Walt Disney World Resort Marketing Plan Prepared by: Spencer Cooper, Nicole Koorndyk, Teresa Ruvalcaba, & Jessica Silva BUS-306-90-SP14 Presented to Professor Carol Davis May 4, 2014 Table of Contents Situation Analysis……………………………....…………………………………………………3 Market Summary……………………………………………………………………………….....3 Demographics…………………………………………………………………………………......4 Geographics………..……………………………………………………………….......................5 Psychographics…………………………..………………………………………………………..5 Market Trends…………………………….…...……………………………..................................6 Market Growth………...………….………....……………………………………….....................7 SWOT Analysis.......……………………………………………………………………………....8 Competition…………………………………………………………………………………..........9 Product Offering……………………………….......………………………………………...........9 Keys to Success……………………………………………………...……………………...........11 Critical Issues……………………………………….......…………………………......................12 References......................................................................................................................................13 2 Executive Summary Disney World is the number one choice theme park in the world. It has done an excellent job at attracting and satisfying its visitors. The brand brings in billions of dollars in revenue and has a steady attendance rate. Disney World has outdistanced all of its competitors and has secured the first ranking in regards to theme parks. People who go to Disney World go for more than just the characters and exhilarating rides, but for the overall ‘Disney Experience’. It is a place where dreams come true. In response to the declining economy, our organization would like to propose a new package deal to help in assisting the population, namely families, in vacationing at The Walt Disney World Resort in Orlando. The purpose of this deal is not to increase profit, but to expand the accessibility of the park to visitors from out of state and out of country. One of the biggest complications that visitors have at Disney World is the fact that there is no package deal that allows for travel, hospitality and park use. This makes it difficult for customers to visit the park and get the full Disney experience. Because Disney World is the most visited theme park, it is important that they make the experience and convenient as possible for all park visitors. The most basic package that is suggested includes bundling hotel stay and park tickets. The tickets will cover entrance to each of the four differently themed parks. The costs will vary by which hotel is chosen and how long the stay will be. This will make it more convenient and affordable for families who wish to make the trip to Disney World. However profit increase is an expected result of this package deal, it is not the purpose of implantation. The purpose is to make the Disney experience one that is accessible and affordable to all families. The more visitors Disney World can attract, the more customers it has a chance to build a relationship with. By attracting more visitors and making sure that they are more than satisfied with their experience, Disney World will gain lifelong customers and keep the company in the number one ranking for generations. 3 Situation Analysis Walt Disney World Resort (located in Orlando, Florida) is a company name that is known worldwide. It is a destination that every child ultimately wants to experience, and often adults do as well. A trip to Disney World is one that a person will remember for a lifetime and if often an experience they would like to share with their friends and family. Unfortunately, this trip does not come cheap; the cost of trip to Disney World is not one that not every family can afford, especially if coming from overseas or across the country. Our plan is not to increase the profit of Disney World, as their financials prove that they are already well off, but instead to make a trip to this park more affordable and achievable for more families. Our proposition is that by implementing additional vacation packages to their daily deals, Disney would be able to attract a larger customer base. Currently Disney World does not offer hotel and theme park deals, making it more costly for long distance travelers. We propose that Disney offer a variety of packages that combine theme park tickets, hotel rooms, and even an option for airfare. These packages would vary for distance traveled within the United States, and also for international travel. By embracing the idea of package deals, Disney World would be a travel destination made possible for the majority of families rather than only the middle-high classes. Market Summary Even in a sluggish economy, consumers would rather drive to a local theme park rather than paying for an expensive vacation. For this reason, according to industry experts, theme park stocks tend to perform well even during recessions. Even so, with low gas prices and an improving U.S. economy, profits are being