Joe Rohde announces retirement from WDI

[tirian]

In this big, blue world...people have retracted their thinking to fit inside only their own heads.

I wish I knew the day where it was decided “right to your own opinion” was ceded to “right to your own truth”...

I’d take my Dolorean back to the day before and strangle whoever thought of it.

We had this come up recently somewhere: the need to 100% defend Disney on all things or you are by default a hater of it all.

What a ridiculous, immature way to operate? I can enjoy Disney parks and flag bad decisions. As can anyone else. Jump on the wagon...there’s room for all.

But that can’t be allowed to stand. So the defense or obvious mistakes occurred. We have people that love Disney to the point they defend their more catastrophic movie failures. It doesn’t take a shaman to read the results. Let it breath and then decide. It’s clear.

But hey...I’m not telling you anything you don’t know

Yeah, I remember when a Spirit suggested the rabid fanbase might have a psychiatric condition. I don’t think everyone is insane, but why should anyone except a Social Media/Online Reputation employee feel compelled to defend a faceless conglomerate that doesn't care about you one iota? Enjoy the good stuff and call out the bad. That’s part of being in a fan forum. That’s why we joined one. (Despite its bumpy patches, I still think WDWMagic is the best for Disney fans.) For example, the new lighting package on SSE should be fantastic, and the 50th anniversary Castle looks like vomit. Easy-peasy.

BACK ON TOPIC:
I cannot believe Michael “I-ran-everything-into-the-ground” Colglazier is at Virgin Galactic, and it’s amusing that Joe is working with the same guy who ruined his park. But then again, Gap hired Pressler after the man publicly ruined Disneyland Resort. It’s a strange world after all.

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

Yeah, I remember when a Spirit suggested the rabid fanbase might have a psychiatric condition. I don’t think everyone is truly insane, but why should anyone except a Social Media/Online Reputation employee feel compelled to defend a faceless conglomerate that doesn't care about you one iota? Enjoy the good stuff and call out the bad. That’s part of being in a fan forum. That’s why we joined one. (Despite its bumpy patches, I still think WDWMagic is the best for Disney fans.) For example, the new lighting package on SSE should be fantastic, and the 50th anniversary Castle looks like vomit. Easy-peasy.

BACK ON TOPIC:
I cannot believe Michael “I-ran-everything-into-the-ground” Colglazier is at Virgin Galactic, and it’s amusing that Joe is working with the same guy who ruined his park. But then again, Gap hired Pressler after the man publicly ruined Disneyland Resort. It’s a strange world after all.

I think I’ve learned what the term “success” actually means...

...it means you profit off your failures 100% of the time.

 

[1HAPPYGHOSTHOST]

DISNEY FANS TO JOE ROHDE ....

 

[yensidtlaw1969]

Yeah, I remember when a Spirit suggested the rabid fanbase might have a psychiatric condition. I don’t think everyone is insane, but why should anyone except a Social Media/Online Reputation employee feel compelled to defend a faceless conglomerate that doesn't care about you one iota? Enjoy the good stuff and call out the bad. That’s part of being in a fan forum. That’s why we joined one. (Despite its bumpy patches, I still think WDWMagic is the best for Disney fans.) For example, the new lighting package on SSE should be fantastic, and the 50th anniversary Castle looks like vomit. Easy-peasy.

BACK ON TOPIC:
I cannot believe Michael “I-ran-everything-into-the-ground” Colglazier is at Virgin Galactic, and it’s amusing that Joe is working with the same guy who ruined his park. But then again, Gap hired Pressler after the man publicly ruined Disneyland Resort. It’s a strange world after all.

Between the terrible repaint and the decor that looks like it was dreamed up in 10 minutes, the Castle is set to look worse in its Golden Anniversary than it basically ever has. It stuns me. I'm trying to forgive them given the . . . everything going on in the world . . . but it's hard to believe a brighter mind couldn't have done more with the same money. I suspect the nighttime projections will look nice, but how sad that it's up to them to salvage an icon.

I agree that Spaceship Earth will likely look very nice, but hopefully the lighting is used tastefully. Seems very much like the kind of thing where the difference between genuine beauty and mere shiny headache will fall to its programming.

