This is already a thing in Sweden. Every citizen has a "person number" that is tied to their driver's license, which provides all pertinent information about their health status. My friend, an expat from the US, loves the convenience. It works.
A change of leadership will change the culture of a company. Walt Disney had a dream for his company and over the years, as leadership changed, it got lost. His target was families, not politics. He wasn't concerned about anything like an ESG rating.
I think you are right. If Disney wants to have a panel at D23 where they share ideas to see if fans are interested, then sell it as a focus group and fans would probably be excited and happy to participate, but sharing things and then not bringing them to fruition is frustrating. Like Mary Poppins at Epcot.
That's what blue sky concept is, ideas that they are thinking about but may not come to fruition. Mary poppins at Epcot was greenlit and then canceled, which is a little different.
All I know is the park is overcrowded and inflated costs result in making it hard to justify visiting any longer. I used to go a few times a year when there were still ways to have fun on a budget (endless buckets of ribs!) and sort of avoid crowds (no ride lines during parades!). I’m glad I made the memories when they were possible (endless runs on any coaster while fireworks popped overhead sigh). ✨
Personally, I just don't like the endless construction in the parks. Seeing all the scaffolding, scrim, and temporary walls really breaks the magic. That, and the ridiculous cost doesn't help either. This summer my family opted for a cruise instead. We saved money, but I miss Disney.
The "MAGIC" of Disney is gone. I remember parks and cast members that were immaculate, so clean and wholesome. It's all about selling cheap Chinese products and junk food for ridiculous prices. At the end of the day all you feel is ripped off!
@@gregdrivesdriver5104but this particular junk food is themed to the latest film release/color scheme! If you don’t post pics with it on your Instagram, people will think less of you!
There once was a television program where Walt Disney was talking about the design philosophies behind the park. It was stated that all maintenance was done at night after park close so the guest did not see anything behind the scenes, Today Disney does not care...... Epcot has been a disgrace for months. That all should have been done with in three months tops. 24/7.... Look at Universal Epic........ Disney shame for sure...
@@gregdrivesdriver5104YOU, the proverbial you, asked for cheap chinese made chotchkies. You did this in the 80s when you endorsed supply side economics
I think Disney is disconnected with Disney, being the core concept of Walt's Disney. That is the Disney fans fell in love with. No one loves the greedy Disney. No one loves the disrespectful to Cast Members Disney. No one loves the unoriginal storytelling Disney. The people who don't like Disney think it's a greedy corporation, and that's been proven right. It's not that a business can't be interested in making money, but like you said, it's not what we as customers want. If Disney is confused about what our expectations are: - treat the Cast Members better. - keep the parks safe, both from visitors and safety issues with the rides. Treat your Cast Members better by allowing maintenance workers to come in more often, also allowing the visitors to be less frustrated by ride closures. - stop with the live action remakes, unless it is for movies that can genuinely be improved a second time around. - stop raising prices, because we know the markups are crazy, and we'll buy more for less as we come to value the company more. - pay your writers a fair wage, and understand the human element to the story is what fans want to see. - just allow the magic to come back.
@@biancar481 I agree. See my comment above. Eisner was the last real leader at Disney, but he's a lousy manager. Iger is a lousy leader but a great manager. (Chapek was neither.) and Iger, like it or not, has been running Disney Parks as a piggy bank WITHOUT PAYING FOR NEW IP ever since Frank Wells died and Eisner's ADD put him out of a job. Walt had Roy; Eisner had Wells. Iger would make a great Frank Wells for a real leader. That's what Disney needs. And incidentally, Chapek was worse, but that doesn't mean Iger's return was good for Disney, it means it was just less bad.
Agreed. Good points Disney bowed their head to universal and adopted their business model. Everything movie IP but they forget park IP is what creates sentimentality. Let creative run the show bcos financial is killing parks
I can't stress how much just being able to check your bags at the hotel the day your flying out and getting a bus that showed up on time taking you to and from hotel simplifies vacation planning yet Disney just said to heck with it.
Definitely spot on. The last couple of years it's been mostly meet and greets announced. This year I saw a post with the major announcements in a Disney fan group. There were 2 listed and I'd already heard about both of them over a year ago for the new Avengers' Campus ride, and over a month ago for the Star Wars meet and greet that is now also moving to Florida. It's disappointing at best.
Respectfully, I disagree. We are at a time where there’s so much speculation and hype out there that people post and talk about, that it gets fans expectations up. Disney isn’t letting people down, people are letting themselves down because they get caught up in what could be from speculation, that they don’t stop and think what is feasible or possible. We are at a time where we are so overloaded with “information”. It’s not like how it used to be where a couple of websites might have a trusty inside with Disney. Now there’s thousands of rumor sites and CZcams/tiktok channels, Facebook groups, etc. and they are all about views and engagement that they just post whatever they can that might seem plausible or so sensational that it might be something that could happen. And people buy into it because it’s sooo cool. But when Disney announces comes out with something, it doesn’t hit expectations that WE created because of outside sources, we get upset at Disney and not the false messengers.
Isn't the simple explanation just that they're trying to reduce costs and capital outlay without scaling back the event and making it look like they're in cost reduction? E-ticket attractions are now a minimum $500 million, multiplied by 8 wholy-owned parks and even if it were an expansionary time, you can't have an hour of announcements that cost that much.
@kingdoo21 I'm sure that's part of it, but they gave so few details of the new ride they did announce that it feels off. The guy Chris mentioned couldn't have been cheap, neither were the Muppets and yet Disney spent that money and had them announce meet and greets. This was a waste of money and time.
I started going to Disneyland annually beginning in the 80's. Back then the cast members were happy to work there, and customer service was top quality. They truly made it a magical experience. About 10 years ago, that quality began to recede. I last went just before the shutdown, but with the price today and the lack of the magical experience, I'm not excited to go back.
I agree. I used to work there and feel like in the past few years people have been saying the magic is gone from Cast Members... I kept thinking no way and maybe ignoring it, but the last couple times I've been there, it's been true and hard to ignore-- CMs aren't concerned with the guests. And I know tattoos are part of expression but I don't feel that they're "timeless," as Walt wanted-- I feel like the decline of the Disney Look has contributed to the decline of the Disney CM attitude. And alcohol in MK and Disneyland? Walt would NEVER!
I worked as a CM 2 separate times. The bar was set so high to work there. Now, you are treated poorly by annoyed CM's full of tattoos, piercings, and bad attitudes. They are all young and have no drive or love for Disney. It is not nearly as enjoyable as it used to be.
While I think DL avoided for longer, the big slide for WDW began after the tourist slump of 2001. Disney figured that the severe cost cutting could be sustained and they'd see very little downside. That WDW in particular would pivot to the one and done crowd. People who wouldn't know any better. This is a company that now monetizing (genie+) the lack of CapEx that existed for much of Iger's reign. I took my kids to WDW for the first time this summer. At one point I had to stop myself from continually explaining why Epcot was such a great park when I visited, when I was there age in the early 90s. There really is a massive gulf between the quality of the product then vs now.
It’s refreshing to hear honest thoughts on Disney from folks like you. I love Disney too but problems have gotten too big to ignore. I hope they will improve again!
I agree with your thoughts 100%. D23 has turned into a focus group. Show the consumer loads of ideas, it doesn’t cost them much money, and then everyone walks away thinking all this stuff might happen. Also, re-theming a ride doesn’t cost them as much money as building new attractions and lands. I wish they would just bite the bullet and do SOMETHING. It seems like their sole focus these days is on Disney+ and getting new subscribers. Nothing else matters anymore.
I went last year and it felt like a waste of money. One we tried getting reservations for the park panel and it sold out in seconds. Two, everything they showed was on a livestream so we don’t even need to be their. Three, all they showed was ideas, everything that did happen was cheap rethemes. They announced the avengers ride AGAIN that has not seen any signs of being built since 2019. It felt like a waste of time, and I will never attend again.
You're right. Even when Disney does commit to a project it takes them too long to finish. Universal is building an entirely new theme park here in Florida in the same time it took Disney to "refurbish " Epcot! Stop focusing on the media side and invest in the parks.
A combination of the difficulty of refurbishing and building attractions in a park while it’s open without too much disturbance to guests, AND the time it takes to build sustainably/environmentally and get checks, sign offs and verification that what they’re building fits sustainability protocols at every stage. Universal doesn’t build sustainably or environmentally and Epic Universe is an entire park that they can build without worrying about guest interruptions so it can build quicker.
If the new Universal park is as boring and cartoonish as Mario Brothers in LA, it will be a waste space, only for hard fans that doesn't read a book in years and think that a walk-in video game (the screens that support 85% of Universal rides) is a good experience.
I couldn’t agree more! Meet and greet loses something when your kids age out of the illusion. So, let’s focus on what made me become a DVC member: an experience that makes me feel welcome in a world that’s is clean, beautiful, and happy.
You are spot on. Disney needs to do better. Get a plan and execute it and listen to the guests. They need to announce an expansion and follow thru with it. We love Disney and have been going for many many years and really miss how magical it used to be.
100% agree. My buddies and I were texting each other this morning and we were saying almost exactly the same thing. We expect about 50% or less of the announcements to actually happen. Or a watered-down version. It's all about setting the right expectations
,,, and they still have to be good expectations. Disneyland used to sell a 12" X 14" color 25 page annual guidebook. Refreshed every year. The most exciting thing were the last pages with illustrations of rides and attractions to come. It glowed with unique character and excitement. That Magic is evaporating.
You’re spot on. The Figment meet and greet is especially frustrating since fans have calling for an update to Journey into Imagination for years. Disney doesn’t seem to want to spent the money on the ride but they sure do want to market Figment at us.
As a customer of Disney and I love Disney, my customer expectations are set so much higher than hearing about a new meet and greet. You hit it spot on. Customer expectations are getting missed because customers who adore Disney feel like the "wow" of Disney is getting missed... and it is frustrating because we want something big, like a new Disney Theme park coming in the US (Wow!) or a fabulous new land being developed at Disneyland with amazing rides. A new meet and greet just falls flat, doesn't it?
My family and I are big Disney fans (specifically the parks). I think you are spot on. Adding to that, I personally feel like it’s become very manipulative with the way they do things. I don’t think the creativity that we used to love about Disney is there anymore. I don’t think it’s a lost cause, and I do think they could easily get back on the path that we are used to. This is just my humble opinion. In spite of all of this, I will continue to enjoy the parks. I have just learned to not get excited about anything until it’s actually happening. Love all of your videos, very uplifting.
Agreed. Foreign parks doing all the imagineering and innovation and US parks get the scraps. Meanwhile US park tix cost twice as much as foreign parks. I expect the next 5 years will yield revenue generating additions like stores, restaurants and reimagineered existing rides. Nothing new and original...i.e. tron from shanghai, indy from DL etc
You are spot on, Chris. It used to be so exciting for these meeting/get togethers. Big things would be in the air. But now...nope. When I started doing artwork for Disney we would have signings and special events. It was exciting to get to meet artists and celebrities from Disney. Now it seems that they just want to sell mass produced stuff without much thinking about the Disney Fan. The special events have really dried up. A real loss of fan connection. Sigh...thanks Chris. Your opinions are spot on. Thanks!