driven toward companies in this market. (Nair, 2014) Disney theme parks are some of the most popular vacation destinations in the world, the theme park of Orlando, Disney World, accounted for 17.1 million of the Disney parks visitors in 2011. (Allison, 2013) Disney’s parks compete with several different companies; Six Flags Entertainment, Cedar Fair, and Universal Studios are some examples. Disney World currently offers discounted ticket pricing to Florida residents, charging $129 for 3day tickets, which is around $30 more than a normal 1-day ticket to non-residents. The product being proposed will be more affordable to out of state vacationers, and those more frugal in their lifestyle, allowing more people from around the world to visit the happiest place on earth. Each 4 package will have the customizable option to bundle air-fare, hotel prices, and the cost of park admission into one. Using Disney’s pricing strategy, which is the more days you stay the less each days ticket costs, each package will have the chance to give more to the customer. (Disney World) Demographics Many people make the assumption that Disney World’s sole target is children, when in reality it is the entire family. Walt Disney once said, “You’re dead if you aim only for kids. Adults are only kids grown up, anyway.” (Bui, 2012) Jamie Smith made a trip to Disney World at 22 years old and was very skeptical about what she would experience given her age. She ended up saying, "It turns out that Disney World attracts people of all ages, not just children." Frugal (medianincome) families are the main demographic target; through package deals they can save money while still getting the full Disney experience. Disney World offers a wide variety of products, rides, lodging, food, and much more that appeal to all age groups and people from all over the world. All in all, Disney’s core constituency is the urban, median-income family who wants to have fun.” (Bui, 2012). Geographics There are Disney theme parks located all over the world, expanding from the United States all the way to Europe and Japan. International tourists make up 18-22% of the total number of people who visit Disney World. (Garcia, 2013). The geographic locations that will be targeted will not be limited due to the fact that these new packages are intended to be customizable, dependent on each individual’s needs and wants. In this way, people from other parts of the world can find a way to fit in a trip to Disney World while they are visiting America. It is of no doubt that a great deal of people from neighboring states are much more likely candidates to make plans to visit Disney World. The reasoning behind this is, the farther you live from the park the more it will cost to make the trip happen. While the package deals will appeal to many people, neighboring states will make up a large part of the target market area. 5 Psychographics “You don’t just visit Walt Disney World Resort; you immerse yourself and your family in a world of wonder, a world where dreams come true and things still work the way they should. You are “in the heart of the magic!” (Kotler, p. 7). Customers don’t simply know the Disney brand, they form a strong emotional connection and develop a love for it. (Kotler, p. 247). Disney’s brand is a very well-known brand that parents can trust. Along with theme parks Disney also offers TV programming, movies and music, cruises and hotels, retail stores, and toys. The many products produced by the Disney brand offer a way for individuals to satisfy many of their wants, needs, and desires. Parents are an important target for Disney, since they make the ultimate decision for their vacation wants and needs. Individual guests, not just families, are targeted by these package deals. Disney now attracts middle-aged Americans with higher-end restaurants and alcohol now being served – Disney has no intention of ignoring them (NY Times, 2012). The behavioral factors include: drinking, dancing, and adult dining. For children they include: playing, toys, junk food, rides, and much more. Market Trends A trend that is currently taking place in the Disney World market place is the multiple generations that make up the target market. Disney wants its name to be a legacy – a name that encourages families to want to experience the magic, and for future generations to be influenced by. Disney has already been able to branch outside of only targeting children and appeal to an older age groups as well. By appealing to teenagers with their exciting and exhilarating rides, Disney World has opened its doors to all age groups. Because Disney is seen as a family place, the primary market is both sectors of families (children and adults). The first target age is between 4-12 years old, these are the children that are attracted to the Disney brand and influence their parents to give them the ‘Disney experience’. A common trend that allows this target market experience