In Defense of Bob Chapek

[jade1]

He's got 3 years to make good.

Can't wait to ride half a roller coaster.

 

[pahoben]

I am surprised you saw that in Japan. In my experience, those were the most docile and polite crowds of people I have ever seen. Must have been a lot of foreigh visitors when you were there!

Japan is a unique place. I remember after the tsunami there were very long lines in the north for water etc and all standing patiently in line. I had internal domestic flights there in a 747. Amazing. Sitting at the gate say 20 minutes before take off wondering where the other passengers are and then suddenly everyone is quietly seated and the plane taxis. It’s like magic.

On the other hand you might find yourself in a situation where someone is very tribal and unyielding.

 

[Jwaire]

Every CEO is responsible to the shareholders. Chapek needed to do many cuts just to survive, much the way Iger did during the Great Recession.

I see Chapek making the same (and possibly a worse) mistake that Iger did 2006-2009 with DVC. 2006/2007 Kidani, THV, BLT, and VGC were all approved. All four opened in 2009. On top of that 2007-2009, DVC portion was selling and financing (through 3rd party) to almost anyone. Created far too much supply at the worst time. They spent 2010-2013 dealing with foreclosures (mostly SSR and AKV) and selling points at discounts because they needed to offload them. To give an idea of how severe the discounts were VGC sold as low as $85/pt and BLT as low as $87/pt. Prices are triple that today.

Chapek keeps approving projects despite sales not warranting the expansion. RIV is less than half sold. Now, VGF2 is selling so demand is split. DVC even lowered prices for the resorts to try to sell them. They soon with have VDH added to the list of places to sell. 2024 brings Poly 2 (whether it's part of PVB or it's own association). Sadly, these are among the best locations Disney will have to sell until 2042 when BWV and BCV all end. Over supply seems likely to result in discounts and lost revenue Disney would have had if they slowed down expansion.

Chapek should have learned from Universal's Great Recession approach. Save money during good times, build when costs drop for materials and workers during to a recession.

This is not the DVC forum.

However, Disney doesn't care if Riviera Resort is half sold. They own the other half and are renting rooms at RR at rates matching the Grand Floridian. The resort is completely sold out most nights. They could let Riviera coast for years and be perfectly fine.

As for foreclosures, the math is always in Disney's favor. Do they take a hit during a recession? Sure, but they would have taken a hit hotel wise anyway. ROFR almost always works out in Disney's favor too. They get to sell the same contract with a sales premium twice.

The entire reason they even offer DVC is to offload maintenance and labor costs of new and existing resorts. Look at what happened to Grand Floridan. A good portion of the hotel was sitting empty most of the year. Maintenance and labor costs went up. It became a drag on the Resorts P&L. Same with Poly & Wilderness Lodge. Saratoga Springs was created out of a failed Eisner-era project, The Disney Institute. The buildings were just sitting there.

You're not going to see another deluxe resort built at Walt Disney World without a DVC component. It's easy money.

Offering easy-to-get financing (provided in-house now by the way) gets people in the parks to purchase DVC. The interest rates for a DVC loan are so high, even if you pay on for 2 or 3 years and have to sell it back to Disney—they still made money.

The only major blunder DVC has made, under Iger (and really he didn't have much choice because Eisner had already bought the land), was building Aulani. It's a beautiful resort in a not as popular area and it's too far away from a Disney theme park.

We are lucky DVC even exists. Another Eisner passion project.

 

[GAN]

My problem with Iger is he had/has political aspirations, and he used his position as CEO at Dinsey to promote his ideas as a springboard for his political backing when he would get to that stage. I think a lot of the problems Disney is now facing were brought on because of that very reason. He might have been okay at the start of his tenor but was not good for his final 10 years.

That’s ridiculous ….any aspirations were made up by people other than him. He has no more aspirations than you. Read his book and you’ll learn a lot. Depending when you consider his tenor -remember he tried to retire 4 times from 2013-2020 and began in 2005. The last few years the only reason he stayed was because the Board wasn’t comfortable with anyone else. So depending how you look at it, the “not good” includes acquiring Marvel, LucasFilm, and Fox. The acquisition of Pixar happens during the “good” years -that alone would be a lifetime achievement for any CEO that has ever lived. Personally, I’m not guided by what my church or some cable news(or worse, social media) tells me ….I’ll stick with facts.

