Originally Posted By Spirit of 74 <<It's funny because I have a real life friend who works for WDWNT and he was the one who brought "The Mongello" to my attention. And they made fun of Mongello/whoring in a video they did. Guess Tom wants to bring Mongello down so he can take his place.>> Again, probably shouldn't be posting ... but waiting on a west coast call (yes, about this subject and if it doesn't come shortly the phone is being turned off) so ... I didn't know Tom existed anymore than I knew Lou existed. But they just come off as pure leeches and suck-ups to TDO. How anyone in their right mind thinks WDW is better now than it has ever been (when they've experienced it before and know what standards are supposed to be maintained) is just an ignorant person at best. When you start adding freebies from Disney it enters a whole 'nother realm. Everyone can be bought (I don't care what anyone says). But who can be bought for so little and such inconsequential things? It seems that a few hundred (thousand?) Disney fans got together 5-6-7 years ago and asked 'how can we make money and get free trips without doing a damn thing?' ... And they did. <<Oh how you gotta love fanboi politics!!>> I love that he and Merfie hate each other. Wish Merf was around here, but he apparently wasn't very nice to people. And they both hate MAGICal Steve. Then you have the brat who started DK who is like 17 or 18 and thinks he knows it all. Then there's that fanboi behind the Celebrations deal, who also thinks he knows it all ...And so many others ... and they fight and whine to each other and scratch andd claw and pull hair and jello wrestle in the nude and form these cliques and you just want to shout GET A FREAKING LIFE ... GO KISS A GIRL (OR A BOY IN MOST CASES!) ... PUT YOUR IPHONE AWAY AND LOOK AT THE WORLD!!! DO SOMETHING REAL WITH YOUR LIFE! <<Spirit, when you take over social media for the new owner, can I get swag and trips?>> Nope. Not unless there's a legit reason for it. I like ya, but I do have something those running that department today don't -- integrity. ... But I will leave you a few comp tix and give you a LE pin or two!
Originally Posted By TP2000 ChiMike<<"As mentioned earlier, from what I can tell the org chart has been expanded and TDA no longer has a direct report to the Chairman of WDP&R (which they did even during Weiss). They now go through Meg who sits on the newly formed Exec Committee."<< AND leemac>>"Historically park presidents have reported directly into the chairman of WDP&R - that is now no longer the case. Only two folks report direct to Tim - Bill Earnest (HKDLR) and Meg (WDW, DLR and DLRP)."<< Okay guys, I'm enjoying the heck out of this discussion, but that part just doesn't make sense. From every Disney press release and org announcement I can find from 2005 onward, the Disneyland President reported up through a Disney Parks President of some title or another. Perhaps back in the Paul Pressler days the DLR and WDW Prez'es reported directly to Pressler, but that seems to have stopped in November, 2005 when Al Weiss took on the role he held until two weeks ago. Here's a succint press release that sums it up nicely, although there are wordier and more lengthy explanations out there from November '05 to Google up... DISNEY THEME PARK UNIT ADDS EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE LOS ANGELES, Nov 14, 2005 (Reuters) - Walt Disney Co's theme parks unit on Monday said it was reorganizing to create an eight-member executive committee that would develop strategy and report to parks chief Jay Rasulo. Disney's new Chief Executive Bob Iger has increased responsibilities and powers of the various business segments. The new parks structure is aimed at letting the group rapidly roll out new projects and increase consistency of business practices throughout the unit, Disney said. Rasulo will also take direct oversight of the parks online operations and of the Imagineering group, which designs attractions. The committee will include parks human resources head Meg Crofton, international development head Nick Franklin, Imagineering President Don Goodman, public affairs head Leslie Goodman, parks Chief Financial Officer Jim Hunt, who will also be responsible for technology, global marketing head Michael Mendenhall, and Al Weiss, current Walt Disney World president, who will take on a new position as president, Worldwide Operations.">> And that structure then stayed in place for the last six years, with many of the other names alongside Al Weiss changing over the years. Most notably, in 2006 Meg Crofton moved over and took Weiss's old spot as WDW Prez. She then left the executive committee, but reported to it via Weiss. Same as Ouimet did at the time for DLR, and then Grier, and that Kalogridis also did when he was the Prez of DLRParis in the late 00's. They all reported directly to Weiss, who sat on the Exec Committee and represented their interests for them. Now they've slashed apart the empire Weiss had underneath him for the last few years and spun DVC, Hong Kong Disneyland, the Cruise Line, and Aulani off into various other groups overseen by different "Presidents" that are not Weiss or Crofton. The only change here for Anaheim is that Crofton is still the Prez of WDW, but also takes on the Weiss role for Anaheim and the added responsibility of being the executive representation for Paris. To find a radically diffferent executive heirarchy, you have to go back to the 20th century. (Paging Mr. Dick Nunis, Mr. Dick Nunis, please come to the white courtesy phone) Using the recent DisCo history of the last half decade or more, not much has changed for Anaheim with this Crofton news. And it was a very good half decade for Anaheim, at that. Or am I just too dense to see something that doesn't appear to be there?
