Disney is constructing a metaverse that would let visitors to the most amazing location on earth do so without ever entering the theme park.
The media giant’s CEO, Bob Chapek, said that the metaverse will be available on its streaming service, Disney+, and would enable “the 90% of people who will never ever be able to come to a Disney park” to experience it virtually.
In an interview with Deadline, Chapek said, “We call it next-gen storytelling,” adding that he preferred not to use the term “metaverse” since “it has a lot of hair on it.”
Whatever name Chapek chooses for the proposed platform, many have criticised the decision as being out of touch with Disney’s fan base and said that more people would be able to come if the parks stopped raising admission fees.
The move comes as Chapek, who assumed control of Disney in 2020, struggles to distinguish himself in the wake of his creative predecessor, Bob Iger, and maintains stability in the face of controversies ranging from the park’s rising prices to Disney’s position on Florida’s contentious Don’t Say Gay law.
Chapek just recently broke his months-long silence on an apology he gave in an effort to appease Disney personnel who were incensed by his reluctance to come out against the Don’t Say Gay law last spring, claiming he did so because he didn’t want Disney to be implicated in a “political deception.”
For the many individuals who are unable to visit the theme parks in person, Chapek described the Disney metaverse as a means to experience them.
We have the chance to transform what was a movie-service platform into an experiential platform and give them the ability to ride Haunted Mansion from a virtual standpoint, he told Deadline. “We wish every person would have the opportunity to come to our parks, but we realise that’s not a reality for some people.”
He said that metaverse users will have an experience that is different from that of typical park visitors and would be able to exit the ride vehicles to explore the sets and engage with the characters.
“Perhaps we’ll offer them the chance to do what every single guest in the park desires, and sadly too many of them do, simply to exit the attraction,” someone said. He continued, “Watch how it works and how those ghost dancers move.
However, many people’s reactions to the announcement centred on the argument that if Disney would simply stop increasing its costs, more of the 90% of people who are unable to attend the parks would be able to.
Oh, Disney. ‘90% of the HUMAN POPULATION is too poor to visit our parks, but maybe some are less-poor-enough to possess VR goggles and enjoy our attractions in a metaverse clone,’ tech critic Juan Carlos Bagnell said on Twitter.
Equally displeased, commenters on the Deadline interview said that “you continually rising the cost of going to the parks above what most people can truly afford, Bob,” which may prevent 90% of people from seeing the parks.
“Parks are more expensive.” Morale seems to be declining. Iger was creative and adaptable, according to another.
Since Chapek completely assumed control of Disney in 2022, the cost of visiting the parks has soared. Prices for single-park admissions in California parks increased by 6% to $164 while the cost of entering multiple parks in a single day increased by 9% to $319.
Before 2pm, parkgoers had to pay $194 to enter the Florida parks; after 2pm, the entrance fee increased to $169. On any given day, their costs might potentially climb due to a growth in demand.
That’s a Premium Physical Experience, and there are plenty of national and international wealthy families to afford going indefinitely, wrote one disgruntled customer on Reddit. “If you’re the kind of person that budgets or saves for vacations, Disney Parks aren’t for you any longer.”
And Chapek issued a caution about the possibility of more price increases in August, as inflation torched the US economy.
According to The New York Post, he stated, “It’s all up to the customer. If consumer demand stays growing, we’ll move appropriately.
Since taking over at Disney, Chapek hasn’t exactly been the world’s happiest CEO.
When he started working for Disney in February 2020, he was immediately thrust into the chaos of guiding the company through the pandemic’s dangers, which saw the media company’s main revenue sources—theme park admission fees and movie tickets—disappear like a pair of glass slippers at midnight.
Iger was maintained in charge of the company into 2021, much to Chapek’s resentment, supposedly, in order to assist the ship remain stable.
However, as soon as Chapek was granted complete control in 2022, his price increases caused buyers to wonder whether he was on par with the visionary Iger.
Disney employees’ scepticism increased when Chapek chose to keep silent about Florida’s Don’t Say Gay statute, which forbade schools from addressing sexuality or gender with students in kindergarten through third grade.
In public, several Disney workers expressed their fury that Chapek did not come out against the legislation, which they saw as hemophilic and an insult to Disney’s inclusive principles.
He subsequently expressed regret to the workforce, denounced the measure in public, and said that Disney had suspended all of its political contributions in Florida.
For the first time since he made that apology, Chapek spoke about it last week. He said he had found it difficult to strike a balance between the wants and ideologies of all of his customers and staff.
In a recent interview, Chapek said, “What we attempt to do is be everything to everyone. That tends to be really tough since we’re The Walt Disney Company.
However, he said, “We also know that we want to symbolise a better future for families of all sorts, regardless of how they describe themselves.” “We definitely don’t want to get caught up in any political deception,” he said.