Chapek out - Iger back

[tink2424]

Smaller crowds

I don't think that is always correct. The six flags by me had long waits even for kids rides. This is not always the case...

I don't think it's ALL kids. My 5 year old does just fine, just to clarify. But the toddler set, it's just really hard. I imagine it's probably always been tough for the 1-2 year olds, which is the age my we took my son last. And it was so hard. Granted, it wasn't Disney's fault - he was just a in a rough phase we couldn't have anticipated when we booked. He refused the stroller, refused to be held, refused to go literally anywhere we wanted him to. And he's a super sweet and generally patient kid.

I'm aware that not every system is going to work for everyone, but having done fastpass+ in the past, also with kids, it just worked so much better. Genie+ worked to a degree but we could have had a lot more fun if it was Fastpass+ style, ie being able to just choose a few attractions and most importantly, choose the TIMES instead of having to wait the interim between each one. I'd throw my money at them for a system that allowed me to choose times ahead of time (even if it was just right night before or on the morning of). I would just like to see Genie+ offer something that could *help* families in my position.

You are absolutely correct that is is harder for some kids and that the past Fastpass+ helped with that issue much better. I think when people phrase things like this most of us (cause you can't please everyone) don't have a problem with this and agree with you. My frustration comes when people use (& mind you it isn't just in reference to children - some adults say they can't wait either) the word "can't" wait. There are very few people that can't wait in a line. Instead they should say they don't want to or refuse to wait in line. That is their choice.

I whole-heartedly agree that Genie+ is just a very poor substitute for Fastpass+. They really screwed the pooch and made no one happy in the end...

 

[tink2424]

I don't disagree with you, children do need to learn to wait but it's a different thing when they're under 2 and can't be reasoned with. My 5 year old does just fine, doesn't complain about being bored (who complains they're bored in Disney?). And until I was actually IN this position myself, I would've said exactly the same thing you just did.

I'm not asking to skip ALL the lines whatsoever. What I would like is the option - that we used to have with fastpass+ - to schedule our attractions together in one lump. And I'm happy to pay for that option, too. That would make it a lot easier, I think, for lots of families with little ones. I'm happy to just come in, do a few attractions and have something to eat, and go back to the resort if that's what my family can manage at that point.

I really didn't mean to come across as entitled here. I think I just feel really passionately about it because our last trip was honestly SO hard. My little one was still under two at the time, as was another child we traveled with, and they both were very hard to manage. My son wouldn't sleep, wouldn't be contained, screamed in the stroller, would go literally nowhere we wanted him to when we had him walk. It was a nightmare, and for something we had set such high hopes on for a post-pandemic trip, it just really stunk. I spent hours in the middle of the night walking him around these resorts in the stroller while he screamed and I cried in exhaustion. None of that is Disney's fault, or Genie+'s fault, it was just a phase that my generally sweet and patient under-two-year old was going through that we couldn't have anticipated. BUT, our days WOULD have been a lot more enjoyable if we'd been able to book attractions for times that worked for us instead of having to do it one at a time throughout the day.

I don't want any more than anyone else paying for the same service and I'm happy to pay for a service that makes my trip more enjoyable. I just have a wish upon a star that the service could be tweaked a bit to work better for families with young kids. I mean, obviously, we could just not go, but we had no way of knowing it would go so wrong when we booked.

I'm sorry that your trip was really hard. Kids can be unpredictable and that really does suck. I very much agree that Disney could make things better. The charge for Genie+ is ridiculous when they actually took away so many features of the free Fastpass+!!! Why they just couldn't charge for Fastpass+ is beyond me. They just went backwards. It is a shame because Disney was the industry leader and now they are almost going to the back of the pack.

I hope your next trip goes really well!!

 

[Jwaire]

On the topic of Park Passes, Jim Hill said on his recent podcast he's heard from sources Parks management has already developed a plan to phase out park reservations and this was decided at the executive meeting at Walt Disney World in October under Chapek.