 

[brettcw23]

Let me start by saying that I hate politics and its influence on our daily lives. I miss the simple days of Dems arguing with Reps that they make the rich richer and poor poorer. At the end of the day, WDW is my escape from reality. I am very active in the Disney community...podcasts, blogs, etc.
1. Disney should stay out of political arenas. At best, they will offend 50% of the populace.
2. Focus on the Guests. I'm top middle class and I'm p*ssed about the cost of a WDW vacation...and I'm a DVC member. The cost increase, but the services have not.
3. Disney is WAY more than just the Parks but the Parks are the most intimate thing that Guests will experience in regards to WDW. Make it a better experience.
4. As a manager of technology and a shareholder....for the love of all things holy...improve the technology! The MDE apps should not crush Guest's phones the way it does. Nor should there be so many glitches.
5. An this is the biggest one of all...at any cost...work out a deal with Universal to get Marvel into the FL Parks. WDW has too many guests and not enough attractions. Marvel attractions would be an absolute boon for Disney. I know this is easier said than done, but it could be done. In lieu of a 5th gate, attractions could be reimagined and themed with Marvel characters.

 

[TsWade2]

Never mind.

 

[GAN]

I think the real fault for making Disney into a political agenda is most likely Bob Iger. Not only that, Bob Iger cut hand drawn animation from WDAS because PATF and WTP were underperform the box office. The only thing I'm glad on what he did is bringing back Mickey Mouse and friends to a new short series that's created by Paul Rudish. But I blame Bob Iger for using his politic behavior for making Disney losing money. Thank God for Bob Chapek!

I’d love to hear a translation on the part about Iger making Disney lose money

 

[Jonfw2]

If the 24 pages on this thread have shown anything it’s that passionate Disney fans will always find a way to make everything seem awful and then find a person to blame for it.

 

[TsWade2]

If the 24 pages on this thread have shown anything it’s that passionate Disney fans will always find a way to make everything seem awful and then find a person to blame for it.

Like I said, never mind.

 

[bakenatj]

That’s ridiculous ….any aspirations were made up by people other than him. He has no more aspirations than you. Read his book and you’ll learn a lot. Depending when you consider his tenor -remember he tried to retire 4 times from 2013-2020 and began in 2005. The last few years the only reason he stayed was because the Board wasn’t comfortable with anyone else. So depending how you look at it, the “not good” includes acquiring Marvel, LucasFilm, and Fox. The acquisition of Pixar happens during the “good” years -that alone would be a lifetime achievement for any CEO that has ever lived. Personally, I’m not guided by what my church or some cable news(or worse, social media) tells me ….I’ll stick with facts.

All those wins you stated; what has Disney done with them? You talk to a lot of the fans of those brands and they have ruined them, not made them better. When you can't come up with original ideas and content and have to go outside the company to buy ideas when you are the supposed "best in the business" I don't call that good. That's lazy and bad business.

You chastised me for making assumptions when you by your last sentence made a lot yourself. Heard the statement "calling the kettle black?"

 

[ChipnDale79]

If the 24 pages on this thread have shown anything it’s that passionate Disney fans will always find a way to make everything seem awful and then find a person to blame for it.

I think its fair to look at it from 2 sides
1. Stock holder
2. Customer


1. Bob needs time to see if he can turn the stock price around, its not fair to blame all of the stock losses on him, the overall market is down also.
2. I dont see how as a consumer anyone can support what Bob has done.

 

[Aluminum Falcon]

I think its fair to look at it from 2 sides
1. Stock holder
2. Customer


1. Bob needs time to see if he can turn the stock price around, its not fair to blame all of the stock losses on him, the overall market is down also.
2. I dont see how as a consumer anyone can support what Bob has done.

