Joe Rohde and the creation of Disney's Animal Kingdom

[tirian]

You need to look elsewhere if you're searching for some nobleman who has inside ties to Disney sans ego.

Lee's ego is every bit as big as those other online personalities. Maybe even bigger because of his 'connections.'

Now, I like him better because while he spins frequently he doesn't out and out lie (like that NH dude) and he actually particpates in discussions ... Lutz doesn't even partake in discussions about his own columns on his own discussion boards.

It wouldn't hurt for LP Lee to take a few writing classes.

 

[HMF]

Jim Hill has a habit of getting his facts painfully wrong like when he said the new staircase scene at the Haunted Mansion was originally an idea for Journey into YOUR Imagination.

 

[Matpez]

Helps if you can spell his surname - it is ROHDE. Why is it so hard for people to get it right?

Why is it so hard for people to be nice?

As a video editor, I have always said the hardest part of the job is keeping track of all the spelling.

I almost always find something stupid and wrong after a project is done and rendered all night.

Anyway, back to your conversation...

 

[The_CEO]

Why is it so hard for people to be nice?

Welcome to WDWMagic...

When I edit my vacation video's I have found that it is also hard to keep spelling correct when using text overlays a lot. Some people just don't take the time to appreciate what others have put forth to view.

 

[WDW1974]

Agreed - I don't think it is impressive - ultimately it is Jay's job to be the public figurehead for WDP&R. However I've never seen him openly engaged with any fan site or publication so the fact that he did so for them is an indicator (in the very least) that they have respect. I will disagree with your point about needing fansites to be independent. None of the sites out there are trying to be the New York Times or Washington Post - impartiality isn't necessary.

He hasn't, which goes back to my point.

Jay's company pays Lee ... and likely pays him quite well. So, there's no legit way Lee can claim to simply be an unbiased fan. That would be like a Boston Red Sox contractor/employee writing an 'independent' fan publication. Lee by the nature of what he does can never be perceived as an unbiased source of information.

And I never said fansites had to be independent. But there exists a very murky grey area when you have a Disney contractor at high levels using those connections to turn around and run a publication and website that are ostensibly independent. If newspapers weren't dying I'd expect to see one poke around because clearly Lee is gathering fan feeback from his publication (and the LP site) that gets passed on to Disney, even if it's simply talk with Imagineering buddies over lunch on a company Chase Visa!

Lee could be perceived to be spouting official WDC policy or lines when he talks as a fan ... indeed there are times in arguments with him when he'll slip and include himself by uttering a 'we' or 'our' team etc ...

I'm not sure I would describe an interview as an alignment. It is just an acknowledgement that he prefers (or his people do) LP.com. Arguably LP.com is the only US-based fansite out there that attempts to cover all of the five resorts.

I gotta tell Lee that he needs to sign you up as his official off-site (LP.com that is) publicist!

I don't doubt that LP.com is the preferred fan site of TWDC, albeit 'unofficially' of course. They present a very PRO-Disney site. ALthough to be fair, Doobie Mosely (hope that's spelled right) really allows free speech on his discussion boards, even when it sometimes gets nasty. There's a great flow of viewpoints and information and unlike say this site (which clearly is VERY WDW centric) or Micechat (which is clearly very DL centric), LP.com does focus on all the resorts and all aspects of the TWDC company. Doobie (and his wife Rebekah) as well as Lee should be applauded for the work they have put into things.

That said, again, to be balanced they are allowed to cover so much more because Lee and Lindsay are globetrotters who tend to follow Disney news all over the planet because Lee is GETTING PAID TO BE THERE ... BY DISNEY.

Their Tokyo stuff is often very impressive. I guess the fact that they are pro-WDP&R (that is the product rather than their management) also helps. The likes of Al Lutz and Jim Hill all have their schtick - but they are ultimately glorified blogs so are as opinionated. Nothing wrong with that - they just have their personas to preserve. Hill isn't even a good writer - at least you know where you are with Lutz.