Reports are in the press Iger has been vocal about the price increases and what's been happening at the parks. Do I think they are going to give up their new revenue stream for Genie+? No, but changes could be coming to make it more family friendly.

We should see some movement on certain things early next year.

 

[Liquidice]

Personally I liked FP+ and having some idea ahead of time what my day was going to be like. Not having to wake up early is one big reason but also not having to worry about conflicts with ADRs, if you tend to cluster your rides together - you can also plan out your day a little better ahead of time. I know in the morning we'll use our LL's and then in the afternoon we'll focus on shows maybe. But I wasn't one to try to get as many FP's as possible in the past, I'd get my 3 and if I got a 4th I'd be happy.

Everyone has their own opinion on pre-selecting vs day of selecting I'm sure though.

The complaint was that FP+ didn't work well, but Genie+ doesn't seem to work well either, especially for parks where there are is not enough ride capacity.

I think Genie+ could be improved at WDW by going the Disneyland route and only allowing you to select your first LL when you have scanned into the park. This might upset some people who choose to come to the parks later and are able to stack a bunch of LL's together to create an afternoon of non-stop LL's, but I'm not sure if that is really the intention on Genie+.

I too would happily pay for the option to pre-select my LL rides ahead of time with one caveat, I'd want to know what I'm getting before I pay, which may be one reason Disney wouldn't want to do it - as if it worked that way it could generate less revenue once the top attractions sell out. On the other hand, it could make the experience significantly better for those who do purchase it as having less people with Genie+ would create a better experience.

I doubt the CEO change causes an immediate change to anything parks related - although I would love to see a re-thinking of park passes and park hopping. There was a rumor awhile back that in early 2023, Disney would require park passes for only APs and that ticket holders and resort guests would not require park passes anymore as well as a rumor on earlier park hopping times for WDW. Would be nice if something like that could happen - but certainly not holding my breath.

I wonder if Disney would consider a hybrid approach to Genie+. Perhaps for resort guests, allow them to pre-select 2 rides (similar to how DAS Advance currently works) if they pay for Genie+ ahead of time. Switch the 7am time to at park entry and only pre-sell 50% of the normal LL capacity to resort guests so day guests and APs still get a shot at getting the "hard to get rides" day of. It would also be nice if Disney eliminated ILL$ and had just 1 system to simplify things for everybody. Maybe for rides that have a virtual queue - just don't offer Lightning Lane at first like so many other parks do. Then introduce the option for Lightning Lane after the ride switches to a standby queue?

I think next year will be interesting - if there is a significant slow down in the economy, including travel - Disney will need to re-introduce some form of onsite perks that they eliminated over the last 2 years. I can't really think of too many significant perks left for onsite guests other than the 30 minute early morning entry and evening hours for deluxe guests. Early ILL$ purchasing doesn't really seem like too big of a perk imho. This is where I think Iger may be a difference maker in either by simply allowing Josh to make the decisions here or by pushing down guidance that Disney needs to be more customer focused and less about the short term bottom line numbers.

 

[0FF TO NEVERLAND]

Or Disney can just give us back the stuff we had for free and didn't need to pay for? This was the biggest insult to Disney fans

I would even take 2 or 3 free fast pass rides that you can book in advance, and then charge me to add more per day while on site

Or make Genie Plus free in general, and just charge me for LL ( not my ideal situation, cause I think all should be free, but if they won't change it, this is something id deal with )

 

[Liquidice]

Or Disney can just give us back the stuff we had for free and didn't need to pay for?

I would even take 2 or 3 free fast pass rides that you can book in advance, and then charge me to add more per day while on site

They played with that model a bit didn't they? Concierge level rooms had the option to purchase 3 more fastpasses and book them at 90 days instead of 60 days out IIRC.

Not sure what they found out - but I'm assuming something told them that it wasn't popular enough to implement. I would have liked that system too though.

The hardest part from a shareholder perspective is taking a good revenue stream and making it free. Its not out of the question - but I think it would be a tough sell to shareholders if they stopped charging for Genie+. I do think they could work out "deals" where you'd get it for a discount if staying on site or something though.

