A Spirited Valentine ...

[ford91exploder]

Their emailing practices are very suspect. Still waiting on that e-mail

Dont worry its not coming

 

[ford91exploder]

That's a slow con if I've ever seen one. Hey, if we don't charge for the first 18 years then they'll never know what hit them.

Its the FP+ thats the slow con. Wonder what Mozzie from white collar would say about it. Look now SDL has PAID FP, DL is getting PAID FP, do you really think PAID FP is not coming to WDW real soon

 

[ford91exploder]

But I need to plan my vacation around it......

Yes yes you do but Disney cant be responsible if its not open when they pinky swore it would be open...

 

[ford91exploder]

Go with our insiders? Why not go with Disney- who said 2019. At the very worst- it becomes 2020.

Well the first three digits are correct at the least....

 

[ford91exploder]

Star Wars and Shanghai were his vanity projects. Pandora was much more Stagg's baby. Who did leave and yet things continued on.

In December 2015 the project was 2 years deep in construction. Show buildings were fully enclosed, all the structural steel for the floating mountains were in place and the first prefabbed mountain was installed.

You truly believe any predecessor would arrive on scene and tell them to stop and knock it down? Wait, maybe don't answer that. I actually do really enjoy your style. While ridiculous no one can say you aren't marching to your own drum.

I highly anticipate your opinion on the thing when it does open. If you actually mildly like it I expect the universe to collapse in on itself!

Having been around cleaning up corporate messes for a long time when a CEO leaves their 'vanity' projects get shut down in a hurry, A Star Wars project would not get shut down as its a no brainer. Pandora a different caculus applies

No intention of visiting the swamps anytime soon even runDisney has earned a customer service fail for the colossal screw up with the half marathon.

They did not have to offer anything, yet they did but most of those who took them up on their offer of compensation have gotten SQUAT from runDisney if they replied via email just the standard we have received you email response.

I initially praised their offer but now it looks like it was a sham to get their tails out of a tight crack.

 

[WDW1974]

Yeah. I wanted to rent points to stay here in the future, until I saw the insides. The whole development had more character as a tree line.

Absolutely horrible what they did to my WDW home. You always knew adding a second timeshare resort there was a crass money grab, but when you actually see it ... even the nice Geyser Point Bar and Grill makes no sense as an open air location on a lake in a swamp. Just absolutely the worst of DVC on display.

 

[WDW1974]

Having now seen WDW's newish nighttime shows and realizing the Wishes replacement is coming soon, it occurs to me that Universal completely squandered the golden opportunity to devise a nighttime show that could've generated word-of-mouth and would've been competing with the older, stale WDW products. Another example of UOR's lack of foresight, IMO.

You mention the ad campaign has the "Now, I'm ready" theme. There's no question that Universal's parks have generally improved over the past fifteen years, but it's equally amazing that they haven't been able to diversify their message. It still boils down to "tougher than Disney."

The entertainment at the Universal parks is surprisingly pretty weak, but why they haven't swung for the fences for a nighttime show at IOA is beyond me. The Studios park has a modest night show, but it's nothing worth seeking out and isn't impressive. The Studios park layout seems terrible for a cohesive show, but IOA also seems tailor-made for one. I know there were rumors a few years ago that IOA was being looked at for one, but nothing materialized.

I've read that they want people to spend nights at CityWalk instead of in the theme parks; Volcano Bay will evidently operate into the evening in order to keep people in the park later. I'd love to read an explanation for why outside of Horror Nights they just write off the two theme parks at night.

Very good points all around. IOA has a central lagoon that would be perfect for something. But UNI hasn't been able to host an entertaining night show since it closed its first one (more of a stunt show really). I don't even think they are trying. Very good point about the parks not having late hours at night. Closing at 6, 7 or 8 p.m. as they were doing in February when I was there makes you scratch your head.

I think all of it comes down to the fact UNI P&R leadership is awful. I always said Tom Williams was just as bad as Tom Staggs but since he is ancient and lives in O-Town, he gets a pass from the Wand Wavers. Harry Potter saved/resurrected UNI and made them a real threat. But management has largely squandered that. No one cares though. So what if things like Kong, Fallon and Fast and Furious are largely misses? When you are planning Potter additions to both your parks, you don't really try ... you just rely on the power of The Boy Who Lived. Is it overkill? Not yet. One day?

