News Josh D’Amaro Named Next CEO of The Walt Disney Company

[Touchdown]

Herschend has to be eyeing the 2 BG parks right?

Not anytime soon considering they just bought Palace USA. They likely don’t have the capital to do another merger, not to mention the bandwidth as this summer they will operate 20 new parks and attractions for the first time.

 

[TsWade2]

I was thinking to do a wish list for what Josh D'Amaro and Dana Walden to do to make Disney magical again, but I decided not to do that. It's not worth it anyway. So, instead, I'm just gong to watch what happens. And who knows, maybe we might see the new golden age of Disney again.

 

[networkpro]

Yeah I'm more than done with AI. I wish everyone would stop trying to shove it down our throats. It's not art. It's not smart. It regurgitates other peoples actual work without any credit and just spits out what you want to hear.

It has its place for crunching data, but it doesnt derrive any insights by itsself.

 

[AidenRodriguez731]

It has its place for crunching data, but it doesnt derrive any insights by itsself.

Agreed on that, if it was just for menial tasks that no one really "wants" to do. Sure, but it should never replace the arts.

 

[Disney Irish]

Agreed on that, if it was just for menial tasks that no one really "wants" to do. Sure, but it should never replace the arts.

Fully replace the arts no, but it does have its place there too, such as replacing repetitive tasks (animators have been using computers to do this long before AI was even a thing). Once people get over this initial enamorment/fear of it it'll find its place in many industries, just like all technologies before it. Its a tool, just like any other in the toolbox that is human society.

 

[Angel Ariel]

Fully replace the arts no, but it does have its place there too, such as replacing repetitive tasks (animators have been using computers to do this long before AI was even a thing). Once people get over this initial enamorment/fear of it it'll find its place in many industries, just like all technologies before it. Its a tool, just like any other in the toolbox that is human society.

It will only be a tool as long as we continue to value and teach the fundamental skills necessary to do the work without AI as well. Unfortunately I see this as easy to abuse, where it can easily *replace* learning and skills rather than augment them.

 

[Disney Irish]

It will only be a tool as long as we continue to value and teach the fundamental skills necessary to do the work without AI as well. Unfortunately I see this as easy to abuse, where it can easily *replace* learning and skills rather than augment them.

I remember the same thing being said about the very thing you are using to communicate with me now, the internet, in the 1990s, and now its ingrained in all our daily lives. All technology has the ability to be either used positively or negatively, that doesn't mean you "throw the baby out with the bathwater".

 

[networkpro]

It will only be a tool as long as we continue to value and teach the fundamental skills necessary to do the work without AI as well. Unfortunately I see this as easy to abuse, where it can easily *replace* learning and skills rather than augment them.

It wont replace those skills, it will just make the initial steps in transitioning to higher skill levels much worse in technology based fields. Those menial repetitive task jobs are typical for entry level or "sponge" years where besides the grunt work, people pick up all those other skills that make them versatile and adaptive.

 

[Angel Ariel]

I remember the same thing being said about the very thing you are using to communicate with me now, the internet, in the 1990s, and now its ingrained in all our daily lives. All technology has the ability to be either used positively or negatively, that doesn't mean you "throw the baby out with the bathwater".

I don't believe anything in what I wrote advocated for throwing the baby out with the bath water. . But as someone deeply involved in education work, I am seeing in real time how skills are diminishing in younger students. It's not from AI - the lack of phonics instruction for decades is impacting our kids comprehension and writing skills. My concern is we aren't providing enough remedial instruction to fix that and AI is making it so kids don't have to take the time to figure it out.

Reading curricula are thankfully changing to address the phonics issue, but in the meantime we have a generation of kids that I am concerned about.

 

[DisneyCane]

From watching several "rise and fall of..." videos by Michael Girdley on youtube, I realized that the parks will never return to what we want them to/Walt's vision. Disney has become too big of a corporation and nobody in power has any connection to Walt or the founding philosophies. The only way for it to happen would be if somebody with Walt's operating philosophy was CEO and had control of over 50% of the voting shares of Disney. Then, they wouldn't beholden to the board and shareholders for quarterly performance.

Since that ship sailed long ago, the best we can hope for is that they determine that improving quality leads to higher profits.

 

[HMF]

From watching several "rise and fall of..." videos by Michael Girdley on youtube, I realized that the parks will never return to what we want them to/Walt's vision. Disney has become too big of a corporation and nobody in power has any connection to Walt or the founding philosophies. The only way for it to happen would be if somebody with Walt's operating philosophy was CEO and had control of over 50% of the voting shares of Disney. Then, they wouldn't beholden to the board and shareholders for quarterly performance.

Since that ship sailed long ago, the best we can hope for is that they determine that improving quality leads to higher profits.

Which is why I am praying that they go out of business and sell the parks to someone who actually cares as unlikely as that is. Though I do think it may get a lot smaller in the future because of better anti-trust laws that will likely happen in the near future.

