Is Zach Ridley trying to be the face of Disney Imagineering or the new Joe Rhode?

[durangojim]

I don't know anything about Zach, other than his instagrams keep showing up with new things about EPCOT. Does it seem to anyone that Disney is trying to make him the face of Imagineering, similar to how Joe Rhode was the main guy, at least when it came to public events and interviews?

 

[monothingie]

The Zach Ridley is on Instagram? I would think someone as busy and responsible for so many projects historically transforming EPCOT would have no time at all for something like that. It would certainly cheapen the prestige of WDI if they had their top imagineer engage in low level social media influencing.

 

[Inspired Figment]

It certainly wouldn’t surprise me and tbh, it’s a ‘good’ thing to let imagineers talk about the things they’re working on or presenting. The problem though when it comes to what Disney’s been doing with Zach however is I believe they’ve put ‘way’ too much control on him via company committee when it comes to what he’s able to talk about and how (as was revealed through that one post he did about the Three Caballeros AAs that had editor’s notes all over it). . It feels too artificial & one-note, to the point it feels way too corporate and not authentically passionate. What made Tony, Joe, Marc, Bob Gurr, Rolly, and others so much more beloved & respected over the years is they were given way more leeway & freedom in talking about their newest projects, part of that though is also due to the fact they genuinely loved the projects they were working on and were generous with the information they gave.

Now it’d be one thing if Zach wasn’t the greatest public speaker and I hold nothing against him for that. Many struggle with that and it’s not easy, and I know that isn’t an issue that effects his creative talent. But if that’s the case, you’d think Disney could just as easily choose someone else to be their spokesperson without putting so much pressure on a guy that isn’t that great of a public speaker. Truthfully though, I think he’d be a fine speaker if they gave him the leeway and freedom he deserves. The same thing could be said regarding his talent and the work he’s able to produce

 

[marni1971]

Like you said, Disney might well be. Doubtful it’s all off his own back.

Martys gone, Joe went sideways and Tony has too much to say. They need a new mouthpiece.

 

[Inspired Figment]

The Zach Ridley is on Instagram? I would think someone as busy and responsible for so many projects historically transforming EPCOT would have no time at all for something like that. It would certainly cheapen the prestige of WDI if they had their top imagineer engage in low level social media influencing.

I don’t know about that.. why would that cheapen the experience to have them interact on social media with fellow fans? It’s a way for the imagineers to show they are just like the guests, in that they’re big fans of Disney that love their craft. Again, look at Tony Baxter & Joe Rodhe for instance. What it ultimately comes down to is not being overly controlled by upper management and being able to be generous & genuinely passionate about what you’re doing with others. Some even aspiring to also join the company, create or join another, & be a part of theme park design like they are.

 

[waltography]

I don't know if he's the "face" of WDI, but he's certainly become the de facto spokesperson for all the EPCOT announcements, which makes sense given his proximity to the project. It just so happens that a lot of new things are coming to EPCOT.

 

[Splashin' Ryan]

Simply put: instead of creating a meaningful Imagineer to guest social connection, they have made Zach's page another disguised advertisement channel for their current projects happening all across the resort. Instead of reflecting on the work he has done because there simply isn't a whole lot there, his page focuses on showing off new things for better or worse. Rhodes' presence in the Disney universe can be directly tied back to specific parks, rides, and elements, unlike Zach.
I agree with what others have said, Zach's presence feels forced, and to ease that feeling they allow him to post something personal every few weeks which in some twisted way makes it even more obvious he doesn't have full control over his page.

 

[skypilot2922]

The Zach Ridley is on Instagram? I would think someone as busy and responsible for so many projects historically transforming EPCOT would have no time at all for something like that. It would certainly cheapen the prestige of WDI if they had their top imagineer engage in low level social media influencing.

He's just another corporate spokesmodel, The last real Imagineer was Joe Rohde. Yes there are people with the title Imagineer but they are little more than glorified project managers.

 

[the.dreamfinder]

Like you said, Disney might well be. Doubtful it’s all off his own back.

Martys gone, Joe went sideways and Tony has too much to say. They need a new mouthpiece.

Well, at least we’ll get to see Joe’s earrings in zero g!

 

[JIMINYCR]

Could be. It isnt unusual for those wanting to climb the ladder to new heights to self promote. With Joe gone someones got to step in. Disney could have him as a stand in just as well as a few other notables.

 

[Doberge]

Regarding the editing and approvals, Disney's parks blog creators can't even just create content and publish. Here's a D23 article on the Tik Tok team (which, btw, has about as many followers as the twitter and Instagram accounts combined!) that indicates that they "film, edit, and get approvals for video all in the same day." Disney doesn't let its own social media creators publish without approval, there's little chance they'll let an imagineer publish "behind the scenes" without approval, even if it is to his personal page.

