to maintain anything you must have some pride in it. Does the current leadership have the same pride as those before them.
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Does the current leadership have pride in the parks.
- Thread starter POLY LOVER
- Start date
ford91exploder
Resident Curmudgeon
The answer is obvious HELL NO.
The90skid
Well-Known Member
This type of question is definitely on a personal level with Iger & Krewe. I mean, maybe in his own mind he does take some sort of pride. Ya know, "Carrying the Torch" of Walt or something sentimental like that. But again, we do not know these people personally, so there is no true way of knowing (insert obligatory "Iger is evil" statement, etc.)
The better question would be do you, as a customer, feel better after your trip or worse? I.E., was that money well spent? Was the amount of joy derived equivalent to the amount you paid? I personally don't care about Iger & Krewe's motivations, I only care about the final product. Once the amount of benefit I receive becomes less than the money I pay, I will take my business elsewhere.
The better question would be do you, as a customer, feel better after your trip or worse? I.E., was that money well spent? Was the amount of joy derived equivalent to the amount you paid? I personally don't care about Iger & Krewe's motivations, I only care about the final product. Once the amount of benefit I receive becomes less than the money I pay, I will take my business elsewhere.
DarthMileZ
Well-Known Member
if iger didnt really care they wouldnt have bought star wars, they wouldnt have made expansions, they wouldnt have turned DTD to DS. and they wouldnt be doing what they are doing to Animal Kingdom
yensid67
Well-Known Member
I personally think that the current executives at Disney(company) have lost the true philosophy of Walt Disney's intent on the American theme park! Gone are the days when going to a Disney theme park was something that almost everyone could do. The way things are going with the prices of everything you need for a Disney vacation, it will be only for the entitled and rich. The Disney company has lost its way in regards to keeping up with the rivals(Universal) and other parks that would be a better choice to go to than a Disney park. Universal can design, build and open a ride much quicker than Disney can! That will have some clout with guests in the coming years! There is no reason why Disney has to take 2+ years for one attraction!!!! If they were to build 7DMT again, it should not take them 2+ years to do it, since they already know how to build a ride inside of a mountain. Now the first mountain ever built, I could see that taking a few years since it would have been uncharted territory, but now its like walking in your sleep...or should be!
Disney needs to get back to caring about QUALITY and not quantity! It doesn't matter how many things you have for guests to do, if the quality of the experience isn't up to par, then guests WILL eventually start going elsewhere...then Disney won't have to worry about teir pricing for crowd control!!!!!
Disney needs to get back to caring about QUALITY and not quantity! It doesn't matter how many things you have for guests to do, if the quality of the experience isn't up to par, then guests WILL eventually start going elsewhere...then Disney won't have to worry about teir pricing for crowd control!!!!!
copcarguyp71
Well-Known Member
They have pride in their salary, stocks and year end bonuses...until priorities shift the parks will remain status quo.
blueboxdoctor
Well-Known Member
That I cannot answer, as I do not know these people. However, I do know I continue to greatly enjoy going to WDW. Yes, there are things that need fixing (Future World) but as a whole, I am still a very big fan of what they have been doing (especially looking forward to the Hollywood Studios updates, which will hopefully included getting rid of the awful DJ thing where the hat once was). Yes, ultimately it's about profit, that's what a business is always about, but I still enjoy the product they deliver.
JIMINYCR
Well-Known Member
I dont think they show their pride for the WDW parks. To have pride one would be boasting and be pointing saying ... Were better than anyone else, no one can compare. They dont come across that way regarding the WDW parks. Their desire to add features to the parks comes from the need to maintaining a steady stream of guests and solidifying profits.
I do think they have that sense of pride in the cruise line and a few of the overseas parks.
I do think they have that sense of pride in the cruise line and a few of the overseas parks.
entangled
Member
While this is not an example of higher up leadership, I do have a story that I think of anytime I hear about apathy and lack of care re: lower level leadership in the parks.
