Bruce Vaughn @ D23 on Universal Creative, Original rides, etc.

Captain Neo

Captain Neo

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
I thought this was an interesting video with Vaughn and Sklar from Imagineering. First half is really just talking about the usual stuff but then it gets to a Q&A session where Disney fans and lifestylers got to ask the hard questions tahts worth a listen:

Q&A starts at around the 40 minute mark
 
Captain Neo

Captain Neo

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
Some interesting observations:

When questioned about competing with Universal Creative (specifically Harry Potter and Transformers) Vaughn basically says "bring it on" and specifically name drops "Star Wars, Marvel and Avatar in addition to feature films" . Marty jumps in right away and says that Disney still has better service and customer care than Universal and is more "magical" (which caused the lifestylers and mommy bloggers to cheer).

When asked about resurecting old attractions Vaughn says "Disney parks aren't museums". He does also mention that when attendance is down at an attraction that does signal that they do need to refresh things (a possible hint for Imagination Pavillion)?
 
thehowiet

thehowiet

Wilson King of Prussia
Captain Neo said:
Some interesting observations:

When questioned about competing with Universal Creative (specifically Harry Potter and Transformers) Vaughn basically says "bring it on" and specifically name drops "Star Wars, Marvel and Avatar in addition to feature films" . Marty jumps in right away and says that Disney still has better service and customer care than Universal and is more "magical" (which caused the lifestylers and mommy bloggers to cheer).

When asked about resurecting old attractions Vaughn says "Disney parks aren't museums". He does also mention that when attendance is down at an attraction that does signal that they do need to refresh things (a possible hint for Imagination Pavillion)?
Click to expand...

"Bring it on, Universal....and we'll probably build something in Florida eventually."

Better service and customer care at Disney, Marty? That definitely wasn't my most recent experience. Maybe in SoCal.
 
D

disneylandfan95

Member
It's scary how easily Vaughn brushes off Transformers and "that Harry Potter thing." At least he acknowledges that many ex-Imagineers work for other companies, but he should not be brushing off Uni Creative like he does. Of course, this proves everything we've already said about Vaughn, but I didn't think he'd do it at a fan event. Yikes.
 
Seabasealpha1

Seabasealpha1

Well-Known Member
Interesting to say the least...and I can agree that the parks aren't museums and that the torch of progress must move forward...this was how Walt did things... He knew they'd have to keep better and better things coming...

I guess what bothers me with this video, is that while there DOES need to be a balance, the next biggest projects we know about are based on Movie Properties...that aren't Disney...though, once Episode VII comes out, I guess it kinda will be...Star Wars has shoehorned into Disney lore pretty well...

And he makes mention here that they talk about balancing it all the time...question is...does BOB get any of this information? The penny pinchers seem pretty content to keep building based on movies...at least in the USA.

I'd have liked to seen an attraction like mystic manor make it back home...I don't get why the foreign parks get these great original attractions when back home we get either copies of attractions or franchise-based and laced attractions? I mean, crap! We love their movies...but we drive to the theater to see them...we drive/fly to the parks to see attractions...NOT feature films.

I'd rather see more corporate sponsor stuff show up in the rides than movie references...not that the movies they've made have been released at the proper well thought out time or that the marketing team has done fantastically lately with John Carter and the Lone Ranger...which were both decent movies...released at the absolute wrong time in rotation and given the worst marketing ever...

I'm just hoping that some of the thoughts getting through to people like Bruce and Marty are making some sense...I hope that they can keep creating "nostalgia" through future rides...I hope that they realize that their strength against the competition depends upon original ideas...

Just my thoughts...take 'em...leave 'em... :)
 
TP2000

TP2000

Well-Known Member
thehowiet said:
Better service and customer care at Disney, Marty? That definitely wasn't my most recent experience. Maybe in SoCal.
Click to expand...

With all due respect to Marty Sklar, he doesn't know what he's talking about and he's just parroting decades old marketing shtick.

There may still be a difference between Disney Parks and a regional Six Flags park, but there's basically no difference between Disney Parks and Universal parks when it comes to customer service now.

Whenever Marty Sklar visits a Disney theme park he's got a VIP guide leading him around to reserved tables and taking him through the exit of any ride he wants. He's never had to hustle across a park to make a Fastpass time, waited in a 90 minute Standby line in the sun, battled for a spot to watch the parade and be barked at by CM's to "Stay To Your Right!!" or tried to convince the mute kid at Tomorrowland Terrace to leave the lettuce off his burger.

