Bob Iger In, Bob Chapek Out...Now What?

 In what has seemed to be long overdue to most Disney fans, Disney has parted ways after 3 years with Bob Chapek. His replacement - Bob Iger who previously served as CEO of Disney from 2005-2020 and as Disney's President for 5 years before that from 2000-2005. 

Breaking Down the Change

To many Disney die-hards, Disney has lost it's "magic." You would be hard pressed to find any Disney fanatic that was happy with what Chapek was doing, for various different reasons. Disney's stock was down to a paltry $86 per share from a high of $197 in Feb 2021, not long after Chapek took the reigns. The Political Left was angry with his handling of Florida's Parental Rights in Education Bill, so much so that Chapek then angered the Political Right by openly opposing the Bill. Perhaps even worse though is that guests of Disneyland seem to be paying more at every turn and receiving far less in return. 

It was time for a change. Iger knows Disney inside and out and he is a safe choice financially, seeing as he has led Disney to record profits during his tenure. But are record profits going to restore the "magic" to Disney?

Here are a few things Iger will need to do to get Disney back on track:

FastPass

One of the ways Iger can show that he is listening to the complaints of the Disney faithful and cares about guest experience is to make the "Fastpass" portion of Genie+ free again. This should be rather easy for him to do and make him look like a hero at the same time. It would be easy because it was implemented by his predecessor, Chapek, and because, due in part to the pandemic, Disney has experienced losses in revenues from attendance, lowering their profits. As attendance picks up, so will profits, meaning that getting rid of the revenue generating Genie+ will have less of a noticeable affect on the bottom line. I would actually rather see FastPass eliminated all together which would make all standby lines move twice as fast, but I'll settle for this baby step.

Magical Express

Another simple fix is to bring back the Magical Express service to Walt Disney World. Getting rid of this expense served no other reason than to cut costs as the expense of their guests. This was another Chapek blunder (although celebrated by most of the Board and Top Executives, I'd venture to say). This is another way for Iger to look like a hero, undoing the unfriendly guest policies of Chapek, and returning to Walt's philosophy of putting the guest first. 

Park Hopping

Eliminate Park Hopping restrictions. Currently, guests can't park hop until after 1:00pm if they purchase the Park Hopper option on their ticket. Until 2 years ago when these restrictions were implemented, I had always paid the extra $60 or so per ticket for this option but now, with the after 1:00pm restrictions in place, I find no value in it. I'm sure I'm not the only one. This would be a simple way to increase revenue, which should be appealing to Iger, and create a better guest experience.

Monthly Payment Plans for Annual Passes

Here's where we'll see how serious Iger is about guest satisfaction. When Iger implemented monthly payment plans for annual passes, there was an immediate, noticeable difference in how congested Disneyland got. Perhaps this issue has been addressed by limiting the number of entrances allowed to annual passes per day with the reservation system and, if so, that's fine.   

Bring Back the old Disney Cast Member Grooming Standards

There's really no other way to put it than Disneyland is starting to resemble the carnival atmosphere that Walt wanted to avoid when he built Disneyland. So many of the people closest to Walt asked him why he would want to build an amusement park because at that time they were all so dirty and the crew that ran them were covered in tattoos and not family friendly. Walt's response was, "Mine won't be like that." Well guess what, Disney? You have let Walt's park become what he didn't want. Make Cast Members cover their tattoos. They are incredibly distracting and take away from what Disneyland is supposed to be -  a magical place where you get out of the real world. Make males have a clean-cut appearance and no distracting color to any hair. Doing these sorts of things will also help Cast Members start acting more professional as well - another thing that has deteriorated over the past few years. 

Staying Clear of the Political Arena

This is an area that killed Bob Chapek and Disney during his tenure, particularly in regards to Florida's Parental Rights in Education Bill. Chapek managed to tick off both the political left and right with his clumsy intrusion into the topic. Disney has no business in politics.  