Disney World would be the holiday seasons. With the added attractions and the breaks from school and work, this is a known prime time for families to come visit the 6 parks. Each year Disney breaks its previous record of holiday attendance, a trend which they expect to continue. Because Disney is a brand that has always marketed towards the younger age group, these trends stay consistent. With the addition of vacation packages, nothing in the market would change except for the ease of the opportunity for more families to make the trip to Disney World. Market Growth Walt Disney is ranked #17 on Forbes magazine’s most valuable brands list; this proves how the name alone is enough to make a profit (Forbes). In 2013 the company generated $14.1 billion in revenue, also proving that the problem within the company is not revenue. To continue to grow and expand their business, they would benefit to appeal to more income brackets, and also to international markets. “The key to Disney's long-term success lies in its ability to expand into international and emerging markets” (Vodicka).The following is a graph showing how the Walt Disney Company has grown in park attendance and guest spending while in the park. As you will see, in the years of the recession, Disney saw a decline in both sales and park attendance. (Nair) Figure 1 – Park Attendance and Sales 7 Again, this chart illustrates that in the financial sector, Walt Disney World Resort is more than well off and able to recover from a temporary downfall in attendance. Although to increase revenue is not our goal, it is a result that will follow with market expansion. If Disney implements the package system into their sales, they would be able to appeal to a variety of markets, expand the Disney name, and generate more profit. SWOT Analysis Strengths: Most visited entertainment location in the world. (Fox News, 2012) One of the largest resorts in the world including over 30,000 acres of land The brand and character recall is very strong worldwide (Mickey and Minnie Mouse, Donald Duck, Princesses, etc.) Park Hopper Ticket The park offers four theme parks: Magic Kingdom, Epcot, Hollywood Studios, Animal Kingdom Opportunities: Expand the Walt Disney World park Expand annual passes/multiple visit passes to promotional offers such a vacation packages, discount tickets, and discount hotel packages. Introduce new attractions on a consistent basis “Imagineering”- combining imagination and engineering in order to bring imaginations to life. Weaknesses: Due to the large size of the park, high number of visitors, and variety of attractions that the park offers, it is often difficult for a visitor to see the entire theme park All parks have separate ticket fees Management and monitoring can be very difficult because of the assorted product portfolio with the different theme parks, water parks, and hotels Managing such a large product portfolio may cause a lack of efficiency Threats: Extremely high operating expenses Local competitors such as Universal’s Island of Adventure and Universal Studios offer similar products that are also very popular Competitors offer lower prices than Walt Disney World, making them more attractive 8 Competition Walt Disney World’s biggest competitor is Universal Studios Orlando. Universal Studios Orlando, previously known as Universal Studios Florida, offers entertainment products similar to Disney World, such as luxurious hotels, golf courses, nightly entertainments, and thrill seeking rides. Florida is constantly visited by tourists from all over the world, making it a great place to host any type of theme park and resort. Due to Disney World’s success, Universal Studios Orlando had to come up with clever and unique ways to promote their theme park. Universal Studios Orlando focuses on advertising specific attractions such as the Universal City Walk, Islands of Adventure, and holiday events such as the Halloween Horror Night. Aside from its attractions, Universal Studios Orlando offers lower prices than Walt Disney World in order attract more and more customers. To look at the variation of costs in the different parks, consider Universal Studies (Disney’s main opponent) and Disney World: One day tickets to Disney World's Magic Kingdom cost $99, and for any of the other 3 parks it costs $94. On the opposing park, Universal Studios is charging $96 per day for their parks. Visitors have the option of "park-to-park" tickets which adds $40 to their ticket price at Universal, and the park hopper at Disney adds $35 to the ticket price per day. Although the prices vary, Universal charging less on regular tickets, Disney World offers 4 separate parks in the park-hopper while there are only 2 different Universal parks. (Niles, 2014). Product Offering Disney World is the most visited entertainment location in the entire world, covering over 30,000 acres of land in Florida. It offers an enormous variety of entertainment via its four very differently themed parks- Magic Kingdom, Epcot, Hollywood Studios, and Animal Kingdom. Aside from the parks, Disney World also has a variety of different hotels and resorts. As glorious as this sounds, it all comes at a hefty price. In order for a family to enjoy the large park thoroughly, it will take more than just a couple of days. In order to make this trip affordable for families, Disney World should consider creating park and hotel packages. By bundling the two together, it will make the trip more affordable and an easier possibility for customers. This will benefit the target market outside of Florida, especially international visitors. 