Tom Staggs on Disney Parks, but NO word about DLRP

[dagobert]

Yesterday TWDC held its annual confrence and Tom Staggs, Chairman Walt Disney Parks & Resorts, talked about the future of their Parks, but DLRP wasn't mentioned at all. Just once he told the participants that DLRP opened TSPL last year. What a major milestone in DLRP's history.

http://corporate.disney.go.com/news/par ... erence.pdf

DLRP is celebrating its 20th birthday next year and the chairman doesn't say a word about their European Resort. I don't know if it means anything, but TWDC doesn't seem to be very interested in their European failure. Especially at their conference they don't talk about it. Sometimes I think they are ashamed that it didn't work out over here. But he hardly ever mentions Tokyo as well. I think he also wants to avoid to mention tha OLC does a much better job. I really want to know how Disney thinks about TDR. I mean it is not owned by them, it is the most profitable resort and OLC delivers a much better product, than the inventor of Disneyland ever did.

What do you think? Is TWDC tired of their European Disneyland? Maybe it is better to sell the stakes to a company like OLC, which operates the resort independently from TWDC?

By the way, you should read the part about reserving seats in shows, times for attractions and dinner tables from home. Is there still a place for other guests in shows and rides after introducing this system?
In my opinion this is one of the worst decisions ever made. Although Fastpass is very popular, but I think it is a reason why the queues are so long.

[davewasbaloo]

Agreed, I like my holidays to be spontanious. I hate the future direction he is talking about. As for Pairs and TDL, they are rarely mentioned as Disney has such a small stake in them. But I am not holding my breathe for anything more than another stupid hub show for the 20th.

[dagobert]

Agreed, I like my holidays to be spontanious. I hate the future direction he is talking about. As for Pairs and TDL, they are rarely mentioned as Disney has such a small stake in them. But I am not holding my breathe for anything more than another stupid hub show for the 20th.

I bet that there will be another stupid hub show, another version of the Toon Train and maybe some decorations. At least they bring Tarzan back. I wouldn't mind if DLRP wouldn't receive a new attraction as long as the parks will be brought to former glory with working effects, cleaned parks and well maintained buildings and attractions.

Disney talks a lot about HKDL and TWDC holds about 43% of HKDL while they hold 51% of legal or voting shares in DLRP and 39.8% of Euro Disney SCA. So there is not such a big difference between Paris and Hong Kong. Nevertheless I hope that the 20th birthday of DLRP will be something to be proud of for TWDC and ED SCA.

[penfold12]

They never seem to open up about DLP, and as you say, are starting to with HKDL, its all very strange.....

As for the Next Gen that is talked about, I find it just awful.....There is nothing in it that makes me want it implemented, let alone excites me!!!

Every aspect so far mentioned sounds truly terrible. WDW is mainly financed by tourists. Tourists on vacation, who want to get away from the planning and clock watching..... I was there last September, and as instructed booked all our meals in advance as part of the dining plan.

Im glad we did for some of the restaurants, as if we hadn't we wouldn't of got in... However im im honest that part ruined our holiday and we didn't keep half the bookings, only those that we couldn't get walk in for. How they think you can happily book meal times 3 months in advance is ridiculous. We felt we couldn't go on certain rides incase the que was too long, and constantly felt we had to keep an eye on the time, not a vacation!!!

Further more, they say that you will be able to check in from home and arrive at the resort with your room key and go straight to your room! To be honest.... for me, a large part in a WDW holiday is the cast members and our interaction with them. Checking in, getting a description of the hotel layout, asking if the kids want their own room keys printed, and the arrival pack is all part of the holiday, its your first introduction into the Disney service, which is built on guest interaction, not computer screens from home! Im not a technophobe, in fact love my gadgets and technology, but to me this is a huge waste of time.

[dagobert]

That's so true what you have just said, penfold12. Interacting with the CMs at WDW was great, although I know that they had to. Nevertheless it makes you so much more welcome there when they show interest in you, To be honest sometimes it was a bit too much for me, but most of them were really interested in us, because we came from a very small European country and they just wanted to learn more about us.

In my opinion checking in is part of a Disney vacation and at WDW we got stickers, magnets and other stuff as presents while checking in. I don't want to arrive at the hotel and walk directly to my room. That's so unpersonal.

The Dinning Plan would be too much stress for us. When we had been to WDW in 2008, Disney required to chose most of the restaurants six month in advance. I don't want to plan my vacation six month ahead. And the next thing is we could never eat that much, so I think for us it would have been a waste of money and time.

Chosing and reserving attractions takes so much experience away from your vacation. I'm sure you will miss many details of the rides and you don't pay attention to all the things in the parks, because you rush from one ride to another and you have always to keep the time in mind. That's indeed stressful.

[Willow]

I've got used to the fact the Walt Disney Company pretty much ignoring Disneyland Paris these days. *sigh*

[MattyD24]

To quote Walt Disney (and i'm not going to get it spot on)

"Disneyland will never be completed, as long as there is imagination left in this world"

you can correct me if it isn't quite spot on...

[luke85]

I've got used to the fact the Walt Disney Company pretty much ignoring Disneyland Paris these days. *sigh*

Totally agree Willow, it's such a shame.

[lil-shawn]

Why should he talk about DLP? I mean there is not going any big investment like in the other parks. Sure its sad
that they don´t talk about this park. But for me it seems that they just did talked about the big investments going on in
DCA, WDW and HKDL and a bit of SHDL...

DLP needs to make Profit, and this soon, so they maybe talk about this park again...

[dagobert]

Why should he talk about DLP? I mean there is not going any big investment like in the other parks. Sure its sad
that they don´t talk about this park. But for me it seems that they just did talked about the big investments going on in
DCA, WDW and HKDL and a bit of SHDL...

DLP needs to make Profit, and this soon, so they maybe talk about this park again...

I just thought that maybe Tom Staggs is going to talk about DLRP since the 20th birthday is next year. Perhaps he would have given some informations. He talked about Shanghai, too, and TWDC still doesn't have the approval of the Chinese Government.

[lil-shawn]

i argee, it would have been nice but they didn´t and nobody knows why...
is it the bad state of the park, did they forget about it, is it because EDL SCA or
because it dosen´t make money. it would be nice to know why they never talk about this park...

are they affraid that they loose some shareholders because of this park, or don´t they wanna get
identified with this park. it would be very interesting to know the reason...

i realy don´t get it why they did talked about SHDL, like dagobert said, this park still needs approval from the gov.

[dagobert]

To be honest I think that TWDC isn't that proud of the resort. When did DLRP get good press in recent years? CMs committing suicide and bad financial situations. That's not you want to be related to.

But the best explanation for not talking about Paris would be, that there is nothing special going on at DLRP at the moment. There no big investments like at HKDL and the 20th birthday is still one year ahead and not in this year's financial period.