News Round Up 2018

[Tigger's ally]

We're talking about staffing levels at the parks though and it's been told time and time again the hotel occupancy level isn't indicative of the parks crowds level.

The only complaint I've seen in regards to staffing levels consistently for a while when it comes to the hotels has been on the housekeeping front and that's been all throughout the year rather than a specific pricing season.

Yeah, but as an employer that has to deal with staffing, it does make sense to staff on the basis of business. I really can't hold that against them.

 

[mcd2745]

News

The Plaza adds breakfast in November

http://blogmickey.com/2018/09/the-plaza-restaurant-to-begin-breakfast-service-in-november/

Interesting. I've always wished they would return breakfast service to Tony's. It was actually a great breakfast in a great setting. This is at least a similar alternative.

 

[tlmadden73]

We're talking about staffing levels at the parks though and it's been told time and time again the hotel occupancy level isn't indicative of the parks crowds level.

The only complaint I've seen in regards to staffing levels consistently for a while when it comes to the hotels has been on the housekeeping front and that's been all throughout the year rather than a specific pricing season.

I mean .. are we seeing the ultimate reason behind FP+ now? Disney should have a pretty accurate idea now (compared to the past) a few weeks in advance of exactly how many people are going to be at a given park AND generally at what times.

So they should see that there is only X FP reservations made for the MK on a certain day in January and just staff accordingly. They see there isn't many FP reservations in the morning hours, so they staff even less then (also knowing that not everyone does Rope Drop).

Sure . .people who don't use FP or hop can throw things off somewhat, but in general, wouldn't they have a pretty good idea of how many people are going to be there every hour?

But they may be understaffing based on those numbers and just haven't gotten the formula correct yet. Hopefully they will adjust over time after complaints.

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

Yeah, but as an employer that has to deal with staffing, it does make sense to staff on the basis of business. I really can't hold that against them.

I don't think being an employer has much to do with it respectfully. I think most people get the concept that lower anticipated people or in the general sense number of tasks means you don't need your full force out. This applies to so many business.

I think what most people are talking about is where the waits become too high for too long. I think most people can handle a ride or two being longer for a short short time--Space Mountain is an easy one where that can happen because they can only operate 1 side and save on staffing but if that were the case on multiple rides on multiple days it can negatively affect your guest(s) in more noticable ways than anticipated. I don't hold it against Disney as a general note but there's always a fine line in saving $$ and ultimate guest satisfaction---which also applies to so many businesses. Depending on one's outlook one may say Disney tipped the balance too far on the other side.

But back to your comment you commented on resort pricing for hotel rooms during non-peak time and it being related to not having as much staff. The hotel front in this context isn't the same thing as we're talking about or what Len Testa is talking about. It's related to park staffing and wait times at attractions not hotel staffing. From the comments I've seen in general there seems to be little to no complaint on the hotel staffing front with exception to housekeeping which as I said was something not related to a pricing season and the hotel occupancy is not the be-it-all guage to park attendance numbers.

 

[The Pho]

WDW as much as I love it, cares a tad bit less about guest Experience then Disneyland,

In my experience that's very much the opposite. In my only trip to Land, we found the park to be quite dirty, the cast members to be mean, and the ride loading to be quite inefficient. Had it been my first Disney experience, I doubt I would've ever gone to another one of their parks. Meanwhile I'll be making 12 flights to World this year.

 

[crazy4wdw]

Disney's Lady and the Tramp Remake Casts Yvette Nicole Brown as Aunt Sarah

 

[TheMaxRebo]

First look at Stranger Things at Universal Halloween Horror Nights:

https://ew.com/tv/2018/09/05/stranger-things-universal-studios-halloween-horror-nights-first-look/

Must admit that HHN really doesn't appeal to me - but they nailed the look with this house!

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

I mean .. are we seeing the ultimate reason behind FP+ now? Disney should have a pretty accurate idea now (compared to the past) a few weeks in advance of exactly how many people are going to be at a given park AND generally at what times.

So they should see that there is only X FP reservations made for the MK on a certain day in January and just staff accordingly. They see there isn't many FP reservations in the morning hours, so they staff even less then (also knowing that not everyone does Rope Drop).

Sure . .people who don't use FP or hop can throw things off somewhat, but in general, wouldn't they have a pretty good idea of how many people are going to be there every hour?

