Originally Posted By jonvn I'm cribbing this a bit from another post I wrote, but I think it deserves its own topic. I was just made aware of this, but there apparently is a term inside of Disney for people who want things done the way Walt Disney would have done it. They call them "Walties." People who value the tradition and products that the company have always made. This is not a term of endearment. It is used in a snide and condescending manner. Isn't that nice? While they pretend to dote on their founder and pay lip service to his supposedly wise sayings, going so far as to quote them in every single communication you get from them, internally, they are derisive and sneer at people who are "true believers," and call them names. They laugh at the public, the people who believe in their marketing baloney. This is the true face of a company that people think is betraying them. It is a company that laughs at their most ardent fans, and holds nothing but contempt for them. But hey, that's fine. There's no problem with that, is there? After all, it's only all about money anyway, and if they can sell these suckers a plate with Walt Disney's picture on it for $12, or they can placate some upset block of customer rabble with trite repetition of corporate blather-speak, why not? It is the American Way. At least it is now.
Originally Posted By WorldDisney Dude...that sounds like a cult! Only the kool aid they drink from cost them like $3.75.
Originally Posted By jonvn Does anyone actually even drink Kool-Aid? I see it in the store, so someone must buy the stuff. But, I also see pickled pigs feet. I mean, that stuff looks disgusting. Of course, I do have a tube of anchovy paste at home, so who am I to talk. As to the topic, I just heard about this. I don't know how widespread or how pervasive it is. That it exists at all is really nasty.
Originally Posted By FerretAfros Does it really surprise you though? Many of the actions of the company over the last several years sort of let you know that they really don't care that much about their founder's vision. Sure, some of his ideas seem quaint (Rock Candy Mountain) or out of date (EPCOT, be honest here) by modern ideals, but a lot of what he stood for really still hits home. I'd like to think that the company sees him like this, and uses what they can where it's appropriate but doesn't try to live completely by the "What Would Walt Do?" mantra all the time. Unfortunately I just see Walt turning more and more into one of their characters like Mickey whose just there to push merchandise at me.
Originally Posted By Britain Tell me Jonvn, is the term used for people that hate seeing anything change at Disney parks (MuseumWalties), or for people that simply espouse an affection your typical Disney experiences (animatronics, music, omnimovers, etc) and would like to see more of those (ShowmanWalties)?
Originally Posted By Hans Reinhardt "They call them "Walties." People who value the tradition and products that the company have always made. This is not a term of endearment. It is used in a snide and condescending manner." I'm not surprised. Some of the "Walties" should be regarded this way. I've encountered more than a few that could best be described as nuts.
Originally Posted By Jim in Merced CA Heck, you see the same kind of name-calling and finger pointing here on LP.com. It doesn't surprise me at all that it happens at WDI.
Originally Posted By mawnck >>This is the true face of a company that people think is betraying them. It is a company that laughs at their most ardent fans, and holds nothing but contempt for them.<< Ya know ... We're painting an awful lot of employees with a mighty broad brush there. While it may be true that some employees feel that way (probably not as many as when Eisner was in charge), I don't think such a sweeping over-generalization is appropriate or accurate. And this from the person who's been decrying the Disney fan community for flying off the handle and making ridiculous statements! (1) From whom do you get this info, (2) How recently, and (3) Do you really think it applies to EVERY SINGLE MANAGER in this huge multinational company, or even just at Disneyland? I think the IASW thing is a spectacularly dumb decision, and their shameful, pathetic attempt to justify it with a well-known piece of concept art from a totally unrelated project indicates that there are some spectacularly unqualified people in certain departments. Doesn't mean they're all like that. I'm going to keep complaining, here and in other venues, with the hope that it might provide some supporting documentation for the people within the company (and I'm SURE there are quite a few) who are pushing to have this decision (and the people who made it) overturned.
Originally Posted By jdub >>Does anyone actually even drink Kool-Aid?<< Actually, I think most people who buy it these days do so to dye their hair those deep, bright colors. Oh, YEAH!
