Originally Posted By AutoPost This topic is for Discussion of: <a href="http://www.LaughingPlace.com/Blogs/FanBoy/View-251.asp" target="_blank"><b>2/19/09 Extreme Makeover: Disney Parks Edition (FanBoy's Blog)</b></a>
Originally Posted By Spirit of 74 l Weiss running both WDW and DL ought to scare the hell out of anyone who understands Disney or cares about it. Ed and Inoverherheadmeg have largely just been figureheads, but this cements the deal ... they are there to make six figures (seven with stocks, bonuses and the like) to show up at media opps or community events. But Al is running the WalMarting show as Jay's leading flying monkey (to use a term first uses in these parts by someone I admire). At least one good thing was announced ... Nick Franklin got a well-deserved promotion for his work in China in resurrecting a near morbid Shanghai deal after Karl Holz almost single-handily destroyed it ... of course, Karl still winds up back running DCL after Tom was drummed out of the company for caring about the product too much. My overall reaction is one of Disney will allow its theme parks and resort empire to crumble before arrogant Iger decides that now more than ever someone of vision is needed at the top of the P&R food chain. The horrific Epcot decision is just the start ...
Originally Posted By MPierce >> There was a lot of movement and big changes, especially where DCA is concerned. I can’t go in to every move, but the next six weeks will be interesting as this scheme is integrated. The one thing I keep hearing from folks inside the company is that the Guest experience will not be sacrificed in any way. In fact, I hear that they are now focused on improving the experience of visiting a Disney destination. Only time will tell, if and how this will all work out, but it is certainly not all doom and gloom. << My guest experience has already suffered. Will someone please explain to me how these moves will enhance WDW for me or anybody else.
Originally Posted By bobbelee9 They probably figure if they tell you enough times, then just maybe you'll believe it. Mindless drones that we all are.
Originally Posted By FanBoy Right now, the focus is on improving Guest's intent to return. The idea is thtat by merging that back of house operation between Disneyland and Walt Disney World, they will be able to support an infrastructure that improves the Guest experience at both parks. For example, by building the same attractions on both coasts at the same time, you save design and construction costs while sharing marketing and other costs. I am not saying this is the right or wrong way to go about it...but it is the way Disney chose to go
Originally Posted By davewasbaloo Well, by merging, they will either up their ops costs even further with the commutes, or have local sectarianism creep in. And the players put in the frame are the sharp pencil boys and girls. No thanks.
Originally Posted By CarolinaDisneyDad <<<The one thing I keep hearing from folks inside the company is that the Guest experience will not be sacrificed>>> This always scares me. It's like when my company sends down a memo saying not to worry that everything is alright with the company. Heck, I wasn't worried till I got this memo.
Originally Posted By FanBoy I think the best thing for the "Guest Experience" right now would be for the economy to turn-around so they can get back to the plans they had before the downturn
Originally Posted By bobbelee9 Yeah, I guess it would be kinda nice if the economy did a turn around.
Originally Posted By Spirit of 74 <<Right now, the focus is on improving Guest's intent to return. The idea is thtat by merging that back of house operation between Disneyland and Walt Disney World, they will be able to support an infrastructure that improves the Guest experience at both parks.>> All it appears to be doing is further homogenizing the 'brand.' Jay Rasulo still does't get that people visit DL ... or EPCOT ... or DAK ... or DLP ... he thinks they visit Disney Parks: Where Dreams Come True and Magic Lives (and now that the two years of two million dreams are over) WHAT WILL YOU CELEBRATE? (foreclosure, two years unemployed, family suicide, car reposessed buttons to come!) In reality, this is likely to drive up many costs ... just think what expense accounts for Al and Erin will look like now with all those cross country trips for them and their underlings. <<For example, by building the same attractions on both coasts at the same time, you save design and construction costs while sharing marketing and other costs.>> Except Disney parks aren't WalMarts or Starbucks or McDonald's. You can't simply do a TSMM all the time. And it's a very bad idea to homogenize your parks, so that none of them stand out on their own merits or uniqueness. I am quite sure if they ever greenlight Mermaid for MK, it'll be the first example they'll point to of why this structure works for everyone including guests. We've been through this before with everything from merchandise to resort ops. <<I am not saying this is the right or wrong way to go about it...but it is the way Disney chose to go>> I'm saying it's the wrong way. I'm saying they have the wrong people driving these decisions. I'm saying they have the wrong money dudes and consultants pushing them through by touting savings, while ignoring both real costs and long term brand degradation. ~Pass the Pixie Dust~
Originally Posted By Spirit of 74 <<My guest experience has already suffered. Will someone please explain to me how these moves will enhance WDW for me or anybody else. >> I'm staring at a pile of Disney Parks 'Celebrate Everyday' napkins sitting on my kitchen table. If that doesn't enhance my life then nothing will. ~Pass the Pixie Dust~
Originally Posted By A Happy Haunt <<I'm staring at a pile of Disney Parks 'Celebrate Everyday' napkins sitting on my kitchen table.>> If you had stayed on prop you could have lifted some cool towel animals instead of napkins!