9 Not only do they have many locations throughout the world, but they also have found a way to transcend age, gender, and even culture. As mentioned before, the problem is merely that they are not available to everyone, everywhere. To take the United States as an example, there are two Disney parks that are located on either side of the country. Locals that live within California and Florida get discounts to visit Disneyland and Disney World respectively, and they also benefit from not having to pay for a hotel or long-distance travel fare. However, the further away from these locations someone is, the higher the price of this vacation becomes. Every mile travelled to visit these locations has a rolling price tag that changes with the price of oil. Along with the price of fuel comes the price of the hotel room, the cost of food, and the general comforts people purchase when travelling. A family of four to go to Disney World during the summer for six nights and seven days while choosing a hotel within the park can expect to pay $3,485, which averages to be about $871 per person (Black, 2013). This calculation however does not include the added cost of transportation, since as noted before, that variable will change depending on the travel distance and the mode of transportation. It could be noted that summer travel fares are typically much higher compared to the prices during “off” seasons. Many chain stores (typically grocery stores) already offer a discount price on Disney tickets. These are usually found in cities that are within a 20 mile driving distance of Disney, but that’s not guaranteed. What would benefit the Walt Disney Company in this scenario is to offer a package deal that would help cut down the expenses in all of these factors. An idea of how this might be executed to fit everyone, would be to have an equation that includes all of these factors with a set price, or a “deal”, and let consumers enter their own numbers as the variable. An example of this would be something like: TC (Total Cost of trip) = (base ticket price*number of guests)*(number of days) + (base nightly hotel price)*(number of nights) + (base airfare roundtrip)*(number of tickets) TC= (94*4)*(6) + (50)*(6) + (450)*(4) TC= 2256 + 300 + 1800 TC= $4356 10 (Note that these numbers are based on the cheapest day ticket at Disney World, a nearby Motel 6, and Southwest Airline prices travelling from Los Angeles, CA to Orlando, FL.) Keys to Success In order to encourage the greatest success of the product offering, and to accelerate the progress at the highest speed, there are a couple of obvious factors that will make the product more appealing than other offers currently in the marketplace. One of these factors, or keys, happens to lie with competitor pricing often being lower than most of Disney World’s pricing. With many people feeling like we are still in a recession (Schoen, 2014), many consumers opt for the cheaper option when planning out a vacation. Although there are many factors that play into making Disney World a more appealing choice over competitors, such as Universal Studios Orlando, more affordable package deals would certainly help sway the crowd in the pricing category. The thing about Disney World is that its longevity and consistency, not its pop-culture currency, gives it an emotional depth that Universal Studios will never really have, at least not for a long time. (Ostroff, 2013) Like many businesses, the Disney name is something that has been engraved in the hearts and households of many. This is a fact that has caused a great deal of success in the marketplace for theme parks, and it is also a key factor of success. As long as Disney continues to have an emotional impact on many, they will remain a big contender with little regard to the prices of their competition. Critical Issues A current issue that is critical to moving ahead but may not make them successful in the marketplace is the competition. Competition could possible drive away customers from the Disney name due to Disney’s high prices and lack of package deals. With Universal Studio’s newer additions, like Wizarding World of Harry Potter, their theme park World of Adventure’s attendance has increased by 29% (Orlando Informer). This kind of increase of attention for the competition makes the need of something new at Disney increasingly necessary. 