Do you think Disney hates its fans?

I do not think that Disney hates its fans. I think at the moment, Disney is misunderstanding the fans, and the fans are misunderstanding that Disney is a company first. Companies need to make money to keep fans happy, and it is not happening at the moment.

Disney has gone through periods like this in the past. Also, Bob Iger regrets that he hired Bob Chepak because Chepak did not have Disney and its fans in mind when he made some of these moves before he left. I think that is one of the reasons Bob Iger came out of retirement until a proper replacement has both Disney as a company, and its fans happy with what Disney is doing.

At the same time, the fans need to realize that Disney is going to change, and those changes may not be what the fans want. yes, they want rides that thrill, but at what cost? I am using Tron Lightcycle as an example. The ride looks fun, but I do not like the ride vehicle itself. They do not accommodate people with disabilities. The vehicle looks like the one in Disney’s Animal Kingdom’s Pandora Land that allows you to ride with a Banshee. I’m a Disney fan, and my disability is that I am short (5′) and I have short forearms. I realize that the Tron ride has cars for people like me to ride this new ride, but there are not enough of these cars. I understand that not every Disney ride is not for me, but I still go to Disney. I also do not like Genie+ and the whole Lightening Lane system. I remember when you can just hope in a park and ride any ride you want, even during the “E-ticket” days. You did not have to pay extra to jump a line because there was a way to get to the ride quicker, and you did not have to register to get into a park. I understand that this is how Disney can control the number of people who go to their parks, and they are a business. That does not mean I have to like it. I also take into account inflation in United States right now, and Disney is still trying to recover from shutting down completely in 2020.

I would like to see Disney and its fans get on one page to make both parties happy. That will probably not happen because the world is always changing, and the Bob Igers and Chepeks will come and go.

Answering a question on Quora.

I had done this several times before and mentioned it, especially in “Quora is this Goodbye?” a story on Medium. At the time, I was questioning if I was answering questions on Quora for the money or to strengthen my writing ability. As you can see by the first part of this article, I am still answering questions on Quora.

First, I am sorry if I am breaking the “one subject per article” rule. It is not a rule per se, but it is best to stick to one subject and not confuse the reader. But Talking about Quora is not the subject for today. It is my answer on Quora I decided to share.

New subject: Disney and the Disney Fan Base. (explanation)

I always feel like I must explain my answers. Why? Because it is the right thing to do, and again, you do not want to confuse your audience. I figured that most of the people who will read this are not Disney fans but more like Disney Observers. What’s the difference? If you are a fan, you understand the assignment that Disney has not been too savory with their fan base for a couple of years, especially with park reservations and the idea behind Genie+. They have also not been fair with food prices and the whole “knee-jerk” reaction when fans start criticizing things, such as a change in Splash Mountain to Tiana’s Bayou Adventure and, most recently, a complaint about the ride vehicles on the new “Tron Lightcycle” in the Magic Kingdom. Fans know what they like.

However, If you are a Disney Observer, you could care less about what is going on with Disney. It is also possible you hope that The Walt Disney Company goes down on “fan of flames” and that the United States Government and other countries that house the company’s park and broadcast Disney+ on their satellites would be locked up for all eternality. (Sorry, fellow fans, for being so dramatic about this.). You also want to see what happens to this company in the future because you are not heartless. So, therefore, you are an observer.

As a fan of Disney

I know what I like, and yes, I am a kid at heart, but I also want to see Disney do the right thing. This is why I believe that Disney does not hate their fans. I also believe that no company hates the people who put them at the top of the food chain in the first place. Without fans/followers, a company does not get a chance to try out the “latest and potentially greatest” in all that they have now. I believe that is the case with Disney. More on that in a minute, I promise.

One of my complaints about Disney is their idea behind the “Disney Princess culture” and are they messing with our daughters. Yes, I wrote about it back in September 2022. My question at the time, and still questioning, is, “Does a woman need a man to rescue her?” I love Tiana, Moana, and other modern princesses because they show little girls that you do not need a man to rescue you. In today’s culture, a man is to be an “equal” partner to the woman and not a person who rescues a woman when she screams “help.” Ladies, we expect that help to come before we need it. I would like to thank my dad for helping prepare me for those times when a man is not needed for things such as car repair, getting taxes done, buying a house, and building things.

Sorry, I got off-topic for a minute. I am talking about Disney.

Another is the pricing that Disney has for its guests. Travel agents suggest visiting one of the “Good Neighbor” resorts and hotels when visiting Disney parks. Why? Because Disney resorts are so expensive. We are not talking about $199 (USD) per night. We are talking about $500 (USD) a night, and those are the value resorts. Food, do not get me started with the food. We are talking about $5.00 (USD) for a hamburger with cheese, lettuce, and tomato (if you can find a tomato in the United States).

Yes, I know, Americans, prices are up everywhere in this country. This is the reason behind saving for your trip. I found a solution for myself in the form of the Disney Vacation Club, but Disney Vacation Club is not for everyone, and if you are willing to spend the money for vacations to Walt Disney World for the next few years, It is well worth it.

The request.

As stated in my answer on Quora, I would love to see Disney and its fans get on the same page. I understand that Disney is a company, but Disney would not be the company that it is without the fans. Disney needs to understand that not everyone will have the money to spend on a $39,450 vacation for eight people, not counting that two of the three children got into the parks for free because they were under three years old. This was the total cost of my vacation before I canceled it on November 5, 2022. I canceled it because we were still grieving after my mother’s death in July, and she was to go with us to Walt Disney World. I do not mind sharing this amount with you.

On the other hand, the fans need to know that Disney is and will always be changing. Walt Disney himself said that the parks would “forever be changing” because that is the way he wanted. There will always be innovative technology in the works for new rides. There will always be new discoveries as well. One of the reasons behind Splash Mountain changing is what the ride was related to, which was the banned movie, “Song of the South.” I am not going much more into it. I thought I had addressed it more recently in an article, but I guess I did not.

Guests and fans do not like change.

Conclusion:

Does Disney hate its fans? No, they are misunderstood by the company and vice versa. Will they ever come to an understanding of what each party needs in terms of entertainment for the fans and profit for the company? Maybe, it depends on the situation. Each party can also learn to live with each other like other companies, and customers should be able to do as well.

It will take some time for both Disney and its fans to live in a peaceful environment that will be a benefactor for everyone in the future. All it takes is patience, love, and little “pixie dust.”