 

[WDW1974]

Never met the man, but he sounds like someone who has been living off his past and unable now to do something creative. Beside Main Street at DLP, what exactly has he done?

Regarding Tony Baxter, did you ever read Rolly Crumb book? It is full of nice stories, but I am not sure if he is a fan of Tony Baxter based on one story he tells about him. Basically, he says that Tony Baxter stole the idea for a New Fantasyland from a fellow employee and took full credit for it. Basically, he says that the lady, who worked in the drafting department of WDI, had a great idea to redo Fantasyland at Disneyland on a tight budget. Rolly Crumb arranged the meeting with the higher-ups and turns out it was perfect. Next, Tony Baxter comes in and "wanted to work with her on it". In Rolly Crumb's own word: "He didn't work with her; he took it away from her and made it his own!". Even in 1982, he had serious reservations about management and he again quit Disney due to that. It is only one side of the story, but in a way, what happened to Tony Baxter later in his career is what he did to that lady coming back to haunt him. Who knows what she could have done had she been allowed to take credit and come up with other great ideas?

Interesting thoughts. But it is Rolly CRUMP!

As to Tony or Eddie Sotto or Joe Rohde or anyone, I think deifying people who design theme park attractions is a bit scary. These men are all quite talented. But just like any of us, they have their issues. Tony is known for stealing credit for any/every one's work and being a prima donna. Eddie doesn't take rejection well and rewrites history (his exit from WDI, for instance). And Joe ... Joe ... has that thing through his ear! Oh, and he's opting to keep his seven-figure annual compensation package at Disney to lend his good name to bad projects like Guardians Tower.

 

[WDW1974]

You couldn't be more wrong. Eddie probably gets more mainstream press than any other ex-WDI about his current, post-Disney work (luxury airplane designs, mainly). He was VP at WDI and portfolio leader for TDR in the 90s (i.e., Hunny Hunt). Not only can he do it all design-wise, after leaving the Company, he had the unbelievable generosity to give the public all those stories and insights on this forum, in the most courteous manner. He's a genius when it comes to themed design theory (go read his thread and you'll see why).

Eddie Sotto is the Man.

This is sorta what I was talking about in my last post. No one said Eddie wasn't talented. Just walk down MSUSA in Paris and you'll see and that wasn't the first version of the land (as he loves to talk about). ... But if you don't think ego played a part in his coming here, I'm just going to say you're mistaken. Eddie posted anonymously (to most) on other forums. And when he first started here, he was at a bit of a lull career-wise. Again, not looking to rip him ... members of my family actually hired him for a project and he certainly succeeded at it with style (no, I will not tell you what the project was).

He's a very smart and talented guy. A genius? ... not touching that.

 

[WDW1974]

The more interesting people are always the ones working UNDER the celebrity imagineers. Anyone here remember who was the lead on say Journey to the Center of the Earth? How about the people who did the effects of Mt. Prometheus? Who created the amazing ride system for Soarin? I once sat under the proverbial "learning tree" at a conference with a few of the ex WDI people who brought TDS to life and it was amazing. The funniest story was how one was canned by WDI after TDS opened... only to be brought in as a consultant to bring the mirror of their Fantasmic to life.

The one ex Imagineer I want to meet is Tim Delaney and it is something I am trying to get done.

Great point on all the people in the shadows. They make the MAGIC happen. And beyond maybe an in-joke in a queue, no one ever knows. I don't like the whole 'Celebrity Imagineer' deal that has become so popular in the last two decades.

Tim is a great guy, incredibly smart and witty and again very talented. I have had the pleasure to meet him multiple times. I even got to walk through DCA prior to opening with him and hear what was being attempted with Paradise Pier and how financial constraints hurt the vision. ... But I wouldn't call him a genius either. Although I wish Discoveryland at DLP had been his full vision.

 

[WDW1974]

SDL security CMs are all but useless. They stand and watch while people sell janky homemade mouse ears out of their jacket pockets "you wanna buy a watch?" style. There are hawkers on the walkway from parking, there are hawkers in the bag check lines, there are hawkers on the streets of the park and there are hawkers in the Pirates queue. It's baffling.

The local officials have to want to stop this behavior. Clearly, they don't care. ... Not looking forward to it at all.

