News Bruce Vaughn Returns to Disney as Co-Lead of Walt Disney Imagineering

[Sirwalterraleigh]

He isn't an insider, he is a realist. He has the simple faith that until you see shovels and walls going vertical any rumor is just puff pastry. A whole lot of bread full of hot air.

I get it, he has seen this kind of hope time and time again. Still, he is perhaps more glass is broken and leaking then half full

 

[Tha Realest]

So I should go along with the “I know a guy and I’m hearing a thing….”?

You do know that’s second to bus rumors in the history of Disney fan sites, correct?

I never exchange the “thinking” cap for whatever that is…nor should you.

To step back, here’s just my opinion:

1. The current climate for Disney based on financials does Not indicate large spends in parks. Definitely not Orlando. But that’s a long and twisted take.

But to be fair of where these rumors come from, I’d acknowledge two things.
2. Bob Iger is in Trouble - as is the board - and they need some good juju/PR.
3. Comcast’s construction is a legitimate threat. Really for the first time.

We’ll discuss “insider” another day. It will be a in a quiet, “safe zone”

Also…they’ve recently cancelled many projects that were already greenlit, scheduled, or well underway. Are we now to believe the same company that couldn’t open the Play! Pavilion, refurb SSE, build a Mary Poppins spinner, kept changing the Tiana plans, and couldn’t figure m out what to do with unused and dormant space in its existing parks is going to go on a spending spree?

 

[Tha Realest]

He isn't an insider, he is a realist. He has the simple faith that until you see shovels and walls going vertical any rumor is just puff pastry. A whole lot of bread full of hot air.

I get it, he has seen this kind of hope time and time again. Still, he is perhaps more glass is broken and leaking then half full

We want him on those walls. We need him on those walls.

But only once the walls have been built.

 

[THEMEPARKPIONEER]

We could’ve used him when they tried reconstructing Epcot

 

[mikejs78]

That’s the problem with hearsay- it’s unverifiable.

As to the notion that Baxter’s not (or no longer) actively involved, at this point given the absolute dearth of any visible or public involvement since the rollout announcement its the more viable theory in my mind. I’ve listened and watched very podcasts and interviews over the last year and he’s not once acknowledged or spoken of his involvement on this project. When he was at D23 his general vibe was “detached spectator” and spoke of Disney in the third-person.

It is, but @MerlinTheGoat has a pretty decent track record of providing good information. Can't say the same for the other poster.

1. The current climate for Disney based on financials does Not indicate large spends in parks. Definitely not Orlando. But that’s a long and twisted take.

I disagree here. One big difference right now is that there are many voices in the financial world right now calling on Disney to invest more in its Theme Parks because it's seen as one of their most successful businesses. It was one of the demands of Peltz when he was doing the whole proxy war thing, Jim Cramer (yes, I know) has said the same thing, and I've seen numerous articles in financial trades saying that Disney needs to invest in its theme parks to counter Epic Universe and offset streaming.

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

Also…they’ve recently cancelled many projects that were already greenlit, scheduled, or well underway. Are we now to believe the same company that couldn’t open the Play! Pavilion, refurb SSE, build a Mary Poppins spinner, kept changing the Tiana plans, and couldn’t figure m out what to do with unused and dormant space in its existing parks is going to go on a spending spree?

…yeah…this is where the rubber never meets the road these days.

Do I want stuff? Of course! Guardians is great…love the France add on…Star Wars land is…

…ok…meatloaf rules in effect


…but the idea they’re gonna build a lot more is not passing muster right now. It’s cost…up front and operational. No more profit. But now it’s “…because of lighting lane”. There is a runway with that and it’s not limitless. People are not paying for $300 ticket days. They’ll collapse the mine on top of themselves.

Its really not the economic environment.

Now…will they “announce” without commitment? Like the chapek sham last year?

…don’t follow the piper into the forest.
Bob is in trouble. Don’t forget that

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

Mr. The-Competition-Can’t-Touch-Us returns to Glendale? Ho hum. Guess the Iger 2.0 era continues apace.

Well they’re about to get “touched” in a bigtime way…

And nothing they can do…hubris leads to embarrassment

 

[Rteetz]

 

[Animaniac93-98]

Mr. The-Competition-Can’t-Touch-Us returns to Glendale? Ho hum. Guess the Iger 2.0 era continues apace.

And by the time they figure out what they want to build and actually build it, the competition's next park will have been open for 5 years.