They serve their purpose. Lutz especially. He does his best to keep Disney honest ... at least when it comes to Anaheim.

I'd love it if someone like him was blogging about WDW. But there's no one with the time, energy, passion and knowledge out there who also wants to do it (I have been approached myself and always say NO WAY!)

I wonder if it is just that there isn't a story to tell there? I'd be interested if he did comment on your points.

I don't really want to rehash our China debate here. I spent the summer in China working on the Olympics and got to meet many people who are dealing with Disney in different facets. Lee's opinions and what I got first-hand were very different (as could be expected as the relationship between the company and government officials in Beijing, Shanghai and Hong Kong is very complicated to say the least). I'm sure you can find the discussion on LP.com if you go to the HKDL forum and do some searching.

But if I remember the discussion kind of fizzled out after Lee pulled out a company line quote by Jay refuting some of my points. Jay was spinning to put it nicely ... I'd call it lying myself.

But, hey, if Shanghai DL ever gets built it won't be a beautiful Disneyland facade like they built on the South China Sea!

This is where I just don't understand the political beast that is WDI. Here is someone that is helping to communicate why things are the way there are and he is hated for it? It must be my naiviety that I think people should just do their job and not interfere with others things especially outside parties. If they are communicating their hatred to you then you would hope it would be deserved. It just sounds like such a black-or-white organization - no gray areas at all.

I'll just say WDI is one of the most politically charged boys clubs out there. And it isn't just one or two people ... although I firmly believe if Tom Fitzgerald and Tony Baxter were both shown the door that things would improve dramatically. For the better part of the 1990s and this decade the dueling divas of WDI have gone back and forth and created a very toxic work place. FWIW, Lee is a Tom man through and through ... I appreciate Tony's work much more, but also realize he (and his 'tude) have been major part of the problem there.

And Marty needs to have no influence at all ... the man sold his soul to stay with the company in the 1990s and things like DCA, DSP and HKDL were the result.

Again I'm not sure I understand why he needs to be independent. I could understand it if he was pedalling some agenda but it appears he just lets folks talk about their projects.

I don't want to endlessly go back and forth, but I believe/know Lee is pushing agendas/projects of those closest to him. Anyone in that position would. Now ... that agenda may not come through so much in the publication (which is why I enjoy it), but in talks on LP.com discussion boards it certainly does. And that agenda is always the company line, whether or not it is something good for fans/guests/cast or not. I should also again reiterate that Lee is a beancounter in his real world identity. So while he may appreciate the great creativity to come out of Disney, he still is always looking at the bottom line (Disney's and his own).

By looking at the back issues of the mag I noticed that WDW coverage was less than the other 4. I guess that is symptomatic of the fact that investment in the past decade has been lacking at WDW except for Everest. The MK continues to draw huge audiences so I can understand from a business POV if the investment should go elsewhere. Epcot was dying on its feet in the mid-90s. The decision was taken to banish the edutainment aspect as it wasn't meeting guests' expectations of a WDW vacation. I still think that a hybrid between the original concept and a more theme park-y attraction roster would have been better. But there is enough of the old Epcot to keep me interested.

If the MK is the flagship park of Disney's chain (and while in reality it isn't -- that is and always will be DL -- that is how Burbank views things), then it needs to grow and expand and constantly have fresh offerings. Instead, it feels very tired, stale and, in many parts, rundown. That should never be. ... BTW, Lee would argue that point just as you did.

As to EPCOT, I'll just say that by the early-mid 90s many of FW's pavilions needed serious updating and Disney in almost every case went for the cheapest redos ... that's why FW is the mess it is today. Again, why go for costly when you can just toss in cartoon fish? Or rip out large setpieces and replace them with darkness and emptiness? Or take out long immersive family rides and replace them with short thrills?

Anyone who visited EC in the 1980s can't possibly claim that Disney's 2008 FW is a bolder, more awe-inspiring look ahead. It's just a cheaper more cynical version.