Movie World speculation and dreaming - 2015 edition

[DaptoFunlandGuy]

Something else that needs to fit into the equation:

A park operated outlet can be staffed or stocked based on park anticipated demand. the park can choose to close certain outlets on quiet days, redeploy staff elsewhere etc.

When you're dealing with an external - they run their own ship their own way - meaning they may choose to open on a quieter day forcing competition between the food outlets the park does operate instead of funnelling everyone towards the one or two open options.

Their costs would also be higher as they would need to recruit and train staff separately, and those staff couldn't work at other outlets to suit demand. it's a lack of flexibility. The external would need to be able to charge more on their food simply to cover these increased costs - so you'd have to give up on one side or the other of yourplan.

let em stick with what they have. They can't do any worse than 'food court' externals.

[Gazza]

But why do people want theme parks to have the same old fast food as you can get anywhere?

On one hand people want highly themed immersive experiences that take you away from the every day, on the other hand people are content with a big Mac again?

I think unique food offerings (like what you get in the Wizarding World of Harry Potter, or Dollywood, or Mythos at IOA at MW Carnivale are the future of the industry, because the out of the ordinary foods are just as much a part of the experience as the rides.

[webslave]

The issue seems to be value proposition.  The punters know good and well that they are captive audience, and they also know that there's nothing in and of the parks themselves that should rightfully demand a premium for what is by and large very ordinary food other than profiteering.  These are businesses, and people get that there are profits to be made.

People don't mind paying low prices for low-grade fast food.  People do mind paying premium prices for low-grade fast food.  They will inevitably (and fairly) compare the prices they are seeing with what they consider to be comparable items on the street and rightly come to the realisation that it's a rip.  That's why people will often seek out chain brands in a theme park - they are dealing with a known-quantity in the menu, the food standard, and what should be the pricing.

Customers usually resent being bent over.

[DaptoFunlandGuy]

^but thats the problem - chain offerings inside of theme parks are more expensive than their food court counterparts.

the rest of your statement regarding the food offering is I think what some of the others (Rappa) are getting at. By all accounts, the new outlet offers a premium offering. It can be compared to a low grade fast food offering because they are both the same product name (burrito) - however I know I am happy to pay a premium price for a burger at Sydney's "Quay" restaurant by Peter Gilmore, whilst McDonald's does $1.50 cheeseburgers at the other end of the Quay.

The fact that DH's serves mexican fare doesn't mean they are comparable to Guzman Y Gomez or Montezuma's - especially when  so far - nobody has actually tried it.

[webslave]

That brings up an interesting point though about consumer behaviour.  At a conference recently some research was presented that concluded that you could increase the customer perception of value at your property-owned food and beverage outlets by strategically placing a well-known brand that customers can be expected to know the standard pricing of in your park and contractually ensuring the mark-up on products over outlets outside the park is fairly low - the research concluded that customers saw the delta and made a value assumption on your other outlets that markups must be similar.  It was an interesting take on it that I'd not considered.  I'm unsure how wide-spread it is.

[Richard]

I've eaten enough theme park meals that run the gamut from average to horrible that I don't see theme park food as some holy institution that should be protected. Many parks both here and overseas should honestly be ashamed of the food they dish up, the service they provide and the prices they charge for it.

I don't particular advocate external brands in parks but it's worked in the past for Disney of all companies so I wouldn't outright dismiss it.

This idea of external operators and rent share arrangements is complicating the matter too much. If they pursued this they'd purchase franchises outright and integrate it into their operations and manage staffing etc. accordingly. Newer franchisors like a Guzman y Gomez would probably let the park dictate the terms more than say McDonalds, but one thing you'd be pretty certain of is that the park would set their own pricing. You only need to see what franchised food outlets in airports, stadiums etc. charge to know that.

[pushbutton]

What you've said Richard would be somewhat like the "On The Run outlets I'm familiar with in SA.

 

On The Run seem to own almost the majority of service stations in metropolitan Adelaide, and within each of them they've got a range of different fast food outlets, for which the parent company of OTR (Pereguine Corporation) holds master franchises.

As such, many OTR outlets include Subway, Wendys, Wokinabox, Krispy Kreme, and Brumbys bakery.

The OTR stores are open 24/7, but late at night most of the food outlets would have very few if any customers. So because the outlets are owned and run by OTR (but under franchise contracts which ensure the standards customers expect) they can move the staff around between the food outlets, and the others parts of the OTR stores as needed.

I've just spotted an article here about a new concept being trialed by Mad Mex.

It's precisely the type of thing I had in mind for the theme parks, whereby outlets could be run by the well known fast food brands, but with park-specific themeing and naming too.

 

 

[DaptoFunlandGuy]

Well known fast food brands?

Mad Mex?

Wokinabox?

Wendys?

Brumbys?

 

Since when are ANY of these 'well known fast food brands' ?

[Gazza]

Wendy's were big in the 90s.