 

[DisneyCane]

Which is why I am praying that they go out of business and sell the parks to someone who actually cares as unlikely as that is. Though I do think it may get a lot smaller in the future because of better anti-trust laws that will likely happen in the near future.

I think the best, most realistic (although still unlikely) hope is that they spin off Parks and Resorts into their own company. Then, MAYBE, they would operate them in a way to bring them back near the actual "Disney Standard" that goes beyond marketing BS.

 

[MisterPenguin]

Disney's Parks and Experience segment *profits* over $13B a year.

Thinking that somehow Disney will collapse or spin off parks is ludicrous.

Knock it off.

 

[Dreamer19]

Same here - and I’ve had lovely conversations with fellow Disney fans and those who just love the job and enjoy being at Disney “for work.”

I’m trying to figure out why anyone would think that hiring 55,000 people who don’t want to visit the parks would be a good thing for the parks? That does not make any sense to me.

Im not saying I want people who are disinterested in Disney. I did explain that there is a difference between an unstable Disney adult who thinks Disney is for childless adults and people who care about the company and seek to provide a great experience for everyone.

I have encountered quite a few of the former a not as many of the latter as I used to. I worked at the Disney company for ten years. I saw the decline in real time. It was very different when I began. Pay is another discussion, but perks were more than just Mickey Bars and unlimited entry. Additionally, there used to be a lot more retirees, they loved Disney too, but not obnoxiously.

Overall, I’m looking at it from a Chick Fil-A perspective. Im sure mot everyone who works there LOVES the food or even the company, but they all follow a standard. Is the pay better? Yes. Benefits? Yes. Perks? Apples to oranges.

 

[TrainsOfDisney]

Is the pay better? Yes.

Chik fil a starting pay is lower than Disney.

 

[Dreamer19]

Chik fil a starting pay is lower than Disney.

You know what, my mistake, you’re right. There should be no excuse for the employee/cast experience falling behind at Disney, then.

 

[_caleb]

From watching several "rise and fall of..." videos by Michael Girdley on youtube, I realized that the parks will never return to what we want them to/Walt's vision. Disney has become too big of a corporation and nobody in power has any connection to Walt or the founding philosophies. The only way for it to happen would be if somebody with Walt's operating philosophy was CEO and had control of over 50% of the voting shares of Disney. Then, they wouldn't beholden to the board and shareholders for quarterly performance.

Since that ship sailed long ago, the best we can hope for is that they determine that improving quality leads to higher profits.

Huh?
Disney's philosophy, values, and design principles are very well-documented. First, Marty Skar wrote Walt Disney World: Background and Philosophy, which was "Walt's 'Bible' of Disneyland Philosophy," back in 1967 to guide the design and development of WDW.

"This assemblage has been prepared as a background and starting point for developing a "philosophy" for the Disneyland-style theme park in Walt Disney World. There is a great deal of other material, particularly articles about Disneyland, that might have been included. However, the intent here is to provide, as a foundation, Walt's thinking and philosophy as it was applied in Disneyland, and additionally Walt's thoughts about Walt Disney World as they apply to what we are now beginning."--WED Enterprises, Inc., inter-office communication, September 21, 1967, written by Marty Sklar."​

Beyond that, for the last 30 years, Disney has been selling training in how to run a hospitality and customer service business the Disney way through The Disney Institute.

Josh D'Amaro "has a connection to Walt's founding philosophy," and I'm hopeful we're starting to see what it looks like when applied to the leadership of this big corporation.

 

[_caleb]

Which is why I am praying that they go out of business and sell the parks to someone who actually cares as unlikely as that is. Though I do think it may get a lot smaller in the future because of better anti-trust laws that will likely happen in the near future.

Who do you have in mind that would "actually care" and design/run the parks better than Disney does?

 

[_caleb]

Im not saying I want people who are disinterested in Disney. I did explain that there is a difference between an unstable Disney adult who thinks Disney is for childless adults and people who care about the company and seek to provide a great experience for everyone.

I find it disingenuous to claim that these are somehow categories anyone would fit neatly into.

You prefer to express your Disney fandom by spending tons of money on Disney vacations and debating it all on a Disney Parks message board. Other people express theirs differently, and sometimes in ways you don't care for. But this is a different issue from the customer experience you receive from CMs. Some of the changes you've experienced are corporate policy and have nothing to do with whether CMs "care about the company."

 

[Dreamer19]

I find it disingenuous to claim that these are somehow categories anyone would fit neatly into.

You prefer to express your Disney fandom by spending tons of money on Disney vacations and debating it all on a Disney Parks message board. Other people express theirs differently, and sometimes in ways you don't care for. But this is a different issue from the customer experience you receive from CMs. Some of the changes you've experienced are corporate policy and have nothing to do with whether CMs "care about the company."

Oh, with all due respect, I blame corporate too.