Yet Another Cutback Returned!

[Peter Pirate]

Although it is unlikely that we'll hear anything from the "once it's gone, it'll never return" crowd, I would like to point out that over on the Restaraunt Board they are reporting that the Flame Tree Restaraunt at AK has reopened - apparantely for good...

Anyone have a count on those (once cut) items now returned? Or maybe we should look at what is still not back. EE comes to mind. BTW, how did the spring break hours stack up?

Note: It seems the evil Eisner wasn't just being a big meanie after all but actually neded to cut costs during a down turn...What a surprise...

 

[All Aboard]

I'll step up to the plate as a member of the "once it's gone it's not coming back" group. Flame Tree is a revenue center, why wouldn't you bring it back? The cuts to which I refer are:

Early Entry
Daily shows (Hunchback, B&B, etc.)
9pm Future World closing
11am World Showcase Opening
Key lockout service
Free valet parking
In room package delivery
Year round operation of Timekeeper and CoP

I do admit, I was pleasantly suprised by the reinstatement of the Sassagoula River Cruise.

Reopening Port Orleans and once again serving breakfast at Tony's and the like would also be examples of re-establishing revenue centers and not bringing back customer service cuts.

 

[SAKPEG99OKW]

When did in room package delivery go away? I never heard about this, have I been sleeping?


Scott, Peg and Tyler

 

[dbail2]

Last year they delivered the packages to your resort instead of your room. You have to pick it up from there when they call and tell you it is there. Usually a store in your hotel. I think that is what was meant.

 

[FriendsOfEeyore]

YES!!! We love Flame Tree. This was our biggest disapointment from our December trip. We are planning a one day trip in October and can't decide which park to go to. We love Epcot and AK. This might just sway our decision.

 

[suzanneb]

Love that Flame Tree BBQ!!!! Not much better than the BBQ and a Safari Amber sittin' out looking at the Lagoon....love it love it...YAY!!!

 

[d-r]

Originally posted by gcurling

Early Entry
Daily shows (Hunchback, B&B, etc.)
9pm Future World closing
11am World Showcase Opening
Key lockout service
Free valet parking
In room package delivery
Year round operation of Timekeeper and CoP

I thought that the daily shows were back to normal, and during spring break they added in extra shows. May have that wrong.

They've posted the May hours over at go.com, and future world is closing at 9 (but I know that things like Test Track are open until 10). They have world show case opening at 11 every day in May.

The key lockout thing and valet parking doesn't bother me personally, I don't drive to wdw, but I can understand the liability. I would like to have my package sent to my room though, that sort of bothers me. If enough people went to timekeeper and cop they would be open - I'm not sure that those two are 9-11 cutbacks so much as lack of interest by the masses.

As for early entry, who knows but I personally doubt it will come back. Maybe some real "surprise mornings" at the MK during the busier times, but beyond that, I don't think the use justified the cost.

 

[raidermatt]

Reopening Port Orleans and once again serving breakfast at Tony's and the like would also be examples of re-establishing revenue centers and not bringing back customer service cuts.

Point taken, but nonetheless, many site these things as cuts and lump them together with the things you listed. So I guess Mr. Pirate's message would apply only to those who considered restaurant and resort closings to be cuts.

 

[Lesley]

In room package delivery has been gone since at least Nov. 1999...when we stayed at CSR we had to pick up all our packages at the gift shop. I know we had packages delivered directly to our room back in 1994....so I have no idea at what point they stopped that.

I'm glad to see that Flame Tree is once again open....it was a very good place for a bite to eat. Now if only they'd bring back the Adventureland Veranda! (Which was closed a long time ago) The food there was also very good. I'd also like to see Tony's open for breakfast...we've always wanted to try it and never got the chance.

Oh, and they need to bring back the Satay and Pad Thai at the chicken shop in AK's Asia!

 

[Bob O]

Im glad they are starting to return the items that they cut back. Maybe they have now learned that they have over-reacted in the harsh cutbacks they made.
The only ones that concerned me were the reduced park hours/reduction of show schedules and the most important, the return of EE.
I will go back even with the cutbacks that were made but i wont stay on site without EE!!
I cant say the rest./resorts cutback's would have bothered my but park hours/shows reduced and the loss of EE would have been affected my family greatly so while im happy that things are going back to normal i wont be pleased till all hours are brought back, the whole show scedules are resumed and EE is brought back!!!

