News New Club Cool opens Summer 2021 at EPCOT

uncle jimmy

Premium Member
It may be because a lot of his descriptions are loaded with fluffy PR speak. Which is fine, don't get me wrong, but not everything needs to be sold as a miraculous achievement.
Very true... have you ever looked at who likes and comments on his post?
His PR is speaking to those likes and those who comment - its the Disney bloggers, vloggers, pod-casters and Disney fans.
 

Giss Neric

Well-Known Member
The issue could be the striking difference in social media messages from Joe Rhodes and Zach. I wonder if Zach did more sharing the design process, explaining the design choices, talking more Disney nerd stuff and less patting on thee self back and PR fluff talk, his fan base and those on fan boards would speak kinder.
This completely explains it and I get it now. I won't factor in his age or gender but what I'm seeing is he is combining his professional work and his personal life in one account. I think he should just make two separate ones.
 

MisterPenguin

President of Animal Kingdom
Premium Member
Well I'm weird, I found this info about the flooring to be very interesting and I'm sure I will point it out to my party while we are there.


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uncle jimmy

Premium Member
Is Zack even a real person? or a character designed by Disney marketing...with posts all carefully crafted by the PR department and one of the staff posing as "Imagineer Zack Ridley"....
His first several posts were very raw and simple... He did a voiced story today, he kept it very simple and dry, which leads me to think some of his posts are carefully written by staff. I think he and WDI are trying to find his footing and approach with fans.

Regardless, he's sharing cool info, details and things we otherwise may not see til D23 or a behind the scenes vlog.
 
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TikibirdLand

Well-Known Member
His first several posts were very raw and simple... He did a voiced story today, he kept it very simple and dry, which leads me to think some of his posts are carefully written by staff. I think he and WDI are trying to find his footing ad approach with fans.

Regardless, he's sharing cool info, details and things we otherwise may not see til D23 or a behind the scenes vlog.
I think that's where the kinds of things like the "Coke Floor" should be: D23 or a Behind the Scenes blog.
 

Sir_Cliff

Well-Known Member
His first several posts were very raw and simple... He did a voiced story today, he kept it very simple and dry, which leads me to think some of his posts are carefully written by staff. I think he and WDI are trying to find his footing ad approach with fans.

Regardless, he's sharing cool info, details and things we otherwise may not see til D23 or a behind the scenes vlog.
That's my impression: social media has become very much a part of his job. In the past, Disney would wheel out a star Imagineer like Tony Baxter for TV specials to hype up their new products. Now, it's Zach Ridley on social media. I get, though, that Baxter hyping Splash Mountain or Disneyland Paris was just ever-so-slightly easier to swallow than a lot of what Zach is now hyping.

If it turns off fans too much, I guess the tone will change or they'll find a new online messenger. However, Disney PR being hyperbolic is not something that started with Zach Ridley.
 
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doctornick

Well-Known Member
I think that's where the kinds of things like the "Coke Floor" should be: D23 or a Behind the Scenes blog.

But how is this really any different than those things? You'd have to be following him or seeking the post out to see it, right? So, it's being directed to people looking for that additional information. It's not going on the DPB or a general press release which is aimed more at "casuals" and the run of the mill guest.

I only see these posts because people re-post them on here. So, to me at least, it's no different than people posting info from a D23 presentation. Seems like it's the same target audience.
 

Inspired Figment

Well-Known Member
In all honesty, I think less of the blame should be on Zach and more on Chapek and the limitations he’s placed on him along with how & what he can say in his posts. Like somebody else said, if he posted stuff like say Joe Rohde, Eddie Sotto, or Tom K. Morris did. Being his genuine, authentic self, really delving into the creative process of things, posting things he loves (sometimes stating why and what he loves about them and in the design, etc.), and focused less on repeating the same PR fluff/talking points recycled to death around everyone within the company these days… he’d be a lot better received by the fan community I think. I genuinely think he’s a passionate fan that cares.. but I feel he’s so desperate to stay in his current position until better management comes in to really let him showcase his true mind & talent.. that, as a result, the longer lousy, soulless management stays without any real progress or respect for the free-spirited creativity Disney & EPCOT especially need & thrive upon, the more damage it does to the quality & integrity of the work he’s in charge of, which ultimately reflects onto his reputation, particuarly when he’s positioned to be the face of it.
 
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Inspired Figment

Well-Known Member
‘Bob Chapek’ is a corporate hack destroying both EPCOT & Severely limiting the people working under him, ultimately giving them bad reputations along with him as a result of his lack of respect & neglect for both them and the brand… all the while, taking advantage of ‘their’ loyalty and desire to do great things for the company as a whole, based on their past legacy. That is why people don’t like him.
Fixed that for ya..
 
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Bocabear

Well-Known Member
I would certainly not blame "Zack" but he is not making these postings up by himself...there is an entire machine behind him... He would never be able to post whatever he wants without everything going through the PR machine.
I get it, you want to post things to keep interest up, but they need to either allow more access to things that will excite people rather than the most mundane of details...
"Hi ! Imagineer Zack Ridley here...Here is some conduit and wire that we have imagineered to bring power into the restrooms of World Discovery plaza that will open in 2025..." lol
 

trainplane3

Well-Known Member
I would certainly not blame "Zack" but he is not making these postings up by himself...there is an entire machine behind him... He would never be able to post whatever he wants without everything going through the PR machine.
I get it, you want to post things to keep interest up, but they need to either allow more access to things that will excite people rather than the most mundane of details...
"Hi ! Imagineer Zack Ridley here...Here is some conduit and wire that we have imagineered to bring power into the restrooms of World Discovery plaza that will open in 2025..." lol
Oh come on now.
It's World Celebration plaza! You know. Celebrate...beer...and...uh...trees?

(Discovery=Future World East, West=Nature, center=Celebration. But ya, not very memorable.)
 

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