Originally Posted By Darkbeer <a href="http://jimhillmedia.com/blogs/jim_hill/archive/2007/07/13/why-for-doesn-t-zac-efron-have-more-fans-in-disney-company-management.aspx" target="_blank">http://jimhillmedia.com/blogs/ jim_hill/archive/2007/07/13/why-for-doesn-t-zac-efron-have-more-fans-in-disney-company-management.aspx</a> >>Mind you, not all of the news that's coming out of Glendale these days is great. Take -- for instance -- this note from Nate the Gnat: >Jim, Long time reader. Love your site. Keep the good work. Blah, blah, blah. Okay. Now that that's out of the way, let me tell you that I work at Walt Disney Imagineering. I can't tell you where I work because I signed an NDA when I first started with the company and I don't want to lose my job now. But what I can tell you is that I have friends who are working on the 'Toy Story Mania' attraction. And that project is an awful mess right now. They can't get the interactive 3D projection system to work to anyone's satisfaction. There's lots of issues with blurring and image resolution. Which is why there's been a lot of talk lately about pushing back the opening date of this attraction (Both the DCA AND the Disney-MGM version) by as much as six months. Just so that WDI will then have all of the time that it needs to work all the bugs out. Just thought that you would want to know. Nate the Gnat< Dear Nate the Gnat, Yeah, I'd been hearing similar things from other folks who work at WDI. Of course, given that "Toy Story Mania" is one of the key pieces of the Disney-MGM-becomes-Disney-Pixar-Studios name change project ... Management is not real happy to be hearing the Imagineer's pleas of "We need more time." They want this name-change to take place next year with lots of Pixar-related hoopla. But if this interactive dark ride isn't working correctly and/or is deemed to be less-than-impressive by the theme-park-going public (Shades of the "Monsters, Inc. Laugh Floor" !) ... Well, that could then give this newly renamed theme park a black eye before the Imagineers really get started with Pixarizing the place. So the pressure's really on right now. The way I hear it, Imagineering management is throwing unlimited men, time and money at the "Toy Story Mania" attraction. Saying -- in essence -- that "I don't care what you do. Just make sure that this attraction is fully-functional and ready to open by the middle of 2008." So it will be interesting to see how this all plays out next year. Whether WDI will be able to work out all of the kinks in time. Or will "Toy Story Mania" wind up just like "Laugh Floor" and have to push back its originally announced opening date by as much as six months.<<
Originally Posted By wangaroa The backwoods of Connecticut are difficult to get news into. Which is why Jim has to rely on his Mickey's of Glendale employee pals to get him fodder. So he can then make up meaningless stories for his audience. So that the folks out there can really feel like they're in the loop about this new Pixar-Animation based attraction. Which is why it's already being compared to Test Track. Because that particular Epcot attraction ALSO did not open on time. Which is why there is such a virulent 'huzzah' coming in over the return of Weis to Glendale. So he can resume work at Wlat Disney Imagineering. Which is located in Glendale. Well, we could be getting a ride with actual sets, folks. But this new Disney's California Adventure attraction ain't it. Sets. Just to understand the capacity issue. Which is being worked out in Glendale. Folks. We'll see you all on Monday. Okay?
Originally Posted By Moderation You know reading Jim's third trashing of Rat last week, it occurred to me that he really has never gotten over DL security closing down his 'official unofficial DL tours' operation. It was a nice little money spinner for him....
Originally Posted By WorldDisney ^^Can you explain that moderation? Jim is the one with the website I take it, but what was he doing in the parks? He was having tours at DL?
Originally Posted By TP2000 He was taking people on his own guided tours. He was pointing out stuff, giving trivia, dishing a bit on Disney corporate politics, etc. And he was charging for it. Worst of all, and this is what brought Disney Security down on him and kicked him out of the park, he was leading these tours without wearing a velvet riding helmet and carrying a riding crop. It just didn't look right. Disney kicked him out of the park, as they had every right to do, and gave the customers on Jim's tour free tickets to an offical Disney tour with an official Tour Guide wearing the correct riding uniform. It was a rather minor online scandal for two or three days.
Originally Posted By SuperDry TP, you're leaving out some of the details. He was wearing a Panama hat of some sort, a Hawaiian shirt, carried a clipboard, and may have had a nametag of some sort. He had mentioned on his website that he thought it interesting that he was mistaken for a Disney CM from time to time. One day, an unknowing guest did exactly that, and joined his tour, thinking it was the Disney one that they had paid for. Before they figured it out and made it back to City Hall, the real tour they had paid for had left without them. Neither the guest nor City Hall thought it was very funny. Although I don't think he was actually trying to impersonate a CM per se, he was certainly aware that the totality of his presentation mislead people from time to time, and seemed to think it was a bit funny and quaint. Well, Disney didn't see it that way.
Originally Posted By WorldDisney LOL, thanks guys!! Wow, you think you heard it all..... That's got to be the most inventive way of scamming a company out of money outside of making fake Disney tshirts or selling unused multi passes on the web .
Originally Posted By davewasbaloo Well I do not charge for my DLP tour. I wonder if the company is upset with our tour groups. The cast members seem to enjoy it that come along.
Originally Posted By alexbook >>Well I do not charge for my DLP tour. I wonder if the company is upset with our tour groups. The cast members seem to enjoy it that come along.<< I think the key thing is payment. If you're charging people for the tour, and Disney isn't getting a cut of the money, they're not gonna be happy.
Originally Posted By danyoung Amazing, isn't it, that EVERYONE who writes Jim writes in exactly the same style. Which proves my point. Anywho . . . I can't read him anymore.
Originally Posted By wangaroa I had posted something to that effect on his website. The comment, in which I took exception with his calling hismelf a "noted author" and also belittled his journalism, was removed. What an awful writer he be.
Originally Posted By BlueOhanaTerror He booted me off the site for pointing out his errors and the likelihood that his sources were just disgruntled, disconnected nobodies.
Originally Posted By danyoung wang, if no one else appreciated it, I thought you captured the JH tone perfectly in your earlier post!
Originally Posted By bean so the toy story walls should get some new themed signs for the upcoming attraction. Are they up yet?
Originally Posted By kmovies Remember Al predicted that Nemo would open late at Disneyland and it opened ... on time. Attractions either open on time or late ... so sometimes the predictors are right, other times wrong.
Originally Posted By believe >>>Remember Al predicted that Nemo would open late at Disneyland and it opened ... on time.<<<< Remember when Disneyland Officially said that Splash Mountain would open in Spring (forgot the year)but actually opened up 6 months later. Same with Test Track at Epcot, they opened like a year later than they promised. Stop bashing Al, he's been very accurate in his articles...
Originally Posted By figment1986 I thought Al said it would be late at this rate, then they added a 3rd shift to build and fix the problems?? Anyway, attractions can be late if they want, Its best to be sure they are safe than to open them and find problems then, especually if imagineers and family are getting sick on the mock version in glendale, Or he could have gotten an older report and it could be fixed already. also, if you wear any name tag you will get mistaken for a CM. I was wearing kakis and like a blue polo with my 50th name tag and was asked for directions... Though I gave it to them if I knew where it was I also made it clear I was not a CM, while doing the 2-point.