But they may be understaffing based on those numbers and just haven't gotten the formula correct yet. Hopefully they will adjust over time after complaints.

That's a good question. It'd be interesting to know just how far in advance Disney determines staffing levels (at least the base amount) and what parameters they look at for that.

Def. pre-planning gives the loads of information but what exactly they do with that information and how it fits in with their formula is a thought running through my mind.

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

In my experience that's very much the opposite. In my only trip to Land, we found the park to be quite dirty, the cast members to be mean, and the ride loading to be quite inefficient. Had it been my first Disney experience, I doubt I would've ever gone to another one of their parks. Meanwhile I'll be making 12 flights to World this year.

I've heard this multiple times and it's been explained at least a few times it has to do with the culture in that area sometimes also compared to well culture elsewhere (sometimes compared to how people in the Midwest generally are compared to the Coasts to name one). But really I don't have my own experience that I can remember to even go off it. I also don't know exactly how true that is but I've typically seen it explained by people who are locals which is good since it gives that viewpoint but at the same time it's also a bias.

 

[wareagle57]

Yeah, but as an employer that has to deal with staffing, it does make sense to staff on the basis of business. I really can't hold that against them.

It really depends. Are they reducing staff hours to simply be able to justify keeping the doors open? or are they reducing it to the point that they make the same % off each guests as they do relative to the peak seasons? Obviously it is somewhere in between. But it is up to Disney to attract enough guests year round, and they've done a pretty good job at doing that in recent years. In the past when they reduced staff in the slow seasons, it didn't impact wait times as much because crowds were lower. Now it seems like Disney is "double dipping." The extra cost to staff enough low level Attractions CMs to double a rides capacity should be one of the last things reduced.

 

[OKW Lover]

That's a good question. It'd be interesting to know just how far in advance Disney determines staffing levels (at least the base amount) and what parameters they look at for that.

CM's get their schedule every two weeks.

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

CM's get their schedule every two weeks.

Good info. Thank you.

Do you know how far in advance one can ask off for vacation or to not be scheduled? I assume it's more than 2 weeks due to getting your schedule but do they have a cutoff point for asking off? I'm just thinking about how pre-planning comes into play since CL FPs are done up to 90 days and normal onsite/DS area are up to 60 days in advance and offsite/APs not staying onsite is up to 30 days in advance.

 

[SaharanTea]

Cutting staff at "lower" crowd times which artificially inflates wait times isn't new. I remember bloggers complaining about it spring of 2016, and part of that was during the spring break rush.

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

Cutting staff at "lower" crowd times which artificially inflates wait times isn't new. I remember bloggers complaining about it spring of 2016, and part of that was during the spring break rush.

I'm not sure it's new either but perhaps the degree at which it's being used and maybe the notoriety around it may be new. Plus I think it can also seem worse when you look at the profitability of a company even if the extreme profit isn't in the Parks department. We know there is still profit in the parks department but that's likely in part to a combination of higher prices for tickets, merchandise and food and staffing even when there is a reduction in guest attendance. All JMO of course.

*I know the adjustment in divisions will change the numbers though from now on so past measures won't be as useful.

 

[The Pho]

I've heard this multiple times and it's been explained at least a few times it has to do with the culture in that area sometimes also compared to well culture elsewhere (sometimes compared to how people in the Midwest generally are compared to the Coasts to name one). But really I don't have my own experience that I can remember to even go off it. I also don't know exactly how true that is but I've typically seen it explained by people who are locals which is good since it gives that viewpoint but at the same time it's also a bias.

I'm from Boston, where people aren't exactly nice. From what we experienced, I have a hard time passing it off as cultural differences (at least not all of it), and it's not like our bad experience with cast members carried over to Six Flags, Coachella, or any other part of my time around LA. The very first thing we experienced after parking and Earl of Sandwich was security. One guard was telling us to do one thing, another guard then screamed at us to not do that. Within an hour, I had seen cast members screaming at guests 4 more times. And I don't mean just raising their voices, actual angry yelling. That's how our Disneyland experience started. Whenever we tried talking to cast, most acted like they didn't want to be bothered (perhaps that is the cultural difference part). Usually in World, we can count on finding at least 5 cast members per trip that we feel the need to write up compliments for. We did not find a single one at Land. It just seemed like the cast at Land were there more for the paycheck and didn't really care that it was a Disney park, basically I found more passion at Magic Mountain. I feel like perhaps I need to give the park another chance, after all Cars Land and Matterhorn were awesome, but I also know I'll never get my sister to go again.

