the.dreamfinder
Well-Known Member
Michael Eisner overbuilt hotel rooms which placed the resort under crushing opex and construction debt. The park was never the problem, only the scapegoat.
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CEO Bob Chapek?
- Thread starter mikejs78
- Start date
I don't know if I could trust him or not. I mean, I'll hold my judgement, but I've heard bad reception from fans. What if he's going to destroy Walt Disney's legacy like get rid of classics like Pinocchio, Fantasia, and etc? Because I've heard he doesn't care about the classics. All he cares about Pixar, Marvel, and Star Wars. So, I'll try to give him a chance, but I hope he's not a nostalgia hater.
EricsBiscuit
Well-Known Member
No. It wasGary Wilson who overbuilt the hotels and it was WDI's poor management that allowed the project to swell constantly requiring the budget to increase to $4BILLION 1992 dollars! SDL was 5.5 billion in today's and is massively profitable. It was Mickey Steinberg (construction consultant) who saved the resort from never being completed.
Captain Neo
Well-Known Member
Better him than Staggs or Rasolu
Bob would not be my first choice, but I don't think it will be the end of Disney as we know it.
Captain Neo
Well-Known Member
Tony Baxter should be one of the head designers at WDI but not CEO of the company lmao
the.dreamfinder
Well-Known Member
No, a Master Plan for the resort was created alongside a design competition for starchitects to pitch designs for hotels. Michael liked the designs so much, and believed EuroDisney could quickly see WDW level occupancy rates, he pushed for all the hotels that opened with the park. Strategic planning, where our pals Rasulo, Staggs and Colglazier once called home, were brought in to justify Eisner’s decision.
Did WDI overspend on Parc Disneyland, probably if you dig down into the expenses. Did they need Land Rovers when Jeeps would have sufficed? No. Should Disney have gone into the project with a better understanding of European construction industry practices? Yes.
When building theme parks, good design matters and it needs to be executed at a high level. As we’ve seen with DCA and WDSP, a Disney park built on the cheap will fail and continue to suck up resources down the road and be burdened with poor design decisions. Opening day DLP may have been expensive, but the park had a strong attraction menu with consistently high levels of execution throughout. DLP has only had a handful of additions, Indy Temple du Peril, Storybook Land/Casey Jr, and Space Mountain, and yet it is the most popular tourist destination in Europe. Younger generations are developing an appreciation for the artistry of the park. You’d swear we’re going to see the themed design equivalent of “Hitchcock/Truffaut”.
If you spend big, but wisely, on the park with a strong design, you will make your money back.
“Quality will out”
Quibbles:
- Comparing EDR opening day costs to SDR seems a bit disingenuous because you have fewer things being built, two hotels versus six and a campground, and cheaper construction costs in China.
- One could say SDL is underbuilt compared to opening day EDL
- True Disney level theme parks are always expensive undertakings, but you’re building for the ages, not a big opening weekend.
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EricsBiscuit
Well-Known Member
The pro formas according to the book Disney War were based on the occupancy rates at WDW. ME loved the idea of having star architects to design the hotels. Yes the buck stopped at him and ultimately he is responsible for the resort's financial failure. The truth is there is so much that lead to the resort's downfall from the cultural backlash to the amount of leverage they took on (Gary Wilson's fault and Frank Wells).
No, a Master Plan for the resort was created alongside a design competition for starchitects to pitch designs for hotels. Michael liked the designs so much, and believed EuroDisney could quickly see WDW level occupancy rates, he pushed for all the hotels that opened with the park. Strategic planning, where our pals Rasulo, Staggs and Colglazier once called home, were brought in to justify Eisner’s decision.
Did WDI overspend on Parc Disneyland, probably if you dig down into the expenses. Did they need Land Rovers when Jeeps would have sufficed? No. Should Disney have gone into the project with a better understanding of European construction industry prescrives? Yes.
When building theme parks, good design matters and it needs to be executed at a high level. As we’ve seen with DCA and WDSP, a Disney park built on the cheap will fail and continue to suck up resources down the road and be burdened with poor design decisions. Opening day DLP may have been expensive, but the park had a strong attraction menu with consistently high levels of execution throughout. DLP has only had a handful of additions, Indy Temple du Peril, Storybook Land/Casey Jr, and Space Mountain, and yet it is the most popular tourist destination in Europe. Younger generations are developing an appreciation for the artistry of the park. You’d swear we’re going to see the themed design equivalent of “Hitchcock/Truffaut”.
If you spend big, but wisely, on the park with a strong design, you will make your money back.
“Quality will out”
Quibbles:
- Comparing EDR opening day costs to SDR seems a bit disingenuous because you have fewer things being built, two hotels versus six and a campground, and cheaper construction costs in China.
