Extreme Rumors of massive WDI Layoffs...

[CTXRover]

One thing that I have learned when i was trying to persue a career with Imagineering that we all have to remember is...

A lot of Imagineers are hired to work on one or several group projects and then are let go after their job is completed. Only the ones that stand out are kept on. You have a core group of higher up Imagineers that are there forever and others that drop like flies. I was once told that the average career of an Imagineer in the trenches is 4 to 6 years.

Yea, that's precisely what I was trying to get at too in my post above and I think others here are thinking something similar. We're talking about WDI Florida here, and since WDW will soon be coming off its biggest expansion of major attractions in its history (with the exception of opening a new park) and the likliehood of new projects to be put on hold till after the 50th would most likely indicate the decision to lay off some folks at WDI Flrodia is just the unfortunate result of the supply and demand aspects of all businesses, (perhaps coupled with a major team leader leaving as well that may or may not be associated with potential lay offs).

Considering its still just a rumor from an uncredited source at this point, meaning really little is known about why, who, or when this may occur, to say its going to be bad for WDW or its fans is still a stretch in my opinion. Who knows, perhaps some of the folks working on less acclaimed additions to WDW (like SGE, perhaps Figment (was this the brainchild of WDI Florida?), etc.) may be replaced with some new creative energy sometime down the road.

 

[CTXRover]

Blamed for Stitch?
Not surprising, though it really wasn't their fault. The original WDI proposal for the attraction was for a $25 million showstopper. Corporate penny-pinching and outside bidders drove it down to around $5-10 million. What kind of results can you expect from that? Hate to think a talented guy like Kevin Rafferty is gonna take the heat for that fiasco....

I don't know who is to "blame" for SGE and I don't want to point fingers at anyone (WDI or the accounters for Disney)...personally I've always said I think the basics for something really great are there and its not really bad at all. The main problem is execution of the story though, not necessarily what is used in that story. The new animatronics and plasma guns obviously soaked up A LOT of the money given the high level of quality that they appear to be. Stitch is the best AA I've ever seen and his "creators" should get a tremendous amount of credit. However, even the best effects can't make something great if there isn't a solid story to back it up...and I don't think money shortages are to blame for bad story telling, that I think would fall onto the creators of the story...in this case, WDI. I just can't believe the guy who I had read somewhere worked on the story for TOT created the story for SGE...but he's the one who seems to be getting the credit (or blame). I personally hope his job is safe as well.

 

[niteobsrvr]

A lot of engineers are contract workers hired only for the period it takes to complete a project at Disney. These folks aren't truly "Imagineers" but do work for that division.

The "Imagineers" are part of a core group of engineers as well as other backgrounds who work to develop and design lots of items that we see and that we do not. They are there year in and year out plugging away at new ideas and ways of doing things.

Once the projects they work on are given the go ahead, other engineers are brought in to work in a cpacity I term Constuciton engineering.

There are also many many things that are engineered by outside companies that have nothing to do with imagineering at all. I have friends here who have been involved in numerous projects who have never met a true imagineer but the things they have worked on are quite Visible to people who visit the parks.

 

[Mr. Eggz]

Michael Sprout wrote TOT. Kevin Rafferty wrote SGE.

 

[CTXRover]

Michael Sprout wrote TOT. Kevin Rafferty wrote SGE.

Oops, my bad. Sorry about that. I think I got folks messed up. You are right about Michael Sprout. To make things worse, I was actually thinking/picturing Eric Jacobson when I read Rafferty's name above. :hammer: So I'm not really sure how I feel about him as I'm not really sure if I'm familiar with projects he has been a major contributor to.

 

[Indy95]

Rafferty also wrote Under New Management. Hmmmm...I wonder if he really IS to blame...:lookaroun

 

[General Grizz]

Rafferty also wrote Under New Management. Hmmmm...I wonder if he really IS to blame...:lookaroun

Lesser of two evils...

Could have been an Aladdin arcade...

 

[Indy95]

Lesser of two evils...

Could have been an Aladdin arcade...

True, but still the show could have been written much better.

"If you wanna keep your jobs
then you gotta get hip
or your audience will disappear"

Sad. Just sad.

 

[Thelazer]

Well on the bright side, eventully WDI will need to re-hire. That gives all us a chance to get in!

 

[General Grizz]

True, but still the show could have been written much better.

"If you wanna keep your jobs
then you gotta get hip
or your audience will disappear"

Sad. Just sad.

I agree. I can't stand the new show.

