News Bruce Vaughn Returns to Disney as Co-Lead of Walt Disney Imagineering

[Brer Oswald]

Joe's currently back as a consultant. It's a very recent development.

Not sure if his role will expand beyond that.

I’m sure if he challenges any preconceived ideas they’ve decided on, he’ll be sent on his merry way…just like Baxter.

 

[yensidtlaw1969]

I’m sure if he challenges any preconceived ideas they’ve decided on, he’ll be sent on his marry way…just like Baxter.

Generally you don't hire a consultant just to pat you on the back for decisions you'd already made before paying them.

 

[Brer Oswald]

Generally you don't hire a consultant just to pat you on the back for decisions you'd already made before paying them.

And yet…

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

The Haunted Mansion was actually regarded by many as the first disappointment in Disneyland's history when it opened in 1969 - up until then things were only getting bigger and better as time went on, and Pirates of the Caribbean was a tough act to follow. The fact that Mansion was slightly smaller in scale than Pirates, had nearly a decade's worth of rumor-mongering behind it, and was essentially the first attraction to open without Walt Disney's full leadership led many to feel let down by the ride and nervous about Disneyland's future prospects.

It was heinously well-attended, with record attendance at Disneyland the week after it opened, but it wasn't quite the popular instant classic we'd imagine it was. Lots of high hopes were dashed when the thing was actually revealed.

Little off-topic, but worthwhile history.

That is usually attributed to the legendary mothballed construction. 12 years.

As you said - pirates kinda trumped it to.

How about: the Disney AA dark ride thrilled?

Or we can swap tower…the most ingenious, arranged drop tower ever…as a better example?

 

[yensidtlaw1969]

And yet…

What a weird thing to assume they're doing.

 

[Tha Realest]

Generally you don't hire a consultant just to pat you on the back for decisions you'd already made before paying them.

 

[celluloid]

The Haunted Mansion was actually regarded by many as the first disappointment in Disneyland's history when it opened in 1969 - up until then things were only getting bigger and better as time went on, and Pirates of the Caribbean was a tough act to follow. The fact that Mansion was slightly smaller in scale than Pirates, had nearly a decade's worth of rumor-mongering behind it, and was essentially the first attraction to open without Walt Disney's full leadership led many to feel let down by the ride and nervous about Disneyland's future prospects.

It was heinously well-attended, with record attendance at Disneyland the week after it opened, but it wasn't quite the popular instant classic we'd imagine it was. Lots of high hopes were dashed when the thing was actually revealed.

Little off-topic, but worthwhile history.

There were Southern Californians terrified of and from home invasion murders and wanted nothing to do with death in mansions.

 

[MisterPenguin]

Joe's currently back as a consultant. It's a very recent development.

Hey, Joe... you know the fake tarmac made out of concrete? Are those just fake cracks, or are they real cracks which would make demolition easier?

 

[Henry Mystic]

My man…

The original DAK was horribly over budget…well beyond the published numbers - lost in “development costs” for the whole area.

And Aulani is quicksand.

Now is all of that on rhode specifically? No. But it can’t be true that none of it is.

And we have discussed the “culture” being flawed at WDI for many years. Nobody has ever disputed it…is that on him? Maybe a slice.

I’d say his best work is avatar overall…but they had a “co-creative” there.

He always has done quality work…no argument. But thinking it’s abstract art…and not a business unit in a behemoth company…is the root of alot of the present ills. There isn’t a “can do” attitude for many years that created WED/WDI…

Get it done…keep it working…amaze.

Not all him…but a slice for sure.

The other points have been talked about, but in regards to Aulani, the largest financial issue it had was because of a mistake in the original timeshare contracts.

As a resort, I’ve been, and it’s phenomenal. I had no idea Disney had it in them to deliver such quality and it’s really the standard other Disney resorts should be compared to.

The grounds and resort itself is stunning, and there is so much to do. The Hawaiian art collection, just like AKL’s African art collection gives it an authenticity that also makes Africa and Asia at Animal Kingdom so effective. They’re both brilliant.

Not everything needs to be that way, but boy am I happy Joe Rhode actually has delivered art.

 

[mkt]

The grounds and resort itself is stunning, and there is so much to do. The Hawaiian art collection, just like AKL’s African art collection gives it an authenticity that also makes Africa and Asia at Animal Kingdom so effective. They’re both brilliant.

I mean, I'd expect nothing short of pre-colonial authenticity for a resort in Hawaii at that price point.

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

I mean, I'd expect nothing short of pre-colonial authenticity for a resort in Hawaii at that price point.

Well its the one dvc I’ve never stayed at as it stands…and I may get there…I may not

I hear it’s very nice. It’s main problem is it was built for a clientele that kinda dried up and they mismanaged the buildout

 

[mkt]

mismanaged

Mismanagement is Disney's fifth quality standard.

