Originally Posted By Spirit of 74 With Val Bunting heading over to DAK to become the second VP in the park's nine-year history, Dan 'Yeah, my dad is Lee' Cockerell has been tabbed to replace her as the MK's No. 2 exec. Dan has most recently been the head of merchandise for the MK, but previously held resort roles at FW, WL and (I believe) the All Stars. I don't want to offer my opinion of this move ... I'm sure many around here can guess at my thoughts. But I will tell you that many CMs at the MK are very displeased by this turn of events and feel that he is in 'over his head.' Again, no commentary by me, just the news.
Originally Posted By WolvesTwilight I like Dan, he's a wonderful person. I don't know how he manages, but he really made me feel good. For example, I was working one coooold morning on Main Street before the primary guests were allowed in, getting the cart all set up, watching the sunlight come over the spires of the castle, and Dan came up and talked to me for the longest time, making me smile and crack jokes. He was the one who told me, before it was released to the public, what was going to happen to the Cinema, and he's always been cheerful and wonderful to talk to. infact, in the back on Main Street East, there's a picture of Dan actually in the MS Merchandise costume working with the current cast. He seemed pretty nice.
Originally Posted By Spirit of 74 <<"Inoverherhead Val" just doesn't have the same ring to it.>> No, but just realize she has been the No. 2 person at MK ... and she should share much of the criticism leveled at Phil (except for uber-white teeth!) The disaster of MK management over the past five years or so has been largely a team effort with the same faces.
Originally Posted By Spirit of 74 <<I like Dan, he's a wonderful person. I don't know how he manages, but he really made me feel good.>> I'm not discussing him as a person. I don't know enough to do so, and I don't believe this is the forum to it if I did. But it also seems like you have very limited knowledge of the man (correct me if I am mistaken, I often am!) too. I'm glad he was nice to you one day. I look at what was done that he had management control of and judge him strictly on that. Guess what? On those metrics, he fails. Since he took over, one entire side of Main Street has become a giant WoD Super Outlet with signs like you'd have in Macy's for 'Men's' ... 'Children' etc ... and meaningless facades out front. Since he took over, the Market House has ceased being such and instead is a crystal shop, but you'd never know from the signage. More shops have closed on Main Street and have blackout on the windows. The one kewl shop that I actually still shopped at has become a Jon-Benet Beauty Salon. The Frontierland Trading Post has become another pin shop. They have closed in with cheap iron fences the once open courtyard where you exit PoC and turned it into a loud, large Pirates flea market (all while closing the actual Pirate's Galleon shop and turning it into a storage room). Etc ... etc ... etc ... That's what I base Dan's performance on. He may be a great person, but that doesn't mean he did a great job. He didn't.
Originally Posted By MPierce The minute I read your inital post I already knew how you felt. You alrerady listed the reasons above why I am also underwhelmed by this move. Merchandising is just one of the many reasons the Magic has slowly been slipping away from the MK. I'm sure he is a nice man, and I wish him well in his new job. I hope the new person in charge of Merchandiing at MK tries to sell the idea of stores that offer something, different and unique from each of the other store in the park. Kind of like it use to be.
Originally Posted By MPierce Oh I forgot to add. Turn the Mainstreet USA mall back into the individual, and quaint shops they use to be. Make all the people get excited about spending their money in your shops. Now I feel they are only there to lure in the first timers for the most part.
Originally Posted By figment1986 <<Since he took over, the Market House has ceased being such and instead is a crystal shop, but you'd never know from the signage.>> They have recently changes the signage out above the door with the electrical sign, and a temporary sign (they didn't even paint over the old sign's area) over the door... But its true... large WOD, standardizing merch for the park... loosing uniqueness in the stores...
Originally Posted By jmuboy With what little I know of merchandise at the MK makes me fear that this guy is now number 2 at the MK. This really CAN'T be good news. Just look at how WDW's Main St has been destroyed over the last 5-8 years. I'm worried for the magic at the MK. I picture a giant Fantasyland Flea Market opening up on the old 20k site before long. "E Ticket shopping" at the MK. Seems like I will continue to spend more time at other parks and everyone else can enjoy a Magic Kingdom that is a shell of its former self. I also can't get too excited about someone from the MK running Ops at DAK. UGH! When will the poor MK ever get the attention it deserves.
Originally Posted By vbdad55 I know none of these people like some here do -- but telling me they were the head ofmercahndising for MK - which has seen collectibles and watches leave stores in favor of 50 kinds of princess and pooh plushes over the last 5-10 years tells me all I need to know.
Originally Posted By DLFAN1979 This movie has already been filmed. It was called DL: '95-'03 Starring Pressler and Cynthia. This is very bad news and ruins any chance MK had to redeem itself under the Big 5 rehabs. This is scaaaaaaaaaryyy...