Marty Sklar is totally out of touch with what it's like to visit a Disney Park in 2013, and he's just repeating pablum from the 1980's.
 
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Darth Sidious

Darth Sidious

Authentically Disney Distinctly Chinese
disneylandfan95 said:
It's scary how easily Vaughn brushes off Transformers and "that Harry Potter thing." At least he acknowledges that many ex-Imagineers work for other companies, but he should not be brushing off Uni Creative like he does. Of course, this proves everything we've already said about Vaughn, but I didn't think he'd do it at a fan event. Yikes.
Click to expand...

I don't find fault with his answer. It really wouldn't be appropriate to elaborate on Uni with his bosses around and at a Disney event. You can tell they respect what those guys did with HP and they said the right thing which is competition is good for everybody. You know WDI wants to go ahead and blow Uni away and perhaps they could but it isn't up to them. They need a budget to do it in the end.
 
T

twebber55

Well-Known Member
jmcl07 said:
I don't find fault with his answer. It really wouldn't be appropriate to elaborate on Uni with his bosses around and at a Disney event. You can tell they respect what those guys did with HP and they said the right thing which is competition is good for everybody. You know WDI wants to go ahead and blow Uni away and perhaps they could but it isn't up to them. They need a budget to do it in the end.
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agree..i actually liked his answer..he noted Harry potter and was very positive about the future.... what is he supposed to say....
 
M

mahnamahna101

Well-Known Member
jmcl07 said:
I don't find fault with his answer. It really wouldn't be appropriate to elaborate on Uni with his bosses around and at a Disney event. You can tell they respect what those guys did with HP and they said the right thing which is competition is good for everybody. You know WDI wants to go ahead and blow Uni away and perhaps they could but it isn't up to them. They need a budget to do it in the end.
Click to expand...

$425 million wasn't enough? (New Fantasyland)
 
pwnbeaver

pwnbeaver

Well-Known Member
bhg469 said:
Thats a scary thought.. Where is the money going!?
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I can't remember where, but I read somewhere that building something with Imagineering always costs more than building with anyone else because of the premiums they charge as an in house service.
 
WDWDad13

WDWDad13

Well-Known Member
pwnbeaver said:
I can't remember where, but I read somewhere that building something with Imagineering always costs more than building with anyone else because of the premiums they charge as an in house service.
Click to expand...

if that's true then the dollar amount used as in it cost X amount is a lot of monopoly (soft dollar) money too... not just hard dollars out the door (ex. cost charged to the project per individual work hours which is usually based on average of employee salaries, etc.)
 
GiveMeTheMusic

GiveMeTheMusic

Well-Known Member
I enjoyed how visibly nervous Vaughn was while answering questions. At one point he did this feeble self-clap thing that made me literally LOL.

What I would have given if someone had had the nuts to stand up and ask something like why did a cloned D ticket ride like Mermaid cost more than the Harry Potter E ticket down the road? Are cost overruns the new reality of WDI doing business? I can just imagine the facial expressions.
 
alphac2005

alphac2005

Well-Known Member
TP2000 said:
With all due respect to Marty Sklar, he doesn't know what he's talking about and he's just parroting decades old marketing shtick.

There may still be a difference between Disney Parks and a regional Six Flags park, but there's basically no difference between Disney Parks and Universal parks when it comes to customer service now.

Whenever Marty Sklar visits a Disney theme park he's got a VIP guide leading him around to reserved tables and taking him through the exit of any ride he wants. He's never had to hustle across a park to make a Fastpass time, waited in a 90 minute Standby line in the sun, battled for a spot to watch the parade and be barked at by CM's to "Stay To Your Right!!" or tried to convince the mute kid at Tomorrowland Terrace to leave the lettuce off his burger.

Marty Sklar is totally out of touch with what it's like to visit a Disney Park in 2013, and he's just repeating pablum from the 1980's.
Click to expand...

Can we please get a multiple LIKE button per user on your post? Nailed it! Sklar talks about the parks like they're still being run with the quality from Walt's time. He's always come across as enjoying the attention, so spouting the company line isn't much of a surprise.

We've had simply terrific customer SERVICE at Universal Orlando like the old days in FL and CA at Disney, so that's laughable to even hear.

Someone had it right on threads with the analogy akin to the high school jock. Disney is Al Bundy and while everyone is laughing at him that he's washed up and lame, he's in a time machine where he's the top dog when reality says he's the polar opposite of his mental state.
 

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