I think what you've said makes a good deal of sense, however unless Disney was cutting prices, or giving more for the same, no one would approve of Bobs maneuvers. You can argue that if you were getting more and paying more it would be more palatable, but i still think it would draw negative sentiment. Disneys only move, especially with all us Hardos, is to provide more, or the same, for less, otherwise it's considered "nickel and diming"

 

[Aluminum Falcon]

If the 24 pages on this thread have shown anything it’s that passionate Disney fans will always find a way to make everything seem awful and then find a person to blame for it.

well it's definitely not their own fault that they are unhappy, and someone needs to pay for it haha

 

[Jrb1979]

well it's definitely not their own fault that they are unhappy, and someone needs to pay for it haha

I would look to blame someone too if the only park I know is Disney. My family has done 3 different parks this year already and at all 3 we had more fun then Disney right now. A lot of it has to do with the reservation system and how Genie+ works.

 

[Liquidice]

I think what you've said makes a good deal of sense, however unless Disney was cutting prices, or giving more for the same, no one would approve of Bobs maneuvers. You can argue that if you were getting more and paying more it would be more palatable, but i still think it would draw negative sentiment. Disneys only move, especially with all us Hardos, is to provide more, or the same, for less, otherwise it's considered "nickel and diming"

I'd take the same value for more money. Less value for more money is what really hurts. It is funny though that the OP basically dismissed anything said in the last 24 pages as just passionate fans that are making things seem awful and just scapegoating Chapek. What was the point of this thread then - maybe should have been marked "only for supporters of Chapek".

 

[Smugpugmug]

I'd take the same value for more money. Less value for more money is what really hurts. It is funny though that the OP basically dismissed anything said in the last 24 pages as just passionate fans that are making things seem awful and just scapegoating Chapek. What was the point of this thread then - maybe should have been marked "only for supporters of Chapek".

I don't think it's exclusively passionate fans that are upset about the changes. If you look at Tripadvisor for WDW, there are TONS of people that just had their first trip ever and are not mega Disney fans complaining about the nickel and diming and "paying more for less". I do agree that a few changes were not entirely Chapek's fault but I also cannot deny that there is inherently less value in the current product than previously.

 

[luv2cheer92]

I would look to blame someone too if the only park I know is Disney. My family has done 3 different parks this year already and at all 3 we had more fun then Disney right now. A lot of it has to do with the reservation system and how Genie+ works.

On the flip side, I've been to 5 other parks this year and Disney twice. Had waaaaay more fun on both Disney trips, not even close.

Edit: actually 6 others

 

[Jrb1979]

On the flip side, I've been to 5 other parks this year and Disney twice. Had waaaaay more fun on both Disney trips, not even close.

Edit: actually 6 others

It depends on what you're looking for. For my family the more work involved to just get into the park they less likely we are to enjoy it.
I have seen from a few people that the parks themselves still have that magic, which is great. It turns us off all the things you must do to get to that part.

This is totally part of this thread but for our family we find the majority of Disney rides one and done. If they had more rides like Guardians with theming as well as thrill it would more of a draw.

 

[GAN]

All those wins you stated; what has Disney done with them? You talk to a lot of the fans of those brands and they have ruined them, not made them better. When you can't come up with original ideas and content and have to go outside the company to buy ideas when you are the supposed "best in the business" I don't call that good. That's lazy and bad business.

You chastised me for making assumptions when you by your last sentence made a lot yourself. Heard the statement "calling the kettle black?"

Again ...that's opinion. And you have every right to feel that those properties were "ruined" by Disney -but that isn't FACT. The core "super-fan" may be disappointed, but there are probably lots of new fans(money) that they've introduced to these universes that are enjoying them. Iger acquired them so they could expand the stories on D+ and make money that way and also on merchandising. Not even Snow White was an "original idea" -it's based on a Brothers Grimm Fairytale. So Disney was never built on totally original ideas. When John Dunlop invented a rubber wheel(tire) it wasn't an original idea but he made it a heck of a lot better than wood ...or stone! And I'm sure some people really loved their stone wheels.

 

[GAN]

I think what you've said makes a good deal of sense, however unless Disney was cutting prices, or giving more for the same, no one would approve of Bobs maneuvers. You can argue that if you were getting more and paying more it would be more palatable, but i still think it would draw negative sentiment. Disneys only move, especially with all us Hardos, is to provide more, or the same, for less, otherwise it's considered "nickel and diming"

I agree. It's Shrinkflation and everyone is doing it! Did you know Cottonelle toilet paper rolls have shrunk from 340 sheets to 312!! But people are still buying it....