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

it's a different thing when they're under 2 and can't be reasoned with.

My parents took me to more parks when I was a toddler than when I was older.

I went to DLR, WDW, SeaWorld (I believe San Diego and Orlando), Busch Gardens (Tampa from what I know), Universal, etc.

I usually suggest that if people have a regional park in their area try that first so you can do practice runs on how both you and the child(ren) work with the elements including strollers, park bags, line waiting, time of day, breaks, etc. Nothing will prepare you better for Disney IMO than a Midwest summer with a park filled with asphalt

But seriously the truth is not every kid has a temperament for theme or amusement parks. I think generally speaking the viewpoint in the past was more or less you go and you deal with it or you don't go. In probably the last 10-15 years there's a lot more "this park has to work for me and my family, fix it so it can". Kinda a 180 it feels like from the past.

 

[AnnabelleTheTalkingTree]

My parents took me to more parks when I was a toddler than when I was older.

I went to DLR, WDW, SeaWorld (I believe San Diego and Orlando), Busch Gardens (Tampa from what I know), Universal, etc.

I usually suggest that if people have a regional park in their area try that first so you can do practice runs on how both you and the child(ren) work with the elements including strollers, park bags, line waiting, time of day, breaks, etc. Nothing will prepare you better for Disney IMO than a Midwest summer with a park filled with asphalt

But seriously the truth is not every kid has a temperament for theme or amusement parks. I think generally speaking the viewpoint in the past was more or less you go and you deal with it or you don't go. In probably the last 10-15 years there's a lot more "this park has to work for me and my family, fix it so it can". Kinda a 180 it feels like from the past.

The thing is, for a lot of people (my family included), it's a vacation - and a VERY expensive vacation at that. And I don't think it's ridiculous to want your vacation to work for your family. Of course, no one is forcing anybody to go to Disney, and if Disney doesn't work for you, you could elsewhere (and if I'd had known my kiddo would be going through the phase he was at the time of our trip, we probably would have). But it's also kind of a bummer because there are already so many places you CAN'T go with little ones, and Disney *feels* like the place you CAN go.

You're using yourself as a toddler as an example - for one thing, you may have been an easy toddler. My daughter was easy as a toddler, and she did beautifully at 2 in Disney with lines and whatever else the days threw at us. But not all toddlers are easy, as I have found out . My son, though GENERALLY an easy going kid, was going through a major phase at the time of our last trip, and he was the exact opposite of easygoing.

As you said, not all kids have the same temperament, but I'm not sure "deal with it or don't go" is the right solution. What if there was no DAS, and the solution was just "deal with it or don't go?" So many wonderful souls would miss out on the joy that is Disney. Nowadays we (fortunately) have the technology to make it easier, more enjoyable, and just a better experience in general, for people of all ages differing abilities, to enjoy the parks. I'm not saying AT ALL that kids should have priority just because they're kids and squirmy, or difficult, or lack the attention span, or whatever. Kids need to learn to be patient and take turns, too, of course. But when we have the technology available to make a Disney vacation more enjoyable, easier, and less challenging for families with little ones, I think it's a no-brainer to utilize that technology in the best way possible. Fastpass+ wasn't perfect but it WAS a better solution for my particular experience, which I'm sure isn't singular. An upgrade to Genie+ that gives me the opportunity to do some planning around my family's schedule would be massively welcome. As a consumer, I don't have a problem PAYING for it, either.

 

[AnnabelleTheTalkingTree]

My parents took me to more parks when I was a toddler than when I was older.

I went to DLR, WDW, SeaWorld (I believe San Diego and Orlando), Busch Gardens (Tampa from what I know), Universal, etc.

I usually suggest that if people have a regional park in their area try that first so you can do practice runs on how both you and the child(ren) work with the elements including strollers, park bags, line waiting, time of day, breaks, etc. Nothing will prepare you better for Disney IMO than a Midwest summer with a park filled with asphalt

But seriously the truth is not every kid has a temperament for theme or amusement parks. I think generally speaking the viewpoint in the past was more or less you go and you deal with it or you don't go. In probably the last 10-15 years there's a lot more "this park has to work for me and my family, fix it so it can". Kinda a 180 it feels like from the past.