11 Participation is another possible issue, especially when trying to determine appropriate package deals. If hotels and airlines are willing to partner up with the Walt Disney Company in this way, they could find a way to agree on a discounted price that could potentially benefit everyone involved. This kind of participation gives consumers more options when they are going to book their family vacation, and it could play as a nice motivation. The benefit of these partnerships is that the companies that Disney could partner with will be exposing their loyal audiences to Disney deals, and vice versa. It is sort of like free advertising, only not exactly free. However, there is a huge increase in support of companies when they are recommended by other companies and business that the consumers already trust. However, without this participation the plan wouldn’t necessarily have to fail. Disney could instead offer deals with the hotels in their own parks, rather than with any hotels outside of it. They could offer the help with booking airfare at the lowest available price, rather than guaranteeing that the customer is getting a good deal. These perks would still help out with business, although they might not have as much of an impact as partnerships would. Marketing Strategy The packages that will be added to the Disney World theme park are ones that are meant to make visiting the park more convenient for people who have further to travel. As previously stated the target market of Disney is the different sectors of the family, however our packages will attract the sector of the adults that would be purchasing the packages. The adults are the ones in the home who make the decision whether or not visiting the park is feasible for their families. By implementing a “package deal” families will feel that because they can get a deal, they will make the choice to visit the parks. Disney World knows that it want to be the place “Where Dreams Come True”, this is their slogan and the core of all their advertising. Being the place where dreams come true is the goal of Disney and everything about Disney World conveys this goal. That value that consumers get from Disney is not necessarily a material good, but the overall Disney experience. By adding in 12 packages, Disney would make it more convenient for people all over the globe to experience the magic that is Disney World. Mission Our mission is to offer an alternative package deal that allows a larger portion of the population to experience the magic that has become Disney World. With the ability to create partnerships with businesses located around the Orlando resort, our organization aims to beat out not only Disney’s competitors, but also those of our partners. In the near future we aim to further add to the opportunities the park offers to their guests to make the opportunity to visit a smooth one. Marketing Objectives As previously stated the goal of implementing a package deal system is not to increase revenue and profit, but simply to make it easier for families to view the park. Disney is an extremely popular name and the more people it can reach, the more loyalty it will receive from its consumers. The goal is for customers of Disney to be loyal lifetime customers. Currently the international visitors to Disney World makes up about 18-22% of the customer base (Garcia, 2013), with the package system, Disney could expect to see a dramatic increase in this number. Everyone likes discounts and to believe that they are getting a deal when spending a large amount of money, especially for a vacation. Being labeled a “package deal” Disney will be able to attract a larger market. Financial Objectives Although finances were not a major goal in this marketing plan, they were still taken into consideration when setting prices for vacation packages. Financial statements from previous years were analyzed in order to come up with Disney World’s daily cost expense to run the park along with the daily revenue generated. By calculating these two numbers, the average daily profit was computed. This information was important in creating the vacation packages for Disney World in order to ensure the packages do not create a net loss or negative outcome for the company. After determining the quantitative data, it was important to offer the right type of product to attract the greatest amount of customers. A face-to-face survey was conducted at California State 13 University, Monterey Bay amongst upper division business students. The results concluded that customers would be more willing to vacation to Disney World if affordable vacation packages that included airfare, hotel accommodations, and park tickets were available. Target Markets Our main target market is families, as they appear to be the one of the main markets that Disney advertises to. This has been shown in various formats, from commercials