Originally Posted By dagobert >>>Federico J. Gonzalez has been SVP for Sales and Marketing at DLRP forever. I wonder if that means he is leaving. I had a lot of time for Federico - a very good executive who spoke his mind and didn't tow the party line if he didn't think it was the right approach.<<< So no good move for DLRP? I didn't know TWDC has so much influence on DLP when it comes to new positions, except for the CEO.
Originally Posted By leemac <<So no good move for DLRP? I didn't know TWDC has so much influence on DLP when it comes to new positions, except for the CEO.>> Sales and Marketing at DLRP is an odd group. They used to run their own show and then Michael Mendenhall pushed for oversight of their activities too so the global Disney Destinations concept was created. Frederico reports to Gas but also has involvement with Mendenhall's replacement Leslie Ferraro. Frederico's team is meant to set the European policy on sales and marketing but the local teams seem to have a lot more autonomy now (like the UK & Ireland team in London) and they are technically part of WDP&R and not EuroDisney as they also handle WDW and DCL. All very complicated. I like Frederico a lot - he isn't your usual Disney executive. I personally think he has done a tremendous amount there with little budget.
Originally Posted By HokieSkipper <<George has never rocked the boat once in any of his management tenures. He has always either picked up where the predecessor left off or carried out his bosses' wishes. There is no way that WDW's maintenance plan will be touched. George is a nice guy but you wouldn't risk putting him in a role that encompassed change management - he doesn't have it in him. He is a good safe pair of hands on calm waters.>> That's basically what I expected, I just HOPED something would change.
Originally Posted By leemac << I didn't know TWDC has so much influence on DLP when it comes to new positions, except for the CEO.>> Forgot to comment on this part. For years WDP&R basically left EuroDisney alone and most of the senior management came from European businesses. Then a succession of roles were filled by CMs from other WDP&R business lines. Today the two most senior roles - the CEO (Gas) and COO (Joe Schott - an exceptional operator) are occupied by WDP&R nominees. Once Jay was promoted to WDP&R Chairman he set about trying to integrate DLR, WDW and DLRP into One Disney as he saw cost saving and learning opportunities. This is what Meg Crofton is meant to have been doing for 18 months now with very little to show for it. Even attempts to get cost savings through shared procurement (think Coca-Cola concentrate, paper napkins etc.) either haven't worked or haven't yielded significant savings. A damp squib of a project.
Originally Posted By leemac <<That's basically what I expected, I just HOPED something would change.>> And who knows - George might develop a backbone in his last role (now that he has hit the glass ceiling). However I think the odds of that happening are unlikely. He'll be waiting for his pension annuity to kick in.
Originally Posted By dagobert >>>For years WDP&R basically left EuroDisney alone and most of the senior management came from European businesses. Then a succession of roles were filled by CMs from other WDP&R business lines. Today the two most senior roles - the CEO (Gas) and COO (Joe Schott - an exceptional operator) are occupied by WDP&R nominees. Once Jay was promoted to WDP&R Chairman he set about trying to integrate DLR, WDW and DLRP into One Disney as he saw cost saving and learning opportunities. This is what Meg Crofton is meant to have been doing for 18 months now with very little to show for it. Even attempts to get cost savings through shared procurement (think Coca-Cola concentrate, paper napkins etc.) either haven't worked or haven't yielded significant savings. A damp squib of a project. <<< Thank you for answering my questions. On the one hand I think it's good that TWDC is now more involved in DLP, because it always felt that the European resort is left behind. But on the other hand, it would be good if DLP could do its own thing, more like the Oriental Land Co.