You’re so right. I think you’ll get my story. My parents we at Disney on opening day! So it begins. I’m 62 and am so disillusioned. We went all the time..until the summer we moved to Texas. I’ll never forget standing by Pirates of the Caribbean and hearing hammers behind a fence close by. As my dad explained they were building the Haunted Mansion. I cried the rest of the night. Disney was perfect. Spotless..exceptional..years ahead of its time. And Magic. Then awesome DisneyWorld.. I couldn’t wait to take my kids. I’ve even been to Tokyo.. so last year my 40yr old Navy daughter got us tickets for exactly this week. I almost died. Sorry this is long but.. So we had fast pass. Waited forever for SpaceMountain. Just to be told it broke down. So on we went. Things didn’t seem as “on point” as I remember. So we go on It’s a Small World ..and it breaks down midway thru. Pirates ...broke down during line. What the H*** is happening.... Walt would NEVER stand for any of that. Worst ..Peter Pan broke half way thru..and they turned on the lights. And ruined the magic I believed for 50 years. My daughter actually cried. So what happened to the pride.the care ..the attention to detail...it was still a great visit...Star Wars was awesome. But I was actually glad my 16yr old granddaughter didn’t get to come. How disillusioned and disappointed she would have been...and that..to whoever runs the park...breaks my heart! 😢 thanks for letting me vent! You’re great!
I can sooo relate. Was at Disneyland this weekend and the magic is gone. Long gone. The first two rides we wanted were Haunted Mansion and Pirates of the Caribbean. Both closed AT OPENING because they didn't have enough staff (overheard 2 cast members talking about it, that's how we found out). And cast members just 'show up' now. Most don't even interact with the public. You think they were Home Depot employees running away when they saw you coming LOL. But yes, nobody in today's Disney even knows or understands what Walt's dreams were. Or expectations. Sad.
Chris you are right about Disney’s disconnect with the fans. I have been going to Disneyland since 1957 and starting in the late sixties I have gone annually enjoying with my children and now my grandchildren. Somewhere in the last several years it has become a money grab it is no longer what Walt envisioned a place for everyone. It saddens me to say it but as a senior citizen the tickets are just getting too expensive, and I may not be able to continue to take my grandchildren anymore
Chris, I think you are right. It seems to me that Universal has learned from the Disney "playbook" and announces big projects that captivate our imaginations while Disney is too busy trying to protect their bottom line and have forgotten what made them so special to begin with.
For people that go once every couple years, it feels like things are being added. I'm excited to see the runaway railroad next time I go to Disneyland, the revised toontown, the new parade, hopefully the treehouse will be done. People that go every week maybe get bored that things dont change fast enough. I also think people are always going to say they want more because they feel like there is always room for improvement. But the parks always seem to be full so I dont really believe people are as upset with disney as they say they are. I loved hearing your thoughts. Totally agree they should be more upfront with what is going to be announced. Good insight. Thanks Chris. ❤❤❤
They'll likely see more people not going. My family just got priced out of going as much as we used to. There's also a conflict with the fans who know Cast Members and want Disney to treat them better, and going to the parks supports the Cast Members. But I think for the changes, it isn't always about a whole new ride, at least for those who are there all the time. If you live near the parks, odds are you know a Cast Member. When you know a Cast Member, you hear about how frustrating it is when the rides that are there break all the time. Indiana Jones is known as the ride that is always down. It always breaks because it is still running off of equipment from the 90s, when the ride opened. It's two decades old, going on three. They haven't updated, they just keep letting it break down more. A big change those of us who do, or used to, go a lot want to see is what's already there being respected.
@@filmanalysis7191 I would love if they put more effort into making rides work better. I have an autistic son and he gets extremely agitated when rides break down. But it seems like the new ones such as the star wars ride breaks down as well. Should be a priority for sure though.
Thank you so much for your videos!! I appreciate all your tips and your encouraging words. I have started going to Disney a couple times a year for the past 2 years now. Your videos have really helped so much especially your genie plus video! You're so awesome!! ❤
You are on the right track however I think the missed expectations are bigger than just D23. Disney is moving farther and farther from Walt's vision and values. I have been going to Disneyland for decades and my family has always been excited about going but now that is changing. We love that their are old favorites and new attractions, food and merch. Is it about a family place filled with magic and imagination as we leave today and enter the World of yesterday, tomorrow and fantasy or is it a place that is out of touch with it's customers and families struggle with new pricing structures and getting less for more. They seem solely concerned about money and where management is championing their own personal agenda? Don't get me wrong, they are still doing some things very well but the last few years have really been hard on their fan base.
We canceled our next Disney cruise, haven't watched Disney Plus in a year and will cancel that and our APs expire in January,, unlikely we'll renew. We spend a lot on the Disney product and that's going to end.
Agree 100 percent... now I don't have to comment! haha. D23 Is a really small part, I think greedy and woke Disney is the worst of their problems, and the biggest hurdle, they don't seem to to have the will or ability to shift back to what we expect... a family destination.
I believe you were spot on with your analysis. Many of us were once again let down by their announcements. The biggest for sure change will be test track 3.0 but that's being paid for by GM. Disney is so cautious about putting money into the parks recently.
This issue is that the major news is always “could”, “possibly” and “thinking about”. All the blue sky talk and no blue sky action gets old. I would absolutely still LOVE the parks if not a single attraction was added. BUT, they need to stop the blue sky teasing and get to work. I’d rather not hear it at all than be told “we are considering” every year
Your analogy of treating the attendees as a focus group is a great one. That is exactly what they were doing because I fear that the company is now being run by small thinkers or people who have lost their way because they are trying to be all things to all people. They have forgotten the main Disney model. They need to be lead by people who embody the spirit of Walt Disney and to “remember who they are”…. There is a reason we as Disney fans are disappointed and that is because the star that is the magic of Disney is fading. It’s like seeing a member of your family or someone you love lose their way. It hurts.
I agree with you Chris, but I think it expands more than just not meeting expectation, it's either not following through with projects that fans are giving positive feedback or cutting short on ideas that fans clearly want. I also think fans have been upset by the clear neglect of the park's condition/priority. Prices are too high for a day, crowds are insane, and with the expectations not being met, I've slowly stopped missing going back to the parks.
Chris, hate to disagree at least partially. Yes, expectations are not being met. Corporate disney doesn't have any innovation anymore. They can't build anything original. They're also not expanding, so that lines will stay long because there's nothing to eat up crowds with new attractions. They also hate Walt and Roy. Yes, I said hate. The examples are too numerous to hide anymore. Not playing his speech at DL anniversary, not putting him in the 50th fireworks show, floating the trial balloon of removing his name from WDW (a name purposely selected by ROY!), only to put things in after backlash hit them. Those are just a few examples. They do the exact opposite of what Walt said. To EXCEED the guests expectations and the money will take care of itself! Multiple times Walt and Roy put the whole company and their PERSONAL wealth on the line for something that turned out to be amazing. From sound in a cartoon to a full length animated movie to the parks themselves. They can't compete with Universals new items and are trying to blow smoke to cover and blind people. Blue sky is great for a panel. NOT as the primary announcement vehicle. WDI is a shell of what it used to be. They got rid of or forced out anybody that had original ideas. Now their hotels look like any Hilton or Marriott or even a Sheraton. Poor theming or if it is it's IP and not a real theme. I.E. the Contemporary. It had a them of a semi futuristic but contemporary luxury place. Now it's Incredibles tacky. The Floridian had an elegance that you paid to be a part of, the Polynesian used to be a very tropical place that took you away to the location with a little dash of Disney. Now it's Moana central. As far as the rides, never again under this corporate disney will we see a ride devoid of IP. They can't or won't do it. They think that with no IP they can't push merch. Because it's not that it won't be successful. Big Thunder & Space mountains, Test Track, Rock n Roller coaster, Everest Pirates, Haunted Mansion. Just a few examples of all very popular rides with NO IP. But they don't push merch. Yes, they sell some, but not as much as they want. This is why the D23's are being hit with criticism Chris.
I think they are catering to the woke crowd. Disney used to focus on family but now it’s all about a woke agenda….Walt Disney will be so sad to see the state of his company.
@@kristintran9748 I couldn't agree with you more. For me Disney seems to be more worried about being politically correct, than just having fun. Like something Chris mentioned how Disney might be changing some of the songs in "Country Bear Jamboree" because they are not politically correct. Can't we all just enjoy life making fun at ourselves. And stop the whole Woke thing you mentioned. Life is better when we don't take everything so serious.
@@kristintran9748 Of course they are, but remember, as shown in the leaked video of their production leadership saying that they push their agenda in EVERY project, they ARE the woke crowd themselves.
@@ddc163264I just don’t understand why Disney is catering to a small group minority and letting the majority of their customers down. This is so backwards and madnesses.
All they need to do is drive down the road and take a lookie at Epic Universe and come to the realization that they need to do more. Plus the stock is plummeting.
I agree with your take on this. And as others have mentioned, as the prices continue to rise, we feel a bit frustrated and even taken advantage of by the company. As their prices rise incredibly high, then we as the conaumer expect more from the company in return, and we are upset when we don't get more. I still love Disney and continue to go to the parks, but I am sad that it is harder and harder for an average family to afford a trip there.
Hey Chris, I've been in the business world for 20+ years and enjoyed this video. But what got me most excited was your idea about medical records!!! Man, if you pushed that through for a business plan, I'd invest!!! Great video, thank you
The last time I was at WDW was in 2018. This was before Disney started price gouging with the Genie + and my cell phone was rarely taken out for anything especially ordering food, trying to get on rides etc. My family and I have been numerous times but it seems that the magic is slowly dwindling away because of the lack of imagination and the bean counters at Disney. Universal seems to be saying to Disney 'hold my beer..'
I think you've hit the nail on the head here Chris. When I read that Disney MAY be planning something I tend to skip over it these days as it rarely happens.
You’re spot on Chris! The disconnect and the “teasing” is so frustrating. They need to take a page from you and just listen because you could not have said it better & clearer!
Maybe I’m in the minority here but I love the classic old rides of Disneyland. If it didn’t change a bit from now to 100 years from now, I’d be ok with it. I almost wish they’d bring back the original Disneyland sign and make the park appear more vintage.
If they had stopped updating Disneyland after 1995 when Indiana Jones opened, I would've be en okay with it. In fact, I might have actually prefered it.
@@reyjusuf After I take over Disney, Disneyland itself will be permanently frozen in time from when Indiana Jones opened to anytime earlier. Disneyland actually can be complete and was officially completed after Indiana Jones
Disney has the Disney Parks blog and website to announce Meet and Greets. I agree with you Chris, I think the expectations aren't being met, there are multiple factors that have changed so drastically that we're not left satisfied or excited, and these screenshots of projects just aren't enough... that and I'd love to see more for DISNEYLAND. Come on guys!
You are 100,000% correct!! I much as I love Disney and as a Disney travel planner, it’s sometimes hard to market Disney travel and encourage my clients to book trips bc the expectation has been disappointing lately. I still visit the parks and I’m a huge Disney cruiser but I would love to see Disney go back to how they use to do business and put fans and visitors first. Universal is killing it right now with Epic Universal in the works and being completed soon. I love Disney but I would like to see what D23 use to be and the big announcement we always look forward to seeing!
Some really good thoughts. Thanks for sharing them. One thing that I think might help is for D23 to introduce a panel exclusively devoted to blue sky thinking. It might help us to adjust our expectations. We'd still get the really big, fantastical ideas that they are "considering", but without getting out hopes up because it would be in a panel devoted to the maybes.
Ok, but can we really make the medical records thing happen? But aside from that, I feel like you are 100% correct. Last year, they announced one thing for Animal Kingdom and didn’t get a response that they loved, so it’s like they tried something else this year almost to see if this would stick better. I think people want definitive answers. We are doing X, Y, Z and it will be finished by this date.
