New Executive Structure?

[menamechris]

A friend of mine just texted me... She thinks this move was made to force Crofton's exit from the company faster... While that may be the case, I don't believe in doing something like that... I'd just find her replacement and fire her... HOWEVER, maybe, just maybe, Staggs did this move, letting her keep the seat warm.... He'll make the decision, she'll say YES SIR... then, in a year or two, when the truly chosen replacement is ready (Cockerall anyone??) Meg will come down with a case of needing more time with her family-itis...

I was po'ed about the move yesterday but I changed my stance today.... I'm taking a wait and see approach to this move... Maybe something bigger is at play here, something none of us are privy too, and if some are, they can't say....

I guess my thought is this. If you are not satisfied with someone's job performance - where is the logic in giving them more power, control and reach in the company? The only way I would think that would make sense is if they are trying to burn her out. But still... Why allow someone to keep their current job - and give them an opportunity to do an unsatisfactory job over 2 additional resorts?

 

[dreamscometrue]

I added some comments, but I think you get my drift. I am going to continue to play devils advocate here because I feel that we tend to develop this mob mentality when none of us actually have the facts. It's very easy to join the crowd and point fingers, but without facts then are just baseless accusations. Again, I definitely don't agree with the lacking maintenance practices or broken effects...and I blame whomever may be responsible. However, just because she is the big boss doesn't mean she micromanages every area and every decision. The executives below her all got to their positions because someone believed in their decision making abilities.

I agree. It's laughable that of thousands of members on these boards, so many think they know what's going on in the boardrooms, how decisions are really made, etc. Perhaps a handful on here have some real knowledge of which decisions Meg actually makes. Everyone else just wants to be part of the bashing, or part of all the speculation, but really has no facts. Anyone on here who has worked at a large business knows that you have to be 'inside' to see how decisions are made and who makes them. Those not involved in that simply speculate.

For those who are really worried however, I've seen 2 'promotions' at my workplace, work in our favor. In both cases, these people struggled and were 'promoted', but then had a lot less influence since they were managing several areas, and were essentially simply 'figure heads'. It just might be that Meg will have much less say in...well anything at WDW.

 

[lazyboy97o]

That's not really what I am after here, so sorry if it came off that way. When people have legitimate criticisms that is valid. Even better when they have knowledge of the situation. However, you know as well as I do, that the % of thoughtful valid criticism about Crofton (or anything on the internet) will be small, and the percentage of posts with actual knowledge of the facts at hand will be smaller. The bothersome thing, which is what my original post was about, is the snowball effect this will have, virtually wiping out any rational discussion, and killing a lot of positivity here, and other places, regarding the Parks.

You are painting with a broad brush after admitting your ignorance. If you do not know or care then fine, but do not criticize others for voicing an opinion to whose validity you do not know nor care to know. Your only legitimate issue is negativity because you have already said you cannot speak on whether or not it is warranted.

 

[Captain Chaos]

I guess my thought is this. If you are not satisfied with someone's job performance - where is the logic in giving them more power, control and reach in the company? The only way I would think that would make sense is if they are trying to burn her out. But still... Why allow someone to keep their current job - and give them an opportunity to do an unsatisfactory job over 2 additional resorts?

That's my feeling too... But, if the only thing looked at is the bottom line, and not the state of SHOW, then she is a major success...

 

[John]

I dont think anyone has to do her job to know what she does or doesnt do. The results of what she does is on display everyday. I have been to WDW many many times in the last 15 years. As some might know my mother is a CM. The last poster is right, the show has suffered. Thats the bottom line. Is it a combination of the economy and bad decsions? probably, but as others have said other parks have done well in this economy. I contend that in the year 2011 numbers have been up and are predicted to rise. IMHO the problem is people are not spending in the parks as they have in years past. The job the management has is to figure out how to seperate the guest and their dollars. This is where I think is the problem. In my experience guest will just write a blank check for service and show.

There is absolutely no doubt that merch. spending is down. mangement decsion? Although I absolutely love HDDR and SOA and the rest of the shows at WDW, they are dated. Heck they have been basically the same for years. Why should I see them for the umteenth time? What about dining? I think you should have a new resturant to offer every other year. Just refurb an exsisting one. No,the show is the results of Meg's work and its not been up to par.

We as guest spend a small fortune to visit WDW, we have expectations. WDW has set those expectations....not we as guest. Its not wrong for us to expect WDW to live up to the level of excellence they have set.

I believe the mission has changed for every CM from the top down. There was a time when cost was secondary to the guest experience. Now it truly is the bottom line. In the past WDW catered to the affluent segment of the public ( which I am not a part of....far from it.) Now they think they can acheive those same numbers with volume....ie discounts on hotel and dining.
Appeal to the "first timers" who know no difference. They have lost sight of the value of a loyal customer base.


I think the Meg move is a disaster waiting to happen. Maybe those of you who are at that level of management can answer this for me? If you have a buisness that was in decline, why would you promote a person who was in charge of its success?

 

[RSoxNo1]

With regards to complaining, it's always going to exist. The internet has given anybody and everybody a venue to complain. Sure there are people like Kevin Yee or Al Lutz and to a lesser extent podcasters like myself and my co-hosts (and other podcasters who have a far more substantial following) that have a somewhat larger audience as well.