to even billboards. Although Disney World has an appeal to all age groups, young families are typically seen with the most enthusiasm and excitement related to taking these trips. Groups of 3+ are also more likely to participate in purchasing a package deal as this is often when discounts begin occurring. For these reasons, these families have become the main target with the product offering. Positioning Disney has done an amazing job at earning a top position in the theme park sector. According to a research study by TheRichest.com Disney World is the #1 theme park in the world (Said). In the mind of consumers, Disney World is “the” theme park to visit. Even though they are the top theme park, there are still obstacles in the way when it comes to visit the theme park. The main obstacle would be convenience. Disney World being located in Florida can pose as an inconvenience for those who are not close by. Another obstacle would be its competitors. While Disney World is ranked at the top of the list for theme parks, its competitors are standing by to take the consumers that Disney does not have. Universal Studios is the biggest competitor that Disney faces, the biggest advantage that they have is a lower price and better deals. Universal is known for is its “buy a day get a year” deal. With this deal if a person were to purchase a theme park ticket for just one day, they would receive a year pass in return. This deal is unique to Universal Studios and very popular among its consumers, especially those who are local. A package deal system would be the best way for Disney World to secure its competitive edge over Universal Studios. Even though Disney does not offer the same kind of deal that Universal offers, it is something that will be able to compete when it comes to difference in cost between the two theme parks. Disney World is already the most visited theme park in the world, and its 14 counterparts such as Disneyland and other Disney World theme parks make up a majority of the top 10 list. Because Disney currently hold the #1 position in the market the package deal will simply secure its top placement. Strategies The strategy of Disney is to focus on the package deals it will be offering. The first step is to get the word out about the new packages and the different kinds that will be available. The goal is to reach adult sector of the target market that are able to make family purchases. Once the packages have been presented to them, the availability for them to begin planning trips to the Disney World theme park will be set in place. Once families have begun the use of package deals, Disney will rely on a satisfactory experience that will result in customer loyalty and secondary promotion via word of mouth. Marketing Mix Pricing Currently Disney World is using a combination of Premium and Psychological pricing. Due to the reputation that Disney has, they are able to set the price higher than its competitors, such as Universal Studios. However, Disney does make their prices seem psychologically pleasing to a customer by pricing a one day ticket at $99 rather than $100. For the new vacation packages, the penetration pricing strategy was used in order to keep the packages affordable yet still competitive. By pricing the package for a family of four at $3,500, including 7 day park tickets, 6 night hotel stay, and round-trip airfare, it is obvious there is a discount in the vacation price. Also the price still comes off as psychologically appealing to the customer because they can see an estimated $500 per day cost. Distribution Since the products are already a discounted package offered through Disney World, Disney should not use any intermediaries. The package should be made available through the Disney World website and Disney kiosk used to purchase tickets at the parks. By not 15 using intermediaries, it will strengthen the relationship between the customer and Disney by keeping the sale between the customer and customer, rather than having a middle man. By strengthening the customer relationship, this will help guarantee customer loyalty. Marketing Communications Disney World’s marketing communications include, but are not limited to advertising, sales promotions, events and experiences, public relations and publicity, direct marketing, interactive marketing, and personal selling. Disney World advertises through television, radio, mobile app commercials, and much more. Due to Disney World being so popular already, they do not need to advertise as much as their competitors. Some promotions (O’Malley, 2013) Disney World has are free birthday passes, park hopper passes, water park passes, and most importantly the many different types of Mickey Mouse ears promoting the different parks, characters, and rides. Along with the Mickey ears comes with the Disney experience that people receive from attending Disney World. After all, it is the “Happiest Place on Earth” (Walt Disney