Safety, Courtesy/Quality (the neverending debate depending on when a CM went through Traditions), Show, Efficiency, and Mismanagement.

 

[el_super]

I mean, I'd expect nothing short of pre-colonial authenticity for a resort in Hawaii at that price point.

Is that pretty common amongst resorts in Hawaii? What other resorts are driven by pre-colonial authenticity?

 

[mkt]

Is that pretty common amongst resorts in Hawaii? What other resorts are driven by pre-colonial authenticity?

My snarkasm might have not come through. So here are two points for you to derive my thoughts on the issue:

1- I've been to Hawaii once, only to Honolulu, and stayed in a business hotel that my former employer paid for.
2- I am a US colonial subject

 

[RSoxNo1]

You need people that can do their own kind of great work on shorter timelines with controlled budgets. Maybe their stuff isn't as grand in the end but it can still be amazing and enjoyable and leave an impression.

So you need more people from Universal Creative?

In all seriousness, the lead Imagineers right now are probably Chris Beatty and Scott Trowbridge. The former excels in art direction, the latter excels at more ambitious attractions.

I don't think it's unreasonable to say that Joe Rohde was well above average in both of those categories. There's also something to be said about the ability to convince executives to stretch a budget.

There are plenty of conversations throughout the history of Imagineering about pushing for more money to get another wow moment on a project. Off the top of my head, I recall specific stories about budgets from Tony Baxter and Joe Lanzisero and I'm sure there are countless others.

 

[MrPromey]

So you need more people from Universal Creative?

In all seriousness, the lead Imagineers right now are probably Chris Beatty and Scott Trowbridge. The former excels in art direction, the latter excels at more ambitious attractions.

I don't think it's unreasonable to say that Joe Rohde was well above average in both of those categories. There's also something to be said about the ability to convince executives to stretch a budget.

There are plenty of conversations throughout the history of Imagineering about pushing for more money to get another wow moment on a project. Off the top of my head, I recall specific stories about budgets from Tony Baxter and Joe Lanzisero and I'm sure there are countless others.

I disagree with nothing you've said here!

... even the not serious part.

I remember watching a panel that included Joe, someone who had worked at Disney and transitioned over as a lead at Universal Creative (I should remember his name but I don't) and someone just a part of Universal Creative and Joe's compliment to the Universal team was their ability to build and open things quickly.

It was funny to watch because the way he expressed it, it seemed like such a foreign idea to him that such a thing was even possible.

For his part, I'm sure the speed his projects happened were a combination of his process and to an even larger degree, the roadblocks, pitfalls and detours that are a part of navigating the modern Disney workplace culture to get anything substantial done but it was funny because if he'd said it in any other way it'd have come across as a backhanded compliment but it was an acknowledgment that there's no way Disney could have done what Universal did with Harry Potter within the budget or timeline they did it.

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

So you need more people from Universal Creative?

In all seriousness, the lead Imagineers right now are probably Chris Beatty and Scott Trowbridge. The former excels in art direction, the latter excels at more ambitious attractions.

I don't think it's unreasonable to say that Joe Rohde was well above average in both of those categories. There's also something to be said about the ability to convince executives to stretch a budget.

There are plenty of conversations throughout the history of Imagineering about pushing for more money to get another wow moment on a project. Off the top of my head, I recall specific stories about budgets from Tony Baxter and Joe Lanzisero and I'm sure there are countless others.

The definition of “excel” is always a sliding scale

 

[celluloid]

I disagree with nothing you've said here!

... even the not serious part.

I remember watching a panel that included Joe, someone who had worked at Disney and transitioned over as a lead at Universal Creative (I should remember his name but I don't) and someone just a part of Universal Creative and Joe's compliment to the Universal team was their ability to build and open things quickly.

It was funny to watch because the way he expressed it, it seemed like such a foreign idea to him that such a thing was even possible.

For his part, I'm sure the speed his projects happened were a combination of his process and to an even larger degree, the roadblocks, pitfalls and detours that are a part of navigating the modern Disney workplace culture to get anything substantial done but it was funny because if he'd said it in any other way it'd have come across as a backhanded compliment but it was an acknowledgment that there's no way Disney could have done what Universal did with Harry Potter within the budget or timeline they did it.

I recall that panel online and was a clever question by the guest.
Also, for fun fact sake, Tony Baxter exited Forbidden Journey after riding it for the first time and said
"We used to do stuff like this"

So at one time, it was in the realm, but has not been now for a very long time.

 

["El Gran Magnifico"]

if you play the record backwards…it just sounds broken

I tried that once. All I heard was Chapek saying “Give me money”. Or at least something that sounded similar.

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

I tried that once. All I heard was Chapek saying “Give me money”. Or at least something that sounded similar.

….same thing as Stairway