 For Disney World, there are six main parks. A forecast of daily attendance at each is the main number that determines labour, maintenance, and scheduling.  Disney develops daily, weekly, monthly, annual, and 5-year forecasts.  At Disney, forecasts are reviewed daily at the highest levels to make sure that the model, assumptions, and data are valid.  Disney uses a variety of statistical models including moving averages, econometrics, and regression analysis. It also employs judgmental, or nonquantitative models.  Disney uses park attendance forecasts to drive decisions about staffing, opening times, ride availability, and food supplies.  Disney’s forecasting team employs 35 analysts and 70 field personnel to survey 1 million people/business every year.  Disney uses a firm called Global Insights for travel industry forecasts and gathers data on exchange rates, arrivals into the U.S., airline specials, Wall Street trends, and school vacation schedules.  At Disney, Error measures are applied; then the forecasts are used to schedule personnel down to 15- minute intervals. With reference to the above mentioned abstract, discuss the strategic importance of forecasting for Disney and demonstrate how Disney World systematically uses the first seven steps in the forecasting process to initiate, design and implement forecasting systems.

Practical Management Science
6th Edition
ISBN:9781337406659
Author:WINSTON, Wayne L.
Publisher:WINSTON, Wayne L.
Chapter2: Introduction To Spreadsheet Modeling
Section: Chapter Questions
Problem 20P: Julie James is opening a lemonade stand. She believes the fixed cost per week of running the stand...
icon
Related questions
Question

 For Disney World, there are six main parks. A forecast of daily attendance at each is the main number that
determines labour, maintenance, and scheduling.
 Disney develops daily, weekly, monthly, annual, and 5-year forecasts.
 At Disney, forecasts are reviewed daily at the highest levels to make sure that the model, assumptions, and
data are valid.
 Disney uses a variety of statistical models including moving averages, econometrics, and regression analysis.
It also employs judgmental, or nonquantitative models.
 Disney uses park attendance forecasts to drive decisions about staffing, opening times, ride availability, and
food supplies.
 Disney’s forecasting team employs 35 analysts and 70 field personnel to survey 1 million people/business
every year.
 Disney uses a firm called Global Insights for travel industry forecasts and gathers data on exchange rates,
arrivals into the U.S., airline specials, Wall Street trends, and school vacation schedules.
 At Disney, Error measures are applied; then the forecasts are used to schedule personnel down to 15- minute
intervals.

With reference to the above mentioned abstract, discuss the strategic importance of forecasting for Disney and
demonstrate how Disney World systematically uses the first seven steps in the forecasting process to initiate, design and implement forecasting systems.

Expert Solution
steps

Step by step

Solved in 3 steps

Blurred answer
Knowledge Booster
Forecasting
Learn more about
Need a deep-dive on the concept behind this application? Look no further. Learn more about this topic, operations-management and related others by exploring similar questions and additional content below.
Recommended textbooks for you
Practical Management Science
Practical Management Science
Operations Management
ISBN:
9781337406659
Author:
WINSTON, Wayne L.
Publisher:
Cengage,
Operations Management
Operations Management
Operations Management
ISBN:
9781259667473
Author:
William J Stevenson
Publisher:
McGraw-Hill Education
Operations and Supply Chain Management (Mcgraw-hi…
Operations and Supply Chain Management (Mcgraw-hi…
Operations Management
ISBN:
9781259666100
Author:
F. Robert Jacobs, Richard B Chase
Publisher:
McGraw-Hill Education
Business in Action
Business in Action
Operations Management
ISBN:
9780135198100
Author:
BOVEE
Publisher:
PEARSON CO
Purchasing and Supply Chain Management
Purchasing and Supply Chain Management
Operations Management
ISBN:
9781285869681
Author:
Robert M. Monczka, Robert B. Handfield, Larry C. Giunipero, James L. Patterson
Publisher:
Cengage Learning
Production and Operations Analysis, Seventh Editi…
Production and Operations Analysis, Seventh Editi…
Operations Management
ISBN:
9781478623069
Author:
Steven Nahmias, Tava Lennon Olsen
Publisher:
Waveland Press, Inc.