Originally Posted By skinnerbox <<DLR doesn't have any big projects in the capex pipeline at the moment so it could be that he is simply maintaining the status quo. There are a lot of things that people are pushing for at DLR but ultimately there is no capex in the budget for them so they will need board approval even if the executive committee decide that DLR needs new capacity etc.>> Lee, do you know what this means for the new Tomorrowland attraction that's supposedly being developed? If there isn't any CapEx for DLR, does that mean the project has been indefinitely shelved? <<It is a surprise that he has leapfrogged over a few people at TDA to get this role. I thought (as did a lot of colleagues) that Mary Niven was a shoe-in for the role as she is so universally liked for her management of DCA (worth adding that I locked horns with her on numerous occasions when she ran F&B and I found her attitude to be confrontational and belligerent at best). Someone like Michael O'Grattan might have also been a possibility (is he even still at TDA? Not seen him for ages).>> According to his LinkedIn profile, Michael is still there. But you are correct about Colglazier taking this spot ahead of the TDA execs coming out of nowhere. I was fully expecting Mary Niven to get the job. The fact that neither Niven nor O'Grattan got picked is disturbing to me. Colglazier's reign at DAK was pathetic. The park is in dire need of intense maintenance, even beyond fixing Yeti and preventing more Tree of Life limbs from falling. DLR was pretty much a maintenance free zone before Ouimet arrived to save the 50th. So why would Burbank install yet another hapless suit in that position, given DLR's history? Given the talk of layoffs and cutting back at the studios, none of these promotions are an indication to proactively resolve problems in the parks. If anything, Burbank appears to be entering cruise mode for the next few years, to just hang on and coast with as few expenditures as possible, until Iger steps down and runs for political office somewhere. His bonuses are tied to the bottom line, so he's gonna rob Peter to pay Paul and pump it up as high as he can, leaving the damage for the next CEO chump to fix. Kick the can down the road for the next guy. The CEO's favorite business motto.
Originally Posted By leemac <<Lee, do you know what this means for the new Tomorrowland attraction that's supposedly being developed? If there isn't any CapEx for DLR, does that mean the project has been indefinitely shelved?>> There has never been any traction whatsoever to any of the concepts that have been bandied around for DL's TL. It has become an obsession amongst a certain group of imagineers to get something into the Innoventions building. The site throws up a host of problems from the existing sponsorship agreements to the actual infrastructure. There is nothing in the budget for this year that would cover a substantial TL development and there seems to be no appetite within TDA to pitch for more capex for DL after DCA's mammoth do-over. Maybe a new leader will support a proposal like Stark Expo more than the current management.
Originally Posted By leemac <<According to his LinkedIn profile, Michael is still there.>> Good - I'm told he is a good operator. I thought he was one of the shining stars at DLR but it seems he has been sidetracked. I know he got given the imaging gig but I've no idea what that involves now.
Originally Posted By leemac <<But you are correct about Colglazier taking this spot ahead of the TDA execs coming out of nowhere. I was fully expecting Mary Niven to get the job. The fact that neither Niven nor O'Grattan got picked is disturbing to me. Colglazier's reign at DAK was pathetic. >> Yup. I got asked the other day if I'd like a front line operational role and I almost fell off my chair laughing. I can't imagine anything worse. It is such an odd role. I still can't fathom why each park needs a VP - particularly those that basically run themselves (like Epcot). I'd expected Mary to move up and the VP of DCA role to disappear again now that it is superfluous. The weird thing is that Colglazier is virtually an ops lifer. He has had a lot of roles but virtually all of them have been front line. I'm just amazed that DAK has suffered so much under his tenure (I think he's been in the role for 3 years or so). He was well-liked when he was at Epcot (I think he was either a GM or director then) as he helped the park through the '94 rebranding and also the millennium planning. I think it is high time for a complete restructuring of Ops management at the US parks. There are far too many managers for the ever-diminishing responsibilities due to automation and redundancy. NGE is meant to cull a significant number of these roles in order to meet the target business plan.
