Originally Posted By dshyates "What matters is results. Not whether a P&R exec is seen signing (excuse me while I vomit) autographs for fanbois or seen walking thru a park picking up a piece of stray trash." I'd kill for a DCA map circa 2001 signed by Paul Pressler.
Originally Posted By Spirit of 74 <<^^^ Who needs coffee when you put out that great post about Matt, Skinner? Seriously would be thrilled if Matt returned... It's certainly interesting that he had a hand in that event a few months ago. >> Interesting, perhaps. Although you can't read too much into that. It's the Disney Family Museum and isn't (thank deity or cartoon character of your choice) part of the magic of TWDC. This is Diane and Ron's tribute to Walt. As a matter of fact, there are strong rumors that Iger isn't thrilled with its success and wants to turn the Disney Archives into a profit venture. Matt was largely there because he loves DL. And I doubt George K sent him an invite to say the WoC premiere!
Originally Posted By Spirit of 74 <<Lee brings up AC and it is a perfect example - it was losing money at a tremendous clip. Sure management could have made changes to improve the situation but WDW Co. decided that shuttering it would be the only way to stem the red ink. The fanbois start spitting venom but what can you do - every location needs to be profitable under the current regime - there is no room for dead weight - I don't agree with the mantra but we are stuck with it until Jim Hunt and his crew are gone.>> This 'mantra' is what has Walmarted WDW. Atmosphere and show no longer matter. As to TSFKaPI, all I know is Disney decided they didn't want to spend anything to invest in it by the Y2K timeline and within 18 months I heard the plan was to close the whole complex. Since then, I've heard lots of conflicting reports about certain clubs making or losing certain amounts of money ... but I don't think it matters which was true. Disney decided they didn't want to invest in the complex and keep it fresh and they thought they could get third-parties to line up and beg The Mouse for lease deals. We've all seen how well that has worked. At least they did keep the 'new' restrooms open near BET ... used those twice last week! MAGICal!
Originally Posted By Spirit of 74 <<He is precisely the type of executive sorely lacking at WDW now.>> <<However he is lacking one thing - an ability to play nice with the other children. Ask any other current executive about Matt and they will demur to comment. He wasn't popular and didn't care - that narrow-mindedness cost him his job and his ability to be a strong positive force inside WDP&R. I like Matt a lot - he was a great asset to DCL in particular - but he needed to learn when to pick his fights. Jay had too much power to wield and he got in the way. Much like the equally affable and competent Tom McAlpin. >> What cost Matt his job was he wouldn't get on his knees (figuratvely, of course!) and bow before Zo... I mean Rasulo. Worse, he coveted Jay's job and made no secret of that fact. Frequently, he went around Jay and would contact Iger and/or Lasseter with issues in Anaheim. Jay couldn't have that. And losing both Matt and Tom were HUGE blows to P&R in my opinion. Although I had a GREAT Transatlantic voyage on the Magic this year, there were some places were the Walmarting had intruded on DCL ... things that I would immediately chalk up to a loser like Karl Holz leading the line (destroying the great tilework in the Mickey pool and replacing it with a very inexpensive epoxy coating that looks very cheap, because it is! ... or purposely serving Sizzler, or worse, quality steak on teh first night of a 14-night voyage to discourage people from ordering beef on the ship ... except for Spirits that simply demanded the servers go upstairs to Palo and get him a REAL quality piece of meat!)
Originally Posted By Spirit of 74 <<Quality upkeep, entertainment, and unique additions to the parks. >> <<They all cost money and the way that the revenue streams are structured and how projects are appraised now means it is very difficult to justify significant capex. Until the likes of MYW and the discounting go away (unlikely undercurrent management) then we aren't likely to see anything on the scale of Radiator Springs Racers ($350m and counting) unless one park begins to tank.>> I hope they all do at this point, and I still own a significant amount of stock. But they need to wake up. They have four stale parks. And their answer is lowering quality more ... and adding more timeshares as well as luxury housing for folks mentally ill enough to want to live in the midst of a theme park (and a stale one at that) complex.
