Yeah, us too! We also use them for coffee and ice tea.
Great to hear!
Great! Glad to put to rest all those ridiculous and uninformed conspiracy theories.
Ha! And of course you’re right too. But I really hope we’ve heard the last of this mysterious syrup shortage.
I told you so!
Well, I’m just glad the mugs are back, since my wife and I will be there in 31 days, as the countdown on my DVC home page reminds me!
It may be an unavoidable side effect, but many of the actions they’re taking will impact future generations nostalgic ties to Disney.
Not fair to compare Iger decisions with those being made after the company lost billions these last few years. Not sure you grasp the magnitude of these losses, which might call for a current strategy other than “long term stewardship of the brand.” I’m not a Genie+ fan either, but they wouldn’t be selling them at those prices if consumers weren’t buying. And I miss the Disney Stores too!It may be an unavoidable side effect, but many of the actions they’re taking will impact future generations nostalgic ties to Disney.
Price increases have now priced the parks out of the range of their core market. I don’t remember the exact stats, but recent polls show that the people most likely to want to go to the parks, are the people who feel they can’t afford it. pricing to the market segment who is least attracted to your product is a great way to kill your future market.
Customer dissatisfaction with Genie+ vs Fastpass is extremely high. Customers going to the parks are buying it in huge numbers, but mainly because it’s the only way to feel like you’re likely to get the value for your very expensive ticket, especially when you’re a “one and done” visitor. This is definitely driving dissatisfaction with the repeat customers.
Disney closures of the Disney stores in favor of mini stores in Target locations is definitely a profit over branding decision. My Daughter used to love going to the Disney store, and it was a special immersion in the Disney brand. Shopping online, or at Target? Definitely the opposite. Many of the Disney stores were destination locations for fans. They’ve all closed.
There are many examples of decisions during the Iger era which pointed towards long term stewardship of the brand being at least as important as the Annual Report to shareholders. Now - I can’t think of any that could truly be justified for that reason. As a shareholder, I’m really concerned about the long term prospects. 5 years ago, I was a long term buyer of shares for my daughters account. Now, I’ll be watching those shares closely over the next few years.
Hopefully I’m wrong, but I really don’t think so.
I'm not sure how it's different than someone who buys a refillable mug for a 3 week trip and someone who buys one for 3 4 day trips. Also, they could switch to the Sea World model where you buy a reusable mug (which doesn't expire) and then pay $1 per refill.
I fully grasp the magnitude of those losses. In the 5 years prior to 2020, Disney averaged $10B in net profit per year. In 2020, they swung to a $2B loss. Yes, that’s a huge loss, but it’s really a blip for a well capitalized (and lightly leveraged) company like Disney. In addition, profitability has quickly returned, with 2021 showing a $2B net profit, even while costs have risen and capacity has still been constrained at the parks and in the theaters. Disney does not need the (relatively) small additional revenue provided by these increases, and definitely not when they’re causing as much negative perception as they are.
I just wish they’d switch to RFID enabled mugs, so we can end the debate. Of course this is just my opinion, and I know there are plenty of opposite ones, but not sure I’m onboard with rewriting the rules to justify stealing. And carting the cheap plastic mugs back and forth in one’s luggage seems like kind of a pain. But, whatever...it’s certainly not a capital crime and maybe I’m overreacting.