Originally Posted By Bolna Maybe an interesting observation: The Disney Parks Blog wrote about Al Weiss' retirement (<a href="http://disneyparks.disney.go.com/blog/2011/06/al-weiss-announces-retirement/" target="_blank">http://disneyparks.disney.go.c...irement/</a>) but so far there isn't anything about Meg Crofton's promotion.
Originally Posted By EPCOT Explorer >>>>WDW does not have the people, nor dedication to execute that transformation. They have the money but it gets spent on DVCs and tacky low budget hotels.. or more beer stands at the parks. Sorry but I just don't share your views and that is why I don't waste my time like I used to years ago making my point of view known. There is no hope for WDW anymore. It's still a great place to visit (if yoou are from the midwest, Brazil or the UK) but it is not nor will it ever be another TOKYO DISNEY RESORT. Unless OLC took over of course.. <<<< Well, all that could hopefully changing. Granted, I know it won't MAGICally change over night, but I do think that if the parks were bought, things could slowly and surely shift to where they are supposed to be over a period of a few years. I'm fully ready to go through that. There are very few things that Disney still does that excites me, and I'm more interested in the past and history of the company, but I'm not done with them. Not yet anyway. Saying that they are absolutely DEAD is a little to fatalist, IMO. It might be close to the truth, as they are in very bad shape, but that isn't THE truth. I still remain optimistic that they'll be bought by the right people, or management will finally wake up and change things themselves.
Originally Posted By EPCOT Explorer >>>So seriously, what if they are sold? How will it even matter? Since none of the parks have genuinely been the innovative places "where anything is possible" for at least a decade or more, I’m a little perplexed as to what all the nervousness is for. Obviously many people (me included) have an emotional attachment to the parks and their rich heritage, but whether they are sold or remain with Disney their transformation from being inspiring places of entertainment that symbolize human ingenuity and achievement to being just mere outlets for Disney’s soulless corporate synergy took place decades ago.<<<< Agreed in full! Bring on POSITIVE change.
Originally Posted By GOB >>Maybe because it's early but what does MAGICal exactly refer to?<< WDWMagic.com's forums. They have a reputation on here for being drivelling fanboi-Disney-drones-that-think-everything-is-magical, which isn't really the case (at least in my four years reading the site), as most posters that participate in the news and rumors section are often quite negative about Disney, though there's a pocket of apologists that lend to its repute.
Originally Posted By ChiMike In response to TP and Hans, and TDLFAN on one of the threads, I just came across Al's comments. While I don't base my thoughts on Al, I do think he put it right, and addressed TDLFAN's post and other folks' concerns >>Just a quick note: Yes, Meg Crofton is apparently "in charge" of the US and Paris Disney parks. No, she does not have same job that Al Weiss had; it has been reconfigured. Yes, we may see her occasionally on the West Coast. No, she won't be a regular visitor to the West Coast. Yes, things probably won't get all that much better at WDW. No, things probably won't change all that much at the Disneyland Resort. Yes, this is a very short comment for such a major upheaval. No, this isn't the whole story. Yes, we'll have more to tell you as soon as we finish researching everything.<<
Originally Posted By MousDad ^^Translation: "I'm going to wait a few days so that everyone will completely forget about how I totally misreported the situation initally."
