Rolly Crump on the State of Disneyland

SuddenStorm

SuddenStorm

Well-Known Member
What a year for Disneyland's publicity.

Multiple negative articles- some of which have appeared nationwide- about the CM pay. Bernie Sanders verbally slandering them and deriding Disneyland because of it.

Huge issues with Anaheim's government- forcing a cancellation on the Eastern Gateway project, and forcing a hastily planned and built parking structure in an attempt to meet the parking demands Galaxy's Edge will cause.

Disney launches an incomplete Pixar Pier- which has been derided by many fans as the worst land Disney's built- an unfinished low budget mess who's only highlights are the Lamplight Lounge and Cookie Num Nums.

Shutting down half of Downtown Disney- kicking out multiple large clients to build a hotel because of tax incentives offered by the city, which were revoked causing a cancellation of the hotel, leaving half of Downtown Disney closed and empty.

And now Rolly Crump- one of the most respected Imagineer's ever- is verbally deriding the park as "gone" because of current management, employment practices, and creative decisions is just pouring salt on the wound. And for me, this one hits the hardest.
 
TP2000

TP2000

Well-Known Member
SuddenStorm said:
And now Rolly Crump- one of the most respected Imagineer's ever- is verbally deriding the park as "gone" because of current management, employment practices, and creative decisions is just pouring salt on the wound. And for me, this one hits the hardest.
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To be fair, the article was quite clear in explaining that Rolly Crump has been criticizing Disneyland and Disney World management since the early 1970's.

He's been saying this stuff for over 45 years, not just since Bob Chapek arrived as the Suit Du Jour.
 
TP2000

TP2000

Well-Known Member
Disney Irish Bruh said:
So basically he started criticizing once all of Walt's plans posthumously were completed.
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Pretty much. It was an issue that developed with him in the late 1960's as WDW began construction, a few years after Walt's death.

From the article...

Since the death in 1966 of his idol, Walt Disney, Crump’s relationship with the Disney corporation has been in flux. Crump’s conflicted emotions only intensified in the years leading up to the opening of Florida’s Walt Disney World in 1971.
“It had no feeling of Disney,” Crump says of Florida's Magic Kingdom, noting it lacked the personal touch of animators trained in a hand-drawn craft. “It was a lot of good architectural pieces, but I looked at that and thought to myself, 'What the hell is going on here?"
 
Disney Irish

Disney Irish

Premium Member
TP2000 said:
Pretty much. It was an issue that developed with him in the late 1960's as WDW began construction, a few years after Walt's death.

From the article...

Since the death in 1966 of his idol, Walt Disney, Crump’s relationship with the Disney corporation has been in flux. Crump’s conflicted emotions only intensified in the years leading up to the opening of Florida’s Walt Disney World in 1971.
“It had no feeling of Disney,” Crump says of Florida's Magic Kingdom, noting it lacked the personal touch of animators trained in a hand-drawn craft. “It was a lot of good architectural pieces, but I looked at that and thought to myself, 'What the hell is going on here?"
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Which means like a lot of hippies (some of which are my closest friends) he's stuck in the 60s.
 
SuddenStorm

SuddenStorm

Well-Known Member
Curious Constance said:
So Rolly designed the facade to Small World, the Tiki gods, and worked on Haunted Mansion? ❤️ 💜 💜

Has he ever written any books, or had any written about him? I need to learn more about him.
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His biography It's kind of a cute Story is available on Amazon. Lots of photos and excellent stories.

Also has an audio series "more cute stories" that tell quick bits not told in the book.
 
WEDwaydatamover

WEDwaydatamover

Well-Known Member
I feel that Walt wasn't around to protect Rolly, or give him respect or say, you S.O.B. you kept me up all night thinking about your great ideas. Rolly was a wild card and one great Imagineer.

How many of the great original Imagineers or second generaton can we name vs today or in the last decades? 20/?

Baxter. Rohde. Irvine, Gordon and I'm certain there are dozens upon dozens that we will never read the names of due to horrible management.

Wall of shame: Braverman, Fitzgerald, Mangum, Jacobson, Weiss or the just horrible Kevin Rafferty- Yuck!

Don't even get me started on their supervisors.

I will give clinched-teeth credit to Tom and Barry for various works at EPcot 94. Certainly not Food Rocks. How pathetic.


Once Walt was gone the Ddick Nunis and Company heads went full on and really cut a lot of corners when building the Magic Kingdom, hence a lesser Disney experience that Mr. Crump disgussed in both interviews and books.

But if you didn't grow up knowing Disneyland you wouldn't know any better.

As if you hadn't visited WDW pre-mid 90's you wouldn't know any different as far as quality and magic go.

Bill Sullian, former MK V.P. who has been with the company since a week after Disneyland opened in 1955 ALSO testified to that on a podcast interview and in his book.
 
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TraderSam

TraderSam

Member
Mr. Johnson said:
There was Marty Sklar who seemed to like everything that was ever at a Disney park, but Meet the World.
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Marty did say in the D23 Attraction Rewind (Orlando 2014) that he hated the Carousel of Progress revamp to "Now Is The Time." He said that he loved the Sherman brothers and meant no disrespect to them, but that GE wanted "Now is the time" to be what people thought when buying appliances, not a "Great Big Beautiful Tomorrow," and requested the change. It was pretty funny to hear his comments about it on stage. I think he even used the word "awful."
 
Sharon&Susan

Sharon&Susan

Well-Known Member
TraderSam said:
Marty did say in the D23 Attraction Rewind (Orlando 2014) that he hated the Carousel of Progress revamp to "Now Is The Time." He said that he loved the Sherman brothers and meant no disrespect to them, but that GE wanted "Now is the time" to be what people thought when buying appliances, not a "Great Big Beautiful Tomorrow," and requested the change. It was pretty funny to hear his comments about it on stage. I think he even used the word "awful."
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Reading “Dream It Do It” Marty Sklar implies that several facts in the script for UoE were made less objective by the sponsor.
 
SuddenStorm

SuddenStorm

Well-Known Member
TraderSam said:
Marty did say in the D23 Attraction Rewind (Orlando 2014) that he hated the Carousel of Progress revamp to "Now Is The Time." He said that he loved the Sherman brothers and meant no disrespect to them, but that GE wanted "Now is the time" to be what people thought when buying appliances, not a "Great Big Beautiful Tomorrow," and requested the change. It was pretty funny to hear his comments about it on stage. I think he even used the word "awful."
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Reminds me of a recent live podcast recording with Tony Baxter.

When asked about Journey into Imagination, his response starts with "Now any of you who have only been since 2000 and ridden that sham of an attraction"

I always enjoy when Imagineers are candid about their opinions.

 
HauntedPirate

HauntedPirate

Park nostalgist
Premium Member
I think he stated what I've felt about DL since I first experienced it 2 years ago, but couldn't figure out the right words for that feeling. Disneyland has a charm and character to it. WDW... not really. Don't get me wrong, I have loved WDW for decades, but after visiting DL, WDW doesn't hold a candle to DL.
 
VJ

VJ

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
HauntedPirate said:
I think he stated what I've felt about DL since I first experienced it 2 years ago, but couldn't figure out the right words for that feeling. Disneyland has a charm and character to it. WDW... not really. Don't get me wrong, I have loved WDW for decades, but after visiting DL, WDW doesn't hold a candle to DL.
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But.. but.. the castle's bigger! Blessing of size! MAGICAL!!!!
 

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