Though my hope, of course, is that both projects shine and succeed. But what a shame that we have seemingly so little to look forward to.

 

[The Empress Lilly]

You mean like when they tell you to build a 5 land park and you “stretch” the budget to cover 3.5??

(Ok...I’ll stop now )

But isn't that a masterstroke? DAK was severely underfunded. So the designers cleverly tried to divert the limits from 5 to 3.5 lands. Quality over quantity. Asia, Dinoland, Camp Mickey Minnie were left blank or got cheap filler, to be filled in in due course.

The 3.5 lands too were financially underfunded, but over-endowed with creative and intellectual prowess.

DCA, WDSP, DAK Three undrrfunded parks that opened within a few years. Two of them a failure, two of them corrected at enormous expense. One of them a gorgeous succes. This feat stands as one of the greatest successes in all of WDI history.

 

[Goofyernmost]

First, EPCOT Center wasn’t a failure. The parks were the only thing that held the company together financially after Walt died. EC supercharged WDW. The only mistake made was to not build more hotel rooms on property to make money off all the guests.

Second, Celebration was a concession to the Bass Brothers who, as Disney’s largest shareholders, mandated that as much of the Florida property be monetized as possible. Nor is Celebration actually Walt’s fulfilled dream. Celebration is just a car based bedroom community subdivision.

The only reason that Disney survived was because of Eisner and Wells. They prevented the sell off of Disney in pieces. I didn't say that Epcot didn't do OK but the money spent to build it was the blood of the company and it had been drained by it. Over time the concept of edutainment lost its luster just as the original EPCOT prospect would have and the cost would have been far greater then EPCOT Ctr. was. I know Celebration wasn't Walt's Dream, I said it was Eisner's effort to become a Walt Clone, partially.

 

[Goofyernmost]

He’s not being a rebelling teenager, he’s taken on a tradition of other cultures. The tradition itself is much more old fashioned than your old-fashioned values and expections of how a “grown up” should act.

Whatever, he looks like an idiot. Yes, I know he isn't but he is going to be tripping over that pretty soon. You can find all the reasons that it is legit and it would be if it were happening in the location of that particular tradition. Which is unknown to me, can you tell me what part of the educated, creative world that tradition came from?

 

[the.dreamfinder]

The only reason that Disney survived was because of Eisner and Wells. They prevented the sell off of Disney in pieces. I didn't say that Epcot didn't do OK but the money spent to build it was the blood of the company and it had been drained by it. Over time the concept of edutainment lost its luster just as the original EPCOT prospect would have and the cost would have been far greater then EPCOT Ctr. was. I know Celebration wasn't Walt's Dream, I said it was Eisner's effort to become a Walt Clone, partially.

That’s a sugarcoated oversimplification.
Ron Miller and his team made the successes of Eisner/Wells possible because they set up Home Video, the Disney Channel, and Touchstone Pictures. Had the company not been greenmailed, they could have stayed in power and taken credit for their hard work. EPCOT Center was expensive, but thanks to Roy E, who supported breaking up the company, and Saul Steinberg, fighting off the greenmail campaign did considerable harm to WDP’s cash reserves.

 

[Lilofan]

The only reason that Disney survived was because of Eisner and Wells. They prevented the sell off of Disney in pieces. I didn't say that Epcot didn't do OK but the money spent to build it was the blood of the company and it had been drained by it. Over time the concept of edutainment lost its luster just as the original EPCOT prospect would have and the cost would have been far greater then EPCOT Ctr. was. I know Celebration wasn't Walt's Dream, I said it was Eisner's effort to become a Walt Clone, partially.

Celebration is an offshoot of living and vacationing among many rules and regulations that WDW enforces in their theme parks and hotels. Homeowners in Celebration must abide to the 166 page charter policy of all rules and regulations to live in Celebration. Neighbors like to turn in fellow neighbors for not following charter items.

 

[larryz]

Of course it does.

WDI is just a toy maker now churning out branded product.

Virgin Galactic is poised to be the FIRST major space tourism company that will take tens of thousands of guests off this rock to see their home from a new vantage point.

...or die trying...