Originally Posted By EPCOT Explorer >>>>They can keep saying DREAMS, WISHES and MAGIC until 2050 and it won't change the fact they have four parks in various states of disrepair due to neglect and four parks that very much feel stale to one degree or another.<<< And that won't last forever...And something has to give.
Originally Posted By EPCOT Explorer >>>I'd kill for a DCA map circa 2001 signed by Paul Pressler.<<< I have a poster from the 1998 opening of Tomorrowland with his name on it.
Originally Posted By EPCOT Explorer >>>As a matter of fact, there are strong rumors that Iger isn't thrilled with its success and wants to turn the Disney Archives into a profit venture.<<<< I thought that was D23's venture?
Originally Posted By skinnerbox <<>>>As a matter of fact, there are strong rumors that Iger isn't thrilled with its success and wants to turn the Disney Archives into a profit venture.<<<< I thought that was D23's venture?>> D23 will never make the same amount of $$$ from the Archives that a dedicated pay-per-view museum would, like the WDFM. Taking the gigantic warehouse of Disney artifacts and wrapping a high tech interactive museum around them, as was done for the Disney Family memorabilia in the Presidio, is a TDB wet dream. I would be very surprised if Iger did not seriously pursue this avenue in the near future. Since the kibosh has been put on the Lasseter Animation-Imagineering megacampus at Grand Central Terminal... what will Disney now do with that property? It is nicely located near Griffith Park (and Walt's Barn!) and major freeways. Hmm... And now that Dave Smith and Robert Tieman are riding off into retirement sunset, what will ultimately become of the Archives? Becky and her underlings can continue collecting artifacts and such, but to what end? At what point do the Burbank execs start to grimace at the expense of this endeavor (if they haven't already) when they know how successful the WDFM has been at turning a profit off of their Disney historical records and trinkets? Anybody else agree that the Grand Central Terminal would make a terrific location for The Disney Archives Museum? Keep the old terminal and build onto it, like WDFM did with the old Army barracks it acquired. Seems like a no-brainer. The Disney Archives Museum. Has a nice ring to it, don't you think?
Originally Posted By MousDad >>>As a matter of fact, there are strong rumors that Iger isn't thrilled with its success and wants to turn the Disney Archives into a profit venture.<<< I think Iger's on the right track!!! In fact, if he was really smart, he would just charge admission to every Disney office in America. That way there's no department anywhere that's not generating cashflow!!!! Tour Guide: "Here's our Accounting Department. These magical pencil pushers make sure every single ounce of creative and historical output produces enough profit to support the current executive bonus structures! Wouldn't Walt be proud!!!!"
Originally Posted By EPCOT Explorer ^^^ And I can think of a whole website (several websites, really) that would all jump at the chance....
Originally Posted By MousDad All sarcasm aside, I think the Archives Museum is actually a pretty cool idea. Of course, the Cali-bois get all the cool stuff.
Originally Posted By vbdad55 Cloud Cuckooland okay I gotta admit- I haven't been laughing here much ( at LP ) lately but this made me chuckle
Originally Posted By vbdad55 "Sadly your respect as a CM just doesn't earn him his bonus - there should be non-financial KPIs like CM satisfaction but they just aren't interested in surveying." unfortunately Disney is not alone in not rewarding customer satisfaction ( or heck, even tracking it anymore)- lot's of major companies have done likewise..
Originally Posted By EPCOT Explorer >>> okay I gotta admit- I haven't been laughing here much ( at LP ) lately but this made me chuckle<<< I'm just so happy to have inspired it. ;-)
Originally Posted By Spirit of 74 <<I'd kill for a DCA map circa 2001 signed by Paul Pressler.>> Who would you kill? (I have a very long bucket list) ... oh, and believe it or not, but I also have a DCA 2001 map signed by Paul Pressler. No, I am not kidding! I also have plenty not signed by him.
Originally Posted By Spirit of 74 <<The Disney Archives Museum. Has a nice ring to it, don't you think?>> I think plenty ... and I also think you aren't the only one to think of this.
