Originally Posted By Spirit of 74 <<Whoa. My 27 year old son is a grandfather????>> And I thought my 43-year-old pal who is a grandfather was beyond weird ... some strange family there. No wonder she likes to escape to WDW so much! ;-)
Originally Posted By leemac <<There needs to be someone who advocates actually spending money to improve the parks. No one has the balls to do so beyond what Lasseter does at DLR. EPCOT is a great example. A park that was built to be ever-changing and focused on the future has been allowed to stagnate and grow stale because Disney simply refuses to give it the budget it should have annually to constantly be evolving and improving in ways big and small.>> It isn't a great example as it virtually bankrupted the company and saw it become the target of hostile wannabe acquirers. Epcot's construction cost was approximately equally to the entire company's value on NYSE at that time. I'm not advocating that it shouldn't have happened but it was an irresponsible decision by then management - they put the entire company into jeopardy. Today investment is far more conservative - and although spending, say, more than $1bn domestically on annual capex wouldn't being the company down it is significantly more than has been invested of late and there just isn't the evidence that a ROIC even exists for that level of investment in the US parks. Spending needs to be approved by the Board of Directors - and WDP&R is competing with all of the other divisions that have higher profit margins and result in easily quantifiable tangible results.
Originally Posted By leemac <<Yeah, I know he is on Cars. But wasn't he on Small World for HKDL before that? And didn't he control the whole resort for a while? Oh, and how much time does Bob Weis actually spend on DCA nowadays (yes, tossing this in and hoping you'll answer when I have a pretty good idea already!)>> Tom Morris was executive producer for it's a small world. Both Tom and Tim Delaney also pitched a cool expansion project for the park. Their Pirate Land was the best design on the boards but ninxed for budgetary reasons. One of Tim's illustrations is on his website: <a href="http://timjdelaney.com/illustrations-14.html" target="_blank">http://timjdelaney.com/illustr...-14.html</a> Bob isn't working on the field installations for DCA - the show producers are busy bringing those projects to life. I understand that he continues to review DCA expansion material (like the Cellar changes) but the bulk of his guidance is complete.
Originally Posted By Manfried And that's the way Bob works. He provides guidance, hires a good team then lets them do their jobs.
Originally Posted By EPCOT Explorer >>>Today investment is far more conservative - and although spending, say, more than $1bn domestically on annual capex wouldn't being the company down it is significantly more than has been invested of late and there just isn't the evidence that a ROIC even exists for that level of investment in the US parks.<<< What "evidence" would be required of them to start spending? I see they've decided to ignore the "show" way of doing something (Invest to impress and build, and draw in new guests ALL the time) and have just decided to invest when it's desperately needed and quite a few things have grown, as we call them, stale. IMO, of course.
Originally Posted By Manfried A return on investment at Disneyland would need to show an uptick in attendance. When looking at small upgrades, it is just to maintain attendance. So, less is spent to keep the cash flow going.
Originally Posted By MPierce >> Can't get anyone to hire you Corr... I mean Manfried? << You really think so? It doesn't sound like him to me. >> I hear Home Depot and Sears are hiring! << What positions are available?
Originally Posted By MPierce >> Disney and American Express used to give cardholders White Glove Treatment all the time ... guess it wasn't the same ... or was it? ;-) << You bend over for both of them don't you?
Originally Posted By Manfried Who is Corr? And I have enough money coming in to take care of myself. No burden on society am I. Just label me ornery.
Originally Posted By MPierce >> Who is Corr? And I have enough money coming in to take care of myself. No burden on society am I. Just label me ornery. << That would be Corrus. A retirred Imagineer fom WDW. He worked with the team that built the Wand. I'm really not sure what else he worked on at all. He use to post on wdwmagic a lot, but has stopped.
Originally Posted By EPCOT Explorer >>>That would be Corrus. A retirred Imagineer fom WDW. He worked with the team that built the Wand. I'm really not sure what else he worked on at all. He use to post on wdwmagic a lot, but has stopped.<<< He was always interesting. Wonder what happened.
