Captain Neo
Well-Known Member
That article wasn't written by Lutz at all that was def written by WDW1974
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Al Lutz: "Management must stop bending over to pick up pennies as dollars fly over their heads"
- Thread starter aklodge
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Patricia Melton
Well-Known Member
I have been reading Al Lutz's columns for a while now and don't detect any "vendetta", as you call it.
Lutz comes off as a complainer to me sometimes...but I don't detect any malice in what he writes and don't believe he has an agenda to hurt Disney. He's very critical of most of what Disney does, but I see it like a coach being very hard on his team because he wants them to be better.
There are times, however, when I don't see the value in what he's making a bid deal about; an example of this is when he railed against Disney for not having a Christmas party at Disneyland anymore. Lutz was very upset about that and blamed WDW for it...because WDW does not have a party and supposedly TDO put pressure on TDA to end their Christmas party tradition so that TDO would not look bad. Lutz then spent a few paragraphs going on about all the perks like daycare and parking and healthcare facilities that WDW employees have access to that Disneyland employees don't have.
To me, things like this are apples and oranges because Orlando and Anaheim are so different. Disney owns a massive amount of land in Orlando and the parks there are somewhat isolated from other things...so it makes more sense for TDO to provide some services that TDA does not.
As for the Christmas party, I would like to remind Al Lutz that just about everyone I know has experienced downgrading like this at their jobs in the last four years or so. My sister works at a law firm and they used to have a big steak dinner night out in a restaurant for the firm's Christmas party...and in the summer they'd have an outing to an amusement park with a big catered cookout. Times have become tough so they no longer do any of this because the firm can't afford it. Also, I think culturally we're moving away from these sorts of things that companies provided workers in the past.
Al Lutz has a real problem with that and the Christmas party thing has stuck in his craw. He calls Disney cheap for canceling the Christmas party and also resents WDW for having a role in it ending at Disneyland. That's his opinion. I don't think it's anything to be upset about, but it's very personal and upsetting to Lutz.
However, it's not fair to say he has a "vendetta" against Disney over this or the other things he complains about. In my opinion, it just feels like he's getting on in years and is at a point in his life where he's starting to be like the old men in cartoons who yell at the neighbor kids to stay off their lawn.
Animaniac93-98
Well-Known Member
lazyboy97o
Well-Known Member
One Disney.
the.dreamfinder
Well-Known Member
How would you feel if the company you were working for (DLR) had one it's best years ever and you didn't get any form of a thank you from management for the hard work you and your co workers did to make that success possible. I understand times are tough for a lot of folks, but that just isn't the case for DLR.
WDWFigment
Well-Known Member
I know a few people around here call him a lap dog, but I don't think that's quite accurate. Al is unquestionably fed information from someone high up in TDA, but Al still has enough "disagreements" of consequence with TDA management that I'd hazard a guess the feed is not directly from Kalogridis' office.
As for his supposed bias towards Disneyland and against WDW...to those who are suggesting that, have you been to Disneyland lately? If I made positive remarks about Breaking Bad and negative remarks about Jersey Shore, would you say the same thing? Of course not.
FrankLapidus
Well-Known Member
I just became a fan of Al Lutz because that article articulated every concern and complaint I have about Avatarland and I wholeheartedly agree with what he wrote. It was interesting reading through the comments, I would say at least 90% of them (perhaps more) agreed with the article or at least said that they had some serious concerns about Avatarland.
"Avatar land is the problem. Believe me, walking away from that concept now will cost a lot less than building it, then trying to fix and then ultimately replace it; which is going to happen."
I salute you Al Lutz, could not have put it any better myself.
"Avatar land is the problem. Believe me, walking away from that concept now will cost a lot less than building it, then trying to fix and then ultimately replace it; which is going to happen."
I salute you Al Lutz, could not have put it any better myself.
Captain Neo
Well-Known Member
At least Al Lutz has the courage to stand up and call Disney out when they are dead wrong i'm sorry if that upsets the blind sheltered fanboys on this here forum who aren't willing to criticize Disney
asianway
Well-Known Member
They cancelled the Christmas party the year they put up record attendance figures. I'd like to think
Everyone would feel that's a low blow on behalf of every CM who ever went above & beyond...but this thread seems to be drawing all of our very special posters out of the woodwork
Goofyernmost
Well-Known Member
I don't know what the motivation is for Disneyland not having a Christmas party. It might be pressure from other beliefs that they only celebrate Christian Holidays. We live in a world of Political Correctness you know, and not many organizations are more sensitive to that then Disney's offend no one policy. Especially in the PC capital of the world, Southern California. I doubt that it came from pressure from Orlando.
Now concerning WDW, can you imagine the degree of organization, not to mention expense, to have a Christmas Party for 55,000 CM's right in the middle of their busiest season? Logistics alone would be a nightmare. And PC would be a handy excuse to not have it anymore.
Now concerning WDW, can you imagine the degree of organization, not to mention expense, to have a Christmas Party for 55,000 CM's right in the middle of their busiest season? Logistics alone would be a nightmare. And PC would be a handy excuse to not have it anymore.