Yes the driver's license thing needs to be reality, but given the government disconnect I'd like just a digital health card that has a photo on it for identity theft protection reasons, and my complete medical history from birth. The insurance in the US can and does change, so that shouldn't be included. You update the image for minors every year at the well child check and for adults every 10 years. Charge a flat fee at the Dr's office and they take the pic.
with my art business, when i work on my paintings i'm not too worried about expectation i just hope to get someone that likes them and may want to buy some of my work, i don't worry much about expectations because nothing is really selling anyway lol. when i paint its mostly to help with my depression and anxiety
The more disney charges to get in the park the more people are going to want in the park. Disney has caused the escalation of expectations. You used to get more in the park for less money. This was going to have an effect sooner or later.
YES AND NO....sometimes you were able to get MORE OF THE DISNEY EXPERIENCE than the actual park itself!!!!! I remember back in the mid/late 80's. I would be at Disneyland for THE ENTIRE DAY! And was SO PERFECTLY HAPPY with my "I went on 3 rides. BUT never thought of it like that!!! I WAS AT THE HAPPIEST PLACE ON EARTH!!!!!!
@@kimberlymacandog7616Now you can hardly ride or or eat do much else because it’s so crowded. I think we did more a decade ago and without using a fast pass. So as the price goes up, we do less. How did this happen?
Disney doesnt want to be TOO cheap or affordable. They don't want too many people in the park. Its not for certain people. That's ok. Apple or Lexus isnt for everyone. These are premium products just like Disney is a premium product. If you restrict how many people can come to the parks, you can deliver better service to the people that are there but Disney's doesnt want empty wallets walking the park. Its dollars per visitor as a metric. This is capitalism
I think you are absolutely correct. I don’t mind the new announcements, but I would like more concrete announcements. I’m surprised they went this route again after the last D23 where they got severely criticized for a lot of “maybe, possibles, and we’re think of” scenarios. Disney really needs to listen to their clients and hear what we want for the parks. This is how you find the happy middle. (Eg. they need to fix/re-do Imagination)
I think you nailed it Chris. I'm not looking for "Hey everyone, we MIGHT do something like this..." There's no commitment on what they're giving us, so if they don't deliver for ANY reason, then they can fall back on "it was only a suggestion". I too want "THIS is what we are doing" announcements from Disney at D23 EXPO. I'd even be ok with "We're working on some ideas for our parks, and we hope to announce plans on a future date" and "Here's are some we're going to do...ie the meet and greets, and slight ride changes. Whatever they come up with though, my family will still purchase top tier passes for DL (we live 15 min away from the parks) and visit the parks globally as our budget allows.
your business sense always adds that extra understanding to all this nonsense. def agree. I'm not planning my vacation around a meet and greet or one peice of concept art. we want hard details that are fully explained. Look at the disconnect between the Mary Poppins ride they announced then canceled and the actual details that leaked wayyyyy after. horrible.
Chris, 💯 💯 💯!!! I too have been in the business world for decades. I completely agree with you. There is a serious disconnect between Disney and its consumers. That concerns me. What concerns me more is that I don’t think Disney cares or notices that there is a disconnect. I really wish they would take a hard look at themselves. Hope Disney Execs see this video!
Another fantastic video explaining things a lot of us might not understand. I so appreciate the insight you share from your years of experience! I think you are spot on!!
I think you have a valid point. If I was there I’d rather get excited about what is coming than learning about ideas that aren’t going to come to fruition. It would leave me feeling empty.
I think what bothered me most about todays announcements was they made it seem like Disney parks are so affordable and easy to get to. They kept showing zootopia in Shanghai and frozen land in another country and to come check it out like it is down the street. I most likely won’t be able to ever see a Disney park outside of the country so there is no appeal to me. Instead of getting a futuristic park with new attractions and animatronics, Florida gets a showing a Figment that looks unfinished yet announced a year ago. I feel like I am not rich enough or a die hard Disney fan to get the benefit of these announcements. I like Disney but I also like seeing non Disney stuff.
What's the reason you're not able to visit a Disney park outside the country? Forego going to Disney World for a couple of years and you would save enough money to go to Japan or China.
@@reyjusufA few reasons a foreign country isn’t feasible for my family are: 1. Passports for 11 people. 2. An overnight flight with a disability. 3. An overnight flight with a toddler. 4. An overnight flight with a person over 75. 5. Potential safety issues such as those Provost himself recently encountered. There are many, many reasons a lot of people can never travel outside the US.
100% right! It’s so disappointing that for the 2nd year in a row it’s ideas not real announcements! Another year of nothing. What’s happening to Disney? It’s so sad! 😢
You are definitely right on the mark. They need to give us some firm commitments on rides & new updates instead of giving us only ideas. It is frustrating when they get us excited then just say we may do this or may do that. Thanks for your insight. You explain it so well.
We really appreciate your honesty, Chris.🙌 As a D23 Member, you hit the nail on the head. I would’ve been so disappointed if I had traveled from California to Florida for those announcements.😔
and Disney would love that you spent the money on that. they are also going to hold these even if they have nothing to share. they know ppl will come and spend anyway. they really have gotten away from Walt. its just heartbreaking what has happened to his dream.
Really interesting video. From my class it seems like Disney is all about surveys and pleasing guests and shareholder profits. Walt is not there any more with his genius ideas and his ability to brilliantly sell the story. No one is there to come up with something that is extraorinary and even if they did it would probably be too financially risky. They are stuck--as we see in Tomorrowland. Even if Walt's idea failed or became unpopular with time, he would have come up with something even better and more spectacular. Walt made Disneyland seem as if it was ultra-modern and on the cutting edge of science and he told us a story about that on Sunday nights. Walt was not afraid to take the risk on a new and untested idea--the people who run the place do not seem to have the good idea and they are afraid. I do not think Walt would have left the People-Mover in the dilapidated state it is in for everyone to talk about on their vids. He would have fixed it and made it grand and sold it to us and we would have believed what he said. I am just saying this because I loved him and believed every single thing he said. There is no one driving Walt's innovative car. He gave us the magic. From what you are saying it seems like they just do not have the gift of story-telling or creativity. Maybe they should get a trustworthy character to speak for the company and tell us what is going on as you suggested. Really, that is what Walt did--he told us what was going on at Disneyland and told us all about his creations of Haunted Mansion and Pirates. I think you have hit on something. What is Dsneyland, really....but, I like your question of what do we expect from it. Well done.
We just returned from our annual Disney trip yesterday, and you are so right. I love Disney but the last two times we have been have been disappointing. The magic is gone. Cast members are rude, construction everywhere, the park was very dirty and I left feeling totally ripped off. As we left, we said it was probably our last Disney trip for a very long time. 💔
Spot on! Please set expectations...it's definitely letting the wind out of the excitement sails to not hear about new and exciting stuff...thanks for sharing!
This was a great prospective, Chris. I, too, was watching the LIVE stream this morning and could not believe all the negative comments at the end of the presentation. I think another concern of people is “time.” We all know Disney has the reputation of taking forever to build anything, so when nothing big gets announced, that’s just several more years where we won’t have anything new to look forward to. Then here we have their HUGE competitor who is knocking out major attractions in a year and a brand new park in just a few years. This can get frustrating for the die hard Disney fans. Some of us are not getting any younger. 😉 And nothing is really ever set in stone. I agree though. ENOUGH of the blue sky concept art. Show us actual projects that WILL be happening. I just hold everything that Disney says with a grain of salt now. Heck, even at this point even the Disney “Adventure” ship name could be changed. 😂 I am sad that I will miss the debut of the Hatbox Ghost, completion of Epcot and new Luminous show on my next trip. I’ll be coming home on Nov 19. 😢
Awesome takes, Chris. It’s just my humble opinion, but on our first drip to DL/DCA last year, Disney exceeded all our expectations. Also, another aspect that is very important to us is that they are working on taking better care of their cast members. I’d love to see that keep moving in the right direction as well. 🤙🏽
My response is they Don’t care. Plan and simple. Like an employee, I can train unemployed to do anything, but Care. Disney has stopped caring about us. Plan and simple. They want that is what they do. They want our money our time and our services for absolutely nothing in return. We should back them no matter what they do. Politically or financially we should back them 100%. Ya I think universal is doing more for people than what Disney used to do. It’s so sad to see the state of Disney. I don’t think it will change.
@@CUTravel1st maybe our bar was too low or we were just excited because it was our first time, but I really hope they know that what made our experience so great were the CMs. 🤙🏽
I think you are spot on with the disconnect between our expectations as Disney fans and what we got from the D23 announcements. I also think that many of us, want new ideas in addition to what we already have. We don't just want re-themed areas. We want to be able to experience the nostalgia alongside new and exciting 'current' Disney.
I don’t know why I’m cracking up so much! But your of the cuff comment of not being satisfied with a car that only has 3 wheels and doesn’t have reverse!?! Hahaha!!! I can only imagine driving off the lot mad at the dealer because it only has 3 FREAKING WHEELS!! Then you slam it into reverse and…. WHAAAAAT!!! IT DOESN’T HAVE REVERSE!!!! That would be a sad day. Sad sad day.
You are totally on point. I think Disney has set the bar so high our expectations are off the charts when it comes to their brand but lately it seems their effort has become alittle stagnant. But also, I think Disney fans (including myself) go into these speculations of what we think they’re going to do next but we forget to leave our speculations at the door and end up allowing or speculations become expectations. This is a great topic, hope you revisit this on a live stream. 🤙 thanks Chris!!
I totally agree with you Chris, I'm a catering manager and first for foremost my job is to manage client expectation, and if I do it correctly, they are blown away by what I provide. Dream Big, manage expectation & exceed that limit for the client & guest!
I agree with you. I just don’t understand why Disney doesn’t follow through on most of these announcements. You are right, if the audience or chatter doesn’t get excited about that idea, it doesn’t come to fruition. If they are going to discuss projects but our opinions too, then they should have a poll. from Ohio🇺🇸
Disney Parks profits are being cannibalized by the rest of their company and there is no budget left to safely expand the parks in any meaningful way. That is all. The company is a mess. If the parks operated independently from the rest of the company, the magic and innovation would be an unstoppable force. Unfortunately, they've become too bloated and are trying to purchase creativity instead of fostering it in house. I don't see things changing and it will likely be their downfall...RIP
I moved to Orlando in 1979 after honeymooning there in 1977....I was the biggest Disney/Disney World fan...I took a sick day at work to attend the opening day at Epcot...I had the seasonal pass for Disney with my family until the late 90's, until I worked for a company on Disney property and got a pass that allowed me to get into any park whenever I wanted. I loved the days you woke up on a day off and as you ate breakfast you decided you wanted to eat lunch at the Crystal Palace or drink around the world for happy hour...and you did it!!! It was fabulous! Then came the day I went to an employees only preopening day at Animal Kingdom...I was so excited...until I got there...and me and my daughter literally accomplished everything you could do in the park...in about 3 hours. How could you open a less than half day park with full day prices??? It felt like a Busch Gardens ripoff with none of the thrill rides that made Busch Gardens worth an hour drive!!! Where was all the wonderful Disney planning when there was little shade, but lots of shops and only one legitimate ride in the entire park? I was so disappointed, I have never returned to that park, despite the numerous additions since....the prices are exorbitant and the return is not worthy of Disney, or what Disney was when I was in love with it. Yes, I got older and you can call me an old man at 67, but Disney used to make EVERYONE a child again in it's theming, service, wonderful rides and entertainment....but it's just not there anymore....and it's definitely not worth the ridiculous cost anymore. I much prefer the Universal parks today to anything at Disney...if you wonder why, just take the time to stroll through Daigon Alley and you will know what it used to feel at a Disney park. I am sad that Disney is no longer Disney, but I can't wait, at 67, until I can go to the new park Universal is building...because it will be better than anything Disney has given us since the early 1980's.
i think they are just not reading their audience. D23 isn't for updates it is for BIG Things. As consumers, we expect to have a new ride, new land, new hotel, etc... Not meet and greets and popcorn buckets. LOL. Also, i think the expectations have been big and have been since at least the 80s .... but now it isn't really meeting them Take for example, avengers campus in disneyland. No place to sit... one new ride (spidey) and one old ride .... It really isn't a land... the shows are wallaby (again no place to sit) ... it just feels empty and wasted, Even the stores didn't have merch my Avengers kid wanted. Crazy Sad. Moreover, they took out bugs land which was very well themed and had lots of rides (flicks, ladybug, tuck and roll, splash pad, and heimlichs choo choo plus a show) ---- which was kid centric/toddler friendly.... and they dont have a toddler friendly ( think toontown) in CA Adventure.... I think disney needs to know their audience .... and get back to basics... of meeting their fans where they are
I love that you came at this from a business mind, because people seem to forget that Disney is a corporation. I definitely think that people are going in with insane expectations, especially during the economy. At the same time though, I think the corporation is also cutting corners so significantly that of course they’re not going to meet even basic expectations. Your analysis of Blue Sky announcements is right in the nose, because a business should not announce maybes, but we also shouldn’t expect new parks and expansions every year.