We will always have things to complain about, it's the scope and scale of those complaints that Disney can control. Take a look at Kevin's most recent articles about maintenance in the parks. He discusses major issues like the tarp on Big Thunder Mountain to smaller issues like paint chipping. Both issues are important, but the Thunder Mountain issue is far more glaring. I think we all look forward to the days when Kevin's posts/videos are only about these minor things and not broken animatronics.

 

[misterID]

Heres Al's message post today:

Yes, Meg Crofton is apparently "in charge" of the US and Paris Disney parks.

No, she does not have same job that Al Weiss had; it has been reconfigured.

Yes, we may see her occasionally on the West Coast.

No, she won't be a regular visitor to the West Coast.

Yes, things probably won't get all that much better at WDW.
No, things probably won't change all that much at the Disneyland Resort.

Yes, this is a very short comment for such a major upheaval.

No, this isn't the whole story.

Yes, we'll have more to tell you as soon as we finish researching everything

I guessed everything he said there except the bolded part. I thought there would be a real good chance of things getting better now that she's under Tom's thumb. I'll wait and see, though. I'd like to hear what else he has to say.

 

[Lee]

Even Lee has the good sense to not wade into these waters. But I bet he desperately wants to. :lol:

Good sense....debatable.:lol:

What I'm doing is waiting. There are forces at work here that have not yet become apparent. More to the story.

I'm not pleased with yesterday's events, but I'm not going to say much more until I've had time to dig deeper. Until the potential other shoe has fallen.

 

[CountryBearFan]

I guessed everything he said there except the bolded part. I thought there would be a real good chance of things getting better now that she's under Tom's thumb. I'll wait and see, though. I'd like to hear what else he has to say.

Don't cry. It's just another person's uninformed, overly-prejudiced opinion.

And Al Lutz is a big fat liar anyway.

 

[imagineer boy]

*clicks on WDWmagic and sees article about Meg Crofton*

Ah, well. If you guys don't mind I've got this one.

*ahem*

AAAAAAAHHHHHHH MY GOD!!!! OH THERE IS A HELL!!!! WAAAAHHHHH!!!! OH DEAR GOD HOW COULD THIS HAPPEN!?!?!? AAAAAUUUGGHHHH!!!!!!

*ahem* Thank you.

 

[disneyny]

*clicks on WDWmagic and sees article about Meg Crofton*

Ah, well. If you guys don't mind I've got this one.

*ahem*

AAAAAAAHHHHHHH MY GOD!!!! OH THERE IS A HELL!!!! WAAAAHHHHH!!!! OH DEAR GOD HOW COULD THIS HAPPEN!?!?!? AAAAAUUUGGHHHH!!!!!!

*ahem* Thank you.

Ok, I have to agree with this. This is about how I felt this morning when I got on and saw this announcement. I have been checking in each day to see what the update is and hoping that the tide was turning in a good way. I had a good feeling about things. And then this. I know I am not the most knowledgeable person on Disney corporate structure or politics but nothing about this sounds good to me. The ONLY things I have ever seen about the way Meg runs the parks are negative just like how I have read so many positive things about people like Matt Ouimet. I am not all for jumping on a band wagon but when no one seems to have anything good to say there must be valid reasons. I pray there is more to this than meets the eye and that when Lee can he will give us some insight and maybe some hope?? Yuck. Not what I had hoped to hear at all.

 

[wedway71]

I am really suprised that they did not offer this job to George Kalogridis. It seems as if he has more experience AND he worked at DLP as well.

What I like about him is that he has been around for a LONG time like Al Weiss and starting off as a Busboy at WDW.

 

[spaceghost]

Good sense....debatable.:lol:

What I'm doing is waiting. There are forces at work here that have not yet become apparent. More to the story.

I'm not pleased with yesterday's events, but I'm not going to say much more until I've had time to dig deeper. Until the potential other shoe has fallen.

This sounds like the work of the dark side...

 

[aladdin2007]

Good sense....debatable.:lol:

What I'm doing is waiting. There are forces at work here that have not yet become apparent. More to the story.

I'm not pleased with yesterday's events, but I'm not going to say much more until I've had time to dig deeper. Until the potential other shoe has fallen.

Well said. This statement makes me feel like there is at least a tiny glimmer of hope for sun rays to shine down from at least a small opening in the clouds. Maybe?

 

[JustInTime]

Good sense....debatable.:lol:

What I'm doing is waiting. There are forces at work here that have not yet become apparent. More to the story.

I'm not pleased with yesterday's events, but I'm not going to say much more until I've had time to dig deeper. Until the potential other shoe has fallen.

You have piqued my interest. To say the least.

 

[disneyny]

Is the other shoe falling ever a good thing? And where are all the other insiders on this. It is awful quiet from people in the know lately.....

 

[theguitarman]

I don't think the other shoe is a good one, based on the tone of the post...

 

[PalisadesPkteer]

Helo Lee,

Have you heard of a time frame for the other shoe to drop?

Any chance Jim MacPhee gets an even better position?

With switching Dan Cockerell and Rilous Carter do not see them changing again for awhile.

Is this move to more or less cover the Al Weiss position even though it is not actually being filled?

 

[marcriss]

these are dark times, there is no denying. Our world has perhaps faced no greater threat than it does today. But i say this to our citizenry: We, ever your servants, will continue to defend your liberty and repel the forces that seek to take it from you! Your ministry remains, strong. :lookaroun

:roflol:

 

[mharrington]

I really don't know what to make of it. If it's that bad, I don't know if Disney can ever be saved again, certainly since Roy is no longer around and thus no one to lead any coups to save the day.