The thing is, for a lot of people (my family included), it's a vacation - and a VERY expensive vacation at that. And I don't think it's ridiculous to want your vacation to work for your family. Of course, no one is forcing anybody to go to Disney, and if Disney doesn't work for you, you could elsewhere (and if I'd had known my kiddo would be going through the phase he was at the time of our trip, we probably would have). But it's also kind of a bummer because there are already so many places you CAN'T go with little ones, and Disney *feels* like the place you CAN go.

You're using yourself as a toddler as an example - for one thing, you may have been an easy toddler. My daughter was easy as a toddler, and she did beautifully at 2 in Disney with lines and whatever else the days threw at us. But not all toddlers are easy, as I have found out . My son, though GENERALLY an easy going kid, was going through a major phase at the time of our last trip, and he was the exact opposite of easygoing.

As you said, not all kids have the same temperament, but I'm not sure "deal with it or don't go" is the right solution. What if there was no DAS, and the solution was just "deal with it or don't go?" So many wonderful souls would miss out on the joy that is Disney. Nowadays we (fortunately) have the technology to make it easier, more enjoyable, and just a better experience in general, for people of all ages differing abilities, to enjoy the parks. I'm not saying AT ALL that kids should have priority just because they're kids and squirmy, or difficult, or lack the attention span, or whatever. Kids need to learn to be patient and take turns, too, of course. But when we have the technology available to make a Disney vacation more enjoyable, easier, and less challenging for families with little ones, I think it's a no-brainer to utilize that technology in the best way possible. Fastpass+ wasn't perfect but it WAS a better solution for my particular experience, which I'm sure isn't singular. An upgrade to Genie+ that gives me the opportunity to do some planning around my family's schedule would be massively welcome. As a consumer, I don't have a problem PAYING for it, either.

 

[AnnabelleTheTalkingTree]

My parents took me to more parks when I was a toddler than when I was older.

I went to DLR, WDW, SeaWorld (I believe San Diego and Orlando), Busch Gardens (Tampa from what I know), Universal, etc.

I usually suggest that if people have a regional park in their area try that first so you can do practice runs on how both you and the child(ren) work with the elements including strollers, park bags, line waiting, time of day, breaks, etc. Nothing will prepare you better for Disney IMO than a Midwest summer with a park filled with asphalt

But seriously the truth is not every kid has a temperament for theme or amusement parks. I think generally speaking the viewpoint in the past was more or less you go and you deal with it or you don't go. In probably the last 10-15 years there's a lot more "this park has to work for me and my family, fix it so it can". Kinda a 180 it feels like from the past.

The thing is, for a lot of people (my family included), it's a vacation - and a VERY expensive vacation at that. More expensive than it was when I was a kid, anyway, and it wasn't cheap then either. And I don't think it's ridiculous to want your vacation to work for your family. Of course, no one is forcing anybody to go to Disney, and if Disney doesn't work for you, you could elsewhere (and if I'd had known my kiddo would be going through the phase he was at the time of our trip, we probably would have). But it's also kind of a bummer because there are already so many places you CAN'T go with little ones, and Disney *feels* like the place you CAN go.

You're using yourself as a toddler as an example - for one thing, you may have been an easy toddler. My daughter was easy as a toddler, and she did beautifully at 2 in Disney with lines and whatever else the days threw at us. But not all toddlers are easy, as I have found out . My son, though GENERALLY an easy going kid, was going through a major phase at the time of our last trip, and he was the exact opposite of easygoing.