Should we expect them to actually do the ones they announced, like epcot, which they slashed to pieces? Should we expect them to ever actually do them? Like tron which dragged on for years, and epcot. Their project management is an absolute joke.
Honestly, I think the Disney fans expect to much. I'm a Disney fan through and through. But, I do not care about announcements. I also think Social media has deluded any news anymore. I also think Disney did fine with the announcements. Love your videos. I truly loved your Halloween Horror night video
Hi Chris. As D23 members, we are a wee bit disappointed in the progress of the future announcements about Disney ideas. We have been members for some time now, and it is totally different than it used to be. We are excited about changes coming up, but not clear yet what Exactly is going to happen. Clarity is a must when dealing with the fans. We agree with you that if Disney isn't going to be clear / exact about what they have planned, Don't confuse us with maybe! That's our brutal thoughts about it. Thanks for sharing your thoughts about the announcements. ❤Bizebeegranny Jeanne and Dave Rose ❤️
Before this event and D23 last year I saw a huge amount of speculation across social media, with big CZcams channels ‘predicting’ X or Y. And the problem now with speculation is that fandoms turn speculation in to expectations. So, when we don’t get those expectations people get angry. Disney never said they’d announce a new fully formed land or brand new attraction or even park, but fans had speculated and then expected. You mentioned something specifically in this video with the Muppets. A throwaway comment from Miss Piggy about songs and more Muppets later on led to fans speculating about a new attraction, land, etc. Disney promised nothing beyond more Muppets later, but fan speculation created an expectation that Disney itself hadn’t set. The issue isn’t with Disney setting expectations and not delivering (all they promised was a Parks panel, that’s it), it’s with fans not speculating responsibly and blaming that on Disney.
It's the same with movies and TV shows. When a movie sequel or another season of a TV show is announced, people will go online and stuff their brains with fan theories in like-minded echo chambers, to the point where they then feel cheated if they aren't given exactly what they speculated.
I think it's important to look at where the company is financially. They are in DEBT. They are cutting costs and asking guests to pay more for the same (and now often worse) experiences.
Chris, fellow Utah’n here! We have been feeling disenfranchised for a while. There are reasons why we no longer have season passes for Disney and opted for Universal instead. Disney blew a lot of smoke today like they always do. Half of the time they do this, they often disappoint with the final result due to budgetary issues. See Toy Story Land for example. Zootopia announcement is a fail. It needs to be its own park or larger than what they announced. Disney is still falling short of Universal with “kiddie” type attractions like Tron. Another test track retheme is good because that is more more like Tron. We went to Florida last month and went to Universal and Sea world for a couple of days. Then we went to Disney and did Magic Kingdom. The kids including my 10 year old wanted to go back to Universal after 3 hours. Same with Epcot after riding Guardian’s. Disney is letting us down while the competition entertains at a higher level. While Disney is giving ride changes, the competition is doing new parks. D23….Turning out to be more of a show with possibilities than plans with added hype.
There was self-dealing with the Fox purchase and other financial shenanigans. The Hulu purchase may be the same scenario. Stranded investment, lining their own pockets,, don't see Disney recovering in my remaining lifetime.
@@Dive-Bar-Casanova as a share holder, I have no clue where we will get the cash to pay Comcast for the rest of Hulu. It's ridiculous to assume we will be alright in the end after that deal is done. Fox is still a nightmare. We have yet to cover their debts. It's time for John Lasseter at Apple to take us over.
I think you're close. I think a bit of the problem is we as fans get ourselves all hyped up and speculative, and when Disney doesn't meet our fantasy that we create, we get upset. We need to go to d23 with a black slate mentality, and not expect the world on a plate. It's like expecting a sequel to a classic, fan idolized movie (star wars, star Trek, Indy, just to name a few) to be as good as the original.
The problem is Disney no longer has a Walt figure running the company . With Walt at the helm it was the total opposite - he constantly found ways to EXCEED everyone’s expectations . When he dreamt it , it happened. It is POSSIBLE but bowls with their current terrible stack of leadership.
From a fan's pov you are spot on. But I think the reason why the gap exists in the first place is because they are using the Parks to bail out other aspects of the business that are bleeding money. So all of the development money is now funding streaming or other aspects. So thry have this big party to announce things, so they gather all the big projects they are working on that have been approved, but the only things that have been approved are the less expensive projects, like meet and greets.
You are so right! I thought they announced some great things though and I’d say it met my expectations. But I get why some might feel different. I think it ultimately comes down to the fact that Disney isn’t exactly paying enough attention to the parks. They do great things but I think they are unaware of how important the parks are to the fans
Maybe I’m weird but I actually love that they bring forth their blue sky ideas. Yes it’s awesome to get announcements but I also like to see a look into the imagineers minds. I think in general people are too negative
I agree with what you are saying. I did think the announcements were a bit underwhelming but at the same time people's expectations seem a bit high. I would like to see them focus on the unfinished projects & update us on those.
Chris. I think part of the problem is that they’ve promised to do certain things and then they compromise and change it and don’t do what they say they’re gonna do and we end up with something that was no good as far as the expectations they gave us, and they cut too many corners.
While I agree with much of what you said, I also believe that a problem is the crazy speculation that comes from many of the Disney influencers and their channels. These outlets feel like the have to have the most sensational info and to get it out before everyone else so they make claims that people buy into. It makes Disneys job harder when they want to announce something, but the speculators have put out all these other ideas. Lower prices, pay your cast members better, keep the parks clean and safe and let’s all enjoy the company of each other while we are at the parks. That will keep me coming back with my family.
Excellent Video Chris. Thumbs up again we love your focus and presentation. My mother work for Walt for 44 years. I was fortunate enough to go to Disneyland opening day. A lasting impression was the Mr Toads ride operator was wearing a beautiful costume. She looked amazing pressing those lit buttons. We recently did another Disney Cruise. The activities cast members mentioned they will no longer be wearing their unique costumes. Instead they have defaulted to unisex Magic Mountain Ride operators uniforms. Hotels at Disneyworld are de-theming too. Walt made it all work with product and plussed the product up instead of cost cutting. Iger had a wind to his back when he first took over and that ship has sailed that wind has died down.
You’re pretty accurate and it’s not fair to Disney. Since social media everyone goes negative so quickly Disney should just stop announcing anything until it’s approved, funded and ready to start digging. Then people can get excited for the project that’s going to happen for certain.
Maybe, but that's their own fault lol, they're the ones who make the decision to keep doing the conference every year and handling it the way they do. Like almost all of Disney's current woes, it's a self-inflicted wound
Alternatively, maybe part of the problem is the ever growing army of CZcamsrs and influencers that, in order to drive views and clicks, speculate wildly about everything Disney. So much so that when the reality turns out to be different, everyone is disappointed, and somehow Disney gets the blame. Perhaps what is needed is fewer people trying to trying grift off of Disney. The problem isn’t in our stars, the problem is ourselves.
THIS! 👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽 and at the end of the day, Disney KNOWS its CZcamsr fans strongly rely on the company to keep their own viewerships and clicks, no matter how underwhelming their announcements are 🤷🏻♀️ . Fans get disappointed and then it dies down, and the CZcamsrs continue to give the parks publicity. Disney has seen a pattern and banks on this.
Disney started the law suits, Disney screwed up Indiana Jones making it about Woman Power and Indy being a simpering fool.Disney movies lost 1.7 billion this year so far.Bipity bobity boo Boutique has are men with beards in dresses ushering in Little children for their Fair Godmother experience. Disney controlled Reedy Creek which was suppose to be a state government entity forever.Walt got his so called District because he was going to build an actual city on Epcot property,this he told the state legislature. Disney and his Board actually said. A few years ago they wanted to cater to $400,000 households,shoving out the regular working family. Sheeeech,I could go on and on.These so called CZcamsrs started out praising Disney and all the wonderful movies and attractions
Exactly! Disney is so overindulged by the influencers/diehard fans. The company realized no matter how tiny the thing they announce, fans will be crazy happy and want to see it on day one and post photos/videos on social media just for more views.
Stop blaming the kids, grandpa. Disney has been underperforming for years. And Chapek was cutting everything at Disney World when he ran those parks long before he was CEO.
Yeah, I'm going to need you to develop out that driver's license medical record idea!
😁
That's a great idea.
@provostparkpass you need to copyright that asap
THIS!
This is already a thing in Sweden. Every citizen has a "person number" that is tied to their driver's license, which provides all pertinent information about their health status. My friend, an expat from the US, loves the convenience. It works.
A change of leadership will change the culture of a company. Walt Disney had a dream for his company and over the years, as leadership changed, it got lost. His target was families, not politics. He wasn't concerned about anything like an ESG rating.
💯💯💯
And he wanted everyone to enjoy the parks, not just the wealthy.
I think you are right. If Disney wants to have a panel at D23 where they share ideas to see if fans are interested, then sell it as a focus group and fans would probably be excited and happy to participate, but sharing things and then not bringing them to fruition is frustrating. Like Mary Poppins at Epcot.
If Bluey has taught me anything, it's that you should keep your promises.
That's what blue sky concept is, ideas that they are thinking about but may not come to fruition. Mary poppins at Epcot was greenlit and then canceled, which is a little different.
hear, hear!
THIS!!! I love this idea so much!!!
Why do we need a Mary Poppins attraction at EPCOT in the first place? And frankly, I found Disney Parks' idea for the attraction rather lame.
All I know is the park is overcrowded and inflated costs result in making it hard to justify visiting any longer. I used to go a few times a year when there were still ways to have fun on a budget (endless buckets of ribs!) and sort of avoid crowds (no ride lines during parades!). I’m glad I made the memories when they were possible (endless runs on any coaster while fireworks popped overhead sigh). ✨
Personally, I just don't like the endless construction in the parks. Seeing all the scaffolding, scrim, and temporary walls really breaks the magic. That, and the ridiculous cost doesn't help either. This summer my family opted for a cruise instead. We saved money, but I miss Disney.
The "MAGIC" of Disney is gone. I remember parks and cast members that were immaculate, so clean and wholesome. It's all about selling cheap Chinese products and junk food for ridiculous prices. At the end of the day all you feel is ripped off!
@@gregdrivesdriver5104but this particular junk food is themed to the latest film release/color scheme! If you don’t post pics with it on your Instagram, people will think less of you!
There once was a television program where Walt Disney was talking about the design philosophies behind the park. It was stated that all maintenance was done at night after park close so the guest did not see anything behind the scenes, Today Disney does not care...... Epcot has been a disgrace for months. That all should have been done with in three months tops. 24/7.... Look at Universal Epic........ Disney shame for sure...