Originally Posted By skinnerbox <<It has become an obsession amongst a certain group of imagineers to get something into the Innoventions building. The site throws up a host of problems from the existing sponsorship agreements to the actual infrastructure.>> Gee... I wonder to whom you're referring? 8^D Seriously, I just think it's short-sighted on management's part to not pursue this further, given how long it takes to build anything at Disney parks, especially in Anaheim. Kicking DL's capacity problem down the road is not the smart thing to do. They should be addressing it right now, before USH Potter opens in a few years. <<Maybe a new leader will support a proposal like Stark Expo more than the current management.>> If you're referring to the new transplant from DAK, I don't see it happening. Colglazier had the opportunity to push for Yeti's fix. He didn't. Now the Adventures by Disney guy is taking over DAK, so I'm guessing it'll be more of the same. None of these guys are Matt Ouimet. I don't see this new crop of 'leadership' being able to fight the good fight and get some Disney quality back in the aging parks. It's as though Burbank spent it all on Carsland and doesn't want to touch anything else for five years out, save for installation of the NEXTGEN stuff at WDW. I don't know WTF Disney is mutating into, but it sure doesn't smell too good.
Originally Posted By leemac <<Given the talk of layoffs and cutting back at the studios, none of these promotions are an indication to proactively resolve problems in the parks. If anything, Burbank appears to be entering cruise mode for the next few years, to just hang on and coast with as few expenditures as possible, until Iger steps down and runs for political office somewhere. His bonuses are tied to the bottom line, so he's gonna rob Peter to pay Paul and pump it up as high as he can, leaving the damage for the next CEO chump to fix.>> It is a combination of two things: 1) Ensuring the capex that has been spent meets the target returns that the board approved 2) New cost savings to drive up margin and profitability. There are a lot of projects in 1) that aren't quite delivering on their projections and that is a concern for management. WDW, DCL and DVC are a worry at the moment. WDW's advanced bookings for 2013 are a primary concern at the moment. Plus there is the need to get the NGE roll-out achieved along Accenture's plans. 2) is now deemed necessary because of the fact that the Q4 numbers weren't were Wall Street expected them to be. I also think it is because Jay hasn't had the opportunity to flex his CFO muscles over the entire group - he doesn't have Bob's ear the same way that (the infinitely more qualified) Tom Staggs did. The head scratcher is why the need to pick a number out of the sky for cost savings and then push that down. Studio Entertainment is in desperate need of a headcount reduction now that the film slate is so thin and I never understood why that wasn't reviewed when Iger decided to slash the release calendar. There is no need for that type of infrastructure when you are releasing just at best a dozen features annually. For the other business units I've no idea how they will achieve their headcount reductions. Media Networks will feel particularly aggrieved as it remains the key profit driver for the whole group (although ESPN is responsible for the lion's share of that number). Redundancies have always been handled badly by TWDC. They take forever to be implemented and destroy morale. I'm hoping this time around that the axe is swift and that it doesn't affect the business. I doubt that will happen based on track record.
Originally Posted By skinnerbox <<The weird thing is that Colglazier is virtually an ops lifer. He has had a lot of roles but virtually all of them have been front line. I'm just amazed that DAK has suffered so much under his tenure (I think he's been in the role for 3 years or so). He was well-liked when he was at Epcot (I think he was either a GM or director then) as he helped the park through the '94 rebranding and also the millennium planning.>> Geez! You'd never guess his EPCOT experience, given his past three years at DAK. Polar opposite outcomes. Unreal. <<I think it is high time for a complete restructuring of Ops management at the US parks. There are far too many managers for the ever-diminishing responsibilities due to automation and redundancy.>> THIS! A million times over.
Originally Posted By HokieSkipper <<I think it is high time for a complete restructuring of Ops management at the US parks. >> Yes, please.
Originally Posted By leemac <<Gee... I wonder to whom you're referring? 8^D Seriously, I just think it's short-sighted on management's part to not pursue this further, given how long it takes to build anything at Disney parks, especially in Anaheim. Kicking DL's capacity problem down the road is not the smart thing to do. They should be addressing it right now, before USH Potter opens in a few years.>> And boy is he obsessed. I wish they would throw him another small bone to play with so he can drop this one. TL really is the elephant in the room. It isn't just the Innoventions building - the entire land suffers from a host of problems from horrific guestflow to inefficient land use to ageing experiences. I'm reluctant to see another piecemeal response to the land's troubles. I think the land needs a new masterplan to deal with disasters like the Astro Orbiter, Observatron, Cosmic Waves, Starcade, Autopia etc. Just ramming an Iron Man concept (or even the awful TRON lightcycles from Shanghai) into one space doesn't fix the larger problem and I think it will actually hamstring future development for the land. It becomes yet another brand in a congested marketplace. DL hasn't had a coherent masterplan for a long time. The park is literally heaving at the seams with undercapacity at peak times and it must be affecting guest satisfaction.
