the.dreamfinder
Well-Known Member
Try to read Kim Masters' "Keys to the Kingdom" as well. It goes into Eisner's c-suite bloodletting during the 90's.
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A Spirited Perfect Ten
- Thread starter WDW1974
- Start date
Nick Pappagiorgio
Well-Known Member
I said the said the same thing when we were back at KI for the first time in 4 years. Theming was nothing like Disney/Uni but made Cedar Point look like a parking lot with rides. Where they had to retheme rides it was done via cardboard cutouts. But putting the Cincinnati Reds Sports bar in River (frontier) Town just made it clear that even moderate theming (or common sense) was not a priority.
the.dreamfinder
Well-Known Member
Don't forget the Cockerell
MacPhee will likely be spending more time with family soon ... And Colglazier was apparently being groomed to one day take Rasulo's role. Wonder if that timeline just sped up.
Wallace gone. Crofton going.
Kalogridis, Holz, Ernest, Holmes, (and about five others) all nearing retirement age or at it.
They need new blood more than someone who has just suffered numerous gaping wounds.
ford91exploder
Resident Curmudgeon
How about Karl Holz, DCL seems to hold up the 'Disney Standards' as we know them. I know he's a bit older but I can't think of anyone who would be better to START rebuilding the parks while looking outside for a new P&R head.
lazyboy97o
Well-Known Member
Eisner created Strategic Planning, so of course he had some use for its head.
Strategic Planning was all about subordinating the cash burning creatives and better synergizing brands.
GoofGoof
Premium Member
Would they actually consider going outside the company for this? Maybe an up and coming exec heading a smaller theme park company? I don't know all the players, but there should be someone out there who fits the bill. If not I guess they could move someone in from another segment. Staggs didn't have any theme park operations experience when he took over.
have a great time, even with lots closed and under refurb ...
I'd nominate you, but you're too much of a known quantity. So, if they want a real outsider, I'll nominate myself. I bet the pay is A-OK. I'll just need to spend a fortnight or so tidying up my posts on here.
I would support you for the position but you have eluded to not caring for churros if I recall and that is unamerican.
Quinnmac000
Well-Known Member
JimboJones123
Well-Known Member
I am pretty sure just about every single thing in the state now comes with one of these signs.
ford91exploder
Resident Curmudgeon
And people wonder why CA beats FL for most whacked out state in the union...
Goofyernmost
Well-Known Member
Rasulo is not being pushed out because of competence. Just about everyone of the Disney Executives stand around looking like they are waiting for someone to tell them what to do next. Deer in the headlights syndrome. Rasulo never had a chance even if he were an absolute genius (which he isn't). He very simply does not fit the corporate image. He is older, overweight, balding and looks a little dopey when he is smiling. He would not be able to convince anyone that he had any idea of how to do the job. Good grief he can't even control his own appearance, how is he going to control a company the size of Disney, they would think.
Just so everyone knows... I think that all the reasons that I just listed are total BS and one of the more stupid aspects of corporate life, but, it does exist and burying our heads in the sand will not make it go away.
dhall
Well-Known Member
To be fair, some of the recent art has been tremendous. The painting of New Fantasyland from the elevated perspective from the west side of the castle was as fine as you'd want. The Shanghai art has been very nice.
OTOH, there's been way too much bad cartoon art used for conceptual illustration in the last few years -- that's the art I'm alluding to. It's just one more instance where they show that they still can do fine work, but they just don't bother (at least when it comes to the Orlando parts)
Nubs70
Well-Known Member
Pretty sure salt comes with a Prop 65 label.
cbconglom
Well-Known Member
video inside pirates at shanghai
http://v.hinews.cn/page-508621.html
http://www.linkshop.com.cn/video/v_22413.htm
http://v.hinews.cn/page-508621.html
http://www.linkshop.com.cn/video/v_22413.htm
ford91exploder
Resident Curmudgeon
It does... In CA right now - Unfortunately not at DL...
ParentsOf4
Well-Known Member
As everyone knows, Tom Staggs was named Disney's Chief Operating Officer (COO) earlier today. As COO, Staggs becomes the frontrunner to replace Bob Iger when he steps down as CEO in 2018. (Conspicuously absent from the announcement was the title of president, which would have cemented Staggs as Iger's successor.)
The question is: Why Staggs?
Surely there are many reasons but since this is a WDW fansite, I'd like to comment on only one: Parks & Resorts (P&R) financial performance.
Staggs improved P&R's operational margin while his predecessor, current Disney CFO Jay Rasulo, did not.