How Disney Parks Makes the Best TikToks on the Planet - D23

It’s a chilly day at Magic Kingdom park and you’re craving something sweet. The options for treats are endless…But you’ve only got one thing on your mind

d23.com

 

[jpinkc]

See thats part of the problem. TWDC is far too controlling. Rhode I think got a bit to big for Disney hence his departure. Same reason why Tony isnt brought back except for advisory stuff. They wont allow any Imagineer, to get a natural following for his work. The whole thing of Disney having its own Tik Tokers etc just kinda underminds to me the whole purpose of Tik Tok. I will admit I hate Social Media and stay as far away as possible from it. I think this type of control is detrimental to any creative work.

 

[skypilot2922]

Well, at least we’ll get to see Joe’s earrings in zero g!

i’d pay to watch that!!!

 

[skypilot2922]

See thats part of the problem. TWDC is far too controlling. Rhode I think got a bit to big for Disney hence his departure. Same reason why Tony isnt brought back except for advisory stuff. They wont allow any Imagineer, to get a natural following for his work. The whole thing of Disney having its own Tik Tokers etc just kinda underminds to me the whole purpose of Tik Tok. I will admit I hate Social Media and stay as far away as possible from it. I think this type of control is detrimental to any creative work.

Today’s Disney would have no place for a Mary Blair and thats sad

 

[cookiee_munster]

Zach is just someone who uses Instagram and who also happens to be an imagineer. I'm under no illusion that people from higher up the chain have some kind of influence on what he can and cannot post. From a social media standpoint, the only people who will follow him will be people like us, the enthusiasts. For the general park goer, they won't have any idea who he is. I'd like to think his account is a way for the big wigs to see how the enthusiasts react to certain things at the end of the day, these Disney influencers and bloggers have a LOT of followers outside the enthusiast circle. It's free marketing at the end of the day.

 

[lazyboy97o]

I'm under no illusion that people from higher up the chain have some kind of influence on what he can and cannot post.

He’s accidentally included notes in his posts. Posting about current projects absolutely requires him to get approval otherwise he’d be out of a job.

 

[Goofyernmost]

If he's the face of the Imagineers, then I must have dozed off when it showed up. I have no idea what the guy looks like.

 

[DoleWhipDrea]

I mean, he's the Portfolio Executive for EPCOT that's in charge of developing these new experiences, not just some random Imagineer.

He also started his Instagram not that long ago...around the start of the major work being done around EPCOT. He has a few personal pictures in there, but nothing that feels out of place...which tells me that the creation of his instagram (and what he would post on it) was discussed thoroughly before making it official and that what is posted must be carefully crafted.

At 2019's D23 Parks presentation, (and as with literally everything any speaker said on stage then,) the dialogue was pre-written and a little rehearsed. I actually found him to be an effective and charismatic public speaker. He was also the only person to say anything about Figment that day.

The posts and everything else now are very Disney-corporate-speak. IMHO, when social media took off onto different platforms, many major industries were scratching their heads and not in the know...and when it came to anything online, we all know how slow Disney was at all. I don't think Zenia Mucha thought to watch Joe Rhode's instagram like a hawk or tell him what to say.

Anyway, I don't blame Zach if the posts come off too Disney-sanitized/pre-written. That's the modus operandi for the company that he works for. He's the face of this new EPCOT because he's in charge of it.

 

[DisneyDean97]

Like you said, Disney might well be. Doubtful it’s all off his own back.

Martys gone, Joe went sideways and Tony has too much to say. They need a new mouthpiece.

Imagine pushing out someone who is as accomplished as Tony Baxter, who truly loves the company and its history and has a hell of a talent to create beloved attractions...
I can't believe I'm saying this, but I'm starting to lose my love for Disney as every week passes. It's just not the same company and when the old guards from Walt's era are gone, it just feels like another corporate giant

 

[Goofyernmost]

Imagine pushing out someone who is as accomplished as Tony Baxter, who truly loves the company and its history and has a hell of a talent to create beloved attractions...
I can't believe I'm saying this, but I'm starting to lose my love for Disney as every week passes. It's just not the same company and when the old guards from Walt's era are gone, it just feels like another corporate giant

That would be because that is exactly what it is now. They are going to try and maintain the entertainment value, or at least as much as they can get away with. You would be hard pressed to find any other place with the intensive emersion ability of Star Wars Land, now or even in the past. However, it is strictly a business now. There is no personal desire to achieve perfection in what they are selling, only just enough to keep the case flowing in. It will still be a number of years before Walt's coattails tatter enough for it not to matter and attendance will be less fantasy seeking and more I got nothin else to do motivation. Other big boys will compete with them for the business and it is very close to the time when they will be successful as the reputation of Mr. Disney weakens along with the memory of him.