As you said, not all kids have the same temperament, but I'm not sure "deal with it or don't go" is the right solution. What if there was no DAS, and the solution was just "deal with it or don't go?" So many wonderful souls would miss out on the joy that is Disney. Nowadays we (fortunately) have the technology to make it easier, more enjoyable, and just a better experience in general, for people of all ages differing abilities, to enjoy the parks. I'm not saying AT ALL that kids should have priority just because they're kids and squirmy, or difficult, or lack the attention span, or whatever. Kids need to learn to be patient and take turns, too, of course. But when we have the technology available to make a Disney vacation more enjoyable, easier, and less challenging for families with little ones, I think it's a no-brainer to utilize that technology in the best way possible. Fastpass+ wasn't perfect but it WAS a better solution for my particular experience, which I'm sure isn't singular. An upgrade to Genie+ that gives me the opportunity to do some planning around my family's schedule would be massively welcome. As a consumer, I don't have a problem PAYING for it, either.

 

[zokaluse]

Being a hyper planner doesn't mean you're always up at 7am on vacation. I AM a hyper planner, I am also THE planner for my family and our extended family when they join us. I preferred doing my hyper planning ahead of time so that while I was ON vacation, I was able to kick back and relax. Now I am having to do that planning on the fly every day of my vacation, starting at 7am. I'm not saying I hate Genie+ overall because I don't, but I do have hopes that some aspects of the system will be revamped.

Im the same. I plan every aspect of our 2 week Disney trip, so once there we can just enjoy it.
I don’t mind the park reservation as I’ve decided what park on what day in advance so that I can plan our days.
My family prefer it as there’s no ‘I want to ride that, I want to go here’ ..etc etc.
We are booked for next August - reluctantly though I’m planning on cancelling if there aren’t some deluxe hotel perks back.
Universal will get more than the 4 days I’ve currently got there. The other places in Florida I’ve booked will also get our money.

 

[AnnabelleTheTalkingTree]

My parents took me to more parks when I was a toddler than when I was older.

I went to DLR, WDW, SeaWorld (I believe San Diego and Orlando), Busch Gardens (Tampa from what I know), Universal, etc.

I usually suggest that if people have a regional park in their area try that first so you can do practice runs on how both you and the child(ren) work with the elements including strollers, park bags, line waiting, time of day, breaks, etc. Nothing will prepare you better for Disney IMO than a Midwest summer with a park filled with asphalt

But seriously the truth is not every kid has a temperament for theme or amusement parks. I think generally speaking the viewpoint in the past was more or less you go and you deal with it or you don't go. In probably the last 10-15 years there's a lot more "this park has to work for me and my family, fix it so it can". Kinda a 180 it feels like from the past.

The thing is, for a lot of people (my family included), it's a vacation - and a VERY expensive vacation at that. And I don't think it's ridiculous to want your vacation to work for your family. Of course, no one is forcing anybody to go to Disney, and if Disney doesn't work for you, you could elsewhere (and if I'd had known my kiddo would be going through the phase he was at the time of our trip, we probably would have). But it's also kind of a bummer because there are already so many places you CAN'T go with little ones, and Disney *feels* like the place you CAN go.

You're using yourself as a toddler as an example - for one thing, you may have been an easy toddler. My daughter was easy as a toddler, and she did beautifully at 2 in Disney with lines and whatever else the days threw at us. But not all toddlers are easy, as I have found out . My son, though GENERALLY an easy going kid, was going through a major phase at the time of our last trip, and he was the exact opposite of easygoing.

As you said, not all kids have the same temperament, but I'm not sure "deal with it or don't go" is the right solution. What if there was no DAS, and the solution was just "deal with it or don't go?" So many wonderful souls would miss out on the joy that is Disney. Nowadays we (fortunately) have the technology to make it easier, more enjoyable, and just a better experience in general, for people of all ages and differing abilities, to enjoy the parks. I'm not saying AT ALL that kids should have priority just because they're kids and squirmy, or difficult, or lack the attention span, or whatever. Kids need to learn to be patient and take turns, too, of course. But when we have the technology available to make a Disney vacation more enjoyable, easier, and less challenging for families with little ones, I think it's a no-brainer to utilize that technology in the best way possible. Fastpass+ wasn't perfect but it WAS a better solution for my particular experience, which I'm sure isn't singular. An upgrade to Genie+ that gives me the opportunity to do some planning around my family's schedule would be massively welcome. As a consumer, I don't have a problem PAYING for it, either.

