Disney CEO Says “Guests Will Spend Less Time in Line” with Disney Genie

Posted on by Mathew Corn Disney Parks

In yesterday’s Q3 earnings call, Disney CEO Bob Chapek said, “Guests will spend less time in line and more time having fun.” Chapek discussed the “guest-centric services” that Disney has been developing for years, including the new Magic Key pass program for Disneyland and the upcoming Disney Genie app.

Specifically, Chapek noted a significant investment into Disney Genie to enable guests to “more easily and efficiently navigate everything [the] parks have to offer” and promised more details soon.

The company hopes to provide a user-friendly app allowing for a more personalized and customized experience for guests, putting them in control with more flexibility and choice. Chapek said Disney Genie is “transformational,” calling it the MyMagic+ program “on steroids.”

It will use “consumer preferences, given what we know from them, blended with industrial engineering data based on how our park is operating that day to make suggestions on the fly.” He also noted it will lead to substantial commercial opportunities.

It has been long rumored that Disney Genie will recommend rides with shorter wait times or paid opportunities, possibly like the new Premier Access program at Disneyland Paris. Premier Access is a replacement for the free FastPass program, offering guests the chance to pay for access to shorter wait times.

CEO Bob Chapek Gives More Specific Details on Theme Park Capacity Increases at Walt Disney World

Posted on by Mathew Corn Animal Kingdom, Disney Parks, Epcot, Hollywood Studios, Magic Kingdom

Walt Disney Company CEO Bob Chapek spoke at the J.P. Morgan Global Technology, Media, and Communications Conference and addressed theme park operations.

Bob Chapek stated that capacity would continue to increase over the upcoming months at Walt Disney World, with “low double digits increases” in attendance. He expects to see benefits from the changes in COVID-19 policies near the end of the fourth fiscal quarter.

He also said the process for relaxing the guidelines has been slowed by OSHA guidelines, but did not elaborate further.

Chapek reiterated his point about the company using the shutdown to reanalyze passholder/legacy programs.

CEO Bob Chapek Confirms Disney Park Pass System, Virtual Queues Here to Stay

Posted on by Mathew Corn Animal Kingdom, Disney Parks, Epcot, Hollywood Studios, Magic Kingdom

After addressing capacity, Disney CEO Bob Chapek spoke about theme park technology today at the J.P. Morgan Global Technology, Media, and Communications Conference.

Chapek cited the new Disney Park Pass theme park reservation system and virtual queues, such as the boarding groups for Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance, as examples of how technology helped guests stay safe during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Virtual queues are a hot topic in the theme park community, with many guests either loving or hating the system. However, the virtual queue process has already undergone many changes to make it easier for guests, and Disney will likely continue to hone the process.

Chapek specifically stated that the Disney Park Pass theme park reservation system would remain in place beyond the scope of the pandemic. However, this is not new information as the Park Pass calendars for Walt Disney World already extend into 2023.

CEO Bob Chapek Hints at Summer for Changes to Walt Disney World Mask Policy

Posted on by Mathew Corn Disney Parks

Earlier today, in the Q2 earnings call for The Walt Disney Company, CEO Bob Chapek hinted at an impending reduction or elimination of the current face mask requirements. Today’s announcement by the CDC that fully vaccinated people can be maskless outdoors and in non-crowded indoor locations was “very big news for us,” Chapek said.

This evening, Chapek specifically hinted at a change occurring this summer. “There will be a lot more comfortable people this summer in Orlando,” he told CNBC in a televised interview.

This statement doesn’t give an exact timeframe for the reduction or removal of the mask policy, but with summer approaching rapidly, we can expect to hear more from Disney soon. The current policy requires face coverings for all guests age 2 and up regardless of vaccination status. Guests may remove face coverings only when actively eating, drinking, swimming, or taking an outdoor photo as long as appropriate physical distancing is maintained.

Walt Disney World has already begun to alter their COVID-19 policies. Temperature checks will be removed by May 16th and physical distancing measures will be reduced or removed in select locations in the upcoming weeks.

Disney CEO Bob Chapek Purchases $12.5 Million California Estate

Posted on by Mathew Corn Uncategorized

Via wdwnt.com

Disney CEO Bob Chapek is on the move. Chapek has purchased a $12.5 million mansion in Westlake Village, California. The home, built in 2013, sits on just over 6 acres of land.

According to real estate site dirt.com, Chapek’s new home has six bedrooms and 6.5 bathrooms in its 9,895 square foot layout. The purchase is the area’s largest real estate deal since July 2019. The gated community is home to other celebrities, including WWE wrestler The Miz, Heather Locklear, and NFL wide receiver Cooper Kupp.

Westlake Village is located an hour’s drive northwest of Los Angeles. This isn’t much of move for Chapek and his wife Cindy; they have lived in the community since 2019. The Chapeks purchased their current home for $3.5 million. That house is now on the market, listed at $7.495 million.

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The Chapeks will also need to pay $650 per month in homeowner’s association dues and golf course maintenance fees.

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Bob Chapek was named Disney CEO in February 2020, just one month before the global pandemic impacted Disney operations around the world. Despite the challenges, Walt Disney Company stock reached an all-time high in early March 2021.