Originally Posted By Spirit of 74 <<There needs to be someone who advocates actually spending money to improve the parks. No one has the balls to do so beyond what Lasseter does at DLR. EPCOT is a great example. A park that was built to be ever-changing and focused on the future has been allowed to stagnate and grow stale because Disney simply refuses to give it the budget it should have annually to constantly be evolving and improving in ways big and small.>> <<It isn't a great example as it virtually bankrupted the company and saw it become the target of hostile wannabe acquirers.>> I'm talking about EPCOT now ... in the 21st century. Not when it opened. And I hate when EC gets blamed for Walt Disney Productions' problems in that era ... they had a moribund studio that no one took seriously ... they had a TV presence that was tiny and dying ... they were looked upon as a 'brand' past its time. EC cost a fortune, but it paved the way for the WDW resort we know today. And many of the things that came out of that era (from TDL to Touchstone Pictures to The Disney Channel etc) also allowed Disney to become what it is today. You need to take big chances to truly do great things and be a trendsetter and we both know that Disney doesn't have the stomach for it with certain exceptions ... theme parks aren't one of them. Spending billions for sports franchises, failed Regional Entertainment ventures, web portals, cable networks ... and Spidey's company are all OK because that's how they are sold to the board, which apparently had a very nice dinner at WDW two nights ago, and analysts. But real investment in the parks isn't. <<Epcot's construction cost was approximately equally to the entire company's value on NYSE at that time. I'm not advocating that it shouldn't have happened but it was an irresponsible decision by then management - they put the entire company into jeopardy. Today investment is far more conservative - and although spending, say, more than $1bn domestically on annual capex wouldn't being the company down it is significantly more than has been invested of late and there just isn't the evidence that a ROIC even exists for that level of investment in the US parks.>> C'mon Lee, it does sound exactly like you are taking one of your oldtime 'defend the company line at all costs' stances here. Disney wouldn't be able to sell all those timeshares ... all those hotel rooms ... all those meal plans ... all those pins, plush and vinyl IF EC hadn't been built or if it was some half-assed $250 million park. EC made WDW into the massive resort it is today. <<Spending needs to be approved by the Board of Directors - and WDP&R is competing with all of the other divisions that have higher profit margins and result in easily quantifiable tangible results.>> Exactly. And the Board has been more than happy with half-assed product and stale parks for 15 years now. Nothing has changed. But it is way kewl that you can buy Iron Man 2 merchandise in your local Disney Store.
Originally Posted By Spirit of 74 <<Tom Morris was executive producer for it's a small world. Both Tom and Tim Delaney also pitched a cool expansion project for the park. Their Pirate Land was the best design on the boards but ninxed for budgetary reasons. One of Tim's illustrations is on his website: <a href="http://timjdelaney.com/illustr...-14.html>>" target="_blank">http://timjdelaney.com/illustr...>></a> Yep. Quite familiar with the whole Pirate concept. It would have been phenomenal. Instead, Tim is out of a job. And it likely never gets built anywhere (unless they can get it thru for Shanghai, which I doubt). THOSE are the type of attractions Disney should be building in the 21st century. <<Bob isn't working on the field installations for DCA - the show producers are busy bringing those projects to life. I understand that he continues to review DCA expansion material (like the Cellar changes) but the bulk of his guidance is complete.>> Thanks for the confirmation!
Originally Posted By MPierce >> He was always interesting. Wonder what happened. << I certainly hope I'm wrong, but I fear his wife might have had a relapse.
Originally Posted By MPierce >> Oh what a tangled web we weave. << Not as long as you memorize the story you told, and stick to it even when everybody knows you're lying.
Originally Posted By MPierce To me EPCOT Center had to be the next step in the Disney theme park process, if there was to ever be a true Walt Disney World Resort, and worldwide vacation destination. Risky yes, but in the end it's what really put Disney on the global map. Just my opinion of course.
Originally Posted By EPCOT Explorer >>> I certainly hope I'm wrong, but I fear his wife might have had a relapse.<<< :-( Hope everything is ok. >>>>To me EPCOT Center had to be the next step in the Disney theme park process, if there was to ever be a true Walt Disney World Resort, and worldwide vacation destination. Risky yes, but in the end it's what really put Disney on the global map. Just my opinion of course.<<< Agreed totally. A new, unique venture in both scope and substance really set Disney up for success. ...That they are still riding on, and resting on those laurels, today.
Originally Posted By Manfried Tim was always great with concept art. But his execution of some attractions wasn't always great. As a reminder he is partly responsible for the look of Disneyland's Tomorrowland.