Some background is needed to give this statement context.
For decades, Disney's P&R segment remained highly profitable following a business model of quality and expansion. However, CEO Michael Eisner wasn't satisfied with this performance and appointed the up-and-coming Paul Pressler president of Disneyland Resort (DLR).
Pure and simple, Pressler was a train wreck.
Successfully running a theme park requires understanding operations. It requires understanding the theme park market. It requires long-term planning and patience.
Pressler lacked all of these. Allegedly, Pressler was a numbers guy who thought he could sit at his desk, pour over spreadsheets, and make major decisions without stepping inside a theme park.
Fans of DLR hated Pressler. There was a near-universal opinion that he single-handedly ruined the resort.
But Pressler was an Eisner favorite. Rather than accept what was happening, Eisner promoted Pressler to head of P&R at the beginning of fiscal year 1999.
After peaking at 23.8% in fiscal year 2000, P&R margin began to spiral downward: 22.6% in 2001, 18.1% in 2002, and 14.9% in 2003. P&R was devastated by 9/11 and Pressler had no idea what to do. He left Disney late in 2002 for The Gap where, by all accounts, he was a disaster there too.
Rasulo succeeded Pressler as head of P&R in September 2002 (i.e. the beginning of fiscal year 2003). He remained until the first quarter of fiscal year 2010, effectively controlling budgets for 8 years. During Rasulo's 8 years, P&R margin averaged 14.5%. By his last year, P&R margin was at a Disney all-time low of 12.2%.
After Rasulo and Staggs swapped jobs and Staggs became P&R Chairman in 2010, P&R's margin began to improve, climbing at least 1% each year, finishing at a respectable 17.6% in fiscal year 2014. In the quarterly results announced earlier this week, P&R margin jumped to 20.6%, a number P&R hasn't seen since 2001.
Rasulo's years as head of P&R marked that segment's low point.
In just 4 years, Staggs appears to have fixed the financial woes Rasulo couldn't fix in 8 years.
This is not a question of whether we like how margins were improved. This is a matter of Staggs meeting Iger's financial objectives.
Staggs delivered. Rasulo did not.
And since I promised a graph ...
The question is: Why Staggs?
Surely there are many reasons but since this is a WDW fansite, I'd like to comment on only one: Parks & Resorts (P&R) financial performance.
Staggs improved P&R's operational margin while his predecessor, current Disney CFO Jay Rasulo, did not.
Some background is needed to give this statement context.
For decades, Disney's P&R segment remained highly profitable following a business model of quality and expansion. However, CEO Michael Eisner wasn't satisfied with this performance and appointed the up-and-coming Paul Pressler president of Disneyland Resort (DLR).
Pure and simple, Pressler was a train wreck.
Successfully running a theme park requires understanding operations. It requires understanding the theme park market. It requires long-term planning and patience.
Pressler lacked all of these. Allegedly, Pressler was a numbers guy who thought he could sit at his desk, pour over spreadsheets, and make major decisions without stepping inside a theme park.
Fans of DLR hated Pressler. There was a near-universal opinion that he single-handedly ruined the resort.
But Pressler was an Eisner favorite. Rather than accept what was happening, Eisner promoted Pressler to head of P&R at the beginning of fiscal year 1999.
After peaking at 23.8% in fiscal year 2000, P&R margin began to spiral downward: 22.6% in 2001, 18.1% in 2002, and 14.9% in 2003. P&R was devastated by 9/11 and Pressler had no idea what to do. He left Disney late in 2002 for The Gap where, by all accounts, he was a disaster there too.
Rasulo succeeded Pressler as head of P&R in September 2002 (i.e. the beginning of fiscal year 2003). He remained until the first quarter of fiscal year 2010, effectively controlling budgets for 8 years. During Rasulo's 8 years, P&R margin averaged 14.5%. By his last year, P&R margin was at a Disney all-time low of 12.2%.
After Rasulo and Staggs swapped jobs and Staggs became P&R Chairman in 2010, P&R's margin began to improve, climbing at least 1% each year, finishing at a respectable 17.6% in fiscal year 2014. In the quarterly results announced earlier this week, P&R margin jumped to 20.6%, a number P&R hasn't seen since 2001.
Rasulo's years as head of P&R marked that segment's low point.
In just 4 years, Staggs appears to have fixed the financial woes Rasulo couldn't fix in 8 years.
This is not a question of whether we like how margins were improved. This is a matter of Staggs meeting Iger's financial objectives.
Staggs delivered. Rasulo did not.
And since I promised a graph ...
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