Without getting into super specific detail, when I was part of the college program, I experienced issues with a coordinator in my division. This led to me eventually receiving a reprimand for a specific incident, and a point on my record. This upset me, because who *really* likes getting in trouble in such an 'official' manner? When I was called into the office to officially receive my reprimand (I think they had me sign something as well - I can't remember as well as I'd like…) I got a bit choked up, and cried in front of the two managers that were doling out the news to me - it was a stressful week! One of them looked at me with a blank expression, and simply said: "It's no big deal - it's just a trash can at a theme park."
It's stuck with me ever since. I don't know if she was incapable of empathizing with me, or if it was her bizarre way of trying to cheer me up. But hearing a manager speak like that made me feel, as an employee, that nothing at that point 'mattered'. How was I supposed to have pride in my job? After all, it was just trash cans in a theme park. That kind of culture is so prevalent in the employees at the park and it's so disheartening. For every beady eyed college program kid who wants to help 'make the magic', there are fellow employees, coordinators and managers who just see this as another line on their resume.
Without getting into super specific detail, when I was part of the college program, I experienced issues with a coordinator in my division. This led to me eventually receiving a reprimand for a specific incident, and a point on my record. This upset me, because who *really* likes getting in trouble in such an 'official' manner? When I was called into the office to officially receive my reprimand (I think they had me sign something as well - I can't remember as well as I'd like…) I got a bit choked up, and cried in front of the two managers that were doling out the news to me - it was a stressful week! One of them looked at me with a blank expression, and simply said: "It's no big deal - it's just a trash can at a theme park."
It's stuck with me ever since. I don't know if she was incapable of empathizing with me, or if it was her bizarre way of trying to cheer me up. But hearing a manager speak like that made me feel, as an employee, that nothing at that point 'mattered'. How was I supposed to have pride in my job? After all, it was just trash cans in a theme park. That kind of culture is so prevalent in the employees at the park and it's so disheartening. For every beady eyed college program kid who wants to help 'make the magic', there are fellow employees, coordinators and managers who just see this as another line on their resume.
acishere
Well-Known Member
The current leadership has a very strong vision for the future of Walt Money World that will guarantee that money will continue to come for many fiscal years to come. They are continuously striving to find ways for as much money to enjoy their time in Disney registers as possible.
If only the money didn't also come with those annoying bags of flesh that expect things before giving up the money. They'll do the minimum necessary for those things just to be able to get the money.
If only the money didn't also come with those annoying bags of flesh that expect things before giving up the money. They'll do the minimum necessary for those things just to be able to get the money.
World_Showcase_Lover007
Well-Known Member
Oh how you have peaked my interest...it's just a trash can?!? I think super specific detail is warranted. So share if you would like.
danyoung56
Well-Known Member
I don't think it's a matter of whether or not they have pride in the parks. I think it's more about a disconnect between all levels of management and those who are actually operating things day to day. You could really see this back in the first days of DCA, when Eisner thought they could bring in a few off the shelf carnival rides and a bunch of stores and restaurants, all with minimal theming, and people would flock to it because it had the Disney name on it. He found out a billion dollars later that this just wasn't true.
I think today's management would greatly benefit from time spent in the parks, maybe working the attractions or selling the ice cream, and seeing exactly what people like and don't like. But so many of them stay in their offices and manage their spreadsheets and don't have a clue what's really going on in the parks.
I think today's management would greatly benefit from time spent in the parks, maybe working the attractions or selling the ice cream, and seeing exactly what people like and don't like. But so many of them stay in their offices and manage their spreadsheets and don't have a clue what's really going on in the parks.