Bring Back Wholesome Family Entertainment

Now on to the more difficult part...When I was growing up, parents could put on the Disney Channel or any Disney show in general and not have to wonder what I, or any other child, was being taught. Disney was different than the other cartoons. While other cartoons used crude humor to get cheap laughs, Disney told family friendly, heart warming stories that left you rooting for certain characters, anguishing with them when things didn't go their way, and laughing with them when accidents happened. Today when I turn on a show for my kids, I have to worry about what sort of alternative lifestyle is being taught to them in addition to other things. That's not what I or many other parents want to have to worry about when our kids are watching a Disney cartoon. Iger already fired Disney's top Content Distribution man, Kareem Daniel, but to really help right the ship, Iger will need to get rid of their top Executives of the Movie/Animation creative departments who are pushing their current fringe ideals.

Leave Splash Mountain Alone

I'll admit this one is more of a personal preference of mine (and of my kids). Disneyland has so many attractions in need of maintenance and even many "Lands" such as Tomorrowland and Hollywood Land, are in dire need of...something. When I was at Disneyland this summer with my family, 3 attractions broke down while we were on them in 3 days! I had never had more than one break down on me before in a trip and even that was rare. Three of the turn-table chase scenes in Pirates of the Caribbean were not functional, the Rolling Boulder scene in Indiana Jones hasn't worked for years, and many attractions had lighting issues that had a huge negative impact in the story telling aspect of the attraction. It seems like such a waste to spend money on fixing something that isn't broken in the first place. In fact, not only is Splash Mountain not broken, it is a fan favorite. The perception of this move is exactly why Disney's Image is being tarnished. It's a bad idea to change a popular attraction because a small number of people think that the movie it is based on is somehow racist rather than making improvements that everybody can agree with and will make the park better for everybody. 

That last point is why Disney is moving in the wrong direction in general - trying to appease a small group of people rather than making quality wholesome entertainment that has been enjoyed by the masses over the years.

Disney, please bring back Walt's magic to your programming and your parks.  

Disneyland Hotel July 2022

 

Although we visit Disneyland every year, the last time we stayed in the Disneyland Hotel was 2017 just because it is so crazy expensive. We love the location and the ability to walk through Downtown Disney on the way to and from the Hotel to trade pins, but staying across the street on Harbor Blvd can save us a few thousand dollars on our trip.so that is what we normally do. 

We were excited this year to try out the new water slides which weren't there the last time we stayed. Here's a look at our stay in pictures:

Here's our first look at the Disneyland Hotel as we pulled into the parking lot. This is the Fantasy Tower where you check in.

After checking in, we grabbed our bags and headed to our room which was in the Fantasy Tower this year. (in 2017 we stayed in the Frontier Tower).

We found our room and looked inside...

And here's a video of our room that I took from my Youtube channel:

Here's a look at the pool area with construction on the new Disney Vacation Club Tower being built. The slides were very well themed but nothing special to slide down.

And here's a view from the other direction.

Here's a closer look at the waterslides. You go up 3 flights of stairs to get to the lower, yellow Monorail slide and another 3 flights of stairs to get to the upper red Monorail slide.

Here's a closer up look of the stairs heading up to the red Monorail.

Although at first my 8 year old was a little apprehensive about trying the red Monorail slide, she eventually did it. Here's a look at the layout of that slide. 

The slide empties into a 4 foot deep pool. The lifeguards hold the next guest in line until the person is all the way out of the pool.

The lower, yellow Monorail slide is very tame and empties into a shallow trough full of water.

We love staying at the Disneyland Hotel when we can afford it. The feeling like you never leave Disney as opposed to having to cross Harbor Blvd and pass homeless people gives an added feel of safety. With that said, although the rooms are nice, the prices are really outrageous for what you get.

Summer 2022 Disneyland Trip Report

 This year, our trip to Disneyland consisted of 3 days in the parks and a half day before at the Disneyland Hotel. Until Disneyland drops the time restrictions on when you can "park hop" (meaning visit both parks in the same day if you add the extra perk to your ticket by spending an extra $60 per ticket per day), we are just doing one park per day. Before last year when the restrictions were added, we had always purchased park hopper tickets but as of this report, the earliest you can switch parks is 1:00pm which just seems too late for me. 