 

[Galahad]

How are you making the distinction between "revenue centers" and "customer services"? WDW employs a lot of financial analysts. One of their raison d'etre is to continually calculated the return on investment (ROI) for every thing added or removed. There is potential revenue attributed to the addition of a new Hunchback show just as there is with the addition of a new ice cream cart. Not all of the revenue at a shop or food cart is attributed only the the addition of that cart but to the attractions associated with it. Shows and such were removed when attendence went down because the ROI ratio for them was lower, not non-existent . If the shows had no bearing on profits, they would never come back. If EE don't come back it is more likely that they weren't even profit-neutral, let alone profit-generating. If EE is an added inducement to staying on-site, it's cost must be weighed against the margins being made at the resorts. If removing EE doesn't reduce the number of on-site guests, or if keeping EE is a drain on the revenues from the resorts then it doesn't make sense to keep it. The ads say that "Magic Happens", but there is a lot of boring business stuff that goes on behind the scenes to make the Magic possible.

Like Peter, I am happy for the things that have returned and am not at all surprised that they have. I suspect that the things that don't return will be replaced by other new things at some point. 5 or 10 years from now, somebody will be angry that those new things are being removed and crying that the Magic is gone.

 

[Bob O]

theDscoop if i have a mont in my honor i would perfer Dec.!!! I love the x-mas decorations and the samller crowds( beggars will be choosers).
Of course with the cutbacks and things be returned you can tmake all people happy and i will always have something to whine about. It just that we only go every 2 yrs so i put a high priority on time spent in the parks and being a commando in the parks i want to do as much as possible in the time i have and can ctach up on sleep when i get home. Thats why parks hours/EE are so important.

 

[All Aboard]

I doubt that the analysts are reducing revenue in their calculation when they determine the saving associated with cutting Hunchback from 7 to 5 days. I suspect that they assume the consumer will not attribute any marginal utility reduction to the number of shows. And if they do, their bosses will smile, pat them on the back and ask them how much they enjoyed their finance 101 class.

My designation of "revenue" center was one that has it's own P&L. A restaurant, a shop. Clearly there is cross revenue potential for each and every service or decision, it's just not likely on the radar screen for some of the decisions.

EE, of course, is a deeper analysis and they'd be wise to consider the loss of revenue. Perhaps they did. But, if EE was a loser, then it would be considered a customer service perk in my book, and an elimination we won't likely see return.

I'm not arguing the fiscal responsibility of the cuts. Just the fact that they have a way of remaining permanent. I've seen it many, many times. Not just with WDW, but in all industries.

I understand your argument. Believe me. It's what I do for a living. If you were to put my title in layman's terms it would be "chief expense cutter." Right now, my kind is in high demand. If I were on the WDW payroll, I'd be offering up alot more than what we've seen from them. But I don't work for WDW, I'm a consumer, a long time consumer... so my perspective is much different when I look at them.

btw, WDW saw the error of their ways and has now corrected the hours for Future World. It's back to the 10-7 reduced version. World Showcase is showing 11-9, I give it another 48 hours before they spot it and correct it to 12-9.

 

[Panthius]

In room package delivery has been gone since at least Nov. 1999...

When we stayed at the Contemporary in January of 2001, we had package delivery to our room.

Not sure what to say about the cutbacks and restorations, although I do know that there is a nice chart in the Birnbaum's WDW 2002 guide on page 46 which lays out the attractions added each year since the Magic Kingdom opened. It seems that since around the time Eisner had taken charge, more attractions have been added...by a long shot over any previous time. Of course there is the argument over the quality of these additions...

Panthius

 

[All Aboard]

However, one must reasonably assume that it no longer makes fiscal sense or it would not have been discontinued.

Why must one? That implies that a company that has failed to move the needle on its stock price for the past 5 years never makes a financial misdecision. That's one heck of an assumption.

its funny to see something developed under the Eisner regime with such a fervent following.

