6 changes we’d like to see Bob Iger make at Disney Parks
The return of Bob Iger as Disney’s CEO has energized fans, employees, analysts and the company’s stock price.
The shocking change took place Sunday night when Disney’s Board of Directors showed Iger’s hand-picked successor Bob Chapek the door after a disappointing quarterly earnings report and internal complaints about Chapek’s leadership, according to a report from CNBC.
All of this brought into question whether Chapek could continue to lead the company—and the answer was no. “The Board has concluded that as Disney embarks on an increasingly complex period of industry transformation, Bob Iger is uniquely situated to lead the Company through this pivotal period,” Susan Arnold, Chairman of the Board, said in a statement.
While Iger needs to focus specifically on the Disney Media and Entertainment Distribution division (and finding a new successor) many of us hope to see changes in the Disney Parks division as well.
Disney Parks has always been a financial engine that has helped keep The Walt Disney Company profitable, so there is no real reason to expect a lot of change. However, this is also a part of the business that needs caretaking. Here are six changes that we’d like to see Iger initiate:
- Get rid of the parks reservation system: This was originally instituted to keep crowd levels down when the parks first reopened after COVID for safety reasons. Now, it’s supposedly being used to help keep crowd levels down to improve the guest experience. But Disney also uses a Variable Pricing System to spread crowds more evenly throughout the year. How much guest management is needed? And the idea that it improves the guest experience is funny since your initial experience is frustrating. Not only do you have to purchase a ticket, but also secure a park reservation to make sure you can get into the park you want to get into. So instead of just buying a ticket you need to go through the two-step process that still causes confusion. The number of people we’ve seen turned away at park turnstiles is really appalling, especially older guests who aren’t using the My Disney Experience app. Starting Dec. 8 if you purchase a ticket for a specific day a reservation will be associated with that day.
Chance of change: Unlikely. This is another method for the company to manage crowd levels and can still help them with staffing.
- Eliminate restrictions on park hopping: Guests can only park hop after 1 p.m. at Disneyland Resort and 2 p.m. at Walt Disney World. Again, this rule was instituted to help control crowd levels in the early days of the pandemic. But for those who have paid extra to attend multiple parks, this severely limits your ability to hop around, especially during the winter when the hours are shorter.
Chance of change: Likely, especially if they keep the reservation system. If you have the reservation system, Disney will be able to see how things look at the start of the day. Most people would probably not park hop until after the first couple of hours.
- Bring back the Disney Dining Plan: This is something many people are asking for, but Disney may hold it back in case they need to lure guests during a recession. The Disney World website still states that the dining plans are temporarily unavailable, so there is still hope.
Chance of change: Unlikely for near future. Restauranteurs have talked about the high cost of running restaurants and cost of food. Disney might not yet be willing to offer any food deals. - Announce new rides and attractions at Disney World: This might seem counterintuitive. How do you save money by spending money on something new? The reason: Universal Orlando is opening its EPIC Universe park in 2025. There has already been a lot of talk from Disney fans about how they are moving toward Universal because it is less expensive, less complicated and has high-octane rides. Announcements in the next year of new lands or attractions at Disney World could help keep the interest of guests who are jumping ship. The recent announcement of “what could be” at Disney World during the D23 Expo a few months ago was disappointing.
Chance of change: Likely. Something will be announced in the next two years, how long it takes and whether it actually happens is another thing. - Sell annual passes again: Chapek has made it clear during past earnings calls that single-day park guests are more financially more lucrative to the company than annual passholders. But Disney has normally been in for the long game, and having dedicated guests who will come to the parks and purchase food and merchandise on a regular basis seems to be something Disney can count on
Chance of change: Toss up. There are now two lawsuits in the courts accusing Disney of discriminating against annual passholders because they can’t get park reservations while single-day guests can easily buy a park ticket. - Abandon MagicBand+: Sure it’s fun to make the statues talk and activate music, or even go on an adventure in Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge. But the band lighting up during nighttime spectaculars and the need to keep one more device charged are more annoying than it’s worth. Maybe the next generation of attractions might be enhanced by the wearable tech, but at this point, it’s not worth the price for guests, especially since we now have to pay for MagicBands when staying on property. It may also not be worth the development money Disney has to put into them.
Chance of change: Unlikely. This is another potential cash cow, and the MagicBand+ is the only type of MagicBand that can be used at Disneyland. But the interactive ear hats went away pretty quickly, so who knows?