We stayed at the Disneyland Hotel this year, which was our first time since 2017 and the first time we had been there with the Monorail slides being operational. It was a fun, though expensive treat! Here's our trip report in pictures:

Pulling up to this Disneyland Hotel sign really starts our excitement!

We checked into the hotel and got settled into our room (which you can see in my Disneyland Hotel blog post here). The kids love pin trading so we went to Downtown Disney to trade pins before heading to the swimming pool,

The theming of the waterslides with the Monorails is really fun to see. The slides are, well, normal water slides but the background makes for great pictures!

This is the pool you come out into after taking the Red Monorail slide (the bigger one).

And here's a look at Judi (my 8 year old) going down the bigger Red Monorail slide.

DAY 1 Disneyland

The next morning we woke up early, left our hotel room, and headed through Downtown Disney to Disneyland.

We like to get to Disneyland about 45 minutes before it opens and wait in line until they let people in for the Rope Drop (about 15 minutes before the park opens). This gives us time for a few pictures before heading on rides.

Typically our first traditional ride every year is Peter Pan. This year, it wasn't open yet when we walked by so we actually went on Alice in Wonderland before retuning to it.

After meeting up with our friends, the Dollins', we headed for the Tea Cups and the kids took a spin!

We then headed to one of my favorite attractions, Storybook Land Canal Boats.

From there, it was off to Adventureland and the Tiki Room...

...and the Jungle Cruise.

We then headed past the Rivers of America and the Sailing Ship Columbia...

...to our favorite attraction, Splash Mountain. I am so disappointed in Disney for feeling like they have to re-theme this ride. 

Since Winnie the Pooh is right across the way from Splash Mountain, that's where we went next.

We then went to Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge and on our way to Rise of the Resistance, we found Boba Fett roaming around the area. 

This scene from Rise of the Resistance, immediately after we were "captured" by the First Order, never gets old, no matter how many times I've seen it.

We had 9 people in our party so Trey had to board the escape vehicle without us. Rise of the Resistance usually has a wait of well over an hour but it is one ride that is definitely worth the wait.

After Rise of the Resistance, we went to Fantasyland and the Red Rose Tavern for lunch. Lizi was just in a Beauty and the Beast play last year so she was a little extra excited to eat here. 

After lunch, we walked around Fantasyland, attempting to pull the sword from the stone and getting sprinkled by pixie dust at the Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique as seen in the video below:

Because the lines became so long for many of the attractions, we decided to take the rafts over to Tom Sawyer Island and do some exploring.

One of the rope bridges on Tom Sawyer Island.

After exploring Tom Sawyer Island, we went to the Haunted Mansion.

Next up: Casey Jr Circus Train, followed by Mr. Toad's Wild Ride, and...

...King Arthur's Carousel.

I can't remember ever going to a show at the Fantasyland Theatre before but we decided to try out the Tale of the Lion King. For me it was just ok but the kids loved it!

It was then off to Autpoia to get driving lessons from Lizi, followed by an intergalactic flight on Star Tours. 

We were so excited to hear that the Main Street Electrical Parade was coming back this summer and so we ended our night watching the Parade.

DAY 2 California Adventure

Day two at California Adventure - first stop: Soarin' Around the World. We all like the Soarin' Over California version better, but even this version is really cool.

We then stopped at Grizzly Peak for a group picture.

It was then off to Webslingers - the new underwhelming Spiderman Themed attraction. This is just another arcade type shooting game like Buzz Light Year and Toy Story Midway Mania. The only difference is that it uses technology to track your motions since you shoot with your arms. I'm still wondering why we needed a third version of this type of attraction...

When we were getting off of Webslingers, the kids recognized someone they had seen getting on the ride, surrounded by a small entourage of people. Emelia McCarthy from the Disney show Zombies was kind enough to stop for a quick picture. I thought it was really nice of her to take a few minutes to make our kids day.

