Rumor Hollywood insiders say there's growing tension at Disney as CEO Bob Chapek chafes at Bob Iger's 'long goodbye'

[lazyboy97o]

Ok I ... sort of agree with this. I don't think the current implementation of Fastpass is working, and definitely needs adjusting and a top-down re-imagining, but overall the concept is still sound and integrating technology into their process was vitally important. Even if things like mobile order, virtual queues, Photopass and park reservations are all clunky and unfinished, it's still better to have them than not to have them.

I don't believe those really would have evolved had there not been a major effort (and funding) to push NextGEN.

The problem wasn’t investing in technology but the reasoning. Disney had held off on integrating and updating their systems. Instead of seeing that as a cost of business that got wrapped up in the ridiculous idea that they could get guest spending to increase by more than 10% just because people were using a MagicBand, that they could avoid having to spend money on capacity and make a tidy side profit selling customer data. They spent billions on a mess of a system that still doesn’t really work well. That same money could have gone a lot further if it was just poured into attractions and the direct guest experience. Now they have a system that hasn’t lived up to its promises and they’re still having to spend billions.

 

[ImperfectPixie]

The problem wasn’t investing in technology but the reasoning. Disney had held off on integrating and updating their systems. Instead of seeing that as a cost of business that got wrapped up in the ridiculous idea that they could get guest spending to increase by more than 10% just because people were using a MagicBand, that they could avoid having to spend money on capacity and make a tidy side profit selling customer data. They spent billions on a mess of a system that still doesn’t really work well. That same money could have gone a lot further if it was just poured into attractions and the direct guest experience. Now they have a system that hasn’t lived up to its promises and they’re still having to spend billions.

A money pit, if you ask me. Just fix the damned capacity issues already.

 

[lazyboy97o]

A money pit, if you ask me. Just fix the damned capacity issues already.

Right now they simply cannot. There’s too much bloat and hesitancy. They can’t build anything for a reasonable cost, much less the sort of small to medium scale additions that will add capacity without inducing demand.

 

[el_super]

The problem wasn’t investing in technology but the reasoning. Disney had held off on integrating and updating their systems. Instead of seeing that as a cost of business that got wrapped up in the ridiculous idea that they could get guest spending to increase by more than 10% just because people were using a MagicBand, that they could avoid having to spend money on capacity and make a tidy side profit selling customer data.

So how much has guest spending increased since NextGen started?

They spent billions on a mess of a system that still doesn’t really work well. That same money could have gone a lot further if it was just poured into attractions and the direct guest experience. Now they have a system that hasn’t lived up to its promises and they’re still having to spend billions.

Failing to spend money on technology and infrastructure was NOT an option. It wasn't really a matter of which would provide a better return on investment, and even if it were, the technology portion probably still yielded a better return in guest satisfaction than any new attraction has.

 

[ImperfectPixie]

Right now they simply cannot. There’s too much bloat and hesitancy. They can’t build anything for a reasonable cost, much less the sort of small to medium scale additions that will add capacity without inducing demand.

The angry face isn't at you...it's at the suits making the stupid choices.

 

[lazyboy97o]

So how much has guest spending increased since NextGen started?




Failing to spend money on technology and infrastructure was NOT an option. It wasn't really a matter of which would provide a better return on investment, and even if it were, the technology portion probably still yielded a better return in guest satisfaction than any new attraction has.

If it actually did any of that it would have been rolled out globally to all of the Disney operated parks and they wouldn’t have rushed to drop in Ratatouille and TRON.

 

[lazyboy97o]

The angry face isn't at you...it's at the suits making the stupid choices.

Bloat happens in organizations. Bob Gurr left decades ago because he thought there were too many meetings. As projects get bigger it makes sense to get more people involved but you get to a point of diminishing returns.

 

[ImperfectPixie]

Bloat happens in organizations. Bob Gurr left decades ago because he thought there were too many meetings. As projects get bigger it makes sense to get more people involved but you get to a point of diminishing returns.

You absolutely do. It was one of the complaints I and one of my coworkers had at my last job - a daily meeting that requires everyone to stop working just to sit in and listen to things they have no involvement in is completely ludicrous and just micromanaging. It was totally unneeded. As soon as that owner sold the company, I instituted new procedures and reduced the daily meeting to only including those who had input on the big jobs (me and one other in my department). We increased productivity in my department by 30% even after ditching 4 people who weren't taking their jobs seriously.

 

[skypilot2922]

Right now they simply cannot. There’s too much bloat and hesitancy. They can’t build anything for a reasonable cost, much less the sort of small to medium scale additions that will add capacity without inducing demand.

Is it they can't or is Imagineering now the department all the losses are transferred to (the old 'Transfer Ruble' trick) and by accounting magic and charging $25,000/Hr (MADE UP NUMBER TO ILLUSTRATE POINT) for an imagineer's time those losses are spread out across all the business units.

So that 100 Million SlinkyDog Coaster becomes 95 million transferred loss and 5 million actual attraction cost. Why else can everyone else in the themed entertainment business build similar attractions for a heck of a lot less money.