We also opted to go to Europe and take a transatlantic cruise…which was cheaper than going to Walt Disney World.
@@gregdrivesdriver5104YOU, the proverbial you, asked for cheap chinese made chotchkies. You did this in the 80s when you endorsed supply side economics
I think Disney is disconnected with Disney, being the core concept of Walt's Disney. That is the Disney fans fell in love with. No one loves the greedy Disney. No one loves the disrespectful to Cast Members Disney. No one loves the unoriginal storytelling Disney.
The people who don't like Disney think it's a greedy corporation, and that's been proven right. It's not that a business can't be interested in making money, but like you said, it's not what we as customers want.
If Disney is confused about what our expectations are:
- treat the Cast Members better.
- keep the parks safe, both from visitors and safety issues with the rides. Treat your Cast Members better by allowing maintenance workers to come in more often, also allowing the visitors to be less frustrated by ride closures.
- stop with the live action remakes, unless it is for movies that can genuinely be improved a second time around.
- stop raising prices, because we know the markups are crazy, and we'll buy more for less as we come to value the company more.
- pay your writers a fair wage, and understand the human element to the story is what fans want to see.
- just allow the magic to come back.
IMO, Disney parks have been fleecing guests for a long time, since at least the 2000s.
@@biancar481 I agree. See my comment above. Eisner was the last real leader at Disney, but he's a lousy manager. Iger is a lousy leader but a great manager. (Chapek was neither.) and Iger, like it or not, has been running Disney Parks as a piggy bank WITHOUT PAYING FOR NEW IP ever since Frank Wells died and Eisner's ADD put him out of a job. Walt had Roy; Eisner had Wells. Iger would make a great Frank Wells for a real leader. That's what Disney needs. And incidentally, Chapek was worse, but that doesn't mean Iger's return was good for Disney, it means it was just less bad.
Agreed. Good points
Disney bowed their head to universal and adopted their business model. Everything movie IP but they forget park IP is what creates sentimentality. Let creative run the show bcos financial is killing parks
EXACTLY
I can't stress how much just being able to check your bags at the hotel the day your flying out and getting a bus that showed up on time taking you to and from hotel simplifies vacation planning yet Disney just said to heck with it.
I think you hit this spot on. I agree fully with the disconnect between fans and Disney.
Definitely spot on. The last couple of years it's been mostly meet and greets announced. This year I saw a post with the major announcements in a Disney fan group. There were 2 listed and I'd already heard about both of them over a year ago for the new Avengers' Campus ride, and over a month ago for the Star Wars meet and greet that is now also moving to Florida.
It's disappointing at best.
Thank you for your time and effort to share your insightful and intelligent thoughts and conclusions. !!
Respectfully, I disagree. We are at a time where there’s so much speculation and hype out there that people post and talk about, that it gets fans expectations up. Disney isn’t letting people down, people are letting themselves down because they get caught up in what could be from speculation, that they don’t stop and think what is feasible or possible. We are at a time where we are so overloaded with “information”. It’s not like how it used to be where a couple of websites might have a trusty inside with Disney. Now there’s thousands of rumor sites and CZcams/tiktok channels, Facebook groups, etc. and they are all about views and engagement that they just post whatever they can that might seem plausible or so sensational that it might be something that could happen. And people buy into it because it’s sooo cool. But when Disney announces comes out with something, it doesn’t hit expectations that WE created because of outside sources, we get upset at Disney and not the false messengers.
Isn't the simple explanation just that they're trying to reduce costs and capital outlay without scaling back the event and making it look like they're in cost reduction? E-ticket attractions are now a minimum $500 million, multiplied by 8 wholy-owned parks and even if it were an expansionary time, you can't have an hour of announcements that cost that much.
@kingdoo21 I'm sure that's part of it, but they gave so few details of the new ride they did announce that it feels off. The guy Chris mentioned couldn't have been cheap, neither were the Muppets and yet Disney spent that money and had them announce meet and greets. This was a waste of money and time.
I started going to Disneyland annually beginning in the 80's. Back then the cast members were happy to work there, and customer service was top quality. They truly made it a magical experience. About 10 years ago, that quality began to recede. I last went just before the shutdown, but with the price today and the lack of the magical experience, I'm not excited to go back.
I agree. I used to work there and feel like in the past few years people have been saying the magic is gone from Cast Members... I kept thinking no way and maybe ignoring it, but the last couple times I've been there, it's been true and hard to ignore-- CMs aren't concerned with the guests. And I know tattoos are part of expression but I don't feel that they're "timeless," as Walt wanted-- I feel like the decline of the Disney Look has contributed to the decline of the Disney CM attitude. And alcohol in MK and Disneyland? Walt would NEVER!
The parks are staffed by a skeleton crew being worked like rented mules and paid peanuts. Management is getting what they're willing to pay for.
I worked as a CM 2 separate times. The bar was set so high to work there. Now, you are treated poorly by annoyed CM's full of tattoos, piercings, and bad attitudes. They are all young and have no drive or love for Disney. It is not nearly as enjoyable as it used to be.
While I think DL avoided for longer, the big slide for WDW began after the tourist slump of 2001. Disney figured that the severe cost cutting could be sustained and they'd see very little downside. That WDW in particular would pivot to the one and done crowd. People who wouldn't know any better. This is a company that now monetizing (genie+) the lack of CapEx that existed for much of Iger's reign. I took my kids to WDW for the first time this summer. At one point I had to stop myself from continually explaining why Epcot was such a great park when I visited, when I was there age in the early 90s. There really is a massive gulf between the quality of the product then vs now.
It’s refreshing to hear honest thoughts on Disney from folks like you. I love Disney too but problems have gotten too big to ignore. I hope they will improve again!
I agree with your thoughts 100%. D23 has turned into a focus group. Show the consumer loads of ideas, it doesn’t cost them much money, and then everyone walks away thinking all this stuff might happen. Also, re-theming a ride doesn’t cost them as much money as building new attractions and lands. I wish they would just bite the bullet and do SOMETHING. It seems like their sole focus these days is on Disney+ and getting new subscribers. Nothing else matters anymore.
They should have done that before destroying Splash
I went last year and it felt like a waste of money. One we tried getting reservations for the park panel and it sold out in seconds. Two, everything they showed was on a livestream so we don’t even need to be their. Three, all they showed was ideas, everything that did happen was cheap rethemes. They announced the avengers ride AGAIN that has not seen any signs of being built since 2019. It felt like a waste of time, and I will never attend again.
You're right. Even when Disney does commit to a project it takes them too long to finish. Universal is building an entirely new theme park here in Florida in the same time it took Disney to "refurbish " Epcot! Stop focusing on the media side and invest in the parks.
Refurbishing a park while it is open is far more difficult than building a park when there are no guests around.
A combination of the difficulty of refurbishing and building attractions in a park while it’s open without too much disturbance to guests, AND the time it takes to build sustainably/environmentally and get checks, sign offs and verification that what they’re building fits sustainability protocols at every stage. Universal doesn’t build sustainably or environmentally and Epic Universe is an entire park that they can build without worrying about guest interruptions so it can build quicker.
If the new Universal park is as boring and cartoonish as Mario Brothers in LA, it will be a waste space, only for hard fans that doesn't read a book in years and think that a walk-in video game (the screens that support 85% of Universal rides) is a good experience.
It doesn't have to be.@@robbvaules
Universal is building a whole new theme park in less time than Disney is taking to refurbish the treehouse (a walkthrough attraction) in Disneyland!
I couldn’t agree more! Meet and greet loses something when your kids age out of the illusion. So, let’s focus on what made me become a DVC member: an experience that makes me feel welcome in a world that’s is clean, beautiful, and happy.
You are spot on. Disney needs to do better. Get a plan and execute it and listen to the guests. They need to announce an expansion and follow thru with it. We love Disney and have been going for many many years and really miss how magical it used to be.
100% agree. My buddies and I were texting each other this morning and we were saying almost exactly the same thing. We expect about 50% or less of the announcements to actually happen. Or a watered-down version. It's all about setting the right expectations
,,, and they still have to be good expectations. Disneyland used to sell a 12" X 14" color 25 page annual guidebook. Refreshed every year. The most exciting thing were the last pages with illustrations of rides and attractions to come. It glowed with unique character and excitement. That Magic is evaporating.
You’re spot on. The Figment meet and greet is especially frustrating since fans have calling for an update to Journey into Imagination for years. Disney doesn’t seem to want to spent the money on the ride but they sure do want to market Figment at us.
As a customer of Disney and I love Disney, my customer expectations are set so much higher than hearing about a new meet and greet. You hit it spot on. Customer expectations are getting missed because customers who adore Disney feel like the "wow" of Disney is getting missed... and it is frustrating because we want something big, like a new Disney Theme park coming in the US (Wow!) or a fabulous new land being developed at Disneyland with amazing rides. A new meet and greet just falls flat, doesn't it?
Totally. A new meet and greet can and should be announced in an email. 😅
My family and I are big Disney fans (specifically the parks). I think you are spot on. Adding to that, I personally feel like it’s become very manipulative with the way they do things. I don’t think the creativity that we used to love about Disney is there anymore. I don’t think it’s a lost cause, and I do think they could easily get back on the path that we are used to. This is just my humble opinion. In spite of all of this, I will continue to enjoy the parks. I have just learned to not get excited about anything until it’s actually happening. Love all of your videos, very uplifting.
Agreed. Foreign parks doing all the imagineering and innovation and US parks get the scraps. Meanwhile US park tix cost twice as much as foreign parks.
I expect the next 5 years will yield revenue generating additions like stores, restaurants and reimagineered existing rides. Nothing new and original...i.e. tron from shanghai, indy from DL etc
They have lost a lot of their creative genius and are relying too heavily on live action remakes.
@@ronclark4212sadly, me too.
@@susanadkins4839agree 💯
I agree 100%! And also to these replies!!! It's so frustrating.
You are spot on, Chris. It used to be so exciting for these meeting/get togethers. Big things would be in the air. But now...nope. When I started doing artwork for Disney we would have signings and special events. It was exciting to get to meet artists and celebrities from Disney. Now it seems that they just want to sell mass produced stuff without much thinking about the Disney Fan. The special events have really dried up. A real loss of fan connection. Sigh...thanks Chris. Your opinions are spot on. Thanks!
You’re so right. I think you’ll get my story. My parents we at Disney on opening day! So it begins. I’m 62 and am so disillusioned. We went all the time..until the summer we moved to Texas. I’ll never forget standing by Pirates of the Caribbean and hearing hammers behind a fence close by. As my dad explained they were building the Haunted Mansion. I cried the rest of the night. Disney was perfect. Spotless..exceptional..years ahead of its time. And Magic. Then awesome DisneyWorld.. I couldn’t wait to take my kids. I’ve even been to Tokyo.. so last year my 40yr old Navy daughter got us tickets for exactly this week. I almost died. Sorry this is long but.. So we had fast pass. Waited forever for SpaceMountain. Just to be told it broke down. So on we went. Things didn’t seem as “on point” as I remember. So we go on It’s a Small World ..and it breaks down midway thru. Pirates ...broke down during line. What the H*** is happening.... Walt would NEVER stand for any of that. Worst ..Peter Pan broke half way thru..and they turned on the lights. And ruined the magic I believed for 50 years. My daughter actually cried.
So what happened to the pride.the care ..the attention to detail...it was still a great visit...Star Wars was awesome. But I was actually glad my 16yr old granddaughter didn’t get to come. How disillusioned and disappointed she would have been...and that..to whoever runs the park...breaks my heart! 😢 thanks for letting me vent! You’re great!
