Cost cutting moves?

[Stu29573]

As a fan, we want them to spend money on making us happy, which is not management's primary concern.

And yet making customers happy is exactly what their primary concern should be. If the brand is seen as being devalued, then the customers will spend their very hard earned cash elsewhere. Stock holders are going to suffer and eventually leave. CEOs and CFOs need to realize that without a high quality core product, there simply is no company. Or in East Texas slang, "You need to dance with the guy that brung ya."

[Camping Mom]

[QUOTE=CaptainJessicaSparrow;1761365]HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA. Yeah, there'd be no one to work the park with no OT.


My son who is a CM could not survive without OT!! It helps pay the rent!!!

[CaptainJessicaSparrow]

My son who is a CM could not survive without OT!! It helps pay the rent!!!

I know the feeling. I'm happy it's the holidays. I've been picking up shifts like no tomorrow. I'm on day 9 of 12 consecutive.

I was merely saying that if they cut OT, they'd have to close the parks so early cause OT starts at anything over 8 hours, and then anything over 40 hours, 6 days, or starting a second shift with less than 8 hours between the two shifts. There are no enough CM's to staff the parks to attempt that and to hire them (if anyone would actually stay longer than 30 days) would cost more because of recruiting, interviewing, hiring process and paperwork, scheduling orientation and training, paying the trainers, staffing more CM's to cover for the lost CM who is the trainer. Hiring, training and retention is the most expensive labor cost (which is typically the largest expense anyways).

[Mr. Incredible]

Listening to a podcast and reading about some of the things that Disney is supposedly doing to cut costs, started me to thinking, what would I do to cut costs or generate revenue at WDW in this tight economy? So, put on your CEO or CFO hats, and give it your best shot.

If it were me, I think I would look into a few of the following:

1) Reducing the number of night-time hard ticket events. Thinks like the MNSSHP, and the Pirate & Princess parties.
2) Putting some rides that draw less traffic in a reduced or even closed (temporary) status. Things like, Carousel of Progress, Sounds Dangerous, Conservation Station.
3) Closing a building or two at a resort, depending on occupancy rates.

Also, what would you do/consider, in order to generate more revenue?

1) Special promotions - work with The Disney Store and other vendors outside the parks to encourage/promote park attendance. Put the free planning DVD in The Disney Stores.
2) Special pricing/discounts for Deluxe and Moderate resorts.
3) Free Dining -
4) Partner with airlines and other travel providers to create package deals.
5) Buy one Get one free or half price tickets, especially around valentine's day. This would be a great tie-in with the Celebration Vacation promotion for 2009.
6) Special Hard Ticket event for Valentine's Night, including Dinner.
7) Send out special offers to anyone who has visited any of the Disney Parks in the last 5 years. Offer a discount to return. This would be especially good for those who like to go frequently, but don't see a good enough reason to go right now. Motivate them with a special offer.


Some of these will be more favorable than others, and some people may disagree, but these are just my thoughts. Please share your own.

So as not to spoil my own answers I'd like to respond without reading the rest of the thread. Please excuse if some of this has been brought up before...

1) Close two resorts pending increased demand. AS Sports and POFQ would seem to be likely targets.

2) Invest 60-80 million dollars (spread out over 10 years) in a new E-ticket for AK or DHS. This would help drive new traffic into the parks, and with prudent financing the cost would be easily absorbed.

3) Invite Barack Obama to MK on July 4 for grand re-opening of HOP. Shoot his underlings a line about how crucial this would be to the travel industry and the economy. Maybe run an hour in primetime to showcase the day.

4) Sponsor a NASCAR Sprint Cup car. Paint that sucker up like Lightning McQueen if your want to! NASCAR's audience is Disney's core audience. PIxar recognized this with the development and release of "Cars".

5) Establish a reward points system for return guests. When things are darkest, doesn't it just make good sense to reward your loyal customers? Even if you let them in the gate for free they're still going to spend $100 on Mickey bars and souvies. Winner winner, chicken dinner!

6) Have park managers be picky sticklers about cleanliness and quality of the parks. Now is precisely the time to be sure things are spiffy and worthy of return visits. Walt was big on Quality; doncha think he knew a thing or two?

7) Harp on the sentimentality of the Disney brand. Re-establish Wonderful World of Disney on network TV on Sunday nights; have a mouseketeer reunion with Annette Funicello doing the Chicken Dance with Britney Spears; buy multiple ads during the Super Bowl. Just do anything necessary during the hard times of 2009 to remind people there is a place where everything can be all better, where worries are checked at the front gate.

[Aurora]

So as not to spoil my own answers I'd like to respond without reading the rest of the thread. Please excuse if some of this has been brought up before...

1) Close two resorts pending increased demand. AS Sports and POFQ would seem to be likely targets.

2) Invest 60-80 million dollars (spread out over 10 years) in a new E-ticket for AK or DHS. This would help drive new traffic into the parks, and with prudent financing the cost would be easily absorbed.

3) Invite Barack Obama to MK on July 4 for grand re-opening of HOP. Shoot his underlings a line about how crucial this would be to the travel industry and the economy. Maybe run an hour in primetime to showcase the day.

4) Sponsor a NASCAR Sprint Cup car. Paint that sucker up like Lightning McQueen if your want to! NASCAR's audience is Disney's core audience. PIxar recognized this with the development and release of "Cars".

5) Establish a reward points system for return guests. When things are darkest, doesn't it just make good sense to reward your loyal customers? Even if you let them in the gate for free they're still going to spend $100 on Mickey bars and souvies. Winner winner, chicken dinner!

6) Have park managers be picky sticklers about cleanliness and quality of the parks. Now is precisely the time to be sure things are spiffy and worthy of return visits. Walt was big on Quality; doncha think he knew a thing or two?

7) Harp on the sentimentality of the Disney brand. Re-establish Wonderful World of Disney on network TV on Sunday nights; have a mouseketeer reunion with Annette Funicello doing the Chicken Dance with Britney Spears; buy multiple ads during the Super Bowl. Just do anything necessary during the hard times of 2009 to remind people there is a place where everything can be all better, where worries are checked at the front gate.

Mr. Incredible, I really like your style!!

[lockedoutlogic]

My son who is a CM could not survive without OT!! It helps pay the rent!!!

Isn't that a ridiculous kinda standard to force someone to meet?

In the United States? In a place that generates billions in operating revenue each year?

if anyone wants to wonder why the quality has "slipped" at WDW.....this is on the path to the answer