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

The thing is, for a lot of people (my family included), it's a vacation - and a VERY expensive vacation at that. And I don't think it's ridiculous to want your vacation to work for your family. Of course, no one is forcing anybody to go to Disney, and if Disney doesn't work for you, you could elsewhere (and if I'd had known my kiddo would be going through the phase he was at the time of our trip, we probably would have). But it's also kind of a bummer because there are already so many places you CAN'T go with little ones, and Disney *feels* like the place you CAN go.

You're using yourself as a toddler as an example - for one thing, you may have been an easy toddler. My daughter was easy as a toddler, and she did beautifully at 2 in Disney with lines and whatever else the days threw at us. But not all toddlers are easy, as I have found out . My son, though GENERALLY an easy going kid, was going through a major phase at the time of our last trip, and he was the exact opposite of easygoing.

As you said, not all kids have the same temperament, but I'm not sure "deal with it or don't go" is the right solution. What if there was no DAS, and the solution was just "deal with it or don't go?" So many wonderful souls would miss out on the joy that is Disney. Nowadays we (fortunately) have the technology to make it easier, more enjoyable, and just a better experience in general, for people of all ages and differing abilities, to enjoy the parks. I'm not saying AT ALL that kids should have priority just because they're kids and squirmy, or difficult, or lack the attention span, or whatever. Kids need to learn to be patient and take turns, too, of course. But when we have the technology available to make a Disney vacation more enjoyable, easier, and less challenging for families with little ones, I think it's a no-brainer to utilize that technology in the best way possible. Fastpass+ wasn't perfect but it WAS a better solution for my particular experience, which I'm sure isn't singular. An upgrade to Genie+ that gives me the opportunity to do some planning around my family's schedule would be massively welcome. As a consumer, I don't have a problem PAYING for it, either.

Right but you're still speaking to the mentality I spoke about. I think everyone agrees things could be tweaked on this or that. But when you go in with "my kid just can't deal with it" you're talking a way different issue. It's really a "square peg round hole" situation. When I talked about deal with it or don't go I didn't say that's my opinion or the solution. I said that's how it used to be seen. Parents largely made the decision they were not going to bring their kid to a park where they knew their kid wouldn't do well with it. In recent years a viewpoint shifted and you get more the "the park has to work for me and my family no matter what".

Disney is an expensive vacation...the difference in thinking "I have to go to Disney no matter what" and that's what I'm speaking to. If your kid has issues standing in line, Disney isn't going to be a park to go to. Any theme or amusement park won't be one to go to although my suggestion is to try and figure that out before you go to Disney if you have the ability to do so. You can always try at a later time.

The reason I brought up what I had when I was young is that it's not the virtue of being young that is an issue. I went when there was no such thing as getting to get ahead of the line. I grew up with my regional park being the same. My regional park has been owned by Cedar Fair since 1995 (the park having been opened since 1973) and only added their get ahead of the line 10 years ago in 2012.

And just to say something I was not an easy toddler...lol omg not by a long shot. But we made things work in different ways. Back then you only had 1 choice--stand in line or don't go. There was no reason to bring me or my sister to a park where we would spend so much time in meltdown modes. If that were what would happen we would not have been going to the parks. Just how it was.

 

[zokaluse]

I can't spend that much money on a theme park vacation and do that. At least not when it's my husband and I. Not to mention vacation time. For those activities that you are doing a beach vacation is much more what we would do one where we can sight see, do activities and then laze about the water and go out for dinner.

We agree.
We go to Orlando for Disney & Universal for just over 2 weeks where we are on the go constantly & ‘down time’ is signature dining, pool time, Disney Springs wander & waterparks. We then head off for 10 nights at a beach area.

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

On the topic of Park Passes, Jim Hill said on his recent podcast he's heard from sources Parks management has already developed a plan to phase out park reservations and this was decided at the executive meeting at Walt Disney World in October under Chapek.