Originally Posted By DlandDug My favorite apologia is this one (from the good folks at MiceChat): >>Woah, Al warned us changes were coming, but Meg Crofton in charge of all stateside Disney Parks and Paris? What happened? << I could hardly cut 'n paste that one with a straight face...! <a href="http://miceage.micechat.com/mc/mc070611a.htm" target="_blank">http://miceage.micechat.com/mc...611a.htm</a>
Originally Posted By ChiMike >>It happens<< Sure it does, that is why anyone sharing rumor on the internet is always clear that it is nothing more than guidance on what could happen or is being discussed. Those folks get blamed if they are wrong, but then will be criticized if they don't share enough. They get criticized by the very same people who blame them when they are wrong, people who have no other way to learn of the rumors.
Originally Posted By DlandDug >>Those folks get blamed if they are wrong, but then will be criticized if they don't share enough. They get criticized by the very same people who blame them when they are wrong, people who have no other way to learn of the rumors.<< Oh please. No one has an obligation to share rumors on the internet. And it's not a rumor when a Reliable Source states; "X is about to happen." And when "X" does not happen (and in fact, the exact opposite of "X" happens) one cannot say, "Well, you know, stuff changes, and the Reliable Source's source may have been mistaken, and besides, the Reliable Source has been right so often in the past, so, so, so, Reliable Source wasn't REALLY wrong." Sometimes Reliable Sources are just plain wrong. Sometimes.
Originally Posted By Dr Hans Reinhardt "Or am I just too dense to see something that doesn't appear to be there? " Welcome to the club! LOL.
Originally Posted By ChiMike >>Oh please. No one has an obligation to share rumors on the internet.<< Yes. >>And it's not a rumor when a Reliable Source states; "X is about to happen." And when "X" does not happen (and in fact, the exact opposite of "X" happens) one cannot say, "Well, you know, stuff changes, and the Reliable Source's source may have been mistaken,<< I don't know what to say, I agree with you and in this case, the 'source was mistaken' and Al looks like an idiot for taking the incorrect information and putting it out there. I think a lot of people in TDA and even WDI were caught off guard, and Al is a reflection of that. I agree with you Doug, they live and die by the sword kind of thing. What bothers me is when you go on other sites and 'insiders' are pestered to give up information or people complain that Al hasn't posted in a while, and then when those folks do share information they get hammered not because it was 'mistaken' but that it never got to the finish line in that exact manner. The peanut gallery wouldn't have any information if it wasn't for these folks and their information channels. So the Monday morning jabs can be fun no doubt, but in some cases they can at times be a little ungrateful. On the other hand, it bothers me when the same 'insiders' tease about how much more they know that they can't share. If you can't share, keep your mouth shut. >>...that and besides, the Reliable Source has been right so often in the past, so, so, so, Reliable Source wasn't REALLY wrong." Sometimes Reliable Sources are just plain wrong. Sometimes<< Yes.
Originally Posted By vbdad55 What bothers me is when you go on other sites and 'insiders' are pestered to give up information or people complain that Al hasn't posted in a while, and then when those folks do share information they get hammered not because it was 'mistaken' but that it never got to the finish line in that exact manner. The peanut gallery wouldn't have any information if it wasn't for these folks and their information channels. So the Monday morning jabs can be fun no doubt, but in some cases they can at times be a little ungrateful --- exactly why I no longer frequent other Disney sites. Too often it seems people had an agenda for what they posted. I do not claim to know the mgmt team @ Disney well enough to judge many of the tings people extract right away. I often question why? when things like that happen. We have a few people on this site who actually have inside knowledge - but I never expect to get that BEFORE something happens. There are SEC rules for some of that kind of stuff also.--- speculation is fun, until someone decides it WILL be a certain way ..and they have no control over making that happen or not.
Originally Posted By TP2000 Hans >>"Welcome to the club!"<< Thank you. When do the snacks start? ;-) I'm still patiently waiting for someone to explain to me why an executive structure in place since late 2005 spells instant doom for Disneyland because the corporate head shots got rearranged on Tuesday. See my post #123 for the details...