.....I liked those agro decorated cones.

[Wil_i_am_not]

I went to Wendy's yesterday. Definitely not as well known now, but they're still around. Might I add, the chocolate thickshakes are DELICIOUS!

[Zanstabar]

Last time I went to a Wendy's was when they had liqourice ice cream, which was a pretty decent while ago. I thought they had dropped of the face of the earth, to be honest.

[Jobe]

8 hours ago, AlexB said:

Well known fast food brands?

Mad Mex?

Wokinabox?

Wendys?

Brumbys?

 

Since when are ANY of these 'well known fast food brands' ?

Hehehehe...looks like you need to get out a little bit more mate.

These are all pretty well known , franchised brands and businesses.

[DaptoFunlandGuy]

I'm aware of Wendy's (Ice Cream) and Brumbys (Bakery) but since when are they "fast food"? Neither of them generally supplies anything you could consider a fast meal - which i'd consider would be a "main" a "side" and a "drink", with dessert a possible option... so burger, chips, drink, or noodle box, prawn crackers, drink, or burrito, chips, drink. I realise Wendy's do hot dogs, but I don't see that as their core business. I also realise Brumbys do savoury food items, but again - it's not their core business.

As for Wokinabox - there are 19 stores in SA (which means they're bigger than ben hur down there)... but there are none in NSW or VIC, and according to their website - there are only two in QLD - Broadbeach and Mackay-Mt Pleasant. WA has 12. That is hardly what i'd call 'well known'... especially when the vast majority of the Australian Population resides on the eastern coast - which has just two stores. That means they're as qualified to be called 'well known' as the Burrito Bar that currently has 12 locations across Brisbane (i have one less than a kilometre from my house. I still don't consider them well known).

As for Mad Mex - well - QLD has 5 locations, one of which must have just opened next to my office this year - but as one is inside the BNE international airport, i don't really think that counts. They've certainly got a presence in greater metro Sydney - they have 3 airport stores, and over 20 across the Sydney basin, as well as 10 in VIC, 7 in WA, 2 in ACT and 1 in SA. Out of all of them on the list, this is the only one i'd concede is a 'well known fast food brand' - just one i wasn't aware of.

[ads086]

When I visited Knotts Berry Farm I headed for Johny Rockets for lunch because for me it was a known quantity - I'd eaten at one earlier in my trip, and I couldn't find anything appealing to me at any other restaurants in park (I wasn't feeling well so had very limited appetite). When I visited Disneyland Paris I mostly ate in the Disney Village rather than in park because I went for established brands again. It's mostly just a trust thing that the food will be of a certain quality or standard when you buy from that familiar brand. That said, I've also eaten from in-park restaurants and had no issue with the food there, other than the price vs quality balance not quite where it should be, even for a captive audience.

Edited December 13, 2015 by ads086
Repeating previously mentioned content for no gain

[Gazza]

AlexB I don't see the issue, they're called "fast food" chains, not "fast main meal" chains.

They're all places you can duck into and grab something to eat within a few minutes.

So you get 'food' in a 'fast' manner.

 

In the context of this discussion, somewhere like Wendy's is relevant, because theme parks have ice cream parlours, which may or may not be a franchise.

Edited December 13, 2015 by Gazza

[themagician]

TPSN posted this photo. Some people have said it might just be a park map or a character wall and I'm thinking that is likely. Thoughts?

Edited December 22, 2015 by themagician

[ThemeTendo]

30 minutes ago, themagician said:

TPSN posted this photo. Some people have said it might just be a park map or a character wall and I'm thinking that is likely. Thoughts?

Could it be one of those attraction billboards. (like the ones Sea World had when they were advertising Storm and Wild)

[Brad2912]

Wow... We're really getting desperate for updates when we're playing the "what will this sign say" game..

[Slick]

It'd be really neat if it was another digital display. They could show maps, wait times etc etc.

[Zanstabar]

12 minutes ago, Slick said:

It'd be really neat if it was another digital display. They could show maps, wait times etc etc.

Unfortunately, it's not. I'm at the park now and it's just a billboard advertising the passes. 

[Santa07]

 

1 hour ago, Zanstabar said:

Unfortunately, it's not. I'm at the park now and it's just a billboard advertising the passes. 

I disapprove ?

Edited December 23, 2015 by Santa07

[Jay Jay The Jet Plane]

here's a picture of the sign (credit to TTPSN on FB) 

[Santa07]

Wait they're advertising the park from within the park? 10/10

Edited December 23, 2015 by Santa07

[pushbutton]

It's a pretty poor slogan in my opinion. Surely they could have come up with something better.

[Zanstabar]

1 hour ago, pushbutton said:

It's a pretty poor slogan in my opinion. Surely they could have come up with something better.

I thought the advertising campaign has been pretty good so far. It's great to have something that isn't the flashy, "in your face" style of the older VIP pass advertisements.