Originally Posted By jonvn "Do you really think it applies to EVERY SINGLE MANAGER in this huge multinational company, or even just at Disneyland?" Did I say it applies to every single manager? Do I have to make each post a 30 page contract with exclusions and provisions? "Doesn't mean they're all like that." Enough are. The fact that they are so willing to trash this stuff up like they have is a real indicator of it.
Originally Posted By Jim in Merced CA When I worked my first summer at WDW in 1986, I figured there'd be a lot of young people who were just there for a summer job. It made sense at the Parks level. However, after I got transferred to WDI in 1990 [as a Human Resources / Disney University rep], I was more stunned to find so many people who looked at it as 'just a job.' I guess for me, at the time, WDI was THE place I wanted to work within the Disney Company. For me, I was thrilled to be working 'alongside' Marty Sklar, Eddie Soto, Chris Crump, Bob Weis, and walking the halls where old-timers like Marc Davis and Herb Ryman and Blaine Gibson had walked -- to see the actual room where Walt Disney filmed the 'EPCOT' pitch -- was a dream come true. And so to see people there just 'working there', and not entrenched in the history and traditions of Walt Disney was...peculiar to me. As I've gotten older, and worked at other companies, it's much more understandable. And by the way, when I was at WDI -- never heard this term 'Walties'.
Originally Posted By mawnck >>Did I say it applies to every single manager? Do I have to make each post a 30 page contract with exclusions and provisions? << As you yourself have pointed out repeatedly, you do have to keep it somewhere in the neighborhood of a rational level to be taken seriously. If I were a manager at Disney trying to get this decision overturned, your first post in this topic would be quite counterproductive, not to mention insulting.
Originally Posted By Hans Reinhardt I think the online fan community often comes across as some sort of bizarre cult. Some people have such an emotional attachment with Disneyland that when they express their feelings about the place in this forum they give me the impression of being overly obsessive. The current squabble about the official name of Midway Mania is a case in point. Thus, it certainly comes as no surprise that there are folks within the organization who regard such fanatics as being a bit odd. Yes, DLR is a wonderful and special place with an equally wonderful history, but it really IS nothing more than a for profit organization. In many respects the company has lost its mission, and I agree with many of you here who find recent decisions annoying. Yet, I'm not so offended or mad about them that I'm sounding off by writing letters to management, posting pictures of poor maintenance online, or setting fire to French fry carts. Not only are these things extreme, they are a waste of time. As someone else said, there’s only one group of people that management listens to and that is the people with the money.
Originally Posted By jonvn "As you yourself have pointed out repeatedly, you do have to keep it somewhere in the neighborhood of a rational level to be taken seriously." Since I never said "every single manager" felt a certain way, then I have. "If I were a manager at Disney trying to get this decision overturned, your first post in this topic would be quite counterproductive, not to mention insulting." It's not going to be. "And by the way, when I was at WDI -- never heard this term 'Walties'. " I'd not heard this term either, myself.
Originally Posted By fkurucz <<Does anyone actually even drink Kool-Aid?>> At least you sweeten it with sugar, as opposed to corn syrup.
Originally Posted By Witches of Morva ORDDU: None of these atrocious attitudes within the Disney Management surprises your Cauldron girls, either. It's been painfully obvious for many years--as FerretAfros already said--that the company looks down its nose at the fans. ORGOCH: Yeah, well, I got news fer them goomers! We's been lookin' down our own noses right back at 'em. Just look at all the dumb things they's done over the years that ended up costin' more money than if'n they'd used their brains instead a their ego's an' their money fer the right things. Fools like them is a dime a dozen and cain't be reasoned with!! ORWEN: We just need to be glad there's still a Walt Disney Company at all. I mean, when you stop to think about it, it's a miracle that the company still exists, what with all the nasty nimrods running the place. That's where the Blue Fairy, Tinkerbell, Merlin, Flora, Fauna, Merryweather and Aladdin's Genie come in to protect everything from just blowing totally away!
Originally Posted By jdub <<<<<Does anyone actually even drink Kool-Aid?>> At least you sweeten it with sugar, as opposed to corn syrup.<<<< No, I don't.
