemic style meet and greets guests would never know when their favorite characters and even some older ones who have not been seen in a while will randomly show up.

 

[twincruisers]

What five immediate changes would you direct at WDW to restore the faith of WDW followers and CMs?

I think the problem is much larger than just how WDW is treated, so I'm doing this from a larger perspective than just WDW.

1. Open 4 new gates somewhere in the mid-west/central region (yes, open more theme parks!)
2. Create more rides using Disney IP for Epcot and AK
3. Hire more people in Imagineering to grow the rate of ride creations/updates
4. Plan for a 5th gate for WDW
5. Plans to build more DVCs for WDW and mid-west locations

 

[ThomasA]

I'd bring back annual passes.

 

[Douglas Dubh]

1. Have someone develop a new Star Wars trilogy. Insist that the plot points raised in the first movie are coherently resolved in the later movie before production begins.
2. Have imagineering create alternate versions of shows so that they could quickly changed out or cycled through, thus increasing repeatability.
3. Develop a second theme park for Hong Kong, plus more hotels and retail.
4. Add small theaters with travelogue movies to every showcase in Epcot that currently doesn’t have a filmed attraction.
5. Put Scarecrow of Romney Marsh on Disney+.

 

[BrianL]

1. Have someone develop a new Star Wars trilogy. Insist that the plot points raised in the first movie are coherently resolved in the later movie before production begins.
2. Have imagineering create alternate versions of shows so that they could quickly changed out or cycled through, thus increasing repeatability.
3. Develop a second theme park for Hong Kong, plus more hotels and retail.
4. Add small theaters with travelogue movies to every showcase in Epcot that currently doesn’t have a filmed attraction.
5. Put Scarecrow of Romney Marsh on Disney+.

I can definitely agree with you on number 5 - that's a good one!