World). Marketing Research Throughout the creation of this marketing plan there have been various sources referenced and cited. Aside from these sources, primary data has also been present. This has been shown via a survey of Business students at California State University – Monterey Bay, as well as with knowledge from the various group members. In the future there will be a great deal of ongoing marketing research necessary, namely to help maintain and further the success of the product offering. Some of the marketing research would include looking back at the financials after the first few months of offering the new package, and continuing yearly checks afterward. This 16 would help to ensure that the deal was successful, and help spot ways to improve the profits. Other research will also have to be executed when competition arises and begins to offer more competitive bargains. Financials Break-even Analysis The following table is the estimated break-even point for the cost of marketing the new package. Average Price Per Unit $ 3,500.00 Cost Breakdown Fixed Marketing Costs Rent Salaries Advertisement Other Misc. Total Fixed Costs Variable Marketing Costs Operating Expenses Travel Advertising Total Variable Costs Total Costs Cost Per Month 5,000 20,000 7,500 833 33,333 Cost Per Year 60,000 240,000 90,000 10,000 400,000 Cost Per Package Cost for Break-Even # of Units(400) 1,600 640,000 200 80,000 700 280,000 2,500.00 1,000,000 35,833.33 1,400,000 17 BREAK-EVEN ANALYSIS fixed cost $1,800,000 total cost Sales $1,600,000 $1,400,000 $1,200,000 SALES $1,000,000 $800,000 $600,000 $400,000 $200,000 $0 0 100 200 300 400 500 UNITS As shown above, 400 packages will need to be sold within the first year in order to break-even, or sales amounting to $1,400,000. Sales Forecast Sales Forecast Unit Price: $ 3,500.00 Sales (Per Package) Revenue Year 1 Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 Total 40 90 140 190 460 140,000 315,000 490,000 665,000 1,610,000 Year 2 Sales (Per Package) Revenue Sales (Per Package) Revenue 600 $ 2,100,000 Year 3 700 $ 2,450,000 Breaking-even becomes possible in the fourth quarter of the first year according to the sales forecast. 18 Expense Forecast Expense Forecast Fixed Costs (Annual) Salaries Rent Advertisement Other Misc. TOTAL Per Month $240,000 $60,000 $90,000 $10,000 $400,000 $33,333 Controls The current intended controls to measure the success of the product offering are as follows: Increase/Decline in package sales. Increase/Decline in consumers travelling long distances. Change in competitor’s sales/popularity. Consumer reviews. Word-of-mouth. By using these tools to measure the success of the product offering, it is perceived that solutions to all potential problems could easily be solved. Implementation The first step of the implementation process of our product offering is to begin contacting the potential partnerships in an attempt to engage interest. Once this is completed there will be dozens of conversations that take place to discuss all of the details and necessary arrangements. This means a discussion of prices, availability, and a contract that ensures a continuation in working with our organization. These steps are very important to implementing this plan. After all of the details have been thoroughly discussed, consumers can begin purchasing the new package. This will be followed by a great deal of advertising through word of mouth and PR. By this point the product team will be well-versed on how to answer any and all questions consumers might ask. 19 Marketing Organization Hotel Partnerships The Walt Disney Company Walt Disney World Resort in Orlando Airline Partnerships Advertising Agents This organizational chart portrays The Walt Disney Company at the head, followed by the Walt Disney World Resort in Orlando (the focus), and then the partnerships with hotels, airlines, and advertising sources. This further shows the strengths of having partnerships as it gives more for the company to fall back on if the product were to fail, as there is often strength in numbers. This also denotes a weakness however, because managing and monitoring additional heads increases when there are more players. Contingency Planning With competition and participation being the most critical issues currently foreseen, there are a few steps that could be taken if things were to go poorly. Some options include: Revamping package, either raising or lowering the price. Changing partnerships. Changing the availability to being a seasonal offer. Increase the offerings to make it more appealing. 