- One could say SDL is underbuilt compared to opening day EDL
- True Disney level theme parks are always expensive undertakings, but you’re building for the ages, not a big opening weekend.
I'm pretty sure Chappie has a solution to the ESPN problem... more branded merch. Look for Mickey on the anchor desk, Minnie on the sidelines, and more Goofy announcers doing the play-by-play.
Weathermen only have to be right about 50% of the time.
...so naturally I became the CEO of Disney...
A CEO, on the other hand, doesn't ever have to be right.
TROR
Well-Known Member
>Better Chapek than Staggs
I don't know what you're smoking but I want some
BrianLo
Well-Known Member
I honestly feel like people talk out of both sides of their mouth about this guy. He's cheap and a cost-cutter, meanwhile the level of domestic investment have shot above anything seen since the strategic planning days?
Chapek IS investing. A lot. People by no means have to like it, but at least give him the credit that he is spending money on P&R right now. From cruise ships to both domestic resorts (infrastructure/transport/hotels/hard theme park attractions) to a DLRP buyout/expansion to another large scale HKDL expansion.
But he's cheap, I guess?
spacemt354
Chili's
Didn't you know Chapek was an anagram for being 'Cheap, k?'
He can't be defined as cheap considering this increase in domestic P&R investment. Every project might not be a winner, but despite some poorly placed IPs, there is also some pretty amazing stuff coming to the resorts over the next few years.
Not everything is perfect, but no CEO has been. If anything I want to see investment over stagnation and signs are pointing in the former's direction.
DGracey
Well-Known Member
The rumour is true, and not good.
The downfall of Disney won’t be from Iger, or Chapek.
The current illness at the House of Mouse has a name. Ike Perlmutter.
Some history ...when Disney got Marvel, it unfortunately got Ike, too.
The Marvel purchase made Perlmutter the largest and most active single shareholder of the Walt Disney Company (after the Jobs estate, who are passive).
And being the largest shareholder comes with great power and sway - over the board and over Iger (it's like Sid Bass' control over Eisner all over again, but much worse).
Mr. Iger thought he could pacify Perlmutter after the 2009 deal. He was totally wrong.
Example. Who did Perlmutter hate in the Disney executive suite for years? Tom Staggs. Rumours continually persisted Ike did not respect Staggs creative sensibilities or decisions, and felt Tom didn’t respect Marvel or their “philosophy.”
In some short Disney history - Perlmutter got former Consumer Products head Andy Mooney booted out, because he didn't like the way Marvel characters were being sold. So he got someone he liked and could control put into run that division - Bob Chapek. When Staggs moved to the COO post, and Chapek took Staggs place at Parks, Staggs then chose well-liked Leslie Ferraro to run Consumer Products. Guess what happened there? Perlmutter did not like Staggs choice in Ferraro either - and poof - 9 months into her new role, she was already gone (under a cloud of suspicion over how and why).
Perlmutter finally told Iger that, as Disney's largest shareholder, there was no way he was supporting Staggs for the CEO job. And Disney's board (representing shareholders!) got the message too - so Staggs was finally out. While Iger put Staggs in the COO post so he could prove he was a worthy heir, it actually proved the opposite - it was never meant to be. Because of Ike.
Notice there has been no strong rumour since Staggs left of a credible successor for CEO? No new President or COO named?
Perlmutter has been, behind the scences, forcefully pushing and grooming for his main man to take over the reins. Bob Chapek.
The current thinking is Chapek becomes CEO, and Jimmy Pitaro (another Perlmutter loyalist) takes over Parks and Resorts. Pitaro currently runs the consumer and digital products’ division, which he took over from - Bob Chapek. Quite the cycle here ...
And, it is absolutely no coincidence with one of the other names often thrown around for CEO, John Lasseter, now out of the mix (for obvious current reasons) - Ike and company are putting out the biggest trial balloon of them all during the vacuum: Bob Chapek for CEO.
Friends, here’s hoping our beloved Disney can be saved from it’s own civil war.
Mickey deserves a better master.
The downfall of Disney won’t be from Iger, or Chapek.
The current illness at the House of Mouse has a name. Ike Perlmutter.
Some history ...when Disney got Marvel, it unfortunately got Ike, too.
The Marvel purchase made Perlmutter the largest and most active single shareholder of the Walt Disney Company (after the Jobs estate, who are passive).
And being the largest shareholder comes with great power and sway - over the board and over Iger (it's like Sid Bass' control over Eisner all over again, but much worse).
Mr. Iger thought he could pacify Perlmutter after the 2009 deal. He was totally wrong.
Example. Who did Perlmutter hate in the Disney executive suite for years? Tom Staggs. Rumours continually persisted Ike did not respect Staggs creative sensibilities or decisions, and felt Tom didn’t respect Marvel or their “philosophy.”
