Originally Posted By Spirit of 74 <<On a side note: I was an ADD'er back in the day and Jon led the charge against the cult of Al. And, yes, Al did some weird and inappropriate things. The CAnder incident comes to mind. While he has definitely softened his tone in the last few years he has shown that he can be equally critical of management and hourly employees alike. Make no mistake. He is not only critical of management.>> I was never a part of ADD (as a participant or a reader), but I've heard things ... yes, THINGS! ;-) I don't know what exactly went down. I'm sure there are multiple stories. And Al may well be a nut, I dunno. But his information the past few years has had a very high reliability rating with me. And, like I've said, I don't know him so I can separate the man from the message. Disney's USA (and Paris) parks management is largely dreadful with some exceptions (like Dr. Beth Stevens at DAK). He may have his own agenda for attacking them, but it doesn't change the fact they have it coming!
Originally Posted By Spirit of 74 <<And imagine what such people would be like if they were dependent on the DisCo for their paychecks and personal reputation at the workplace! That's why it's surprising that the ineptitude and horrible decisionmaking of the executives and employees responsible for DCA didn't result in an even bigger dud.>> And what's amazing is many of these folks are still with the company at WDI or in P&R. I was chatting with Westsider on the Paris board about Cynthia's No. 2 from 2000-early 2002, George Kalogridis, who was imported from Florida and was hated by most as he tried to fit square pegs in round holes. Cynthia used him as a scapegoat, although he had it coming and was fired on the park's first anniversary ... well not fired but demoted back to FLA to become DD VP and then demoted yet again to manage the Travel Company call centers yet the guy just got promoted to No. 2 in Paris. It's like they never learn. You just fire them and find people that can do the job. It's really not that difficult!
Originally Posted By Spirit of 74 FYI ... George K is the moron quoted in the LA Times in early 2001 (you know, the story Darkbeer sleeps with under his pillow) about guests having to cross the esplanade and settle for DL when DCA reaches capacity most days!
Originally Posted By mrichmondj Even in well-regarded companies like Disney, it is routinely difficult to find executives willing to relocate overseas. The cost of uprooting a familiy and cultural barriers doesn't necessarily lend itself to recruiting the top notch all the time for overseas positions. And, on the flip side, those who volunteer for overseas assignments are usually rewarded with decent promotions when they return stateside. It doesn't really have to do with merit-based promotions or rewards, but essentially recognition of employees who are willing to take the jobs that nobody else wants.
Originally Posted By jonvn "But his information the past few years has had a very high reliability rating with me." Yes, he's always managed to get some lowlife employee to talk to him. Whether it be a janitor or an imbecile imagineer at WDI.
Originally Posted By Westsider >>"The cost of uprooting a familiy and cultural barriers doesn't necessarily lend itself to recruiting the top notch all the time for overseas positions. And, on the flip side, those who volunteer for overseas assignments are usually rewarded with decent promotions when they return stateside."<< Funny, you just described Ed Grier and his Disney career circa 2003-2006.
Originally Posted By Spirit of 74 <<Even in well-regarded companies like Disney, it is routinely difficult to find executives willing to relocate overseas. The cost of uprooting a familiy and cultural barriers doesn't necessarily lend itself to recruiting the top notch all the time for overseas positions. And, on the flip side, those who volunteer for overseas assignments are usually rewarded with decent promotions when they return stateside. It doesn't really have to do with merit-based promotions or rewards, but essentially recognition of employees who are willing to take the jobs that nobody else wants.>> This isn't the case in Paris. Both execs were thrilled with their promos. And most execs I know (non-Disney) would jump at a job in Paris over Orlando ... let's face it if you've seen one Shoney's, Olive Garden or Waffle House you've seen 'em all. And neither man had a family to uproot, Karl has a wife and George has a husband.
Originally Posted By Spirit of 74 <<Funny, you just described Ed Grier and his Disney career circa 2003-2006.>> I wonder if Ed ever feels like singing "I got no strings'' ...
Originally Posted By gadzuux My problem with socal is that the locals DO call their freeways by names. And if you don't live there, you don't know what they're talking about. "Take the long beach freeway to the century freeway, and then cross over to the imperial freeway until you get to the hollywood freeway". Yet the signs themselves use the numbers. And by the way, the "hollywood freeway" is 101, which runs from oregon to mexico, passing through san diego, santa barbara, san jose, san francisco, santa rosa, and a hundred other sans and santas. So how did it get to be the hollywood freeway?
Originally Posted By dzny daze ^^Hwy. 101 actually runs all the way up into the state of Washington. I live just three blocks from it here on the Oregon Coast. We certainly don't call it the "Hollywood Freeway". Maybe I should start something!
Originally Posted By Dabob2 What's even weirder is the 101 is only the Hollywood Freeway for a few miles north from downtown before it turns west towards Ventura, at which point it becomes the Ventura Freeway. At that same point, the 170 becomes the "Hollywood Freeway." So in the LA area, not only do you have highways with more than one name (i.e. the 10 being the Santa Monica freeway AND the San Bernardino Freeway, depending on where you are; the 5 being the Golden State Freeway AND the Santa Ana Freeway...), you also have the Hollywood Freeway having more than one number.
Originally Posted By Spirit of 74 'The 101' is only the Hollywood Freeway for a section that runs thru the area ... to the north it becomes the Ventura Freeway if I have my names down straight. Just like 'the 5' is either the Santa Ana Freeway if you are heading south of LA or the Golden State Freeway from LA northwards ... Crazy Californians. If you started calling I-4 'the 4' or the 'Magical Freeway' people would start shooting at you!
Originally Posted By jonvn The Hollywood Freeway becomes 170 in the valley. 101 then becomes the Ventura Freeway.
Originally Posted By Hans Reinhardt What's wierd to me is that the San Diego Freeway doesn't actually go to San Diego.
Originally Posted By mrichmondj I can't ever find the freeway entrances here in San Diego. It's like all the on-ramps are a secret.
Originally Posted By mrichmondj I thought maybe it was so that all the homeless people who live on the onramps aren't disturbed so much.
Originally Posted By bean just out of curiosity, has anyone aproached Al and ask him his real feelings of DCA? He seams to have a good time at the park when he visits it and has been quoted at saying that he actually enjoys it but just needs some help.