Why is it funny? I'd add these:

Tower of Terror
Splash Mountain
Festival of the Lion King
Voyage of the Little Mermaid
The Great Movie Ride
Star Tours
Hunchback of Notre Dame: A musical adventure
Fantasmic!
Tapestry of Nations
Reflections of Earth
Food & Wine Festival
Holidays around the World
Flower and Garden Festival
SpectroMagic

I'd go on, but it would get boring. There have been PLENTY of things added during the Eisner Regime with fervent followings. But honestly, only a couple of these were added after Frank Wells' death in 1994.

 

[DolphinBound]

The May hours on the official WDW site show World Showcase as opening at 11 a.m. instead of 12 noon. May be a typo, but if not, they gave back an hour.

 

[All Aboard]

No, I don't at all believe that WDW would cut EE if it were making money. But not every single offering on a stand alone basis MUST make money. That's the nature of customer perks, the extras that enhance the experience and make people want to come back. I doubt EE made money in 2000, but it was a booming year - hence it survived. In leaner times, expenses must be cut. EE was one of them. Will it return when things turn around? Why should it? Like you said, it was likely losing money. As a customer who made use of EE on a regular basis, I'm upset by the cut. Am I just barking?

No.

Last year we made long weekend trips to WDW in 1) mid Feb, 2) early Mar, 3) late Mar, 4) late Apr, all during peak season. Each year we stayed on-site. This year we will make NONE of those trips. Why not? Crowd levels are higher than we prefer and we cannot make use of EE to strategize. End result, WDW lost me as a customer for a portion of the year. I am likely in the minority, and I know that. No doubt, WDW made a projection of revenue change from all sources (that spent in restaurants and shops during EE, revenue from folks choosing on- vs. off-site, and those who based their travel solely on EE.) Granted, maybe not much fell into the latter categories, but I'm an example of at least a few bucks.

 

[Peter Pirate]

Remember that it was reported that WDW management was none to happy with the proliferation of non-Disney Resort guests availing themselves of the 'EE'. Yes this could have been monitored and policed but at a cost (an additional cost on top of the loss they were already experiencing as a so called perk). Therefore the 'EE' had literally become an 'EO' (early opening) and no longer what they had intended.

I agree with scoop's sentiments that they blew it with 'EE' when it became 'EE' instead of 'Surprise Mornings'...It became a given, not a perk and worse yet a given for everybody and anybody...

I truly hope they can bring back a perk of some type for Resort guests only, but I don't believe it will be as broad or as scheduled as EE was...

 

[Bob O]

Disney cut EE to make money and they know that the disney apologists will just stand back and take it up the rear while saying thank you may i please have another!!! They made a decision IMHO that they will make more money by the cutback and their apologists will take it in stride and buy their BS reasoning!!! And this shows their lack of concern for the guest experience and they no longer feel if have to"wow" the guests but can get by on the good will they have built up over the years!!
I for one wont stay on site without EE which wont bankrupt the company by any stretch of the imagination but will cost them some small amount of money when i visit. But in comparsion i will stay on site at Universal as they still offer great perks for their on-site guests which disney doesnt and their is alot of competition for the hotel/food dollars in the area. We always stayed at a deluxe hotel and ate all meats on wdw property but that wont happen in the future unless EE is returned because without it i dont think the bang is their for the money spent!!
If non-disney guests were using EE that is disney's own fault/problem, the same as their inability to make sure only hotel guests use their pools, shows a lack of security!

 

[Killer Fish]

Disney cutting Early Entry is the reason that for the first time in my life (20 Years) my family is not coming to Disney World for Spring Break. My family decided that next Spring Break they are going to do a cruise. They are tired of the cutbacks. They always come over Spring Break so they are stuck with the crowds. They used EE to get the major rides done quickly and just enjoy the shows and minor attractions for the rest of the day. They would get up at the crack of dawn. If the park was listed as opening at 7:30 they were out on the bus stop by 6:30. It was fun for them. Yesterday they went to Epcot and it didn't even open until 8:30 in the morning. This was crazy for them. They actually woke up and had breakfast at Old Port Royale something that they have not done since EE started. My point is that some people like my family may be so pissed off that they decide not to come back.