 

[eliza61nyc]

Black Widow is a financial flop in any case. But of course Iger has to find a scapegoat.

BOTH Bobs can go to hell as far as I'm concerned.

Dangnabbit and I wanted to see it

 

[Tay]

Somebody let “Bob” know a few things:

1. The new “bob” isn’t fit as a successor…but that’s what you get when you don’t find one (Roy 3:16)
2. It is a crossroads time for Disney…the media they live off is in transition and all 3 of “bob’s” big IP Buys are in a state of transition. Mostly million dollar wounds…but still.
3. “Bob” is a coward…quitting when the money people found out how bad the plague really was going to be…coming “back” in an ambiguous Public puppet master slot…then leaving…but still hanging around and controlling the board.

in or out, bub

4. the other “Bob” is a clueless Walmart manager. Guess that’s not a great idea, huh?

My feelings are hurt with this dragging. You didn’t lie though.

 

[SpoiledBlueMilk]

I agree with you but I think I messed up…I’m talking about that patty Jenkins project. Did I get my wires crossed?

No worries - the projects get switched around. The Patty Jenkins Rogue Squadron project is a film. I believe the D+ series in development are:

Book of Boba Fett
Star Wars: Visions
Mando S3
Acolyte
Andor
Ashoka

Am I missing anything?

 

[SpoiledBlueMilk]

Thanks,
I don't see how this ties in to the Book of Boba Fett though

There have been rumors - so grab the salt - that somehow they are going to weave in where they left baby Yoda in with Fett. Not sure how, but leaks show some assets on set for Fett that point to the little guy. Again - who knows. Also hearing rumors that Leia will play a role in Obi-Wan.

 

[EricsBiscuit]

False, he only started to object when Eisner forced him out and the stock price tanked. He was there for the ABC acquisition talks, the cheapo parks in Anaheim, Florida, Paris and Hong Kong, and the direct to video sequels. He never objected because the stock was doing well.

What about the story where they are taking the tour of WDSP and start to question Eisner?

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

What about the story where they are taking the tour of WDSP and start to question Eisner?

That opened at the end of the run for Eisner…long past the glory days when he and Roy were thick as thieves

 

[World_Showcase_Lover007]

What I gather from the article: when Chapek runs into Iger in the hallways, he probably has some choice words of swear.

 

[MisterPenguin]

No worries - the projects get switched around. The Patty Jenkins Rogue Squadron project is a film. I believe the D+ series in development are:

• Book of Boba Fett
• Star Wars: Visions
• Mando S3
• Acolyte
• Andor
• Ashoka

Am I missing anything?

• Bad Batch in progress - some speculation of another animated series spun off of it
• Rangers of the new Republic
• Obi-Wan Kenobi
• Lando
• A Droid Story

Theatrically, aside from Rogue Squadron, projects directed by:

• Taika Waititi
• Keven Feige
• Rian Johnson

 

[BrianLo]

A Strategic Planner in charge?

It's amazing how short people's memory are. The Bobs will be sainted within a decade, surely.

 

[TP2000]

4. the other “Bob” is a clueless Walmart manager. Guess that’s not a great idea, huh?

When he got visibly giddy and fangirlish at the last D23 Expo over sharing the stage with the Target CEO, after seeming fake and painfully reading his TelePrompTer when he had to talk about all the amusement park stuff before he got to the big Target news, the curtain dropped away from his facade.

He's a farce. And clueless about parks and movies. And a real stiff to be around. Sometimes even douchey, which is odd considering his humble Indiana background and genuinely nice extended family. Or so I've heard.

 

[Robbiem]

As a long time lurker and recent user I seem to recall @WDW1974 stating explicitly that Iger and the BoD feel that theme parks are 'Stupid Entertainment for Stupid people'. As I know more than a few PhD's who love classic disney and many of them grew up near Disneyland it's a complete misreading of the Disney market. Especially at AK it's amazing how Imagineering captured the flavor of several diffrent continents in a few acres, One of my friends is a MD by training but she leads tours in Nepal, peru and other distant places and even she is amazed at how well. AK captures the feel of those lands. sure it's not perfect but for many of us a visit to the parks is a visit to an art museum but the art is structures and their placement, Just as Grand Central Terminal in NYC is a work of art of urban planning, Have you noticed you almost never bump into someone there, That is because the traffic flows are so exqusitely designed.

The current Disney BoD their arrogance beggars belief.

Back in the day Disneyland was seen as fun for everyone. Remember all those movies showing world leaders the parks, everyone from Kings and Emperors to norma people wanted to visit Disneyland. Vacation Kingdom era WDW was similar- I remember all the adverts with people eating elegant meals at the contemporary, horse riding or golfing and lots of culture based stuff for EPCOT. Famous people like Ray Bradbury were famous Disney fans and wrote intelligent articles about the resorts

Somewhere along the line that got dummed down to toddlers on dumbo. Cynical people are in the majority now and Disney is seen as dorky or kiddie fun not just fun entertainment for all. I think it says more about them than it does about the rest of us.