Originally Posted By TP2000 Okay, I know, just because a top exec is rarely seen in the parks enjoying the products and services they are responsible for doesn't neccesarily mean they are a bad leader. That is now officially acknowledged and filed away. But I'm just wondering if anyone (CM's, Florida AP's, etc.) ever sees Meg Crofton roaming the parks at WDW? Does she have a family maybe that she brings to the park sometimes? Does she spend some time each month maybe just having lunch in a CM cafeteria and rubbing elbows with the troops at the salad bar and in line for the Coke machine? Does she walk around with the various Park Vice Presidents and look at new stuff, or look for things that need improvement or maintenance or upgrades? Has anyone ever seen her just wandering around a park after 5PM in street clothes, seeing how the customers and employees interact with the facilities? I haven't heard anyone mention that she does that, and there's now lots of expose' type stores online about her management style that claim that she is out of touch. And obviously she was nowhere to be seen at the D23 Destination D event at WDW a couple months ago, unlike George K at the comparable Disneyland event last year. But can anyone maybe shed some light on Meg? Does she have any passing interest at all in the products and services (namely, theme parks and resort hotels) that she is leading and making major decisions about? Anyone ever seen Meg in the parks when no media or cameras are around? I remember seeing Matt Ouimet several times, with online accounts that he was spotted regularly in jeans and sweatshirt in the evenings just meandering through the crowds. And I've seen George K several times in the park or hotel, at fan events (D23) or walking through on a weekday afternoon. What about Meg?
Originally Posted By dshyates I saw Dan Cockrell in Epcot once..... when Governor Scott was making an appearance. But that is the only exec. I have personally seen. I am an AP, but I have to admit that compared to most APers I don't spend all that much time at the parks. You know, real job, and APs to 8 local parks, it's hard to spend much time at any of them. I have seen Mark Woodbury, Thierry Coup, Alice Norsworthy, and Thomas Williams in the parks at Universal Orlando. And they were just giddy chatting with the fanbois, and that was before the WWOHP opened. I have actually had a beverage and chatted with Thomas Williams (CEO of Uni P&R) at the Lone Palm bar in front of Margaritaville. I didn't know who he was. He said he worked there (haha) and I was trying to get info about the delay of HRRR. He didn't say much except that the rumored soft opening wasn't happening for at least a couple of weeks. Then they ripped out the lift hill. Haha. He wasn't lying! When he left, the bartender said, "You don't have a clue who that is, do you?" "Nope."
Originally Posted By ReelJustice ^^That's a GREAT story, and that's one of things that makes UOR so special. Up until recently, there was really no "face" of Universal. Disney has Iger et al, it wasn't until Potter that Mark Woodbury became a household name/face. Uni finally has their own "celebrity imagineer." When I was an AP in 07-08, UOR was always empty. A totally different experience than I was accustomed to working at WDW. I'm glad I got to experience it before Potter, but I cannot wait to experience the land I've been looking forward to for 12 years.
Originally Posted By sjhym333 I have never seen Meg Crofton just roaming the park, but in fairness I dont remember Bob Maitheson just roaming the park in the early 80's and he was one of Walts guys. Though in all my years at Disney I saw Bob out in the parks many many more times while he was working and I have only seen Meg once and that was at a meeting on a project I was working on. I never ran into Dan Cockrell on stage (though he almost ran me over once backstage and stopped and we chatted) but Jim McPhee was out in the park alot and he came out with his family on a regular basis.
Originally Posted By Mickeymouseclub ...I always wonder if they ever actually use the restrooms...sometimes early morn first hour inspection would not be anything to be proud of but by mid-day, Please, diapers and sanitary products in the heat= smellscary!
Originally Posted By fkurucz >>The question is would 99.9% of the guests even know who she would be.<< Good point. One thing I have noticed at DLR: "suits" are less visible than in the past. I might not know who they are, but how many people with a suit and a Disney name tag do you see? 10+ years ago it wasn't uncommon to see them. I suppose today they are too busy trying to find costs to cut on their Excel spreadsheets.
Originally Posted By Spirit of 74 I have never seen Meg in the parks, but my response to this topic whenever it is brought up is 'who cares?' Someone being seen in the parks is not a fair and accurate gauge of the job someone is doing. At DLR, both Cynthia and Matt were always seen in the parks. One did an awful job, one did a great job. Then came 'Invisible' Ed Grier. By all accounts, he did a very good job as well, but he was attacked by Al Lutz and his Fanbois of Hell brigade because he was never seen out there. ... of course, he just led the approval, planning and budgeting for all the great new stuff that has debutted in the past 18 months that George 'Fanboi Fave' Kalogridis will bask in the credit for because he goes out in the park and chats and poses for pics. George may well be doing a great job. Knowing him, and with the investment others have handed him, he probably is doing so. But being in the parks has absolutely nothing to do with it.
Originally Posted By sjhym333 I also think that Meg's job is not the everyday running of EPCOT or Typhoon Lagoon or the Polynesian. Her job is to make sure that the people at WDW are doing their jobs. Where I think she hasnt been doing a good job is setting WDW on a course of new attractions and experiences.
Originally Posted By TP2000 "The question is would 99.9% of the guests even know who she would be?" Exactly. Nearly all guests wouldn't know her at all. But the CM's would, theoretically, know who she was. I've never read an account of her actually being spotted in the parks by any CM, onstage or backstage. I wonder what her work week looks like schedule-wise? Obviously she has no direct duties that require her to be at the Polynesian or Test Track or Tomorrowland Terrace at any time, but that's the stuff she's ultimately responsible for. Her title is, after all, President of "Operations". There are other folks to handle marketing and HR and financial planning, although she would have visibility to those impacts on her operation. Does she just drive to the TDO building and stay inside that for 9 or 10 hours per day and never venture elsewhere on property? That would seem odd to me, as it appears she does, as a leader of an operation should at least be able to fake a passing interest in the, you know, daily operation of the property she is in charge of. But then, there are many things about the Orlando operation that seem odd to me. The seemingly blind faith in marketing to pull people in for decades, for example.
Originally Posted By Manfried Who cares if Meg goes in the park? I mean if you don't like her running things complain about it the only way Disney really cares, with your wallet. Stay home. Don't buy a pass. Don't spend money there.
Originally Posted By ChiMike >>The seemingly blind faith in marketing to pull people in for decades, for example. << That certainly has been part of the main problem.
