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An over-focus on the bottom line

Hatbox Ghost in Haunted Mansion
​ Image: Disney ​

We are now in a season where demand for Disney’s parks, streaming services, and other products is on the rise again, but the philosophical shifts of the last few years seemed stuck. The balance was off.

Frustrations continued to brew in Disney’s Imagineering department. Imagineers have expressed discontent that major projects are being badly trimmed, their full vision left unrealized—for example, how many ideas for Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge have either completely stalled, vanished, or were rolled behind the paywall of Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser? What happened to the rest of Disney’s Epcot overhaul, like the Disney Play Pavilion, Spaceship Earth revamp, or Festival Center? Morale also took a significant dip when Disney announced intent to move the department from its longtime California home to Lake Nona, Florida, news that blindsided many. For now, that move that has been delayed, most likely by tensions between Disney and the state of Florida over political spats.

We were hoping for big news during the 2022 D23 Expo, and while the company’s plans for their cinematic universes and Disney+ continue to be impressive, their announcements for the parks this year—particularly Walt Disney World—were a little underwhelming for some. Disney is finally nearing the finish line completing projects started under Bob Iger like TRON Lightcycle/Run and Moana: Journey of Water. Happily Ever After is returning, and Disney California Adventure is getting a new E-Ticket Marvel attraction, but other reveals weren't as exciting or concrete.

Fans already knew about the reimagining of Splash Mountain into Tiana’s Bayou Adventure, and other announcements focused on the arrival of new characters to Disneyland (Walt Disney World continues to get passed over in this area) with an extra animatronic being added to the Haunted Mansion at Walt Disney World. Other ideas were pitched but remain in the realm of the theoretical for now--a re-theming of Dinoland USA to incorporate Zootopia and Moana (a curious mix), as well as new lands for Magic Kingdom themed around Coco, Encanto, and Disney villains.

While there's potential, it’s a little nebulous, to say the least—not Disney’s usual panache for cohesive vision and excellence.

In Conclusion

Golden statue of Walt Disney with Spaceship Earth
Image: Disney

It seems plain that Disney was in the midst of a season where the creative and business departments running their parks just weren't balanced. There were too many signs at play of seeing mistakes repeated from the past, the Imagineering department seemed far from healthy, and most importantly, Disney was losing guest goodwill despite increased revenue.

From a business perspective, Disney parks seemed to be where the leadership wanted them to be. Chapek made it clear that the Parks Pass Reservation system was here to stay, being a surefire way for Disney to manipulate demand, and Chapek also made no bones about the fact that they are eager to increase prices to match that increased demand. He even went so far as suggesting that “superfans” like annual passholders who visit the parks as their “personal playground” wouldn't likely see old benefits (or the sale of new passes) return anytime soon—and attempting to couch this as a compliment didn’t translate well. The overall focus was plainly on increasing Disney’s bottom line, particularly through price increases.

I’ll admit, the trends at Disney were troubling—specifically because it felt like so many of Disney’s longtime ideals were being compromised to the point it panged of greed. With the rehiring of Bob Iger we are really hoping that we will see changes to the aspects that have shifted the fragile balance and upset so many of the loyal Disney fans over the last couple of years. There has certainly been an air of optimism since the announcement and the stirs of excitement of what Iger could bring.

It was very discouraging to feel like Disney had become fine with pricing out and discarding the goodwill of longtime fans and I also felt for the Imagineering department. The effects of their efforts being throttled can be felt keenly across Disney parks right now. Can Iger tip the balance and return to Walt's core philosophy? Can longtime loyal Disney fans once again wear a smile on their faces?

Walt’s core philosophy was simple: take care of the guests and cast members, and the rest will come together. I think it's fair to say these are both areas Disney needs to stay mindful of and would do well to course-correct. You can manufacture demand to a point, but eventually, people will see through the veneer, and the overall value of the product is diminished. Burn too many bridges, and demand will fall with the company’s once-sterling reputation.

What do you think about the current state of Disney’s parks business? How can Iger and Disney win back lost guest good will? Let us know in the comments or on Facebook! Thanks for reading!

 
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