Brad Rex is out

[PigletIsMyCat]

Most people are not happy with the direction Walt Disney World has been drifting in for the past 10 years. Some things have improved but as a whole the parks have become stagnant, poorly maintained and managed, and new additions are usually on the cheap such as Monsters Inc the laugh floor and stitch's great escape. (Soarin' and Expedition:Everest are exceptions of course).

So, every addition has to be an e-ticket? What's wrong with economizing and re-using a perfectly fine existing ride idea and re-theming it? I loved the Laugh Floor, I thought it was very funny and inventive, the same as I loved Turtle Talk (even though I felt this was better for younger kids). By saving some green on Stitch and the Laugh Floor, they might have a better budget for new rides or updates to existing rides.

 

[CTXRover]

The decision to close futre world at 7, happened before Brad Rex was with the company.

Even so, the Future World of 3-4 years ago is vastly different than the Future World of today, with three new/rehabbed pavilions, all of which stay open till park closing now, along with improved attendance at Epcot and WDW in general. I do believe continuing that decision to close part of Future World at 7pm should have been lifted some time ago. I understand why it was needed at the time, but I believe ALL of FW could stay open with the rest of the park till 9pm (or later during peak times, especially with the # of sit-down eateries at Epcot for dinner).

 

[PigletIsMyCat]

Even though the 'closing' time of Future World is always listed as 7pm, the rides are open until 9pm on nights of high attendance, ie: spring break. It will be noted on the Times Guide and sometimes on the Tip Board.

edit: Also, the stores remain open after official park closing, as do some of the food stops.

 

[Xadllas]

So, every addition has to be an e-ticket? What's wrong with economizing and re-using a perfectly fine existing ride idea and re-theming it? I loved the Laugh Floor, I thought it was very funny and inventive, the same as I loved Turtle Talk (even though I felt this was better for younger kids). By saving some green on Stitch and the Laugh Floor, they might have a better budget for new rides or updates to existing rides.

So every addition has to be character based or an e-ticket? Why can't we have original attractions that don't have to be e tickets to be original

 

[CTXRover]

Bob Iger is at the top, though, isn't he? And John Lasseter has been having friendly conversations with Bob recently...it sounds like they went right over Jay Rasulo's head, which is a good thing--he doesn't need to be making decisions.

I won't argue with the hopeful concept that Lasseter and co. are spearheading some type of shake-up in theme park management across the board. While there are a lot of things done well by current management, there are also glaring examples of things that need to be done better. It just seems odd to target Brad Rex first if the scenario being postulated here is accurate. I would have thought that Jay Rasulo should be the first to go and then work their way down. Iger has tried to get away from micromanaging the divisions of the company and giving each division the responsibility of running their own divisions. If a certain division is not meeting the standards Iger and the board sees fit, then the need to make the necessary changes to rectify that. Brad Rex or any WDW VP just seems like an odd place to start for me, but I could be wrong. However, overstepping the head of any division and making choices "for them" given the structure Iger has tried to create is not necessarily the way the company is supposed to work nowadays. Maybe this is just the beginning of something bigger, I don't know. I'd also be ecstatic if Lasseter is turning his attention to WDW and the theme park division in general and not solely focused on DL as many have reported him to be doing, I'm just skeptical on what this really means in the larger scheme of things, if anything much.

 

[PigletIsMyCat]

I never stated that all attractions needed to be e-ticket or character based, I was merely running with the attractions previously mentioned.

And what's wrong with character based attractions? Aren't the characters part of what makes Disney as a whole so loveable? Whether they're in the movies, the parks, or the rides, Disney characters are a huge part of the magic for alot of people. I see no problem with character based rides, although I also can understand the desire for more original rides.

But think about some of the recent additions to the parks:
Soarin', E:E, Mission: Space, Test Track - none of these are character based
Finding Nemo, the Laugh Floor, Stitch's Great Escape - these are still great attractions (although I hate Stitch's Great Escape)

 

[CTXRover]

Even though the 'closing' time of Future World is always listed as 7pm, the rides are open until 9pm on nights of high attendance, ie: spring break. It will be noted on the Times Guide and sometimes on the Tip Board.

edit: Also, the stores remain open after official park closing, as do some of the food stops.

Much of that has come as pavilions have been redone and became popular once again, including The Land, Mission: Space (obviously since it wasn't around when the 7pm closing time was started) and I believe The Seas might be included too (but I'm not sure). The point is all of Future World used to stay open until park closing, and given the current trends of attendance at the parks, that is how it should be now as well.

 

[SDav10495]

Lasseter finally showing interest in WDW? This is good news indeed!

I know this is just an early phase of this Brad Rex news, but is there any evidence yet that this was in fact a decision that came from Lasseter? That would be a hopeful sign...