 

[UNCgolf]

Mission Cashgrab in DCA.

I meant at WDW, although my understanding is people generally like the Guardians ride there and think it's better than the diminished version of Tower of Terror.

Either way, wasn't that directed from above?

 

[James Alucobond]

Also…they’ve recently cancelled many projects that were already greenlit, scheduled, or well underway. Are we now to believe the same company that couldn’t open the Play! Pavilion, refurb SSE, build a Mary Poppins spinner, kept changing the Tiana plans, and couldn’t figure m out what to do with unused and dormant space in its existing parks is going to go on a spending spree?

To be fair, literally everything you listed can and should be rethought. I agree that there's no reason to assume that pressing pause means they're rethinking priorities, but I'm fine with it.

 

[UNCgolf]

To be fair, literally everything you listed can and should be rethought. I agree that there's no reason to assume that pressing pause means they're rethinking priorities, but I'm fine with it.

I was thinking the same thing. I'm glad Play! Pavilion was cancelled, refurbing SSE was a scary proposition with the direction at the time, and the Mary Poppins spinner felt like a waste, although it was at least going to be an actual expansion.

 

[FutureCEO]

It's a shame Disney can't build anything beside Dumbo/Teacups type ride and baby coasters anymore.

 

[James Alucobond]

It's a shame Disney can't build anything beside Dumbo/Teacups type ride and baby coasters anymore.

Uh, definitely not what we've been getting. We've had too many non-baby coasters lately, in my opinion.

 

[Tha Realest]

To be fair, literally everything you listed can and should be rethought. I agree that there's no reason to assume that pressing pause means they're rethinking priorities, but I'm fine with it.

I’m not necessarily saying those were good ideas. But I don’t think they were necessarily stopped/cancelled because someone suddenly realized they were bad ideas. I do think COVID put most everything on ice (and hopefully for the best!) but I also don’t know that the current environment suggests they’re going to go on a massive building and spending spree.

FWIW, I do think they should reinvest into the segment of the company that produces the most reliable returns. That said, I do think they’re reaching (reached?) a saturation point in terms of how much more they can expand and build out (don’t think a 5th park’s sustainable) to justify the ROI.

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

I disagree here. One big difference right now is that there are many voices in the financial world right now calling on Disney to invest more in its Theme Parks because it's seen as one of their most successful businesses. It was one of the demands of Peltz when he was doing the whole proxy war thing, Jim Cramer (yes, I know) has said the same thing, and I've seen numerous articles in financial trades saying that Disney needs to invest in its theme parks to counter Epic Universe and offset streaming.

Almost everything Peltz has said is a misdirection…let’s be honest.

He is right about somethings and wrong about others.

Wall Street guys saying “invest in parks”…which seems logical from the outside. More investment = more return.

But in wdw that isn’t necessarily true. Once they hit the 7 day barrier…analysis says that it’s diminishing returns. Weird but true.
The only way they “make more”…once they maxed the attendance which appears to be 5 years ago…is to charge more. Which means investment doesn’t pay.
They would have to expand massively to bring more people in to bring growth profits. But that’s big overhead and the travelers cannibalize the existing parts due to limited vacation time and funds.

Universal hasn’t hit that wall yet. But they would if they continue to build.

I won’t go too deep…I’ll send you a free copy of my book when I write about it

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

Uh, definitely not what we've been getting. We've had too many non-baby coasters lately, in my opinion.

They’ve had 2 non-baby type rides recently…3 if you count flight of passage.

So they need more of everything

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

Buyer beware, my old friend…

…they really need a changing of the guard. From the dwarf house out. Sweep the decks.

 

[Magenta Panther]

So apparently Bruce Vaughan is the Disney parks' latest lord and savior. Well I won't be a believer until he AT LEAST fixes or replaces the broken Yeti in EE. That it's still in the ride rotting away after all these years is a huge black mark on Imagineering. Fix it or you're just another bloviator, Vaughan.

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

So apparently Bruce Vaughan is the Disney parks' latest lord and savior. Well I won't be a believer until he AT LEAST fixes or replaces the broken Yeti in EE. That it's still in the ride rotting away after all these years is a huge black mark on Imagineering. Fix it or you're just another bloviator, Vaughan.

…is it possible that…ahem…somebody is trying to convince the world it’s 2019 and he can do no wrong?
What kind of a sweatered weasel would do that?!?