 

[Polkadotdress]

Celebration is an offshoot of living and vacationing among many rules and regulations that WDW enforces in their theme parks and hotels. Homeowners in Celebration must abide to the 166 page charter policy of all rules and regulations to live in Celebration. Neighbors like to turn in fellow neighbors for not following charter items.

There isn't any "neighbor tattling" that goes on because instead we have an inspector that goes around the neighborhoods taking note of what doesn't meet standards. If there are violations, you receive a notification via letter, which gives you 30 days to rectify. Failure to bring your property up to code results in a 2nd letter, an appointment in front of the "Covenants Committee" and potential of fines.

All homeowners have received a letter at some point in time, as there are SO MANY THINGS that could be out of code: faded house point, missing mulch, unruly landscaping, porch decor, etc, etc, etc...

It seems harsh, but it has helped us keep our town looking picture perfect.

 

[larryz]

Goodness! I wish Virgin was opening a theme park now!

Never underestimate the power of an eccentric billionaire with money to spend...

 

[Movielover]

SO MANY THINGS that could be out of code: faded house point

Let me guess, there is only a limited number of approved paint colors?

 

[lazyboy97o]

There isn't any "neighbor tattling" that goes on because instead we have an inspector that goes around the neighborhoods taking note of what doesn't meet standards. If there are violations, you receive a notification via letter, which gives you 30 days to rectify. Failure to bring your property up to code results in a 2nd letter, an appointment in front of the "Covenants Committee" and potential of fines.

All homeowners have received a letter at some point in time, as there are SO MANY THINGS that could be out of code: faded house point, missing mulch, unruly landscaping, porch decor, etc, etc, etc...

It seems harsh, but it has helped us keep our town looking picture perfect.

It’s also not all that unusual as much of Central Florida is subdivisions with similar rules. Celebration at least had the benefit of being designed by competent architects so most of it isn’t ugly grey boxes held up by the covenants as some grand design.

 

[Smiley/OCD]

They aren't using the space shuttles anymore, I'm surprised that he didn't buy one to hang from the other ear to balance the load. I know I'm old fashioned, but he is 65 years old. It's time to off the hardware, get some duct tape and see if he can't get his earlobe to reattach and do his grown up job with dignity and not act like a rebelling teenager.

Nah, too hard getting thru TSA, BUT now that he's working for Virgin, I guess he'll have a "fastpass" thru that mess...

 

[Goofyernmost]

There isn't any "neighbor tattling" that goes on because instead we have an inspector that goes around the neighborhoods taking note of what doesn't meet standards. If there are violations, you receive a notification via letter, which gives you 30 days to rectify. Failure to bring your property up to code results in a 2nd letter, an appointment in front of the "Covenants Committee" and potential of fines.

All homeowners have received a letter at some point in time, as there are SO MANY THINGS that could be out of code: faded house point, missing mulch, unruly landscaping, porch decor, etc, etc, etc...

It seems harsh, but it has helped us keep our town looking picture perfect.

That is aesthetically nice if not over done, but I feel that Celebration stepped way over the line. I don't think that Disney has any control over the local government directly anymore, but the rules established to make it a magical place were direct from the Disney brain bank. Here you have a grouping of somewhat wealthy people (by local standards anyway) and they can't pass gas without permission. That would be way to stifling for me, especially if I had enough money to be anyplace I wanted to be.

 

[KBLovedDisney]

Anyone else find it odd that these higher ups have been leaving right before the 50th...?

 

[Movielover]

Anyone else find it odd that these higher ups have been leaving right before the 50th...?

No, It's Disney cutting high paid employees so that they can "save money" in this time of pandemic. The fact that it's right before the 50th is just a sad happenstance.

 

[Polkadotdress]

Let me guess, there is only a limited number of approved paint colors?

There a "Design book" which lays out paint colors, roof single styles, fences, etc.

 

[Lilofan]

That is aesthetically nice if not over done, but I feel that Celebration stepped way over the line. I don't think that Disney has any control over the local government directly anymore, but the rules established to make it a magical place were direct from the Disney brain bank. Here you have a grouping of somewhat wealthy people (by local standards anyway) and they can't pass gas without permission. That would be way to stifling for me, especially if I had enough money to be anyplace I wanted to be.

Correct. Having to meet with the "committee" regarding violations is like being called to the principal's office in high school.