 

[General Grizz]

Here's what was posted a few minutes ago: http://www.d-troops.com/news.php#304

D-Troops has received the following rumors regarding Walt Disney Imagineering Florida:

· Between 5-5-05 and 10-1-05 (the end of the fiscal year), if all goes to plan, there may be massive layoffs “to the tune of Feature Animation” at Walt Disney Imagineering Florida.

· Walt Disney World may not be currently investing in any big projects after Expedition Everest, citing the “high cost” and “poor quality” of the Walt Disney Imagineering product.

· Rumor also has it that the complaints for “Stitch’s Great Escape” spurred this citation (just above). However, WDI advocates argue that it was higher management that had cut over ten million dollars from the original budget; therefore, according to them, the poor result of “Stitch’s Great Escape” is not by the artists and technicians who may be laid off.

· It was also rumored that Tom Dunlap, Senior Vice President of Walt Disney Imagineering Florida, will be resigning. “He is pulling a Paul Pressler. . .jumping ship before things get ugly,” says a source. This announcement would have been made last Thursday. . .

This is still rumor as I am not aware of an official announcement given to the general public.

 

[Lee]

· Between 5-5-05 and 10-1-05 (the end of the fiscal year), if all goes to plan, there may be massive layoffs “to the tune of Feature Animation” at Walt Disney Imagineering Florida.

I don't think so. I have heard nothing to back this up.

Walt Disney World may not be currently investing in any big projects after Expedition Everest, citing the “high cost” and “poor quality” of the Walt Disney Imagineering product.

Ridiculous. :lol:

 

[Dayma]

It is possible that Expedition Everest may not be what they originally wanted and it could be viewed as not living up t original expectations.

I also dont think "new blood" in this field is a bad thing. You need new ideas and there should be a max life of a WDI person to ensure that new ideas are always being presented.

 

[Lee]

It is possible that Expedition Everest may not be what they originally wanted and it could be viewed as not living up t original expectations.

No, no.....nobody is worried about Everest.

 

[joel_maxwell]

No, no.....nobody is worried about Everest.

yeh! :sohappy:

last thing we need is everybody questioning the success/failure rating of an attraction that is half built. please let that die until testing is complete and somebody actually rides it.

 

[Scooter]

Personally, I think posting unverified rumors on personal websites is a bad idea.

It just upsets people.

 

[joel_maxwell]

Personally, I think posting unverified rumors on personal websites is a bad idea.

It just upsets people.

TRUE DAT'

 

[Indy95]

Calling anyone who knows anything about EE:

Will EE have the rumored super-themed queue ala Indy at DL (where you walk past scenes with elaborate theming, etc.) or will it just be Tom Fitzgerald-esque "slap a TV monitor around every corner and call it a queue?"

 

[CTXRover]

was also rumored that Tom Dunlap, Senior Vice President of Walt Disney Imagineering Florida, will be resigning. “He is pulling a Paul Pressler. . .jumping ship before things get ugly,” says a source.

Perhaps its not a bad thing to "clean house" after some problems with recent efforts from WDI Florida. Does anyone here know exactly what WDI Florida worked on by itself? Seems like SGE and the new Tiki room might be there's. How about the Figment re-dos? I imagine the bigger guns like Mission:Space and Everest were from the Burbank offices, no? Perhaps there is a trend here that could be fixed by leaving some folks go? As for SGE, $10 million might have bought some better effects that could helped to tell a "different" story, but it still doesn't account for just plain bad story-telling.

I found the quote from the "unidentified" source that compares Dunlap's potential leave to that of Pressler leaving interesting, especially when you look at all the good that has come since Pressler left and Rasulo took over...especially over at DL when Rasulo chose Oiumet who essentially cleaned house at DL which is now getting the love and care it always deserved but never got from the Pressler/Harriss era. Who knows what could happen under new/different leadership in WDI Florida.

Perhaps all of the complaining here and other places and the "letters" people write to Disney over recent projects is taking its toll and somebody, somewhere is listening, even if layoffs of those working on those projects wasn't our intention. (?)

 

[NeXuS1000]

After watching Disney for the last 12 years. it seems to me that their layoffs are pretty much in line with the rise and fall of the economy.

The American Tourist industry has been pretty good since about a year after 9/11 because most Americans were either afraid or nervous about taking overseas vacations, so subsequently, Disney World attendance has been on an upswing.

Disney is probably gambling that since the parks have hit pretty high numbers for attendance lately, that the next trend will be a downhill one with lower park attendance after this New celebration.

They also take into consideration that as there are less terrorist attacks, Americans are slowly returning to traveling to other countries and vacationing less locally.

It's all based on the economy, numbers and predictions.

Just my thoughts

Don't think it will go down any time soon. The economy is on the way up again and that will surely also show off in tourism and in attendance rates...