Every decision they make are based off of economic feasibility studies, I think this is where Al Lutz is way off and not credible with his personal attacks. Regardless of what ever they are going to do to either property, if it's not backed up by forecasts they are not going to do it, PERIOD. DLR was obviously underdeveloped and adding those big attractions like RSR and WOC to DCA were no brainers. Can anyone really say WDW is underdeveloped? Especially now that the global economy has slowed so much and people don't have as much vacation/disposable income.
gonnichi
Well-Known Member
I feel the only way Avatar is going to be a great success in the AK park is if they spend alot of money on it. Bring in the newest and highest tech and create amazing rides and shows. They need to push the envelope and go beyond what is currently being built in other Orlando parks. The only problem with that would be that everything gets Value Engineered down to nothing special at WDW. So Avatar will probablly be just like NFL, great to look at with no great rides or attractions. They are never going to cancel Avatar in AK in my opinion because it is what the King (Iger) wants. "Its good to be the king" you get to do almost whatever you want and can not be told that your idea is not great by your subjects. So I doubt realistically that he will ever change his mind about Avatar being a great Idea. It is his baby, right? His swan song before he leaves Disney.
lazyboy97o
Well-Known Member
Is that why they expanded the schedule of Candlelight Processional performances?
Goofyernmost
Well-Known Member
Two completely different things. One is a show, a performance that people interested are free to go to or not. If not there are many other things they can do. A Christmas Party for Employees automatically excludes those that do not hold that belief and are offered no alternatives. It's a much more personal thing.
lazyboy97o
Well-Known Member
It's not like the Christmas Party was particularly religious. The name could have been changed, specific content removed or even change when the Cast Member Appreciation Party (which is what the Christmas Party was above all else) is held. It's just another erosion of what made Disney[land] different.
Patricia Melton
Well-Known Member
The thank-you that employees get from their employers is called a paycheck. And in this economy, people are grateful to have them.
I don't think there's any requirement for a company to put on a big Christmas party or a summer cookout. Doing that stuff used to be considered a draw for people to come work at those places...because they wanted those perks. If someone doesn't like working at a place that doesn't throw parties then there are other places that person can work.
If you really want to work at a place that throws parties then work at a small mom and pop place...most of them seem to have parties (and only employ about a dozen or so people).
It's no longer considered the norm for large companies to throw parties for employees.
Patricia Melton
Well-Known Member
Just for fun, tonight I did a little experiment with my family and a few friends who I know saw the movie Avatar. I didn't tell them what it was for, but just texted them and asked them to name as many characters as they could from Avatar without looking it up on Google or anything.
I asked ten people and eight responded to me.
Out of those eight people, only my son could name a character...and he named Grace, the woman that Sigourney Weaver played who was a scientist. I think the only reason he remembered her name was Grace is because we have a close family friend named Grace and that might have stuck in his mind.
None of my family/friends could name the main character in the movie...the guy who gets turned into an Avatar blue-cat-person. Several people thought his name was "Sam"...but that's the actor's name in real life.
One person got Avatar and "Last Airbender" mixed up and another person thought Avatar was Pokemon at first. They had to be reminded what Avatar was about.
"Oh, that Pocahontas in Space thing? People are still talking about that?" was the general response.
Not a scientific poll, mind you...but this is what my family and friends think of Avatar. It was memorable just as being a 3D movie with the plot of Pocahontas in space.
There is no burning desire from anyone to go checkout an Avatar land at AK.
BUT...I can tell you this...my son and daughter (who are in their 30s) would probably go down to Orlando a few times a year on their own if there was a Star Wars land at one of the parks. Both of them love Star Wars.
If they made a Star Wars land at AK and had all the animals from the Star Wars movies my family would go absolutely nuts over it.
*** Note: Just for fun, try that Avatar experiment with your friends/family. Ask them to "name as many Avatar characters as you can without looking it up online". I bet you will be surprised at how forgettable Avatar really was to most people in your life, if they saw it at all.
A paycheck is not a thank you from your employer, they are obligated to give that to you for services rendered. I work for a major company in a division that must be operational 24/7 365. My department is the most stressful, but we're the backbone of the company. They show their thanks by giving us a week long appreciation event. THAT is a thank you. Giving us free food occasionally is a thank you. Those extra things help employees feel better about having to work a crappy job, stressful job, or having to do jobs others don't want to. It also in a way helps instill loyalty by showing that the company does appreciate the hard work you put in. Cancelling those kind of events, especially during a profitable year, is detrimental to employee morale.
wedenterprises
Well-Known Member
Other than Rod Serling, name one character, actor, or episode title from the Twilight Zone. Just want to test out the IP of one of the greatest theme park attractions ever.
come to think of it, lets try it with the best WDI designed land: Mysterious Island in DisneySEA... Name a character from 20k leagues under the sea. Tell me what happens in Journey to the Center of the Earth...
come to think of it, lets try it with the best WDI designed land: Mysterious Island in DisneySEA... Name a character from 20k leagues under the sea. Tell me what happens in Journey to the Center of the Earth...
misterID
Well-Known Member
I don't know what is lamer, the attacks on Al or Avatar. Personal opinion on whether you like something (or someone) is not fact, no matter how many friends and family you poll. It takes me back to the days before WWOHP of ALL the WDW fans who said HP was going to be a disaster, it didn't have staying power, no one could name the characters like you could Star Wars, how Dinsey would be laughing all the way to the bank...
And it's even more funny that the usual suspects who are attacking Al (a 12 year old, a troll and some people who believe WDW will never ever do anything wrong) still have never produced anything that Al has ever said that shows a "vendetta" against WDW, no matter how many times they say it.
And it's even more funny that the usual suspects who are attacking Al (a 12 year old, a troll and some people who believe WDW will never ever do anything wrong) still have never produced anything that Al has ever said that shows a "vendetta" against WDW, no matter how many times they say it.