Oh no, say it ain't so, Joe..

[Rteetz]

Tom Fitzgerald and Kevin Rafferty are about the last of the original well known Imagineers.

Kevin was supposed to retire after MMRR opened if he already hasn’t. Reportedly on twitter its being said that Tom has also been pushed out.

 

[wdwmagic]

Kevin was supposed to retire after MMRR opened if he already hasn’t. Reportedly on twitter its being said that Tom has also been pushed out.

Yeah I remember that, but did that ever become official?

 

[MisterPenguin]

And how about that Yeti?

He turned down the job.

 

[EagleScout610]

He turned down the job.

Asked to resign after his proposal to "Dancify" every attraction by turning off animatronics and flashing strobes at them got some negative feedback

 

[Rteetz]

Yeah I remember that, but did that ever become official?

I am not sure. After MMRR the shutdowns started and it was sort of silent. He did write that song for the WDI video they put out in what April? I haven’t heard anything of Kevin really since. He isn’t on the team doing MMRR for Disneyland.

 

[sedati]

The man was a gift, unfortunately, this is the year of having things taken away.

 

[Surferboy567]

Tom Fitzgerald and Kevin Rafferty are about the last of the original well known Imagineers.

Scott Trowbridge?

 

[brb1006]

They’ll have to find another marketable fan favourite now. If there’s any left.

Sadly, I can't name any Imagineer that was a marketable fan favorite as Rhode and Baxter.

 

[brb1006]

Zach Riddley seems to be the one they are lining up for that role.

What notable thing did Zach do?

 

[Unbanshee]

What notable thing did Zach do?

He put the EPCOT overhaul on his back. He's the public face for that, so we'll see how that plays out

 

[Rteetz]

Scott Trowbridge?

Not original but trending well known. Scott worked for Universal for a while.

 

[Rteetz]

He put the EPCOT overhaul on his back. He's the public face for that, so we'll see how that plays out

Putting it on his back may be a bit much. So much of it has yet to be seen and he didn't start out as the lead on the Epcot project.

 

[UNCgolf]

I fear for the future of Animal Kingdom. I wonder how long it will be before it loses its status as the best park at WDW/the one with the most consistent theming.

Probably a while, to be fair, because I doubt they will be making any big changes anytime soon.

 

[SpaceMountain77]

They’ll have to find another marketable fan favourite now. If there’s any left.

Given his presence at events and on social media, I had assumed that Zach Riddley was being prepared for this role. Not to fulfill Joe's position, necessarily, but as the face of Imagineering and fan favorite.

 

[JoeCamel]

I fear for the future of Animal Kingdom. I wonder how long it will be before it loses its status as the best park at WDW/the one with the most consistent theming.

Probably a while, to be fair, because I doubt they will be making any big changes anytime soon.

Three years til Zootopia is at Rafiki's so if you just don't go over there....

 

[techgeek]

Given his presence at events and on social media, I had assumed that Zach Riddley was being prepared for this role. Not to fulfill Joe's position, necessarily, but as the face of Imagineering and fan favorite.

If Zach is going to pull off the ‘fan favorite’ part, he’s going to have to do more then just pay lip service to EPCOT’s ideals.

 

[Unbanshee]

Putting it on his back may be a bit much. So much of it has yet to be seen and he didn't start out as the lead on the Epcot project.

Customizing the guillotine to his liking?

 

[tirian]

What notable thing did Zach do?

He put the EPCOT overhaul on his back. He's the public face for that, so we'll see how that plays out

Putting it on his back may be a bit much. So much of it has yet to be seen and he didn't start out as the lead on the Epcot project.

Given his presence at events and on social media, I had assumed that Zach Riddley was being prepared for this role. Not to fulfill Joe's position, necessarily, but as the face of Imagineering and fan favorite.

If Zach is going to pull off the ‘fan favorite’ part, he’s going to have to do more then just pay lip service to EPCOT’s ideals.

I wrote five responses and deleted all because they seemed too mean-spirited after being typed out. His reputation within the industry isn’t strong, and there’s a reason you never heard his name until he was magically a portfolio director.

Zach was promoted because he supports Iger and Chapek’s vision of the parks and its attractions. Read into that as you will.

 

[SpaceMountain77]

I wrote five responses and deleted all because they seemed too mean-spirited after being typed out. His reputation within the industry isn’t strong, and there’s a reason you never heard his name until he was magically a portfolio director.

Zach was promoted because he supports Iger and Chapek’s vision of the parks and its attractions. Read into that as you will.

Aside from a very specific research assignment with the reimagining of Disney California Adventure, I do not know what he has done for the company and, specifically, Imagineering.

His meteoric rise and immensely polished social media posts, to me, suggest he is being branded or positioned to be an influencer.

 

[Figments Friend]

Hearing murmurs that every's favorite Rohde scholar may have been caught up in the axe that we call 2020.

Quoting the original post, dated October 2nd 2020.

Joe is a go........
go ......
gone.

Officially 'retiring' January 4th 2021, as announced publically today.


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