Originally Posted By davewasbaloo You know, when Eisner was doing the media junket in the early 90's preparing for EuroDisney to open, he was explaining that the Disney magic was easy to explain - keep things clean, well maintained, pushed the envelope of what is possible, and do not manage strictly based on numbers and spreadsheets. Man, I miss those days.
Originally Posted By Spirit of 74 <<I think the best thing for the "Guest Experience" right now would be for the economy to turn-around so they can get back to the plans they had before the downturn>> I don't buy it. Disney is the most risk averse company I have ever seen. They are so conservative when it comes to spending on their parks as to make Sarah Palin's base look like wild liberals in comparison. They weren't exactly throwing money at the parks in the late 90s when WDW was like an ATM for Burbank. They made some investments this decade, but other than Mission Space (an amazingly misguided project) and EE (where most of the effects don't work and no seems to care), most were very small scale. And when you have four parks, they all need to be kept fresh. You can't let MK rot because you added Everest. You can't let the Studios wither because Soarin opened at Epcot. They need to spend now. Unless they think the economy is never going to rebound in which case they should be shuttering their parks and resorts. People need reasons to come back. Real, concrete, substantial reasons. Not marketing hype. Not smaller scale attractions such as Idol or Kim Possible. Not eight-year-old parades with new balloons tacked on and a different soundtrack. That's all OK for one year in between building/adding reasons for people to return. But letting parks grow stale because you've overbuilt hotels and timeshares and won't take any risks is a sure fire way to let a creative content company wither and die in the long term. BEC and UNI have it right. Disney doesn't. ~Pass the Pixie Dust~
Originally Posted By davewasbaloo Indeed Spirit. The business model in WDW seems inherently faulty - Disney as a brand was built on quality - that seems to be disappearing in favour of plastic synergy. It is ironic, for decades I have defended Disney to the cynics that thought it was all plastic commercialism. Seems Disney has transmogrified itself into the misguided reputation. Very sad.
Originally Posted By Spirit of 74 <<You know, when Eisner was doing the media junket in the early 90's preparing for EuroDisney to open, he was explaining that the Disney magic was easy to explain - keep things clean, well maintained, pushed the envelope of what is possible, and do not manage strictly based on numbers and spreadsheets. Man, I miss those days.>> I'm really missing Eisner. Period. And I never thought I'd say that. But at least he cared. I don't get that from Bob. I get that he's a master delegator and so long as his divisions meet numbers, he really doesn't care how they do so. And with the economy in a borderline depression, Jay Rasulo is so safe because everyone expects P&R to be off now ... which is why he was able to solidify his power base with last week's moves. ~Pass the Pixie Dust~
Originally Posted By Spirit of 74 <<Indeed Spirit. The business model in WDW seems inherently faulty - Disney as a brand was built on quality - that seems to be disappearing in favour of plastic synergy. It is ironic, for decades I have defended Disney to the cynics that thought it was all plastic commercialism. Seems Disney has transmogrified itself into the misguided reputation. Very sad. >> So true ... and believe me we are kindred spirits when it comes to defending Disney. I have been doing so since I was a teen and my friends couldn't grasp why I loved EPCOT Center so much. Or why in my 20s I was going to see 'kids movies' instead of gorefests. But now? It is all about greed. It is all about taking every last penny of every guest to Central Florida. It's about offering less and charging more. It's about valuing people -- guests, fans and cast -- as nothing but numbers. It's about hitting you over the head with DISNEY MAGIC and telling you how MAGICAL things are over and over again. It's not that WDW is crumbling. Or that it still isn't a great place to visit. Or that it doesn't offer some amazing experiences. It's just that one fundamental thing has changed ... the goal of always being the best and pushing the envelope has gone away and has been replaced with the concept of pushing the DISNEY MAGIC and suckering people in with marketing. I experienced a lot of good at WDW ... even things I didn't expect to like (Idol, Kim Possible), I did. But if there's one thing missing from WDW it's the feeling I used to get when I entered ... that I was truly removed from the real world and that Disney wanted to give me the best experience possible. I'm having a hard time expressing this in words, but the closest I can come is this ... for me, the magic of WDW has largely been replaced with in-your-face hawking of the DISNEY MAGIC. And I'm not buying any of it. ~Pass the Pixie Dust~