Sadly, this is becoming the norm in large corporations. Managers who can't and don't understand what makes a good manager. And bosses above them who only care about numbers and see the most valuable asset of that company as one of those numbers on a spreadsheet - "we can always hire another one " - never fully understanding the costs to the organization in replacing employees. I can remember to this day our CFO remarking, after another of his outbursts over some minor issue, that he hated supervising...and wasn't very good at it. We all thought, huh? Then why did you take this job? But at least he admitted what we all knew - most of us bore some scars from unpleasant interactions with him. He had a quick temper, didn't trust anyone and a fly had a longer memory than he did - which we on occasion used to our benefit. His arguments with staff were legendary and usually heard all over the floor. But man, could he manipulate spreadsheets and macros. He eventually was moved to another office, thank god.
Goofyernmost
Well-Known Member
I wouldn't be at all surprised if half or more of management has never stepped foot in any of the parks. As I said before, we park fans tend to think that all Disney consists of would be theme parks. I'm not saying that is a good thing, just reality. How many actually go and see how they are run is quite small, I would think. What they have pride in is the bottom line, that is why they were hired, that is their main goal in leadership and that is why they get up and go to work in the morning.
If you have read anything about Walt Disney you would also know that he had a very short attention span. When he was building something, be it cartoons, live action movies or theme parks they were his almost 100% obsession. He had to be called in on the other stuff, but, it was minimum amounts of time. The last couple of years he was completely absorbed in EPCOT. He left the planning of the theme park to his gang of old men. They, however, knew that he would check in from time to time and hell was to pay if they weren't up to his standards. No one has those standards anymore and those that do are constantly being beaten down by budget cuts and demanded increased profit performance. I try not to be a complete gloom and doomer, but, I'm not feeling real confident about the future of the theme parks anymore. Maybe, if they ever get the "china project" done and it proves to be able to support itself, the pressure will ease up a little.
If you have read anything about Walt Disney you would also know that he had a very short attention span. When he was building something, be it cartoons, live action movies or theme parks they were his almost 100% obsession. He had to be called in on the other stuff, but, it was minimum amounts of time. The last couple of years he was completely absorbed in EPCOT. He left the planning of the theme park to his gang of old men. They, however, knew that he would check in from time to time and hell was to pay if they weren't up to his standards. No one has those standards anymore and those that do are constantly being beaten down by budget cuts and demanded increased profit performance. I try not to be a complete gloom and doomer, but, I'm not feeling real confident about the future of the theme parks anymore. Maybe, if they ever get the "china project" done and it proves to be able to support itself, the pressure will ease up a little.
asianway
Well-Known Member
You can thank the unions, the subset of CMs who do the bare minimum, and the HR policies Meg set into motion for the asinine points based system they have in place. I think that may have been them saying they have to treat everyone the same and whatever the infraction was was minuscule
ford91exploder
Resident Curmudgeon
Disney bought Star Wars for the licensing revenue, Disney would rather NOT do anything in the parks relating to Star Wars just look at how SWW was cut back to nothing the moment the ink was dry on the contract to purchase LucasFilm.
DTD same deal when it was DTD the venues there belonged to Disney, Now with Disney Springs Disney is a LANDLORD just collecting the rent all the enhancements are being installed and paid for by the tenants. Now instead of needing to operate DTD Disney just collects the checks for the rent.
What's happening at AK IS different but that's because the last of the REAL Imagineers Joe Rohde apparently knows where the bodies are buried and has the pictures from more than a few christmas parties as that's the ONLY explanation as to why he has not been forced out like Eddie Sotto and Tony Baxter. Joe LOVES AK and it shows in everything that's been done there.
DarthMileZ
Well-Known Member
i don't see it as a bad thing though, i know many people do but i found DTD a little boring before. all the stores sold everything you could find in the parks etc. at least theres some real difference to coming to it now.
would be nice to see some work done on the water parks though to rival Aquatica & Volcano Bay
ford91exploder
Resident Curmudgeon
Have to agree accidentally Disney has vastly improved DTD but it only happened because others had more faith in the DTD concept than Disney did and were willing to SPEND money where Disney was not