I can sooo relate. Was at Disneyland this weekend and the magic is gone. Long gone. The first two rides we wanted were Haunted Mansion and Pirates of the Caribbean. Both closed AT OPENING because they didn't have enough staff (overheard 2 cast members talking about it, that's how we found out). And cast members just 'show up' now. Most don't even interact with the public. You think they were Home Depot employees running away when they saw you coming LOL.
But yes, nobody in today's Disney even knows or understands what Walt's dreams were. Or expectations. Sad.
Chris you are right about Disney’s disconnect with the fans. I have been going to Disneyland since 1957 and starting in the late sixties I have gone annually enjoying with my children and now my grandchildren. Somewhere in the last several years it has become a money grab it is no longer what Walt envisioned a place for everyone. It saddens me to say it but as a senior citizen the tickets are just getting too expensive, and I may not be able to continue to take my grandchildren anymore
Sue, I'm a senior citizen i can't afford Disneyland prices. Or the parking prices either I rather PUT food on my table.
Chris, I think you are right. It seems to me that Universal has learned from the Disney "playbook" and announces big projects that captivate our imaginations while Disney is too busy trying to protect their bottom line and have forgotten what made them so special to begin with.
I agree with this. Universal's theming has gotten much better and the parks are cleaner.
For people that go once every couple years, it feels like things are being added. I'm excited to see the runaway railroad next time I go to Disneyland, the revised toontown, the new parade, hopefully the treehouse will be done. People that go every week maybe get bored that things dont change fast enough. I also think people are always going to say they want more because they feel like there is always room for improvement. But the parks always seem to be full so I dont really believe people are as upset with disney as they say they are. I loved hearing your thoughts. Totally agree they should be more upfront with what is going to be announced. Good insight. Thanks Chris. ❤❤❤
They'll likely see more people not going. My family just got priced out of going as much as we used to.
There's also a conflict with the fans who know Cast Members and want Disney to treat them better, and going to the parks supports the Cast Members.
But I think for the changes, it isn't always about a whole new ride, at least for those who are there all the time. If you live near the parks, odds are you know a Cast Member. When you know a Cast Member, you hear about how frustrating it is when the rides that are there break all the time. Indiana Jones is known as the ride that is always down. It always breaks because it is still running off of equipment from the 90s, when the ride opened. It's two decades old, going on three. They haven't updated, they just keep letting it break down more. A big change those of us who do, or used to, go a lot want to see is what's already there being respected.
Disney are pdfiles
@@filmanalysis7191 I would love if they put more effort into making rides work better. I have an autistic son and he gets extremely agitated when rides break down. But it seems like the new ones such as the star wars ride breaks down as well. Should be a priority for sure though.
Thank you so much for your videos!! I appreciate all your tips and your encouraging words. I have started going to Disney a couple times a year for the past 2 years now. Your videos have really helped so much especially your genie plus video! You're so awesome!! ❤
You are on the right track however I think the missed expectations are bigger than just D23. Disney is moving farther and farther from Walt's vision and values. I have been going to Disneyland for decades and my family has always been excited about going but now that is changing. We love that their are old favorites and new attractions, food and merch. Is it about a family place filled with magic and imagination as we leave today and enter the World of yesterday, tomorrow and fantasy or is it a place that is out of touch with it's customers and families struggle with new pricing structures and getting less for more. They seem solely concerned about money and where management is championing their own personal agenda? Don't get me wrong, they are still doing some things very well but the last few years have really been hard on their fan base.
Very well said. We have been long passe holders until this year, but the magic is gone and I really can't support them anymore.
We canceled our next Disney cruise, haven't watched Disney Plus in a year and will cancel that and our APs expire in January,, unlikely we'll renew. We spend a lot on the Disney product and that's going to end.
Agree 100 percent... now I don't have to comment! haha. D23 Is a really small part, I think greedy and woke Disney is the worst of their problems, and the biggest hurdle, they don't seem to to have the will or ability to shift back to what we expect... a family destination.
@@tiffmich2000💯
Thank you! The magic is gone. Just spent a weekend there and couldn't WAIT to leave.
I believe you were spot on with your analysis. Many of us were once again let down by their announcements. The biggest for sure change will be test track 3.0 but that's being paid for by GM. Disney is so cautious about putting money into the parks recently.
Disney is cash poor toward the parks. Movies bombing ot breaking even doesnt help
This issue is that the major news is always “could”, “possibly” and “thinking about”. All the blue sky talk and no blue sky action gets old. I would absolutely still LOVE the parks if not a single attraction was added. BUT, they need to stop the blue sky teasing and get to work. I’d rather not hear it at all than be told “we are considering” every year
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Your analogy of treating the attendees as a focus group is a great one. That is exactly what they were doing because I fear that the company is now being run by small thinkers or people who have lost their way because they are trying to be all things to all people. They have forgotten the main Disney model. They need to be lead by people who embody the spirit of Walt Disney and to “remember who they are”…. There is a reason we as Disney fans are disappointed and that is because the star that is the magic of Disney is fading. It’s like seeing a member of your family or someone you love lose their way. It hurts.
Right! It’s like Disney has no imagineers left and they are relying on the public to give them ideas.
I agree with you Chris, but I think it expands more than just not meeting expectation, it's either not following through with projects that fans are giving positive feedback or cutting short on ideas that fans clearly want.
I also think fans have been upset by the clear neglect of the park's condition/priority. Prices are too high for a day, crowds are insane, and with the expectations not being met, I've slowly stopped missing going back to the parks.
Chris, hate to disagree at least partially. Yes, expectations are not being met. Corporate disney doesn't have any innovation anymore. They can't build anything original. They're also not expanding, so that lines will stay long because there's nothing to eat up crowds with new attractions. They also hate Walt and Roy. Yes, I said hate. The examples are too numerous to hide anymore. Not playing his speech at DL anniversary, not putting him in the 50th fireworks show, floating the trial balloon of removing his name from WDW (a name purposely selected by ROY!), only to put things in after backlash hit them. Those are just a few examples. They do the exact opposite of what Walt said. To EXCEED the guests expectations and the money will take care of itself! Multiple times Walt and Roy put the whole company and their PERSONAL wealth on the line for something that turned out to be amazing. From sound in a cartoon to a full length animated movie to the parks themselves. They can't compete with Universals new items and are trying to blow smoke to cover and blind people. Blue sky is great for a panel. NOT as the primary announcement vehicle. WDI is a shell of what it used to be. They got rid of or forced out anybody that had original ideas. Now their hotels look like any Hilton or Marriott or even a Sheraton. Poor theming or if it is it's IP and not a real theme. I.E. the Contemporary. It had a them of a semi futuristic but contemporary luxury place. Now it's Incredibles tacky. The Floridian had an elegance that you paid to be a part of, the Polynesian used to be a very tropical place that took you away to the location with a little dash of Disney. Now it's Moana central.
As far as the rides, never again under this corporate disney will we see a ride devoid of IP. They can't or won't do it. They think that with no IP they can't push merch. Because it's not that it won't be successful. Big Thunder & Space mountains, Test Track, Rock n Roller coaster, Everest Pirates, Haunted Mansion. Just a few examples of all very popular rides with NO IP. But they don't push merch. Yes, they sell some, but not as much as they want. This is why the D23's are being hit with criticism Chris.
I think they are catering to the woke crowd. Disney used to focus on family but now it’s all about a woke agenda….Walt Disney will be so sad to see the state of his company.
@@kristintran9748
I couldn't agree with you more. For me Disney seems to be more worried about being politically correct, than just having fun. Like something Chris mentioned how Disney might be changing some of the songs in "Country Bear Jamboree" because they are not politically correct. Can't we all just enjoy life making fun at ourselves. And stop the whole Woke thing you mentioned. Life is better when we don't take everything so serious.
@@kristintran9748 Yes, catering to the woke is a huge reason why they are declining. They earned it
@@kristintran9748 Of course they are, but remember, as shown in the leaked video of their production leadership saying that they push their agenda in EVERY project, they ARE the woke crowd themselves.
@@ddc163264I just don’t understand why Disney is catering to a small group minority and letting the majority of their customers down. This is so backwards and madnesses.
All they need to do is drive down the road and take a lookie at Epic Universe and come to the realization that they need to do more. Plus the stock is plummeting.
I agree with your take on this. And as others have mentioned, as the prices continue to rise, we feel a bit frustrated and even taken advantage of by the company. As their prices rise incredibly high, then we as the conaumer expect more from the company in return, and we are upset when we don't get more. I still love Disney and continue to go to the parks, but I am sad that it is harder and harder for an average family to afford a trip there.
Hey Chris, I've been in the business world for 20+ years and enjoyed this video. But what got me most excited was your idea about medical records!!! Man, if you pushed that through for a business plan, I'd invest!!! Great video, thank you
The last time I was at WDW was in 2018. This was before Disney started price gouging with the Genie + and my cell phone was rarely taken out for anything especially ordering food, trying to get on rides etc. My family and I have been numerous times but it seems that the magic is slowly dwindling away because of the lack of imagination and the bean counters at Disney. Universal seems to be saying to Disney 'hold my beer..'
I think you've hit the nail on the head here Chris. When I read that Disney MAY be planning something I tend to skip over it these days as it rarely happens.
I love these sit down chat videos - they are such a great compliment to the park vids. Thanks, Chris and Amanda.
You’re spot on Chris! The disconnect and the “teasing” is so frustrating. They need to take a page from you and just listen because you could not have said it better & clearer!
Maybe I’m in the minority here but I love the classic old rides of Disneyland. If it didn’t change a bit from now to 100 years from now, I’d be ok with it. I almost wish they’d bring back the original Disneyland sign and make the park appear more vintage.
You are not the only one who loves the old rides and attractions. Too many updates too fast
If they had stopped updating Disneyland after 1995 when Indiana Jones opened, I would've be en okay with it. In fact, I might have actually prefered it.
I couldn’t agree more!!
@@reyjusuf Indy was the last great addition!
@@reyjusuf After I take over Disney, Disneyland itself will be permanently frozen in time from when Indiana Jones opened to anytime earlier. Disneyland actually can be complete and was officially completed after Indiana Jones
Disney has the Disney Parks blog and website to announce Meet and Greets. I agree with you Chris, I think the expectations aren't being met, there are multiple factors that have changed so drastically that we're not left satisfied or excited, and these screenshots of projects just aren't enough... that and I'd love to see more for DISNEYLAND. Come on guys!
You are 100,000% correct!! I much as I love Disney and as a Disney travel planner, it’s sometimes hard to market Disney travel and encourage my clients to book trips bc the expectation has been disappointing lately. I still visit the parks and I’m a huge Disney cruiser but I would love to see Disney go back to how they use to do business and put fans and visitors first. Universal is killing it right now with Epic Universal in the works and being completed soon. I love Disney but I would like to see what D23 use to be and the big announcement we always look forward to seeing!
Some really good thoughts. Thanks for sharing them. One thing that I think might help is for D23 to introduce a panel exclusively devoted to blue sky thinking. It might help us to adjust our expectations. We'd still get the really big, fantastical ideas that they are "considering", but without getting out hopes up because it would be in a panel devoted to the maybes.
Ok, but can we really make the medical records thing happen?
But aside from that, I feel like you are 100% correct. Last year, they announced one thing for Animal Kingdom and didn’t get a response that they loved, so it’s like they tried something else this year almost to see if this would stick better. I think people want definitive answers. We are doing X, Y, Z and it will be finished by this date.