 

[WDW1974]

As someone who has 800 DVC points, well I would have expected an email as well but none showed up (you ALWAYS reward your most loyal customers), My thought is that Disney is using the big data capability to target those most likely to give them glowing social media buzz because I got a few breathless emails from friends who are NEW DVC members and AP holders asking whether I got the offer and they are making as special short visit just to see. I demurred and said have a great time

I would almost believe this, yet I don't have faith that Disney is smart enough to be able to do so ... anything's possible, I suppose.

 

[WDW1974]

Star Wars and Shanghai were his vanity projects. Pandora was much more Stagg's baby. Who did leave and yet things continued on.

I don't believe that for a second. Pandora was Bob's go cry to your momma (or trophy wife) because J.K. Rowling didn't pick you deal. This was his. He painted it as Tom's because he was trying to show support for "the oddly waifish man of anemic personality" ... and because for a while it was very troubled and Teflon Bob can't have that.

 

[BrianLo]

I don't believe that for a second. Pandora was Bob's go cry to your momma (or trophy wife) because J.K. Rowling didn't pick you deal. This was his. He painted it as Tom's because he was trying to show support for "the oddly waifish man of anemic personality" ... and because for a while it was very troubled and Teflon Bob can't have that.

I think you are missing my point. In order for it to be his vanity project he'd have to actually vainly attach himself to it. He didn't, it was all Tom from the announcement, to the image releases, to the FAQ's, what have you. Now that Tom is dearly departed, Rohde, Landau and Cameron are the ones happily making the promotion round.

Contrast that to Star Wars and especially Shanghai though? Bob was very much all those things I mentioned above. If it was truly Bob's go to vanity project, he certainly has done a bad job of vainly attaching himself to it in the same way that he did with Shanghai.

Sure, perhaps Bob "let" it be that way. Obviously he was very heavily involved. But there is a difference between something being someones "idea" (like you are talking about) and something being a project to show someone's vanity.

http://www./wp-content/uploads/2016/12/model-630x356.jpg

Staggs, Landau, Rohde, Cameron

...and then Bob.

Still don't believe me? Do an image search for 'Avatar Bob Iger' and maintain its his vanity project. The 6th result is George Lucas, the 7th Tom Staggs et al. and the 10th the Shanghai logo. He's stayed surprisingly arms length.

 

[Quinnmac000]

Very good points all around. IOA has a central lagoon that would be perfect for something. But UNI hasn't been able to host an entertaining night show since it closed its first one (more of a stunt show really). I don't even think they are trying. Very good point about the parks not having late hours at night. Closing at 6, 7 or 8 p.m. as they were doing in February when I was there makes you scratch your head.

I think all of it comes down to the fact UNI P&R leadership is awful. I always said Tom Williams was just as bad as Tom Staggs but since he is ancient and lives in O-Town, he gets a pass from the Wand Wavers. Harry Potter saved/resurrected UNI and made them a real threat. But management has largely squandered that. No one cares though. So what if things like Kong, Fallon and Fast and Furious are largely misses? When you are planning Potter additions to both your parks, you don't really try ... you just rely on the power of The Boy Who Lived. Is it overkill? Not yet. One day?

As much as I thought Fallon was going to be a miss, the GP is eating it up with tons of people loving it during softs as well as theme park enthusiasts which would put the point as a moot. Secondly, UNI P&R treat all three parks different despite being under one roof. USJ since Comcast majority take over still getting tons of overlays seasonally and expanding to events outside the park.



UOR's biggest problem isn't the leadership is the doubt that if they change their systems it will work. Its similar to the thought process if its not broke don't fix it. I mean its understandable with their history and how it was at the start with things breaking consistently, delays, switching and being sold over and over to different companies. Now its finally stabilized and they have got stagnant somewhat but I think once they get comfortable, innovation will occur.

 

[ford91exploder]

I would almost believe this, yet I don't have faith that Disney is smart enough to be able to do so ... anything's possible, I suppose.

Disney has at least some people on staff who know their way around a computer, Otherwise they would not be so good at financial engineering and creating those tailored marketing programs.

That said their production IT systems are a bad joke, While on attraction soft opening invites I HAVE gotten multiple invites for the new Fallon ride and Volcano bay including special events for premier passholders only DW and I both have one

 

[rushtest4echo]

I think you are missing my point. In order for it to be his vanity project he'd have to actually vainly attach himself to it. He didn't, it was all Tom from the announcement, to the image releases, to the FAQ's, what have you. Now that Tom is dearly departed, Rohde, Landau and Cameron are the ones happily making the promotion round.

