Changes to WDI

WDWFigment

WDWFigment

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
So apparently there was a shake-up in WDI last week. Bruce Vaughn (formerly Vice President of R & D) has been promoted to Chief Creative Executive at Walt Disney Imagineering and Craig Russell (formerly VP of Environmental Design & Ride / Show Engineering) has been promoted to Chief Design and Delivery Executive of WDI are now in charge of WDI, which means that, Walt Imagineering is now going back to the structure that it used to have back in the late 1980s / early 1990s. Back when Marty Sklar was WDI's President & Vice Chairman and Stanley "Mickey" Steinberg served as Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer. And together, these two successfully rode herd on the development & construction of over $4.5 billion worth of theme parks & resorts. (excerpts from JHM).

More can be found here: http://jimhillmedia.com/blogs/jim_h...-itself-with-a-brand-new-leadership-team.aspx

I'm sure this will turn into a thread bashing Jim Hill, but it would be nice if we could discuss the implications of these changes for a little bit, or if the people who wish to bash him could create their own thread to do that, I'm sure it would be more popular than this one, anyway.
 
JWG

JWG

Well-Known Member
Viewed as positive moves in my book. Restructuring to a format that was very successful for the parks has to be somewhat of a positive. In truth, WDI can only be as good or successful as they're allowed to be by Disney management, so hopefully this is a sign they're willing to invest.
 
Slowjack

Slowjack

Well-Known Member
I guess I don't feel like I know enough about how WDI operates internally to know what to think of this. Several people on the Web (Jim Hill, Al Lutz, to name two) have alluded to the poisonous atmosphere at WDI these days but I don't know what the root cause of that is.
 
E

Enigma

Account Suspended
Its funny how a certain "in the know" source around these parts was bad mouthing Bob Iger, Jobs, and Lasseter about downsizing R & D and how they couldn't care less about creativety and yet they fire an ex-strategic planning guy (goodman) and a loser who championed 3D movies and cheap film based attractions (fitzgerald) and replace them with a guy straight from R & D (Vaughn) who works on sophisticated new Audio Animatronics and new technology as well a very hard working and positive "can do" guy (Russel).

Now if Disney will just give Joe Rohde and Tony Baxter the freedom they need to design really grand and elaborate attractions as well consider bringing back some very talented imagineers who left the company during the dark times such as Eddie Sotto, the Kirks, and Bruce Gordon. Imagineering will be the premier engeenering/design group again and people will be coming to the theme parks in the jetloads just to go on the latest E-ticket adventures and ticket sales will go through the roof.
 
SDav10495

SDav10495

Member
Here's hoping the shake-up brings all the good things we're speculating about. It's nice to think that this could mean the possible removal of certain...ahem...unnecessary visual blights and the addition of awesome new attractions and show elements to the parks. I'm especially happy (for now) to hear this because as a lover/student of visual design and architecture, WDI has always been my dream job and it's broken my heart to hear how toxic a place it has been. Perhaps the dream is not all lost...
 
PLTram

PLTram

New Member
Judging from my recent trip to WDW, the parks sure could use an infusion of some new cutting edge rides other than the 3D movies and the talking animated characters like Crush and Laugh Floor. I enjoyed both, but I expect so much more from Disney.
 
E

Enigma

Account Suspended
mkepcotmgmak said:
does this mean that tom fitzgerald is out????
Click to expand...

Yes sort of. He is no longer in charge but is staying with imagineering as a writer (basically he got demoted back to his old job). They gave him this job out of respect but it doesn't seem likely he will stay with imagineering for more than a year. I mean if you got demoted from President to just a writing/production job would you want to stay? Especially if rumors are true that popular imagineers that got fired by him will be returning. The situation will get awkward.

The final say at Imagineering is now Bruce Vaughn and John Lasseter with Craig Russell in charge of projects.
 
tirian

tirian

Well-Known Member
PLTram said:
Judging from my recent trip to WDW, the parks sure could use an infusion of some new cutting edge rides other than the 3D movies and the talking animated characters like Crush and Laugh Floor. I enjoyed both, but I expect so much more from Disney.
Click to expand...

The execs know this, too, and that knowledge is partly responsible for the WDI changes.
 
brkgnews

brkgnews

Well-Known Member
Both "Walts" and "Roys" are vital to engineering -- but it seems like the Roys have been winning lately. Maybe this marks a change.
 
WDWFigment

WDWFigment

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
Wow...maybe this is just the change WDI needed. Now only if this means getting Baxter back moving on the project of bringing our bearded friend back to EPCOT Center.
 

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