Now, I don't feel I can fairly pass judgment on Mr. Rex's management skills--I only know what I've seen at Epcot since 2001 (and I haven't been in love with most of it), but I don't know how much of that Mr. Rex is really responsible for. Seeing as the park hasn't completely gone to hell and is still immensely enjoyable, it's clear to me that he's not exactly some sort of destructive ogre. Am I right to assume, however, that most of the lackluster changes to Epcot can be taken as a sign that Rex doesn't have a strong vision for the park or idea of what it should be all about? I don't know enough about him to think he's a "villain", but he's always just struck me as weak...and weak is not good enough for a park with ideas as strong as Epcot's (well, EPCOT Center's). So if this decision did really come from Lasseter, kudos to him--not because I've been begging for Rex's hide, but because he does seem to have been a "silent" problem for Epcot, one that Lasseter would have to have examined the park's situation closely to identify. It's easy to let someone go if you can quantify their failures, but that's clearly not the case with Rex...park numbers have improved, but to the keen observer it's clearly not where it should and could be creatively.

Again, this is my totally holistic, unscientific, un-backed-up impression of the situation. And it's 1 in the morning, for what it's worth...in case none of that made sense. :snore:

EDIT: And please forgive the fact that a lot has been added to the thread since I started this thought...I need to get to bed.

 

[PigletIsMyCat]

And it is open until WS closing on days of higher attendance.

 

[ToTBellHop]

Well Epcot was always nearest and dearest to Walt (in concept...of course it's very different than he had planned). I'm not surprised that Lasseter would turn there first--he also may want it to have improved operations in time for its 25th anniversary. Even if a celebration is not possible this late in the game, that would be a greater gift to the fans, anyway--returning Epcot to its glory days.

 

[Figment82]

The only attractions that don't stay open until 9 are Energy, Imagination, and Innoventions. I hardly call that all of Future World.

Otherwise, I'm staying out of this discussion.

 

[goofyfan13]

Well, maybe his replacement will throw together an impromptu 25th celebration...:lookaroun

Yea..probably not, but I can dream can't I? :shrug:

 

[ToTBellHop]

Well, maybe his replacement will throw together an impromptu 25th celebration...:lookaroun

Yea..probably not, but I can dream can't I? :shrug:

not sure that will take off since Spaceship Earth is now officially closed July 9 through November 1...

 

[goofyfan13]

not sure that will take off since Spaceship Earth is now officially closed July 9 through November 1...

Yea, would have been nice though. Oh well, at least SSE is getting some TLC, I can live with that.

 

[CTXRover]

Well, maybe his replacement will throw together an impromptu 25th celebration...:lookaroun

Yea..probably not, but I can dream can't I? :shrug:

For a single park celebration, although the schedule would be very tight (let's say a month for planning and and 4 months to make it happen), I believe something small could still be done if somebody passionate enough about making it happened was put into that position. A big splashy anniversary would be nice, but I understand the business side aspect that an Epcot-centric celebration wouldn't be enough marketing power to persuade the general public to visit WDW next year and thus the money for such a celebration from higher up would never happen. However, I think something with some banners around the park and a nightly salute/tag at the end of Illuminations would suffice, eespecially given the facelift most of Epcot has gotten over the past few years anyway.

 

[PigletIsMyCat]

The only attractions that don't stay open until 9 are Energy, Imagination, and Innoventions. I hardly call that all of Future World.

Otherwise, I'm staying out of this discussion.

No, not all of Future World is always open until 9pm. But, on high attendance days, I have seen both Imagination and Innoventions open past the usual 7pm

 

[CTXRover]

not sure that will take off since Spaceship Earth is now officially closed July 9 through November 1...

Even though SE will be closed on the actual 25th anniversary date, it will be nicely fixed up with new stuff for its anniversary year, which is something I wasn't expecting until this redo was announced two weeks ago and am ecstatic is happening.

 

[Enigma]

I never stated that all attractions needed to be e-ticket or character based, I was merely running with the attractions previously mentioned.

And what's wrong with character based attractions? Aren't the characters part of what makes Disney as a whole so loveable? Whether they're in the movies, the parks, or the rides, Disney characters are a huge part of the magic for alot of people. I see no problem with character based rides, although I also can understand the desire for more original rides.

But think about some of the recent additions to the parks:
Soarin', E:E, Mission: Space, Test Track - none of these are character based
Finding Nemo, the Laugh Floor, Stitch's Great Escape - these are still great attractions (although I hate Stitch's Great Escape)

Dude Test track is almost 10 years old and and Mission:Space is almost 5..both of them are less than stellar and when they are eventually replaced they will not be as rememberd as fondly as the rdies they themselves replaced (Horizons and World of Motion).

Also I don't know about you guys but I would be just as happy if they launched an Epcot 25th. anniversary on November 2nd. One month late but the day "Spaceship Horizons" opens as a way of launching Epcot Center's next 25 years and...beyond! come on the marketing campaign writes itself!

 

[PigletIsMyCat]

Dude, the parks have been open for 35 years. Ten years is young for a ride. They don't just drop new rides in every few weeks.

 

[PigletIsMyCat]

Also, how do you know they won't be as fondly remembered as their predecessors? I never got to see Horizons or World of Motion. I love Test Track; it's one of my DH and my favorite rides.