As a cost-cutting move, Disney’s chief financial officer suggested a decrease in food portions on the theme park but inserted a side comment on park-goers’ weight which angered fans.
Walt Disney Company CFO Christine McCarthy appeared at a quarterly earnings call on Wednesday and was asked about the company’s management with the inflation rise, SFGATE reported.
“We have things on the cost of goods side,” the CFO said. “And it’s interesting. Just last week … I was talking to our parks senior team about things we could do there. And there are lots of things that are worth talking about. We can adjust suppliers. We can substitute products. We can cut portion size, which is probably good for some people’s waistlines.”
Disneyland and Disney World fans worldwide became furious at the last part of her comment.
The company has been receiving unpleasant feedback from guests who were suffering from increased prices around the park like the parking spaces – and now, a cut on their food serving without a cut on the cost they are paying. The “waistline” joke, in addition, was taken by many as a cheap attempt as the park, first of all, does not have all healthy options for its guests.
“So we’re fat shaming now as justification for cutting costs?” a Twitter user said.
“If they really cared about the overweight guests, they’d provide healthier options,” a Disney fan said on the Disneyland subreddit.
Cost-cutting alongside price jumps is becoming the trademark of CEO Bob Chapek’s leadership. The company’s most loyal fans are being priced, one study said, but Disney seemed not to care as it focused more on its huge-spending guests. The CEO has also acknowledged the massive jump in revenue delivered by Disney World’s new app, Genie Plus, which charges a fee on each visitor who uses an advanced series at attractions.
“One-third of our guests at Walt Disney World are buying the Genie Plus upgrade at $15, that’s per guest per day,” the CEO said during the quarterly earnings call. “And that is a very, very material increase for us in per caps, but also in margins.”