Originally Posted By Spirit of 74 <<I know none of these people like some here do -- but telling me they were the head ofmercahndising for MK - which has seen collectibles and watches leave stores in favor of 50 kinds of princess and pooh plushes over the last 5-10 years tells me all I need to know.>> Exactly my point. It doesn't matter what kind of person you are in the workplace, so it shouldn't factor into the equation at WDW either. I look at how the MK 'leadership team' has done over the last few years, and that (plus information I get from people who are closer to the sitaution than I am) helps me formulate an opinion. MK merchandising has been a disaster. The man responsible for it is now going to be second in command of operations (behind VP Phil Holmes). In other words, he got a promotion for doing what I believe was a lousy job. But this is just 'the Disney way' ... it's why they recycle and juggle management more than the average major league baseball team does. You decide if it's good for the guests.
Originally Posted By Sport Goofy Is it really necessary to stalk relatively anonymous Disney managers as they transition to different jobs in the organization? Can you imagine if someone was publicly tracking your career moves and posting them online? What's next, digging through their trash, parking on the curb outside their homes? This behavior is really creepy.
Originally Posted By pheneix You know what? Disneyland is only a four and a half our plane ride away. I'm done with MK...
Originally Posted By MPierce >> Is it really necessary to stalk relatively anonymous Disney managers as they transition to different jobs in the organization? Can you imagine if someone was publicly tracking your career moves and posting them online? What's next, digging through their trash, parking on the curb outside their homes? This behavior is really creepy. << I understand how you feel Sport Goofy, but after all this is a forum dedicated to discussing WDW. You can bet that I keep a close watch on any of my very limited stock holdings. I constantly try to keep abreast of changes in upper management as I have a financial interest at stake. Why wouldn't I do the same about a park I so dearly love. If folks were banking their money or vacation time in my career at a particular business I would most certainly expect then to keep an eye on me. Remember Disney projects a lifestyle, and a way of thinking. If they want people to buy into that, they better meet their expectations. The resort is taking a turn for the better, however merchandising I feel has become one of it's really weak points. Since this man was in charge of merchandising, and will now be in charge of operations don't you think he deserves a little scrutiny?
Originally Posted By Sport Goofy << Since this man was in charge of merchandising, and will now be in charge of operations don't you think he deserves a little scrutiny? >> Do you feel you deserve public scrutiny for the job you perform? These are not public figures. If you dislike the way WDW conducts its business, there are a number of legitimate forums to scrutinize the business practice. Tracking by name every single person who works in WDW management and conducting an online campaign to smear them in every position they take is not a legitimate way to conduct yourself. It's sick behavior. In some extreme cases, it could also indicate some criminal stalking behavior going on behind the scenes.
Originally Posted By MPierce >> Do you feel you deserve public scrutiny for the job you perform? << As a matter of fact I do. Job performance has really come into the lime light after some really bad decisions made by executives at some corporations. Enron just being one of many. Executives in the private sector as well as in Government have always been under the public eye. Private life is one thing, however holding a position of power at the Disney corp. is a whole different matter. Executives of large corp. are not just selected at random. They go through a very public screening process. To say a person could be classified as a stalker because they scrutinize a persons job performance seems a bit of a stretch to me. If you feel it is unfair to examine a persons work history in a publicly held company that's your business. I on the other hand feel differently. To say you disagree with the way a person handles a certain job is not a smear tactic. By disagreeing with your views on this matter does that mean I'm smearing you? After all we are conducting this conversation in a very public forum. Therefore everything we write can be scrutinized by those who choose to read our words.
Originally Posted By Sport Goofy << Executives of large corp. are not just selected at random. They go through a very public screening process. >> And the position being described in this post does not rise to that level. The truly executive positions are all disclosed in the company's filings with the SEC and do involve some amount of public scrutiny. However, you find on these message boards a bizarre need to track relatively minor leadership roles that are not executive positions by SEC standards. I'm sure it's nice to have an executive-style title on your desk nameplate, but at the end of the day, the Walt Disney Company only has a handful of people in these sorts of roles. Focusing scrutiny and exposure on minor positions at the parks & resorts is really out of line and when taken to the extreme of tracking dozens of people as they transfer in and out of these positions it's really indicative of some unhealthy emotional attachment to these sorts of things.
Originally Posted By MPierce I would not consider the #2 person at MK a low level job. Nor would I consider a person in charge of merchandising a low level manager. I see nothing wrong in keeping track of a persons job performance when it directly effects the park. Someone's personal life should definitely be off limits. However, I think the way someone manages does directly effect the over all experience of guest. Nothing that I recall was said disrespectful of Mr. Cockerell, only some people did not like the turn merchandising has taken at the MK. I being one of them. If I see something I do not like I think I'm well within my rights to complain about it in an open discussion forum. I did not call him any names I just don't think he did a very good job of supporting merchandising. Ultimately the head of the park is responsible, however people in charge of a specific area of the MK also share responsibility for the quality of the product. If you are going to receive a title you should be ready for critisim when you do not live up to peoples expectations.
Originally Posted By Sport Goofy << I would not consider the #2 person at MK a low level job. >> That's probably because you are not exposed to people in those sorts of positions on a regular basis.