 

[BigRed98]

First look at Stranger Things at Universal Halloween Horror Nights:

https://ew.com/tv/2018/09/05/stranger-things-universal-studios-halloween-horror-nights-first-look/

Must admit that HHN really doesn't appeal to me - but they nailed the look with this house!

I just started binge watching Stranger Things last week and now I'm completely addicted. This house looks identical from the first season. Even though HHN isn't my thing either, I would love just to see this house in person without the scare actors.

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

I'm from Boston, where people aren't exactly nice. From what we experienced, I have a hard time passing it off as cultural differences (at least not all of it), and it's not like our bad experience with cast members carried over to Six Flags, Coachella, or any other part of my time around LA. The very first thing we experienced after parking and Earl of Sandwich was security. One guard was telling us to do one thing, another guard then screamed at us to not do that. Within an hour, I had seen cast members screaming at guests 4 more times. And I don't mean just raising their voices, actual angry yelling. That's how our Disneyland experience started. Whenever we tried talking to cast, most acted like they didn't want to be bothered (perhaps that is the cultural difference part). Usually in World, we can count on finding at least 5 cast members per trip that we feel the need to write up compliments for. We did not find a single one at Land. It just seemed like the cast at Land were there more for the paycheck and didn't really care that it was a Disney park, basically I found more passion at Magic Mountain. I feel like perhaps I need to give the park another chance, after all Cars Land and Matterhorn were awesome, but I also know I'll never get my sister to go again.

Ouch yeah I could see where that would creat a negative impression.

I do vaguely remember reading about the part of your comment about CM's seemingly appearing to be bothered by questions asked and that being part of the culture. Again I've got no personal experience that I can remember.

Maybe just one more chance couldn't hurt lol but I feel you. Seemed like it was a domino effect for you too and that never helps out on the impression department.

If I remember next year I can get back to you on my viewpoint as there's a good chance I'll be able to go once or twice if things pan out for my husband's assignment. I'm fingers crossing honestly that if it does pan out that I get 1 time before Star Wars because I don't want that to affect my viewpoint on DLR like CM interaction and crowds but I may not get my wish.

 

[MickeyMinnieMom]

I'm from Boston, where people aren't exactly nice.

I grew up in Montreal. Spent summers in Boston with relatives. People are sweet as pie in Boston. Trust me.

 

[TheMaxRebo]

I'm from Boston, where people aren't exactly nice. From what we experienced, I have a hard time passing it off as cultural differences (at least not all of it), and it's not like our bad experience with cast members carried over to Six Flags, Coachella, or any other part of my time around LA. The very first thing we experienced after parking and Earl of Sandwich was security. One guard was telling us to do one thing, another guard then screamed at us to not do that. Within an hour, I had seen cast members screaming at guests 4 more times. And I don't mean just raising their voices, actual angry yelling. That's how our Disneyland experience started. Whenever we tried talking to cast, most acted like they didn't want to be bothered (perhaps that is the cultural difference part). Usually in World, we can count on finding at least 5 cast members per trip that we feel the need to write up compliments for. We did not find a single one at Land. It just seemed like the cast at Land were there more for the paycheck and didn't really care that it was a Disney park, basically I found more passion at Magic Mountain. I feel like perhaps I need to give the park another chance, after all Cars Land and Matterhorn were awesome, but I also know I'll never get my sister to go again.

We had similar experience our one trip to Land as well, though maybe not as extreme. But heading into the trip all I heard was how great the CMs are there and how much they care about the park and aren't "just college program kids", etc. - and, yeah, saw a bunch yelling at people and many others just indifferent. Definitely had many, many better CM experiences at WDW.

and I am from NY, near NYC, so not exactly super friendly town

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

I just started binge watching Stranger Things last week and now I'm completely addicted. This house looks identical from the first season. Even though HHN isn't my thing either, I would love just to see this house in person without the scare actors.

We finished season 1 and now need to start season 2 but I agree it's addicting. My husband liked the intro music a lot so I made that his ringtone when he calls me .

I haven't been to a Halloween event at a amusement/theme park in years but I do feel like Universal can put on quite the show with it.