Buying the GardenWalk property was going to primarily serve and benefit Cast Members, as the upper level (abandoned for the past decade) and some parking levels were to be transformed into a "
Cast Campus" that had all sorts of Cast Member facilities and benefits (CM child care center, a pharmacy, a CM health center, CM company store, CM gym and fitness center, CM support facilities, etc.).
But Bob Chapek didn't get the vision of a "
Cast Campus", and thought it was a waste of money for those Anaheim people who are not smart enough or savvy enough to get a real job in Burbank or a more stylish industry beyond hotels and amusement parks. He literally didn't understand why you should invest in those entry-level CM people who can't get better jobs or were too stupid to get real careers.
Disney could have bought GardenWalk for a steal several years ago. The shady Dubai investment firm that outbid Disney's pathetic lowball offer went under before the sale could be completed, and GardenWalk literally fell right into Disney's lap as the second-place bidder at a steal of a price. But Bob Chapek just refused to acknowledge that investing in Cast Members was something worth spending some extra money on. So he let it go. And GardenWalk went to the
third highest bidder.
After Disney passed on the deal at a bargain price, the foreclosed mall went to the the guy who thought these fluorescent llamas were a good idea. Seriously, how could you make this stuff up?
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I swear, taking a picture of those llamas was one of the best decisions of my life.