Contrast that to Star Wars and especially Shanghai though? Bob was very much all those things I mentioned above. If it was truly Bob's go to vanity project, he certainly has done a bad job of vainly attaching himself to it in the same way that he did with Shanghai.

Sure, perhaps Bob "let" it be that way. Obviously he was very heavily involved. But there is a difference between something being someones "idea" (like you are talking about) and something being a project to show someone's vanity.

http://www./wp-content/uploads/2016/12/model-630x356.jpg

Staggs, Landau, Rohde, Cameron

...and then Bob.

Still don't believe me? Do an image search for 'Avatar Bob Iger' and maintain its his vanity project. The 6th result is George Lucas, the 7th Tom Staggs et al. and the 10th the Shanghai logo. He's stayed surprisingly arms length.

Don't let those pesky facts get in the way of a good tabloid story! Isn't this the guy who was using lack of Iger photos at Shanghai last year to spin some other conspiracy? So Iger's other vanity project which has no photos of him here is what then? He's purposely keeping himself out of all of it? Nobody's preventing Disney's CEO from slapping his face all over Pandora but that's happening. It must be the CCP and SAR striking at him from afar, no doubt.

 

[ford91exploder]

Don't let those pesky facts get in the way of a good tabloid story! Isn't this the guy who was using lack of Iger photos at Shanghai last year to spin some other conspiracy? So Iger's other vanity project which has no photos of him here is what then? He's purposely keeping himself out of all of it? Nobody's preventing Disney's CEO from slapping his face all over Pandora but that's happening. It must be the CCP and SAR striking at him from afar, no doubt.

You mean the incident where Bob took a photo with a Disney store CM and his chinese minders immediately threw him out of the country.

That incident, That was not a conspiracy theory that was China reminding Disney that SDL is THEIR park and US Disney is NOT to be associated with it

 

[rushtest4echo]

You mean the incident where Bob took a photo with a Disney store CM and his chinese minders immediately threw him out of the country.

That incident, That was not a conspiracy theory that was China reminding Disney that SDL is THEIR park and US Disney is NOT to be associated with it

Yes, that incident where Bob, the CEO of one of the top recognized brands on earth with a hundred+ billion dollar market cap that's moving into China's economic sphere of influence, was literally tossed from the country over a photo op (sure ). What I'm trying to state (and the post I quoted stated), was that a man willing to risk all of that for a photo op for his vanity project has not been photographed at his other "vanity project" here in Pandora. The man has been to Pandora many times yet he's not been featured in any released material.

Strange, don't you think? I mean it's not really strange. It's only strange if you buy the bill of tabloid goods being sold. He's either been thrown out of a country where his legacy park was built over a photo, which would mean that he's no doubt desperate to slap his face on his other supposed vanity project. But that has not occurred. Why?

Or is there some vast James Cameron conspiracy where Iger isn't allowed to be photographed with him. I can't keep up with the web of silliness being spun. I'll bet it's because Nepal/Tibet is represented at AK and the CCP won't allow Bob to be associate with AK anymore or some garbage like that.

The only thing that amazes me more than Spirit's ability to spitball these nutty scoops is that so many people take them at face value. I don't doubt that he knows people, I don't doubt that there are some mid or high level people with axes to grind that use him as a bullhorn. But I highly doubt that much of his innuendo is anything more than hyperbole.

 

[Astro Blaster]

Interesting thoughts. But it is Rolly CRUMP!

As to Tony or Eddie Sotto or Joe Rohde or anyone, I think deifying people who design theme park attractions is a bit scary. These men are all quite talented. But just like any of us, they have their issues. Tony is known for stealing credit for any/every one's work and being a prima donna. Eddie doesn't take rejection well and rewrites history (his exit from WDI, for instance). And Joe ... Joe ... has that thing through his ear! Oh, and he's opting to keep his seven-figure annual compensation package at Disney to lend his good name to bad projects like Guardians Tower.

I spent the day at Disneyland on Sunday and they still advertise the ToT during the monorail narration. It's strange because as they're describing the "towering hotel in the distance" where you can "drop in on Hollywood history" you look to your left and see that very out-of-place "Collector's Mansion" or whatever it's supposed to be. Little bit of salt in the wound there.