20 With these options being fairly self-explanatory, the planning becomes more important in the idea of a worst-case scenario. The worst-case scenario would be if consumers chose to ignore the cheaper deal and continue to opt for more expensive packages. This could be caused by an association with bigger names, word-of-mouth advertising, or previous visits to the park. If this were to happen, the first step would be to decipher what is causing the lack of sales. Assuming that it was due to associations with bigger names, the goal would then become building up the names of the partners to the product or linking up with a bigger name. If it was because of word-of-mouth advertising or previous visits to the park, there would need to be a large increase in the advertising of the package. 21 References Allison, P. (2013, June 10). Pam Allison's Blog on Strategy, Marketing, and Location. Retrieved from: http://www.pamallison.com Black, S. (2013, March 8). How Much Does A Disney World Vacation Cost?. How Much Does A Disney World Vacation Cost?. Retrieved from http://www.vacationkids.com/Vacations-with-kids/bid/273282/How-Much-Does-ADisney-World-Vacation_Cost Business Competition – The Good and Bad Effects for Businesses Large and Small. (2012, December 13). HubPages. Retrieved from http://bn92.hubpages.com/hub/BusinessCompetition-The-Good-and-Bad-Effects-For-Businesses-Large-and-Small Bui, D. (2012, May 14) The best of disney's marketing strategies. Retrieved from: https://www.saleschase.com/blog/2012/05/14/best-disneys-marketing-strategies/ Garcia, J. and Clarke, S. K. (2013, August 11). International tourists drive disney growth. Orlando Sentinel. Retrieved from: http://articles.orlandosentinel.com/2013-08-11/business/os-cfb-tourism-081220130811_1_walt-disney-world-hong-kong-disneyland-southwest-airlines Kotler, P. and Armstrong, G. Principles of marketing. 5th ed. Englewood Cliffs, N.J.: Prentice Hall, 1991. Print. Nagourney, A. (2012, July 19). The disney adventure, without the kids. The New York Times Retrieved from: www.nytimes.com/2012/07/22/travel/the-disney-advenure-without-thekids Nair, S. (2014, January 8). There are no shortcuts to investing.. Market Realist. Retrieved from: http://marketrealist.com/2014/01/walt-disneys-parks-resorts-business/ Niles, R. (2014, February 26) Universal orlando matches disney world's price increase on oneday tickets. Theme Park Insider. Retrieved from: http://www.themeparkinsider.com/flume/201402/3898/ O'malley, K. (2013), Stop knee jerk marketing: Develop a marketing plan that gets results. Retrieved from: http://empoweringpumps.com/stop-knee-jerk-marketing-develop-amarketing-plan-that-gets-results/ Orlando Informer, Insider's guide to the wizarding world of harry potter. Retrieved from: http://www.orlandoinformer.com/universal/wwohp-insiders-guide/ 22 Ostroff, J. (2013, March 15), Disney world vs. universal studios: A comparison of two theme parks. Retrieved from: http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/2013/03/15/disney-world-vsuniversal-studio-orlando_n_2879282.html?page=2 Said, S. The Top 10 Most Visited Theme Parks in the World -. TheRichest We Follow Money The Extraordinary The Top 10 Most Visited Theme Parks in the World Comments. Retrieved April 30, 2014, from http://www.therichest.com/expensivelifestyle/location/the-top-10-most-visited-theme-parks-in-the-world/ Schoen, J. W. (2014, January 1) Many feel like recession still hasn't ended. USA Today. Retrieved from: http://www.usatoday.com/story/money/personalfinance/2014/01/01/cnbc-recoveryslowed-economy/4222929/ Smith, J. Walt disney world: Marketing to diverse demographics. Branding, Customer Service, Offline Promotion. Retrieved from: http://www.qualitylogoproducts.com/blog/disneyworld-marketing-diverse-demographics/ The Walt Disney Company, (2013). The walt disney company reports first quarter earnings for fiscal 2013. Retrieved from: http://thewaltdisneycompany.com/sites/default/files/reports/q1-fy13-earnings.pdf The Walt Disney Company, (2013). The walt disney company reports second quarter earnings for fiscal 2013. Retrieved from: http://thewaltdisneycompany.com/sites/default/files/reports/q2-fy13-earnings.pdf The Walt Disney Company, (2013). The walt disney company reports third quarter earnings for fiscal 2013. Retrieved from: http://thewaltdisneycompany.com/sites/default/files/reports/q3-fy13-earnings.pdf The Walt Disney Company, (2013). The walt disney company reports fourth quarter earnings and full earnings for fiscal 2013. Retrieved from: http://thewaltdisneycompany.com/sites/default/files/reports/q4-fy13-earnings.pdf Vodicka, M. (2013, August 7). The walt disney company (DIS): China and india are keys to growth. Retrieved from: http://www.istockanalyst.com/finance/story/6526817/the-waltdisney-company-dis-china-and-india-are-keys-to-growth 23 Walt Disney. (2013, May). Forbes. Retrieved from: http://www.forbes.com/companies/waltdisney/ Walt Disney World, Tickets and passes for florida residents. 2014 Magic your way package. Retrieved from: https://disneyworld.disney.go.com/florida-residents/ and https://disneyworld.disney.go.com/vacation-packages/2014/base/ Witt, J. (2010, June 21). Market To Your Customer’s Needs Like Walt Disney | Folk Media. Folk Media. Retrieved from http://folkmedia.org/market-to-your-customers-needs-likewalt-disney/ 24