Originally Posted By skinnerbox <<The head scratcher is why the need to pick a number out of the sky for cost savings and then push that down. Studio Entertainment is in desperate need of a headcount reduction now that the film slate is so thin and I never understood why that wasn't reviewed when Iger decided to slash the release calendar. There is no need for that type of infrastructure when you are releasing just at best a dozen features annually.>> I thought that was the whole point of bringing in Alan Horn, to turn the studio around and trim the waste. What are they waiting for, especially now that Iger wants to cut the release calendar even further?
Originally Posted By leemac <<Geez! You'd never guess his EPCOT experience, given his past three years at DAK. Polar opposite outcomes. Unreal.>> I don't now what influence he had back then - GMs tend to be gophers more than anything else (they are often referred to as interns in Burbank) - but I know the WDI team thought he was a good guy.
Originally Posted By leemac <<I thought that was the whole point of bringing in Alan Horn, to turn the studio around and trim the waste. What are they waiting for, especially now that Iger wants to cut the release calendar even further?>> But the reduced production schedule has been around for years now. It was there during Rich Ross' disastrous foray on to the lot. I thought he was supposed to wield the ax but instead it just remained the same. If he loses DreamWorks then you can virtually kiss goodbye to live action except for MARVEL/Lucasfilm. Iger is hellbent on having all his eggs in just three baskets - I don't think any major studio has ever deployed such a risky plan. If Oz tanks in March then he will be sweating bullets all summer because the rest of the release schedule doesn't look any stronger.
Originally Posted By skinnerbox <<And boy is he obsessed. I wish they would throw him another small bone to play with so he can drop this one.>> It seems to me that part of this obsession is wanting to reach his 50th anniversary with the Mouse. But that won't happen until Aug 2015. So if there aren't any new projects for him to work on, why not create a new position for him like they did for Marty? The fanboys love his appearances, storytelling, slideshows, etc. So let him do that for the next three years, give him a monster blowout D23 50th anniversary party after Labor Day 2015, and send him on his way at the start of FY16. If there isn't any CapEx for park projects, this would probably appease him and please the hardcore fans to boot. Win-win. <<I think the land needs a new masterplan to deal with disasters like the Astro Orbiter, Observatron, Cosmic Waves, Starcade, Autopia etc. Just ramming an Iron Man concept (or even the awful TRON lightcycles from Shanghai) into one space doesn't fix the larger problem and I think it will actually hamstring future development for the land.>> YES! ABSOLUTELY!! <<DL hasn't had a coherent masterplan for a long time. The park is literally heaving at the seams with undercapacity at peak times and it must be affecting guest satisfaction.>> There is no doubt about this. And once USH Potter is up and running, guest satisfaction will spiral downward that much faster. Carsland will be yesterday's lunch, DCA Phase II will still be collecting dust on a shelf in Glendale, and DL will continue to limp along with capacity issues that should have been addressed and fixed in the nineties. I swear, it's as though Burbank has just given up on Disney being the top dog in the theme park universe.
Originally Posted By skinnerbox <<If Oz tanks in March then he will be sweating bullets all summer because the rest of the release schedule doesn't look any stronger.>> Does anyone actually believe this will be another Alice? Aren't March release films typically weak at the box? It hits the screens here in just 8 weeks, yet there seems to be little buzz surrounding the film, other than with the Raimi and Oz fans. I dunno. My gut is telling me that this one has the potential to be another John Carter. Lee, any idea what the final tab on Oz is going to be?