While the more adventurous went to Guardians of the Galaxy, Judi and I went to Monsters Inc, which broke down right before we were about to get on... 

We then headed across Pixar Pier to go to Toy Story Midway Mania.

While not our favorite attraction, Trey and I still have a good time.

It was then time for lunch so we stopped somewhere I had never eaten before - Boardwalk Pizza and Pasta. If you like pasta, this is the place for you! The prices are slightly less expensive than other places in the Disney Parks and the food is good and filling. We are definitely going to eat here again on our next visit.

We all wore our matching Disney shirts for our family picture in Avenger's Campus.

After our picture, it was safe to get drenched on Grizzly River Run and after, we headed for the Redwood Creek Challenge Trail where some got off their feet...

...while others went exploring.

We split up again and Judi and I went on Jessie's Critter Carousel while the others went on the Incredicoaster.

Judi and I had a few extra minutes before the others were done with the Incredicoaster so we headed onto Inside Out Emotional Whirlwind. While realistically this is just your cookie-cutter carnival spinner ride, it carries a little more significance to me since it used to be a part of Flick's Fliers in the now removed Bug's Land. 

After Mickey's Philharmagic, Animation Academy, and Turtle Talk with Crush, Judi and I headed onto Mater's Junkyard Jamboree.

At the end of the day, we found a great spot on the bridge going toward Pixar Pier to sit and watch the World of Color. While I still like Fantasmic! better, I also enjoy the World of Color.

DAY 3 Disneyland

Back to Disneyland for our last day.

I was pretty impressed at how happy, alert, and un-zombie-like the kids look after 2 nights in a row of 5 hours of sleep and 2 days of walking over 10 miles per day. Here they are ready to do it again! 

Judi and I headed toward New Orleans Square to ride a couple of the classics - Jungle Cruise and Haunted Mansion while Shelby, Trey, and Lizi tried out Space Mountain. 

Meanwhile, work continues on what used to be Tarzan's Treehouse. Disney still hasn't officially announced what the new theme will be but the three most prominent rumors are a return to the Swiss Family Robinson Treehouse, a re-theme to S.E.A (the Society of Explorers and Adventurers) - a fictional organization found in the Tokyo Disney parks, and Encanto. I am optimistic that it will return to Swiss Family Robinson. 

Judi and I then went on a wild ride with Mr. Toad...

...before meeting back up with the older kids and going on Star Tours. While we were on Star Tours at the point where we were about to "make the jump into light speed," the ride suddenly broke down, making this the second time an attraction had broken down on this trip while we were in line or on it.

We then headed over to the Tomorrowland Railroad Station and waited for the Disneyland Railroad to arrive.

I really enjoy riding the Disneyland Railroad to get off my feet for a while and to enjoy the views...

Once we got off the Railroad, lines everywhere were getting pretty long so we decided to head to Tom Sawyer Island...

...and take a trip around the Rivers of America on the Davy Crockett Explorer Canoes.

After heading back to the Disneyland Hotel for some much needed naps, we came back over to Disneyland and enjoyed the happy haunts of the Haunted Mansion.

We then headed over to Mr. Toad's Wild Ride.

After enjoying Fantasmic! and Pirates of the Caribbean, Shelby, Trey, and Lizi headed for the Matterhorn and Judi and I went on Alice in Wonderland, which broke down - our third breakdown of our trip.

I was actually really excited about this breakdown because it allowed me to get some really good pictures of the attraction with the lights on. We also got to see some back stage areas as we were walked off the ride through back offices, down stairs, and out a door by the restrooms on the east side of the ride.

Shelby, Trey, and Lizi enjoy the Matterhorn.

On our way to Autopia, Shelby stops for a picture in front of the Submarine Lagoon. 

Lizi takes me on another ride on Autopia.

After a tiring but fun three days, Judi still has a smile on her face as we head back to the hotel.