Reports are in the press Iger has been vocal about the price increases and what's been happening at the parks. Do I think they are going to give up their new revenue stream for Genie+? No, but changes could be coming to make it more family friendly.

We should see some movement on certain things early next year.

I was telling my husband when the news broke of Iger coming back on they should at least hold off on added more park reservations for 2024. Honestly there was no reason to have them out sooo far in advance despite that you could technically book over the phone a vacation up to 499 days (IIRC) in advance.

But if they hold off it gives them time to figure out how they want to proceed, stick with it, get rid of it, alter it a bit, etc. By releasing it so far in advance it will lock them in more not just in the implementation of it but also PR-wise. Many of the articles I saw over time was pinpointing just how far out the park reservation system was available for and with nearly every business having removed reservations it sticks out like a sore thumb that Disney still has it and is doubling down on it by releasing the calendar so far into the future.

 

[Liquidice]

Wall Street Journal (unfortunately the link is paywalled - https://www.wsj.com/articles/disney...reating-tensions-11669165304?mod=hp_lead_pos3 ) is reporting that Bob Iger was worried about theme park price increases that Chapek was implementing. Not saying it means Iger will lower prices - but I do wonder if Iger will actually spend some time focusing on changes to improve the theme park experience.

From the WSJ article:

Mr. Iger also felt that Mr. Chapek was too responsive to changes in Disney’s share price, and Mr. Iger was alarmed by increases in prices at Disney theme parks that Mr. Chapek argued would boost revenue and limit overcrowding, these people said. Mr. Iger received calls from creative executives frustrated with Mr. Chapek, people familiar with the matter said.
“He’s killing the soul of the company,” Mr. Iger told more than one confidant.

The article also said that Chapek originally planned to move more quickly with layoffs in the beginning of the pandemic to ensure it wouldn't hurt the bottom line but Iger who was still Chair of the board overruled Chapek which infuriated Chapek.

At the very least, it gives me hope that Iger "gets it" in a way that Chapek never has - that it isn't about the bottom line for this quarter, there is a long term to think about and sometimes customer satisfaction and brand loyalty is more important than making a quick buck.

 

[starlite_]

Everyone has their own opinion on pre-selecting vs day of selecting I'm sure though.

Ding ding ding. No matter what they do there will always be unhappy ppl.

 

[starlite_]

And just to say something I was not an easy toddler...lol omg not by a long shot. But we made things work in different ways. Back then you only had 1 choice--stand in line or don't go. There was no reason to bring me or my sister to a park where we would spend so much time in meltdown modes. If that were what would happen we would not have been going to the parks. Just how it was.

I was the personification of the terrible twos as a toddler. My parents stopped going to restaurants because I was too squirmy and it was a painful experience for everyone involved. But at Disney? I behaved because I knew otherwise we would simply leave. Bless my parents and their awesome parenting tbh that were able to keep me entertained and happy on lines.

 

[BrianL]

Ding ding ding. No matter what they do there will always be unhappy ppl.

Get out of here! You mean that things that make me happy don't make everyone happy?

 

[Liquidice]

Ding ding ding. No matter what they do there will always be unhappy ppl.

Thats where I do wonder if a hybrid approach could make more people happy - something similar to how DAS Advance works now maybe?

For example maybe resort guests get the option of choosing 2 rides in advance. Maybe it even works like DAS Advance in that no ILL$s are allowed and certain rides which were ILL$ but are now part of Genie+ cannot be selected too (like MMRR, and Frozen Ever After). If it were limited like this - then I would hope it would be an included perk for resort guests. Make sure that capacity is limited to 50% or less of the total Lightning Lane capacity. But if it were not limited, maybe it is a paid option that resort guests only can buy Genie+ ahead of time and get this 2-ride pre-selection as a perk.

Then continue Genie+ the way it is today except make it when you scan into the park?

I'm just thinking of ways to help satisfy a larger percentage of park goers Sure adding an onsite perk will make local APs and ticketed guests who won't get the onsite perk unhappy, but it would at least provide more options.