MickeyBlog News for March 2, 2020
On a memorable episode of The Simpsons, Homer Simpson realized that he could get away with a lot of stuff. All he had to do was tell people (and penguins) that it was his first day on the job.
I thought about that joke a lot over the past few days, as The Walt Disney Company introduced a new leader…who promptly suffered a nightmarish start to his tenure. I’ll explain the details in the latest edition of MickeyBlog News.
Meet the New Boss…
Well, the battle is over, and Robert Iger has declared a winner. After many years of in-fighting among Disney executives, one has earned the right to follow Iger as the new CEO of Disney.
The not-at-all surprising/totally shocking choice is Bob Chapek, most recently the Chairman of Disney Parks, Experiences and Resorts. As MickeyBlog has discussed, Chapek separated himself from his peers a couple of years ago. Then, attendance struggles at Disneyland last summer set him back in the eyes of many analysts.
Apparently, Chapek was never in any danger, though. Iger has since revealed that the Board of Directors locked in on his replacement around Thanksgiving. All parties have worked quietly behind the scenes to prepare Chapek for a smooth transaction into his new job.
So, Chapek started immediately and seemed positioned to succeed. Alas, the best-laid plans sometimes fall apart due to bad luck…
Coronavirus Concerns Cause Closure
When first Shanghai Disneyland and later Hong Kong Disneyland closed over Covid-19 concerns, all eyes turned to Tokyo Disneyland. Theme park critics deem this park arguably the finest in the world, and its unusual ownership structure assures Disney of pure profit.
The actual owner of Tokyo Disneyland is The Oriental Land Company. This organization pays Disney hefty licensing fees to build rides based on the Disney brand. Since this park receives about 32.5 million guests each year (counting Tokyo DisneySea), it’s a cash cow.
For obvious reasons, The Oriental Land Company didn’t want to shutter their park. Sadly, inaccurate reports about the status of Coronavirus have forced the company’s hand. Operating the park during a pandemic qualifies as foolish. So, Tokyo Disneyland will cease operations until March 16th.
I want to add that this announcement happened the day after Chapek took over. Since Iger and Chapek worked in tandem on the transition of power, I have to believe that Disney’s new CEO knew this was coming. If not, his week’s even worse than I’m about to explain.
The Sinking of the Bomokandi Bertha
Imagine yourself riding Jungle Cruise, as your Skipper relays a bunch of horrible puns. You’re laughing despite yourself, but then something starts to feel wrong. You get the distinct impression that your vessel is taking on water and sinking.
This scenario isn’t theoretical. I’ve just described what happened to a boatload of passengers on a Jungle Cruise voyage this past week. As people listened to the usual spiel, the Skipper grew alarmed, recognizing that the ship wasn’t going to last for the entire journey.
Yes, the Bomokandi Bertha sank into the water…with passengers onboard! Now, I should add some vital caveats here. Nobody was injured, the boat is recoverable, and the ride wasn’t even down for long.
In case you didn’t know, the waterways on Jungle Cruise aren’t deep. So, all that happens in a worst-case scenario like this is that people get their feet and pants wet. Cast members evacuated the guests safely off the boat and quickly supplied a change of clothes for all involved.
Jungle Cruise went full Titanic at Disney Worldpic.twitter.com/7tvyskDoon
— Comicbook.com (@ComicBook) February 27, 2020
From an optics perspective, this situation’s terrible for Disney. However, like the ride itself, the whole thing is weirdly funny more than anything else.
Much Ado About Nothing at Beach Club
Anyone visiting Disney’s BoardWalk or Disney’s Beach Club Resort last Thursday received quite the shock. Police officials blanketed the area in search of a threatening person. The situation escalated to the point that SWAT teams arrived on the scene.
Take a moment to think about how you’d feel if you saw members of a SWAT unit at your hotel…or anywhere in your general vicinity. It’s an unsettling situation.
For Disney officials, the most frustrating part is that the entire thing should never have happened. A guest mistook something under a different person’s jacket as a firearm. So, they alerted law enforcement officials, who performed the necessary amount of due diligence.
Deputies were at the Disney Beach Club Resort in reference to a suspicious person. Someone thought a man had a gun under a jacket. Deputies determined there was no threat. Guests at the resort are safe. We take all threats seriously and will always respond and investigate.
— Orange County Sheriff's Office (@OrangeCoSheriff) February 28, 2020
As we learned in Iger’s autobiography, the Pulse Nightclub shooter had debated Disney Springs as a target, too. He was thwarted in those plans by Disney’s security measures in place. The same thing happened at Beach Club, only it was a false alarm. Nobody had a gun, and the entire situation was a misunderstanding.
Amazingly, Disney didn’t even make it 24 more hours without another incident…
The PeopleMover Crash
At the end of last year, I wrote about the worst things that happened at Walt Disney World in 2019. This week alone had three different situations that would have earned a spot in the top five over the past 14 months. It was that kind of first week on the job for Chapek.
In fact, I’m writing this on a Saturday afternoon, and I’m petrified that another bombshell will drop before it’s time to publish. Dude’s inside of Murphy’s Law right now.
Sorry about this y’all I just got excited about my break so wanted to rush back to the unloading platform pic.twitter.com/i2K7MSLdNx
— The PeopleMover Cone (@PeopleMoverCone) February 28, 2020
So, what’s disaster story number three at Walt Disney World this week? Two trams on the Tomorrowland Transit Authority PeopleMover collided on Friday. The operators of a Disney radio service, Sorcerer Radio, published images of the ride at a standstill.
Reports indicated that no one suffered an injury. The location of the incident required cast members to evacuate guests from the ride. Like Jungle Cruise, the PeopleMover was back up and running within hours of the accident. So, all three stories could have been worse. And we’re all grateful that they weren’t.
A New Dining Plan Option
The other remarkable story this week also comes from Walt Disney World. After years of requests, Disney has finally introduced a new dining plan that will fill a void.
The primary Disney Dining Plan (DDP) provides guests with one Quick Service and one Table Service entitlement per day. I’ve written about my love for the Deluxe DDP, which my wife and I purchase for most trips.
We like that this plan provides us with three Table Service entitlements daily. We understand the criticisms about the massive amount of food that comes with this package. However, we usually travel with other parties, either family members or close friends. Plus, I have friends in Orlando. With the Deluxe version, I can “buy” meals for my ‘ohana using entitlements.
Even so, I’m intrigued by the new option. It’s the Disney Dining Plan Plus, which provides guests with two daily Table Service entitlements. Thus, it bridges the gap between the limitations of the standard plan and the excess of the deluxe one. A caveat is that Disney doesn’t include appetizers. That tradeoff does give me pause. However, the price gap makes the Plus plan quite inviting.
Quick Dining Plan Math
The Deluxe DDP costs $119 per person per day for adults. The DDP Plus is only $94.61. So, you save $24.61 per person by choosing the DDP Plus. For a party of four, that’s a difference of roughly $100 per day. So, it’s a viable option for your next trip.
If you’re not sure which dining plan to pick, I’d suggest contacting a MickeyTravels agent to ask their opinion. These professionals know all the ins and outs of family vacations to Walt Disney World. Best of all, their services come free of charge to you!