In some short Disney history - Perlmutter got former Consumer Products head Andy Mooney booted out, because he didn't like the way Marvel characters were being sold. So he got someone he liked and could control put into run that division - Bob Chapek. When Staggs moved to the COO post, and Chapek took Staggs place at Parks, Staggs then chose well-liked Leslie Ferraro to run Consumer Products. Guess what happened there? Perlmutter did not like Staggs choice in Ferraro either - and poof - 9 months into her new role, she was already gone (under a cloud of suspicion over how and why).
Perlmutter finally told Iger that, as Disney's largest shareholder, there was no way he was supporting Staggs for the CEO job. And Disney's board (representing shareholders!) got the message too - so Staggs was finally out. While Iger put Staggs in the COO post so he could prove he was a worthy heir, it actually proved the opposite - it was never meant to be. Because of Ike.
Notice there has been no strong rumour since Staggs left of a credible successor for CEO? No new President or COO named?
Perlmutter has been, behind the scences, forcefully pushing and grooming for his main man to take over the reins. Bob Chapek.
The current thinking is Chapek becomes CEO, and Jimmy Pitaro (another Perlmutter loyalist) takes over Parks and Resorts. Pitaro currently runs the consumer and digital products’ division, which he took over from - Bob Chapek. Quite the cycle here ...
And, it is absolutely no coincidence with one of the other names often thrown around for CEO, John Lasseter, now out of the mix (for obvious current reasons) - Ike and company are putting out the biggest trial balloon of them all during the vacuum: Bob Chapek for CEO.
Friends, here’s hoping our beloved Disney can be saved from it’s own civil war.
Mickey deserves a better master.
RandySavage
Well-Known Member
No, a Master Plan for the resort was created alongside a design competition for starchitects to pitch designs for hotels. Michael liked the designs so much, and believed EuroDisney could quickly see WDW level occupancy rates, he pushed for all the hotels that opened with the park. Strategic planning, where our pals Rasulo, Staggs and Colglazier once called home, were brought in to justify Eisner’s decision.
Did WDI overspend on Parc Disneyland, probably if you dig down into the expenses. Did they need Land Rovers when Jeeps would have sufficed? No. Should Disney have gone into the project with a better understanding of European construction industry prescrives? Yes.
When building theme parks, good design matters and it needs to be executed at a high level. As we’ve seen with DCA and WDSP, a Disney park built on the cheap will fail and continue to suck up resources down the road and be burdened with poor design decisions. Opening day DLP may have been expensive, but the park had a strong attraction menu with consistently high levels of execution throughout. DLP has only had a handful of additions, Indy Temple du Peril, Storybook Land/Casey Jr, and Space Mountain, and yet it is the most popular tourist destination in Europe. Younger generations are developing an appreciation for the artistry of the park. You’d swear we’re going to see the themed design equivalent of “Hitchcock/Truffaut”.
If you spend big, but wisely, on the park with a strong design, you will make your money back.
“Quality will out”
Quibbles:
- Comparing EDR opening day costs to SDR seems a bit disingenuous because you have fewer things being built, two hotels versus six and a campground, and cheaper construction costs in China.
- One could say SDL is underbuilt compared to opening day EDL
- True Disney level theme parks are always expensive undertakings, but you’re building for the ages, not a big opening weekend.
Nice post.
A quibble with quibble. I believe in terms of things to do Opening Day SDL = Opening Day DLP.
DLP's design and plan were executed in a more artistic, sophisticated, appealing way (Baxter & Co. > Weis & Co.), while SDL boasted more originality and flashiness in its attractions.
I remember Eddie Sotto posting that Eisner 1.0 was willing to spend a lot as long as "you can see it on the walls", meaning getting a lot of bang for your buck.
He's going to destroy the legacy of Disney, isn't he?
Chapek? The man who said that going to WDW every year in his childhood was an anchor point of his family life? The man who said that Disney Parks need to be family friendly, timeless, relevant, and more uniquely Disney? The man who keeps promoting Disney properties in Disney so much so that even Disney fans are saying, "hey man, ease up a bit on that."?
Yeah, he's gonna burn the Disney legacy to the ground.
Are you saying that to make fun of me? That's not cool, man! I'm worried sick!Chapek? The man who said that going to WDW every year in his childhood was an anchor point of his family life? The man who said that Disney Parks need to be family friendly, timeless, relevant, and more uniquely Disney? The man who keeps promoting Disney properties in Disney so much so that even Disney fans are saying, "hey man, ease up a bit on that."?
Yeah, he's gonna burn the Disney legacy to the ground.
And why are you worried sick? That the guy currently in charge of the parks will still be in charge of the parks?
There's not going to be any major changes.