Yes the driver's license thing needs to be reality, but given the government disconnect I'd like just a digital health card that has a photo on it for identity theft protection reasons, and my complete medical history from birth. The insurance in the US can and does change, so that shouldn't be included. You update the image for minors every year at the well child check and for adults every 10 years. Charge a flat fee at the Dr's office and they take the pic.
with my art business, when i work on my paintings i'm not too worried about expectation i just hope to get someone that likes them and may want to buy some of my work, i don't worry much about expectations because nothing is really selling anyway lol. when i paint its mostly to help with my depression and anxiety
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Spot on!! We have been going to Disney for 44 years. Love watching your vlogs always a treat!😊
The more disney charges to get in the park the more people are going to want in the park. Disney has caused the escalation of expectations. You used to get more in the park for less money. This was going to have an effect sooner or later.
YES AND NO....sometimes you were able to get MORE OF THE DISNEY EXPERIENCE than the actual park itself!!!!! I remember back in the mid/late 80's. I would be at Disneyland for THE ENTIRE DAY! And was SO PERFECTLY HAPPY with my "I went on 3 rides. BUT never thought of it like that!!! I WAS AT THE HAPPIEST PLACE ON EARTH!!!!!!
@@kimberlymacandog7616Now you can hardly ride or or eat do much else because it’s so crowded. I think we did more a decade ago and without using a fast pass. So as the price goes up, we do less. How did this happen?
Disney doesnt want to be TOO cheap or affordable. They don't want too many people in the park. Its not for certain people. That's ok. Apple or Lexus isnt for everyone. These are premium products just like Disney is a premium product. If you restrict how many people can come to the parks, you can deliver better service to the people that are there but Disney's doesnt want empty wallets walking the park. Its dollars per visitor as a metric. This is capitalism
I think you are absolutely correct. I don’t mind the new announcements, but I would like more concrete announcements. I’m surprised they went this route again after the last D23 where they got severely criticized for a lot of “maybe, possibles, and we’re think of” scenarios. Disney really needs to listen to their clients and hear what we want for the parks. This is how you find the happy middle. (Eg. they need to fix/re-do Imagination)
A fan, but not the biggest Disney fan here. Even so, I find your delivery so informative and interesting. Thanks!
I think you nailed it Chris. I'm not looking for "Hey everyone, we MIGHT do something like this..." There's no commitment on what they're giving us, so if they don't deliver for ANY reason, then they can fall back on "it was only a suggestion". I too want "THIS is what we are doing" announcements from Disney at D23 EXPO. I'd even be ok with "We're working on some ideas for our parks, and we hope to announce plans on a future date" and "Here's are some we're going to do...ie the meet and greets, and slight ride changes. Whatever they come up with though, my family will still purchase top tier passes for DL (we live 15 min away from the parks) and visit the parks globally as our budget allows.
your business sense always adds that extra understanding to all this nonsense. def agree. I'm not planning my vacation around a meet and greet or one peice of concept art. we want hard details that are fully explained. Look at the disconnect between the Mary Poppins ride they announced then canceled and the actual details that leaked wayyyyy after. horrible.
Chris, 💯 💯 💯!!! I too have been in the business world for decades. I completely agree with you. There is a serious disconnect between Disney and its consumers. That concerns me. What concerns me more is that I don’t think Disney cares or notices that there is a disconnect. I really wish they would take a hard look at themselves. Hope Disney Execs see this video!
Another fantastic video explaining things a lot of us might not understand. I so appreciate the insight you share from your years of experience! I think you are spot on!!
I think you have a valid point. If I was there I’d rather get excited about what is coming than learning about ideas that aren’t going to come to fruition. It would leave me feeling empty.
I think what bothered me most about todays announcements was they made it seem like Disney parks are so affordable and easy to get to. They kept showing zootopia in Shanghai and frozen land in another country and to come check it out like it is down the street. I most likely won’t be able to ever see a Disney park outside of the country so there is no appeal to me. Instead of getting a futuristic park with new attractions and animatronics, Florida gets a showing a Figment that looks unfinished yet announced a year ago. I feel like I am not rich enough or a die hard Disney fan to get the benefit of these announcements. I like Disney but I also like seeing non Disney stuff.
The saddest part is that if you can get a good price for plane tickets, a trip to Tokyo Disney is cheaper than a trip to Disney World nowadays.
What's the reason you're not able to visit a Disney park outside the country? Forego going to Disney World for a couple of years and you would save enough money to go to Japan or China.
@@reyjusufA few reasons a foreign country isn’t feasible for my family are:
1. Passports for 11 people.
2. An overnight flight with a disability.
3. An overnight flight with a toddler.
4. An overnight flight with a person over 75.
5. Potential safety issues such as those Provost himself recently encountered.
There are many, many reasons a lot of people can never travel outside the US.
100% right! It’s so disappointing that for the 2nd year in a row it’s ideas not real announcements! Another year of nothing. What’s happening to Disney? It’s so sad! 😢
You are definitely right on the mark. They need to give us some firm commitments on rides & new updates instead of giving us only ideas. It is frustrating when they get us excited then just say we may do this or may do that. Thanks for your insight. You explain it so well.
We really appreciate your honesty, Chris.🙌 As a D23 Member, you hit the nail on the head. I would’ve been so disappointed if I had traveled from California to Florida for those announcements.😔
and Disney would love that you spent the money on that. they are also going to hold these even if they have nothing to share. they know ppl will come and spend anyway. they really have gotten away from Walt. its just heartbreaking what has happened to his dream.
Love your business chats ❤️
OMG- the medical records idea would be life changing!
Yes, more Business talks.
Really interesting video. From my class it seems like Disney is all about surveys and pleasing guests and shareholder profits. Walt is not there any more with his genius ideas and his ability to brilliantly sell the story. No one is there to come up with something that is extraorinary and even if they did it would probably be too financially risky. They are stuck--as we see in Tomorrowland. Even if Walt's idea failed or became unpopular with time, he would have come up with something even better and more spectacular. Walt made Disneyland seem as if it was ultra-modern and on the cutting edge of science and he told us a story about that on Sunday nights. Walt was not afraid to take the risk on a new and untested idea--the people who run the place do not seem to have the good idea and they are afraid. I do not think Walt would have left the People-Mover in the dilapidated state it is in for everyone to talk about on their vids. He would have fixed it and made it grand and sold it to us and we would have believed what he said. I am just saying this because I loved him and believed every single thing he said. There is no one driving Walt's innovative car. He gave us the magic. From what you are saying it seems like they just do not have the gift of story-telling or creativity. Maybe they should get a trustworthy character to speak for the company and tell us what is going on as you suggested. Really, that is what Walt did--he told us what was going on at Disneyland and told us all about his creations of Haunted Mansion and Pirates. I think you have hit on something. What is Dsneyland, really....but, I like your question of what do we expect from it. Well done.
Tokyo Disney doesn’t have any problems continuing Walt’s vision. Perhaps they should hire them instead.
Would love to go there--what do they do in a different way?@@someguy4253
This is the most thoughtful explanation video of d23 I’ve seen. This is why I follow this channel love you guys ❤
Wow, thanks!
We just returned from our annual Disney trip yesterday, and you are so right. I love Disney but the last two times we have been have been disappointing. The magic is gone. Cast members are rude, construction everywhere, the park was very dirty and I left feeling totally ripped off. As we left, we said it was probably our last Disney trip for a very long time. 💔
My solution: bring back rocket rods. Nuff said.
Nuff said
Chris you are awesome! Thank you for sharing your thoughts.
You always explain things so well. Thank you!
Spot on! Please set expectations...it's definitely letting the wind out of the excitement sails to not hear about new and exciting stuff...thanks for sharing!
This was a great prospective, Chris. I, too, was watching the LIVE stream this morning and could not believe all the negative comments at the end of the presentation.
I think another concern of people is “time.” We all know Disney has the reputation of taking forever to build anything, so when nothing big gets announced, that’s just several more years where we won’t have anything new to look forward to. Then here we have their HUGE competitor who is knocking out major attractions in a year and a brand new park in just a few years. This can get frustrating for the die hard Disney fans. Some of us are not getting any younger. 😉 And nothing is really ever set in stone. I agree though. ENOUGH of the blue sky concept art. Show us actual projects that WILL be happening. I just hold everything that Disney says with a grain of salt now.
Heck, even at this point even the Disney “Adventure” ship name could be changed. 😂
I am sad that I will miss the debut of the Hatbox Ghost, completion of Epcot and new Luminous show on my next trip. I’ll be coming home on Nov 19. 😢
Awesome takes, Chris. It’s just my humble opinion, but on our first drip to DL/DCA last year, Disney exceeded all our expectations. Also, another aspect that is very important to us is that they are working on taking better care of their cast members. I’d love to see that keep moving in the right direction as well. 🤙🏽
Absolutely! I couldn't agree more.
There not doing either taking care of us or them. They don’t care. That’s the problem.
My response is they Don’t care. Plan and simple. Like an employee, I can train unemployed to do anything, but Care. Disney has stopped caring about us. Plan and simple. They want that is what they do. They want our money our time and our services for absolutely nothing in return. We should back them no matter what they do. Politically or financially we should back them 100%.
Ya I think universal is doing more for people than what Disney used to do. It’s so sad to see the state of Disney. I don’t think it will change.
@@CUTravel1st so true 😪
@@CUTravel1st maybe our bar was too low or we were just excited because it was our first time, but I really hope they know that what made our experience so great were the CMs. 🤙🏽
Great video. Love the way you help us see things from a different perspective.
I think you are spot on with the disconnect between our expectations as Disney fans and what we got from the D23 announcements. I also think that many of us, want new ideas in addition to what we already have. We don't just want re-themed areas. We want to be able to experience the nostalgia alongside new and exciting 'current' Disney.
I don’t know why I’m cracking up so much! But your of the cuff comment of not being satisfied with a car that only has 3 wheels and doesn’t have reverse!?! Hahaha!!! I can only imagine driving off the lot mad at the dealer because it only has 3 FREAKING WHEELS!! Then you slam it into reverse and…. WHAAAAAT!!! IT DOESN’T HAVE REVERSE!!!! That would be a sad day. Sad sad day.
🤣🤣 such a sad day 😂
You are totally on point. I think Disney has set the bar so high our expectations are off the charts when it comes to their brand but lately it seems their effort has become alittle stagnant. But also, I think Disney fans (including myself) go into these speculations of what we think they’re going to do next but we forget to leave our speculations at the door and end up allowing or speculations become expectations. This is a great topic, hope you revisit this on a live stream. 🤙 thanks Chris!!
I totally agree with you Chris, I'm a catering manager and first for foremost my job is to manage client expectation, and if I do it correctly, they are blown away by what I provide. Dream Big, manage expectation & exceed that limit for the client & guest!
I agree with you. I just don’t understand why Disney doesn’t follow through on most of these announcements. You are right, if the audience or chatter doesn’t get excited about that idea, it doesn’t come to fruition. If they are going to discuss projects but our opinions too, then they should have a poll. from Ohio🇺🇸
Disney Parks profits are being cannibalized by the rest of their company and there is no budget left to safely expand the parks in any meaningful way. That is all. The company is a mess. If the parks operated independently from the rest of the company, the magic and innovation would be an unstoppable force. Unfortunately, they've become too bloated and are trying to purchase creativity instead of fostering it in house. I don't see things changing and it will likely be their downfall...RIP
I moved to Orlando in 1979 after honeymooning there in 1977....I was the biggest Disney/Disney World fan...I took a sick day at work to attend the opening day at Epcot...I had the seasonal pass for Disney with my family until the late 90's, until I worked for a company on Disney property and got a pass that allowed me to get into any park whenever I wanted. I loved the days you woke up on a day off and as you ate breakfast you decided you wanted to eat lunch at the Crystal Palace or drink around the world for happy hour...and you did it!!! It was fabulous! Then came the day I went to an employees only preopening day at Animal Kingdom...I was so excited...until I got there...and me and my daughter literally accomplished everything you could do in the park...in about 3 hours. How could you open a less than half day park with full day prices??? It felt like a Busch Gardens ripoff with none of the thrill rides that made Busch Gardens worth an hour drive!!! Where was all the wonderful Disney planning when there was little shade, but lots of shops and only one legitimate ride in the entire park? I was so disappointed, I have never returned to that park, despite the numerous additions since....the prices are exorbitant and the return is not worthy of Disney, or what Disney was when I was in love with it. Yes, I got older and you can call me an old man at 67, but Disney used to make EVERYONE a child again in it's theming, service, wonderful rides and entertainment....but it's just not there anymore....and it's definitely not worth the ridiculous cost anymore. I much prefer the Universal parks today to anything at Disney...if you wonder why, just take the time to stroll through Daigon Alley and you will know what it used to feel at a Disney park. I am sad that Disney is no longer Disney, but I can't wait, at 67, until I can go to the new park Universal is building...because it will be better than anything Disney has given us since the early 1980's.
More vids like this please! Love hearing your thoughts. This makes perfect sense.
Love you business reviews and insights
i think they are just not reading their audience. D23 isn't for updates it is for BIG Things. As consumers, we expect to have a new ride, new land, new hotel, etc... Not meet and greets and popcorn buckets. LOL. Also, i think the expectations have been big and have been since at least the 80s .... but now it isn't really meeting them Take for example, avengers campus in disneyland. No place to sit... one new ride (spidey) and one old ride .... It really isn't a land... the shows are wallaby (again no place to sit) ... it just feels empty and wasted, Even the stores didn't have merch my Avengers kid wanted. Crazy Sad. Moreover, they took out bugs land which was very well themed and had lots of rides (flicks, ladybug, tuck and roll, splash pad, and heimlichs choo choo plus a show) ---- which was kid centric/toddler friendly.... and they dont have a toddler friendly ( think toontown) in CA Adventure.... I think disney needs to know their audience .... and get back to basics... of meeting their fans where they are
I love that you came at this from a business mind, because people seem to forget that Disney is a corporation. I definitely think that people are going in with insane expectations, especially during the economy. At the same time though, I think the corporation is also cutting corners so significantly that of course they’re not going to meet even basic expectations. Your analysis of Blue Sky announcements is right in the nose, because a business should not announce maybes, but we also shouldn’t expect new parks and expansions every year.
Should we expect them to actually do the ones they announced, like epcot, which they slashed to pieces? Should we expect them to ever actually do them? Like tron which dragged on for years, and epcot.
Their project management is an absolute joke.
You are 100% on it. They need to clear up expectations or spread out these events to where they are not as often.
Honestly, I think the Disney fans expect to much. I'm a Disney fan through and through. But, I do not care about announcements. I also think Social media has deluded any news anymore. I also think Disney did fine with the announcements. Love your videos. I truly loved your Halloween Horror night video
Tomorrowland was gutted a few years back and it's remained mediocre ever since. I don't think we expect too much.
@@Dive-Bar-Casanova Which tomorrowland
We expect so much because it’s so expensive!
@@leahwolber7082 it's expensive everywhere anymore
Naw….don’t blame the fans. Disney did this to themselves.
Hi Chris. As D23 members, we are a wee bit disappointed in the progress of the future announcements about Disney ideas. We have been members for some time now, and it is totally different than it used to be. We are excited about changes coming up, but not clear yet what Exactly is going to happen. Clarity is a must when dealing with the fans. We agree with you that if Disney isn't going to be clear / exact about what they have planned, Don't confuse us with maybe! That's our brutal thoughts about it.
Thanks for sharing your thoughts about the announcements. ❤Bizebeegranny Jeanne and Dave Rose ❤️
I think you are totally on point. They just keep promising new things, but no concrete plans. It’s very frustrating.
ok hi lol i saw you filming while i was across from starbucks and literally i should have said something because you guys are amazing
Before this event and D23 last year I saw a huge amount of speculation across social media, with big CZcams channels ‘predicting’ X or Y. And the problem now with speculation is that fandoms turn speculation in to expectations. So, when we don’t get those expectations people get angry. Disney never said they’d announce a new fully formed land or brand new attraction or even park, but fans had speculated and then expected.
You mentioned something specifically in this video with the Muppets. A throwaway comment from Miss Piggy about songs and more Muppets later on led to fans speculating about a new attraction, land, etc. Disney promised nothing beyond more Muppets later, but fan speculation created an expectation that Disney itself hadn’t set.
The issue isn’t with Disney setting expectations and not delivering (all they promised was a Parks panel, that’s it), it’s with fans not speculating responsibly and blaming that on Disney.
It's the same with movies and TV shows. When a movie sequel or another season of a TV show is announced, people will go online and stuff their brains with fan theories in like-minded echo chambers, to the point where they then feel cheated if they aren't given exactly what they speculated.
I think it's important to look at where the company is financially. They are in DEBT. They are cutting costs and asking guests to pay more for the same (and now often worse) experiences.
Whose fault is that? Maybe they should focus on entertaining us rather than their woke agendas
You hit the nail on the head with this one, more content like this!
Such a great video, thank you so much for sharing
Chris, fellow Utah’n here! We have been feeling disenfranchised for a while. There are reasons why we no longer have season passes for Disney and opted for Universal instead. Disney blew a lot of smoke today like they always do. Half of the time they do this, they often disappoint with the final result due to budgetary issues. See Toy Story Land for example. Zootopia announcement is a fail. It needs to be its own park or larger than what they announced.
Disney is still falling short of Universal with “kiddie” type attractions like Tron. Another test track retheme is good because that is more more like Tron. We went to Florida last month and went to Universal and Sea world for a couple of days. Then we went to Disney and did Magic Kingdom. The kids including my 10 year old wanted to go back to Universal after 3 hours. Same with Epcot after riding Guardian’s. Disney is letting us down while the competition entertains at a higher level. While Disney is giving ride changes, the competition is doing new parks.
D23….Turning out to be more of a show with possibilities than plans with added hype.
There was self-dealing with the Fox purchase and other financial shenanigans. The Hulu purchase may be the same scenario. Stranded investment, lining their own pockets,, don't see Disney recovering in my remaining lifetime.
@@Dive-Bar-Casanova as a share holder, I have no clue where we will get the cash to pay Comcast for the rest of Hulu. It's ridiculous to assume we will be alright in the end after that deal is done. Fox is still a nightmare. We have yet to cover their debts. It's time for John Lasseter at Apple to take us over.
I think you're close. I think a bit of the problem is we as fans get ourselves all hyped up and speculative, and when Disney doesn't meet our fantasy that we create, we get upset. We need to go to d23 with a black slate mentality, and not expect the world on a plate. It's like expecting a sequel to a classic, fan idolized movie (star wars, star Trek, Indy, just to name a few) to be as good as the original.
The problem is Disney no longer has a Walt figure running the company . With Walt at the helm it was the total opposite - he constantly found ways to EXCEED everyone’s expectations . When he dreamt it , it happened. It is POSSIBLE but bowls with their current terrible stack of leadership.
From a fan's pov you are spot on. But I think the reason why the gap exists in the first place is because they are using the Parks to bail out other aspects of the business that are bleeding money. So all of the development money is now funding streaming or other aspects.
So thry have this big party to announce things, so they gather all the big projects they are working on that have been approved, but the only things that have been approved are the less expensive projects, like meet and greets.
I think you squarely hit the nail on it's head. A very concise description of the communications gap between Disney and it's fans.
You are so right! I thought they announced some great things though and I’d say it met my expectations. But I get why some might feel different. I think it ultimately comes down to the fact that Disney isn’t exactly paying enough attention to the parks. They do great things but I think they are unaware of how important the parks are to the fans
Maybe I’m weird but I actually love that they bring forth their blue sky ideas. Yes it’s awesome to get announcements but I also like to see a look into the imagineers minds. I think in general people are too negative
I agree with what you are saying. I did think the announcements were a bit underwhelming but at the same time people's expectations seem a bit high. I would like to see them focus on the unfinished projects & update us on those.
Chris. I think part of the problem is that they’ve promised to do certain things and then they compromise and change it and don’t do what they say they’re gonna do and we end up with something that was no good as far as the expectations they gave us, and they cut too many corners.
While I agree with much of what you said, I also believe that a problem is the crazy speculation that comes from many of the Disney influencers and their channels. These outlets feel like the have to have the most sensational info and to get it out before everyone else so they make claims that people buy into. It makes Disneys job harder when they want to announce something, but the speculators have put out all these other ideas. Lower prices, pay your cast members better, keep the parks clean and safe and let’s all enjoy the company of each other while we are at the parks. That will keep me coming back with my family.
You nailed it and DISNEY’s STOCK prices shows it.
Excellent Video Chris. Thumbs up again we love your focus and presentation.
My mother work for Walt for 44 years.
I was fortunate enough to go to Disneyland opening day. A lasting impression was the Mr Toads ride operator was wearing a beautiful costume. She looked amazing pressing those lit buttons. We recently did another Disney Cruise. The activities cast members mentioned they will no longer be wearing their unique costumes. Instead they have defaulted to unisex Magic Mountain Ride operators uniforms.
Hotels at Disneyworld are de-theming too. Walt made it all work with product and plussed the product up instead of cost cutting. Iger had a wind to his back when he first took over and that ship has sailed that wind has died down.
Excellent insight, Mr. Provost! I appreciate the thought explanation.
You’re pretty accurate and it’s not fair to Disney. Since social media everyone goes negative so quickly Disney should just stop announcing anything until it’s approved, funded and ready to start digging. Then people can get excited for the project that’s going to happen for certain.
“Not fair to Disney” LMAO
Maybe, but that's their own fault lol, they're the ones who make the decision to keep doing the conference every year and handling it the way they do. Like almost all of Disney's current woes, it's a self-inflicted wound
Alternatively, maybe part of the problem is the ever growing army of CZcamsrs and influencers that, in order to drive views and clicks, speculate wildly about everything Disney. So much so that when the reality turns out to be different, everyone is disappointed, and somehow Disney gets the blame. Perhaps what is needed is fewer people trying to trying grift off of Disney. The problem isn’t in our stars, the problem is ourselves.
THIS! 👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽 and at the end of the day, Disney KNOWS its CZcamsr fans strongly rely on the company to keep their own viewerships and clicks, no matter how underwhelming their announcements are 🤷🏻♀️ . Fans get disappointed and then it dies down, and the CZcamsrs continue to give the parks publicity. Disney has seen a pattern and banks on this.
Disney started the law suits, Disney screwed up Indiana Jones making it about Woman Power and Indy being a simpering fool.Disney movies lost 1.7 billion this year so far.Bipity bobity boo Boutique has are men with beards in dresses ushering in Little children for their Fair Godmother experience.
Disney controlled Reedy Creek which was suppose to be a state government entity forever.Walt got his so called District because he was going to build an actual city on Epcot property,this he told the state legislature.
Disney and his Board actually said. A few years ago they wanted to cater to $400,000 households,shoving out the regular working family.
Sheeeech,I could go on and on.These so called CZcamsrs started out praising Disney and all the wonderful movies and attractions
Exactly! Disney is so overindulged by the influencers/diehard fans. The company realized no matter how tiny the thing they announce, fans will be crazy happy and want to see it on day one and post photos/videos on social media just for more views.
Stop blaming the kids, grandpa. Disney has been underperforming for years. And Chapek was cutting everything at Disney World when he ran those parks long before he was CEO.
Literally the same issue Pokemon has